NINE

BECAUSE OF ADEN’S CURFEW, Mary Ann didn’t get a chance to talk to him after school.

So, the next morning, she waited for him at the front doors but Tucker got to her first. Too afraid to let the boys interact, she asked Tucker to walk her to class. He, at least, seemed back to his normal self, solicitous and admiring. Still. She didn’t know what to do about him, maybe because her mind had too many other things to ponder. Like Aden and the wolf.

She tried to talk to Aden in each of their shared classes, but the teachers separated them, watching him closely, as if they expected him to be a bad influence. And between classes, there were too many kids in the halls to say anything of importance.

At lunch, he was nowhere to be found. Where he went, she didn’t know, but his absence was probably for the best. As always, she sat with Tucker and his crew, as well as Penny and hers. No telling how they would have reacted if she left them to be with Aden.

Sadly a week crawled by in the same manner: Tucker met her in the morning, teachers ensured she and Aden maintained their distance, and he disappeared at lunch. They never again had the chance to chat. She couldn’t help but wonder if Aden was relieved not to have to tell her any more of his secrets.

Each day after their final class, he was given another reprieve. She didn’t want to see him. Her wolf—the wolf who had promised to kill him—always waited for her. Actually, he walked her to and from school. The relief she’d felt upon first seeing him again, of knowing he was okay, still filled her every time she saw him.

For the good of everyone, she was careful to keep Aden and the wolf apart. But it was costing her bits and pieces of her sanity. She had to talk with Aden soon. How was he doing in his classes? Was he adjusting? Had he made friends? Where did he go at lunch?

What other abilities did he have?

That was the question that plagued her most.

Soon, either before or after school, she would have to shoo the wolf away so that she and Aden could have a moment of privacy. Not that she wanted to shoo him away. She was beyond curious about him. She kept expecting him to reveal his human form—today’s the day, she’d think every morning, followed by any moment now every afternoon—and tell her what was going on. But he’d maintained radio silence since that first day.

She sighed. Today the sun was high and hot, the shadows provided by the trees only slightly cooling. Any second now and her new friend would—

He jumped out at her.

—show up.

This time, she didn’t blink, didn’t stumble, too used to his presence. He kept pace beside her, his claws scraping against the occasional stone. The first few days, he’d limped. Now, his gait was smooth and easy. She’d asked him what had happened but, of course, he hadn’t answered.

It amazed her that she’d once felt threatened by him. Now, she felt safe, like nothing bad could happen to her. Like he would protect her with his life. Silly of her, she knew. But after only a week, there was nothing left of her former self. Her rigid study schedule had been upended, and for once she hadn’t worked all possible hours during the weekend. She spent every spare minute thinking about Aden and this wolf.

“I still haven’t decided what to do about Tucker,” she said, knowing the wolf wouldn’t answer but needing someone to talk to. “He’s my boyfriend and I like him, for the most part, but…I don’t know. Being with him just doesn’t feel right anymore. He’s leaving Aden and Shannon alone, at least, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.”

The wolf growled.

For Tucker’s benefit or for hers? “I wish I knew your name. I hate thinking of you as ‘the wolf.’”

Silence.

“Fine. I’ll just call you Wolfie and you can deal with it whether you like it or not.”

Silence.

“Why won’t you show me your human form? You know I want to see, so it’s just plain rude to keep it hidden from me.”

Again, silence.

“Are you someone I know? Are you hideously scarred?”

His black fur gleamed like polished ebony as he flicked her a glance. His eyes were as pale a green as ever. “Can you not switch? Are you stuck that way?”

A shake of his head. Which meant, she assumed, that he wasn’t stuck.

She grinned. “Miracle of miracles, we’re communicating! Do you see how easy it is? I ask a question and you answer it.”

He rolled his eyes.

“So why won’t you show me?”

Silence.

This was getting her nowhere. “Let’s try something else.” She maneuvered around a fallen branch. “Do you go to my school?”

A shake. Then, a nod.

She frowned. Which was it? “You can talk inside my head to answer. I don’t mind.”

A shake.

“Why not?”

Silence.

Frustrated, she tried a little reverse psychology. “Fine. Don’t tell me. I’m glad you’re not talking in my head. You probably can’t do it anymore, anyway.”

