The Witch Who Cried Wolf (Cry Wolf, #1) (8 page)

“Does he know?”

“No. I almost told him, but I was too afraid. As it was, he knew I was hiding something and started to storm off, but then Greg showed up. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least.” The memories of the incident were bad enough, but I knew Jessa would ask. “They nearly got into a fight. I’m not looking forward to dinner Saturday. They are probably going to tear each other apart.”

“Honey....” Jessa sat next to me on the couch. “It’s going to be okay. You didn’t mean to use the love potion. If not much got spilled, then I don’t think you’ll have a problem. Love potions are tricky and unreliable.” She rubbed her hand over my back. I remembered how much went into the salve, and it was enough to affect me. “The boys won’t make too much of a commotion in front of your parents. If they do, they’re jerks. Wait; you said Ethan was injured protecting you. How bad was his injury? Do you think...?”

“He was scratched. You know what the legends say, and usually when folklore points at something, it’s true. I’m hoping the healing salve will prevent anything...hairy, but I don’t know. I didn’t even think werewolves were real!” I walked into the kitchen, needing space. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jessa followed me. “You think I knew?” Her mouth dropped open, as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “Just because I’m a witch doesn’t mean I know anything and everything about the supernatural.”

“Sorry, I just figured since you’re my mentor and all.”

“If you’re trying to take this out on me because I introduced you to someone who needed a potion, then you’re different to how I thought you were. I was trying to help, since you always shut out everyone.” Jessa threw her hands into the air. “You never do anything with your powers. You sit back, thinking you can be a badass witch like your grandmother, while never putting in the work. Your abilities are like any other muscle; they can atrophy.”

Tears formed in my eyes. I hated how right she was. I’d wondered why my magic was useless against the werewolf, but I had only myself to blame.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I’m your friend. If you’re going to survive, you need a little tough love.” She closed the space between us and gave me a hug. “Even if that means the truth hurts, you know. If the werewolf comes back, I’ll tell him to get lost. Keep a low profile, and hopefully, they won’t find you.”

I couldn’t believe this. She had a point, but I was scared. The guy I cared about was injured, and werewolves were after me, for crying out loud. We walked to the front door.

“I’ll talk to you later. You know what you need to do. Release the fear.” The door shut behind Jessa, and I locked it, resting my forehead against the painted wood.

Jessa’s words resonated through me.
Release the fear.
That was all good and well, but when a werewolf charged at you, not being afraid was ridiculously hard. Ethan had kicked the beast in the face, courage and determination in his eyes. Then again, he was a soldier. They had to be tough.

No excuses.
Excuses would only hamper my growth.

Thoughts of last night filtered through my resolve. Had Ethan made it home okay? I shouldn’t have allowed Greg push us apart when Ethan had been on my doorstep. I’d been too worried about what Greg would think to insist on taking Ethan home, especially after all the blood he’d lost. There was no way the salve could’ve totally healed his wounds.

Jessa started her car, and I glanced out the window to see her pulling away. One more relationship poised on the brink of ruin.

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T
his dinner with Mia and her parents tonight was making me nervous, especially after all we’d been through yesterday. I grimaced. Regardless of what had happened, that didn’t change our relationship, even if I knew I wanted more than what we were. I didn’t want the commitment and being with her still felt forbidden.

Besides, I still had no clue why she was in danger. There had to be something she hadn’t told me. If I didn’t talk with her soon, this whole thing might get swept under the rug, since I doubted we’d be discussing it at the dinner table.

Getting my jeans and shirt on, I decided to go for a walk. That would attract far less attention from Nolan than going for a drive. Besides, Mia didn’t live that far away.

When I knocked on her front door, no one answered. I frowned, glancing back at her car, which was parked in the driveway.

Somehow, I doubted she wasn’t home. I rang the doorbell a few times, then I knocked again.

“What is it now?” she grumbled behind the closed door. Her eyes widened when she opened it and saw me, and she took a couple steps back. “I, uh....” She wore a pair of tiny shorts and a tank top. Her hair was ruffled from sleep and she didn’t appear to be wearing a bra, from the way her nipples hardened as the cold air blew inside her house. “Ethan!”

