Authors: Crystal Red
That night, she cried and rocked
herself to sleep.
* * * *
The next morning Kelsey didn’t waste
any time running to Brandon’s place in hope he’d drive her to the hospital.
Even if Chad had to drive her, or she had to ride on Brandon’s motorcycle,
she’d suck it up for her mother. She pounded on the door and then rang the
doorbell three times. It opened with a loud creak.
Chad popped his head out. “Brandon had
to go to work. What do you want?”
She stumbled into the doorway as tears
poured down her cheeks.
Jesus. What the hell
did Brandon do to her? Knock her up or what?
Kelsey glowered at Chad. “This isn’t
about Brandon! I need a ride to the hospital. My mom is in the ICU. I think a
werewolf attacked her.”
Chad’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. You
can really read minds, can’t you?”
“Yes!” She shoved a hand at his chest.
Chad stumbled back a little until he
regained his compose. “Relax. I’ll give you a ride. You’re lucky you caught me.
I was about to head to work.” He stared at her with amazement.
Kelsey followed Chad to his car. They
climbed in and then he drove off. She gripped the dash until her knuckles
turned white. This shouldn’t be happening to her. What the hell did she do to
deserve this shit, anyway? Her tears continued to fall.
Chad glanced over at her when they approached
a red light. “You okay?”
“No!” She wiped her damp palms on her
dark blue jeans. “My mom could die. How can I be okay with that?”
“Right.” Chad stared straight ahead.
“I see your point.”
“What am I going to do? She’s all I
have. My dad ran off when I was four.” She leaned back and sobbed into her hands.
“I don’t have any siblings.”
Wow. I’ve never seen
a woman cry so much, but I guess I would too if I were her.
The second the light turned green,
Chad pressed his foot on the gas pedal. “You have me and Brandon. Plus Beth.
You have people who care about you. You’re not alone.”
Kelsey gasped as she clung to the door
rest. “Yeah, but how do I know it will last?”
“By believing in your relationship.
You have to fight for what you want,” Chad said with a firm voice.
“What if I’m not strong enough?” She
swallowed hard. Fear knotted in her stomach. Why did she always feel so safe
with Brandon despite the fact he was a werewolf? Could he really be the dream
guy she’d waited for all her life?
“I think you are.” Chad pulled in
front of the ER building and then parked his car. “I’m going to call Brandon.
He can come stay with you if you’d like.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I
don’t want him to keep missing work because of me.”
“Kelsey,” Chad rubbed the back of his
neck as he turned to face her. “I’ve never seen him this way. Ever. Since he
met you, he acts as if he’s walking on air. He’s falling for you, and I think
the same thing is happening to you.”
“But,” she whispered, “he’s never…uh,
shit.” She rubbed her aching temples. Love was complicated enough, but throwing
a werewolf into the mix made things downright terrifying. What the hell was she
going to do?
Chad pulled out his phone and then texted
Brandon. A message popped up right away. “He’ll be here in a few minutes. You
want me to wait with you?”
“Yes.” She wiped her wet eyes. “Thank
you.”
He patted her hand and smiled. “To be
honest, I think the two of you make sense.”
She chuckled. “Like you and Beth?”
What? Beth would
never go for me.
“You might be perfect for each other.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,”
Chad muttered.
Kelsey climbed out of Chad’s car and then
rushed over to Brandon as soon as he parked his motorcycle in an empty spot
across from them. She clung to his muscular arms as she shook like a leaf in
the wind.
He stroked the back of her head. “Shh.
It’s okay. Let’s go see your mom. Maybe she’s awake now.” He placed a soft kiss
on her forehead, then took her hand in his.
Kelsey waved as Chad took off. She and
Brandon walked hand in hand inside the main lobby of the Kansas City hospital.
They stopped by the information desk to ask what floor her mother was on.
“Room 415. On the fourth floor.” The
young blonde receptionist spoke in a falsely high voice.
Brandon and Kelsey hurried toward the
elevators, boarded one and rode to the fourth floor. They got off and then walked
into her mother’s room. The nurse asked Linda how she felt and then took her
food tray away. Kelsey’s heart slowed when her mother looked over at her. Linda
pointed to the red chair next to her bed. Despite being awake, her mom was
hooked up to heart and oxygen machines. Kelsey sat in the chair, and Brandon
pulled up another one beside her. He plopped down onto it.
