Mirror Lake Wolves 02 - Moon Hunted

by Jennifer Snyder

  “Yeah. Don’t forget, swing by my place and help paint if your night is too dull.” Eli winked before gassing it.

  While I waited for Sylvie to turn into the park, my mind raced with different scenarios of how I could offer to drive the little fur ball to his next vet appointment. It seemed like the only way we were getting inside the place. Well, short of breaking and entering. I wasn’t sure we would find anything that might pertain to Glenn there, but a girl could hope.

  2

  By the time I made it to Rosemary’s Diner, it was after five thirty. I scanned the place half expecting to find Lilly hanging all over Alec somewhere while she took his drink order, but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. I tucked my long hair behind my ear and started toward where Alec sat at a table with his friends. My gaze drifted from one waitress to another as I walked. Lilly didn’t seem to be working tonight, which was a relief. She wasn’t someone I tolerated easily. It seemed like whenever I met Alec here and she was working, she blatantly flirted with him in front of me. While he didn’t seem to pick up on it, I did and it pushed my damn buttons. Hard.

  Some girls were real pieces of work.

  “Hey.” I waved as I neared their table, heading toward an open chair beside Alec. It was strange not sitting at the bar. Generally, that was where Alec could be found. At least the sweet tea in front of him was the same. “It’s weird to see you eating at a table,” I said to him as I sat.

  “There weren’t enough open stools at the bar,” Becca answered for him. “This place is packed tonight.”

  “All the old people here for the summer from Florida,” Benji said.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the bar. Elderly people did occupy the majority of the stools. There was one seat open at the end of the bar. Definitely not enough for the six of us.

  Speaking of six…

  We were missing someone, and it wasn’t Shane.

  “I thought you were bringing a date tonight, Benji,” I said with a smile. Out of Alec’s guy friends, he was my favorite. Benji was funny, sweet, and way more accepting of me than Shane—for obvious reasons. “What happened?”

  “She’ll be here,” Benji said as he took a sip from his sweet tea.

  He seemed nervous, which I found adorable. Add that to the collared shirt he wore, which I figured was probably from the church clothes section of his closet, and I wanted to reach across the table and pinch his chubby cheeks. Generally, Benji was a dirty blue jeans and plain cotton tee type of guy. I imagined when he stood up his jeans would be free of dirt, and he’d have on his good pair of boots. Not the ones always caked in mud.

  “We haven’t decided if Benji’s girl is imaginary or real yet,” Shane teased. His eyes didn’t shift to me, even though his words seemed directed my way when he spoke. Ever since I’d become moon kissed, his intolerance of me had intensified.

  Could he feel the change in me since the last full moon?

  “Don’t give me that crap,” Benji grumbled. “You know she’s real. Hell, y’all probably had a class or two with her this past year.”

  I wondered who she was. Why hadn’t I thought to ask Alec what her name was when he mentioned a triple date with her and Benji? At the thought of him, Alec’s hand found my thigh beneath the table. He gave it a gentle squeeze, gaining my attention. I leaned toward him and pecked his cheek in a featherlight kiss. It was a simple gesture, but I didn’t miss the smirk cutting across his face from it.

  “Hey,” he said. His deep brown eyes lit up as he flashed me a beautiful smile.

  It had been too long since we’d hung out. I knew it was my fault. I’d blown him off so many times the last few days for pack related things, and now that I was in his presence, I regretted having done so. Alec was a great guy.

  I returned his smile with one of my own. “Hey, yourself.”

  “I ordered you a water with lemon.” His thumb made small circles along the smooth skin of my thigh. Tiny pulses of electricity jolted through my core at the feel of his touch.

  “Thanks.” I reached for the glass. My eyes drifted to Shane for whatever reason. He stared at my hand, zeroing in on something that seemed to surprise him. I knew what he saw.

  The ring Eli had given me.

  The silver ring with a tiny crescent moon soldered to the band. Part of me thought I should hide it, but a larger part argued there was no point. He’d already seen it. It was too late now.