Of course I can! Silly human, he muttered.

Success, even with animals. She barely managed to hide her grin. Clearly she was going into the right field. “Then why haven’t you been?”

Another round of silence ensued.

“Mangy mutt,” she grumbled.

His lip pulled back from his teeth, but the expression appeared more amused than angry.

“Let’s try this again. Do you have plans to hurt Aden?”

Rather than ignore her as he had every other time she’d asked this, he gave her a definite, assured nod.

One thing she knew, she didn’t want a fight to erupt between the two of them. No telling who would win. Someone would be hurt, though. That much she knew. “If Aden hadn’t possessed your body, you would have ripped him to shreds. What he did after that, whatever he did—” neither one had told her “—was not done to hurt you but to protect himself. You can’t blame him for that. I’m sure you would have done the same thing.”

Again, silence.

“Aden’s a really great guy, you know.”

That earned her another growl.

They broke through the forest and the high brick wall surrounding her neighborhood came into view. “If you hurt him, I won’t be able to hang out with you anymore. Not that you probably care, but I’ve grown to like you. A little. I mean, you’re tolerable. Stubborn, but tolerable. And you know things about the world that I’ve only just discovered. I have so many questions.” Questions he could have answered already, the jerk.

Rather than circle around the wall, Mary Ann climbed the side closest to the forest. Wolf preferred this route, she’d learned that first walk home when he’d nudged her with his nose until she complied. This way, he could remain in the shadows rather than out in the open for anyone driving by to see.

“We keep this up, and I’m going to develop ginormous biceps,” she muttered when she finally reached the top. “That’s not very flattering for a girl, so don’t think I’m going to thank you.”

Wolf simply bent his back legs and jumped, a blur of motion. A second later, he was perched beside her.

Resigned, she peered down at the ground. There was a bed of flowers and two rows of mulch, both of which she’d accidentally rolled around in more than once. “Here goes.” She dropped, landing with a heavy thwack and stumbling forward.

The moment she straightened, Wolf was beside her, his gait easy.

“Not fair,” she grumbled, kicking into motion. Because they were in a populated area, people driving home from work, he remained close to the houses, part of his body hidden by bushes. Big as he was, she was surprised someone hadn’t already called the pound to come out and hunt him down. A week ago, she would have.

Mary Ann spotted her two-story house in the distance. It resembled an old train station—all the houses in this neighborhood did. The roofs rose to high points on the sides, yet had flat middles. The homes themselves were long rather than tall, with red brick and shuttered windows. She slowed her steps. All too soon, though, they reached her front yard.

This was the part of her day that she’d grown to hate: her last few minutes with Wolf before he took off for God knew where, not to be seen again until morning. Yes, his silence irritated her. And yes, he was keeping her from Aden. But neither lessened the thrill of being with him.

When she snaked around the large maple, she skidded to a stop, her eyes widening. “Tucker?”

Tucker unfolded from the porch swing and stood. He shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders a little hunched. Lines of tension branched from his mouth. “Hey, Mary Ann.”

“What are you doing here?” He should be at practice.

“I just wanted to—”

Wolf moved to her side, his large body stiff.

Tucker saw him and scrambled backward until he hit the door. “What the hell is that thing?”

“He’s my…” For a moment, her mind blanked and she couldn’t think up a single answer. Then, a somewhat rational reply slid into place. “He’s my pet.”

At least Wolf didn’t growl at her for claiming he belonged to her. His attention remained utterly focused on Tucker.

“You hate animals,” Tucker gasped out.

“What are you doing here?” she repeated. One, two, three, she pounded up the steps. Wolf followed, remaining close. Did he think to protect her, as she’d imagined earlier?

“I wanted to talk to you.” As Tucker spoke, his gaze traveled from her to the wolf, the wolf to her. “In private.”

“Okay. Talk.”

“Let’s go inside.”

“No. Here’s fine.” Last time they’d been alone inside her house, all he’d wanted to do was make out.

He cast another glance at the wolf, gulped. “All right. Well, you’ve been so distant lately, you know? And I don’t like it. I want to go back to the way we were. Where you smile at me every time you see me and answer my calls every night.”

She felt a twinge of guilt. She had been avoiding his calls.