“So.” Her mom’s voice came out in a
croak. “Who is the hottie? Your new boyfriend?”
Kelsey managed to nod. “This is
Brandon Woltman. We’re neighbors. How are you feeling?” She reached for her
mom’s hand.
“Why does everyone keep asking me
that? I get attacked by a wolf and lived, but everyone still thinks I’m dying.”
She chuckled so loud it almost came out as a snort.
Tears welled in Kelsey’s eyes. “You
know what came after you?”
“Yes.” Linda pointed her French
manicured nail toward the door. “It was because of her. That blonde chick
behind you.”
Her gut clenched hard. Kelsey whipped around
to face Victoria. Literally. What the hell?
Chapter Twelve
The wicked grin on Victoria’s face
made Brandon want to slap her. His insides twisted, and bile threatened to rise
in his stomach. He’d never lay his hands on any woman. No matter the situation.
He frowned as he faced Victoria. “What
the hell are you doing here?”
“I heard about what happened to
Kelsey’s mom. I wanted to make sure Ms. Mayfield was all right.” A coy Victoria
looked wounded.
No. He wouldn’t fall for her I’m-so-innocent
bullshit act. He’d been there too many damn times.
Kelsey leapt to her feet and jumped in
Victoria’s face. “What the hell did you do to my mother?”
“Nothing. I tried to help her. I was
the one who called the cops after I saw a wolf run away. I think you should be
thanking me. I saved her life.” Victoria’s smile widened as if she were proud.
Kelsey rolled her eyes. “You don’t
fool me for a second.”
“You know this woman?” Kelsey’s mom groaned
as she sat up in the bed.
“Yes, she’s my ex-girlfriend,” Brandon
muttered.
Ms. Mayfield’s lips tightened into a
thin line. “Then why is she hanging around?”
“Beats the crap out of me.” Brandon
threw his hands up.
“I only wanted to help, but I can see
I’m getting in the way.” Victoria bowed and strode out of the room.
He sat and squeezed the edges of the
chair. Victoria had no right to come there and butt her nose into his and
Kelsey’s business. The animal in him wanted to teach her a lesson, but he
wouldn’t. It wouldn’t be right or solve anything. He’d avoid violence when he
could. Even if it wasn’t easy. If he didn’t get some air now, he’d lose his
mind.
Brandon patted Kelsey’s hand. “I’m
going to go for a walk. Are you okay staying here with your mom?”
She frowned. “Don’t go after her.”
“Sweetie.” He looked into her eyes.
“I’m not going to.” Okay, so maybe that was a little white lie, but she didn’t
need to know that.
Her lips twisted into a scowl. “Don’t
take long. I know you’re not going to listen to me anyway.”
He jumped out of the chair. Adrenaline
rushed through his veins as he headed down the hallway to find Victoria.
“Victoria!” he yelled.
The witch came around the corner and
hurried toward him. “Yes, you called, Brandon?”
Now face-to-face with her, he glared
at Victoria. “Why did you go after Kelsey’s mom? I don’t understand why you
keep denying you’re behind this when I know it’s you.”
She laughed as she threw her head
back. “I’m not a werewolf. You could have gone after her for all Kelsey knows.
I’m a witch, or have you forgotten?”
“How could I forget?” Brandon rubbed
his throbbing temples.
Victoria flipped her hair over her
shoulder. “Who am I to tell you who is right for you? You chose Kelsey for a
reason, and if she makes you happy, you should do your best to make it work.”
As if he was going to believe one word
that came out of his ex’s mouth. She’d been known to tell a lot of white lies
while they were together and some big ones too. She talked smoothly, but he
didn’t want to have any part of her drama.
He’d play along with her game. For
now. “Whatever you say.”
“Did you want anything else? I really
wonder how well Kelsey can take care of your needs. I know I was pretty good at
it. You must miss that part of our relationship.”
He smirked. “Actually, she’s better
than you.”
“Humph.”
She stuck
her nose into the air and ran off again as her heels smacked the floor.
