She thinks about this for a second before shaking her head, dropping the subject. It’s probably for the best since she isn’t ready to hear how deeply my feelings for her run. Not yet, at least.
She fiddles with her fingers while gazing out the window. I try to keep tabs on her out of the corner of my eye without being too conspicuous.
“I don’t know about the future,” she says softly, her voice growing quieter with every passing word, “but I do care about you.”
Happiness swells in my chest until it feels like I’m going to burst. Reaching over I take her delicate hand in my own, no longer able to keep the distance between us. “I care about you too.”
A soft pink rises to her cheeks as she studies my hand clasped around her own. The small smile she wears gradually fades until a slight crease sits between her brows.
“Does the bond . . . does it make you like me?”
“It does strengthen my feelings,” I admit, leaving out that all my protective instincts regarding her are heightened as well. “But I’ll have you know that I liked you before I found out we were bonded. You were passionate and, I’ll admit, reckless. Still are. But you were so confident that I nearly asked you out while standing in my living room.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
My answer brings another small smile. Hopefully I can keep doing the same the entire trip.
CHAPTER 13
HER
My eyes are half closed when he knocks softly on the door, coming to lie on the bed next to me.
“Do you want me to restart the movie?” I ask sleepily, knowing I won’t make it past the first three minutes.
The bed dips when he shifts closer, wrapping his arm around my waist and burying his head in my hair. He breathes deeply and I get the sense something is wrong. Placing my hand over his, I wait for him to speak, drawing lazy patterns across the back of his hand. When he doesn’t say anything for a couple of minutes I venture, “Rough night?”
He grips me tighter and I wonder what happened during work to upset him.
“Something happened that we didn’t get to in time.”
“Want to talk about it?”
He tugs me gently until I’m on my back so I can see his face. “A group of young women on vacation in Guadalajara went missing a few days ago. The team stationed in Mexico City were trying to track them since their disappearance was of a special nature, and one of my friends on the team asked for help.”
“Vampires?”
“No, something else,” he says, running a finger down the side of my face. “But we didn’t narrow down the warehouse in time. There weren’t any survivors.”
I turn off the movie to give him my undivided attention. Understanding that feeling of failure well, I continue making those random patterns across the back of his hand, moving up to his arm.
“What do you mean something else? Like people with special abilities? Like me?”
“People with special abilities like Eliza and Ben, yes, but you’re a shifter.”
“I don’t think I’m a shifter.” He opens his mouth to disagree so I continue, “See that pile of books over there? The one at the bottom, farthest to the back that’s in shadow. What’s the title?”
He looks confused. “There’s an owl hunting about a hundred feet away. Which direction is it located? Or Leo just switched his brand of deodorant. Do you know what he changed it to? Can you tell any of these things right now? Because I can. I’m also stronger and faster than you, though I would be interested to test that in your wolf form, but I haven’t changed. Turning into a giant cat could be part of my ability, but I don’t think it’s mutually exclusive.”
His eyes flick to the pile of books, squinting like it will help him see better. I settle back on my side, enjoying the warmth he provides against my back as he figures out the title is a French dictionary.
“I’m sorry,” I say, venting what I’ve been thinking about on and off since the night my parents were killed. “I could be a shifter, but in all my experience I’ve only known shifters to turn into wolves. Not panthers.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he replies, resting his head on my pillow. “I’ll do some research.”
My body relaxes and it feels like it’s only been a day since our trip to Seattle instead of a week.
“I need to start looking for a job,” I blurt out, feeling heavy with ramifications of what being graduated actually means. At least, unless I want to pursue a Master’s.
“We’ll talk about employment opportunities in the morning,” he responds, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek before getting up.
“What does that mean?”
“Tomorrow,” he chuckles, heading toward the door.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Tomorrow!”
***
Parker is pouring himself a glass of orange juice when I enter the kitchen the next morning.
“So, this employment opportunity,” I repeat his words from last night. The dark blue shirt he wears accentuates the time he spends working out in the basement gym, but I swiftly divert my gaze when he glances over.
“Yeah,” he says, breaking into a crooked grin while flipping sausage onto its opposite side. I don’t think I looked away quickly enough.
He sets down the spatula and crosses toward the stairs to scoop me up in a hug when I let out an embarrassing squeak. Definitely should not have worn this red shirt since now I’ll just be one red blob from the fierce blush enflaming my face.
“Parker,” I mumble into his chest. “Parker, the sausage will burn.”
Reluctantly placing me back on my feet, I’m glad when he pulls me along to join him in the kitchen where he switches out sausage for eggs.
Cracking the eggs on the counter, they sizzle and pop once hitting the pan. “Marc was impressed with your work at the warehouse.”
“More like stunned,” Caleb yells from the couch. “Or frightened.”
“Impressed,” Parker corrects with a glare toward the couch. “You handled the situation like a pro and Marc noticed. The job is yours if you want.”
“Job?”
“The Agency is offering you a job and Marc wants you on his team. He thinks you would be a vital asset.”
