Harvest Moon

by Lisa Kessler

  “And then you’ll tell me the even crazier thing?”

  He almost smiled. “I’ll think about it.”

  I slid into bed, trying not to allow my earlier vision of our naked bodies to torment me. Now that I was well aware of Jason’s kissing ability and the way my body responded to his touch, it was impossible not to imagine what would’ve come next if my phone hadn’t rang, bringing reality crashing in with it.

  He turned out the light and I closed my eyes.

  “Kilani?”

  My name sounded beautiful in his deep, rich voice.

  “Yeah?”

  “Just so you know, doctor or not, I will beat the ever-living shit out of any person who ever tries to hurt you. And if I knew who broke your heart, I’d hunt him down and make him pay.”

  Too bad he’d have to start with my own mother.

  I awoke disoriented. After hightailing it out of New York and across the country to Reno, I still lacked a real home base, but even so, this was not my new apartment. A steady heartbeat thumped in my ear. Lifting my head, I stared down at Jason. I was in Jason’s house, his bedroom. His bed.

  His face was still bruised, but the cut on his eyebrow had scabbed over. He didn’t have the swelling I’d expected. We hadn’t iced his eye, but other than the discoloration, no one would guess he’d been pummeled the night before. Memories crept back into my consciousness.

  Werewolf.

  In the morning light, it sounded even crazier than it had last night. But it might explain his superhuman healing.

  He opened his eyes, surprising me. For a moment, he just stared up at me. My breath caught in my throat being so close to him. Until now, I hadn’t realized his arm was around me while we slept. It had been so natural, like our bodies fit together.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you. Sorry about that.”

  He reached up, cupping my face in his hand. “I’m not.” His thumb caressed my cheek. “I wish we could stay here.”

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “I’ve never been on the run from bad guys before, but I’m guessing being half naked in bed is probably not the best plan.”

  He raised his uncut brow. “Rain check, then?”

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  He sobered, his gaze locked on mine. “Not where you’re concerned.”

  I sat up, extricating myself from his arms. Tough to think straight with my hands resting on his toned, bare chest. The heat in his eyes didn’t help, either. “Are you still taking me to see your father?”

  The bed shifted, but I didn’t turn around. Now was his chance to make an excuse. I readied myself. This was not the first time a doctor didn’t want to bring me home to meet his folks.

  “Yeah. I need to check his vitals anyway.” He groaned behind me, his joints popping. “And then we should find the mole who tipped off Nero that you were in town.”

  I got up and went to the door. My clothes were in the dryer. I had some fresh ones in my bag in the trunk of Jason’s car, but I wasn’t going in the driveway like this. I glanced at him over my shoulder. “I have a shift to work today, too.”

  “Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

  Was I? “Just reminding you. You can afford a few days off. I can’t.” I left before he could reply.

  Crossing the living room to the kitchen, my gaze wandered to the framed wolves on the wall. If werewolves were real, if what he said was true, then Adam must be the alpha. That’s why Sebastian sent me to him. Sebastian had grumbled on the phone last night about “wolves.”

  A werewolf pack might be strong enough to hold off a mercenary unit from Nero.

  This was certifiably nuts. Being psychic was one thing, but this went beyond any woo-woo I’d ever been exposed to at school. This was believing that there could be another species of humans that shifted into wolves.

  I gnawed at my lower lip. Jason’s father lay in a bed at home instead of in a hospital. For a doctor, that was going against everything the medical profession demanded for patients who’d experienced anoxic encephalopathy. His father could be in a vegetative state permanently from the lack of oxygen to his brain. There’d be no way Jason would keep him out of a hospital where he could be monitored.

  Unless werewolves were real and they didn’t want doctors, and scientists in the hospital lab, to discover them. What had his twin brother said? Our family is complicated…

  I pulled my clothes from the dryer and changed quickly inside the small laundry room, dropping Jason’s shirt I borrowed into the empty washing machine. Since our impromptu shower the night before, I didn’t need to waste any time on it this morning.

