by Dena Christy
“I’m going to bed,” she said as she opened the guest room door and closed the door quietly behind her. She sagged on the bed and curled into a ball. She closed her eyes, but sleep was a long time coming as she thought about what she would do now.
* * *
Dany Cavanaugh stared at the spot his son and his former girlfriend had stood, and anger burned in the depths of his belly. She’d almost had him fooled. Despite sending David to kill her, she’d come out on top. She’d even had the nerve to get a job at his warehouse.
As he turned away to return to his car, he wished David O’Connell was still alive so he could kill him all over again. The incompetent prick had screwed up even a simple task of killing a human woman. The only thing that consoled him was that at least when she’d turned from human to werewolf she’d suffered during it. He slammed his hand on his steering wheel. Back to square one, with no people and no resources, and he suspected that perhaps she was working with the Order now too. Her association with his son would suggest it. She’d probably been a spy for the Order the whole fucking time.
He drove to his secluded cabin, and his anger festered in a hard ball inside him. He needed to think of his next move.
He walked in and jumped when the light beside the sofa switched on. Smith sat waiting for him.
“So, how did it go?” he asked as he put his feet on the coffee table.
“Well, she was at the park, but she has grossly misrepresented herself. She was that human my son was sleeping with before,” Dany said as his fist curled into balls at his side. That’s what galled him the most. She may be a werewolf now, but she wasn’t always. His son’s relationship with her marked the turning point in Lee’s life, when he’d turned his back on what being a Cavanaugh entailed to go work for the Order. It was her fault that his son worked for the enemy, and her fault that his son had betrayed him. “I almost walked into a trap, but I saw my son there before they saw me.”
“At least now you know what you’re up against. It will be much easier to take them by surprise.”
“What are you talking about?” Dany said as he sat in the armchair and looked at the man who came and went as if he owned this place. “Who the fuck are you, anyway?”
“You’ll know that in good time, I promise. I have a score to settle with the head of the Order that’s all I’ll say. But if you want to do this on your own, I completely understand. I’ll just leave you to handle everything,” Smith said as he stood and walked toward the cabin door.
“Wait,” Dany called out. The only resource he had was the man about to walk out the door. Smith seemed to know a lot about what was happening, and Dany would be a fool if he let him go because of his own petulance. “Don’t leave. Please tell me what sort of plan you have in mind.”
Smith turned, and the look on his face had goosebumps raising on Dany’s arm, and for a second he thought about telling him that he could leave. There was something about this stranger that made Dany think of a predator, and Dany was no longer so sure that he wasn’t the prey.
“I’ll tell you exactly what I have in mind, Dany,” Smith said as he came back into the room.
As he listened to the other man explain what he had in mind, Dany couldn’t help but think that he would come to regret trusting the creature sitting in front of him.
Chapter 13
Simone spent most of the day trying to figure out what she would do now. Her failure to contact Dany, while it could be laid at Lee’s door, was still her problem. She racked her brain, trying to think of what she could do or say to Dany to make him believe that she hadn’t been setting a trap for him, but she came up blank. Dany wasn’t stupid, but she may have been for thinking that she could get revenge on him at all. She’d always known in the back of her mind that Dany was the type that always came out on top, but she’d wanted to believe that this time the good guys would win. She’d forgotten that she dealt with the real world. Things didn’t work like that, if they did she wouldn’t be in this situation.
Her cell phone rang and her stomach clenched. She looked at the number and debate on answering. It was Cadric’s and knew that he would only continue to call, or worse come over her if she failed to answer.
“Hello Cadric,” she sighed as she waited to hear what he had to say. She suspected he was going to want a progress update, and frankly she was too tired to lie and make excuses.
“I’m just checking in. Have you’ve been able to contact Dany? I know you said you sent him a text but hadn’t heard from him. Has that changed,” he asked, and even over the phone, with him using a pleasant tone of voice, she still shivered as she sensed the overwhelming power within him.
The whole situation struck her as ridiculous, and she laughed. She’d been a fool to think that she could trap Dany and Cadric had been a fool to believe in her.
“What do you find so amusing?” Cadric asked, and his voice was no longer as pleasant.
“This whole situation. I find it funny that you thought I could succeed,” she said.
“What exactly does that mean?” Cadric asked, his voice growing dark, which ended Simone’s amusement.
“It means that I’ve failed. I arranged a meeting with Dany last night, and he didn’t show up,” Simone said as she sank down on the sofa. The best way forward was to be honest with Cadric, and hope that he didn’t lock her in a cell after this conversation.
“Did you get the appointed place and time wrong? What possible reason could he have had for not showing up? He should be desperate by now, and more to the point, why were you alone? I told you to inform me when you were supposed to meet him, so we could have support there to ensure his capture.”
Simone closed her eyes. Now she was in a lot more trouble than she’d bargained for, having forgotten during her confession that Cadric would be pissed about not knowing about the meeting beforehand.
