Raven's guilt spikes again along with regret as she glances between her father and me. I can feel how much she wants to stay with me, but wants to make her father happy too. I'm not about to be the asshole who makes his woman choose between her family and her mate.
I lean down and kiss the top of her head. "I'll call you later tonight," I say in an even tone as my sincerity flows into her.
She smiles softly up at me as her gratitude ripples through our bond. "Okay." Then she looks down at her bare feet. "Oh crap. I left my shoes upstairs." She glances at Brandon. "I'll be right back, Dad," she says, then gives me another smile before moving away and heading upstairs.
I feel bereft without her touch, and watch her longingly until she disappears from sight with Luna on her heels. I turn my attention back to Raven's father to find him watching me with a shrewd and formidable stare. He closes the few feet between us with deceptively casual steps. Then he leans into my personal space, this time not so subtle as he pulls his button-down to the side to let me see his holstered weapon.
"I know little to nothing about you, young man," he says in a stern commanding voice with hard and unyielding dark eyes. "But rest assured that I'm going to find out everything I can. If I think for one damn second that you're taking advantage of my little girl, or if you hurt her in any way, I won't hesitate to use anything I find against you. Are we clear?"
It's one hell of a threat, since it's from cop and not just a protective father. But he'll find nothing incriminating about me besides a few youthful teenage indiscretions that are mostly just embarrassing. The pack has gone to great lengths over the years to protect our secret existence in Wolcott. He won't find anything implicating that I'm more than the human I appear to be, or that I was involved in any criminal activity, not even the brutal incident along the road with Raven the other night. My oldest brother Wyatt and Cooper's sister Scarlett are adept at cleaning up the messes the pack periodically leaves behind. So I know I had nothing to fear.
"We're crystal clear, sir," I say as I meet his eyes confidently and unafraid.
He studies my face closely for a beat then nods once in satisfaction just before Raven comes hurrying back downstairs. She approaches me with a wide grin that I can't help but return. I long to pull her against me and kiss the hell out of her, but I'm not about to do that in front of her dad. Instead, I lean down and press a single kiss to her cheek and let her feel the deep sentiment behind it, my lust and love for her. She shivers in reaction, and I feel her answering flush of affection and desire. Then I pull away before I give in to the urge to hold her and keep her here with me forever.
"Bye," she says softly as Luna leans up against my leg and nibbles at my fingers.
"Bye," I reply warmly as I study her gorgeous face.
She nods, then turns and heads out the door, giving me one last longing look before she disappears from view with her dog. Her father follows after her, but pauses in the doorway to glance back at me one more time. His expression isn't exactly friendly, but there's no mistaking the hint of grudging respect I see that wasn't there a few moments ago. It would seem my first impression on him wasn't as bad as I thought. Good. I nod once in acknowledgment before he walks out. Then I close the door in his wake with a deep and heartfelt sigh of relief.
19
RAVEN
"I miss you," Emmett's voice says through my phone in that low sexy rasp of his, and my lady parts tingle.
"I miss you too," I murmur back as I press my thighs together and squirm a little under the blankets of my bed.
I close my eyes and remember the way he made me feel, how he owned my body, and the way we shared each other's pleasure through our connection, or our mating bond as he called it. I didn't exactly have a lot of experience to go by, but today had unequivocally been the most amazing sex I've ever had in my life.
"I need to let you go," he says. "It's late. I need to get up early for work, and you need to get some sleep."
"Sleep is overrated," I grumble, even though I am exhausted since it's pushing one in the morning. I've been up since the ass crack of dawn already and expended a lot of energy with Emmett too. I barely kept up with him in bed today, even though I suspect he was probably going easy on me. He's a lot stronger than he looks.
We've been talking and flirting on the phone for hours now, and I don't want to stop. Emmett and I just click like we've known each other for months and not mere days. I'm a believer now. The bond between us is real. The fact that he's a werewolf and not entirely human doesn't change how I feel, even if it's still shocking and a little unreal to me.
