Intertwined (8 page)

“You can’t stop me if that’s what I decide,” she said.

To her surprise, his expression immediately softened. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have butted in like that. I just want you safe. Can you blame me for that?” Oh, so gently, he reached out and traced a fingertip along her cheek.

She moved away from his touch. “Look, I—” she began, but one of the football players called for his help.

Oblivious to the tension still rolling through her, Tucker kissed the cheek he’d just caressed. “We’ll talk tomorrow, all right?” He didn’t wait for her reply but rushed off.

Reeling, she turned and headed toward the parking lot. What was she going to do with that boy? The way he’d treated Shannon and then Aden, and then callously excused his behavior…the way he’d expected her to thank him…she ground her teeth together. Yeah, he’d apologized. But had he meant it?

Penny’s Mustang whipped around the corner just as Mary Ann stepped from the curb. There went her ride. She could call her dad and wait for him to come get her. She could walk home alone—and perhaps be a tasty bit of wolf bait—or she could chase Aden down.

“Aden,” she called as she rushed forward. She couldn’t see him, but she knew he couldn’t have gotten far.

The sleek black wolf, taller than she remembered, bigger than she remembered, jumped out in front of her the moment she passed the line of trees that blocked off the school. She screamed, hand fluttering over her heart.

He gave an irritated growl, his green eyes bright.
Settle down. I won’t hurt you.

The word
yet
hung in the air, unsaid but palpable.

Though the voice came from in front of her, she whipped around, expecting to see someone behind her. But no, she and the wolf were alone. “Who said that?” The words trembled from her.

As I happen to be the only one around, I think you’re safe in assuming that I did.

This time, the words came from behind her. Once more, she faced the wolf. No one was standing beside him. “This isn’t funny,” she said, a little more substance to the words now. Her gaze tripped left, right. Breath sawed in and out of her throat. Hot. Too hot, burning. “Who’s there?”

I love being ignored, I really do. Look, I’m big, I’m black. I’m right in front of you.

She scanned the bright emerald foliage around her. There was no sign of life. “I told you. This isn’t funny.”

You’re wasting time searching for someone else, little girl.

Again her attention fell to the wolf and she laughed without humor. “You can’t be talking to me. You just can’t. You’re a…you are…you’re not human.”

Smart of you to notice. You’re right about the other thing, too. I’m not talking. Out loud.

No, he wasn’t. His harsh voice was echoing inside her mind, she realized, dazed. “This is ridiculous. Impossible.”

One day you’ll laugh about what you just said, because baby, I’m about to open your eyes to a whole new world. Werewolves are just the beginning.

“Shut up!” Mary Ann rubbed her temples. More than ridiculous, this was insane. Utterly insane. Or rather,
she
was
insane. This had to be a hallucination. Nothing else explained it. A wolf—or rather, a werewolf—who had walked her to school and clearly waited for her. A werewolf who was speaking directly into her mind.

What would her father say?

She thought she knew the answer. That she’d been working too hard, not resting enough, never enjoying herself, and this was her mind’s way of taking a vacation. He’d tried to warn her this morning, in fact.

What if, now that she’d fallen over the edge, she needed medication? The thought scared her, and she laughed without humor. She didn’t want this kind of breakdown in her medical files; most likely, it would haunt her for the rest of her life, ruining her chances of landing the internship she wanted. Who would trust her to handle their problems when she couldn’t handle her own?

Bye-bye fifteen-year plan.

But maybe, just maybe, this is real, she told herself, part of her clinging to the hope. There was only one way to find out.

Mary Ann inched forward and stopped before she bumped into the creature’s nose. “There’s a difference between a wolf and a werewolf?” she babbled to break the silence.
Do it. Just do it
. Gulping, she lifted her arm.

Of course there is. One is merely an animal, the other is capable of being a man. Now, what are you doing?

Though she’d expected him to speak this time, she was still surprised and jerked away with a yelp. If she was wrong, if he was more than a hallucination, he could bite her. Maim her. Kill her.
Don’t chicken out now
.

“Don’t you already know what I’m doing? Can’t you read my mind? I mean, you can talk inside it.” A figment of her imagination would be able to read her mind, right?

No, I can’t read thoughts. But I can see auras, the colors around you. Those colors tell me what you are feeling, making it easy to guess what you’re thinking. But right now your colors are so jumbled I can’t see anything
.

“Well, I plan on touching you. If you’ll just hold still, please.” Great, now she was issuing orders, expecting him to understand. Could this be a joke? Was someone filming this, intending to laugh about her gullibility later? Surely not. No way could someone fake projecting a voice into her head. “If you bite me, I’ll…I’ll…”

He actually rolled his eyes.
You’ll what? Bite me back? With those puny teeth?

