by Emma Wolfe
“Of course, he’ll help you,” Liam said. His arm landed on my shoulders. “That’s what’s best about Grayson. Always here to help.”
I glanced over at him, frustration and fury pumping through my veins. What was he doing? Why was he saying I’d do something he knew I couldn’t?
“Liam, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I said through gritted teeth.
Liam held my gaze. Like he was trying to tell me something.
Then, in the back of my mind, I heard the words just go along. If you don’t, they’ll go anyway. We could still speak to each other when we were in human form, but it was harder, more muffled, so we rarely did it.
As much as I wanted to deny what he said, I knew he was right. Two teenage girls exploring these woods wasn’t going to end well. Plus, Liam must really want me to do this if he was attempting to send his thoughts. I flicked my gaze over at Rose. She was casting glances at me and Grayson.
“I guess I can help. When I’m free,” I added.
Rose clapped her hands and let out a squeal. “Yay!”
“So, I’m being demoted?” Cora asked as she stepped up to us.
Rose shot her a sympathetic look. “Sorry. Grayson can make sure I don’t get lost. The two of us together probably isn’t the greatest idea.”
Cora wrinkled her nose. “But—”
“You heard her,” Liam said, his voice blunt.
Cora looked up at Liam, and I couldn’t help but see the pain in her eyes. She was hurting, and Liam’s desire to protect her wasn’t helping.
I gave her a quick smile and then turned, ready to get the heck out of the woods and back to normal life. There was nothing about the last hour that was making me feel comfortable at all.
When we finally got into town, I glanced at Liam. “I’ll take Rose home,” I said, reaching out to put my hand on her lower back. I barely managed to stop myself before I made contact. That would not have been a good idea.
Liam glanced at Cora. She was speaking in hushed tones to Rose. Which was comical. She knew what we were, so she had to know that our hearing was impeccable. Whispering was in vain.
“Don’t go without me,” Cora whispered as she leaned into Rose.
Rose shot her a glance and nodded quickly.
I heard Liam’s growl. He was trying to hold it in, but it wasn’t working.
“It’ll be fine,” I mumbled under my breath.
Liam shot me a pained look as his jaw tightened. I knew what he was going through, but trying to control Cora was only going to backfire.
“If she comes, I’ll be there. I’ll watch out for her,” I promised him.
That didn’t seem to appease Liam. He began to pace on the grass. I wished I could help him relax, but there was no cure for the pain he was feeling.
I was ready to get home and away from Rose. I approached the girls and nodded toward the diner. “Ready, Rose?”
She glanced up at me and then back to Cora, who had a pained expression. Rose smiled sympathetically and gave her a quick hug.
I heard Rose whisper, “It’ll be all right.”
I nodded at Cora and Liam and followed after Rose as she headed down Main toward the diner.
I hurried my pace to keep up. When I fell into step, she glanced over at me. “I can get there on my own, you know.”
I nodded. “I know. I just want to make sure you get there safely. After the woods…” I trailed off, hoping she’d recognize my lame attempt at a joke.
She paused and glanced over at me with her wide eyes. “Was that a joke I heard?” she asked as she nudged me with her elbow.
My skin warmed at her touch, but I didn’t step away. Instead I just shrugged, enjoying the playful tone of her voice. “An attempt,” I offered.
She smiled and continued down the street. “You should attempt it more.” Her smile was soft and welcoming, and it sent my heart galloping. “It looks good on you.”
There was no way I could stop the grin that formed on my lips. It felt good. The fact that Rose was talking to me, much less joking with me, caused my soul to soar.
Maybe helping her out wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Maybe it was exactly what I needed.
I knew there would be a price to pay when all this was over. But maybe I was willing to pay it. Just for a moment with her.
Liam
I watched Grayson and Rose make their way down Main Street. I wanted to call Grayson back. To tell him there was no way I could be alone with Cora. Not when my feelings for her were still so raw. Not when I knew I’d hurt her.
Man, I was a complete and total mess.
Turning, I discovered that Cora had started making her way toward her house without me. I quickened my pace to catch up with her.
As soon as I neared, I felt her body stiffen. I could feel her frustration and anger toward me.
“I’m just making sure you get home safely,” I offered.
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say.
She whipped around and shoved her finger into my shoulder. “You don’t get to do that anymore,” she spat.
I held up my hands, hating what I was doing to her. This was not what I wanted. I couldn’t stand seeing the woman who was destined for me hating me. It was killing me inside.
“Cora, I…” My voice trailed off as the words stuck to my tongue. I doubted I could physically get them out.
My job was to protect Cora. Even if that meant protecting her from me.
“Why?” she asked, shaking her head. I could see the tears brimming on her eyelids. I could hear the thumping of her heartbeat.
Her pain was my pain. I couldn’t ignore it. Ever.
“We’re not—”
“Good for each other. Yeah, you said that already.” She sighed as her eyes narrowed, and she folded her arms across her chest. “Any other reason?”
I cleared my throat and pushed my hands through my hair. I’d already involved her in my mess; there was no need to drag her in further. “No.”
