Page 15

Stumbling back towards the RV, I feel shaky and numb at the same time, like I’ve just survived an explosion.

I’m still alive, but I’ve lost everything I ever knew—and it might be a good thing.

“Are you okay, Clara?” Galen asks, putting a hand against my lower back.

I murmur a small response, not really able to answer the question.

He guides me down the cemetery path, back through the iron gates and out to the street where we parked the RV. I’m shaking even worse by the time I get there, as if I’m trying to reenter the world of the living after spending a night on the far shores of the river Styx.

“Clara, you’re scaring me. Please tell me you’re okay.” Galen’s voice is soft and gentle, but with urgency behind it.

I clumsily reach for his hand and give it a squeeze. “I’m okay. I mean, I’m not really, but I just need a minute.”

He nods as I let go of his hand and lean on the side of the RV. After a few deep breaths, my hands stop trembling, and the tightness slowly eases out of my chest.

Remember why you’re here. The one thing you still have in this world after all this mess.

Nico.

“Galen, where’s your phone?” I ask suddenly. “I need to talk to Nico.”

“Of course,” he says, handing it to me. His green eyes are dark, much darker than usual, and I can see the anxiety on his face.

He really is worried about me. I’m scared to trust him, but maybe everything he told me is true… and he never stopped loving me.

I push that thought away and quickly tap out Winnie’s number. She answers right away, and her voice is high and bouncy, a sharp contrast to my mood.

“Hey, Galen!” she says.

“Actually, it’s me,” I reply. “How’s Nico?”

“He’s great! Here, kiddo, do you want to talk to your mom?”

I hear Nico eagerly say yes and a faint crackle as the phone changes hands.

“Mom!”

“Hi, little man,” I reply with a smile, relief rushing through my chest. “How have you been?”

“Great! I helped Winnie in the kitchen to make biscuits, then Jerry took me out to play ball in the gardens. Grandma showed me some really boring old books, and now Winnie and I are playing ping pong in the games room.”

“That’s great, honey. You’re feeling okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” he answers, his tone getting serious. “I haven’t felt anything strange or tried to shift. We’ll call you guys right away if anything happens.”

“You’re a good boy, Nico,” I say softly. It breaks my heart that he’s this mature and self-aware enough to understand the situation and have to monitor himself, but it makes me proud as well.

“Thanks, Mom,” he says, then laughs a little. “When I’m not causing mass destruction of property, I’m an angel, right?”

Galen and I both laugh. “It’s not your fault, kiddo, and we’re going to help you. I promise,” I say a bit forcefully.

“I believe you,” Nico says.

I grip the phone a bit tighter as I hear the tone of his voice, so full of trust and love.

He’s really growing up. This move has changed him, and we’ve been so lucky that nothing happened when we were out in the world. We’re protected here.

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be home tomorrow, probably in the afternoon,” I say. “Are you okay there?”

“I’m fine,” he answers. “Winnie’s not. I’ve kicked her ass like three times.”

“How dare you!” Winnie yells, roaring with laughter. “I’ve been letting you win.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Nico laughs. “I heard that apparently, the only reason you have a perfect score is because Jerry always lets you win.”

“Ahh!” Winnie yells. “You swine! How dare you spread such rumors about me!”

We hear a brief wrestle, and Winnie comes back on the line. I can hear Nico laughing in the background.

“You don’t need to worry about your child,” Winnie says. “But I may be suing for damages when this is over.”

“I’ll see you well-compensated,” Galen laughs.

“You’d better. Get on with it, then, you two. I expect full explanations when you get back.”

“Can do,” Galen says. “Good night, Winnie, and thank you.”

“Gratitude is cheap, brother. I want actual compensation.”

“We’ll talk about that,” he sighs, rolling his eyes. “Goodnight, Winnie.”

Just as we hang up, I hear Nico inquiring about the “compensation” and Winnie’s triumphant laughter.

“Oh no,” Galen mutters. “He’s going to demand presents and favors now, isn’t he?”

I shrug. “It was your idea to expose him to your sister.”

Galen sighs. “You’re right. I take the full blame for this.”

The words hang in the air for a moment, and I don’t know how to respond.

He has taken the blame… for everything.

“We should find a safe spot to park for the night,” Galen says. “Even though it looks pretty quiet here, I’m not keen on staying next to the cemetery.”

“Me either,” I agree. “Let’s head into town. I could definitely go for something to eat.”

“Me too,” Galen says as we jump into the RV.

The town is much smaller than Quartz Key, with only a few shops huddled around a main street that pans out into a small suburban settlement. One of the only places that looks welcoming is a bar, and not far from it is an empty camping ground next to the river.

Galen parks in one of the bays, and I jump down from the RV, still feeling shaken up but more determined than I was before. I came here to find what I needed to help my son, and instead, I had all the bandages ripped from every old wound I’ve carried my whole life.

It was time for them to be opened. Now I know for sure that I will never see my mother again. She can’t help me… but she can’t hurt me, either.

I look over at Galen as we walk towards the bar, studying his profile in the dim light. I believe every word he said, and it scares me.

If I believe it, then maybe I never had to run away. Maybe all this pain I went through was for nothing.

That idea is too painful to contemplate, so I push it away as Galen opens the doors, and we step inside the bar. It’s fairly busy, with a rumble of chatter rising over the sounds of the musician playing on the stage.

“Would you like a drink?” Galen asks.

“Yeah,” I answer. “I definitely do. I could use one after today.”

“What would you like? I’ll head up to the bar if you want to find us a table.”

“Rum and Coke would be great,” I reply. “And some food. Nothing fancy. A burger and fries is fine.”

“Sure thing.”

