Читать книгу Lying with Wolves - Cynthia Cooke - Страница 11

Chapter 5

For hours Celia drove down the long freeway, trying to pretend she was alone. That she wasn’t going home to bury her mother. That her life hadn’t got so terribly off course. Every now and then her gaze would move to the rearview mirror and she’d catch a glimpse of Malcolm sleeping. Was he truly sorry? Maybe he had changed. He seemed to be different somehow. Not so on edge and more relaxed and comfortable with himself. Was it possible that no longer being Pack leader had freed him?

He’d always taken his responsibilities too seriously. People thought he was an egomaniac, but the truth was, he cared too much. He had grandiose ideas for the Colony and moved heaven and earth to implement them, no matter who he hurt. But now that he was no longer in charge, perhaps he could use his ambitions to contribute instead of letting them destroy his life.

She shook her head and focused back on the road. There was a rest stop a mile ahead. She would stop. Get a soda. Stretch her legs and take a break. She had to stop thinking this way. She was on a slippery slope and falling fast. He was the enemy. He’d turned his back on her and threw away their life together for a woman he’d never met. For his zealous need to be in control. The moment she started excusing what he’d done would be the second she let him back into her heart and the instant when she’d be lost. Once more, she’d be living for Malcolm and what Malcolm wanted, putting her own dreams for a family on a back burner. Losing what she wanted and who she was in her desire to make him happy. She wouldn’t fall into that trap again.

She parked the truck and walked into the bathrooms. She was stiff and sore, and they still had a long way to go. When she came back out, a car was parked next to them. Two men were circling Malcolm’s truck, peering into the windows at Malcolm sleeping in the backseat. She froze.

Abatus.

“Blazes,” she whispered under her breath. She looked around the parking lot. There was a large semitruck, the driver nowhere in sight. A station wagon filled with kids, and a couple of young girls sitting on the grass playing with a puppy. All of them oblivious of the men pulling on the truck’s door handles and knocking on the windows.

Malcolm sat up in the backseat rubbing his eyes, shock filling his face as he realized where he was and what was happening. He climbed into the front seat and got behind the wheel, fumbling for the keys in the ignition. But they weren’t there. They were in her pocket. His troubled gaze met hers through the windshield.

He was worried. He might try to hide it, but she could read it as plain as day. She walked purposefully toward the men. “Excuse me,” she said loudly, hoping to draw as much attention as she could. “Can I help you?”

Surprised, the men turned to her, gave her the once-over and then dismissed her, turning back to the truck. They tried once more to get in, pulling on the doors, pushing on the cracked windows. “Like a dog with a bone,” she called out. “Would you mind stepping away from my truck?”

After being ignored once more, she bolted forward, knowing with her bracelet they would not see her as a threat or a target. She used that to her advantage as she scooted right up to the first guy, the smallest guy, with an unkempt beard and long unruly gray hair, and kicked him hard in his oversize gut.

He doubled over with a loud grunt. Celia kicked him again, using all her force to knock him to the ground, hoping the truck blocked what she was doing to him from the eyes of the young girls on the grass. The second man came running around the front of the truck toward her. Malcolm opened the door, jumped out and joined the fight.

He took a swing at the much-bigger second man, but suddenly the first man was up and back in the game. He was strong, and even though she got in the first kick, the Abatu soon had the upper hand. Malcolm was doing his best, but soon they were both taking a beating. Celia hit the ground, landing hard on her butt, when out of nowhere Ruby was there, baseball bat in her hand and Jade right behind her.

Ruby swung the bat, hitting the Abatu hard across the shoulders, giving Celia the leverage she needed to volley a new attack. With the help of the twins, soon both men were lying on the ground, groaning.

“Are you okay?” Ruby asked, out of breath, her face flushed with her exertion.

Celia threw her arms around her cousin. She was never so thankful to see anyone in her life. “Where did you come from?” she asked, astonished that they were even there.

“From right over there,” Ruby said, and pointed to her old maroon sedan on the other side of the parking lot.

Celia laughed. “I see that, but what are you doing here?”

