“Don’t ever do that again,” Simon said. “Don’t make me think I’ve lost you.”
Emma reached for Simon’s hand hanging by his side.
“Simon I…” Emma said.
“So how is my little woman?” Gabriel shouted from the other doorway.
Simon flinched and the scar at the corner of his lip twisted as he grimaced. Pul ing away from Emma, he stormed past Gabriel, who was holding an enormous bouquet of flowers, and out the door.
The room reeked of lavender and honey and I knew it had nothing to do with Gabriel’s bouquet. One of the ancestor spirits, a former pack member, was reacting to Simon’s strong emotions. It was something that I thought was important, but I couldn’t figure it out right now. Emma needed my help.
“Do you like them?” Gabriel asked. “Of course you do.
They’re flowers and you’re a girl.” He walked over and set them on the table beside Emma’s bed. “I wil give you flowers every day when you are my mate.” I thought Emma’s head was going to explode. She turned bright red, then purple, with anger and her eyes took on a steely glint. I knew that look and wondered if I should run for cover. No, Emma just woke up out of a coma. She might be tough, but she stil may need my help.
“Mate?” Emma asked. Her voice was low as she nearly choked on the word.
“Mate, wife, mistress…cal it what you like,” Gabriel said smugly.
Gabriel was a spoiled brat who obviously was used to getting what he wanted. Flashing money and gifts around must have worked with girls back where he came from, but it wouldn’t work here. Not with Emma.
“What I would like is for you to leave and never mention this again,” Emma said.
Gabriel looked confused and offended. He puffed his chest out and grabbed the flowers.
“Wel , I wil just give these to a woman who can appreciate what I have to offer,” Gabriel said.
He looked around the room and his eyes settled on Emma’s mother who was just starting to wake up.
“Don’t even think about it,” Emma seethed. “That. Is.
My. Mother.”
With one last snotty look, Gabriel and his flowers left the room. I walked closer to Emma’s bed, but had no idea what to say.
“Who was that strange boy?” Emma’s mother asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Flower deliver guy,” I said, shrugging. “Wrong room.” Emma snorted and let out a snarky sarcastic laugh.
“Oh yeah, definitely the wrong room,” Emma said.
Gabriel had definitely gone after the wrong girl. Emma was one of the strongest, most sure of herself, girls I’d ever known and wasn’t the type to put up with a bossy-pants boy like Gabriel. A certain roguish werewolf was starting to look more like her type, but I wasn’t going to bring that topic up.
No freaking way.
Chapter 13
A few hours, and a gazil ion forms to fil out, later, we were al released from the hospital. Emma’s mom was given instructions to make sure that Emma got lots of rest and to bring her back to the emergency room if there were any problems. I received a clean bil of health and since I hadn’t been able to share my secret about seeing glowy dead people, they had no reason to make me stay.
Cal texted Simon, but he never returned to the hospital. I had kind of expected Simon to come see us off
—it had been a big deal being injured, but apparently he was stil perturbed over his run-in with Gabriel. The Brat could get under anyone’s skin, but I was a little surprised that Simon seemed so upset. Of course, I stil didn’t know the details of his relationship with Emma.
If there even was
a relationship.
I was probably just overtired and imagining things.
The sun was coming up over Wakefield as Cal drove me home. I cal ed my mom and dad to let them know that I was fine, just tired, and that Emma was awake and going home with her mother. My parents were relieved, and sent their love, but decided to put in a ful day each of work. A little part of me felt hurt by that, but I tried not to let it get me down.
So the rents have to work? Get over yourself.
At least they had cal ed school to say I was taking a sick day.
Cal slid on a pair of dark sunglasses against the glare as we drove toward the rising sun. He looked like a total rock star. Okay, maybe having the day alone with Cal wasn’t such a bad thing.
Yum.
We parked out front and Cal helped me inside. I winced as I tried to take the first step up the staircase to my room and Cal moved beside me smoothly to give me leverage. He always seemed to know where I needed him most. We were like two fish moving together, inseparable no matter how strong the waters…or the monsters lurking in their depths.
