“I’ve got to shower and get to school,” Howard announced, rubbing at his temples as he glanced at Carly. “I’m trusting you’ll do the same.”
“What about the skull?” Carly begged as he stepped toward the back staircase.
Without meeting her eyes, Howard asked, “What skull?” And then he was gone.
“I need to head into town and shower,” Gabe said, walking over to Carly to kiss her on the cheek. “But I’ll wait for you to get ready first.”
So, this was what it was like to not ask questions. “You don’t have to wait for me, Gabe. The sun’s up now—I’m safe.”
He snickered. “Safe? Carly, as long as that ruskah’s out there, safe isn’t in our realm of possibilities.”
twenty-four
Carly yawned as she walked with Gabe to his Jetta after school. It had been a very long day, and exhaustion was starting to catch up with her. She needed another cup of coffee or she wasn’t going to make it past supper.
“A nap would be better,” Gabe said as he opened the passenger door for her.
“Hmm?” Carly asked.
“All that caffeine can’t be good for you—not when you only slept a couple hours last night.”
“If I take a nap, I know I’ll sleep until dark, and then I won’t get to see you again until tomorrow.”
“You’re sweet.”
Carly had intended to reply, but was mesmerized by his mouth instead. She slipped her arms around Gabe’s neck as she kissed him. She couldn’t wait until this whole chaos with the ruskahs was over so she could spend some time alone with him—without her dad and all their friends keeping tabs.
Gabe must have agreed because he returned her kisses again and again. Carly loved being this close to him, loved being the center of his world. He may not have been her first boyfriend, but he was the only one who mattered—the only one who would ever matter.
“Ahem.”
Carly’s face was red, her lips numb as she pulled back from Gabe.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Abel continued as he bounced from one foot to the other. “Carly, I’ve got a message from your dad. He’s got a really strange feeling and he’d like you to head home right away.”
“What kind of feeling?” Gabe asked while Carly wondered why Howard hadn’t bothered delivering the message himself. After all, he was right inside the school.
“Beats me,” Abel replied with a shrug. “Oh, and apparently Crys is off duty tonight. All I know is, she skipped last period. But Sharla and I are headed out to your place now, Carly, so she’ll hang with you tonight. Well, that’s all I’ve got. Later.”
“Later,” Gabe replied, eyeing Abel as he walked away. “I guess I’d better get you home, Carly. But I swear, as soon as this ruskah’s gone, we’re not going to abide by anyone else’s schedule.”
Carly appreciated his confidence, and snuck in one more kiss before she settled in the passenger seat. Once Gabe joined her, she said, “It could end up being some night, hanging out with Sharla.”
“She’s a really great kid,” Gabe spoke in Sharla’s defense as he made his way out of the parking lot.
“Yeah, that’s why she gives me dirty looks all the time.”
“We both know why she gives you dirty looks, but she’ll get over it. She’ll have to. Because you’re my girlfriend now, and that’s not going to change.”
Carly dared to reach for his hand, still startled by the sparks between them. “I’m glad you think so, too.”
“Think so? Carly, I’ve been waiting my whole life to find someone like you.”
Something about Gabe’s statement had her absolutely convinced he absolutely meant it, and that scared the crap out of her. It scared her because it was real, and it was perfect, and it was him—and she couldn’t stand the thought of any of it disappearing.
“Then don’t think about it,” Gabe urged, squeezing at her hand. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Carly held onto that sentiment as they made their way out to Grant Manor. She missed the notion of freedom—of being a regular sixteen-year-old girl with a crush on a boy. If only that were her main concern now.
“We’ll both have freedom soon enough,” Gabe assured her as he pulled up to her house, where Abel and Sharla were waiting. “Until then, look at this as an opportunity to get to know Sharla a little bit better.”
Carly agreed that would probably be the best use of her energy right now, and put on a polite smile as she hopped out of the car. “Hey, Sharla. I hear you’re staying with me tonight.”
Sharla didn’t greet her with quite the same enthusiasm. “Yeah, I’m on duty until dawn. It’s surprising to me, though, Carly, that you haven’t shifted yet. I figured a full blood would have manifested some sort of power by now. I can’t be the only one who’s starting to wonder if you’re adopted.”
“Sharla,” Gabe sighed, shaking his head.
“What?” she snapped back. “I’m not saying she is. Just that she might be.”
“And what if she’s not?” Abel countered, nudging his shoulder into Sharla’s. There was a playful smile on his lips as he added, “Do you really want her to remember this conversation?”
Sharla shot Gabe an apologetic glance, but didn’t bother acknowledging Carly.
“Maybe a snack would put everyone in a better mood?” Carly suggested, leading the way inside the manor. “Sharla, any special requests?”
Sharla gave her a weary look, her demeanor softening somewhat. “Do you have Doritos? They’re my favorite.”
