by Bethany Shaw
“Well, let me show you to Em’s room. I’m sure she won’t mind, seeing as she abandoned all her wonderful clothes and girly bathroom.”
Sarah giggled as she followed him up the stairs and down the hall, before pushing open the white door belonging to Emily’s room. The lilac scent reminiscent of his sister invaded him and he sighed, missing her terribly. He wondered if he’d ever get to see her again.
“Help yourself to whatever you need. I’ll be down the hall getting cleaned up. Then we’ll order some food,” Vincent said, motioning for her to enter.
“Thanks. I’ll see you in a few,” she replied as she looked around the room.
“Holler if you need anything.” He closed the door, but didn’t latch it as he left. His room was just a few doors down, close enough that he could get to her quickly if there were any issues.
***
Sarah padded down the stairs, feeling refreshed and feminine for the first time in days. She’d even taken the time to blow dry her hair and toss it up into a messy bun.
Emily’s room was warm and inviting, just like it’s owner. It had been easy for Sarah to find her way around and she’d quickly found a pair of cotton shorts and a tee to lounge in. Everything she could possibly need was in the she-wolf’s old bedroom, except for food and water.
Her stomach growled at the thought of food and she couldn’t help but wonder where the kitchen was. She might not make it until the pizza arrived.
As she wandered around the house, Sarah heard a muffled voice coming from behind a closed door. Crossing the living room, she followed the sound. She pushed on the oak door and paused in the entryway.
Vincent stood with his back to her, shirtless, wearing only a pair of black mesh shorts. His cocoa brown hair stood up in spikes and was still wet from his shower.
Sarah bit her lip. He looks good. Muscles rippled across his back as he pulled a wad of cash out of a birdhouse-shaped cookie jar.
“Great, thanks,” he said, setting the cordless phone down on the blue graphite countertop. He turned around with a smile. “Pizza and goodies will be here in thirty minutes. I got a variety: a large pepperoni, mild wings, fries, an Italian sub, and cookies. I wanted to make sure I got things you liked.”
Sarah grinned. “That sounds good. Especially the cookies!” She was starving and the thought of pizza made her taste buds salivate. Add on the cookies and she was in heaven. She hadn’t had a sweet treat since her last shift at The Cookie Jar. That was weeks ago—clearly, she was overdue.
“How is your arm?” Vincent asked, his eyes drifting to the cut on her arm.
She held it up for him to see. “It looks good. I’ll probably have a scar, but it doesn’t look infected and it’s healing, so I don’t think we need to worry about it.”
“Welcome to the Werewolf Claws Club. You’re not an official member of the pack until you have claw scars,” he joked.
“Glad to be an official member of the pack.”
“So, you want the official tour?” Vincent asked, trying to avoid awkward silence.
“Sure.”
Vincent motioned with his arms, gesticulating at the room. “This is the kitchen, in case you didn’t notice,” he smirked with a wink. Sarah followed him as he walked across the light blue tiles to the door through which she entered. “You should see the set up we have downstairs,” he said excitedly, opening a door, leading down into a finished basement.
The plush white carpet squished between her toes. A massive TV—she didn’t even know how many inches—hung from the wall. Against the back wall, a jade-green leather wrap-around sofa completed the man cave. She could easily see Vincent lounging down here on the couch.
“I can’t believe this is still here,” Vincent exclaimed, picking up a clear DVD case.
“Is that a rental?” Sarah asked.
“Why? Are you worried about the astronomical late fee?” Vincent asked, amused, turning on the DVD player and ejecting a disk. He held the disc up for her to see. “We are so watching this tonight.”
Sarah squinted, trying to read the small print as she moved closer. Whatever movie this was, Vincent was clearly excited about it. She was curious to see the title. “Teen Wolf,” she read aloud. “Never heard of it.”
“Oh, come on!” Vincent yelled enthusiastically. “You have to watch this. It’s a classic. It’s also completely wrong, but it’s hilarious.”