“I think I know what this is about,” he said. “Penny, right?” The last was sneered.

Wait. What? “I don’t understand. Penny?”

Some of the scorn drained from him, and his shoulders sagged. “I knew you were too smart to believe her.”

“Believe her about what?” Seriously. She was more confused by the second.

“She told me she told you,” he said, then shook his head, as if he didn’t understand the direction of this conversation. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter, right? Me and you, that’s all that matters.”

Me and you. Her stomach twisted.

“Let’s go out tonight. Talk. Please,” he added beseechingly.

Stomach. Twisting. Again. “Look, Tucker. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings by ignoring your calls, you have to believe that, but my life is in turmoil right now. Maybe we should, I don’t know, take a break or something.” Yes, a break. How perfect. That would give her time to figure some things out.

“No. We don’t need a break.” He shook his head violently, his eyes pleading with her. “I can’t lose you.”

Her life’s goal was to solve problems, not cause them, so his sudden tortured expression made her want to apologize rather than continue. Still. She forged ahead. “Why? What can you possibly see in me? I’m not as pretty or popular as Christy Hayes, who would cut off her leg to date you. I hate football and know nothing about it. I choose to read textbooks over spending time with you.”

“Listen to me.” He approached her, arms extending to latch onto her shoulders. “None of that is important to—”

Wolf growled low in his throat.

Tucker stilled, gulped again. “You’re beautiful and smart and I just feel better when I’m with you. I don’t know how else to describe it, and I don’t know how you do it. All I know is that you make me feel normal for the first time in my life.”

Normal? Tucker hadn’t always felt normal? That surprised her, and proved just how little she’d ever actually known about him. He’d always seemed like the most put-together, confident guy she’d ever met. Well, besides Wolf, but he didn’t count.

“That’s not a reason to stay together, Tucker.” The words left her of their own accord and she shook her head. Was she breaking up with him now, rather than merely asking for some time apart?

Yes, she thought. Yes, she was. They truly weren’t meant for each other. She’d been a terrible girlfriend. Absent, distracted and less than passionate. They’d only ever kissed. Anytime he’d tried for more, she’d always stopped him. She’d thought it was because she wasn’t ready, but now, looking back, she realized she hadn’t been ready with him. He wasn’t right for her. They were too different.

Like you’ve got more in common with a wolf? She brushed that thought aside. She hadn’t been thinking about Wolf along those lines, whoever he was. Had she?

“If you don’t want to date me, at least be my friend,” he said, a desperate edge to the words. “Please. Like I said, I can’t lose you. And I swear to you now that I’m not the father of Penny’s baby. Don’t let her convince you otherwise. Promise me.”

Mary Ann laughed. “Penny’s not pregnant.” A baby was something her friend would have mentioned.

Unless…unless the father really was Mary Ann’s boyfriend.

Her stomach did that twisting thing again and her focus intensified on Tucker. He was pale, sweating. “She’s not pregnant. Is she?”

He looked away guiltily, then gave a jerky nod. “She’s slept with half the football team. Surely you know that. It could be anyone’s.”

The seriousness of his tone settled like a weight inside her. She thought back to the last time she’d spoken to Penny. It had been in front of the school, more than a week ago. Since then, she’d been too distracted. But she remembered that Penny’s eyes had been red-rimmed, as if she’d been crying. As if she’d told the father of her baby that she was pregnant and he had denied responsibility.

Before that, at the café, Penny had mentioned Tucker would cheat on Mary Ann if she didn’t sleep with him soon. That he might already be doing so. There’d been something in Penny’s eyes, an emotion Mary Ann hadn’t understood until now. Guilt.

“She’s…you…”

“I’m not the father, I swear! I’m not ready to have kids.”

His words sank in, as did acceptance. Penny really was pregnant. And Tucker had slept with her. He hadn’t said, “There’s no way I can be the father because I never touched her.” Just that he wasn’t the dad because he didn’t want to be.

Slightly light-headed, she covered her mouth with her hand. The fact that Tucker had cheated on her embarrassed her to her very soul, yes. Had everyone but her known? Had they laughed at her behind her back? But what hurt her most, what cut like a knife, what utterly destroyed her, was Penny’s betrayal. Penny, whom she loved. Penny, whom she trusted.