Despite the slight satisfaction the
words gave him, his gut still ached with pain. Victoria probably was behind the
wolf attacks. That had never happened when he lived in Texas. Not when they
were dating. As he drew a deep breath, he walked back into Kelsey’s mom’s room.
“Everything okay?” Kelsey looked up at
him.
“Yeah.” He smiled. He sat again, and
her mom looked at him.
“Do you plan to marry my daughter? You
know she’s an only child. I expect a couple grandchildren.” She pointed a fake
nail at him.
“I, uh…”
“Mother!” Kelsey rolled her eyes.
“Maybe someday.” He rubbed the back of
his neck. “We haven’t been dating very long.”
Her mom smiled. “Kelsey tells me you
have a motorcycle. You have to get her to take a ride.”
“Mom.” She sighed. “You know I don’t
like motorcycles.”
Kelsey’s mom laughed. “How do you know
until you try it?”
“Yeah.” He held Kelsey’s hand and kissed
it softly. “You have to try everything at least once. Otherwise, how do you
know?”
“Sure,” she muttered, sinking down
into her chair.
He ran a hand through his wavy strands
and looked at Ms. Mayfield. “What did Victoria say to you?”
Ms. Mayfield turned sideways, holding
her side and groaned. “She basically said I should rest, and hoped the animal
control people caught the wolf that attacked me.”
Wolf, my ass. More
like a werewolf from Victoria’s wolf pack. What a liar.
Kelsey gaped at him, but remained quiet.
She stared at the floor and clenched her fists in her lap. Sometimes it was
easy to forget she could read his thoughts. In most ways, it disturbed him,
because she’d always know what was on his mind, but he’d get over it. She was
worth the risk.
Ms. Mayfield nudged Kelsey’s arm.
“It’s okay, sweetie, you don’t have to stick around. I know you probably have
to get to work.”
Kelsey rocked back and forth in the
chair as she busted into sobs. “It’s hard for me to go back to work.” She
sniffled. “The cops showed up yesterday and found Ms. Wein murdered behind the
back of my shop. I keep wondering if I’m next.”
Brandon’s heart ached for Kelsey. He
wanted to take away her pain. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t cry,
honey. I’m sure the police will find out who is behind this soon.”
Ms. Mayfield’s face softened. “Oh,
darling. I’m so sorry.” Her mom handed Kelsey a tissue. “This can’t be easy for
you, but I’m here still, and I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.”
“I’m here for you too, Kelsey,” he whispered.
Kelsey wiped away her tears. “You
scared me. I thought I lost you.” She sobbed into her hands.
A tightness settled in his chest. His
breath came out rough. He did the only thing he could to help his girlfriend—he
comforted her. She needed him more than ever. He sensuously trailed his fingers
up and down her back.
She sighed as she sniffled, then
rested her head on his shoulder. “You always know how to make me feel better.”
“So, we’ll be planning a wedding after
all, huh?” Kelsey’s mom’s lips widened into a grin.
“You never know what the future
brings.” He shrugged.
Kelsey flushed. “We should go. I don’t
want to keep you from work.”
“Well,” he leaned forward and lowered
his voice, “you realize you’re going to have to ride on my motorcycle, don’t
you?” He placed a hand on her thigh. She trembled at his touch.
“Maybe I should take a cab,” she said
in a choked tone.
“Honey,” her mom peered at her, “you
can’t let your fears keep you from enjoying life.”
Kelsey snorted. “So, if I was scared
of heights, I’m supposed to jump off a building too?”
“That’s not what I meant. What I mean
is you have to try new things. Even if it scares you,” her mom said.
Kelsey rose off the chair on wobbly
legs. “I’ll have to think about it.” She wrapped her arms around Ms. Mayfield
in a tight embrace. “Take care, Mom. Call me if you need me. I’ll be here for
you, no matter what. I love you.”
Tears filled Ms. Mayfield’s eyes. “I
was going to say the same thing. I love you too, sweetie.”
Brandon stood and walked over to
Kelsey, smiling at her mom. “Take care, Ms. Mayfield.”
“You can call me Linda, Brandon.
Someday I hope you’ll be my son-in-law and give me some grandchildren.” Linda
winked as she grinned.
He nodded as he patted her hand. “See
you later.”
