Page 29 of Wolf's Fate
Easier to convince him if I couldfindhim. Grabbing us water and a bag of chips that I knew I hadn’t bought and was sure Lily must have, I went back to my bedroom. She was exactly where I left her, sitting on the unmade bed, the book open again on her lap as she flipped through the pages.
“Lily, you should move so I can make the bed,” I scolded, dumping the bottles and chips on my nightstand. She got up off the bed, reading a page, and missed the look of exasperation I gave her.
Quickly I made the bed, biting my tongue when she sat back down on the freshly straightened cover.
“I think I may know where he is, but I need to go to him, not the other way around.”
Lily looked up, reaching over and dipping her hand into the bag for some chips. “Okay, where is he?”
“With friends.”Lie.
“Hmm.” She popped a chip into her mouth. “I thought he was a loner? He has friends?”
“Mm-hmm. A few.”
She shrugged as she accepted it because she had no reason not to. “And they know where he is?” She looked up at me. “Did they tell you?”
“Kind of.”
That calculating look was back. “Why are you being so…evasive?”
I’d been called out and there was no avoiding it, so I took a deep breath and told her the truth. Kind of. “I need to go tothem.” My voice sounded surer than I felt.
I watched her closely, steeling myself for her reaction. I had a fifty-fifty chance of how she would react—either casual acceptance or full-blown outrage. I’d prepared myself for either, getting ready for the tirade if she went for the latter. I was completely stunned when her face lit up with excitement.
“That’s abrilliant idea!” She looked like a kid who’d just been told they were going to Disney.
It was? Thrown off balance, I scrambled to catch up. I hadn’t expectedenthusiasm.Wait, was she being sarcastic? “It is?”
“Ofcourseit is! This is a perfect time for you to go! The store’s being redecorated, and you need a break, and let’s be honest—those weirdos who wrecked your home and businesscould come back.” She nodded vigorously, her excitement palpable. “It’s agreatidea.”
Staring at her, I still felt a little speechless, trying to wrap my head around how I got this so wrong. She wasn’t supposed toacceptit. “You think it’s safe to go?” I asked, my voice wavering a little as I tried to remain casual. “Those weirdos, as you call them, could come back, and this time, I won’t know what damage they do.”
“Which isexactlywhy you go.” Lily’s voice was firm. “Give the sheriff the time to look into it and hopefully catch the asshats.”
That made sense. But going back to that mountain where Cannon’s pack was had been gnawing at me. Would they help me? They owed me nothing, but I think, I really did think, that Cannon cared about Caleb. Maybe not as a person; I mean, he was pretty unlikable sometimes, but he was an alpha. So was Cannon, and I think that mattered to them. “You think so?”
Lily shrugged, completely unaware of my inner musings. “I think you need to go find him, and I think you need to find out what’s happening between you. I think whatever mysterious link there is, it needs to be broken.” She gave me a look so much wiser than her years. “You need your life back. Caleb left with a lot of questions unanswered and, I think, a few things between you two that need to be addressed.” She gave me a sly smile. “I think it will do you good to get away from all this.”
“All this?” I looked around at the bare empty walls.
“Yes.” Her look was tinged with sympathy. “The break-in at the store, the house, it’s wearing you down. It’s been a lot, and I think you getting away from here will give you some perspective.” Lily tossed her hair. “Don’t think I don’t see thatyou’ve been different since coming back. I know you.” She fixed me with a stare. “Iseeright through you, so don’t even try to deny it.”
I didn’t open my mouth. She was right, I had been different. How could I not be? There werewerewolvesin the world. Plus, the visions, the dreams, the break-ins, and the feeling that something larger was closing in on me.Weighingon me. I felt as if I was being pulled in different directions, and I couldn’t concentrate. No matter how much I denied it, the fact was that every waking moment, I was thinking of Caleb.
“Maybe,” I conceded. “But can I really just leave here, not knowing if everything here is okay? That my business is going to be okay?”
“Hello.” Lily gestured to herself. “I’m here, and I don’t know if you met her—you were at her house for the last week—but, hello,Lorna! This is theperfectproject for her. We tell her you need a break and that you trust her to run things in your absence. Girl, you will make her year.”
“Lorna?”
Lily rolled her eyes at me. “Please. Save her marriage, and think of Noel. Do you think he wants to hear about Zumba, baking, or God only knows what else she’s doing? The woman needs a job. Plain and simple. This isyourchance to make a difference in her life.” She gave me a look that made me brace myself for whatever she was about to say next. “And I think a certain brooding man is probably missing you more than you think.”
I was already shaking my head. “This isn’t about Caleb.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, completely unconvinced. “Sure, it’s not.”
I didn’t push it anymore. This is what I wanted, to go and find him, so why I was now resisting my own idea made no sense. My reasons for going were different than Lily’s, but she’d raised valid points. The store, the break-in, the constant worrying about Caleb or what was going to happen next—it was exhausting. And it wasn’t until my friend raised it that I noticed how much it was taking out of me.