act, there really is no telling what he is.
Some say he’s a god of sorts—others say he’s one of the original shifters.”
“And where do you think the truth
lies?”
“Probably somewhere in the
middle. I’ve found that there’s usually some truth, even in lies.”
Claire stood and moved next to
Cole, grabbing his hands in hers. “You should just stay here, Cole. I don’t
want you in this.” When he shifted his gaze to Lana, his mother quickly amended
her statement and said, “And Lana, too. You both should stay here.”
“It won’t work,” Lana said. “If
it’s true, I don’t think it’ll matter where we are.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It—he—knows where I live. Knows
where my mother lived. If he can find me at those places, even if he wasn’t
some…god/shifter, he’s seen me with Cole. If he can’t find me at my home or
yours, this would be the next logical place to look, wouldn’t it be?”
Cole nodded solemnly. “It would
be.” He squeezed his mother’s hand, cast a glance at his father. “We can’t stay
here. She’s right. If we’re in danger, then we’ll handle it—if you’re right,
then we’re the only ones who can.” He turned to Lana now, the beautiful woman
he’d known only a couple of days, the woman he intended to marry. “We’ll stay
at my house.”
“William, do something. Say
something,” Claire insisted.
“He’s in this now, love. Whether
we want him to be or not.” He walked over, laid a hand on Claire’s shoulder and
Cole’s. “As your father, I want you safe. As a man, I understand the need to
protect what’s yours.” He eyed Lana. “I wish there was more I could do to assist,
something that might help you.”
“You’ve told us more than we
expected to find out.” He let go of his mother’s hand and walked to Lana,
taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’re in this together,
and that’s how we’ll finish it.”
Lana smiled up at him, but it was
forced. Her eyes weren’t shining quite as bright as normal. “Together then,”
she vowed and gripped his hand tight.
Claire cleared her throat.
“There’s good breakfast here and we’re not going to waste it. Dig in.”
Cole nodded and sat down at the
table next to Lana. He took a bite of his eggs and watched as Lana picked at
her food.
No one spoke while they ate. The
silence was stale, thick.
Everyone sat with their backs
rigid as they ate their meal. The silence around the table was palpable.
Nothing else could be done for now.
§§§
Lana sighed as they climbed back
into his SUV. “We know more than we knew this morning, but somehow, I’m not quite
comforted with the facts.”
Cole turned to her and nodded,
understanding exactly what she meant. “I know. For the rest of the day, I say
we don’t think about it. What do you want to do? Something fun.”
Lana smiled as he started the
engine. “My birthday’s tomorrow, you know.”
“It is? Why didn’t you tell me
before?”
“It didn’t really cross my mind
until now.” And it hadn’t. With the events of the past few days…nothing else
got through.
He leaned over, his mouth next to
her ear. “Why don’t we celebrate tonight by spending the rest of the evening in
bed?” He nipped at her ear. “I think there are a few things I can give you
early.”
Heat bloomed between Lana’s legs.
“Promises, promises,” she said, grinning.
§§§
The Evil One watched as they
climbed into the vehicle. He considered going after the occupants of the house,
but refrained. They were of no importance.
It was amusing, he had to admit,
the way mortals talked of celebrating their paltry existences. Twenty years,
thirty years, even a hundred years was nothing to commemorate by his standards.
He had taken care of the woman’s
mother two months before—once he had been positive she knew nothing. A search
of her house had proved that. The daughter’s ignorance toward him proved
Some say he’s a god of sorts—others say he’s one of the original shifters.”
“And where do you think the truth
lies?”
“Probably somewhere in the
middle. I’ve found that there’s usually some truth, even in lies.”
Claire stood and moved next to
Cole, grabbing his hands in hers. “You should just stay here, Cole. I don’t
want you in this.” When he shifted his gaze to Lana, his mother quickly amended
her statement and said, “And Lana, too. You both should stay here.”
“It won’t work,” Lana said. “If
it’s true, I don’t think it’ll matter where we are.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It—he—knows where I live. Knows
where my mother lived. If he can find me at those places, even if he wasn’t
some…god/shifter, he’s seen me with Cole. If he can’t find me at my home or
yours, this would be the next logical place to look, wouldn’t it be?”
Cole nodded solemnly. “It would
be.” He squeezed his mother’s hand, cast a glance at his father. “We can’t stay
here. She’s right. If we’re in danger, then we’ll handle it—if you’re right,
then we’re the only ones who can.” He turned to Lana now, the beautiful woman
he’d known only a couple of days, the woman he intended to marry. “We’ll stay
at my house.”
“William, do something. Say
something,” Claire insisted.
“He’s in this now, love. Whether
we want him to be or not.” He walked over, laid a hand on Claire’s shoulder and
Cole’s. “As your father, I want you safe. As a man, I understand the need to
protect what’s yours.” He eyed Lana. “I wish there was more I could do to assist,
something that might help you.”
“You’ve told us more than we
expected to find out.” He let go of his mother’s hand and walked to Lana,
taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’re in this together,
and that’s how we’ll finish it.”
Lana smiled up at him, but it was
forced. Her eyes weren’t shining quite as bright as normal. “Together then,”
she vowed and gripped his hand tight.
Claire cleared her throat.
“There’s good breakfast here and we’re not going to waste it. Dig in.”
Cole nodded and sat down at the
table next to Lana. He took a bite of his eggs and watched as Lana picked at
her food.
No one spoke while they ate. The
silence was stale, thick.
Everyone sat with their backs
rigid as they ate their meal. The silence around the table was palpable.
Nothing else could be done for now.
§§§
Lana sighed as they climbed back
into his SUV. “We know more than we knew this morning, but somehow, I’m not quite
comforted with the facts.”
Cole turned to her and nodded,
understanding exactly what she meant. “I know. For the rest of the day, I say
we don’t think about it. What do you want to do? Something fun.”
Lana smiled as he started the
engine. “My birthday’s tomorrow, you know.”
“It is? Why didn’t you tell me
before?”
“It didn’t really cross my mind
until now.” And it hadn’t. With the events of the past few days…nothing else
got through.
He leaned over, his mouth next to
her ear. “Why don’t we celebrate tonight by spending the rest of the evening in
bed?” He nipped at her ear. “I think there are a few things I can give you
early.”
Heat bloomed between Lana’s legs.
“Promises, promises,” she said, grinning.
§§§
The Evil One watched as they
climbed into the vehicle. He considered going after the occupants of the house,
but refrained. They were of no importance.
It was amusing, he had to admit,
the way mortals talked of celebrating their paltry existences. Twenty years,
thirty years, even a hundred years was nothing to commemorate by his standards.
He had taken care of the woman’s
mother two months before—once he had been positive she knew nothing. A search
of her house had proved that. The daughter’s ignorance toward him proved
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