  On my way back to the bedroom, I made a pit stop in the kitchen to get some coffee started. I’d hated coffee until I started in nursing. Long shifts taught me to covet the power boost of caffeine, and a bunch of cream and sugar helped to mask the taste.

  Jason came out, pulling a moss green tee down over his washboard abs. “Smells like you found the coffee.”

  “Hope you don’t mind.” I glanced at the coffee maker. “I filled it with enough water for both of us.”

  “Sounds great.” He passed by me, the scent of musk and pine teasing my senses. He pulled two travel mugs out of the cupboard. “I went out and got your bag from the car while you were changing. It’s sitting on the bed if you want to brush your hair before we go.”

  He brought my stuff inside without being asked. Again, I was reminded how low my previous relationships had set the bar on my expectations. Part of me wanted to throw a parade in his honor. I wasn’t used to simple acts of kindness.

  “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

  After tying my hair back in a ponytail, I brushed my teeth, added a touch of mascara and lip gloss, and tried to tell myself the primping was for my shift at the hospital and not to impress Jason’s parents. This wasn’t a date; it was a favor. And it might not even work. I could open my mind for visions, but I couldn’t force them to appear on command.

  In the kitchen, Jason was filling the travel mugs. I watched him for a moment until he finally looked over my way. “Everything okay?”

  I shrugged and started adding cream and sugar. “You’re a fast healer. I still can’t believe you’re not swollen up. We didn’t even ice your eye, but other than the bruising and the scab over the cut, no one would know you got in a fight.”

  He put the lid on his mug, and a tendril of steam slithered out the slit in the top like a serpent. “You’re still thinking I might be certifiable?”

  Stirring, I reached for the lid to the travel mug. “Not certifiable, but maybe not a werewolf, either.”

  “I can’t blame you. If I wasn’t living it, I probably wouldn’t believe me.” He took a relaxed sip of the coffee like we’d been friends forever, but the desire in his gaze said he wanted us to be more. My body responded with a flush of heat, and I hadn’t even tasted the coffee yet.

  “If this really is true, why trust me with it? We barely know each other. Maybe I’m a crazy gossip.”

  He laughed and my heart fluttered. “Who would believe you even if you did gossip?”

  I took a slow swallow, a groan of pleasure humming on my lips. “If werewolves are real, is Adam your alpha?”

  “It is real.” He turned off the coffee maker and put the cream and sugar away. “And yes, Adam is my Alpha. That’s why I need Sebastian to get his ass out here and talk to him so we can get the Pack involved and keep Nero away from you.”

  The reminder of danger zapped conversation, keeping the drive to his parents’ house draped in silence. Quiet gave me plenty of time to second-guess my abilities. I shouldn’t have told Jason I might be able to “see” something about his father’s condition. After a few weeks of frustration and worry, how disheartened would he be when I couldn’t tell him anything, or worse yet, what if the future was bleak?

  Would he be frustrated enough to step into that boxing ring again?

  And why did I care? It was none of my business. Not really. Were
we friends? I did help him bring his father back, and now he was helping me evade Nero. That had to count for something.

  He turned in to a wooded community surrounding Lake Stanley. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “I could say the same about you.” Outside the car, birds huddled close together on a power line keeping warm against the brisk fall morning. “Anything I should know about your folks before we get there?”

  “Well, you know about my dad’s condition.” He made a slow right turn, his gaze darting toward me for a second. “And you’ve already met Jared.”

  “What about your mom?”

  A sad smile curved his lips. “My mom’s name is Sarah. She’s taking a sabbatical from her commercial real estate firm to take care of Dad. You’ll like her. She’s smart and probably the strongest person I know.”