There wasn’t a reply that would intimidate so irreverent a beast, so she remained quiet. And he remained in place, not even blinking as she reached out again, her index finger ready to poke. She was trembling and hesitant. Finally, skin met fur. Soft, silky fur.

“You’re real,” she gasped out. This was no hallucination. He was real, and he was freaking talking inside her mind, reading her aura. How were those things possible? Even more unbelievable, he claimed he was a werewolf, capable of changing into a human. That was…that was…Dear Lord.

A moan escaped him.
Scratch behind my ear.

Still too dazed to process what was going on, she automatically pressed deeper, harder, massaging him.

He uttered another moan, snapping her back to her senses.

Hello. Anyone home?
she thought.
You’re willingly prolonging contact.

Her arm fell to her side, suddenly too heavy to hold up. “You’re real,” she said again. Which meant she wasn’t crazy. She should have jumped for joy, but couldn’t force her body into motion. She was talking to a werewolf, person,
thing,
the ordinary world she’d woken up to no longer the world she inhabited. That wasn’t exactly cause for celebration.

For a moment, he gave no response. Just closed his eyes, seeming to enjoy the lingering effects of her touch. Then his eyelids popped open, the green fierce and glittering, and he snarled at her.
Let’s get down to business, shall we? What do you know of the boy?

He. Was. Real. “Boy? What boy? I don’t know why you’re following me, but you can stop. You’ve got the wrong girl.” Were there others out there, watching her? Had they always been here, able to communicate, and she just hadn’t known? Wildly she looked left and right, panic building. When she saw no one, nothing, she backed away until she was pressed against the jagged bark of a tree trunk. “Seriously, you can go now.”

Last time I’ll ask nicely, little girl, and then I’ll start demanding. You do not want that to happen, Mary Ann. Trust me.

First, he knew her name. The knowledge jolted her. Second, the words themselves were threatening. But the way he said them, so matter-of-factly, lent them a truth that all the shouting in the world couldn’t have provided. If she didn’t
answer, he would force her. With claws, with teeth. Whatever was required.

He stalked toward her, slow and sure, closing the distance between them.
What do you know of the boy?

He reached her and rose up, placing his front paws beside her temples, boxing her in.

The blood rushed from her head and pooled in her legs, making her head dizzy and her limbs all the heavier. “What boy?” she managed to gasp out.

I believe his name is Aden.

This was about Aden? “Why do you want to know about him?”

He ignored the question.
You spoke to him. What did you talk about?

“Nothing personal, I swear. All I know is that he’s a new student at my school. You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

Again, he ignored her.
What about the other boy? The one you escorted to the stadium.

“That’s Tucker. I’m dating him. Kind of. Maybe. It might be over. I think. Are you planning on hurting
him
?”

Suddenly the wolf growled, another of those low and menacing rumbles that danced over her nerve endings as delicately as a flutter of wings yet still managed to cut her up and leave her bare. Then she heard why he was suddenly ready to slaughter. Footsteps pounded through the grass, crunching against leaves and acorns. He stiffened and swung around, ready to face the threat.

Aden suddenly burst from the trees, sweat glistening over
his face and causing the shirt Tucker had taunted him about to stick to his chest.

“Mary Ann,” he gasped out. “What’s wrong?” Then he spotted the wolf and stilled, ready to defend and protect. “Move around the tree. Slowly.” Gaze never leaving his foe, he bent and withdrew two daggers from his boots.

Her jaw dropped. He carried
daggers?

The wolf reared back on its haunches, preparing to attack.

“No, please no,” she cried out. “Don’t fight.” Not once, in all her life, had she ever pictured herself in the middle of something like this.

“Go home, Mary Ann,” Aden demanded. He crouched, determined. “Now.”

Tell him to leave us
, the wolf snarled at her without removing his focus from Aden. Why wouldn’t he tell Aden himself? Could he not talk to two people at once? Or did he not want Aden to know what he was? And why was she asking herself all these questions? A battle was about to take place!

“A-Aden,” she began, attempting to move between them. The wolf twisted, blocking her path. “Don’t fight him,” she couldn’t help but plead, suddenly unsure of whom she was speaking to. All she knew was that there would be a bloodbath if one of them didn’t walk away. “Please, don’t fight him. I’m fine. We’re all fine. Let’s just go our separate ways. Okay? Please.”

Neither boy—wolf, whatever—listened to her. They circled each other, intent, panting viciously.

“Stop it, Eve,” Aden snapped, his harsh voice like a boom amidst the silence. “I need quiet.”