“Mia.” I nodded, trying my best to keep my gaze at eye level. The hard peaks on her chest were tempting the hell out of me. The need to brush my fingers over them and hear her moan my name beneath me had my dick swelling. Damn it!

This was getting ridiculous. Either my hormones were going into overdrive again, or the secret ingredient in the healing salve had been a stupid love potion. Why would she have concocted a love potion, then added some to a healing salve that she’d used on
herself
? It didn’t add up.

“What are you doing here?” Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked around my shoulder as if expecting to find me with someone else.

I frowned. “After last night, I wanted to swing by to see if you were okay. Besides, we were both stressed, and we didn’t get a chance to really talk about what’s going on.”

Grimacing, she pulled away from the doorway. “I’m fine. Just a few bumps and bruises.”

A few of the bruises in question looked like handprints on her upper arms. That fucking asshole. From the way she’d reacted, I had a feeling....

Her gaze drifted down to where I was looking, and she gulped, retreating deeper into the house. I followed and shut the door behind me. “Those were.... He was just....” She grabbed a blanket from the couch, wrapping it around her shoulders. “It was tense last night. He overreacted.” She looked indecisive for a moment. “I don’t know.”

I took a few steps toward her. My anger retreated at the look in her eyes. “You don’t have to defend him to me. What he did was wrong. Plain and simple. He shouldn’t have touched you that way.”

She sighed and looked up at me. “I know. If Nolan put you up to this, then tell him to buzz off. I already told him my reasons.”

“That’s not why I’m here. Like I said, I wanted to talk about last night. The...werewolf. Why is it after you?”

She chewed on her lower lip. “I can’t really talk right now. Dinner is at—”

“I know perfectly well when dinner is. We’ll make it in time. If you want my help like you implied last night, then talk.” While she’d covered herself with the blanket, I could still see the outline of her nipples. God, how was I supposed to pay attention with her looking like that? “If you want, you can get dressed while we talk.”

Mia gave me a dubious look, her lips curving in a frown. “Fine, we’ll talk. My friend asked me to make a potion for her shop. Apparently, the potion was for a werewolf who came in disguised as a man. I used an ingredient that’s supposed to be poisonous to werewolves, not knowing that was what his sick friend might be.” She leaned against the couch, as if she wasn’t expecting us to be here for long.

“Didn’t you sense that the man was a werewolf? Why didn’t he tell you?” None of this made any sense. While I knew she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about being a witch, this werewolf was a member of the supernatural community, too. Surely the guy would have told her what he or his friend were, in order to get what they needed.

“No, I didn’t know werewolves existed.” I couldn’t suppress my laugh, and she shot me a dirty look. “I thought they were beasts of legend and folklore. There were vibes from the guy that caught me off guard, but without having ever met another werewolf, I didn’t know that’s what I was picking up.” Sighing, she sat on the couch, getting a little more comfortable. “I wished he’d told me. I hate to think that I unintentionally hurt someone.”

“Is there anything you can do to help?” I sat on the opposite side of the couch, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

She threw her head back, laughing rather hysterically. “Well, he certainly asked for it so nicely, didn’t he?” The look she gave me was haunted. “Maybe he just wants to kill me. Werewolves are known for their violent tendencies.”

This whole werewolf thing was new to me. “Come on, Mia. Don’t be like this. We’re going to make sure you’re safe.” A fierce protectiveness flared within me. It slammed in my gut, nearly doubling me over. I gripped the arm of the couch to keep myself from falling.

When I caught a look at her, her eyes were wide with panic. “Oh, no.... No, no, no.... This can’t be happening.” She whispered the words, but I could hear them as if she were talking normally.

Realization flooded my senses. I lifted my shirt to see that the claw marks were gone. There were no scars, nothing to signify that I’d been attacked last night. “Mia, does this mean...?”

“Sorry. I’m so sorry.” She rubbed her arms, wincing when she hit the bruises. “I never should’ve gotten into this mess. Never should’ve let you get involved.”