  He pulled the car into a tree-lined brick driveway that led to a stunning stone home with a gabled roof. After he turned off the engine, his attention shifted to me. “She’s also certain my dad is going to wake up and be himself.” Pain etched lines around his gorgeous eyes. “I’ve told her that each day he doesn’t respond, his chances of a full recovery are less likely, but her hope is unshakable.” He broke eye contact, blinking hard before he cleared his throat. “I want her to be right, I do. But I know he’s probably already…”

  He didn’t finish. He didn’t need to. I got out of the car and followed him to the front door. He knocked, and Jared answered with an easygoing smile. He obviously carried his mother’s optimism.

  “Kilani. Good to see you again.” He and Jason clasped forearms before they shared a quick embrace complete with back slap. He lowered his voice. “You look better than I thought you would after getting your face beat last night.”

  Jason rolled his eyes. “It was the other guy who got beat.” His soft tone matched his brother’s. “You didn’t say anything to Mom, right?”

  Jared shook his head. “No, but you’re going to run out of excuses for those bruises and cuts soon.”

  He led us inside, and I did my best to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. The vaulted ceiling of the living room went up two stories, with a floor-to-ceiling natural stone fireplace on the far wall. The open staircase leading upstairs had a red gnarled wood bannister. Stunning, yet not opulent. It still gave off the feel that someone lived here. Welcoming.

  Jared brought us down a hallway toward a back bedroom. The artwork lining the walls were of wild animals, not wolves, but the life in their eyes tipped me off. I glanced up at Jason. “Yours?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  I took his hand without thinking. “You’re really talented when you’re not shoving these into boxing gloves.”

  He gave my hand a squeeze. “And you’re sweet when you’re not hating me for being a doctor.”

  I had to smile. “Touché.”

  We stepped into the back bedroom, and a woman with shoulder-length silver hair and bright auburn eyes, Jason’s eyes, set her book aside and stood up. “I was catching Wyatt up on his new James Patterson novel.”

  She came to stand before me, and I expected to be judged, but she pulled me into a hug. When she stepped back, a bittersweet smile warmed her features. “Sorry. I’m a hugger when it comes to people who save the lives of my family.”

  “Anyone would have done the same.” She wasn’t as tall as her sons, but she had at least six inches over me. “I was a nurse in the right place at the right time.”

  She shook her head, a spark of wisdom in her eyes. “I don’t believe in coincidences. You were right where you were supposed to be that day.”

  If I hadn’t been there that day, maybe I wouldn’t have ever met Jason. Could that be part of some greater plan? I swallowed the unanswerable questions and shifted my attention to Jason’s dad. I hadn’t seen him since the day we got his heart beating again on the floor of the hallway in the medical offices. His coloring looked good, and there was no sign of muscle contractions in his limbs.

  Jason checked his vitals, and I got a familiar flash in my mind of what he’d need next. I grabbed a fresh bag of fluids from the shelf and handed it to him as he turned, ready to speak. He chuckled and almost smiled but didn’t mention my psychic gift out loud. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” I took the empty bag from him and disposed of it while he got the new bag started. Sarah sat beside Wyatt, holding his hand, and my chest tightened painfully. How had Jason been shouldering this bad news all alone? She read to Wyatt and chatted with him like he could regain consciousness at any second. How could Jason tell his mother that her husband was never going to wake up?

  “Can I get a closer look at your husband?”

  “Of course.” She stepped aside, but I noticed the questioning glance in Jason’s direction.

  “She knows, Mom.” His voice rumbled behind me as I took the chair at the head of Wyatt’s bed. “I told her.”

  His mother cleared her throat. “That’s a big risk. Does Adam know?”

  Jared chuckled. “Only the tip of the iceberg, Ma.”

  I looked back at them. “I’m assuming you’re talking about the wolf thing?”

  Sarah almost cringed. The hair started to rise on the back of my neck. Before I could say anything, a vision blinded me. Wyatt upright, standing beside Jason. He winked at me. And then it was gone.

  I blinked hard, clearing my head. Usually my visions were limited to the very near future within two to five minutes of it happening, like with the IV bag. But even if Wyatt chose now to open his eyes, he wouldn’t be standing up on his own for at least a couple of days.

