Authors: Crystal Red
Chapter Nine
Brandon stirred the spaghetti and then
fried the hamburger in a pan on the stove. He usually didn’t cook much, but for
Kelsey, he would. She’d put a smile on his face earlier that morning, and the
fact he could do the same for her warmed his heart. It wasn’t just about sex
with her. Oh no. She left him with a sense he could trust her, and she’d accept
his flaws. She didn’t see him as a monster, and that thought alone made him
feel safe with her.
Kelsey strutted into the kitchen
wearing his black bathrobe, sniffing the air. “Smells good. What are you
making?”
“Spaghetti with garlic bread.” His mouth
watered to kiss her again.
She nibbled his neck, and he growled
low in his throat. “Good thing you’re not a vampire,” she teased.
He waved the white spatula toward her.
“Yeah, but you’re acting like one.”
“Sex does this to a person.” She
blushed, batting her eyelashes at him.
The front door creaked open and then
slammed. Chad stomped into the kitchen and then threw his car keys onto the
table. He stopped and gaped at them.
“Dude, what?” Brandon stared at him as
he grimaced.
“I had a shitty day. Can’t you tell? I
had to deal with grouchy customers and too many projects at once, because you
weren’t there to help me.” Chad pounded a fist onto the kitchen table. The
noise caused it to vibrate off the walls. “I see you’ve been playing house with
your new girlfriend.”
“Jesus, man. You need to relax. I had
to make sure Kelsey stayed safe. A werewolf tried to kill her.”
Kelsey squirmed, staring at the floor.
“Maybe I should go. I don’t want to cause any problems between you guys.”
“Don’t mind Chad, he just needs to get
laid.”
Her eyes crinkled when she laughed.
“I see you have no trouble in that
department.” Chad eyed the two of them up and down with a tight frown.
Brandon stopped stirring the meat and
stared at Chad.
What’s really going on with my
friend?
“You want
to talk about it?”
Chad’s glare was hot enough to start a
fire. “Hell, no. It’s not as if I’d fit in yours and your girlfriend’s perfect
little world.”
Brandon glowered at his friend. “I was
only trying to help keep her safe. You don’t have to be such a dick about it.”
Chad snorted. “So, having sex all day
was supposed to help, huh?”
“It’s none of your damn business what
we do. Take a walk. You need to calm the fuck down.” Brandon turned his
attention back to the stove.
“She’d better be worth it,” Chad
muttered, marching out of the kitchen.
“I think I should go.”
Brandon whipped around to face her.
“No. Sit down.” He pointed to the chair. “Dinner is almost done. You’re the
only woman who has gotten me to cook so you’re going to enjoy it.”
Kelsey sank onto the chair. “Oh,
really?”
“Yes.” He turned the burner off and then
drained the grease into an empty can in the sink. He placed the pan onto the
stove again and mixed the spaghetti sauce with the meat.
“I’ve got an idea about what we could
have for dessert.” He grinned, mischievously.
She shook her head. “You’re such a
guy.”
“Yeah, last time I checked I was. I
think you noticed too.” He smiled, then winked.
She rubbed her grumbling belly. “Can
we eat now? I thought the food was done.”
“Anxious, aren’t you?” He laughed,
dishing up the pasta and then the sauce on top. As he handed her a plate, he
grinned. “I bet you can’t wait for dessert.”
Her eyes darkened as she squinted. She
gripped her fork in her fist.
His jaw tightened at her dark expression.
“Hey.” He reached for her hand. “Did I say the wrong thing?”
She sighed. “I don’t want you to think
I’m easy.” Her face softened. “I want to be more than a friend with benefits.
I’ve never been that kind of girl.”
He squeezed her arm. “You’ll never be
just a number to me. I want you to be my girlfriend.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled.
He placed a soft kiss on her neck. She
trembled at his touch.
“Aren’t we going to eat?”
“Yes. I wanted to make sure you were
okay first.” He moved his lips to her cheek, kissing her softly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
He took a seat next to her and then scooped
a forkful of pasta into his mouth. The tangy and rich taste tingled on his
tongue. Other things filled him with hunger too. Like the beautiful woman who’d
agreed to be his girlfriend. How did he get so lucky?
