and LSD are not a good combination, but how about the most cliché call? I actually had to get a kitten out of a tree. Honest to God! Someone actually called nine-one-one because their kitten was stuck in a tree. The thing was, it wasn’t actually a huge tree. It was just big enough to be nicely out of reach, but the branches were too thin for the firefighters. Since I was the lightest one, lucky me got to climb up.”
Lilly and Jacob listened avidly, and Parker thought of Jaden and Evie at the Pines. God, he hoped they were still alive. Jacob met his gaze suddenly and dropped his head. He stared sullenly at the remnants of his soup, and Parker wondered why the kid had a problem with him. He probably shouldn’t have cared, but found, annoyingly, that he did. Meanwhile, Adam was an island, staring into the distance and clearly not listening.
When dinner was over and the others had left in their dinghy, Parker cornered Adam in the kitchen. “What’s up with you?”
He didn’t look up from the pot he was washing. “Nothing.”
“Oh, come on. I’m playing nice with them like you wanted, and you’re being a total space cadet.”
Scrubbing, Adam shook his head. “It’s not them or you. I’m just tired.”
Parker took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm and not start yelling for answers. “Earlier, at the gas station. What did you hear?”
Adam continued scrubbing. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“Of course it matters!” He lowered his voice. “It was another wolf, wasn’t it?”
Adam finally met his gaze. He nodded.
“Okay. Were they…did they seem threatening?”
“No. I have no way of knowing for sure. But I could sense it, like…like a switch had been flipped. I felt…alive with it.”
“So why did you run?” Not that Parker was complaining; after Ramon, he wasn’t sure he wanted to meet any other werewolves. Especially if they were like that asshole and thought werewolves should stick to their own kind and procreate.
“Because that’s what I’ve always done.” Adam smiled humorlessly. “That’s what my parents drilled into us. We were so isolated, but they always said we didn’t need anyone else. We had each other. Our family. Our pack. Then I was alone, and I still ran.” His knuckles were white on the pot handle. “Today, part of me wanted to howl and run toward whoever it was out there. But I did what I’ve always done instead. And besides, I couldn’t—”
When Adam didn’t go on, Parker gently prompted, “What?”
“I couldn’t leave you there alone.” He looked up then, his eyes soft. “Wouldn’t.”
“I don’t want to hold you back.”
“You don’t. You hold me together.”
Parker wished he knew the right thing to say, but he rarely did. So he eased the pot from Adam’s grip and wrapped him in a hug. Rubbing his back, he nuzzled Adam’s neck. After a long moment, Adam shuddered and squeezed Parker tightly. It was hard to breathe, but Parker just hung on.
Adam’s voice rumbled. “I can’t stop wondering why my parents were so insistent we keep away from other wolves. If I’m drawn to them so instinctively, why is that bad? I know it didn’t go well with Ramon. But surely there are others out there? Others like me? There have to be. Don’t there?”
He sounded so small despite the iron bands of his arms around Parker. “I’m sure there are. It’s okay. We’ll… We’ll find them one day.” The thought sent fingers of fear down his spine, but for Adam, he’d deal with it.
“I shouldn’t have run. Why did I run? Why do I always run?”
“Because your parents told you to.”
“If they’d known how lonely it was. How there’s still—” He shivered and clung to Parker.
“Still what? You can tell me.”
“Most of the time it’s okay, but then it’s like a cavern, endless. It’s so much better now that I’m with you. Tina tried to get me to stop running if I sensed another wolf, but I wouldn’t. Until you, I didn’t
Lilly and Jacob listened avidly, and Parker thought of Jaden and Evie at the Pines. God, he hoped they were still alive. Jacob met his gaze suddenly and dropped his head. He stared sullenly at the remnants of his soup, and Parker wondered why the kid had a problem with him. He probably shouldn’t have cared, but found, annoyingly, that he did. Meanwhile, Adam was an island, staring into the distance and clearly not listening.
When dinner was over and the others had left in their dinghy, Parker cornered Adam in the kitchen. “What’s up with you?”
He didn’t look up from the pot he was washing. “Nothing.”
“Oh, come on. I’m playing nice with them like you wanted, and you’re being a total space cadet.”
Scrubbing, Adam shook his head. “It’s not them or you. I’m just tired.”
Parker took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm and not start yelling for answers. “Earlier, at the gas station. What did you hear?”
Adam continued scrubbing. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“Of course it matters!” He lowered his voice. “It was another wolf, wasn’t it?”
Adam finally met his gaze. He nodded.
“Okay. Were they…did they seem threatening?”
“No. I have no way of knowing for sure. But I could sense it, like…like a switch had been flipped. I felt…alive with it.”
“So why did you run?” Not that Parker was complaining; after Ramon, he wasn’t sure he wanted to meet any other werewolves. Especially if they were like that asshole and thought werewolves should stick to their own kind and procreate.
“Because that’s what I’ve always done.” Adam smiled humorlessly. “That’s what my parents drilled into us. We were so isolated, but they always said we didn’t need anyone else. We had each other. Our family. Our pack. Then I was alone, and I still ran.” His knuckles were white on the pot handle. “Today, part of me wanted to howl and run toward whoever it was out there. But I did what I’ve always done instead. And besides, I couldn’t—”
When Adam didn’t go on, Parker gently prompted, “What?”
“I couldn’t leave you there alone.” He looked up then, his eyes soft. “Wouldn’t.”
“I don’t want to hold you back.”
“You don’t. You hold me together.”
Parker wished he knew the right thing to say, but he rarely did. So he eased the pot from Adam’s grip and wrapped him in a hug. Rubbing his back, he nuzzled Adam’s neck. After a long moment, Adam shuddered and squeezed Parker tightly. It was hard to breathe, but Parker just hung on.
Adam’s voice rumbled. “I can’t stop wondering why my parents were so insistent we keep away from other wolves. If I’m drawn to them so instinctively, why is that bad? I know it didn’t go well with Ramon. But surely there are others out there? Others like me? There have to be. Don’t there?”
He sounded so small despite the iron bands of his arms around Parker. “I’m sure there are. It’s okay. We’ll… We’ll find them one day.” The thought sent fingers of fear down his spine, but for Adam, he’d deal with it.
“I shouldn’t have run. Why did I run? Why do I always run?”
“Because your parents told you to.”
“If they’d known how lonely it was. How there’s still—” He shivered and clung to Parker.
“Still what? You can tell me.”
“Most of the time it’s okay, but then it’s like a cavern, endless. It’s so much better now that I’m with you. Tina tried to get me to stop running if I sensed another wolf, but I wouldn’t. Until you, I didn’t
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