Eve?

Then Aden froze, blinked as if confused. He glanced at Mary Ann to ensure she was there, and frowned. “I can hear them.”

She, too, blinked in confusion. “Who?”

Enough!
the wolf roared.
Tell. Him. To. Go.

“He wants you to go,” she told Aden on a trembling breath. “Please go. I’ll be fine, I swear.”

“You can talk to it?” Thankfully, he didn’t sound horrified. Didn’t gaze at her as if she were insane.

“I—”

Do not say another word to him or I’ll tear out his throat. Understand?

She pressed her lips together, a small whimper escaping. Never had she felt more helpless or scared. She had no idea what to do.

“Is he threatening you?” Aden asked, soft but fierce. Not waiting for her reply, he raised his blades, the silver tips gleaming menacingly in the sunlight. “C’mere, big boy, and we’ll see if you like playing with someone more your size.”

My pleasure.

“No!” she shouted as the wolf leapt forward. Aden met him midair. Only, they didn’t collide. Aden disappeared. Actually disappeared. There one moment, gone the next.

The wolf fell to the ground, twitching, moaning. Both blades thumped uselessly beside him. Mary Ann rushed to his side, unsure of what had happened or how to react. Maybe she was in shock. There was no blood, so he hadn’t been cut.

With a shaky arm, she reached out and brushed her palm
against his muzzle.
Why are you touching him?
common sense shouted.
Run!
She stayed put, her concern greater than her sense of survival. “Are you okay?”

His eyes popped open, no longer green but laced with all the colors Aden’s eyes sometimes possessed. He jolted to his feet, unsteady, swaying. Slowly he backed away from her.

When he passed the line of trees, he swung around and ran.

I
SAW HER.
S
AW THE GIRL.

Me, too.

Did you recognize her? I know I’ve seen her before.

Sorry, Eve, but I didn’t.

Aden wanted to scream. There was too much noise in his head, so much he could barely process it. The glide of wind against the trees, the high-pitched chirps of nearby birds. The buzz of locusts, the song of the crickets. The croaks of the frogs.

Grunting, he forced the wolf’s big body into motion. It was hard, moving his front legs in sync with his back legs, but he managed it, only stumbling a few times. He’d never overtaken the form of an animal before and wasn’t sure he was doing it right. But there was no time to stop and ponder how to go about it. If he didn’t hurry, he would be late. And if he was late, Dan would not allow him to attend school tomorrow.

How did you do that?
the wolf snarled, his voice joining the clamor of the others.
Get out of my head! Out of my body!

The creature knew he was there. Could feel him. That had never happened before, either. He would have thought the animal’s more primitive mind unable to process the human language. For the most part, at least.

I’m not an animal, curse you.

What are you?
he thought.

Wolf. Man. Werewolf. Now get out of me!

A…shape-shifter?

Aden hadn’t known such things existed. Not in reality. Considering what he himself could do, he probably should have. Made him wonder what else was out there. Legends told of vampires, dragons, monsters and all kinds of other creatures.

Out! Now!

Even with those infuriated snarls, the run soon proved to be invigorating. Strengthening. Air danced through his fur, caressing all the way to the hair shaft. His gaze plowed the distance as though it were insignificant, taking in every detail, nothing missed. Colors were more vivid, and dust motes…wow. They were like snowflakes, glittering all around him.

I’ll rip out your throat for this.

Still he kept moving, warm air sawing in and out of his nose. His lungs expanded, holding more oxygen than he was used to. It spurred him into a faster sprint, nails clawing at the ground. Scents were strong, nearly overpowering. Pine and dirt, a dead animal a few yards away. A deer, he somehow knew. He could hear the flies buzzing around the carcass.

I’ll bathe in your blood, human. That is not a threat but a promise.

Again, the wolf’s threats—promises—blended with that of his still-chattering companions. Caleb was apologizing for flinging him inside the body, Eve was asking about Mary Ann, concerned for her, and Julian and Elijah were begging him to be careful. Why hadn’t Mary Ann sent them into that black hole this time? Aden had approached her, yet he’d still heard them. And he’d known thanks to Elijah—the soul’s power
had
to be increasing as he’d suspected—that if he failed to stop the wolf, the creature would stalk her through this very forest one day, racing after her as she cried.

Mary Ann…

What would she think of him now? She knew he was different, that he could do things others could not. There was no denying it after what had happened. Maybe she would understand. She had spoken to the wolf, after all. Maybe, like Aden, she knew things that others did not. That would also explain how she was—sometimes—able to quiet the voices.