They ate in silence, but his thoughts
were far away, which made him wonder if she was reading them at that very
moment. He looked at Kelsey.
She looked up from her plate of food.
“What? Do I have something on my face?”
He shook his head. “I’m just wondering
how I got so lucky to find you.”
“That’s sweet.” A blush spread across
her face.
“I have to say,” he leaned back
against the chair, pushing his empty plate aside, “I haven’t heard this before.”
“Maybe that’s because you’ve never had
a girlfriend like me before,” she murmured.
Damn, her voice lingered and sounded
so sweet. She was silky and smooth like honey. All Brandon wanted to do was
kiss Kelsey and show her how much he desired her.
“Well,” she set aside her empty plate,
“I’m full. Guess it’s time for me to head home. I bet its safe now, but to be
sure maybe you can walk me there?” She stood.
Brandon rose to his feet. “I have a
better idea.”
Kelsey crossed her arms. “Why do I get
the feeling this is headed toward the bedroom?”
“The kitchen table would work too. I
like to change it up every once in a while.” He looked her over with a slow,
seductive stare.
Her face flushed crimson. “I had a
boyfriend who liked to have sex in the closet, and when I was sixteen I lost my
virginity in the backseat of a limo. Other than that I’ve never done it on
anything but a bed.”
He stared at her in astonishment. “A
closet? That’s just weird.” He covered his mouth to hold back his laughter.
“He was bisexual.” Her gaze fell to
the floor.
“That would explain a lot. He didn’t want
to come out of the closet.”
“So funny.” She rolled her eyes.
“Not.”
His eyebrow perked up. “So he never
asked you to have another guy join you in there?”
She covered her hands over her ears. “I’m
not talking about this anymore.”
“Hey.” He slipped his hands around her
waist, holding her tight against him. “I’m just teasing you. You know that,
right? Whatever happened in your past, is just that, the past. We don’t have to
talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
She turned to face Brandon, giving him
a long and intense kiss. It was so hot she took control and pushed him up
against the countertop. She danced her fingertips against his abs, and he moaned
at how much it tickled.
A loud slam of the door caused them to
jerk away from each other. Brandon turned toward Chad, who approached with a
scowl on his face
“Really? You’re at it again? I hope
you have a twenty-four-pack of condoms,” Chad complained. He kicked his tennis
shoes off, letting them land in the corner. His bare feet slapped against the
tiled floor.
“Come on, Brandon. I’m going home.”
Kelsey took him by the hand, leading him out the front door.
“Yeah, go screw each other at her
house not here,” Chad called.
As soon as the cool spring air hit his
face, his wolf senses tingled. He covered his mouth. Bile threatened to rise
from his throat. He coughed. The scent of blood. The evil werewolves had
returned. He could tell this wouldn’t be the end. It’d be only a matter of time
before they came back again to kill him and Kelsey. And maybe Chad and Beth
too.
“Go into the house now,” Brandon
commanded.
Kelsey scurried into the house, looking
back at him with wide eyes.
“What the hell is going on now?” Beth
busted out of the house, her arms tight across her chest. “You kept her all day?
What the hell are you up to?”
Brandon narrowed his eyes at Beth.
“I’m trying to keep Kelsey safe. The killer could still be out there.”
“Beth! Get in here now.” Kelsey’s
voice quivered as she spoke.
“Not until I know what the hell is
going on,” Beth shot back.
Out of the corner of his eye, Brandon
spotted a large brown werewolf that snarled and bared its teeth. The beast
charged full speed, staring at Beth with its bright red eyes.
“What the hell…” Beth’s breath grew
raspy, and the color drained from her face.
“Get inside now!” Brandon pointed to
the door.
Beth whipped the door open and slammed
it closed the moment the beast jumped onto the porch. The lock clicked into
place, but he could still see her peeking out the window.
Chad raced over beside Brandon and
gazed at the large beast. The werewolf howled. Its eyes glowed with anger. Chad
kicked the thing in its backside, making it stumble. That was until the
werewolf turned to Chad and growled. Drool dripped from its long, sharp teeth.
“Get the hell out of here!” Chad
punched the thing in the back of its head.
The beast growled and then whimpered
as Brandon grabbed its neck and snapped it in half. Instantly, the thing turned
into a pile of ashes that blew away as soon as the wind picked up.