"Baby, I need you rested for when I get you naked and under me again," he growls out in a sexy tone that makes my clit throb.
"When will that be?" I ask needily, writhing a little on the bed again.
I long to ask him to come over right now since Dad won't be back from work until the morning. However, Dad's pointed and thorough interrogation about Emmett during dinner has me leery to invite him over. I want Dad to like him, and finding out he spent the night in my bed while my father is at work wouldn't help that goal. Plus, I have to keep Emmett's secrets too. Guilt punches into me at the thought of keeping anything from my dad. It seems like I've been doing that a lot lately.
"Tomorrow," he says. "I'll take you out to dinner, then maybe...maybe my place after?"
Hesitation fills his tone, and I shake my head. Like I'd tell him no, but after rejecting him the other night, I can't really blame him for being unsure. Especially when he can't touch me and feel my emotions for himself.
"I'd really like that," I tell him with sincerity. Then I grow quiet as a thought occurs to me, followed by uncertainty. Even without our bond, Emmett picks up on it immediately.
"What's wrong?"
"Um...I want to ask you something." My voice is subdued and anxious.
"You can ask me anything, Rav," he replies, his newfound nickname for me making my lips curve in a small smile.
"Can...can you show me your...your...um...wolf?"
"You want to see me shift?" he asks warily.
"Yeah."
He sighs, and a long tense moment passes between us. I can't really blame him for being wary. The first time I saw his wolf, I freaked out, then rejected him after he laid himself bare and confessed his love for me. Finally, he speaks again.
"Are you sure?" he asks apprehensively. "Because the last time..." He trails off and goes silent for another moment before finally adding, "I don't...I don't want you to be afraid of me again." His voice is quiet and laced with pain and uncertainty.
"I won't be afraid this time, Emmett," I tell him with certainty. "The wolf is just another part of you, and I know you would never hurt me. You love me."
This time his sigh is one of relief. "I do Raven," he says, his words heartfelt and fervent. "I love you so much."
An almost euphoric wave of happiness hits me. My God, this should be too good to be real, but I can't deny what I'm feeling. I don't want to.
"And I love you too," I tell him softly and sincerely.
"Good, now go to bed," he says gruffly, but I hear warm pleasure underlying his rough demanding tone.
"So bossy," I say archly with a smirk. "Is that a werewolf thing?"
"Maybe," he replies in amusement. "If you go to sleep now, I'll show you just how bossy I can be tomorrow night." His voice is deep and suggestive. "How does that sound?"
"That sounds like heaven," I answer breathily.
"Then I'm going to let you go now, baby," he says. "I'll see you tomorrow, Rav. Okay?"
"Okay."
I grin up at my ceiling as he ends the call, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Then I roll over onto my side to plug in my phone and turn off my bedside lamp. I reach down by my hip to where Luna is curled up asleep next to me. I stroke her furry head a couple of times before snuggling into my pillow as an exhausted sleep quickly pulls me under.
When I next awaken it's with a gasping jerk, and I have no idea where I am or
what's going on. I blink in the darkness as I struggle to string a thought together past the thick mud of drowsiness clogging my brain. I slowly become aware of a warm comforting weight lying across my torso. A wet tongue starts licking my face, followed by soft worried whines. It's Luna, and I manage to get an arm out from under the blankets to touch her furry cheek.
"I'm okay," I whisper harshly, then wince when I realize that one side of my tongue hurts. Shit, so do my arms and legs. Maybe I'm not okay.
I latch onto Luna's ruff and close my eyes again, and immediately remember the dream I was having just before I woke. A dark wolf with bright shining eyes was watching me out of the darkened woods that surrounded me. Along with it the odd and disconcerting sensation that it was studying me, trying to figure me out. Then it abruptly rushed out from the trees and leaped right at me. But I jolted awake before it could pounce on me. Weird. Was the dream wolf supposed to be Emmett? I don't know, but it isn't important anymore as a headache begins pounding behind my eyes.