She pushed past me, her distaste for me plainly written across her face. “Fine, Liam. I’ll leave.” I watched her take a few steps away from me, and just when I moved to follow, she whipped back around. “Just don’t think you get to do this anymore.” She waved between my chest and hers. “I’m not yours to save. Stay away from me.” Her voice dropped low as her anger sunk in around me.
I parted my lips to argue, but then closed them. She was right. I couldn’t keep following her around. Even though that thought was killing me inside, I had to leave her alone.
I had to give her a chance to forget about me. So I held her gaze for a moment and then nodded. I shoved my hands into my pockets and turned, passing her as I went. “I’m sorry,” I said.
I took one final look at her beautiful brown eyes and then walked away.
I heard Cora’s breath hitch. Almost like she was trying to tell me not to go. But I didn’t stop.
Every time I was around her, I broke her heart all over again. I could hear it. Feel it. I’d been selfish, but I wasn’t going to be selfish anymore. I was going to walk away from Cora Gray and not look back. I was going to attempt to be strong.
As soon as I rounded a building and was out of sight, I raced toward the woods and shifted. Once I was in wolf form, I headed straight for Evan’s house.
Just because I couldn’t keep tabs on Cora, didn’t mean someone else couldn’t.
She was going to be kept safe, even if I wasn’t the one doing the protecting.
8
Rose
The last bell rang, and school was over for the day. I grabbed my books and stood, heading out to the hallway. I’d tried to concentrate on my classes, but it had been in vain. All I could think about was getting out into the woods after the football game and looking for answers.
After making a stop at my locker, I slammed the door and headed toward the locker room to change for practice.
Cora was sitting on the bench in front of her locker, staring at…nothing. She was so deep in thought it
didn’t look like she’d noticed me.
I set my backpack down on the ground as I spun the dial on my lock. I hated how hurt she’d been by Liam. If I was a foot taller, I’d shake his shoulders and tell him to wake up and realize what he was doing to my friend. But I knew that wouldn’t work.
Besides, even if I did shake him, I doubted he’d move an inch. That kid was solid muscle.
“Feeling okay?” I asked as I started to change.
Cora let out a sigh and glanced back at me. “No,” she whispered.
We had practice and then a game, so we were going to be here for a while.
I nodded as I slipped my cheer uniform over my head and pulled it down. Cora was already dressed and pulled her shoes from the locker.
“How was the walk home with you-know-who?” I whispered. I didn’t know why I lowered my voice. It wasn’t like he was going to hear our conversation. There was a solid cement wall between the boy’s and girl’s locker rooms.
Still, Liam wasn’t the only one they needed to worry about overhearing them. Katie Blake, the head cheerleader, would no doubt come running if she ever caught even a hint of the name Liam Bronson. I overheard one of her minions earlier that day talking about how Katie was convinced they would be Homecoming King and Queen. Katie, apparently, “had it in the bag.”
I had to suppress a snort. There was so little that Katie understood when it came to Liam. Her confidence in her ability to control him was downright laughable.
Cora bent over to tie her shoelaces. When she was done, she glanced over at me and gave me a weak smile.
“It was okay,” she whispered.
I could tell she was putting on a brave face, but she wasn’t fooling me. Liam had hurt her. I slipped onto the bench and focused my gaze on hers. I wanted her to know that I was serious.
“I’m going out to the woods with Grayson tonight. I’ll talk to him. He has to know what’s going on with Liam. They’re best friends.” I gave her a confident smile.
Cora studied me as she chewed her lip. Then she sighed and nodded. “Okay,” she said as she moved to stand. “It’s not like going for a walk in the woods will help me, anyway.”
Despite her downer vibe, I felt hopeful as I moved to slip my feet into my shoes. Maybe I could find answers to my parents’ car crash and fix my best friend’s love life.
After I laced up my shoes, we filled our water bottles and made our way out into the hallway.
Just as we walked by the boys’ locker room, the door swung open and some cross-country runners trickled out. They were talking and laughing and barely noticed we were standing there.
A few of them glanced in our direction. Chris Larson’s gaze fell on Cora, and suddenly, he broke from the pack and made his way over to her. “Hey,” he said, giving her a wide smile.
I glanced over at Cora. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes wide. Almost like she wasn’t sure how to handle him.
“Hey, Chris,” I said, moving to catch his eye.
He glanced over at me and then back to Cora. “Hey, Rose,” he said. Like I was an afterthought. “I’m excited to play mom and dad with you tomorrow.” He leaned in, his smile never wavering. It was warm and inviting and maybe just what Cora needed to help her move on from Liam.
Cora nodded as she peeked over at me. “Well, it is the assignment,” she said as she gave Chris a strained smile.
Chris shoved his hands into the pockets of his gym shorts and shrugged. “True. But it’ll be nice to hang out, you know, outside of these walls.” He nodded toward the school.
“Okay,” Cora said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me along with her. She didn’t stop walking until we were outside and standing in cool, late afternoon air.
Chris’s voice called after us, but Cora moved so fast, I didn’t hear what he said. I raised my eyebrows at her. She looked down, her cheeks pink.