He and Kelsey walked out to his
motorcycle.
“Ready for this?” he asked with a
smile.
*
Kelsey’s shoulders tightened at
Brandon’s question.
Am I ready for this? Hell no!
There were a lot of
things she could be ready for, but riding on his motorcycle hadn’t been at the
top of her to-do list. Could she honestly face this fear? She wasn’t totally
sure she could.
She swallowed hard, and a knot formed
in her stomach. Maybe she could do this for him. Her heart pounded louder and
faster as he handed her the helmet.
Oh, boy. She looks as
if she’s about to throw up.
Hand over her mouth, she gagged. No
doubt about it, she was about to barf. Her chest heaved in and out as she
cleared her throat. She tried to get rid of the bitter taste in her mouth.
“I’m good,” she whispered, despite the
lump in her throat.
“Oh, really?” One of his dark brows
lifted. “From where I’m standing, it looked as if you’re about to blow chunks.”
His fingers caressed her temple up and down. She shivered.
“How can you make me feel better about
this? Right now, I don’t think I can do it.” She did her best to sound less
weak and pleading, but she ended up failing anyway.
“By trusting me.” He pulled her close
to his chest. “Do you?”
“Yes.” Her knees buckled, but for him,
she’d try. Besides, how else would she get home? It’d be a long ass walk, and
taxis weren’t cheap.
She took a deep breath and slipped the
helmet onto her head. As soon as he started the bike, her heart jumped. Brandon
put his helmet on and hopped onto the motorcycle. Kelsey stared at him for a
second and wondered if she should run the other way. No. She could do this.
Time to put her big girl panties on and ride on her boyfriend’s motorcycle. She
swung one leg over and climbed onto the bike as she gripped his waist as if her
life depended on it.
“That’s a girl. Just lean toward me
and hold on tight. You’ll be fine. I promise.”
Now that, she wasn’t so sure about,
but still she wanted to try for him.
“Here we go, baby,” he murmured.
Brandon drove off with a loud roar. He
weaved through the traffic and passed all the slow cars. Despite how fast her
heart pounded, she enjoyed the spicy scent that lingered on his neck, and she
held him close. He made her feel so safe.
He kept going at the normal speed,
only passing cars when he needed to. Before she knew it, they were in his
driveway. Her breath slowed and so did her heart rate. On wobbly legs, she
hopped off his motorcycle and then lifted the helmet off her head. She smoothed
out her messy helmet hair and wished she had a mirror.
With a huge grin, he pulled his helmet
off. “See? Was that so hard?”
“No, it wasn’t, because you were there
with me.” She gazed into his eyes. Her heart melted at the sight of him.
“Well,” he said, his voice deepened to
a husky tone, “I’ve got something special planned for you later.” He touched
the tip of her nose.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
He chuckled. “You’ll just have to see
once I’m done with work.”
“You’re going back to work?” She eyed
him up and down. Her heart sunk a little bit. Maybe he wouldn’t sense her
disappointment. Much.
He ran a hand through his dark hair.
“Yes. Even the boss has to get work done.”
“I’ll try not to miss you too much.”
She laughed, but it came out rough and shaky.
How had such a short relationship
become so intense for her? Her heart tugged. What if he didn’t feel the same?
Why is she looking at
me as if I just broke her heart in two?
Her lips pressed together in a
grimace. A heaviness settled in her chest and stomach. As much as she wanted to
be wrong, she couldn’t shake off the bad feelings. It crept up on her every
time she thought about how much Brandon meant to her and how it’d feel to lose
him. She’d never let anyone in until him. Not a man, at least. She always kept
her boyfriends at a safe distance, but maybe she couldn’t do that now. There
had to be a good reason behind the decision.
“I’ll miss you more.” He grinned as he
laced his fingers with hers.
They sauntered over to her house and then
he walked her inside. She stood on her tippy toes and gave him a long, slow
kiss. He moaned into her mouth as it deepened, and he pushed his tongue inside.
Their tongues twirled together as if
they were one, and heat rose to her belly, which made her want more. One touch
and kiss was never enough.
How can I let him go after I
experienced
so much with him?
Brandon proved he was everything she needed since the day
he’d first kissed her. Maybe even since the first day she’d met him.