I moan and sit up, pushing Luna down onto my lap. A wave of lightheadedness sweeps over me. I hug my dog for something solid to hold onto as the room spins. My joints ache and my muscles feel weak and strained. I know what this all means, the soreness, the bitten tongue, the headache, and I don't want it to be true. My eyes begin to sting with tears. I thought maybe I was finally free to have a normal life, that I'd outgrown it. But after eight long months without any, this nocturnal seizure proves that I was wrong. My epilepsy isn't gone. It was just waiting to for its chance to fuck over my life again.
I hold Luna tighter in my arms as a sob slips out along with the tears that flow in rivulets down my cheeks. I won't be able to drive. For me even to get a job, I'll need Dad or someone to take me there and back everyday. My freedom is gone again. I slide down onto my back, then roll over into a tiny ball and surrender to my grief for a while with Luna plastered to me. Her downy fur is wet with tears, and I'm all cried out by the time sunrise starts to lighten my darkened bedroom.
I'm just lying there feeling empty and wrung out inside when I hear the front door open. My father is home from work, and now I have to tell him what happened. I squeeze my eyes shut and fight down another round of tears as I listen to Dad puttering through the house. By the time he walks into my room, I have myself under control again.
I feel the mattress dip behind me as Dad sits on the bed, and his calloused hand gently lands on my shoulder. "I'm home, baby girl," he says warmly, and I roll to my back to smile at him. Luna is already standing on the bed and up in his face, licking the hell out of him in greeting.
"Hey, Dad," I say in a rough croaky voice. I hope he just attributes it to just waking from sleep, and not my recent crying jag. "How was your night?" I ask, anxious to put off telling him about the seizure a bit longer. I really don't want to cry again.
"Mostly uneventful," he replies as he firmly pushes Luna away. "But I did get an interesting phone call on my way into the station last night."
"Yeah?" I say curiously.
"It was from the owner of Rowdy's Tavern."
"What?" I ask in surprise. "Chavez called you?"
He nods. "He had my number as your emergency contact, and it seems you made quite the impression on him after just one night of working there." His gaze and tone turn more serious. "Apparently, he's been trying to get a hold of you, and you're not answering or returning his calls."
Shit, I should have just manned up and told Chavez that I couldn't work there anymore.
"He wanted to let you know that the bar is going to be open this weekend, and he wanted to know if you decided to stay on, or if he should start looking for a replacement." He arches a brow, his eyes narrowed and accessing.
I look away guiltily, partly for avoiding Chavez, but mostly for not telling my father about wanting to keep working there.
"And here I thought you already quit."
"I should have just told him, but I...I didn't have the heart to do it," I whisper as I meet his eyes pleadingly. "I know you don't want me working there, but I didn't want to let him down. I ended up letting you down instead. I'm sorry."
He shakes his head and sighs deeply, his eyes softening. "I guess I only have myself to blame for this, baby girl."
"What?" I ask incredulously.
"I know I can be an overprotective asshole, but I don't want you to be afraid to tell me what you want." His face looks pained and apologetic. "You're an adult, Raven, and you can tell me where to shove it when you disagree with me. I won't love you any less." He reaches out to take my hand. "Do you want to work there?"
Now is when I should tell him about the seizure, and that even if I wanted to work at Rowdy's, I can't. I won't be able to drive and his work hours will keep him from taking me to and from work. But I don't, because I don't want to be a dependent loser again. Besides, just because I had one seizure doesn't mean I'm going to have shit tons of them now. After all, stress and lack of sleep are triggers, and I had plenty of stress these last few days, and very little sleep yesterday. It was a fluke, a one off. I could make sure I get the sleep I need, and avoid any more stress so it doesn't happen again. I'm still on my medication after all.
Am I in denial? Yes. Will I admit it? No.
"I...I do," I reply instead. "If you think it's safe," I add, because I'm not stupid.
"Well, Chavez told me about the extra security and the other measures he's taking to ensure his employees' safety," Dad says. "So I went to see for myself last night. He seems like a decent guy, and I'm satisfied that it's as safe as it can be, considering it's a bar." He squeezes my hand firmly. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, okay?"