“Told you they were evil,” Brandon
said, brushing the ashes off his hands.
“I never doubt you, bro.” Chad bumped
his fist with Brandon’s.
Beth peaked her head out. “Is it safe
to come out now?”
Brandon made eye contact with Beth.
“Not yet.”
Chad exchanged a long look with
Brandon. He then looked around. Maybe, but to be sure they should wait a little
while. Who knew with werewolves? They were unpredictable. At least the evil
ones were.
Kelsey ran up beside Beth and pointed
behind Brandon. Her mouth opened wide in horror. Beth’s expression matched
Kelsey’s. Another werewolf leaped onto the porch, pinning Chad down. His friend
gasped for air, trying to get his hands around the creature’s neck.
Brandon climbed onto the thing’s back
and reached for its neck. Instead the beast threw all of its weight onto him,
and he fell backward over the railing down onto the grass. He shut his eyes and
everything turned black. Faint screams filled his ears and then nothing.
Chapter Ten
With her heart in her throat, Kelsey
rushed over to Brandon. Not more than a few seconds ago, a werewolf knocked him
down. Lucky for him, the soft grass had saved him from what could have been a
harder blow if it were concrete.
She knelt and nudged his shoulder.
“Brandon?”
No response. Not even a flutter of an
eye. She gasped as Chad raced to her side and checked the back of Brandon’s
head for bumps or bleeding. Where did the other werewolf go? How did Chad
escape from its hold? Too many questions whirled around in her mind. She had no
idea how to answer them.
“He doesn’t have any wounds,” Chad
said as he leaned back, his voice tight.
Her gut tensed, and a stabbing pain
formed. She groaned. Brandon had done the same for her when she’d fainted. The
terrifying situation tore at her insides. What if he never woke up? She didn’t
want to find out. He needed help now.
She looked around for any sign of the
werewolf. Relief washed over her for a second, then her foggy brain cleared.
Brandon still didn’t react. Not good.
Beth ran up to them, her complexion
still pale. “Is he okay?”
Kelsey swallowed hard. Her heart
shattered as she thought the worst. Brandon might not wake up again. No. She
couldn’t do this. She had to stay calm. Both Beth and Chad worried enough.
“I don’t know,” she managed to whisper
past the lump in her throat.
“Come on.” Beth waved at Kelsey and
Chad. “We have to get him to a hospital.”
Chad helped Beth carry Brandon to the
backseat of his car. Beth stayed in the front while Kelsey sat in back with
Brandon on her lap. Chad’s tires screeched as he floored the gas pedal and sped
to the hospital. He ran two red lights in his haste. The three of them rushed
Brandon into the ER. All they could do was wait.
Chad paced the burgundy carpet. “What
if he doesn’t make it? This will be all my fault. I should have helped him.”
Kelsey’s breathing quickened. Chad’s
pacing grated on her twisted nerves. Instead, she found herself wanting to do
the same as she squirmed on the seat of the chair. All the bright lights made
her squint, and a throbbing pain pulsed in her head. What if Brandon remained
in the dark, never to see the light of day again? The thought made her head
ache more. He should have morphed into his wolf form. Maybe then they wouldn’t
be in this situation.
“Chad, please stop.” She rubbed her
sore temples.
His eyes heated like daggers and could
have shot flames through her. “Do you think I want to do this now? He’s my best
friend. I’ve been there from day one. You’ve known him for what? Five seconds?”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t care about
him!” What right did Chad have to judge her? Brandon was her boyfriend. Of
course she didn’t want to see him in this condition. He didn’t deserve it.
Beth’s eyes widened into saucers.
“This whole situation is…” She shook her head, tears forming.
Kelsey squeezed her friend’s thigh. “I
know it’s hard to believe, but I’m here for you.”
“You didn’t tell her, did you?” Chad’s
eyes heated again.
Beth gaped at the two of them. “Tell
me what? What the hell is going on?”
Kelsey opened her mouth to attempt an
explanation, but snapped it shut when Chad held a hand up.
“Brandon is a werewolf. A good one.
Not like the wolf that tried to attack the two of you.”
Beth jumped out of the chair. “What?”
Her hands shook. She lifted one to her chest. “Are you kidding me? I don’t know
how much more of this shit I can take. I’m out of here.”
