Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series) (41 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

~”Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.”

~
Oliver Goldsmith

Rebecca

Rebecca and Lucky arrived home only minutes after Savvy and Hunter.  She watched as they hurried into the house.  She had to admit she was surprised to see Savvy wearing Danny’s letterman
jacket.  That was a quick one-eighty turn from earlier this week.  But she had more pressing matters on her mind.  She was determined to have the conversation with grandmother.  She needed to make sure the plans for Hunter and Savvy’s training were solid.  She also wanted to know more about the excommunication order.  She never really got an answer earlier.  She wasn't sure how she was going to convince her to talk openly, but
she 
knew it was
ne
cessary.  She was in such a hurry to talk to her grandmother that she forgot to say goodbye to Lucky which she only realized when
he sp
un her around on the top step and placed a kiss on her cheek, telling her he would be there at six to pick them up for the dance.  Rebecca managed a nod and smile, but her mind was already preoccupied with other things more important than a silly dance. 

Rebecca missed his kisses
, but she was beginning to realize she missed Gabriel’s more.  Lucky’s touch was electric but Gabe set her on fire.  She was beginning to realize Lucky was a diversion, and Gabe was more her speed.  She just had no desire to make that type of commitment.  But in reality she couldn’t ask Lucky to give up his future with Felicity if she knew their relationship wasn’t going to get very far.  That only made her question if her desire for Gabe was hers or influenced by the wolf.  She was a mess!

"Are you okay?"
  He asked when he released her.  Rebecca shook her head.  She needed to tell him, but had no idea how to start that conversation.  Besides, she needed more confirmation on how she felt.  Maybe it was the mark that changed things.  "Can you tell me why you were off in such a hurry?"

"Gotta get ready for the dance."
  It wasn't a lie, it was partially true.

"Did I ever tell you my unique power?"  He smiled sadly.

"No, you told me not to ask."

"It
’s detecting lies and making people tell the truth."

Rebecca took a step back, feeling like she’d been slapped.
  "Why would you hide something like that from me?"

"Because we were not serious
, and I don't share my power with anyone unless I think they’re likely to become permanent in my life."

‘
Oh crap!
’

She crossed her arms over her chest.  Was he making another play in the game that was her romantic life?  Just when she was starting to realize he was a distraction not the guy she would ultimately choose.  “What about Felicity?  What about your promise to Gabriel to not try anything until I made up my mind?”

“All is fair in love and war.”  It was such a cliché answer. 

‘
Tell him you choose Gabriel.
’  The wolf panted heavily in her mind.

‘
I don’t know yet.  I don’t know who I choose.
’

“And as far as Felicity is concerned, I’m beginning to think she is not the girl I thought she was.” 

“Have you broken up with her?”  Rebecca’s heart sped up, ‘
please say no!
’  She couldn’t help but wonder if that was the wolf or her own inner voice.

He sat down on the front step and waited for her to join him.  “To break things off with her means to shatter family promises and alliances.  I can’t do that until I know for sure of your choice.”

Rebecca nodded.  “I can’t be the reason you break up with her.  You have to see that, Lucky.  You have to decide that on your own.”

He placed his head in his hands.  “So where does that leave us?”

Rebecca shook her head.  “The same place we were a week ago, in limbo.”  She offered a weak smile.  “And, you have to know, my feelings for Gabriel are just as strong as they are for you.” 

‘
Stronger
.’  The alpha offered.

“I couldn’t choose between ei
ther of you at this point.  I have too much going on; relationships are taking their place on the backburner.  I have a pack, people who are counting on me, responsibilities that far outweigh who owns my heart.”

“That’s what I like so much about you
, Rebecca.  You put your needs behind others.  You were thrown into this leadership role and you’re taking to it like a fish in water.”

Rebecca stared straight ahead.  She didn’t feel that way.  She felt like she was barely able to hold everything together.  When she thought of her problems she envisioned that she was holding onto sand
s in her hands and she couldn’t keep the sands from falling through her fingers.  She felt sure about nothing.  The one part of her that was keeping her together was angry at her for not blindly following her logic. 

She decided a change of subject was safer than the path they were traveling at the moment.  "So you’re a human lie detector?"

"Human, supernatural, it doesn't matter."  He shrugged.  "I can simply tell when someone is lying and I chose this moment to tell you this because this is officially the first time you’ve lied to me."

That statement shocked Rebecca.  He was right.
 

"It was only
a partial lie."  She responded earnestly.

"But a lie, nonetheless.  W
ant to try again?"

This new information was unsettling.
  Who told the truth
all
the time?  It made this budding relationship more difficult, not that it wasn’t already impossible.  It made her question if it was doable.

"It isn't that great of a power.  I mean, you can tell if someone is lying b
y listening to their heart beat; even your sense of smell can tell if someone is lying.  The difference is that I don't have to try listening or sensing, I just know."  His eyes were sad again.  It struck her odd that his eyes were sad all the time lately.  When she first met him he was smiling and enjoyment soared from his eyes.  She wondered if she was the cause for all his pain.  “The real power is in being able to convince someone to tell the truth.  It comes in very handy for interrogations.”

"Wow."
  It was all she could say at the moment. 

