Wolf-Run

by Linda Palmer

  "So if we'd gone to the cemetery earlier in the week, I'd have been the one to drive us out of there after the fight."

  "Exactly, unless we waited around for a while."

  "Interesting," murmured Sasha.

  "Very." I stuffed a forkful of pancakes into my own mouth.

  "May I please eat now?" asked Brody as if he'd waited. In truth, he'd downed a whole stack of pancakes and now started in on the bacon piled on a platter in the center of the table. "My souped-up taste buds are just getting started."

  Sasha and I exchanged a look and a laugh.

  "Be my guest," she told her hungry son.

  After breakfast, Sasha showed me some home movies of Brody, which totally embarrassed him. I saw him playing football, baseball, and basketball. I watched him run track. I also saw part of Hamlet before he unceremoniously shut off the television with a gruff, "Enough, already!" We left on Thursday around one o'clock after a tender goodbye between Sasha and her son. Brody drove again; taking a shortcut to Wolf-Run that I didn't know existed. The rugged terrain was even more gorgeous seen from that lonely road, and I decided there was nowhere I'd rather be at that moment than the back roads of Arizona with the boy I adored. I marveled that my life had changed so much in such a short time. I also marveled that Sasha actually thought I was the love of Brody's life.

  Once we got to Wolf-Run, we drove to my parents' house via our winding drive and came to the gate. I punched in the security code. The gate slid back. Ahead lay the sprawling mansion that I used to call home. Now, of course, I stayed in the guesthouse built at the back of the property.

  The second we stepped inside my kitchen, Brody tensed visibly.

  "What?" I asked, instantly on alert.

  "I smell the Weres."

  "They're here now?" I as good as screeched, grabbing his arm and ducking behind him like the coward I was. My pulse pounded in my throat.

  "No. The scent is old and is actually the reason I called my mom that night. When I smelled them at your gate, I knew something bad had happened."

  "Oh." Gulp.

  "You okay?"

  "Yeah, sure." My shaky voice spoiled my attempt to fool him.

  "Are you going to be able to stay here alone?"

  "Honestly? I don't know." I slipped around to stand in front of him. "How would you feel about moving in with me?"

  "I don't think so."

  "But you can sleep all alone in the spare bedroom. You can even lock the door if you're worried about me seducing you." He gave me a reluctant grin. "What would your parents say?"

  "I doubt they'll notice."

  "I'd have to get my stuff."

  "Okay. Can you get out of your lease?

  "What lease? I pay by the week."

  "Perfect," I said just as my cell phone began to ring. Since I had no clue where it was I had to look until I finally found my purse in the foyer. Right where I'd dropped it over a week ago. By then, the phone wasn't ringing. I saw that Max had just called. I also saw that he'd phoned ten other times over the past few days. There were no calls from my parents or anyone else. I rang him back.

  " Hel-lo."

  "Hi, Max. Sorry I missed your call. I couldn't find my phone." I made my way back to Brody. He wasn't in the kitchen, as expected.

  "No problem. I just wanted you to know I'm on my way home from the airport. Are you back in town, too?"

  "Yes, finally."

  "Do you want to come and stay with me for a while? I'm sure you're pretty creeped out about now. I know I would be."

  "Actually, I'm okay. Brody's going to move in with me."

  "You go, girl!"

  "It's not like that."

  "Bummer."

  "You got that right." We both laughed.

  "I'd really like to meet this guy, and I wouldn't mind seeing your face. Why don't you two come over for dinner? I'll grill burgers or something."

  "But you just got home."

  "So? I have to eat. I'll just make a little extra." I grinned so big, my face hurt. It meant so much that Max loved me. "What time?"

  "Whenever. The sooner the better. I've missed you."

  "Missed you, too. We'll be over in a bit." I flipped the phone shut just as Brody walked back into the kitchen and opened it again to check my phone log. I saw that Mom had called twice. Pleased, I immediately rang her back.

  "Cass, finally." She sounded irritated. "I got a call from UPS. They tried to deliver my dress, but no one was there." Her words hit me all wrong. "I have a life, Mom. I can't stay here every second. You should've called Iris."