“How long?” she asked quietly. It couldn’t have been too long ago, because she and Tucker had only been dating a few months. “How many times were you together? When were you together?” She couldn’t stop the questions from lashing from her.

Wolf nudged her leg with his nose, and her hand automatically sought the warmth of his fur. There was comfort in the action, comfort from simply stroking him.

Tucker shifted uncomfortably. “Like I said, none of that is important.”

“Tell me! Or I swear we’ll never be friends.” They wouldn’t be anyway, but he didn’t need to know that right now.

She’d thought him pale before, but he became chalk-white, the blue lines in his forehead visible. “Just once, I swear. Not that long after we started dating. I came over but you weren’t home, so I popped over to her house to ask where you were since you weren’t answering my calls. If only you’d answered my calls…” He shook his head, pulling himself from his “regrets.” “We started talking and things just happened. It didn’t mean anything, you have to believe me, Mar.”

It hadn’t meant anything to him. Oh, well, that made everything better and negated what he and Penny had done. She wanted to shake him. What they’d done shredded her, left her raw. Of course it meant something.

“You need to go,” she croaked past the lump in her throat.

“We can work this out.” Expression once more beseeching, he moved toward her. “I know we can. You just have to—”

Wolf snarled as she shouted, “Go!”

A muscle in Tucker’s jaw clenched. For a long while, he did nothing but peer over at her. Finally, Wolf grew tired of waiting and stalked forward, sharp teeth bared.

Tucker squealed like a toddler and danced a wide circle around the animal before running for his truck. Which was parked in Penny’s driveway, she realized. Had the two spoken before he’d come here? Had they had sex, then laughed about Mary Ann’s prudishness?

Wolf nudged her leg again.

“You need to go, too,” she said softly. Yeah, she’d wanted him to stay earlier, but she didn’t think she could withstand company right now.

Her hand was shaking as she unlocked her front door. Hinges squeaked as it opened. Wolf soared past her. He’d never done that before, and any other time, she would have welcomed him.

“Wolf,” she called through clenched teeth. “Now isn’t the time for this.”

He paced through the house, sniffing the furniture. If you think you can force two hundred pounds of animal to leave, be my guest.

“Talking to me again? Lucky me.” She tossed up her hands. “Fine. Do what you want. Don’t be surprised if my dad takes out his .44 when he sees you.” A lie, but he wouldn’t know that. “And don’t pee on the rug.” The last was mean, but the last five minutes of her life had eaten away at her nice-girl filter.

She pounded up the stairs, into her bedroom, and dropped her backpack on the floor. Usually she hung it in her closet, taking pride in the neatness of her personal space. Just then, she didn’t care about her routine. Tears burning her eyes, she threw herself on the bed and rolled to her side. She clutched her pillow to her chest. The shock was wearing off, replaced by a burning sickness in her veins.

She could have called Penny, screamed, ranted, cried, but she didn’t. That wasn’t how she wanted to handle this. Actually, she didn’t know how she wanted to handle it. Except maybe to go back in time, race past Tucker so he couldn’t tell her what had happened and she could continue on, unaware and happy.

Had she truly been happy, though?

Wolf suddenly jumped onto the bed, the mattress bouncing, and snuggled up next to her, soft and oh, so warm. His breath trekked over the back of her neck. Look at me.

“Go away.”

Look at me.

“Can’t you do anything I ask you? Anything at all?”

Please.

It was the first time he’d ever asked her for something nicely.

Absently, she rolled to her back, then her other side, and petted his neck. One of her tears spilled over, and she fought the rest back. No reason to add “sobbing like a baby” to her list of embarrassments today.

I’m sorry you’re hurting, but I can’t say I’m sorry he’s out of your life. You were too good for him.

“Him, I’ll get over.” Her voice shook, the vibrations affecting her chin. The trembling then spread to her jaw.

It’s the girl, then. Penny. She’s your friend?

“Was. Was my friend. My best friend.” Oh, God. So many years of love and trust, now ruined.

Why not still? People make mistakes, Mary Ann.

That was only the second time he’d said her name. She liked the way he said it, drawing out the A’s. “I know they make mistakes. I’m studying to be a psychologist, you know. I’m highly aware that some impulses are harder to ignore than others. I’m aware that fear of consequences causes us to guard our secrets. But it’s our actions when faced with temptation that define who we are. It’s our courage in admitting what we’ve done wrong that makes us forgivable. She slept with my boyfriend, and then pretended it never happened.”