  Shane’s gaze traveled to the bracelet my dad and Gran had given me next. My heart beat triple time as his gaze turned cold. If that wasn’t enough proof to confirm whatever theories he might have had about me, I wasn’t sure what more he’d need.

  The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as Shane’s gaze lifted to lock with mine.

  “Interesting jewelry you have there,” he said.

  I kept my gaze on him, refusing to look away. Now was definitely not the time to show signs of unease. I needed to appear strong. Sure of myself. Lethal if screwed with. “Thanks. They were both gifts.”

  “Oh, really?” Shane’s head tipped to the side as a wry smirk stretched across his face. Alec and Benji started talking about something besides me, but I tuned them out anticipating what question would spur from Shane’s lips next. “What for?”

  And there it was. Shane arched a brow as though challenging me to speak the truth about my silver jewelry.

  How much did he know about my kind? Obviously, his knowledge was more than I felt comfortable with. There weren’t many who knew werewolves existed, let alone of our need to wear silver.

  “Beautiful. I really like the ring,” Becca blurted out. I could have kissed her I was so damn happy for the interruption.

  “Thanks,” I said as I averted my eyes from Shane to lock with hers.

  “I’ve always had a fascination with the moon.” Becca grinned. “It’s so beautiful and mysterious.”

  I opened my mouth to agree with her, but noticed a girl with dark curls bouncing around her shoulders walking toward us. She pushed her glasses up on her nose when she noticed me watching her, and her cheeks tinted pink as though she was embarrassed.

  “She’s here,” Benji muttered as he straightened his back and eyed her. Immediately, he became hypnotized by the sight of her.

  “Hi, everyone. Sorry I’m late. I had to help my aunt with something.” The girl’s blue eyes shifted around the table as her thin lips twisted into a friendly smile.

  I remembered seeing her around school. She was new.

  “You’re good. We haven’t ordered yet. Mina just got here, too.” Benji pointed to me.

  Her shoulders relaxed. “Cool.”

  Benji stood and pulled the chair beside him out for her. “Guys, this is Ridley. You probably remember her from school. She moved here from Pennsylvania a few months back.”

  “I remember seeing you around,” I said while trying to think of what else I knew about her.

  “Me too,” Alec insisted. “You’re related to the Caraways, right? The ones who own the inn.”

  “Yeah. That’s my aunt,” Ridley said as she situated herself in the chair beside Benji.

  My guard went up at the mention of the Caraway family. While I didn’t know them on a personal level, I knew they weren’t typical residents of Mirror Lake.

  The women were witches.

  Gran had told me once they descended from a strong line of old magic. Their magic helped my pack keep our full moon rituals hidden from prying eyes. In return, we made sure vampires who weren’t part of the Montevallo family, stayed out of Mirror Lake.

  “People say that inn is haunted,” Shane said. I shouldn’t have been surprised by his bold words or the level of suspicion ringing through them, but I was.

  Something about Shane always had him reverting to the supernatural.

  “People say a lot of things,” Benji grumbled, making it clear he didn’t like where the conversation was headed.

  “True.” Shane shifted his attention to me, spearing me with a pointed gaze. �
�Doesn’t mean they’re wrong, though.”

  A chill swept up my spine, but I still managed to keep my eyes glued to his.

  “How are you liking Mirror Lake so far? Has the heat gotten to you yet?” Becca asked. Again, she’d cut the tension when it was about to come to a head. “I’m sure your summers were mild in Pennsylvania, at least compared to this.”

  “You have no idea.” Ridley laughed. “We had hot summers in Pennsylvania, but it was nothing compared to this. I’m surprised I haven’t melted yet.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” Becca insisted before taking a sip from her water. “Did you live in a big city there?”

  “Sort of. It was a little bigger than this, but not by much.”

  “What made you move to Mirror Lake?” Shane asked. His eyes were glued to her in the same cautious and skeptical way he always looked at me.

  Ridley blinked, and the smile on her face disappeared, giving the impression that whatever reason she had for moving here wasn’t one she cared to talk about.