I shuddered at the image that popped into my mind, Jared Zempter and Jay Freeman with jagged rows of shark teeth, and lurched forward. I was determined to make it up the stairs to my room—where I felt safe. My right knee screamed in protest and I started to fal , shifting my weight ful y onto Cal. It was a good thing that Cal had werewolf strength—I probably would have sent us both tumbling down the stairs with that ungraceful move.
“Um, thanks,” I said breathlessly.
It wasn’t just the almost fal that made me catch my breath. Cal was looking down at me with open, heart-stopping adoration. He was never one to hide his feelings for me, at least not since we started dating, but the open way he wore his emotions now that we were final y alone…
it made me tingle al over.
Cal tore his eyes away and we continued up the stairs, but he never left my side. When we reached my bedroom, Cal pul ed back the covers and helped me sit on the edge of my bed. He started unbuckling my boots and, just for a moment, I felt uncomfortable. We were al alone.
In my
bedroom.
My heart started fluttering like bat wings in a windstorm as I wiped my sweaty hands on my skirt. What was wrong with me? I had been alone with Cal in this very room more times than I could count. Why did everything suddenly feel so intense?
I threw my arms around Cal’s neck, for once surprising him, and started kissing him like he was oxygen and I was drowning. He pushed me back against the pil ows and a voice inside me was screaming yes,
oh hells yes
, but Cal pul ed away from my kiss.
Cal shook his head, the unspoken
no
hanging between us, and I suddenly felt very smal and foolish. Was I too slobbery? Had I done something wrong? Did I have icky pretzel breath?
I should have brushed my teeth first…
“Yuki,” Cal said. He reached out to tip my chin up toward him, but I turned away. “Please look at me.” I wanted to bury my burning face under my pil ow and keep going until I was buried deep in the cool earth beneath the house. How could I face Cal when he just rejected me. I wasn’t Miss Popular in school, but I never thought I’d be turned down by Cal. He loved me.
Didn’t
he?
“This isn’t a good idea,” Cal said, running his hands through his shaggy hair. “Don’t look hurt. Please. This isn’t easy for me either.”
Oh. God. Was he breaking up with me?
No, no, no!
Hot, wet, total y unattractive tears started rol ing down my face and onto my pil ow.
“I’m sorry,” Cal said. “Cal me old-fashioned, but I’m not ready. Not like this. You are too important to me.” I was important to him? Now I was total y confused.
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“You almost died last night,” Cal said.
“But I didn’t,” I said, sniffling.
“I know, and for that I wil always be thankful,” Cal said.
He reached out and brushed the tears from my cheek. “But now we’re both alive, very, very alive, and I think we’re both feeling that. I don’t want to rush things because of fear.” Wow. Cal was right. I had been so afraid lately. He had felt so warm and alive, but I didn’t want to make decisions based on fear. That just wouldn’t be right.
“Okay,” I said, smiling. “Wil you stay? I promise not to throw myself at you again.”
“I’l stay,” Cal said, returning my smile.
I fel asleep in his arms.
*****
I drifted into a wonderful dream. Cal and I were on the porch of our home in a beautiful forest. No creepy skeletal trees or curses here. The sun was shining through the bright green canopy and al around us the werewolf pack danced and played. Many were running happily in wolf form, chasing butterflies or each other. Everyone was so happy. I felt proud to be standing there with Cal, the leader of the pack.
The dream started out so perfect. Too bad it didn’t stay that way.
Clouds raced across the sun and a storm pushed in from the south, bringing with it a warm rain. I looked down at my hands and realized that it wasn’t rain that washed over my skin, but blood. The grass and mossy ground was fil ing with rivers that ran red with it. Spinning around, I realized that everyone had disappeared. Something had gone very, very wrong.
Somehow I knew that this was my fault. My actions had led us to this moment. I tried to wipe my shaking hands, but the blood would not come off. My hands were stained red with the blood of my friends.
Three figures approached, gliding up the path. They were shrouded in mist and shadow, but their hands extended beyond the miasma to grope and grasp. Their claw-like hands opened and closed compulsively like the mouth of a dying fish out of water.
“Give it to us,” three voices said in unison. “Thief.
Taker. It belongs to us.”