“Really?” I didn’t have the chance to see all of what the specialized team could do even though they seemed efficient at cleaning up the mess I caused. Parker did mention something about security footage. He must have seen what happened there.
“You’re an enigma,” Caleb interjects, his face glued to the screen on his phone. “But they do good work. Clearing away the garbage of the world that no one else wants to touch. Plus, I guess there would be some perks. Travel, pay. A few hotheads here and there, but as long as you can overlook those annoying little—”
“—And with that glowing recommendation,” Parker interrupts, leaning his hip against the counter as he faces me. “Is it something you would be interested in?”
My reflection in the ballet studio stares back at me, growing less and less firm until it’s nothing but a fuzzy blob. It’s still there, but first there is something more pressing to do. Those women should not have been kidnapped from Guadalajara. Hopefully the team in Mexico City find the responsible party. And now I get the chance to hunt down the same type of monsters. “Taking out the bad guys and getting paid for it? Sounds like my kind of gig.”
Pulling out a second cup he pours another glass of juice before dishing up breakfast for us both.
“Where’s Lorelai?” I ask, carrying the glasses to the table.
“Her sisters whisked her away for a girl’s day.” Caleb sounds mildly put out, but nothing like he did before their meeting. It’d be interesting to see if his happy-go-lucky attitude stays.
Diving into my food, it takes me a moment to see that Parker is watching me with a small smile before turning his attention to his plate.
It takes me a little while to settle the butterflies rapidly running into ev
ery internal surface of my stomach.
“I’ll be gone for a couple of days,” he breaks, spearing a sausage whole. “There are a few work-related things I need to take care of before the end of the week.”
“I didn’t know that as a tech analyst you had to travel.”
“It’s a special sort of case.”
My eyebrows raise at his leaving while we’re searching for a pack of demons. The guy at the bar gave us the name Stephany Wares. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was going to meet her himself.
“A completely different case,” he explains, understanding my expression.
“Let me guess, any specifics are a heavily guarded secret?”
“Not heavily guarded, but, yes, technically it is classified. For the safety of all parties involved.”
“Alright. But to lessen the sting of ignorance I’m going to need the name of the Thai restaurant we ate from graduation night.”
The front door slams shut and footsteps echo from down the hall.
“I think there may be a couple things left in the fridge,” Parker says, nodding towards the kitchen.
“Ah, and while that information is unsettling, it’s not what I asked.”
“Did I hear something about leftovers?” Leo inquires, his heavy boots scuffing against the hardwood as the sound trails toward the refrigerator.
Caleb looks up from his phone. “Someone had a late night.”
“More like early morning.”
Parker glances over the bar. “Where were you?”
“Making friends,” Leo answers, pulling out the Thai that I’m pretty sure has gone fuzzy by now.
“Making friends at school?” Caleb questions sarcastically. “As long as you don’t bring any more home. We all know what happened the last time you brought home a new friend.”
“Hey!”
“With my coworkers,” Leo clarifies. “I got a job working security on campus.”
“That’s right.”
“So, if no one needs anything I’m going to bed.” Taking the cold leftovers with him Leo disappears up the stairs.
Glancing at the clock, Parker shovels food into his mouth at a rapid pace. “I’ve got to catch a flight,” he garbles, scooping up tiny food bits scattered across his plate while walking toward the sink.
“You’re leaving now?”
After setting down his dirty dishes he comes back to kiss me. “I got a call earlier this morning.” Kissing me again he promises to call later, shooting a glance at Caleb before walking away. After the door closes, I glance at Caleb who doesn’t look too enthused about having to spend the day together. Most likely as an assigned babysitter. Though plucky when compared to his old self, even that isn’t enough to keep the slight grimace from turning his lips downward.
“I’m planning on watching something if you want to join me,” I declare, pushing the eggs around with a fork. “Unless, or course, you have to go out. I understand if you’re busy.”
The thin pretext, which we both know is simply an excuse for him to not have to spend the day with me, is enough to work. He pops up from the couch babbling something about tuning up his cars.
Once the dishes from breakfast are clean I settle onto the couch with remote in hand, intent on watching as many movies the others grumble at before being interrupted. What started as an excuse to get Caleb out of the house does actually sound enjoyable. I glance at my phone, knowing Parker won’t have time to call until later tonight but unable to stop myself from wishing. Tucking the electronic far under the throw pillow I select a reality dating show.
The Twins cuddle up to my side keeping me warm. They disappear for days at a time like they’ve always done, but I’m glad they’re here with Parker gone. By the fourth episode my eyes are fuzzy, drowsy.
Three prominent knocks rapping against the front door startle me awake. My heart spikes into my throat before I force myself to take a chill pill. Maybe someone ordered a package.
The privacy glass through the front door’s window blurs the person’s outline, but Eliza is easily recognizable.
A faux leopard print rollaway suitcase is securely gripped by freshly manicured nails while a smile beams from Eliza’s face. Talking over the phone is vastly different from in-person and we hug and laugh like we haven’t seen each other in years.