  Brody arched an eyebrow at me, clearly surprised by my tone.

  "Don't get smart with me, Cassidy Michelle Norris. You know how busy I am. Is it too much to ask that you—" I hung up on her and dropped my cell in my purse.

  Brody cleared his throat. "Er, nice place you have here." I shrugged. "It'll do." I told him about Max's invitation. He seemed cool with it.

  After I changed into a pair of jeans and a top that fit better, I put on my first makeup in days. Brody sat on the side of the bathtub behind me the entire time, which made the process a little awkward. I tried to run him out, but he wouldn't budge, so I felt self-conscious by the time I reached for my Chi.

  "Why do you do that?"

  "Do what?" I asked, catching his eye in the mirror.

  "Straighten your hair."

  "Don't you watch TV? Straight is in."

  "But it’s such a waste of natural curl." He stood and turned me to face him before tangling his fingers in my hair and fluffing it. "So beautiful."

  Whoa. "Thanks."

  He looked pointedly at the Chi in my hand then the electrical outlet into which it was plugged.

  "Oh all right. Tonight, anyway."

  With a smug grin, Brody yanked the cord. I huffed out of the room as if I minded, but of course, I didn't. In fact, I was ridiculously flattered that he had an opinion. I felt very special by the time we got into my car and positively beautiful by the time I parked it in Max's drive. Probably because Brody didn't take his eyes off me, the whole way there and more than once playfully tugged one of my curls.

  He asked a lot of questions about Max. I told him how smart my uncle was and how he had friends all over the world due to his extensive traveling for Heritage Books. My dad, the CEO, depended heavily on his half-brother, whose personality and marketing strategies ensured the success of the company in my opinion. Max also had some business investments around town, including a car wash and dry cleaners, plus all that real estate he'd bought up and planned to use or resell. I'd actually helped him with this a couple of times by going with him to check out property and giving him my opinion. He'd told me time and again how much he respected my so-called common sense.

  Max's gorgeous home was way too much house for one man, but I could easily see him growing old there. He had a lot of girlfriends, and I figured one of them would eventually land him. I mean, who wouldn't want a clever, generous guy with connections? I truly didn't know how I'd have survived my teen years without him.

  The second we rang the front bell, Max threw open the door and scooped me up into a bear hug. That's why I didn't notice Brody's reaction until several seconds later, when I introduced the two of them. I realized with dismay that my boyfriend actually recoiled from my uncle before he reluctantly took the hand offered to him and shook it. What was up with that? I wondered, so hoping that Max hadn't noticed his bad manners.

  I didn't get a chance to ask Brody about it before Max ushered us into the kitchen, where he finished making hamburger patties. I smelled the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, and shredded pepper jack cheese he'd mixed into the meat and instantly thought of the last time he'd cooked for me: my eighteenth birthday. I also smelled the beans baking in the oven and spied a platter of corn on the cob.

  "You should open up a restaurant," I told him, a suggestion I'd made on more than one occasion. Since he had property all over the city, the idea wasn’t that farfetched. But he just laugh
ed as he always did and picked up the tray piled with perfectly formed hamburgers.

  "Come outside with me."

  We did, following him onto his patio, where an oversized stainless steel grill sat with shimmers of heat rising from it. I saw a pot of water steaming on a burner at one end, and some barbeque tools lying on the shelf at the other end. Beyond the grill lay Max's pool, the water bright blue and inviting in the hot sun.

  While Max put the meat on the cooking rack, I took Brody's hand and led him to the water as if I wanted to show him the pool or something.

  "What's wrong?" I whispered.

  "Nothing, why?"

  My gaze swept his face and his body. I noted the set of his shoulders, the tension in his stance. "You're lying."

  "Chill out, baby. It's all good."

  Or not.

  "Hey, Cass," called Max. "Would you get me a beer from the fridge? And get yourself something, too." He smiled at us, oblivious to Brody's body language.

  "Okay." I turned to Brody. "Want something to drink?"