  Just like my earlier vision of Jason in bed with me, I had no clue when this one would come to pass or if it was all wishful thinking.

  “Are you all right?” Jason kneeled at my side.

  “Yeah.” I looked past him to his mother. “Sarah, how long has it been since you got out of this house? You should go eat.”

  “I stay with Wyatt. He’d do the same for me.”

  “I have no doubt he would, and I’d still kick him out to get some fresh air and have breakfast with his sons, too. ” I met Jason’s eyes, trying to send him a mental message he’d never hear. “I’m a nurse. He’ll be safe here with me, and you can have some fresh air. I’ll call if there’s any change in his condition.”

  Truth be told, I needed all of them out so I could relax and trust my gift, but there was no reason not to use the chance for Sarah to get away for a meal.

  Jason straightened. “She’s right. Get your coat, Mom. We’re taking you to breakfast.”

  “I don’t think I can…”

  I smiled. “He’d want you to get out, right? He’d make you go eat if he could.”

  “You’re probably right.” She sighed, glancing at each of her sons. Finally she went to the other side of the bed and pressed a tender kiss to her husband’s forehead. “But just for breakfast and we’ll come right back.”

  “You got it.” Jared nodded to Jason and me as he walked his mother out.

  Jason sat on the edge of the bed and waited until I looked up at him. “Did you see something?”

  I could barely manage a whisper. “Something, but I need more time to figure it out.”

  He kept his voice low. “I can’t leave you here alone with Nero out there someplace. Jared can take my mom out, but I’ll stay here in the living room if you need me.”

  I studied his eyes, the window to his soul. He made no move to shield himself. “You really are a werewolf, aren’t you? You all are.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yeah.” He took my hand. “That’s the only reason my dad isn’t in a facility.” He leaned closer and whispered against my ear, “It’s also why, unless we whisper like this, my brother and mom can hear every word.”

  My lips brushed the soft skin below his ear. “Good to know.”

  “I’ve got more to tell you.” His grip on my hand tightened a little. “Later.” He got up, his fingers sliding free from mine. “I’ll be out there if you need me.�
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  I watched him go, my pulse still thrumming. I wasn’t sure if it was having his body so close to me or the fact that I was starting to believe werewolves might be real. Maybe both. Either way, I needed to clear my head.

  Wyatt Ayers had the same rugged features as his sons, with a masculine, strong jawline and a wise brow. Other than the brief flash in my vision, I’d never seen him with his eyes open, but I imagined they’d shine with life. If he still possessed any. I reached for his wrist, counting his pulse. His heartbeat seemed steady.

  Down the hall, the front door opened and clunked shut. I stared down at Jason’s dad. “I sent your beautiful wife out to get some breakfast. Hope you don’t mind. I figured you’d want her to get some sunshine.”

  A small CD player sat on the bookshelf across from the bed. Music. I got up to investigate. I had no clue what he listened to, but anything would be better than the silence for me to relax. If I couldn’t clear my thoughts, I’d never get another vision.

  I pressed play and a single guitar plucked a few notes that flooded my eyes with unexpected tears. Neil Diamond’s warm baritone sent me right back to the island, sitting on Grandma Nani’s knee while she rocked me and sang along to “I Am…I Said.”

  A secret stash of Neil Diamond songs was on my playlist whenever I needed to feel close to her. And here she was.

  Swallowing the lump in my throat, I took my seat at Wyatt’s bedside. “My grandma Nani is the biggest Neil Diamond fan in Hawaii.” I took his hand, trying not to focus. Forcing a psychic vision meant I’d get nothing. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a switch to turn it on and off. “I’m Kilani. I helped Jason the day you were attacked.”

  I closed my eyes, shifting my attention to the music, to happy memories with my grandmother. Gradually the scene shifted. Wyatt stood beside Jason, both of them smiling in my direction. And then I heard a voice. I need a little more time. Trying to find my way back. Tell them I’m still here.

  He squeezed my hand, hard, and the connection was broken. “Jason!”