"Yeah.
  Most people run the other way when they hear what I can do.  That’s why I only share it with a few select people."

He looked so vulnerable in that moment, Rebecca felt herself melt.
  She leaned her head against his shoulders and wrapped her arm around his waist.  The motion moved her into his personal space.  "I don't know if you’ve noticed or not but I’m not
'most people'
."  She smiled and kissed his lips softly.  He didn’t respond, she could tell he wanted to, but something held him back. 

Instead
, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer until she was almost sitting in his lap.  He placed his forehead on hers, and after a moment his lips touched hers.  The kiss he gave her was slow and exquisitely painful.  It was like he poured all his vulnerability into that kiss.  She responded in turn, allowing herself to get lost in his emotions.  He was so easy to care about, even more when he was vulnerable.

‘
But he is not your choice.  You are leading him on.
’  The wolf accused coldly.

‘
I haven’t made my choice!
’  Rebecca demanded back.  But it was enough to break the spell of the moment.  She moved a few inches away, the last thing she wanted to do was lead either one of them on.

Rebecca decided to share with him why she was in such a hurry.  "My grandmother promised to tell Savvy and Hunter about their inheritance tomorrow.  I wanted to make sure we finalized the plans.  They need to be trained to defend themselves.  My being a wolf only puts them in more danger
.
"  She paused, wondering if she should tell him the other part.  “I also want to press the issue about my mother’s excommunication order signed by Francesco.  I can’t understand why he would be signing an order for the coven of Phoenix witches.”

“I was wondering if you found that, too.  It struck me as odd.  I tried reaching out to a contact in the area coven to find out more but no one seems to want to talk about it.”  He looked straight ahead; his eyes seemed far away, deep in thought. 
"You
really love your siblings don't you?"  He said after a few moments of silence.  He turned towards her his eyes shining with respect. 

Rebecca pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes.
 
"Of course I do.
"

"I’ll do whatever I can to protect you and your family."
  He kissed her
forehead
and left his lips pressed against her skin for a few moments before he went on.  "When planning their training session, be sure to add some training sessions with me.  They can join us whenever they like.  You can also be reassured that she already
gave Savvy
and Hunter pendants of protection."

Absently
, Rebecca’s fingers shot to her own necklace that grandmother gave her the other morning.  "Pendants of protection hardly seem enough.  Especially since we don’t know what they are for." 

"Agreed
. They’re only there to protect you from being seen by those in the supernatural world, but it’s a good start."  He squeezed her free hand affectionately.  "I don't want to let you go, but I need to.  I have a feeling that conversation is going to take a while and you still have to get ready for the dance, not that you need to do much.  You’re already drop-dead gorgeous."  He grinned. "Danny, Gabe, and I will be here at seven to pick you all up."

"Okay."
  She squeezed his hand quickly and headed toward the front door of the house.  She stopped for a moment and asked, “Can you set up another meeting with Celestia for early next week?”  He nodded and headed to his car.  Rebecca walked inside her house which seemed eerily quiet.  For just a moment, she leaned back on the door and smiled.  A month ago smiles were rare in her life.  Now Lucky and Gabriel seemed to make them come constantly.  Someone up there must be looking out for her, and deep in the recesses of her soul she secretly hoped that someone was her parents.

Rebecca was disappointed after she searched the house and discovered that grandmother was gone.  The disappointment was short lived because Savvy was screaming at her to get ready.  Rebecca found Savvy in the bathroom connected to their bedroom.  She had placed her hair up in an elegant
up-do, allowing a few tendrils to frame her face.  She looked gorgeous, like a princess in her dress and hair up high.  Rebecca decided she would wear her hair down so she plugged in the hot rollers. 

“You look beautiful, sis.” 

Savvy smiled at her sister’s reflection.  “Thank you, sis.  I can’t wait to see you in that dress again.”

Rebecca sighed and hopped into the shower.  Her fate for the night was sealed.  She resigned to having as much fun as possible at the dance tonight.  After the shower, she
headed to the closet.  She threw on a pair of black jeggings and then her dress.  She made sure the skirt length was still long enough for her to wear a pair of black canvas shoes before she slipped them on.  When she was happy she was prepared for anything, she joined Savvy in the bathroom to apply some make-up and set the rollers in her hair. 

“You picked the perfect hairstyle to carry a crown.”  Rebecca grinned at her sister. 

Savvy shrugged.  “There’s a good chance that I could win the crown.  I figure I might as well be prepared - just in case.”  She smiled and winked; a knowing look in her eyes.

“I can’t think of a better homecoming queen.”  And Rebecca meant it.  Savvy had campa
igned for the crown since they were in junior high.  In the process she had done so many wonderful things for the students at their school.  “Are we okay?”

Savvy looked at Rebecca for a moment.  “Of course.  You’re my sister and no guy is ever going to come between us.  Besides
, I decided to give Danny a chance.”  She worked on applying mascara.  “Speaking of guys, Lucky and I were talking about your music and we decided we were going to find you an open mic night next week.  Are you up to playing some chords for a crowd?”

Rebecca slipped on some lip gloss and managed a soft smile.  “I don’t know, sis.  I’m not into writing music much anymore.”  She couldn’t tell her the real reason was that she
no longer had the time or the need.