—
vision is changing. He’s going to hurt you the moment you exit his body
, Elijah was saying.
Kill you
.

Yeah, Aden knew that. He also knew he’d be too weak to defend himself. There was only one thing he could do to save himself. He’d done it before, when he’d entered the body of a kid attacking him. He hated to do it, but there was no other way.

When the ranch came into view, he finally slowed, then stopped at the edge of the trees.

You can’t stay in here forever
. The wolf snarled, and Aden couldn’t stop the sound from emerging.
Can you? Can you!
Much more, and they would be foaming at the mouth.

Aden glanced around the area, but didn’t see anything that would help him do what needed to be done.

There was another way, he thought with a sigh. He sat on his haunches and extended one back leg. He peered down at it. The muscles were bunched, the fur glistening like black diamonds.

No
, Eve said, realizing what was about to happen.
Don’t do it.

I have to
, Aden thought. His stomach churned with nausea. There was no time to steel himself against the pain he was about to inflict. Forever wouldn’t have been long enough to prepare. He simply bared the wolf’s teeth and, with another vicious snarl, lunged at the leg. Those sharp fangs sank past that muscle and hit bone.

There was a scream inside his head, a grunt, several moans. Everyone felt the bite, the agonizing pain spreading like wildfire, affecting every organ it touched.

What the hell are you doing?
the wolf shouted.
Stop. Stop!

Maintaining that razored grip, firming his jaw, he jerked back. Warm, metallic-flavored liquid poured into his mouth, down his throat, and wet his fur. He gagged.

More screams, more moans.

Aden panted as the wolf’s body sagged to the grass. The pain was immobilizing, just as he’d intended. Now when he left, he would not be followed or attacked.

It took every ounce of his mental strength to reach out of the animal’s body, insubstantial hand solidifying and gripping the nearest tree root. The grip, though weak, held and he was able to tug himself out.

Aden lay there for a moment, stunned, trying to catch his breath.
Move. Move!
His human body refused to obey. He was no longer inside that mangled form, but his mind—or his companions—didn’t care. They all knew what had been done and could feel the residual effects. His muscles were clamped down on his bones, holding him immobile.

The silver lining: adrenaline began crashing through him, trying to combat the “pain,” giving him strength. Finally he was able to roll to his side. The wolf, he saw, lay exactly as he’d left him, leg extended, blood coating the wound, his mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Aden said, and it was the truth. “I couldn’t allow you to attack me.”

Green eyes glared over at him, glazed with pain and fury.

Aden lumbered to his feet, swayed as a wave of dizziness swept through him. “I have to check in with the head of the house and then I’ll come back with bandages.”

A low howl promised retribution if he returned. Didn’t matter. He was coming back. He stumbled his way to the bunkhouse and climbed through the window to his bedroom. Weak as he was, as little time as he had, he just couldn’t deal with the dregs. All windows here were wired to a security system, but it was only switched on at night. Plus, Aden had long since cut and rewired the one in his room so that it
never
triggered the alarm (but looked like it would, just in case Dan decided to check.)

He had his own bathroom and downed a glass of water, then washed his face. Thankfully, there was no blood on his shirt, just dirt and grass stains. His face was completely devoid of color, his hair disheveled and laced with twigs.

He stuffed several bandages and a tube of antibiotic cream in a bag and chucked it out the window. He followed it, plucking the twigs from his hair. After he’d hidden it under rocks, he made his way to the main house.

Dan was sitting on the porch, Sophia sleeping at his feet. The window behind him was open, and through it he could hear the sounds of pots and pans banging together. Meg, Mrs. Reeves, was cooking. A peach pie, from the smell of it. Aden’s mouth watered. The peanut butter sandwich he’d had for lunch was only a fond memory right now.

How could Dan betray that woman?
Eve asked on a disgusted sigh.
She’s a treasure.

Who cares?
Caleb exclaimed.
We’ve got stuff to do.

Eve huffed.
I care. Cheating is wrong.

How bad would it look if he shouted, “Shut up!” Aden wondered.

The moment Dan spotted Aden, he checked his wristwatch and nodded with satisfaction. “Right on time.”

“I’ve been looking for you,” Aden said, trying not to pant from fatigue. “Wanted to tell you how I did.”

“I know how you did. The school called.”

What? Had they complained about—

“Said you aced the tests,” Dan finished.

Thank God. He nodded, knowing he should have been smiling but unable to manage it. He felt as if he were standing center stage, a spotlight trained on him, highlighting the signs of his run with—as—the wolf. Or rather, werewolf. It was weird to think like that, shape-shifter versus animal.

“I’m proud of you, Aden. I hope you know that.”