“Okay,” Sarah agreed, interested to see what the movie was about. He was clearly excited and she didn’t want to ruin the mood. Besides, watching a movie would be fun.
“Come on. Let’s get everything set up so we can start it as soon as the pizza arrives.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her to the stairs.
Sarah jogged up the stairs after him, a wide smile on her face. The past few days had been horrendous, but right now it didn’t seem so bad. They needed a night to relax.
***
Sarah picked up her discarded paper plate and cup from the floor and followed Vincent upstairs. She’d eaten intermittently throughout the duration of the movie and was stuffed. It didn’t help that Vincent had brought down so many delicious things to eat. He’d even made a bag of popcorn to accompany their feature film. The evening was perfect.
Vincent had added his commentary throughout the movie. Between the film and her companion, she had laughed so much, her cheeks hurt.
“Good movie, right?” he asked as he opened the door to the kitchen and held up the trashcan lid for her.
She threw her stuff away. “Yeah.” It had been okay. Not the usual thing that she watched, but she had gotten a kick out of Vincent’s commentary.
“There’s a sequel. We don’t have it here, though. And I’m going to guess I’m no longer allowed to rent movies unless I pay whatever fine they’ve charged me.”
“I’m sure we can rent it in Texas,” Sarah said, yawning.
“We must be getting old. Tired and ready for bed before nine,” Vincent said, stifling his own yawn. “Do you want to go to bed?”
Sarah paused, wondering where exactly they would be going to bed.
“You can stay in Em’s room if you want. Or, we can share a room—whatever you are most comfortable with,” Vincent added quickly.
Sarah bit her lip. There was something comforting about being in Vincent’s embrace. He was warm and solid and it just felt right. Tomorrow they would return to their crazy, chaotic lives; who knew what the future held for them. Would they remain good friends or was something more brewing between them? Again, she found herself wondering what Vincent would taste like or feel pressed against her intimately.
He was only a foot away from her; it would be easy to lean in and kiss him. Her heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. She could tell by the gleam in his eyes he was thinking along the same lines.
“Sarah,” he whispered, leaning in and capturing her lips with his.
He tasted like chocolate chip cookies. His lips melded against hers as she pulled him closer, winding her hands into his thick hair. In that moment, it didn’t matter what the future held. The only thing she cared about was this moment they were sharing.
She’d been grieving and angry for so long, she needed to live again. Vincent made her feel alive and, even if she couldn’t say it, she certainly could show it.
Sarah deepened the kiss, parting her lips to allow his tongue entrance. Vincent skimmed her teeth and nipped at her mouth. She trailed her fingers up his bare chest, smiling inwardly at the slight growl that escaped him.
“Wait,” he pulled back, shaking his head. “We can’t do this.”
Sarah swallowed hard, stung by his rejection.
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he said. “You’re grieving and then there’s Lark and Devon. I like you, but I don’t know if I can do a real relationship and I won’t take advantage of you. I care about you too much to do that,” he said honestly.
Sarah nodded, biting her swollen bottom lip.
“I’m not looking for anything ser
ious. I don’t want to get attached to someone like that again—maybe not ever,” Sarah started as a lump formed in her throat. “I’m a big girl and I can make my own decisions. Lark respects that. As for Preston,” her voice broke. Yes, she missed him, but there was more to it than anyone realized. It was her fault he was dead. “I loved him. But for me, it wasn’t the forever kind of love. He was safe and familiar and...my best friend. I miss him, and I wish he was here, but most of all I feel guilty—guilty that I didn’t love him enough. He wanted to move things to the next level, and I told him no. If I’d said yes...” she trailed off, tears building in her eyes as a wave of hurt washed over her.
Vincent ran a hand through his hair, his eyes widening with realization. “Gene wouldn’t have sent him if Preston was in a committed relationship.”
Her bottom lip trembled and she let out a raw sob of remorse. “It’s my fault he died. Mine!”
She spun, ready to bolt out of the room, but Vincent caught her wrist and tugged her back to him. He cupped her chin and stared down into her eyes.
