Truth and Consequences

by Cate Dean

  All I could think about when I made my way down the stairs was the last time Sam changed.

  I’d ended up running for my life.

  ~ ~ ~

  Misty waited for me in the staff parking lot. I swung my MG into an empty space, not caring that I wasn’t supposed to park here. She had the door open before I could turn off the engine.

  “You have to hurry. Jake has him locked in, but he’s afraid Sam might hurt himself trying to get out.”

  She grabbed my arm, and I limp-ran behind her. The halls were mostly empty, everyone sitting in their early afternoon class, probably watching the clock.

  Jake stood just outside the door leading to the basement.

  “Good—you found her.” He took my hand before I could snatch it out of reach, and pulled me forward. “I know he’ll listen to you. No, Alex—let me finish.” I closed my mouth, the protest—or scream, I wasn’t sure which would come out—dying in my throat. “I’ve been through this, remember? And I had someone at the estate, someone I trusted. He could talk me down every time.”

  “What—I don’t know what to say to him.”

  “I can help with that. Misty, go play lookout. I don’t need anyone else knowing about this.”

  “Right.” She saluted him, flashed me a smile and bounded down the hall.

  “What set him off?”

  I could tell by Jake's reaction he didn't want to tell me. “You. He heard about your near miss with the runaway car.”

  So I was his weakness. Fabulous.

  “You told me you knew what I should say.”

  Jake laid his hands on my shoulders and leaned in. “Tell him he's safe. Make him believe it. For him, feeling out of control is his trigger.”

  “Okay.” I swallowed—not easy when my mouth was as dry as the Sahara.

  “Here.” Jake handed me a folded blanket. “You'll need this.”

  “Right.” The last time he changed flashed through my mind, along with the memory of tearing clothes, and Sam—naked.

  Jake reached for the knob. “Ready?”

  Absolutely not. I nodded, clutching the blanket. Jake opened the door, raised his eyebrow when I didn't move. Swallowing, I moved through the doorway, flinching when the door closed behind me. I froze when I heard the lock click.

  Like it or not, my only way out was talking Sam down. Unfortunately, my track record so far was not encouraging.

  The overcast day didn't let much light in the small window, leaving too many shadows, too many places for Sam to crouch, waiting to jump me.

  I limped down the short flight of stairs, my ballet flats not making a sound. I could hear Sam’s low, agonized panting, from the far side of the basement.

  “Sam—it's Alex.” He growled, but it sounded different than I remembered. Less animal, more—human. “I'm here to help you, Sam. I know what happened, and I'm sorry. I know you want to keep me safe.” I stepped closer, hugging the blanket. “I am safe. I'm here, for you. I'll always be here, Sam.” I tried to sound upbeat. “I've been here since first grade, so I'm not going anywhere.” Silence answered me. “Please, Sam. I need you to be okay.”

  The tears I fought leaked into my voice.

  “Alex?” My name came out as a low growl. But I understood him. He was changing back. “Go—”

  “Not without you.”

  “Stubborn.”

  “My middle name.” A pained laugh echoed in the basement, followed by an even more pained gasp. “Sam—”

  “Stay—there.”

  I couldn't. I refused to leave him alone the first time he changed. I wouldn't leave him now.

  He huddled in the corner, beyond the blackened square that marked the home of the old boiler. Just as naked as before, and not completely human yet.

  “Sam . . .” I sank to my knees, watched the last of the fur slide back under his skin, his nose shortening with a horrible crack of bone and cartilage. Sweat slid down his bare skin. Every inch of it. I opened the blanket and held it out.

  “Thanks,” he whispered, his voice raw.

  I gave him time to cover himself, then looked over at him. All I saw was Sam—exhausted, dripping sweat, and naked, but Sam.

  He was also shivering, violently. Trying not to think about what was under the blanket—and what wasn’t—I settled next to him and wrapped both arms around his waist. He leaned into me, sweat dripping off the ends of his hair.

  “Where were you when this—happened?”