My heart pounded in my chest and I slumped into the couch. Life had upended itself, and I’d been home for less than twenty-four hours. Part of me wished I was back in the desert. While it was dangerous, it didn’t rival the level of complexity I’d been hit with since coming back.

“Fuck.” I stood, my body moving on its own volition. A werewolf had attacked Mia, and now I’d been turned into the same beast! I didn’t stop when I hit the front door.

“Ethan, wait!” Mia stood on her front porch, the blanket long gone. “Where are you going?”

“I need to clear my head. This is way too much.” I continued walking away, not looking forward to dinner at her parents’ later. If my life was going to be spent as a werewolf, then I had no idea what I’d do.

Life kept hitting me with curveballs. One day I’d learn to catch them. But maybe that day was one too late.

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S
itting opposite Ethan at the dinner was horrible. For a while, I wasn’t sure he’d even show up. My mind flashed back to seeing him at my home, seeing his eyes change color for that brief moment.

God, he was a werewolf. The thing I’d feared had come to pass.

I looked over at him, but he hadn’t even glanced in my direction the entire time. Maybe he was as worried about what was happening as me. I only wished he wouldn’t shut me out.

Whatever feelings we’d had before seemed like they were gone. So gone. This wasn’t the Ethan I’d known. He was colder, as if he blamed me for what he had become.

I wanted to cry so much, but I couldn’t. Not right now. My parents would ask too many questions, and I’d be forced to lie. They could never know. I’d rather run away from home than involve them in my mess.

If he wanted to act this way, then fine, I didn’t need to be daydreaming about him. Or thinking about him, period. Besides, I had a boyfriend. While I was at my limit with Greg, especially after seeing the bruises he’d left on my arm, I shouldn’t be getting hot and heavy with Ethan, or having emotions for him while I was in a relationship.

I shoved my food around on my plate. My appetite was long gone. I ate a few bites of the meatloaf and broccoli, but not much. When everyone else was starting to wrap up, I was the first one out of the dining room. I leaned against the kitchen counter and looked out the window into the darkened backyard. Memories of playing there and trying to get Nolan’s and Ethan’s attention came rushing back. But the two boys were older and had had each other, while I’d had no one.

I had always been the outsider, had always felt like I didn’t belong. Maybe it was coming full circle, that Ethan was forgetting my existence. That was surprising, since the love potion was still in his system. But if he was becoming a werewolf, maybe the potion had burned off faster in him than it had in me. My emotions for him were still raw and aching.

I had no idea.

“Mia?” My mom’s voice drew my attention to her. “Is everything okay? You’re so quiet today.” She placed a hand on my shoulder, and I fought not to wince. The healing salve hadn’t done so great for me. Then again, it wasn’t every day that I battled werewolves and got body- slammed into cars.

“Yeah, Mom. I’m fine. I think I’ll take off a little early. I—”

“And miss the liquor?” Nolan burst into the room, with Ethan hanging back in the doorway. Ethan’s gaze met mine for the first time since this afternoon, and I froze, feeling a surge of nausea punch me in the gut.

I returned my attention to Nolan. “Yeah, I think—”

“Oh, come on, Mia.” Dad smiled in that generously happy way of his. “Don’t miss out on the best part of dinner.” Mom cleared her throat, and he shot her a goofy grin. “You know I’m joking. What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He pulled me in for a bear hug, and my eyes rolled back in my skull.

Pain shot through my body like an unholy beast. The desire to scream mingled with my body’s need to pass out. I bit my tongue hard, trying not to vocalize my pain and push away.

“I’m fine. Really.” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. Having everyone ask made me even more uncomfortable. I wanted to run from the room. Escape.

I was used to so little attention with Nolan being the first-born son, the one who could do no wrong. I’d made straight A’s in school, and had done my best to make something of myself. Now with college over, I was at a loss. That jobs were so hard to come by didn’t help, either. What would I do now to try to win their love and attention? Find a wealthy husband? Find an amazing job? Frustration snowballed with the pain building inside me. “I’m heading home. Good night, everyone.”

I walked out of the house, making my retreat.

Nolan was at the window of my car before I could get the engine started. “Sis? What’s wrong? Are you still a bit...uh...upset after the mugging?”