  "Yeah, sure. Anything."

  I stepped into the house to raid the refrigerator, pausing just inside the sliding doors when I remembered the corn sitting on the kitchen counter. Was Max ready for it? I turned to walk back and ask.

  What I saw made my blood run cold.

  Chapter Seven

  Brody stood nose to nose with my uncle, a handful of the poor guy's shirtfront clutched in his fist. His biceps bulged as he as good as lifted Max off his feet. I saw their flushed faces and heard raised voices, though I couldn't quite make out what they said. Stunned, I ducked out of sight. I needed to hear what this was about, and if I ran outside, they'd stop arguing.

  "Don't lie to me, asshole," said Brody. "I know you had something to do with it."

  "Are you insane? I'd never hurt Cass. Never."

  "Then why are you lying to her?"

  "I’m not. I haven't." Max shook his head, clearly as baffled as I was by Brody's vicious attack. "I don't know what's up with you, man, but you're way out of line if you think I had anything to do with my niece's kidnapping."

  Oh my God.

  "She trusts you," said Brody.

  "She can," answered Max.

  "She loves you."

  "And I love her. You have to believe me."

  Brody stared straight into Max's eyes for several seconds before he let go of his shirt and gave a hard shove that sent him staggering back. "I'll be watching you."

  "So watch me."

  "One wrong step and we'll talk again."

  "Fine. Geez." Max smoothed his shirt and moved a safe distance from Brody, who'd clearly lost his mind.

  I'd never been so shocked in my life—not even the night I was kidnapped. Had the full moon put some kind of spell on my boyfriend? Was he changing in ways he didn't see and couldn't imagine? It wasn't hard for me to believe that could be true since any metamorphosis as profound as that of human to wolf was bound to have side effects. It just made sense.

  I don't know how I made it to the kitchen to get the drinks or how I got back outside. I just know my performance the rest of the evening rated an Oscar. Max talked about his months on the road and gave me a gorgeous bracelet he'd bought in Italy. I praised his cooking and asked if he'd won big in the casinos. He laughed and told me he never betted big enough to win much. I wasn't surprised. I'd never known anyone as level headed except Brody and my parents.

  While Brody was in the john, Max shared his plan to turn the old Royale Theater, one of his recently acquired buildings, into a family fun center with mazes, video games, miniature golf, and stuff like that. It all sounded pretty cool, and Wolf-Run needed something like that. I promised to check it out with him whenever he was ready.

  Brody, of course, said little. In fact, he only spoke when spoken to. Max pretty much ignored him, for which I was grateful. At least one of them was civilized. I couldn't wait to have it out with my boyfriend, who, at the moment, was more wolf than boy.

  We left Max's around nine o'clock. Brody drove. Halfway to his apartment house, I impulsively directed him to turn into a city park we passed. Since night had settled in, it was dark by the time Brody parked the Infiniti. I felt his surprise when I actually got out of it and walked over to a bench near a jogging trail. I sat down.

  He hesitated, but joined me there in the dark. "What's up?"

  "I overheard what you said to Max."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "You know very well what I'm talking about. You accused my uncle of having something to do with the kidnapping." I could barely breathe. "How could you?"

  He winced, an expression I could barely see since the only illumination was that fickle, dangerous moon. "Sorry you heard that. I wasn't going to say anything until I had proof, then I sme—"

  "Proof? You actually think you'll find proof? What is wrong with you?"

  "Nothing."

  "Is this about the moon? You said it makes you crazy...?"

  "That was a figure of speech, okay? I'm fine."

  "Tell Max that." I shook my head. "I honestly don't know what to say to you."

  "Then let me do the talking," he as good as growled. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.

  "I want you to think back to your call to him the other night. The one from the motel, when you told him what had happened to you."

  I nodded.

  "Did you say anything about the crypt? Think hard, Cass. This is important."

  I tried to remember, pressing my fingers to my temples as if that would help. "I can't concentrate."

  "Sure you can. What did you say to him, and what was his response?"

  "I told him I'd been kidnapped."