“We were worried about you,” Jade said, stepping forward and wiping her hands on her jeans. “And with good cause, too, from the looks of things. What are you doing way out here? And why were these men attacking you?”

Celia’s gaze slid away. “I don’t know. But I have to go home. My mom...” She couldn’t finish. Couldn’t say the awful truth. She glanced over at Malcolm, who was watching the two men on the ground, waiting for them to get back up and go at them again. “She died.”

“Oh, no! Celia, why didn’t you tell us?” Ruby enveloped her in a big hug. Her embrace and concern had Celia’s tears threatening to fall all over again.

“I don’t know,” Celia admitted. “Everything just happened so fast. I...I just can’t believe you are here.”

“Us, either,” Ruby said. “But it’s a good thing we were. What was with these thugs? Why would they attack you out the blue like that?”

“I have no idea,” Celia lied, with an uneven breath.

“Maybe we should call the police,” Jade suggested.

“No,” Ruby and Celia both said in unison.

Surprised, Celia turned to Ruby. Her eyebrows rose questioningly.

“I don’t want Mark to hear about it,” Ruby admitted on a deep breath.

“Your stalker cop?” Celia didn’t like the sound of that. “Is that guy still causing you trouble?”

Jade nodded. “He just called a little while ago. There is something seriously wrong with that man.”

“That may be true. Okay, that is true,” Ruby corrected after noticing the look Jade was giving her, “but he called to tell us that someone broke into the shop. Messed it up quite a bit. So it’s actually a good thing he called. For once. He locked it up for us. I’m sorry to dump more bad news on you, Celia.”

Celia sighed, not in the least surprised. She’d seen the Abatu enter through the back door and just hoped they hadn’t caused too much damage. “I supposed you’d better get back, then.”

“No way. We’re coming with you. Obviously you need us.” Ruby looked pointedly at the two men on the ground.

Celia glanced at the troubled look on Malcolm’s face and knew he had cause to be concerned. No matter how much she might welcome her cousins’ company right then, humans were not welcomed in the Colony. They couldn’t be. The Colony couldn’t take the chance that anyone would discover their secret, and a whole town full of wolves was a big secret to keep.

“I really appreciate that,” Celia said honestly. “But I don’t know how long I’ll be. There’s a...a lot to do. If you could just get the shop back in shape and opened for when I get back, that would be awesome.”

Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but Jade stepped forward and placed a hand on her sister’s arm. “We totally understand. You can count on us.”

Celia sagged with relief. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.”

“But what about these two?” Ruby asked. “Who are they? Why would they attack you, and why would someone break into our shop to begin with?”

“I have no idea, and I really can’t think about that now.” Celia gave them each a big hug, holding on a little tighter and a little longer than she should. “I’ve really got to get going.”

“All right, if you’re sure,” Ruby said, hesitation ringing loud in her voice.

“I’m sure. I’ll see you soon.” Celia kissed them both on the cheek, then handed Malcolm the keys. They got into the truck and Celia waved goodbye as they drove out of the parking lot and hoped with all her might that it wouldn’t be the last time she saw her cousins.

“You think they’ll go back to Sedona?” Malcolm asked, his voice sounding doubtful.

“Why wouldn’t they?” Celia said, watching them until they were out of sight.

“Because obviously they followed us here from the canyon.”

Celia felt her eyes widen as the implications of his words set in. “You think they saw us?” she asked at length.

“I think they saw something or they wouldn’t be here now.”

“Blazes!” Celia thought about her and Malcolm walking out of the canyon without a stitch on. How was she going to explain that?

“I must admit, though,” Malcolm said with a grin. “I sure am glad they were here.”

“Me, too. Truthfully, I wish they could come back with us,” she said, her chin lifting. “They’re my family. They mean a lot to me, and I hate lying to them.”

“You know that could never happen,” he said evenly.

“Why not?” she shot back, her temper flaring. “Their mother was my aunt. They have just as much right to be there as any of the rest of us. They have shifter blood in them. They could change at any time. And then what? Who would be there to protect them from the Gauliacho?”