“You’re here! What are you doing here? Do you miss me already?”
“Ha! Of course I miss you! So when your boy toy asked me to come for a visit I couldn’t refuse.”
“Parker asked you to come?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t object to me calling him your boy toy. I think there’s something you’re not telling me,” she says, wagging her eyebrows as she pulls her suitcase over the threshold.
“Let me take that upstairs. It’ll be easier than you banging it up every step making a ruckus.”
“It would not bang on every step!”
“No, just the first, last, and all that comes in-between.”
“Well, this is a new suitcase and I would hate to ruin it,” she concedes, knowing full well she was going to let me carry it up with my supernatural strength.
“So, where is Mr. Handsome?” Eliza questions, kicking her feet up in the air while lying on the bed browsing movies with the controller.
“If you mean Leo, then he’s downstairs and single.” I laughingly dodge a pillow aimed at my head, the plush cushion knocking into the curtains behind me. “Parker’s away for work. And keep your eyes to yourself. He’s taken.”
“Alright, alright, France concedes. Man, is there anything good to watch?”
Taking the remote from her I put on a go-to chick flick I started a couple of days ago for background noise. “Okay, spill. What’s been happening with you? How did finals go?”
“They were fine. Not so great with my American Literature essay, but now I have that credit out of the way. I’m jealous that you’re already graduated.”
“Well that’s what happens when you fake your prerequisites.”
“Still,” she says, her eyes glued to Danielle throwing apples at Prince Henry. The majority of the movie passes by, and while I know it by heart, I always get a goofy grin when he declares his love for her.
“Any summer plans?” I ask, just waiting for the evil family members to get their dues. Her eyes flash my direction for a fraction of a second and I know she’s trying to keep a secret. “What? What? Tell me or I’ll pin down your legs and tickle your feet.”
“It’s nothing!” she exasperates, flopping dramatically onto a pillow she grabs from my lap. I can’t see her face but guess it’s beet red. “Why are boys so obtuse?” Her voice is muffled but my grin is getting wider. Eliza tends to harbor a new crush every month, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard a new one. A couple of years at least, now that I think about it.
“What’s his name?” I sing.
She lifts her head from the pillow, picking at the fringe on the front to avoid answering. Her mouth squishes to the side and I wonder why she’s so hesitant. She’s normally gushing at this point about their hair, smile, and any other feature to catch her flighty attention.
An unintelligible noise escapes her mouth and I have to lean closer, waiting for her to repeat herself. “Ben,” she pouts.
“Ben what?”
“Ben. Ben! The only Ben we know! Tess, what am I going to do? I’m in love with my best friend!”
Her declaration leaves me stunned. “You’re in love with Ben?” I try to see their interactions in a new light, at least the few I’ve witnessed over the last three years. I didn’t notice a thing, not a glance, not a longing sigh. “Does he know?”
Her face burns bright red as her eyes fill with tears. Her chin drops to her chest and I have my answer. “Oh,” I sigh quietly, my mind going blank on what I can say. “What happened?”
“I told him how I felt and he just stood there. Staring at me. He didn’t say a word! I’ve never been so mortified!” After gently prompting her
she finishes the account, her fingers expertly untangling the thread creating the pink tassels and I wonder if the pillow will survive the conversation. “So I left. Ran, more like it.”
“He didn’t respond?”
“Nothing.”
“Did you look ahead first?” Eliza’s gift of glimpsing the future comes in handy during a fight. It likewise helped solve other issues while we were at Hillbrook and seems like it would have come in handy in this scenario.
She shakes her head. “I didn’t want to lose my nerve. And what if he didn’t reciprocate my feelings? I could never look at him the same way and he would have no clue why our friendship changed.”
“If you aren’t positive of his answer, then how do you know he doesn’t feel the same?”
She hiccups as if this possibility never occurred to her. “Then why wouldn’t he say something? I shouldn’t have told him. We’ve all been friends for so long. I don’t want to lose that. But I also don’t know if I can watch him date another girl again. I was unaccountably rude to the last one and her only sin was that she liked him. What kind of person does that make me?”
“It makes you human,” I reply gently after her tirade. Eliza and Ben. I can see it. Hopefully he can too.
“Do I have to go back? You think Parker would let me move in?”
“Ha! I believe that as much as I would welcome you, we’re twenty minutes away from civilization. You would hightail it out of here from boredom.”
She takes a moment to think. “Say for instance he does feel the same. What if we date but end up breaking it off?”
“Shouldn’t you let him have a say in the relationship?” I ask softly.
My pillow has nearly come unraveled, but I can see her mulling over the question. No wonder she dropped everything in the blink of an eye to oblige Parker’s request. Her downturned phone lights up against the bedspread but all she gives it is a cursory glance.
“I don’t think my parents are thrilled I took off so quickly after the semester ended.”
“Didn’t your semester end a couple of weeks ago?”
“I may or may not have offered to stay on to help my complex manager clean apartments.”
Hunting Tess Page 11