The second Beth ran toward the ER
exit, Kelsey shot out of her chair. She grabbed Beth by the arm and clutched on
to it. “We can talk about this later at home, but right now I need your
support. Brandon is my boyfriend, and I don’t want to lose him.”
“But,” Beth whispered, “what if he
tries to hurt one of us?”
“He won’t. I promise.” She had to
reassure her friend, because if she didn’t, who would? Even though in the back
of her mind, Kelsey’s fears were the same as Beth’s.
Beth stared at the carpet. “Okay. I’ll
stay for you, but I’m not sure I like Chad right now too much either.”
Kelsey took Beth by the hand and led
her back to the patient waiting area and then sat across from Chad.
Chad’s eyebrows rose. “You okay,
Beth?”
“Yeah.” Beth crossed her arms. “As
long as you don’t try to attack me.”
“Why would I do that?” Chad cocked his
head to meet her gaze.
Beth thinks I’m a
werewolf like Brandon?
Beth’s lips tightened. “Because you’re
one of them, aren’t you?”
“Nope.” Chad straightened in the
chair. “I’m normal. I didn’t get bit like Brandon did at sixteen.”
“Bit? What do you mean?” Beth blinked.
Kelsey narrowed her eyes at Chad. “We’re
not talking about this now.”
“All right, Ms. Bossy Pants.” Chad
held up his hands.
Her pulse slammed as soon as the ER
doctor came out to talk. What if the doctor told them bad news?
Die inside.
I feel so close to Brandon in such a short time. Could this be true love?
She pushed the bad thoughts out of her
mind. Now wasn’t the time to worry. She had to think positive thoughts so her
friends wouldn’t freak like she wanted to.
The tall, gray-haired doctor cleared
his throat and glanced at his electronic clipboard. “Your friend is going to be
fine. He’s awake now. It’s a good thing he landed in the grass. He just blacked
out for a little bit.”
Kelsey’s heart finally slowed down.
“Can we see him now?”
“Yeah. He’s been asking for his
fiancé. Are you Kelsey?” The doctor looked at her.
She flinched at the word fiancé. Too
soon. How did Brandon really feel about her? She couldn’t think about the
questions rolling around in her mind right now. Seeing him was all that
mattered.
“Yes. That’s me.” Kelsey felt herself
flush as she jumped from her chair and went to rush toward the patient room.
She turned to Beth and Chad. “Are you guys coming or not?”
“No, go ahead. We’ll see him when he’s
ready to go.” Chad waved her away.
Beth nodded as she sat with her arms
crossed and gave her a small smile.
As Kelsey walked to Brandon’s patient
room, her heart fluttered as he greeted her with a huge smile. Tears formed in
her eyes.
“Hey.” His face softened. “Don’t cry,
beautiful. I’m okay.”
She’s so sweet for
worrying about me like this.
She sat on the chair next to his bed.
“I can’t help it. I care about you.” She shivered when he wiped her wet eyes
with a tissue.
“Ditto, babe. I never thought I’d ever
be able to trust anyone with my secret.” He exhaled. “With you, it’s so easy.”
“I wish this never happened to you.
Beth was about to freak out, because Chad told her you’re a werewolf.” Her head
throbbed. “I don’t know what to say to her.”
He took her hand, brought it up his
lips and gave it a light kiss. “Some people don’t want to believe in the
abnormal, but the truth is there are a lot of things in life you can’t explain.
I guess werewolves are just one of those things too.”
“I want her to like you as much I do.”
He chuckled. “I’m not really into red
heads, but okay if you say so. I won’t object.”
“That’s not what I meant, you brat!”
She slapped him on the arm.
“Come here, my feisty little woman.”
He pulled her close and let her lay on his shoulder. “I was just joking.”
His chest heaved in and out as he
breathed. If this feeling never ended, she’d die a happy woman. Brandon really
could be that perfect guy to fit into her life.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,”
she murmured.
He pushed a strand of hair back behind
her ear. “You know I can’t promise that. As long as you’re with me, my life is
always going to be dangerous. It’s part of who I am.”
“So, why did you say we’re engaged if
that’s not what you want?”
His hand crept up her shirt, and she
shuddered. “I didn’t think the doctor would let me see you otherwise.”