“I was there when he died, and it was not your fault. Instead of being a coward, you were honest with him about your feelings. Telling the truth is always better than telling a lie. Preston’s death is not your fault. It’s the Gulf Pack’s. They did this,” Vincent insisted.
Sarah closed her eyes, letting a tear slide down her face. “But if I’d just told a lie, he would still be here. He was my best friend long before we were more and it’s my fault he died. I have to live with that.”
Stricken by what she just did with Vincent and her rejection of Preston, she jerked free of his grip and dashed out of the room. She needed to be alone.
Chapter Ten
Vincent rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I never should have kissed her. Worse, he didn’t know if he should go after her or not. Wooing girls was easy—this thing with Sarah, not so much. What is going on with Sarah? It was raw and confusing, that much he knew for sure.
He should try to sort things out with her tonight. The last thing he wanted was for things to be awkward. A part of him wondered if what she said about Preston was true. He couldn’t find a reason why she would lie about it. It at least eased his guilt a little. She was Preston’s girl, and he had been infatuated with her. But that didn’t matter now—he could sort that out on his own sometime later. Talking about the deceased wolf probably wouldn’t be a good idea either—at least not tonight. He picked up a cookie—he’d seen the way she’d been eyeing it—and hoped it would be a good peace offering.
She’d stomped up the stairs, no doubt returning to Emily’s room. He nervously took the steps two at a time. Talking to girls and comforting them wasn’t exactly his thing.
The bedroom door was ajar and he knocked on the wall to alert her of his presence.
“Come in,” she sighed, loudly as she gave him an apprehensive look. She sat up on the bed and put a book down on the nightstand.
“I brought a cookie,” he offered, holding out the dessert.
Sarah drew her knees into her chest and took the cookie.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted.
“Don’t be. I crossed the line. I shouldn’t have done that,” Vincent insisted.
“It’s both of our fault. You want half?” she asked, breaking the cookie in two as she abruptly changed the subject.
“I always have room for chocolate,” he grinned.
They each took a bite out of their half of the cookie. Vincent took a seat in Emily’s computer chair and spun around to face Sarah. He knew he should say something to end the silence, but he didn’t know what it should be.
“So,” Sarah started. “We are going to call Malakai tomorrow?”
“We’ll have to go into the dungeon to find the number,” he explained. Sarah frowned, her eyebrow rising in question. “Emmett’s office,” he clarified. “Bad things tended to happen in there.”
“Oh.”
“Only time I ever went in there was when I was in trouble.”
“I can go in there instead,” Sarah offered.
Vincent paused, not expecting her offer. The sentiment was nice and he appreciated how caring she was.
“No, it’s okay. I know where his stuff is. Juarez and his men probably swept the place; in fact, I’m sure they did. I bet it’s a mess in there, but I guarantee they didn’t find everything. My dad was very vigilant about certain things. He always seemed to be one step ahead.”
Emmett had been ahead of the game, at least up until the end. His scheming started early and only expanded over the years.
Vincent twisted in the chair as a tick formed in his jaw. A memory flooded his mind and he exhaled angrily. “You know, my mom and Emmett grew up here together. They were best friends throughout their childhood. I don’t know if it was the power of being Alpha, or the jealousy he felt over not being my mom’s true mate, but something changed. He managed to outsmart Joseph—Dev’s dad—and lure him into a trap, all so he could claim my mom as his own. I often wonder how we managed to escape someone that manipulative.”
Sarah shook her head back and forth slowly. “Jealousy and power can drive people to do crazy things. I know how territorial your wolf is. Maybe it just drove him mad and, once everything started spiraling, he couldn’t keep up,” Sarah suggested.
Vincent would like to think she was right. It would be nice to know that there had been at least a little good in the man who was his father. Surely, there had been some decency in him if his mother had befriended him in her early years. Maybe rage and envy had been too much for him to handle.