“I understand your argument. But we can’t have humans in the Colony. If word got out... If people knew... There’d be no place for us. You know that.”

She flinched and went stony faced, then turned toward the window. She did know. And she understood. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. “They’re the only family I have left now, Malcolm.”

“Come here,” he said softly.

“What?”

He patted his shoulder. “Lean on me. You always can no matter how much you hate me. We’ve been friends forever and I’ll always be there for you. I may not be blood, but I am your family.”

Against her better judgment, she rested her head on his shoulder. And he was right, she did feel better. And no matter how much they hurt each other, they had loved each other since they were kids. They always would be family.

But sometimes even that wasn’t enough.

* * *

From his vantage point in the rest-stop parking lot, Mark watched Ruby’s cousin drive away and Ruby and Jade follow not long after. Why were they following her? And way the hell out here? He hadn’t had the chance to meet Celia, but from what he’d observed, there was something off with her from the start. He drove past the shop several times during his shifts, and the woman never seemed to leave the place. Over and over, he would see her standing at the window, staring out at the canyons. She was creepy.

The two men picked themselves up off the ground and got back into their car. Mark had to admit watching Ruby slam that guy with the baseball bat was pretty impressive. He didn’t know she had it in her. He pulled his car behind the two men’s vehicle, effectively blocking them in. He flipped open his badge and approached the driver’s side of the car. He knocked on the window with two knuckles.

“You mind telling me what all that was about?”

They didn’t answer. Didn’t move. Just stared straight ahead.

He knocked again. Harder. Finally the window came down an inch. Again, no answer.

“I asked you a question,” Mark said through gritted teeth, trying to contain his annoyance.

The driver turned to him, his black eyes suddenly clearing to a bright blue. What the hell? Mark took a quick step back. A shiver tore through him, raising the small hairs on his arms and neck.

“Can I help you, sir?” the driver asked.

“I...uh...” Mark gathered his resolve and stepped back up to the car. “I asked what in the hell was going on here?” He flashed his badge once again, then quickly stuck it back on his belt. No reason to point out he wasn’t a cop in this state and had absolutely no authority here.

“I don’t know what you mean,” the man said, looking very confused.

“You attacked those people.”

“What people?”

Mark stared at him. He hadn’t really said that. “The man and the woman in the truck. I saw you, both of you.” His eyes flickered to the man in the passenger’s seat, whose mouth was hanging open in shock. “Yes. Both of you. I should haul you both in for assault right now.”

“What people?” the man in the passenger seat echoed with disbelief thick in his voice. He glanced furtively around the parking lot, searching.

Their audacity was annoying the shit out of Mark, but the unbelievable part was that they actually seemed sincere. He talked to a lot of people, some good, some bad, some just out-and-out stupid, and his liar meter was top-notch. And these guys weren’t tripping it in the least bit.

“What about the cuts and bruises on your face and hands?” he demanded.

The driver held his hands out in front of him as if seeing them for the first time. “I don’t know, Officer. Really, I don’t. We just stopped for a bathroom break. Honest.”

Mark didn’t have time for this shit. “For both your sakes, I’d better not see either of you again.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver said.

“Yes, thank you,” his partner echoed, his relief thick in his voice.

Disgusted, Mark turned, got into his car and drove away. They were acting just like that one guy he’d managed to catch leaving Ruby’s shop the other night. Denied having been in there, denied having touched a thing.

What in the hell was going on around there?

* * *

Malcolm drove the next shift while Celia slept. In his mind, he kept running over and over what had happened at the rest stop. Together, he and Celia should have been able to take two Abatu. But they hadn’t. He was getting weaker and so was she. Other than last night, it had been too long since he’d changed. As he tried to recall the last time he’d run through the forest, he realized he couldn’t. A few sporadic changes here and there in so many months were not enough to maintain his strength. He knew that, and yet he’d let himself grow weak.

He’d been too caught up with the problems of the Pack, fighting with Scott and Jason. Working his schemes, setting traps, being a complete all-around idiot. Now he was paying the price in more ways than one. Without transforming, his body was losing power and he had started to age again, the process resuming where it had cut off the first time he’d changed as a young adult. He was becoming more human and losing the magic of the wolf. He only hoped Celia hadn’t been as foolish.