“I’ll remember that,” Carly replied, making a beeline for the cupboard as they spilled into the kitchen. “And I’m pretty sure I do.”
* * *
“We should head inside soon,” Gabe determined, his icy eyes sweeping over the tree line in Carly’s backyard for the dozenth time since they’d snuck outside after supper. “The sun’s already starting to go down, and…”
Carly hadn’t been all that alarmed by Howard’s request for her to head home right after school, until he’d arrived at the house in a panic. The strange mood seemed to spread to Gabe, Abel, and Sharla, and by the time they’d all finished eating, each of them was as solemn as the next.
“You think it’s going to try something tonight?” Carly wondered, her fingers tensing in his. “Gabe…?”
“What I think,” he replied, turning to meet her gaze, “is that it’s good to be cautious. I understand Sharla isn’t always the easiest to get along with, but she’d be great to have your back in a fight.”
Carly managed a small smile. “Yeah, she seems like she’d fight dirty.”
Gabe matched her lightness but for a moment. “I hate all of this, Carly.”
“I know.”
“It’s not going to be like this forever.”
“No, it won’t,” she agreed. “One of these days, I’ll be shifting just like you.”
Gabe kissed her mouth. “Let’s get you inside. I’m anxious to start patrolling.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay with me tonight?”
The pained look on his face revealed his turmoil over that precise matter. Gabe very much wanted to stay with her, yes, but he also very much didn’t want to miss out on any pending action. It had been thrilling, taking that ruskah’s life, and he couldn’t wait to capture that feeling again.
“We’ll have plenty of time to ourselves soon enough,” Gabe spoke gently, tugging at her hand to lead her toward the house. “This will give you a chance to miss me.”
Carly let out a laugh. “I already do.”
Abel met them at the back door and jogged past them off the porch. “See you out there, Hutchinson.”
“You sure will,” Gabe called back, and followed Carly into the kitchen.
“Did you get enough to eat, Gabriel?” Howard asked as he stowed the last of the leftovers in the fridge.
Gabe patted at his stomach. “I should be fine for a while. I’m pretty anxious to get out there. Feels like a weird night.�
��
Howard pursed his lips. “The others already have the house surrounded. Paul will be out later, too. It’s wonderful he’s been so willing to help out.”
“If there’s one thing my father’s unapologetically protective of, it’s our race,” Gabe said. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep all of us safe, and I have the same intention.”
“And for that, I couldn’t be more grateful. That’s exactly what we need in a leader.”
A leader. That’s what Gabe was, and it showed in the way he handled her father. It showed in the way he handled everyone—that he was born to be in charge.
“Where’s Sharla?” Carly asked, looking around the vast kitchen for the blonde. But there was no sign of her.
“I believe she’s in the family room,” Howard answered. “You two should have fun tonight, at least, painting your nails and whatnot.”
Apparently, he didn’t have an honest understanding of the dynamic of their group. Carly considered that a possible advantage, and quipped, “Something like that.”
“Time to get out there,” Gabe decided, squeezing onto Carly’s fingers before he let them go. “You’ll be okay without me?”
“Yes,” she answered, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to leave.
“I’ll stop in later to check on you.”
“I hope you do.”
Gabe gave her a kiss on the cheek, and then disappeared with Howard into the night. Carly stood for a long while staring after them, caught up in the number of shifters out there risking their lives to keep hers safe. And all because she hadn’t shifted yet.
What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she just make it happen? Why couldn’t she just wish her first shift into taking place?
Because this is no fairy tale, Carly thought in brutal realization. And despite what everyone keeps claiming about my bloodline, I’m no princess.
She caught her smirk in the window’s reflection, and figured it was time to go play nice with Sharla. It couldn’t be easy for the girl, having to watch her crush with someone else. Carly understood that sinking feeling all too well, and it pushed her to be empathetic to Sharla’s plight—even if she could be a real witch sometimes.
Carly tiptoed into the family room, where she found Sharla camped out on the sectional, painting her toenails tomato red. She was watching the same racy movie she always insisted on watching when the girls hung out. “Does your mom care that you watch this?”
“Does your dad care that you make out with your boyfriend in front of everyone?” Sharla shot back without looking up from her nail polish. “If I were human, I might be a child at fifteen. You’re not the only one who’s too smart for her own good.”
Yep, that’s about the welcome Carly had expected. “Thanks?” she replied, hesitating in the doorway.
“There’s no rule that says we have to be friends, you know,” Sharla pointed out, glancing up to meet Carly’s gaze. “I get that Gabe wants us to be, that he thinks he controls the narrative. But he also thinks you need a babysitter, and I don’t think that at all. Why sit here and play friends when you’d rather go upstairs and pretend to read a book while you think about Gabe, and I’d rather stay here, alone, pretending to have a life that doesn’t suck?”