  He swallowed. “I was visiting one of my friends when I felt it coming on. This was the only place I could think of to go, where I could lock the door and ride it out—”

  “Alone.” He closed his eyes. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “There wasn’t time,” he said, still shaking so badly I could feel it all the way to my bones. I turned him until his back was to me, and wrapped around him like a tortilla. He tried to pull away, but he had no strength to do more than tug against my grip. “What are you doing?”

  “Body heat—you’re colder than an icicle. Relax—I promise I won’t take advantage of you.” As much as I wanted to. He was naked under that blanket. No—I couldn’t let go of the fact that he was naked. Stop judging me.

  That got a laugh out of him. Then he groaned, huddling deeper in the blanket. “I thought it would start hurting less by now.”

  I froze. “Hurting less . . . how many times have you changed?” He didn’t say anything, but I felt his muscles tense. “Sam.”

  “A few.”

  “And how many is a few?” Yes, I was borderline nagging, but I needed to know just how out of control this had gotten.

  “Why are we talking about this?”

  “Because I know what happens when you change, and I won’t let anyone else go through the same thing.” He tried to pull away, but I still had more strength than him. “No—you aren’t going to hide, or pretend this didn’t happen, or you’re not what you are.”

  “Alex—”

  “I told you I don’t care, and I don’t. I love you, Sam, and that won’t change.” Not when I’ve loved him since I was six. “But you could hurt other people, or change when there is someone there who can hurt you. We need to find a way to control—”

  “You don’t get it.” He finally recovered enough to yank himself free. “I can’t control—anything. I am going to find out what happened ten years ago, who did this to me—and then I’m going back to where I won’t be able to hurt anyone.” Each word he said hit me, a fist of pain going straight to my heart.

  Pushing off the wall, he stood, the blanket sliding off his left shoulder. The scars there stood out like red streaks against his pale skin. I watched him limp across the basement, and pound on the door when he couldn’t open it.

  Jake’s muffled voice answered him—and whatever he said did not make Sam happy. He stalked back across the room, headed for the other corner. Where the entrance to Hyattown stood.

  “No—” I lurched up, beating him to the grease covered manhole. “You can’t go down there.”

  “The monster is there.” Sam tried to push past me. I pushed right back. “I heard Jake talk about it, like it was an ally—”

  “She is.” That stopped him. He turned, slowly, and glared down at me. I ignored the temper I saw in his eyes. “Whoever took Katie and the boys set her up, made it look like she was behind the kidnapping.” I had more time to think about all of this than I wanted, and I came to some ugly conclusions. “I think she stalked me out of self-protection. I know she attacked Jake to protect Katie—”

  “How do you know?”

  I took a deep breath. “Because she told me.” Sam stared at me. I kept going before the shock wore off. “And she thinks, somehow, Katie is connected to this whole mess.”

  “That—monster told you.”

  I clenched my fists, wanting to hit him. “Stop playing stupid, Sam. You were there—you saw her use the tablet.”

  “And what about my mom?” His voice sounded raw, and I knew the grief at her
attack still haunted him. “Did she tell you why she attacked my mom?”

  I braced myself, anticipating his reaction. “I don’t think it was the Devil.”

  “I saw it!” He trapped me against the wall, towering over me. “The glowing green eyes, the claws that hurt her—”

  “You thought it was Jake at one time. And you told me it was too dark in the cabin to actually see what attacked both of you.”

  “Fine, Miss Smarty Pants.” Sam let me go, crossed his arms. He looked much better, the dark circles around his eyes fading, the new scar on his right cheek even more healed than the last time I saw him. “Then tell me who pretended to be a monster, managed to overpower me, and attacked an innocent woman?”

  “Whoever masterminded the kidnapping.” I swallowed, because he was not going to like what I said next. “I think they also set the fire here ten years ago.”

  Sam surprised me by studying my face, like he was thinking over what I just said. “What makes you say that?”