“Technically I had a member of the Order with me,” she said, knowing once he learned what had happened she would still be in hot water.
“Let me guess, you took Lee with you,” Cadric said, his voice grim. She could tell that he was getting a fuller picture of what had happened.
“Lee was there, but it wasn’t really my choice. Dany must have noticed him, put two and two together, and realized that we were setting a trap for him,” she said in a rush. She didn’t mean to throw Lee under the bus, but at this point Cadric wouldn’t have believed anything other than the truth. Lee had made his choice to go against his boss, and would have to deal with the consequences, just like she would have to deal with the consequences of his interference.
“I’m going to have to consider this new twist. I’ll let you know what I decide will happen next,” Cadric said, and he disconnected the call.
Simone sat and stared at the phone in her hand. No matter what he said, she knew that she didn't want to have any part of his new plan. Last night in the park, while it had proved to be a failure, had taught her a lesson. She was in way over her head with this and she needed to get out of it now.
She jumped up off the couch, intending to go to her room and pack while Lee was still out of the house. She had to leave, to get out of here and go somewhere the Order could not find her. A crushing pain developed in her chest and she struggled to breathe for a second at the thought of leaving Lee, but she no longer had a choice.
A knock sounded at the front door, and she stared at it. Had Cadric sent someone over for her already? Was she destined to spend more time in a cell at Order headquarters? She approached the door cautiously and looked through the peephole. She sagged against the front door for a moment, relief pouring through her. It was Kate.
She hesitated before opening the door. She would need to get her sister out of here quickly since Lee was going to be home very soon.
“Kate,” she said as she pulled open the door and her sister stepped inside. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d come over and visit,” Kate said as she walked in the kitchen and looked lik
e she intended to settle in for a nice long chat. Simone sighed. Although she’d enjoyed getting to know Kate over the past couple of weeks, now was not a good time.
“You know, I’d love to chat, but I have something I need to do,” Simone said as she stayed where she was by the front door.
Kate turned to her in surprise, and she narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to one side. “Are you okay?”
“Sure,” Simone said, projecting a false note of cheerfulness in her voice. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know, but something seems off about you. Are you sure there isn’t anything wrong?”
Simone’s hand tightened on the door knob for a moment. Why wouldn’t she leave? She looked at the clock, knowing that she may not have enough time to pack now and she’d have to wait another day. Which would give Cadric more time to send someone over to scoop her up.
“I need you to go,” she said as she stared at a spot to the left of Kate.
“Simone, what’s going on?”
“Would you stop asking me questions and just leave,” Simone shouted and remorse stabbed her in the belly when jher sister flinched. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh, but Kate wasn’t getting the message. She attempted to soften the tone of her voice as she pulled open the front door. “Just go. I’ll talk to you another day.”
Kate’s face was pale as she clutched her purse to her side and walked by Simone and out the door. Simone closed the door behind her. It was probably for the best that it had happened this way. She didn’t have any room in her life for relationships, not if she was going to hide from the Order. It was better if there was nothing to tempt her to stay.
She walked to the guest room and threw a small suitcase on the bed. She would only pack what she needed. It would make her departure that much quicker.
A shadow fell across the room, and she looked up. Lee stood in the bedroom door. Her heart sank as his eyes darted from her to the suitcase on the bed. The muscle tightened in his jaw. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.
“I saw Kate leaving the house, she seems very upset,” he said calmly.
“I’m sure she is. I told her I don’t have time to talk to her, and she took it the wrong way,” she said as she turned to the dresser and pulled a bunch of clothes out of the drawer and dumped them in the suitcase.
“Really,” he said, his voice growing dark, and she could hear the thread of disbelief in his voice. “What’s going on?”
“I would think it’s obvious,” she said as she turned back to the dresser and grabbed more clothes. He stepped toward her and took a hold of her wrists. She jerked her arms from his hands, and the clothes she was holding spilled onto the floor.
“Now look what you made me do,” she said as she squatted down to scoop the clothes back up.
“We both know I can’t make you do anything. Just leave them,” he said, and she ignored him and put the clothes in the suitcase. “So this is how it will be? You’re just going to leave? Are you that pissed about what happened last night?”
She sighed and looked up at him. She was so tempted to say fuck it, sweep the suitcase off the bed and tell him that it was a mistake, that she wouldn’t leave. She knew she couldn’t do it. She was doing this for both of them. Cadric would not give up his determination to catch Dany, and she knew he would use her as a tool to do it. Lee would not give up his need to protect her from his father, and when it came to a battle of wills with his boss, she didn’t want to witness the fall out. Her leaving would be best for everyone.
“This isn’t about last night. I’m not angry about that now, I know why you did it. You wanted to protect me from your father, I get it,” she said as she looked down and arranged the clothes in the suitcase.
“Please stop that,” he said as he clasped her hands in his. “What is this about? Why are you leaving?”
“Can’t you see? I have to,” she said, knowing he wouldn’t understand at all.