“Yes, he would have,” Kelsey insisted.
Brandon slowly found the cup of her
bra with his fingers and slipped them under one side. He dragged them across
her pebbled nipple. “Maybe I do want that someday. Did you ever think about
that?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. He
really wanted to do this in a hospital bed? The thought of it made her skin crawl.
She cringed, pulling away.
“Ow!” He cried out as she elbowed his
face.
She hopped off the bed to face Brandon
and hugged him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I don’t think this
is a good idea right now.”
“You could have just said no. That
would have been a hell of a lot easier.” He rubbed the spot where she’d nailed him
in the face.
Her heart squeezed hard. She leaned in
and kissed the tip of his nose. “I’ll make it up to you when you’re home. I
promise. When do you get to leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. Tell Chad to pick
me up, and you can come with him.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then. Have a
goodnight.” She blew him a kiss.
“Hey.” He tugged her by the back of
her shirt. “That’s not a real one.”
She gasped as she clutched on to her
ass cheeks and made her melt with a slow, demanding and long kiss. Once he released
Kelsey, her knees buckled.
“Thanks. I needed that,” she breathed.
“Me too.” He grinned.
* * * *
The next morning, as Kelsey had promised,
she had Chad drive her to the hospital to pick up Brandon. His nurse pushed him
in a wheelchair in case he felt too dizzy to walk.
She and Chad helped him into the
backseat of his car. She stared out the window the whole ride home, and she
kept her hands folded in her lap. She and Beth hadn’t really talked like she’d
wanted to last night. Instead her friend had marched off into the bathroom and
took a really long bubble bath. She only knew this, because when she went to
take a shower, the tub was still full of bubble suds. Why hadn’t Beth wanted an
explanation? Maybe her friend refused to believe the truth. Sometimes Kelsey
got that same feeling, as if some things were too good to be true, especially
her relationship with Brandon.
Once they finally made it to Chad and
Brandon’s place, she hurried out of the car to help Chad get Brandon out of the
backseat.
Brandon growled, pushing Chad away. “I
want to walk on my own.”
Kelsey stepped back, her heart racing.
“I’ll be at my place if you need me.”
“Kelsey.”
She didn’t turn around. Instead she
kept her head down and ran into her house, closing the door quickly behind her.
“Hello, Kelsey.”
Kelsey lifted her head to meet
Victoria’s gaze. Where the hell was Beth, and why was Brandon’s ex in her
house? Again.
She crossed her arms tightly over her
chest. “How did you get in my house, Victoria?” She eyed her up and down.
Victoria wore the same long, black dress with matching high heels. Jeez, maybe
she really was a witch.
“The door was unlocked. Sorry. I
knocked, but no one answered.” Victoria hung her head as if she were a child
who’d gotten into trouble.
Yeah, her ass it was. “I really doubt
that. I never leave my house unlocked.”
Victoria stepped back with a twisted
smile on her face. “I guess you forgot this time.” She sighed. “Maybe because
you’re so busy with my ex.”
“What’s your point?” Kelsey tapped her
foot. It thumped hard against the gray carpet.
“Well,” Victoria touched up her lip
gloss, “he never wanted to settle down with me. So the same might be true about
you. I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”
She snorted. “Maybe you’re the one he
didn’t like.”
Victoria’s blue eyes flashed with
anger. “Look, you little bitch,” she pointed a sharp fingernail into Kelsey’s
chest, “I don’t stop until I get what I want. If you get in my way, you’ll be
sorry.”
Kelsey ground her teeth. “Don’t touch
me or come into my house ever again. You got that?” She slapped Victoria’s
finger away. “You have no right to butt into my business.”
“Oh, please.” Victoria snorted.
“You’re dating my ex, but I suppose you could do worse.”
Kelsey clenched her hands at her
sides. She’d take a swing at the dumb bitch if she had to. Even if she’d never
been in a fight before. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Victoria reapplied more
lip gloss, “the sex can only stay good for so long until it goes sour.”
Her jawline jerked up and down. How
dare Victoria butt into her love life! It wasn’t as if she knew who Kelsey was
or anything. The crazy bitch was obsessed with her looks, even more than
Kelsey’s mother. This woman was out of her mind.