The Wolf Siren

When she came out, dressed and ready, he’d taken a seat in the chair by the door. “I’ve already loaded the car and turned in the key.”

Though she wondered at the impersonal tone to his voice, she simply nodded.

As usual, they got breakfast on the road. She waited until they’d both finished eating their egg sandwiches, turning the questions she wanted to ask around and around in her mind. For the past two days, she’d been wanting to ask, but hadn’t summoned the energy or the nerve. Finally, with her usual lack of finesse, she just blurted out the first one. “Where are we going?”

Kane’s smile told her he approved of her curiosity. “Leaning Tree, New York. It’s upstate, in the Catskill mountains. My entire family lives there.”

“Your family?” She hadn’t anticipated having to meet anyone else. Somehow she’d thought Kane was taking her to some sort of remote safe house where she’d live alone with him until it was safe to return home.

“Yep. Both my parents, two brothers and a sister, along with their respective spouses and a bunch of nieces and nephews.” He said this so cheerfully she could tell he expected her to greet this news with enthusiasm.

Damned if she didn’t hate to let him down. But she had no choice—she could barely master her own emotions yet, never mind try to summon up fake ones.

“Are we...” Licking her lips nervously, she tried to sound upbeat. “Are we going to be living with them?” Which would be close to a nightmare as far as she was concerned.

“Sort of.” Then, apparently noticing her crestfallen expression, he reached over and lightly squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll still have your privacy.”

Though she didn’t see how, she didn’t pursue the questions any further. In fact, she wished she’d never asked. Now that she knew, her anxiety had rocketed sky-high.

She couldn’t imagine what Kane’s family, his no-doubt nice, normal family, would make of her, so clearly damaged and one short step away from crazy.

“Are you sure you want to impose on them?” she hesitantly asked. “Maybe we should find alternative lodging.”

He laughed. “They’d never forgive me if I did that. I haven’t been home in three years or more. Work got crazy and somehow I never made it. I owe them a nice long visit.”

Crud. Settling back in her seat, she swallowed the huge lump in her throat and tried again to concentrate on her breathing.

“Hey.” His voice softened. “My father owns a motel. It’s actually more of an old-fashioned motor court. There are separate cabins. I’ve asked to use the most remote one. It’s on the other side of a meadow and small lake. I promise, you won’t be crowded in with anyone.”

She nodded, wishing she could quiet the roiling turmoil inside her. Squaring her shoulders, she tried to reach inside her, to that dark, violent and often empty space, hoping she might find strength. Once or twice, she actually had, but that was years ago. Lucas and Blythe had talked often about their inner wolves, but Lilly was pretty sure hers had gone mad a long time ago. One thing she knew for sure, she could no longer touch her inner beast. Her father had believed this meant she’d conquered the demon he claimed lived inside her.

She knew better. The demon waited, crazed and hungry, ready to devour her the instant she gave it a chance.

“I’ve never seen anything like your aura,” he said. “Just now it went from black to gray, then swirls of purple started exploding, like fireworks. It’s unreal.”

Yet one more thing different about her. Sometimes she couldn’t help but believe Jacob Gideon had been right. She wasn’t normal, nor would she ever be. A few times she had actually considered the possibility she might be better off dead.

“My aura?” Again she said the first thing that came to mind. “I can’t see it, though Lucas told me it was...special. Can everyone see their own?”

From his crestfallen expression, he seemed to realize he’d hurt her. “I meant no offense. I’m sorry.”

Lifting her shoulder in a casual shrug cost her more than he’d ever know. “None taken.” She swallowed, steeling herself to meet his gaze. “Please, I’d really like to know. Can you see your own aura?”

“No.” He held her gaze for a second, and then turned his attention back to the road. “We can only see each others’. Oh, every now and then, if I’m walking by a mirror, I might catch a glimpse of the light surrounding me, but when I look full-on, it’s gone.”

Frustrated, she nodded. “That’s what I thought.” Once again, she glanced his way. “Yours looks a lot like Lucas’s. I figured mine looked more like Blythe’s. I’m guessing it doesn’t.”

A shadow crossed his face. Though she hadn’t exactly asked a question, she’d been hoping for confirmation. Blythe’s aura was gorgeous, bright and golden, exactly like her. In the short time Lilly had gotten to know her, she’d come to see the woman her twin brother loved with all his heart was beautiful both inside and out.

From the way everyone reacted to Lilly’s aura, she guessed now her own must be dark and twisted, full of holes and ugly mashes of color, like the ones inside her head.

Just like that, her faintly hopeful mood evaporated, and a crushing sense of doom settled down on her. Since these feelings frequently descended on her for no rhyme or reason, she knew there was no way to dissipate the blackness of her mood. She had to ride it out.

Turning her head away from Kane, she closed her eyes and waited for him to turn up the radio. When he didn’t, she reached out and did it herself.

* * *

Kane saw the first billboard when they were still thirty miles out from Leaning Tree. “Wolf Hollow Motor Court Resort, only thirty miles to paradise!” the sign proclaimed, along with a picture of a wild wolf howling at a full moon. Years ago, Kane’s father had decided to adopt an advertising strategy of using six billboards, five miles apart. Since the slogans never changed, Kane could recite all six of them from memory, even though he hadn’t been home in three years.

Lilly stirred in her seat, opening her eyes and leaning forward. “Do you feel that?” she asked, her low voice thrumming with emotion.

Kane went absolutely still, using both his human senses and his wolf. “No,” he finally said, regretful. “What was it?”

She settled back in her seat, shaking her head. “A feeling...intuition...I don’t know. Never mind. It was probably just my imagination.”

But he could tell it hadn’t been, not to her. Absurdly, he felt as if he’d let her down. “You’ve been asleep awhile. We’re almost there.”

Now she looked at him full-on, her blue eyes clear and wide-awake. “We made it here without any trouble.”

“Yes.” Entranced, he wondered if it was possible to drown in her gaze.

“No one followed us or tried to intercept us. I think it’s possible my brother was worried for nothing.”

Glad of the distraction, he dragged his gaze away from hers and flashed a grim smile. “No. All this means is we got away without them realizing it. Once they know you’re gone, they’ll be searching all over for you.”

Her vivid gaze didn’t waver. “Do you think they’ll find me?”

“Not yet.” At the stark fear flashing across her features, he almost swore, though at the last minute he bit back the words. “Bad choice of words. I don’t think they’ll find us. Not here.”

“That’s not what you said.” Cocking her head, she made a face, evidently downplaying her own fear. “But you think eventually they’ll track us down?”

He bit back a curse at his own carelessness. “It’s possible. Look, anything can happen. You know that. But it won’t be for a while, I promise. It’ll give us time to prepare.”

“Prepare how?”

Another billboard flashed into view. This time the wolf faced north, the direction they were heading.

Kane ignored it. “Lilly, in the time you spend with me, I’m going to teach you how to be strong, how to defend yourself. By the time we’re done in Leaning Tree, you should be prepared to take on any comer.”

Chapter 4

He’d surprised her, Kane realized. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, though no sound came out. He’d wondered how she’d react. Now, he was about to find out. What she said next stunned him.

“Good.” Her lush lips twisted in a semblance of a smile. “I don’t ever want to be a victim again. I’d like that. Very much.”

They were approaching another sign. “Look,” he urged, pointing. “My father’s idea of a brilliant marketing plan.”

She read out loud as they drove past. “Wolf Hollow? Is he—” she waved her hand vaguely “—like us?”