“Why?” he said as he squeezed her hands and she winced. He let them drop and stood in front of her, looking down at her.
“This can’t work. Last night made me realize that I’m in way over my head. Cadric knows what happened last night, and it will only be a matter of time before he comes up with another way to use me, or locks me in a cell.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Lee insisted and she knew he would give his life to keep her from that if he had to, and that was the last thing she wanted.
“I know, but you won’t be able to stop it Lee. You love your work with the Order, and Cadric will end you if you oppose him. You know how badly he wants Dany, and he will sacrifice you and me if need be to capture him.”
“We’ll go in hiding together then,” Lee said, and she closed her eyes. A tight band of emotion squeezed her chest. She wouldn’t let him give up everything for her sake. He might think that was what he wanted, but she feared he would resent her.
“You know that won’t work Lee. I need to do this on my own. I won’t let you give up everything for me. You may think this is what you want, but you’ll see I’m right,” she said as she tucked the remaining clothes in the suitcase and snapped it shut.
He swept up the suitcase and threw it to the side. It hit the wall with a sharp thud and landed on the carpet. The latch held, and it remained closed. She stood and face him calmly, knowing that as angry as he was, he would never hurt her. He laughed and there was no mirth in his voice.
“So you get to decide, again, what’s best for me. What’s best for us,” he said, and she winced at the bitterness in his voice. “You left me a year ago because you thought you knew what was best for us. And look at what happened?”
“Don’t throw last year in my face,” she said She knew he would be angry at her leaving, but she hadn’t realized how much resentment he still held inside at her leaving him last year. “You know why I left.”
“Oh, I know exactly why you left, but I don’t really think you do,” he said as he turned away.
“Why don’t you inform me then,” she said as she reached out and grabbed him by the arm, and turned him to face her. “Go ahead Lee, tell me your theories on why you think I left.”
* * *
“You want to know what I think? I find that surprising, since you don’t really give a shit about what I think at all,” Lee said, and the bitterness inside him tasted foul on his tongue, but there seemed to be no stopping it from spilling forth. She stood in front of him, her face pale and strained. “You know what, forget it.”
“I want to know. You started this, and maybe it’s time everything was put out in the open,” she said, and he could hear a thread of resignation in her voice. Perhaps she was right.
“You left last year because my father didn’t want you in my life, and you couldn’t handle it. You could see that our relationship would not be perfect, that your life would not be perfect, and you didn’t want to do the work,” Lee said. He’d had a year to think about why she left, and that’s what made the most sense to him. He’d always thought that Simone put too much pressure on herself to be perfect, and everything between them had been great until his father failed to accept her.
“You don’t know what your talking about,” she said as she turned away from him, and he could tell he’d hit a nerve. Perhaps if she could see the truth of why she’d left, she would realize that she needed to stay now to work through things with him.
“Unfortunately, I know too well what I’m talking about. It’s why you won’t accept the changes that have happened to you, why you won’t accept being a werewolf,” he said, and he knew he’d chose the wrong words when she turned back to him, her anger displayed on her face.
“What, you want me to embrace being a monster,” she said.
“You need to accept what you are,” he said, choosing to ignore the hurt that dug into his chest at her equating being a werewolf with being a monster. “We can work through this. We can work together to get my father into the Order’s custody and then we
can move on with our lives.”
“And how do you suggest we move on with our lives Lee,” she asked as she walked to the corner of the room and picked up the suitcase. “Do you think that Dany’s capture would mean we can live happily ever after and raise a bunch of werewolf babies together?”
“Would that really be so bad? Our spending the rest of our lives together and having children?”
“I don’t want to be this way,” she said as she set the suitcase beside the bed. “I never asked for any of this. I thought getting revenge on your father would make it all better, but I can see now that even that won’t work. You have your life here, and I can’t be part of it Lee. Surely you can see that. We’ve been living in a fantasy for the past few days, ignoring reality.”
“And what is reality?” he asked, knowing that he needed her to get everything out in the open.
“The reality is I hate myself, I hate what I’ve become and no matter how much you talk about accepting it, I can’t. I want to be human again,” she said.
“You know that isn’t possible,” he said as his stomach dropped. He’d thought in the past few days she’d grown to accept that her humanity would never be returned to her.
“I know, Lee. But that doesn’t make it any easier for me. I need to go because I would only hurt you if I stayed. Eventually my being this way would destroy us both.”
Lee looked at her, finally seeing how deeply her bitterness over what had happened to her a year ago went. He didn’t want to admit to her that he had thought that their future together involved happiness, and God willing, the possibility of children. He could see now that until she accepted her new nature that wouldn’t happen. And if he was honest with himself, he didn’t believe she would ever make peace with being a werewolf. Her need to be perfect trumped any possibility of her trying to build a life with him. And frankly he had too much pride to spend the rest of his life on eggshells, waiting for the moment she left. Waiting for when she looked at him and their children like they were monsters too.