Throughout his life, he’d disappointed people, confused them, embarrassed them and angered them. Dan’s praise was…nice. “Th-thank you.” How could Dan be so wonderful and yet, as Eve was still grumbling about, so slimy?

“Have you seen Shannon? He hasn’t made it back yet.”

He hadn’t? Where was he? He’d gone ahead of Aden. “I haven’t. I’m sorry. We left the school separately.”

Dan gave his watch another glance.

“Guess I’ll go do my chores now,” Aden said, though he had no intention of starting them until after he saw to the wolf’s care. He managed only one backward step before Dan stopped him.

“Not so fast. I was also told you stayed after school to talk to a girl.”

Aden gulped. Nodded. Someone had clearly been watching him, and he didn’t like it. He only wished he’d felt the heat of their stare; a little warning would have been nice. If Dan forbade him to hang with Mary Ann he would—

“You treated her right?”

That was all the man was concerned with? His shoulders slumped with relief. “Yeah.”

Dan’s head tilted to the side. “Not very talkative today, are you?”

“I’m tired, is all. Nerves kept me up all night.”

“I can understand that. Go on, then. Do your chores and then make an early night of it. I’ll have dinner sent to your room.”

“Thank you,” he found himself saying again. He rushed back
to the bunkhouse, but didn’t enter. He grabbed the bag he’d tossed out his window and headed back into the forest, staying in the shadows so that no one would see what he was doing.

The werewolf was gone.

The only sign that he’d been there was the patch of blood, still wet and gleaming in the sunlight. While he didn’t see the animal, he did see Shannon, cut up and bleeding and headed toward Dan.

Stomach once again churning, Aden followed and eavesdropped from a distance.

“They were w-waiting for me. A group of them. Th-they jumped me.”

“Who were they?” Dan asked, his anger clear. “Did you get a good look at them?”

“N-no.”

Aden frowned. Shannon had green eyes; the wolf had green eyes. Shannon was hurt; the wolf had been hurt. Shannon was here now; the wolf was gone. Had he really been jumped or was that a lie to cover something else? An ability most people wouldn’t understand? Shannon hadn’t limped, though, and that leg wound wouldn’t have had time to heal. Would it?

Later, in the barn while they shoveled horse manure, he tried to question Shannon about what had happened, gently trying to steer the conversation toward Mary Ann and wolves to gauge the boy’s reaction. All he received was silence.

A
DEN TOSSED AND TURNED
for hours, resigned to another sleepless night. His mind was simply too wired. The souls were asleep, finally, so his thoughts were his own—but they
weren’t welcome thoughts. All he could hear was the gasp of shock from Mary Ann when he’d inhabited the werewolf’s body. All he could picture was the werewolf, bleeding…dying? Or was Shannon the werewolf, as he suspected? Had he raced into the woods after school, transformed and sprinted back to Mary Ann before Aden could reach him?

If Shannon
was
the wolf, Shannon now wanted to kill him. Had promised to kill him, actually. He’d have to watch, study and wait. If he could. By now, Mary Ann could have told someone what she’d seen. Most likely she wouldn’t be believed, but with his past…the accusation would ruin him.

He could pack up, he supposed. Head out on his own. He’d done it before, three years ago. Living on the streets had been hard. He’d had no shelter, no food, water or money. He’d tried to steal a guy’s wallet and, unskilled as he’d been, had been caught and hauled back to juvie.

He was smarter now, he told himself. Older. He
could
survive. For the first time in his life, though, he had something to look forward to, something to anticipate. School, friends…peace. Running away would destroy even the chance of such happiness.

He sighed, closed his eyes.

“Awaken.”

The word whispered through his mind, sultry yet commanding. His eyelids popped open. The girl from the forest stood over him, dark hair falling like a curtain over her shoulders. She hadn’t been there a moment ago, but she was a welcome and beautiful sight.

Was this a replay of a vision? Because he’d seen this before.
Her, standing in front of him. Soon she would motion him outside. He would follow.

He inhaled deeply, breathing in her honeysuckle and roses scent. No, no vision. This was real.

He smiled slowly and tried to recall the rest of the details to this particular scene. They would walk to the woods and she would close the distance between them. She would reach up, trace her fingertips down his neck. Would her skin be as hot as he remembered or as cold as it now appeared?

He couldn’t wait to get started. “Where have you been? What—”

“Shh. We do not want to wake the others.”

He pressed his lips together, but couldn’t stop the sudden pounding of his heart. The same black robe draped her, revealing one pale, slender arm. A large opal ring glinted from her left index finger. In the visions, she was always careful not to let that ring touch him.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered.