“We were in the knitting circle,” Claudette said. “Everyone was drinking and gossiping like we always do. Then … I don’t know. Things turned dark.”
“I knew you couldn’t really love knitting that much,” I said. “I’m glad drinking and gossip are the real draws.”
Claudette didn’t return my smile. “I love knitting, too. I’m sorry if this comes off as rude – although really I’m not – but I don’t find this situation funny.”
I didn’t really blame her. “Sorry,” I said, straightening. “I often make jokes when it comes to uncomfortable situations because I’m not good talking about feelings.”
“You can say that again,” Aric muttered.
“Go back to your story,” I prodded. “You said everything went dark. Did you hear anything before that happened?”
“Like what?” Claudette asked.
“I don’t know. How about a voice?”
“Are you asking me if I heard voices in my head?” Claudette asked, incredulous. “I’m not crazy.”
“I didn’t say you were crazy,” I shot back, my temper flaring. “I’m trying to figure out exactly what you heard. This is the second time this has happened, and I don’t know what to make of it. I’m not pretending it wasn’t traumatizing for you, but I need answers and you’re one of the few people in a position to give them to me.”
“Wait a second,” Tate interjected. “She’s been through a terrible ordeal.”
“And she stabbed me through the hand with a knitting needle, so that should perk her right up,” I countered. “My child is at risk and I want to know if she heard anything in her head. Something had to be controlling her.”
“I thought it was the Ouija board,” Helen said, stepping closer. “That’s why they all snapped out of it when they did. Once you destroyed the board they were free of their … possession. Er, is that what it was?”
“I’m not sure what it was,” I answered. “As far as I can tell it seems to be more of a hijacking than anything else. Claudette said everything went black. I’m taking that to mean you don’t remember anything that happened while you were under. Am I right?”
Claudette nodded. “We were knitting and the next thing I knew I was on the ground with a dislocated shoulder.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” I said, sheepish. “I had to get you off me, but I was really hoping I wouldn’t accidentally kill you.”
“Yeah, that would’ve sucked,” Claudette said dryly. “What did you mean about it being a hijacking instead of a possession?”
“My understanding is that a possession allows the host to know what’s going on, even if they can’t control their surroundings,” I explained. “You had no idea what was going on. You were kind of like the zombies … only breathing.”
“What do you think that means?” Aric asked.
“I think it’s just a different way to attack us,” I answered. “They sent the zombies as a first wave, probably assuming we would panic and they would waltz off with Sami. That didn’t happen, because I burned all of the zombies before they could get near the house.”
“Yeah, other than exhausting yourself, you pushed aside that threat without any struggle at all,” Aric said. “My guess is that whoever is after us changed the attacking forces to humans because they knew you would think twice about killing them.”
“That’s what I think, too,” I acknowledged. “The board was obviously a conduit of some sort.”
“It’s gone now, though,” Tate said. “So we’re all safe, right?”
I shook my head. “I doubt very much that whoever this is will give up just because I burned the board. I’m sure they have another plan.”
“Well, we’re not hanging around outside to figure it out,” Aric said, extending his hand. “Let’s go to bed. We’ll talk more in the morning … and figure out our next move. We’re going to need a destination when we leave here tomorrow.”
My gaze landed on Lincoln, who stood just outside the circle staring at us. His dark eyes were thoughtful, but he didn’t move to close the distance and offer his support or information.
“Zoe?” Aric prodded, waving his hand in front of my face. “Where did you go?”
“Nowhere,” I said, forcing a smile as I got to my feet. “You mentioned bed. That sounds good to me.”
“What about me?” Claudette asked.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, but I’m not sharing a bed with you,” I replied.
“Not that,” Claudette snapped, making a face. “Am I safe now? Is it over?”
I knew what I wanted to tell her but I refused to lie. “I have no idea,” I said after a beat. “I’m not sure it will ever be over if we don’t find some answers.”
ARIC AND I tucked Sami into bed, and I erected a protective dome around her to make sure no one could get inside while we slept. Then I met my husband in the living room.
“Okay, let me have it.”
Aric’s eyes widened as he regarded me. “There are so many ways I could go with that statement. I’m not sure what you want me to give you. Speaking of that … what happened to the whipped cream?”
His grin was wolfish and I couldn’t help but smile back at him even though I was serious. He needed a few minutes to decompress after the evening’s events, but sadly I couldn’t give it to him.
“I want you to get your yelling out of the way because then I have something serious to talk about with you,” I replied. “As for the second part of that question, I lost the first canister of whipped cream outside, but the second one is still in the refrigerator.”
“Oh, that,” Aric intoned, rolling his neck and staring at the ceiling for a moment. He didn’t look thrilled about me reminding him of what happened with the Ouija board. “You should’ve taken me with you, Zoe. It was too dangerous to do on your own.”
“I agree that it was dangerous, but we didn’t have a choice,” I said, refusing to raise my voice and make things worse, even though part of me wanted to shake him.
“When we were younger, you would’ve taken me with you,” Aric pointed out. “You didn’t always feel the need to protect me back then. I miss those times.”
“Is that what you think?” I couldn’t help but be surprised. “I wasn’t protecting you. Had it been just us I would’ve gladly taken you with me. I was protecting Sami.”
Aric stilled. “I … .”
I held up my hand to quiet him. “It’s not the same now as it was then. We have her to think about. We couldn’t both leave that dome in case we both died. She needs at least one of us to survive.”
Aric ran his tongue over his teeth as he regarded me. “She needs both of us to survive,” he said after a moment. “I’d almost believe your argument if you had let me take the board to the fire. I’m more athletic. It would’ve made more sense for me to do it. You did it because you were protecting me.”
Was that true? “Aric, I love you,” I said, my voice low. “I really do. Time and age hasn’t diminished that. It’s only made it grow. I didn’t make a conscious decision to cut you out tonight. I knew I needed to keep my family safe, and there’s no one I trust more with Sami’s life than you. That should be obvious.”
“It is obvious,” Aric said, his expression softening. “I love you, too. I trust you, too. We’re still a unit, Zoe. In a few years Sami will be off on her own and it’ll be just us again.
“Now, part of me is looking forward to that, because I’ve really missed having naked weekends,” he continued, his lips twitching. “The other part is mildly worried because it’s going to be a strange adjustment.”
“It’s not going to be an adjustment,” I argued. “I remember exactly what our lives were like before she came. Now, I wouldn’t trade her for anything, but I’m looking forward to sending her out into the world and reclaiming what we had before. Don’t worry about things like that. We’ll survive. We always do.”
“I still need you to treat me as an equal and not someone you constantly need to protect.”
Aric’s voice was firm.
“I do consider you an equal,” I protested.
“And yet you’re always willing to sacrifice yourself for me.”
“You should talk,” I countered. “How many times have you almost died for me?”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because … .” Aric looked lost as he searched for an answer.
“That’s what I thought,” I said, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the couch so we could get comfortable. I rested my head against his chest as he slipped an arm over my shoulders. “The truth is we both would willingly sacrifice ourselves to save the other. You can’t argue that point.”
“Well, we need to stop doing that,” Aric said. “I want all three of us to survive. If I have to live without you … well … life wouldn’t be worth living.”
“Right back at you.”
Aric planted a soft kiss on my mouth. “I love you, Zoe. I’ll always love you. This situation is a real mess. What are we going to do?”
“I have no idea,” I answered, rolling my neck as I tried to eliminate the day’s tension from my stiff muscles.
Aric shifted his fingers to my neck and dug deep, causing me to moan as he massaged me. “Don’t make those noises,” he chided. “You’ll distract me.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That feels amazing, though.”
“Just wait until I get you and the whipped cream into our bedroom.”
Given what happened, I couldn’t help but admire his determination to follow through with our earlier plans. Still, we had some serious issues to overcome.
“I’m going to put a dome up to cover the entire cabin before going to bed,” I said. “That should keep us safe for tonight. As for tomorrow … I don’t know what to do.”
“That makes two of us. Where do you think we should go when we leave tomorrow morning?”
This was the part of the conversation I’d been dreading. “I don’t think we should leave.”
Aric balked. “How can you say that after what happened? This campground is littered with potential enemies. They’re paranormal enemies, too. We have to get out of here.”
“And go where?” I asked, turning my eyes to him. “Where are we going to go? We have enemies here, but we have friends, too. There’s also a chance we could get answers.”
“We’ve already been over this, Zoe,” Aric said. “The council won’t help us unless we become full-time pack members. If we do that, our marriage will be destroyed. I refuse to risk my family. It’s not going to happen.”
He always says I’m the dramatic one, but there are times I wish he’d look in the mirror. “We’re not going to join the pack, and nothing will ever destroy our marriage,” I soothed, resting my hand on his knee. “I promise I won’t let that happen.”
“Then why do you want to stay?”
“Because something Lincoln said stuck in my head, and now I’m debating how far I can push the council,” I admitted. “Think about it. They opened big, and there was no negotiation. All we need is a little leverage to get them to do what we want.”
“And how will we get this leverage?”
I smiled. “I have an idea.”
“Oh, I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?” Aric leaned back on the couch and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What’s your idea?”
“You said that wolves prove their strength by playing games,” I reminded him. “There’s one game left before the full moon.”
Aric was beyond confused. “Capture the Flag? You want to force their hand by playing Capture the Flag?”
“No, I want to get their attention by playing Capture the Flag.”
“And then what?”
I shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure it will work, but if we win and are the center of attention … well … they’ll be forced to address us in a public setting.”
Aric’s forehead creased as he considered my words. “You’re going to shame them into doing what we want?”
“Do you think it will work?”
“Probably not,” Aric replied, “but I guess it can’t hurt to try”
“I’m glad you see things my way,” I said, opening my arms and pulling Aric on top of me so we could get comfortable on the couch. He rested his head on my chest as his mind flew in a hundred different directions. “I think this has a chance of working.”
“I think you’re deluding yourself, but we’ll see,” Aric said.
“If you don’t believe it will work, why are you agreeing to do it?”
“Because I don’t know what else to do. And I want you to shut up for five minutes so we can grab the whipped cream and go to bed.”
Aric’s answer was so simple and straightforward that I couldn’t help but laugh. “You have a one-track mind.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Aric said, kissing my cheek. “I’ll grab the whipped cream and you put up the dome.”
I thought about arguing with him. I was exhausted, after all. I really didn’t want to quarrel with him, though. Sometimes contentment is found in simplicity, and I simply loved him with my whole heart.
“Okay,” I said. “But you’re going to have to do all of the work. I’m tired after being stabbed.”
“Consider it done.”
Twenty-Six
“I don’t understand why we’re doing this.”
Sami relinquished Trouble’s leash to Helen and fixed me with an odd look as we tossed our empty paper plates after breakfast.
“We’re doing it because I’m hopeful it will give us leverage when dealing with the council,” I replied. I saw no reason to lie to her. “If we win, it will prove we mean business.”
Sami narrowed her eyes as she stared at me, finally shifting her gaze to Aric. “Why really?”
“Your mother likes to win,” Aric answered simply. “I do, too. Even if it doesn’t help, it will make both of us feel better to win.”
Sami wasn’t convinced. “But why would the council agree to help because we win?”
“I’m not sure they will,” I said. “In truth, we have no idea where to go when we leave here and I need time to think. There’s no harm in playing the game while we think.”
“I thought we were going home.” Sami looked hopeful. “Grandpa says I’ll probably shift tonight, and I want to be home if it happens.”
I pursed my lips as I searched her face. She was paler than normal. I had no idea if that was because her body was readying itself for a big change this evening or if she was nervous about the shift. I had a feeling it was the latter.
“Sami, come here,” I prodded, sitting on the picnic table’s wooden bench and patting it to get Sami to sit. She reluctantly did as I asked. “Are you afraid to shift?”
“No.” Sami answered immediately but I could tell she was lying.
“It’s okay if you are,” I said. “If it was happening to me, I would be terrified.”
“You would?” Sami looked almost hopeful and it shredded my heart. “Why would you be afraid?”
“Because it’s completely new,” I answered, not missing a beat. “Sometimes the scariest things are the ones you’ve never done before. You don’t understand how it’s going to happen, and it seems freaky and weird to you.”
“Thanks,” Aric said dryly. “I’m always excited to hear how I’m freaky and weird.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, winking. “You know what I mean, though. This is new for her. She’s frightened. She has a right to be frightened.”
“She does,” Aric confirmed. “You know, Sami, I was scared the first time it happened to me.” He sat on the other side of our timid daughter and rested his hand on her arm. “I thought it was going to hurt. I also had nightmares. I wasn’t worried about shifting as much as I was about getting stuck in wolf form forever.”
“You never told me that,” James said, his face unreadable as he moved closer. Aric remained frigid with him, so he was understandably nervous about interrupting our conver
sation. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because James Winters was a big deal,” Aric replied. “Everyone looked up to you and I wanted you to be proud of me.”
James frowned. “I’ve always been proud of you.”
“Obviously not,” Aric said. “If you were proud you wouldn’t have tried to manipulate me into joining the pack.”
“Oh, we’ve already talked about this, Aric,” James complained. “I wasn’t trying to manipulate you. I was doing what I thought was best for my family.”
“Yes, but your family is my family, and I happen to know what’s best for them,” Aric said. “Being part of this pack is not what’s best for anyone. I won’t have my wife treated as if she’s less than a person because she’s not a wolf, and I will not have my daughter looked down upon because she’s not a boy. That’s not how we do things in my family.”
“I’ve already apologized,” James said stiffly. “What more do you want from me?”
Aric paused. “A little respect would be nice. In lieu of that, I want you to acknowledge that I’m capable of running my family.”
“We’re capable of running our family,” I corrected.
“Really, Zoe?” Aric made a face. “Fine. We’re capable of running our family. We’re never going to live our lives the way you want us to do it, Dad. That’s not going to happen.”
“I do acknowledge that,” James said. “It’s just … I want things to be easier for you. You’re always fighting some enemy that’s out to tear your family apart. I don’t want that for you.”
“Joining the pack won’t change that,” Aric pointed out. “They’re just going to try and tear my family apart in another way. It’s much easier to fight an enemy that attacks from the outside. The ones that come from inside are much more terrifying.”
James heaved out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I don’t care about you upsetting me,” Aric said. “I care about you upsetting Zoe and Sami.”
“I’m not upset,” I offered. “I’m here to win.”
Aric’s lips quirked. “You’re nothing if not predictable, baby.”
Desperate Covenant (Dying Covenant Trilogy Book 2) Page 23
