Page 47 of The Wolves of Forest Grove

Steam rose from the slim gap in the curtain and suddenly I longed to scrub my body until at least five layers of skin came off. How did he always know exactly what I needed?

“I have to go soon,” he said.

“Stay until I get out?” I blurted, surprising myself. I opened my mouth to correct myself. To tell him never mind, that he didn’t have to stay. I’d be okay.

But Jared smiled and something in my belly flipped low and hard, spreading warmth all the way down to my toes at how his eyes lit from within.

“Okay,” he said and turned away from me, trying to hide his grin. “But I have to leave by sunrise or my uncle will have my head.”

He closed the door behind him, and I stepped into the shower, clothes and all, letting the hot water wash away the memory of the monster who tried to claim me.

JARED WAS SIPPING coffee by the window in the kitchen when I went downstairs. I could smell the nutty aroma of it over the smell of their Irish Spring soap in the shower.

A gush of cool wind funneled into the cabin and I wrapped my arms around myself, finding the front door hanging precariously by its top hinge, leaning against the kitchen cupboard for support.

Only the screen door remained intact and I felt a bolt of dread in knowing that the damage was my fault.

Clay must have assumed the door would be locked like I told him and didn’t want to waste time fumbling with a key.

I’d been screaming bloody murder upstairs.

If the tables were reversed, I’d have broken it down, too.

“Hey,” I said, grabbing myself a mug only to notice there was already one next to the coffee machine. Black—the way I liked it. “Is this for me?” I asked, even though it was pretty obvious.

Jared turned, leaning against the glass to watch me with a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. His eyes traveled the length of me from toes to tip before he spoke. “No, it’s for the other girl living upstairs.”

“Very funny,” I said as I scooped up the mug and joined him by the window, blowing over the surface of the coffee to make tiny black tidal waves before I took a sip.

“Why does it always taste better when you make it?” I whined, drinking down a larger gulp.

Jared just shook his head. “Are you feeling better?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Thank you. You really didn’t have to stay, I was just…”

I was just what?

I really wasn’t sure.

In that moment, I just knew I didn’t want to be alone.

And after Clay slammed his bedroom door behind him, not a peep had come out of his room.

I doubted I would see him again until morning, or maybe not even until later today since I’d ruined his sleep.

I certainly wasn’t about to go knocking on his door for comfort.

“It’s no problem. I didn’t want to leave yet, anyway and the quarry stays pretty quiet at night. No one will even be there for a couple more hours.”

He sipped his coffee and grimaced. “I think the cream’s bad.”

“Will you be coming back soon?” I hedged. “I can go pick up some fresh cream after school if you want.”

The note of hopefulness in my voice was apparent even to my own ears, but Jared’s frown dashed it away. “I don’t know when I’ll be back,” he muttered, swirling his coffee. I could see little cream colored floaters in the brownish liquid. Ugh. “Hopefully soon.”

There were dark circles under his eyes, I noticed. And as he tilted his face back into the wan light of pre- dawn, I could see just how tired he was. How stressed.

There were lines around his eyes and in between his brows that I didn’t think I’d ever seen on him before.

“Come here,” he said after a second, eyes fixing on something above the trees.

I set my coffee down on the little half-circle table and stood next to him. “Do you see that?” he asked, pointing upward, but I couldn’t tell what he was showing me.

I shook my head.

Jared set down his mug next to mine and moved behind me, making my skin bristle as he moved in close, leaning down to my eye-level.

Reaching around, he tilted my chin up and pointed again.

This time, I was able to look down the clean line of his extended arm as though it was an arrow.

And there, above the trees, cradled in the sky, was a little cluster of stars.

They were dim as the night began to turn to day, but with my new canine eyes, I could see them clearly. More clearly than I thought I ever could’ve even on the darkest of nights.

Jared flicked off the oven-light behind him, plunging us into darkness, making the small constellation even brighter.

“It’s called Aurus,” he said.

I tilted my head to see it better, brushing against his cheek. I knew some constellations, but I didn’t think I’d ever heard of that one. “I’ve never heard of it.”

I felt more than saw him smile. “You wouldn’t have.

It’s not one of yours.”

One of mine?

“What do you mean?”

“My people—our people—have been around a lot longer than the human race,” he whispered against my ear. “My ancestors named the stars long before yours did.”

“Do they have stories, too?”

“Lots. But most are a bit grim.”

“Will you tell me about them sometime?”

I settled against Jared’s chest, almost like my body had been slowly gravitating toward him this entire time.

He stilled under my touch, but then tucked his chin against my shoulder and dropped his arm.

“I’ll tell you everything,” he said in a low voice that made my toes curl. “Everything you want to know.”

His heart beat steadily against my back and I allowed him to anchor me like he had at school that first day.

His smooth birch and cedar scent filled my lungs and I let his strength wash over me, chasing away what remained of the shadows.

His wolf snapped at the heels of my anxiety until it was only a distant whisper at the edge of my mind.

My coiled muscles unspooled and I sighed.

“Do you want to go back to sleep?” he whispered.

“No,” I replied, my blood buzzing audibly in my ears.

The low, rushing hum of it a sort of primal music.

The truth was, I wanted to stay right there in his arms. I wanted to borrow his strength and relax in the security of his embrace.

Whether it was just what my inner wolf wanted or some byproduct of the mating bond I never asked for, it felt good. And I could use some of that right now.

The first rays of sunlight poked up through the tops of the trees, like ribbons of rippling gold cast over dark waters.

Jared sighed. “I have to go.”

He released me and I spun, my lips parting in silent protest.

“I’ll come back to check on you,” he offered. “As soon as I can.”

“This weekend?” I asked, remembering my conversation with Clay before we each went our separate ways last night.

He cocked his head at me. “Why?”

“Clay,” I said, watching Jared’s jaw twitch at the name. “He suggested I should meet the pack. He wants to take me to them.”

Jared’s eyes darkened.

“I haven’t decided yet. Do you think it’s a good idea?

If I go, will you come too?”

He thought about it for a minute and then nodded. “It’s not a half bad idea, actually.”

I couldn’t be sure, but I thought he was cursing himself for not having been the one to come up with the idea. He nodded to himself. “I’ll go with you if you decide to go.”

“Then I’ll go,” I said before I could change my mind.

I needed to see what I was getting myself into if I was ever going to be able to make a choice like the one I was being forced to make.

Jared smiled, something like pride in his gaze as he looked at me. “Okay. I’ll arrange it.”

“Okay.”

There was a charge in the air as Jared looked between the door and back to me again. He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and then took them out again, balling them to fists.

Just say goodbye, Allie.

“Bye Jar—”

He closed the short gap between us and cupped the back of my head, pressing his lips to the top of my forehead. A small sound hitched in my throat at the surprise and a warm tingle raced across the back of my neck where his fingers pressed against the sensitive skin there.

“Be safe.”

His words rested in my ears and when I blinked, Jared was gone.

Movement caught my eye out the window, and I turned just in time to see him fade into the forest at the edge of the yard.

I lifted my hand to brush the spot where he’d kissed me, finding the ghost of his lips was still there.