"I promise," I reply with a nod. I ignore the surge of guilt that follows and the foreboding suspicion that I might be making a huge mistake.
20
EMMETT
"Here we are," I say as I pull into one of the few empty angled parking spaces that line the main drag of tiny downtown Wolcott. Historic brick buildings neatly line both sides of the quaint street with vintage cast iron street lights. They illuminate an eclectic collection of tidy little shops and stores, including the Wolcott Diner in front of us. Downtown Wolcott is the pride of the entire community, and basically the only thing of any real interest in town besides my family's orchard and cider mill.
I throw the Jeep in park and glance over to see Raven frowning as she looks out the windshield at our destination. Well, that's not good. I reach over to take her hand and feel her apprehension through our bond.
"What's wrong, Rav?"
"It's nothing," she replies and gives me a pathetic smile that doesn't touch her eyes.
"It doesn't feel like nothing," I tell her with a frown of my own now. I squeeze her hand to remind her that I know exactly how she feels.
She sighs and glances down at our clasped hands, then presses her lips together. Luna abruptly pops her head out from the backseat and puts her front paws on the armrest between us, and licks Raven's cheek in a comforting gesture.
"I had an interview there last week, and I was late because of a train. The whole thing was a mess." She sighs again, her frown deepening. "Needless to say, I didn't get the job."
"We can go somewhere else," I suggest. "How about Rowdy's Tavern?" I add facetiously, like I'd ever take her there again.
I expect at least a little smile out of her for my ridiculous suggestion. Instead, I feel a surge of guilt and worry through our bond as she looks away and stares down at her lap.
I cock my head at her strange reaction and ask worriedly, "Raven?"
"I don't want you to be mad at me," she says without looking at me.
"Mad about what?" I warily ask with furrowed brows.
"I'm keeping my job at Rowdy's." She glances up at me with a grimace.
My reaction is immediate and fierce. A possessive and protective fury heats my body as I remember the demonborn that almost took her the night we met. The thought of anything or anyone getting their hands on my mate again ril
es up the wolf and the man inside me. She's mine, and no one touches her but me. A low growl rises from my chest. My first instinct is to tell her that's not fucking happening and to forbid her to work there ever again. Before I can do just that, Raven yanks her hand from mine with a hard glare, but not before I feel her anger and her pang of disappointment in me. It hurts and puts an instant damper on my fury. It's replaced with guilt and regret. I grab Raven's hand again and let her feel it.
"I'm sorry," I murmur with a pained expression.
Even with our mating bond I'm fucking this up again. I may be possessive and bossy, but I don't want to be a controlling tyrant who keeps Raven from doing the things she wants. I want us to be a team like my parents.
"I just want you to be safe." I shake my head. "If something happened to you..." I trail off remembering how I buried the pain of her rejection in the wolf and lost myself in the woods for days. If she died, that pain would feel like it was nothing in comparison. I think I'd give my humanity completely over to the wolf and never come back.
Of course, Raven can feel all of that if not the actual thoughts behind it. Her angry expression softens a fraction, though she stills looks grim.
"I would have quit if I didn't think it was safe. I'm not stupid," she grumbles out.
I nod with a sigh, a measure of tension easing out of me. If her dad thinks that it's safe, then it should be alright. He's a cop after all, but he isn't privy to the darker hidden world that I'm a part of, and it worries me. Of course, the demonborn that tried to take her were the only two I ever saw at Rowdy's. I need to calm down, and let this go. No matter how much I'd like to keep Raven locked away somewhere safe and never let her out of my sight, I can't. I'm a better man, a better wolf, than that.
Her face softens even more as she feels my acceptance, and I feel her ire fade. "Dad met with my boss and checked out his new security measures, and he's okay with me keeping the job," she reassures me, then squeezes my hand. "I'll be okay."
Wild Blood: The Trueborn Saga Book 1 Page 14