Galen heads off to the bar, and I find an empty table. He finds me a few minutes later, carrying our drinks and a jug of beer.

“I definitely need more than one drink,” he says with a sigh. “I feel like I’ve been through the wringer.”

“Me too,” I answer, taking a deep sip of rum and Coke.

“I know today was a lot to take in,” Galen says. “But I think it’s helpful information.”

“Maybe,” I consider, staring into my glass. “But in the end, we didn’t actually find out what to do for Nico.”

Galen sighs again, and I look up at him. His face is drawn, and his eyes are fatigued. I feel like I’m staring straight into his soul.

He really is exhausted. Not from the trip, but from everything we heard, and his confession to me.

Mixed with my own hurt and betrayal is a deep sympathy for everything Galen went through after he broke up with me. I know he suffered—terribly—and that hurts me. It doesn’t change the fact that I can’t just give my trust to him. At the end of the day, he chose to turn on me instead of anyone else in his life.

“Tell me about Nico,” Galen says, meeting my eyes. “I look at him now, and I can’t believe I never got to see him grow up. I feel so connected to him already, but there’s still so much I don’t know.”

“Okay,” I answer, smiling. “What do you want to know?”

“When’s his birthday?”

“October sixth,” I reply. “He was born early in the morning, and I’d been in labor most of the night. When the midwife finally handed him to me, a bright ray of sun came through the window and flickered across his face. And when he opened his eyes, they were gold like mine.”

Galen gives a little smile. “I noticed.”

I shake my head. “No, babies are supposed to have blue eyes. It’s very rare for them to show a specific color that early. The nurses were surprised, but I thought it was evidence he had the shifter gene.”

“Even though he had your eyes?”

I shrug. “It doesn’t matter that his eyes were the same color as mine. It was the fact that he seemed more developed than other babies, to the point where he was born with a set color that didn’t change. After that, it became pretty obvious. He was so much stronger and faster than other kids.”

My heart swells with pride as I remember watching him playing at the park when he was a toddler, leaping onto monkey bars and climbing walls. He was smart from an early age, too, picking up math and language much quicker than the rest of his class.

“He was always getting awards,” I continue. “And he had so many friends. That only started to change over the last year. I really thought he was going to grow up with a strong support system, with people who truly loved him, and that he’d feel connected and have a life I never had.”

“He will,” Galen says, taking my hand. “I promise you, he will. He doesn’t have to do any of this alone.”

I look into Galen’s eyes, and in his gaze, I see so much love. Pain flickers in my chest, and I have to look away again.

Our food arrives, and as we eat, I take the conversation to more frivolous things. I tell Galen about Nico’s birthday parties, class awards, and school activities, as well as funny mishaps from when he learned to ride a bike and roller-blade.

By the time we’re done with the pizza, we’ve stacked up a few empty glasses on the table. Neither of us has slowed down on the rum or the beer.

I need to let loose, even if it’s just a little. It’s been so long since I really let myself go.

“Hey,” Galen says with a grin. “Do you want to dance?”

I start giggling and shaking my head. “I hate dancing. You know that.”

“Come on.” Galen stands up and pulls a pose, extending a hand to me and pointing his toes as he flexes his other arm back. “If you don’t take my hand, I’m going to start twirling around the table.”

I giggle some more, excited but also partially terrified—because I know damn well he’ll go through with it.

“Okay,” I give in, putting my hand in his. “Lead away!”

Galen pulls me up against him, then spins us onto the dance floor. The single musician who was on when we arrived has been replaced by a jivy rock band, and the bouncy tunes have me shimmying around the floor, moving like the music is becoming part of me.

Every now and then, Galen reaches out, touching my shoulders, arms, or hips. Sometimes he takes my hands and gives me a twirl. Excitement rises in me, swiftly overtaking the lingering fear.

When the music slows, Galen wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest. I don’t resist, but I do keep my guard up. We sway to the music, and I rock back and forth, very aware of his hands on my shoulders and his body pressed up against mine.

I wrap my arms around his waist and stroke his back, leaning my head on his chest. The delicious warmth that rises between us intoxicates me, heating up my thighs. An ache begins to throb deep inside me.

Memories of our night in the woods flood through me, and my breathing speeds up. Along with the warmth rushing through my body, my heart starts to pound, and my nipples feel hard and tight against my bra.

I look up at Galen, running one hand across his chest. I can feel the firm muscles under the soft fabric of his shirt, the heat of his skin, and underneath it all, the pounding of his heart.

“I love you, Clara,” he whispers, looking into my eyes. “I always have, and I always will. I will be there for you and for Nico for the rest of your lives. You’ll never have to be alone again.”

Tears fill my eyes, and even though I want to pull away, I can’t. I’m drawn to Galen even as my instincts tell me to run. When he lowers his head, I turn my face up, helpless in his arms.

God help me, but I love you, Galen, and I can’t fucking stop!

His lips touch mine, and I cling to him, pressing our bodies together. His arms go around my waist, and even though he strokes my sides and back, he doesn’t try to grope me. The kiss is all sweetness and care, and I feel safer than I ever have in my whole life.

I deepen the kiss, stretching up on my toes and putting my hands around his neck to draw him down to me. I feel his tongue flicking against mine, and hot points of desire burn in response, racing through my breasts, my clit, and deep within me, where the throbbing ache begs for his cock to satisfy me.

Words of love threaten to come to my lips, and I kiss Galen even harder to stop them. His hot mouth, slick tongue, and searching hands overwhelm my senses, shoving sense aside as arousal sweeps away all my restraint and self-control.

I can’t stop kissing him, and my body’s reaction can’t be hidden. But I’m not opening my heart!