Her stomach rumbled.
“I’ll get us another sandwich,” the boy said.
She nodded and straightened from him. I backed away from the door and hid in the shadows as he passed me. When he was halfway across the yard, I stepped inside and went to stand behind Isabelle. The boy had just said he loved her, but she hadn’t said anything in return. Not knowing was eating at me.
“Do you love the boy?” I asked.
She jumped a little and turned to glare at me.
“I wish you’d stop calling him a boy. His name is Ethan. He’s twenty-four—old enough to own the bar you trashed. And yes, I love him. He’s my family.”
Family. Not lover. Not boyfriend. I looked out over the fields, wondering if the boy knew how she thought of him. Isabelle had been nothing but honest and straightforward in her speech and actions since we’d found her. I was willing to bet he did know how she felt, but it didn’t matter to him.
When she stopped glaring at me and went back to watching the setting sun, I sat beside her, taking the boy’s spot. I hoped she understood the subtle message.
“How often do you need to purge?” I asked, studying her profile. The orange glow made her hair shine a deeper red and brought out the freckles on her face even more.
“It depends on who I’m around,” she said after a moment. “The group inside is broadcasting emotions so loudly I can feel it from here. I’ll need another round with Ethan before we leave, or if we stay the night.”
“Not Ethan,” I said. “His shoulder needs more time. I’ll do it.”
She glanced at me, and I saw it again. Her interest in me.
“Why?”
I arched a brow like she had at me.
“Why are you so willing to help me?” she clarified.
“I like watching you move,” I said.
Her mouth dropped open for a tempting moment. In the yard, a door closed and steps crunched on the gravel, and I knew our time was up. With one last look at her pink cheeks, I stood.
Ethan was almost to the double doors. I started toward him.
“Hey, Carlos,” he said.
“Ethan.”
I walked back to the house, unable to keep watching them together. What I’d seen had been torture enough. It only eased my mind a little that she thought of him as family.
Inside, Bethi and Sam were still debating whether or not to wake up Gabby.
We should patrol, I sent Grey.
We considered it but believe the risk of the scent trails we leave behind outweighs the benefit of keeping watch.
For the next thirty minutes, the Elders discussed options while the tension in the room rose, mostly because of Bethi, who was fighting another dream. Things didn’t get better after Luke convinced her to go to the back bedroom with him, though.
It wasn’t long afterward that the door opened, and Isabelle and Ethan walked in. She stopped just inside the door and looked around.
“Who the hell is worrying so much?”
“Gabby still hasn’t woken up. We’re trying to decide if we should move on without the guidance or continue to wait,” Winifred said.
“I’ve seen people sleep twelve hours after that kind of hit,” Isabelle said.
“My dad slept, what? Eighteen?” Ethan said.
Sam’s concern spiked, and I could see Isabelle flinch.
She unwillingly absorbs emotions to the point she bleeds. Please remind the others, I sent Grey.
“Okay, just hold tight for a minute,” Isabelle said before marching down the hall. The boy quickly followed. I would have too, but Grey put a hand on my arm.
“It would be better for everyone if you stayed here.”
I wanted to disagree, but Isabelle was already up the stairs and talking to Clay.
“What do you think’s safer?” she said. “Sitting here and waiting, or finding out if the bad guys are getting closer? I already told you what they meant to do to us.”
“You’re not touching Gabby,” Clay said.
I tensed.
“You’re right,” she agreed, easily. “I won’t need to because you’ll do it. You’ll be gentler. Here’s the thing. When she wakes up, she’ll still be high and loopy. She won’t act like herself. But don’t let her go back to sleep. The effect will wear off faster once she’s awake and moving around. You have ten seconds before I start pulling from you. I can’t aim, so it’ll just hurt her more.”
Then she started counting down. At six, he growled at her. A soft growl escaped me in return and Grey’s hand tightened on my arm. A crack rang through the house after Isabelle said four.
“It’s okay,” Grey said softly a moment before Isabelle started talking loudly.
“Gabby, check your sonar.” A pause. “Check your sonar.”
“Is Clay safe?” Gabby’s words were faint and slurred.
“You’re sitting on him. He’ll be safer if you can tell us if there are any bad guys around.” Another pause. “Focus, Gabby,” Isabelle said loudly. “Check your sonar.”
“They’re netting again. None are close.”
“Keep her awake, Clay,” Isabelle said. Then her steps pounded down the stairs. Grey released me before they reached the kitchen. Isabelle stopped just inside the room with Ethan a step behind her.
“Gabby says they’re not close. I’m not sure you’ll get specifics out of her for a while. Clay needs to try to keep her awake so she becomes more lucid. Since it sounds like we’re in the clear, would anyone be willing to loan me a set of car keys and a map so I can grab some things to replace what I lost?”
I glanced at the Elders.
“It’s safer to stick together,” Winifred said. “You’re welcome to borrow what you need from us.”