“He’s cute,” I said as I linked my arm with hers. We made our way across the practice field to where the other cheerleaders were warming up.
Cora snorted but nodded. “Yeah.”
“He seems like the perfect guy to help you move on from Liam,” I offered.
She glanced back at the school and shrugged. “He’s nice. We have to do a day-long babysitting job tomorrow for home ec.” She sighed. “It’ll be interesting.”
“I think it’s great. Just what you need to forget about Mr. Brooding over there.” I nodded toward the football team as they ran sprints back and forth. Liam’s head was down as he barreled through the other members of the team.
He did not look like he was having a good day.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Cora drop her gaze back down to the ground.
“Can we change the subject? My stomach is queasy.”
I nodded and dropped her arm. Then I raised my fingers to my lips and locked them with an imaginary key. “Mum’s the word,” I said, giving her a wide smile.
Cora looked relieved. As we dropped to the grass and began stretching, our conversation turned light. A few of the other girls on the squad even joined in.
Coach Betty showed up and started yelling at us. Soon, we were jumping and cheering—or at least, I was attempting to. I was only on the team because another cheerleader had moved, and I was the only one left to fill her spot.
By the way Coach Betty stared at me and sighed, I think she felt the same about me and cheerleading as I did.
It really wasn’t my forte. But it would look good on college applications, and Cora had asked me to join. And even if I wasn’t any good, I was already feeling stronger and looking slimmer, which helped as well.
Once practice was over, I stood and bent backwards, stretching out all my muscles. Ones I knew I had and ones I hadn’t known existed.
We had a few hours before we needed to be on the field for the game. And I was ready for a shower and some food.
I joined up with Cora, and we made our way back to the school. I couldn’t help but glance over at football practice as we walked across the fields.
I didn’t have to search for Grayson—I could recognize his stride anywhere. He was walking alongside number sixty-two, who, if I remembered right, was Evan Rogers. They looked like they were deep in conversation, and I took that moment to study Grayson as he pulled off his helmet and ran his hands through his damp hair.
His expression was one of concentration as he nodded along with whatever Evan was saying.
I was intrigued, and for a moment I wondered what it would be like to have amazing hearing. Where I could hear a conversation from a hundred yards away. Instead, I just stood in the background with my lame attempt at lip reading.
“You okay?” Cora’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I jumped and glanced over at her. She looked worried, so I just smiled. “I’m great.”
She studied me and then turned and started making her way back to the school. “I’m starving. I say we shower quick and head to the diner.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” I followed after her, pulled open the door, and we both disappeared inside.
Grayson
She was watching me. I could feel it with every fiber of my being. And not only was she watching me, she’d stopped walking to stare.
I swallowed hard as I looked at Evan, trying to make out what he was saying. I knew he was talking. I could see his lips forming the words. But all I seemed able to concentrate on was Rose. And the warmth that spread through me from her stare.
I was in trouble. Big trouble.
“Hey, man, you okay?” Evan asked, reaching out and shoving my shoulder.
I blinked a few times and nodded, tearing my senses away from Rose. He was explaining a move, and I tried to listen.
But Evan didn’t look like he believed me. He glanced over his shoulder, and a knowing smile emerged on his lips. “Man, you and Liam are in trouble,” he said and then chuckled.
I shoved his shoulder. “Just wait. When you fate, you’ll know what it’s like.”
&n
bsp; Evan shook his head. “Nope. That’s not going to happen. I don’t want to turn into the same sorry wreck as you and Liam.” He straightened and slipped his helmet back on. “No one is going to pin me down.”
I snorted as I pulled my helmet back on as well. Thankfully, Rose had retreated to the school and was no longer a distraction.
I was worried about the game later tonight, though. If one look from Rose had my insides churning, what was I going to do when she was staring at me on the field? Things would not turn out great, that was for sure.
The urge to take my frustration out on the field coursed through my veins as I jogged out to take my position. I was the fullback. My job was to protect Liam.
I glanced over at him to see him staring hard at the ground. No doubt he was thinking about the conversation between that Larson kid and Cora. We’d just left the locker room and were walking toward the outside door when we caught the tail end of their conversation.
I’d never seen Liam’s anger boil so close to the surface as it did when he was listening to Chris hit on Cora. His wolf was so close to springing out that I’d grabbed his shoulder and got him on the field to keep him from shifting.
The truth was, I didn’t blame him. I’d spent many nights thinking about the other men who were going to come into Rose’s life. And there was nothing I could do to stop any of it.
She wasn’t mine—she couldn’t be. To keep her safe, I had to keep her away.
I shot Liam a smile, but he just shook his head and leaned down, readying his stance. I followed suit, realizing that it was time to focus.
The ball was snapped, and I zoned in on Noah, one of the defensive linemen, who was heading toward Liam. I dug my cleats into the wet grass and charged him. I didn’t hold back as I rammed into Noah. He seemed to have anticipated my attack because I could feel his body tighten as he held his ground.
It felt good, exerting my muscles and focusing on something other my burning desire for Rose. On the field, she didn’t exist. This was the one place where I was in control.