“Whatever you want,” I said. “You can have it. Please don’t hurt my friends.”
“Too late,” the voices cackled. “Too late for them. Give us the amulet or it wil be too late for you.” Their hands flashed out, closer now, razor-sharp nails inches from my face.
“Give it back!” they screeched.
I gasped and thrust the amulet toward the darkness.
“Take it!” I screamed.
“No offense, love, but I real y don’t want it,” a voice said.
I opened my eyes and blushed. I was tangled in my sheets and holding a wet dung beetle plushie up in Simon’s face. In fact, I think it was covered in drool—my drool.
How
embarrassing.
“What the heck are you doing here?” I asked. “In my bedroom?”
“Looking for Calvin,” Simon said quirking an eyebrow.
“He wouldn’t be under there, would he?”
Cal coughed dryly from the doorway and looked irritated.
“I cal ed you over an hour ago,” Cal said.
“I was busy,” Simon said. “I’m here now.” Cal let out a low growl.
“Yes, you are
here
in my girlfriend’s bedroom,” Cal said. “Not real y the orders I gave you.”
“You said to come straight here,” Simon said, spreading his hands innocently across his chest. “If you didn’t want me appearing in Yuki’s boudoir, then you should have been more specific.”
Cal and Simon stared each other down. Simon was the first to look away. Being alpha had its perks, and putting Simon in his place was evidently one of them.
Go
Cal.
“Can you guys, um, leave the room?” I asked. “I need to shower and change.”
“Do you need any help?” Simon asked. The corner of his mouth lifted in a leering grin. “I don’t mind.”
Ugh.
Simon was back to his normal annoying self.
“Out,” I said pointing at the door. “Now.” Cal made sure that Simon continued down the stairs and didn’t pause to lurk in the hal .
“We’l be down in the kitchen,” Cal said.
“Thanks,” I said.
I grabbed clean clothes and headed into the bathroom wondering belatedly why Cal had summoned Simon here in the first place.
I guess I better wash up quick so I can go
find out.
*****
Cal wanted to take action and I wasn’t about to argue.
After my nightmare, I was eager to return Nera’s amulet to the Salem witches. To do that, I needed to help guide more spirits into the light. Starting with Dylan’s ghost seemed like a good idea. Returning to the scene of Dylan’s death to look for clues, with the help of Cal and Simon, also made sense.
I wanted to get to the bottom of the mysterious accidents on Witchtrot Road for Emma’s sake as wel . The cloaked figure in the woods the night of the toad storm wasn’t a ghost. There had been no smel impression—
nothing at al . Which raised the question; what were they doing there? Witchtrot Road was in the middle of nowhere. Why would a person be lurking in the woods on such an isolated road? Did they have something to do with the toads that came raining down on Emma’s car?
“If I find the person responsible, I am going to hurt them,” Simon said, clenching his fists. “Badly.” I knew how he felt, I was angry too, but violence didn’t seem like the best option. There had been too much blood spil ed on that road already. Of course Cal, whose heroes included Ghandi and the Dalai Lama, agreed with me.
“No,” Cal said. “This trip is for gathering clues only.
We’l decide what to do after we have more information.” Simon tensed and the tendons in his neck were pushing hard against his skin.
“They hurt Emma,” Simon said. “Whoever is out there could have kil ed Emma…Yuki too.”
So nice to know I’m just an afterthought.
Thanks a lot
Simon.
“We don’t know that,” Cal said. “It could have been a freak accident.”
“I was involved, after al ,” I said, attempting to make a joke. “Get it.
Freak
accident.” Cal groaned and smiled at me, but continued on.
“Frogs and toads have been said to rain from the sky al over the world,” Cal said. “It happens.”
“I always thought it was aliens,” I said. “You know, sucking up frogs from some pond or something to experiment on and then, bam, they drop them off wherever they happen to be flying.”
“That is disturbing,” Simon said.
“There is also the possibility of weather systems, like tornadoes, being responsible,” Cal said.
“I like my theory,” I said.
“I do hope you’re wrong,” Simon said, shaking his head. “But the fact remains that this may have been the result of foul play.”
“If it turns out that someone is responsible, don’t worry, they’l pay,” I said.