  "Right and he said...?"

  "I don't remember."

  "Please, Cass. Think."

  I huffed my exasperation. "This is so stupid." Brody suddenly slid off the bench and dropped to one knee in front of me. He grabbed my wrists. "What did he say when you told him you'd been kidnapped?"

  "He asked how I got away."

  "No, Cass. He didn't. He asked how you got out." I thought back to that night. "You're wrong."

  "No, I'm not. I'll never forget what that bastard said. Never."

  "Max is not a bastard, okay?" I shook off Brody's grip and buried my face in my hands, suddenly too tired to deal with him and his lupine hang-ups. "Can we go home now?"

  "Not until we sort this out."

  My temper flared. "Fine. What was Max's motive for kidnapping me? Money? You've seen his house and car. Does it look like he needs any more cash?"

  Brody just looked at me.

  "What does that leave? Jealousy? Oh my gosh! That must be it. He wants my boobs or maybe my natural curls." My voice dripped in sarcasm that was not lost on Brody, who abruptly stood.

  "Or maybe he's feeling threatened by my position in the family. I mean I'm obviously the golden child. Why else would my parents skip my high school graduation? The very same graduation Max flew in from London to attend."

  "Look—"

  "No, you look. Max had nothing to do with this. Nothing."

  "I smelled his scent."

  "What?"

  "All over the guest house. I smelled his scent. He's been there, but when you talked to him, he pretended he didn't even know the place had been built. Why would he lie to you about that?"

  "He hasn't. His scent must be on the furniture or something. I got it all from the big house, after all."

  "But it's fresh."

  I covered my ears with my hands and walked straight to my car. Yanking open the door, I slid behind the wheel. Brody hesitated, but came over to the driver's side. Fuming, I lowered the window.

  He bent from the waist to look inside. "You don't want me to drive?"

  "Actually, I'm going home."

  "Ah." He thought for a minute before straightening up and nodding. "I'll call you later."

  "Please don't," I said, starting the engine with a vengeance and a twist of the key.
>
  "So you're going to shoot the messenger. Well, maybe it's for the best." He stepped back, a look of resignation on his face, almost as if he'd known this would happen sooner or later. My heart twisted in my chest.

  "See ya around, Cassidy Norris."

  "Don't count on it," I said, backing the Infiniti and leaving him there in the dark.

  I couldn't even cry on the way home. Disbelief and anger overshadowed the fact that I'd just broken up with the love of my life. How could he attack Max, the only person in the world I could depend on? If I didn't have Max, I had no one. He deserved my trust and my love. Brody was wrong about him. So very wrong. Why couldn't he see that?

  Impulsively, I called Max.

  " Hel-lo."

  "I just want you to know I broke up with Brody a few minutes ago."

  " What? Why?"

  "Because he accused you of kidnapping me."

  "I wish you hadn't done that. I think he was just being a little over protective, and I'd have liked a chance to win him over."

  “How could I go out with him knowing he thinks you're a criminal?"

  "Where is he now?"

  "Don't know; don't care. If I never see him again, that will be too soon for me."

  "You shouldn’t have done it, but thanks for the vote of confidence. Love ya, girl."

  "And I love you."

  Emotionally numb, I showered and put on sleep pants and a cami. I surfed the internet for a while, watched the ten o'clock news and home shopping until eleven, when I suddenly remembered that I hadn't checked my mail in over a week. I slipped on a pair flip-flops and walked to the mailbox. If the moon had already risen, clouds obscured it. I thought I smelled rain and actually hoped for a rip-roaring weather front that would match my stormy mood. Dark as it was, I followed the solar landscape lights rimming the drive.

  Just as I lowered the box door, I felt someone watching me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up; I looked all around, but saw nothing and no one. Totally creeped out, I grabbed the mail and ran all the way back to my house and locked the door. I panted as I walked to my couch and plopped down on it to go through the mail. Most of it was junk that I tossed in the trash. I did see a letter from the university, which I quickly opened. It told me that they needed a shot record before I could attend classes.