  “Um…family stuff.” She tucked a few curls behind her ear and met Shane’s gaze.

  Our waitress came to ask Ridley what she wanted to drink and see if we were ready to place an order. Benji insisted on getting an order of fried pickles. He said it was a Rosemary’s Diner must. We placed an order for some and asked for a few more minutes to glance over the menu. I didn’t need any more time, though. I knew what I wanted. My usual—a cheeseburger and fries. I set my menu on top of Alec’s and glanced at Ridley.

  What type of magic did she have?

  I studied her while she glanced over the menu. No inkling of the magic inside her called to me. Although maybe that wasn’t something I could do. One would think becoming moon kissed would allow me to feel things—if other supernaturals were nearby and what magic they harbored, if any. I got nothing, though. Especially when I looked at her.

  Maybe Ridley Caraway had no magic.

  3

  By the time our food came, I was starving and the conversation had shifted back to Ridley’s aunt’s inn.

  “How many rooms does the place have?” Alec asked. “I’ve always wondered. It looks massive on the outside.”

  “Ten. Well fourteen if you count my aunt’s room, mine, and my two cousins’ bedrooms,” Ridley said before she popped a french fry in her mouth. She acted as though living in such a large house was no big deal. It was to me, though. I’d never lived anywhere besides Mirror Lake Trailer Park. I wasn’t complaining, but still.

  “Have you searched the place for secret passages since you moved in?” Benji asked. Childlike wonder hung in his words.

  “Actually, that’s the first thing I did.” Ridley laughed. “I was so disappointed when I didn’t find any.”

  “Not even one?” Becca asked. “I figured with a house that big and old there would be at least one.”

  “I know.” Ridley nodded. “But sadly I didn’t find anything.”

  “Maybe you have to say magic words before one will appear,” Shane suggested. His eyes drilled into Ridley. I knew exactly what he was trying to do—make her squirm. He’d done the same thing when he first met me.

  I glanced at Ridley, gauging her reaction to what he’d said. Either she thought he was joking, or she was used to people tossing her magic-related curveballs.

  “Jesus, would you give it up?” Benji insisted. He rolled his eyes as he blew out a long breath. “You’re the biggest supernatural freak I’ve ever met. I swear, the old geezers in town feed off idiots like you when they spout all that supernatural mumbo jumbo. When are you gonna realize it’s all gossip? Lies and gossip.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Shane muttered under his breath. His face flushed, but I didn’t think it was from embarrassment, as he picked up his burger to take a bite.

  “I don’t mind. He’s not the first to mention magic to me. Probably won’t be the last either,” Ridley surprised me by saying. She reached for her water and took a sip. “I doubt there are any magic words that would make a passage appear. If there are, I don’t know them. Let me cut to the chase, since I can already see where your mind is going.” Her eyes focused on Shane as she pushed her glasses up. He held her stare. “No, my family is not Satanists. No, we don’t make sacrifices at midnight. No, I can’t hex you. And no, I can’t make the pimple on the right side of your nose disappear any faster than your current zit cream.” She pointed to a nasty pimple on Shane’s nose I hadn’t noticed until now.

  I burst into a fit of laughter at her bold words.

  “Burn!” Benji shouted. “That was badass.” He shifted to face her. It was clear from the glossy sheen to his eyes and the slight quirk of his lips that whatever he’d felt for her seconds ago had just amplified times ten.

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “That was pretty good.”

  Ridley wasn’t as shy and quiet as I’d thought. She had more backbone and spunk than she appeared to. I liked that about her. However, it also made me think she might be hiding something else—like her magic.

  Would she tell me if I asked her privately? Or should I add her to my ever-growing list of places and people to scope out?

  “Anyway,” Ridley said. “I’ve been here a few months and still haven’t figured out what you all do for fun.” She took a bite of her grilled chicken wrap.

  Maybe I could ask Eli about her. He would know more about the Caraway witches and their magic than I did. After all, he was the alpha’s son.