Carly thought her logic amusing, and wondered if someday they might just find a way to get along. But for now… “I’m not with Gabe to hurt you, Sharla. That’s the last thing I want—to cause tension in the group.”
Sharla’s face turned a nice shade of red reminiscent of her toenails. “Why would I care that you’re with Gabe?”
“It’s good to know you don’t,” Carly answered. “I’ll be up in my room. Hey, thanks, by the way—for understanding I can take care of myself.”
“Thank me once you’ve actually had to.”
Carly chose to take the passive-aggressive comment as a compliment as she skipped upstairs to her room. Perspective, right? She closed the door behind her and was met with the much missed yet all too familiar feeling of alone. After days of being looked after twenty-four-seven, she finally had a moment all to herself. Though she had yet to shift, though she was for all intents and purposes vulnerable, she certainly didn’t feel that way right now.
Carly wasn’t human. She had no evidence for it yet, but her bloodline set her apart, destined her for something beyond her wildest dreams. Whatever the future held, it excited her to consider the possibilities.
Carly yawned as she sat on the edge of the bed and thought of taking a nap. But her gaze drifted to the wall by the bathroom, to the wall that had cloaked the amethyst skull for decades. She knew the object wasn’t there any longer, that it had been hidden away, but curiosity got the best of her and she grabbed a flashlight before opening up the wall.
She shined the insufficient beam into the dark and confirmed the passage was empty. Carly’s heart raced as she tiptoed past the wall, immersing herself in the narrow opening. It was just a few strides to the back, which hosted nothing more than a bench built into the wall. She thought it a waste of ingenuity to go to all the effort to add in this little hidden room and not do anything cooler with it. She’d just have to do something about that.
Carly let out another yawn and figured it wouldn’t hurt to rest her eyes. Gabe would be back in a while to check on her, and she wanted to be awake for that. She walked back into the room and closed up the passage, confronted once again with herself and her thoughts and her aloneness—not just in the room, but in the group. She wouldn’t really be like the others until she was able to shift.
She gritted her teeth as she flopped down on the bed, greeted by a purring cat. Carly plunged her fingers into Gargamel’s fur, wishing she had the simple life of a feline. But then she wouldn’t have Gabe, or any of the others, who were all out there right now, doing everything in their power to protect her.
She was ever aware of the effort they were putting in, and Carly couldn’t wait for the day when she’d be able to return the favor. What would it be like to be able to keep up with them? To run with them? To swim with them? To play hide and seek in the caves with them? To finally be one of them?
That was the thing that was really holding Carly back from being able to understand Gabe. She hadn’t shifted yet, and she wouldn’t really be able to see him for what he was until she did. Although, what she saw at the moment was enough to have her thinking about the L-word.
She’d never thought about it with Ross, or anyone she’d met before Gabe. But then again, Ross had been human. He’d been different in a way she hadn’t noticed at the time, but was clear to her now. Ross wasn’t anything like her, but Gabriel sure was.
Carly heaved out a sigh. It was too soon to be thinking about the L-word, she knew that, but here she was, thinking about it all the same.
Was it possible he felt the same way? She closed her eyes and imagined Gabe out in the trees, circling round the house, just waiting to sink his teeth into anything that dare come near her.
Wasn’t that love?
You’re silly, she thought, exhaustion webbing through her consciousness. And you can’t tell him yet.
“I won’t,” she promised herself, and finally gave in to sleep.
* * *
Carly wasn’t alone when she woke, but unfortunately, it wasn’t Gabe who’d decided to pay a visit.
twenty-five
Carly’s drumming heart drowned out all other sound as she found herself face to face with a ruskah. It was standing next to her bed, peering down at her with bulging black eyes. Moonlight bathed its slimy white skin, its spindly neck wobbling back and forth as it spied on her.
Her gaze flitted to the open wall opposite the staircase, and Carly guessed the ruskah’s path. It must have snuck in through the caves and made its way up the secret passage in the basement to her bedroom. Why hadn’t she thought to seal it up? How could she have been so foolish?
Carly tried to move, but her limbs were frozen, her lips locked together. Sharla was all the way downstairs
, and Gabe… God only knew where he was. For now, it was just Carly and the ruskah. For now, her fate—whether or not she believed in it—was in her own hands. And she had a feeling this monster was going to be anything but merciful.
Carly.
A shiver ran through her as the ruskah’s alien voice resonated across her mind. How long would it let her live before it devoured her? Minutes? Seconds?
Carly, you’ve escaped me twice.
And where the hell was Sharla? Shouldn’t she know something was wrong? Unless she did know something was wrong and she was choosing to ignore it. With Carly out of the picture, Sharla could have Gabe all to herself.
I’ve tasted your blood, and it was perfect, the ruskah went on.
Legacy: Bloodline Book 1 Page 24
