Jade Rivers
My mom was the one waiting for me when I got home. Before I had left the Crimson Pack’s property I had made sure to change into my clothes again and speak to Tracey. She had met one of the wolves from the Bruiser Pack after he had gotten bored with one of the other girls. So somehow, it had turned into a double date, which I didn’t mind but I didn’t know how Carden would feel about it.
“How was Tracey last night?” my mom asked from the kitchen as the front door closed behind me.
“She was good, just a little drunk and needed a ride home.” Which was a complete lie because werewolves couldn’t get drunk unless there was wolfsbane in the alcohol. I had come to discover this as I was changing back into my clothes before I left pack lands. Tracey tucked a flask of it in my center console and grinned. Apparently, this was also expensive and if Rafe found out I had it, we would both be in big trouble. Which only made me want it more. Anything to get under his skin and bother him as much as he did me.
“I’m glad that you have a friend and can be a good friend to her,” Mom said with her back to me as she pulled something from the oven. From the smell of it, I knew it was roasted tofu. My stomach lurked. My mom’s roasted tofu was the best, but my wolf didn’t like the smell of it at all. I would have to fake it for her benefit or she would know something was wrong with me.
“What does that mean?” I leaned onto the island and went to pick at the top of the tofu. She swatted my hand away just like she always did. I smiled. I was going to have to really fake this good.
“You have always been so worried about the escape that you never got close to anyone.”
I blinked at her. She had never tried to get deep with me and she had never really spoken with me on my friendships before. Why was she calling me out on this now?
“Escape?” I took a bottle of water out of the fridge and tried to ignore the icy pain in my chest from her words.
“I didn’t ever think you were depressed but maybe, we should have gotten you evaluated before.” Dark circles surrounded my mother’s eyes.
“I’m not depressed,”I’m lonely.But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her in that way. I was lonely because I wanted to be alone but I also didn’t. I had never tried to get close to anyone because I had never seen it done before. I had no example of how to be a friend. So for one night a week, I escaped to the parties to make myself feel whole. To make myself feel like I wasn’t so lonely.
I thought of Tracey then and I wondered if I would still feel so alone if I hadn’t been turned. Would she still be close with me? Or would she have eventually left too? For once since Rafe had turned me, I didn’t feel like I needed to party, but tonight I wanted to. For once I didn’t feel so alone and hollow. I felt like I belonged to something besides a party and school.
“Then what is going on?” She sighed. “You have thrown yourself into school work lately, so maybe it isn’t as bad or maybe that’s worse.”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. She was a worrier. A worrier for no reason sometimes and this time, I could see that it was weighing heavily on her shoulders. She took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I think I’m just trying to figure out who I am.”
Mom let out a shuddering breath before we released each other and she went back to the stove to prepare something to go with her tofu. “We really like Tracey and hope she stays around.”
I pressed my lips together into a smile and sighed. I hoped so too.
* * *
I toned my usually risqué look down for the night, knowing that my father would have a heart attack if I came down the stairs in my usual party wear. It was starting to get a tad cooler outside and even though I could no longer feel it like I could before, I had to pretend for the sake of my parents. How could I break the news that I had been turned into a werewolf? I still wasn’t certain that it had happened to me yet. I probably had a slight case of denial. I would imagine it would go away as soon as I saw my wolf for the first time. And who knew when that would happen? I wasn’t about to hold my breath.
Dark wash jeans and athinblacksweater. My Converse squeaked as I rushed down the stairs. He told me he would come to the door to get me but I knew as soon as my parents saw the tattoos and the piercing… I was a goner. He was waiting in his blacked-out car at the road. My dad was back in his recliner with his laptop on the side table. My mom was finishing up their dinner when I grabbed my purse and keys.
“Wait, where are you headed?” Mom called from the kitchen. “Roasted tofu is your favorite!”
I grimaced. “I didn’t know you were making it tonight or I possibly wouldn’t have accepted a date.”
My dad sat up in his chair and put his reading glasses on top of his computer. “A date?”
“A date?” My mom repeated from the kitchen.
I took a deep breath. “Yep and I’ll be late if we continue this conversation!”
Before my dad could get up from his chair and my mom could turn the corner, I was out of the door and rushing down the driveway at a much faster pace than I was used to. Just as I got near Carden’s Mustang, he rushed from his side of the car in werewolf speed to open my door for me. My heart stopped.
“If you won’t let me come to your door, then you will at least let me open this one for you.” His voice was like caramel on my insides.
All I could manage was a quick nod. I slipped into his car and found myself surprised. It wasn’t junked out like all the one night stand’s cars had been. It was clean and shiny.
“You didn’t have to go through all the trouble of cleaning just for me,” I joked.
Carden got behind the wheel and leveled me with his steely gaze. “If you paid as much as I did for this car, you would keep it clean too.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Touché.”
