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“You aren’t my keeper,” Elena protests. “You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.”

Raf lifts his eyebrows in warning. “You want to test that theory?”

A chilling silence passes between them. I’m simultaneously disgusted and impressed that Raf is threatening to use alpha command — disgusted, because it essentially strips away a person’s free will, and impressed that he’s never tried to use it on Elena before now.

Raf’s been threatening to use alpha command on his sister since she got her first boyfriend, but it was always just a threat. None of us even knows if it works on humans.

Elena’s nostrils flare with anger, and she gives Raf a look that would make any lesser man back down. But the Garcias are a stubborn bunch.

“Fine,” Elena grits out.

It takes every ounce of my self-control not to thrust my fist in the air and whoop.

Elena turns to look at me. “Can you get off early on Thursday? Carmen’s bachelorette party starts at eight, and I need to get to the hotel and make sure everything’s ready.”

I nod. “Pick you up at three.”

“Sounds good,” Elena sighs. She looks as though Raf is forcing her to eat a bowl of sand for dinner, but I’m too stoked to mind.

A whole weekend with Elena? My wolf can hardly believe our luck.

CHAPTER THREE

ELENA

Jake isa full ten minutes early when he pulls up in front of my house on Thursday. He’s in the same green Jeep Cherokee he drove when I was in high school, and I remember him pulling double shifts at the Kwik Trip to be able to afford it.

My bags are mostly packed by the front door, but I’m still rummaging through my closet in search of a swimsuit coverup.

“Él está aquí, mija,” calls Mamá from the living room.

“Shit,” I whisper, peering through my blinds. What kind of person shows up ten minutes early?

Groaning frantically, I grab my bathing suit, coverup, and a pair of flip-flops and hurry to the front door. It’s bad enough that Raf roped Jake into this. I don’t want to keep him waiting.

Iespeciallydon’t want my mother to have the chance to ask any awkward questions. She was suspicious when I told her I was taking Jake to the wedding but that the two of us weren’t dating.

Stuffing the flip-flops into the front zip pocket of my suitcase, I grab my purse and start rolling the bag around to head out the door.

“Te amo, Mamá,” I say, flinging the door open.

To my surprise, Jake isn’t waiting in the Jeep. He’s standing on my front porch.

“Juana,” he says, inclining his head at my mother.

“Ah, Jake!” Mamá wipes her hands on her apron and wraps her arms around him, beaming from ear to ear. “Que bueno verte!”

“Ha pasado demasiado tiempo.”

Mamá beams, but I roll my eyes.It’s been too long?

What has gotten into him?I wonder, staring at Jake as he hugs my mother.

First, he agreed to be my werewolf bodyguard for the entire weekend even though the two of us haven’t spoken in years. Now he comes to the door and chitchats with my mother as though we’re going on a date?

When they finally pull apart, I see Jake looking around our little house with a wistful expression. It looks exactly the same as it did when we were younger — pink walls, plants everywhere, the little St. Francis plaque hanging over the doorway.

And Jake . . . he looks the same. He’s clearly a man now, but standing just inside my living room brings me back to the last time I saw him.