She looked like an angel as she slept, her face soft and worry-free. He used to love to watch her sleep. It had been the only time her defenses were down and her watchful all-seeing eyes weren’t upon him. She knew him so well, his passions and strengths, but now she couldn’t see past his flaws.

If only he’d married her long ago when she still loved him, when she still saw the best in him. But that chance had long since passed him by. He’d managed to destroy her trust and all that had been good between them. He remembered when they’d been teenagers. She’d stolen his breath, sapping it up with her energy and excitement. She’d had a wild streak that burned bright in her eyes and kept him chasing after her from one end of the Colony to the other. He’d tried to tire her out, to see how far she could really go. She’d not only kept up with him but pushed him even harder.

She’d been amazing. They’d made their transformation together and had been connected physically and spiritually ever since. Back then, they’d burned so hot, he was surprised they hadn’t self-combusted. But then suddenly he hadn’t been enough for her. She’d broken his heart and moved on without him.

He’d hardened after that, wrapping a shell around himself and never letting her or anyone else get that close to him again. They’d grown up. Life went on. And somehow they’d found their way back to each other. Lessons were learned and lost the hard way, but through it all they’d never stopped having that connection to each other.

Until she’d gone away to Sedona.

Not feeling her or sensing her near after all these years was something he didn’t know he’d miss. Now he understood what his heart had always known, what he’d been so certain of way back when. She was the one for him. The one he couldn’t live without. The only thing that mattered in his life.

Only once again, she wouldn’t have anything to do with him. She didn’t feel the same as he did; she didn’t mind being away from him. From all of them. In fact, she preferred it. Tension squeezed his insides. She wanted to live without him, and now that she’d walked out of his life for good, he had no one.

The thought was sobering and hard to admit, but the truth was he’d pushed her away. He’d make it up to her. He’d make it up to everyone for all his scheming, for the ridiculous plot and warring with Scott that had got Jaya killed and put the Pack in danger. He scraped a hand across his face as he realized none of it would matter if they didn’t make it back to regenerate the crystals. The fate of all the shifters rested on them, and they still had so far to go.

Celia sat up in the backseat, her hair a mess and her eyes droopy with sleep, and still she’d never looked more beautiful.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“All right, I suppose,” she said, and stretched. “Stiff.”

“You’ve been asleep for a long time.”

She looked around her. “It’s good to see all the trees.”

He grinned. “We’ve been pretty much alone on this highway for a while now, and I was thinking once the moon rose higher in the sky...”

“Yeah?” she asked, interest gleaming in her beautiful dark eyes.

“That maybe you’d like to go for a run with me.”

She looked around her, weighing his words. “You think it’s safe?”

“There is no one around. And the truth is, it’s been a long time since I’ve changed. Since I’ve run. I think that’s why the Abatu got the better of me today. We can’t take that chance again. We have to strengthen ourselves.”

She gave him a wry smile. “I could tell.”

He turned to her, his eyes locking on hers. “Yeah?”

“You’re going gray.”

“I am not.” He leaned forward and peered into the rearview mirror. But she was right. There were thin streaks of gray at his temples. How long had he been aging? How much time had he lost?

“Run with me,” he said as desperation tore at him. “Last night was the first time I’ve changed since...” Since the night Jaya died. “Since I don’t know when.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know where my head was,” he said quietly, but it wasn’t true. He knew too well.

“Hmm, I don’t know, Malcolm, but taking a guess, I’d say headstrong, unrelenting ambition got in your way. You could have been a great Pack leader.”

He smiled. That wide, charming smile that he wore like a protective shield. “Tell me what you really think, babe.”

“Harsh, I know, but you need to hear it.”

“Trust me, it’s not anything I haven’t heard before, but that doesn’t matter to me now. Being Pack leader doesn’t matter to me now.”

Her face filled with surprise. “Then what does?”

“Rebuilding my life in the Colony with you.”