  “There isn’t a whole lot to do in this town,” Alec insisted as he wiped his mouth on a napkin. He was being quiet tonight. Observant. Maybe I needed to make more of an effort to chat with him. Find out if he was okay. “Most of the time, we hang here or go to my uncle’s property. We built a dirt track there to ride our four-wheelers on.”

  “That sounds cool,” Ridley said.

  “Or we go to the movies,” Becca added.

  “Sometimes we hang out at the lake, too,” Shane surprised me by chiming in. “It’s a nice place to cool off in the summer. The water is always decent to swim in this time of year.”

  “There’s fishing and camping, too,” Benji said. “Anything you can think of that’s outdoors really.”

  “Nice.” Ridley grinned. “I love being outdoors, but I’ve never been camping.”

  “Seriously?” Benji asked. He leaned closer to her and bumped her elbow with his. An adorable smirk twisted the corners of his lips that had me struggling to suppress an awe. “Sounds like we might have to rectify that one sometime soon. Camping is great.”

  “I’m down for that,” Alec insisted. “It’s been too long since I’ve spent a night in the woods. If everyone has the time, we should go this weekend.”

  An empty feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Camping in the woods right now was one of the last things I wanted to do.

  Shane’s eyes were on me. I could feel them. He was gauging my reaction to Alec’s suggestion. I couldn’t let him think I was afraid to go into the woods. I refused to give him even an inkling.

  “Which night?” I asked Alec while ignoring Shane.

  “Depends on which one you’re free.”

  “Friday or Saturday works for me,” I said. “But I don’t think Sunday will.”

  I didn’t have anything wolfy going on Sunday, but it was still pack related. I needed to help Gran harvest the next bushel of salvia. Even though there wasn’t anyone waiting to be moon kissed, the plant still needed to be harvested. If not, it would overrun her garden. Harvesting on a schedule also kept the plant healthy and strong, which increased its potency.

  I might not know much about gardening, but I at least knew that much.

  “All right, how about Friday night, then?” Alec asked. He popped another french fry in his mouth and glanced around the table. “Anyone have to work or already have plans?”

  “I’ve got a job to do with my dad in the city, but I should be done before dinner on Friday night,” Benji said. “What about you?” He nudged Ridley wit
h his elbow again.

  “I have a couple of rooms I’m supposed to clean at the inn, but that’s it. It shouldn’t take long.”

  “Okay, the four of us are on board. What about you two?” Alec asked Shane and Becca.

  “I don’t have anything planned. My boss only has me on the schedule three days next week,” Becca said.

  She had a job? How did I not know this?

  “I didn’t realize you worked,” I said.

  “Yeah, I’ve been working at the tax office in town for almost two years, answering phones and stuff. My uncle owns the place,” she said. “I like it, but I don’t think accounting or bookkeeping is something I want to do indefinitely, which is why I’m off to culinary school in the fall.”

  College. I’d forgotten Becca was going away in the fall. It would suck when she left. She was the only girl I’d ever been able to tolerate long enough to become friends with.

  I doubted I’d have many more chances in the future either. I wasn’t going anywhere. Mirror Lake was my home. My family was here. My pack was here. It was where I would stay. I’d accepted this a long time ago.

  Community college was about as far away from home as I was going to get.

  “Friday works for me too,” Shane said. He didn’t seem thrilled to be reminded Becca was leaving in the fall either. I tried to remember where he’d said he was going to school but couldn’t.

  Maybe it was because I didn’t give a crap where he went. All I cared about was that he wasn’t staying in Mirror Lake. Having his brothers around town was bad enough. Hopefully, Shane left and never came back.

  “All right, I guess it’s settled, then,” Alec said as he reached for his sweet tea. “Friday night we’re going camping.”

  “I’m excited!” Ridley gushed as she pushed her glasses up higher on her nose. She squeezed Benji’s arm, and I couldn’t help but think they were the cutest couple I’d ever seen.

  Shane coughed, drawing my attention to him. His eyes bored into me, causing goose bumps to prickle across my skin. The tiny flickers of enthusiasm I’d felt when it came to spending the night beneath the stars evaporated as I held his gaze.