Sarah relaxed back into the pillows. A soft, sad sigh escaped her lips. “You know, my dad was the doctor for Rick’s pack. That’s how Lark found out about werewolves. After Lark found out, she told me—Lark and I don’t keep secrets from each other. Anyway, I came out with my dad one afternoon after he’d received a call about two seriously injured wolves. It turns out two of the younger wolves got into a fight over a girl from school. She was dating one wolf and the other tried to make a move on her. Well, the two nearly killed each other. Rick was hesitant about even letting my dad in the infirmary to help them because they were still trying to kill each other; maybe it’s just instinct to fight for the woman you love. Claire was with Devon’s father first; maybe it drove Emmett mad even, after he had her, it still wasn’t enough for him,” Sarah contemplated.
Vincent saw her point. “Regardless, it doesn’t excuse what he did—what he tried to do. But we can be very territorial. I wouldn’t be able to sleep in another wolf’s bed or wear their clothes. Their scent would be too much.”
“So you’ll be staying down the hall?” Sarah asked, her face unreadable.
Vincent wished he could backpedal his previous statement. Em’s scent wasn’t offensive to him. They were twins and had shared a womb. In some ways, her scent was comforting to him.
He needed to feel Sarah out to see what she wanted. Do I want him to stay or go? In truth, he wouldn’t mind staying. It was oddly nice holding her through the night.
He cleared his throat. “Em’s room isn’t so bad. She’s my twin and we did have to live in a womb together for nine months. We’re a lot closer because of it.” He watched Sarah carefully trying to figure her out, but her face remained impassive and he didn’t want to create further friction between them. “But I’ll stay in my room down the hall.”
“That’s cool,” she replied as she yawned.
Vincent nodded, wishing he knew if she really wanted him to go, or if she secretly enjoyed sleeping with him as much as he enjoyed staying with her. He wanted her in his room, in his bed, preferably underneath him—or on top. But that wasn’t a good idea. After that kiss, things could quickly escalate between them and he didn’t want to hurt her.
He stood up and stretched, watching as Sarah’s eyes wandered up his bare chest to his eyes. Yeah, it is definitely time to leave. Otherwise, he might do something stupid and make things weird agai
n.
“I’m heading to bed. I’m just down the hall, first door on the left. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Sarah’s tongue darted out to wet her lips, causing him to groan inwardly. They needed to get back to Texas so they could put some much-needed distance between them. All this one-on-one time was torture.
Sarah bit her lip, indecision evident on her face. She inhaled sharply as their eyes met and swallowed, holding his gaze for a long moment. “No one knows we are here. I think we’ll be okay for the night,” she mumbled, averting his gaze.
Vincent nodded. It was for the best; being alone in bed with Sarah would not lead to anything good. Well, at least not good for their friendship.
“I’ll set the perimeter alarm. If someone comes on the property, we’ll know.” Vincent stood up and walked to the door and placed his hand on the knob. “Night.”
“Good night,” she replied, softly.
***
Abilene, Texas
Lark stared out the passenger side window as they pulled up to the farmhouse. The car was silent, aside from the quiet hum of the engine. They’d spent the entire day in Dallas. Neither Vincent, Sarah, or the Lunas had shown up.
It was infuriating and heart wrenching all at the same time. Lark just wanted some resolution. She refused to think it was already staring her in the face. Surely, she couldn’t be the only one to think so; Daniel and Nora wouldn’t have come if they thought otherwise.
Devon pulled the car to a stop. Nora and Daniel climbed out, silently shutting the door behind them and leaving her alone with Devon.
“I have to check in with Gene, but I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Devon assured leaning in to kiss her. “I love you. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
“I know. I love you, too,” she said against his lips then opened her door.
Devon’s hand grasped onto her wrist. “I mean it, Lark. I’m going to talk to Gene and see if there is anything else we can do. Someone used that card and it doesn’t make sense that anyone but Vincent would use it. The prepaid cards can only be tracked if you know the number. If we can get it from my mom, maybe we can find out where the tickets purchased were headed. Something is definitely going on and I don’t think it’s the Lunas; all the pieces aren’t adding up.”