“Yeah, unless you have some more stretchy clothes hidden somewhere, it’s not going to work.”
The Elders looked at each other, and I knew they were communicating.
“I’m sorry, Isabelle,” Winifred said. “It’s just not safe.”
“Well, I’m asking to borrow a car, not for permission to leave. You’re just deciding if I drive or go on foot.”
Sam’s and Winifred’s scents both deepened with anger.
“Let’s go check out the barn,” Emmitt said to Michelle.
“We’ll come, too,” Thomas said, guiding Charlene to the door. Jim followed them, leaving just the six of us.
She does need more clothes. I’ll take her. You know I won’t let her run. Better to show we can cooperate than to risk her anger.
Grey sighed.
“How do we know you’ll come back?” he asked.
“Told you,” Ethan whispered.
“I guess you don’t,” she said, answering Grey. “But, I’m telling you my plan is to get clothes and come back. It’s a clearer plan than you’ve given me.” She started repeating Bethi’s words in a mocking tone. “We need your help to make the next Judgement. It should make your powers disappear.” Isabelle stopped and moved her head a little as if she was trying to stretch an ache from her neck. “Look, I’m putting a lot of trust in complete strangers. Why is it weird for me to ask you to do the same?”
She was right, and I hoped the Elders would see that.
Have the boy stay if you’re really worried. She won’t leave him, I sent Grey.
The Elders shared a glance again.
“You do know I could just knock you all on your butts and take the keys, right? I’m being nice and asking,” she said.
Ethan snorted, and she gave him a dirty look.
I told you. Ally, not enemy.
“We’re concerned for your safety as well as our own. Take Carlos with you and leave Ethan. If you run into trouble, Carlos can protect you. And, if you should need to use your ability, you won’t need to worry about hurting Ethan,” Winifred said.
Isabelle glanced at the boy, who shrugged and handed over his wallet.
“Just remember what I said,” he added.
I studied the pair, wondering what he meant by that.
“Be here when I get back,” she said, taking the wallet.
“I’m not the one leaving,” he said with a grin.
She looked at the Elders then me.
“Let’s go, big guy.”
Enjoy your alone time, Grey sent me. But keep checking in.
I will.
I took a set of keys out of my pocket and opened the door for her. She gave me a measuring look then stepped outside. I didn’t miss the way she shivered on the way to the car. She needed warmer clothes.
I stepped forward and opened the passenger door for her again. It earned me another odd look before she got in. As I walked around the car, she turned in her seat to watch me. My heart started to beat faster at the attention.
Behind the wheel, I took a moment to adjust the seat, straighten the mirror, then check her. She hadn’t buckled yet.
“Are you a robot?” she asked. Her comment to Ethan about holding in emotions rang in my head.
“Buckle up.”
“Yep. Robot.”
She buckled in and continued to study me as we pulled from the driveway.
“So, the old folks were pretty quick to send you with me. Why’s that?”
“For your protection.”
She made a noncommittal sound.
“Are they hoping we hook up?”
My fingers twitched on the steering wheel. I knew what hooking up meant to humans. Sex. I didn’t want to just hook up with her. I wanted far more than a mating. I wanted a lifetime.
“Why did that upset you?” she asked.
“It didn’t.”
“Are they hoping I’m going to hook up with some other werewolf?”
The thought of her with someone else almost gutted me, and the steering wheel crackled under my hold.
“That upset you,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I was smart enough to know she wouldn’t understand why, even if I tried to explain it to her. She needed time to learn me, like I was learning her.
She continued to study me in silence, even going so far as to lean forward to look at me better. My heart went back to its faster beat.
“Do you own any gym shorts?” she asked. “T-shirts?”
Her question surprised me because I knew why she was asking. She was thinking of what I’d said. Of sparring with only me.
“No,” I said, looking at her when I answered.
“I think we need to fix that if you’re going to spar with me,” she said, proving my suspicions right. “I don’t want to mess with what you’ve got going on there.” She waved a hand at my clothes.
I studied her amused expression for a moment before focusing on the road again. My size intimidated people. Not her. Would it when she saw more of me?
“What do you do for fun, Carlos?” she said.
“I read.”
“What do you read?”
“Fiction, mostly.”
“Why is it all the other girls are with one of you guys?” she asked, changing her line of questioning.
“They’re lucky, I guess.”
She didn’t seem to like that answer because she turned to the window and remained silent until we reached a town with a clothing store.
Watching her shop was educational. True to what Ethan had said and what I’d guessed, she didn’t even glance at jeans but went straight to exercise clothes. She seems to select styles and colors at random. Once she had several pair of exercise pants, sport tops, sports bras and new underwear, she went to the sporting goods and found some gloves and other things to make sparring easier on her. And everything she picked up, she put into my arms.
I could smell her amusement every time she looked at me. I didn’t mind carrying her things, though. She headed toward the men’s department and picked out some clothes for me, too. I tried not to think about who the medium clothes were for; instead focusing on the extra-large ones.