And you’re perfect? You’ve never made the wrong decision? Never tried to hide your actions from your father?

She stiffened against him. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. But I have never lied to Penny or taken something from her.”

Wolf snorted. And what did she take? A piece of trash, that’s what. You should thank her, and then pity her, because she’s the one who’s now stuck with him.

“That doesn’t make it right.”

I know. You have been hurt and your sense of betrayal is warranted. But was the boy truly yours to begin with? The entire time I’ve watched you, you kept him at a distance. You were happier away from him.

Maybe he was right, but that didn’t lessen the pain of what had been done. “Penny should have told me.”

Did you give her the chance to confess? Not once have I seen you seek her out. And when she approached you, you dismissed her, other things on your mind.

Mary Ann slammed her fist against the mattress. “You are so irritating! You sound just like my dad and I—”

I am not your dad, he growled, planting his front paws on her shoulders and shoving her to her back. Those green eyes glared down at her.

She didn’t push him off; she didn’t want to. His shoulders were so wide he enveloped her, almost like a curtain that shielded her from all the world’s hurt. Dangerous as he clearly was, such a sensation amazed her.

“How do I know?” she threw at him. “You won’t show yourself. You could be anyone.”

There was a heavy pause. I can’t show you. He sounded as tortured as Aden had looked while making his confession that day in the forest. Were I to shift now, I would be naked.

“Oh.” Wolf, naked in human form. She’d never wanted to see Tucker that way, but Wolf…Would he be tall and muscled? Lean? Handsome?

Did it matter? What would she do with a naked boy in her bed? A naked boy who fascinated her? A naked boy who had helped ease her torment over what had happened, she realized, the ache now only a dull throb in her chest. Time to change the subject or he just might satisfy your curiosity.

“Why haven’t you spoken to me like this all week?”

The more I talk to you, the more I want to do so. And I think about you enough as it is.

“Oh,” she said again, a thrill of excitement blazing through her. Wolf actually thought about her. Yes, but what were his thoughts? she wondered, excitement draining.

“Mary Ann,” her dad suddenly called. The front door shut with a click that reverberated through the house. “I’m home.”

A gasp of surprise left her. What was he doing home so early?

“Mary Ann?”

“Uh, hi, Dad,” she called, cringing at the way her voice trembled. Much as he hated animals, he would probably call the pound at the first sight of Wolf.

“Hide,” she whispered, squirming out from under him. Frantic, she jolted upright. The mattress bounced her to her feet. She raced out of her bedroom to the staircase banister, where she peered down. Her dad had his head buried in a stack of mail.

“Why aren’t you at work?” Great. Now she sounded breathless.

“My last patient of the day called and canceled. I was thinking we could go out for dinner.”

“No! No,” she repeated more calmly. “I’m, uh, studying.” Please just retire to your office. Oh, please, please, please.

His gaze lifted, latched onto her, and he frowned. “You study too much, honey, and I don’t want you looking back on these teenage years, wishing you’d had more excitement. We’ve talked about this. So go get dressed in something fancy and we’ll go to the city.” He tossed the envelopes on the cherrywood wall table beside him and headed for the stairs. “I’ll shower and we can be out the door and stuffing our faces within the hour. Maybe we can even catch a movie.”

Of all the days to want to spend with her. She couldn’t get out of it, not without hurting his feelings. “Okay, sure.” No, no, no! “Yeah, that’ll be fun.”

His frown intensified and he paused, hand resting on the rail. “Are you all right? You seem jumpy.”

“I’m fine. Just eager to go get ready.” Without another word, she rushed back into her bedroom and shut the door, pressing against it and trying to breathe. “You have to—”

Wolf was nowhere to be seen.

“Wolf?”

No response.

Frowning herself, she raced through the room, searching for him. He wasn’t in the closet or the bathroom and was too big to be under the bed. The window was open—it had been shut before—the drapes wisping in the breeze. She hurried to it and peered out. And there he was, sitting in her lawn and staring up at her.

He nodded briefly when he saw her, then turned and headed back toward the woods.