  “There are too many connections, too many clues that point back to the fire. I did some reading today on what happened, since I couldn’t sleep. More than one person suspected arson, and more than one finger pointed to the Hyatts.”

  “What?”

  I was just as surprised when I read the old articles. “Ten years ago, Mr. Hyatt and your dad were in the middle of a lawsuit, involving property rights. The apartment building that was here originally belonged to the Hyatts, and he claimed that your grandfather cheated them when he bought it. The fire could have been revenge, or simple vandalism.”

  “And you think what happened then has something to do with what happened now?”

  “There’s more about that fire—and the reason for it—than what was reported. We find that out, I think we’re closer to finding out what happened to you.”

  Sam looked at me, like he was seeing a new side of me. “You’re good at tying unrelated things together, and making sense out of them.” I blushed, thankful for the dim room. “I really missed you. Alex. You know how to make me feel—like I’m still just Sam.”

  “To me, you are.”

  He trapped me against the wall again—only this time he kissed me. Just our lips touched, and it was the most romantic thing. Ever. I didn’t want him to stop.

  My hands took on a life of their own, reaching out to touch his bare chest. The feel of warm, smooth skin had me leaning into him. He moaned against my lips, and wrapped his arms around me. I never understood all the descriptions in sappy romance novels, about heat flaring through the weak, equally sappy heroine. Until now. I completely got it now.

  Sam broke off the kiss, breathing as hard as I was. “I really missed you,” he whispered. “And we have to go, before we hit the point of no return.”

  I stared up at him, the heat spreading to my face. Did he just—I think he just—

  “Sam—” He stopped what I was going to say with his lips.

  “Let’s go. This blanket is starting to itch.” He took my hand, and we both limped across the basement. Before we reached the door he stopped, took my other hand, and pulled me in, so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. “Thank you, Alex. For believing in me.”

  Tears lodged in my throat. “I always have,” I whispered. “I always will. Don’t forget that.”

  With a smile, he kissed my cheek, and knocked on the door. “Jake—you can let us out now.”

  For the first time since I learned Sam’s secret, I felt like we could deal with this. Together.

  Then Jake yanked the door open and destroyed that good feeling.

  “Alex—your dad’s here. And he doesn’t look happy.”

  11

  There was no possible way to make this look innocent.

  I walked out ahead of Sam, and halted, wanting to disappear. Jake had seriously underestimated Dad’s mood. He wasn’t angry—he was furious. And I had no idea why.

  He caught my arm and pulled me forward. “Are you all right? Answer me, Alex.”

  “I’m fine. Why are you—”

  Dad stepped in front of me when Sam appeared. Oh, that was why.

  “Did you touch my daughter?”

  “Dad—” I jumped when he went after Sam, slamming him into the wall.

  “Did you hurt my daughter?”

  Sam looked remarkably calm. I was freaking out.

  “Dad! Let him go—”

  “I need to know—”

  “Dad—he didn’t—”

  “Tell me.” He shook Sam, his violence scaring me. “Tell me you didn’t—”

  “He didn’t hurt me.” I grabbed Dad’s arm, terrified he would do something to Sam. Something that couldn’t be undone. “Dad—look at me. He didn’t hurt me. Please, let Sam go. Dad.”

  After an endless minute he listened. Turning to me, both hands ran over every inch he could touch. “Are you sure? Don’t hide anything from me, Alex, because of the way you feel—”

  “I swear.” Because it seemed to calm him, I let Dad examine me, until he was satisfied I didn’t have any new injuries. I couldn’t blame him; the last couple of months had been pretty crazy. “Nothing happened.”

  Nothing violent, anyway. My skin still hummed from that last kiss.

  Dad started to drag me down the hall. Away from Sam.

  “What are you—Dad—”

  “I decided. You are not to see him again.”

  His words lodged my heart in my throat. We got as far as the parking lot before I managed to talk again.

  “Stop—Dad, please.”

  “I will not discuss this, Alex. I can’t trust him not to—”

  “I can. I do. Dad, please, let me finish.” He halted, next to his truck, and let me go, crossing his arms. “There’s something going on—something that I need to figure out, if you don’t want what happened to me last night to happen again. And to figure it out, I need Sam’s help.”

  “Why.”

  I tried not to flinch at the flat, ugly tone in his voice.

  “Because,” I took in a deep breath, braced myself for his reaction. “It has to do with the fire ten years ago.”

  The anger drained out of his face, and what replaced it shocked me. Fear flared in the dark blue eyes. “You won’t do any such thing. It needs to stay in the past, where it belongs. Now get in the truck. We’re going home.”

  “No.” I shocked myself as much as Dad.

  “Alex—”

  “This isn’t going to go away because you don’t want me involved. I already am. And whoever tried to run me down knows it. Until I find out the truth, I won’t be safe.”

  “Damn.” He rubbed his forehead, looking more defeated than I had ever seen him. “I want to protect you, sweetheart. This is getting bigger, and more dangerous, and I don’t want you part of it.”

  “I made a commitment, Dad. To Sam, to everything he stands for.” I took his hand, and he pulled me into an embrace, holding me so tightly my ribs hurt. I let him; it made me feel, for a minute, that we could shut out the danger, the freak show that had become my life. “Okay?”

  “I will be. Eventually.” He eased me back until our eyes met. “I know you told your mom almost everything, but you are not to let her know about this. Ever.”

  “Okay.” Letting out a sigh, I leaned against his chest, felt his arms tighten around me again. “But I want to know I can talk to you, run things by you, without you threatening to ground me, or drag me away without warning.”

  “I can’t promise—”

  “Dad—”

  “But I’ll do my best. You are my daughter first, Alex—and if that means I pull you out of danger, and put you before this hunt you’re on for the truth, I won’t apologize for it.”

  “I won’t expect you to. But don’t expect me to just stand by and accept. I’m not a little girl anymore, Dad. And you may not want to hear this, but I love Sam—and I’m going to stand by him.”

  “Alex—”

  “Let me finish,” I said. He nodded. “For
the first time in my life, I have real friends, and some of them come with—unusual qualities. I don’t want to be the person I was before they became part of my life. I like this Alex.” Dad looked surprised. I was, too. I didn’t realize until I said it out loud just how much I had changed in the last couple of months. “I’m hoping you and Mom do, too.”

  “I am incredibly proud of this Alex.” He framed my face with both hands, and I knew he had really heard me. I was also waiting for the ‘but.’ He only cradled my face when he upset me—or was about to. “But I will still protect her, without apology.”

  “Okay. Can I go check on Sam? I want to make sure he’s recovered.” Yeah—it was a test. I needed to know up front just how much room he was going to give me.

  He let me go, rubbed his face. “Just—be home before dark. Mom is cooking dinner tonight.”

  “I will.” I didn’t want a repeat of the night we came back from Hyattown, when Mom dropped cold dinners in front of us—after calling us both on the lies and evasions. “Thanks, Dad.”

  I kissed his cheek, and moved as fast as I could back to the school building, waiting for him to change his mind. Instead, I heard the door to his truck slam shut, and the engine roar to life. He was keeping his word—for now.

  I would take advantage while I could.

  12

  We all agreed to meet at Sam’s house. I would gather up my notes—including the monster files I created, and the guide. It was time for Sam to see what his dad wrote, just how involved he was in the haven.

  When I got back home, Mom was there, standing on the porch, arms crossed.

  “And where did you run off to, Margaret?”

  Uh oh.

  “I had to go to school—to get part of the English project from Misty.” That was good—I’d go with that—

  “Your dad called me. He wanted me to make sure you got home, and that you stayed home, until he could talk to both of us.”

  “Mom—”

  “Does this have to do with what you told me?”

  I let out a sigh, my shoulders slumping. “Yes.”

  To my surprise, Mom reached out and hugged me. Hard. My aching muscles complained, but I held on. Mom wasn’t as openly affectionate as Dad, but I always knew she loved me. Leaning back, she met my eyes.