The Vow: Dangerous Suggestions Book 1 (11 page)

My words startled Dawson out of his
thoughts. A look of annoyance and concern crossed his face as he
glanced at me. “Why didn’t you tell me immediately?” he asked,
sounding slightly annoyed.

I shrugged as I looked down at my
hands. I didn’t know why I got so tongue tied and confused around
Dawson. I wasn’t that kind of girl. Normally men did not affect me
at all. “I don’t know. I guess I knew it would cause more problems
than I wanted to deal with tonight.”

“
Well, what did he say to
you?” he asked expectantly.

I’d figured he would want to know what
Deek wanted. I didn’t know why I even mentioned his visit to
Dawson. Maybe it would have been better if I kept it to myself. I
shifted, trying to push my nervousness away. I didn’t like the
feeling. “Nothing much; just some stuff about wanting to meet me
after talking to Jason,” I said, deciding to skirt the truth. I was
thinking about asking him the real reason he asked me to stay, but
I changed my mind at the last minute.

Dawson didn’t speak for a minute. He
seemed like he was trying to decide what to say. He probably didn’t
believe me, but I didn’t really care. The story I gave him was all
he was going to get out of me tonight. He pulled into the driveway
of his house, and turned the truck off.

He didn’t move to get out of the truck
immediately. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” he asked,
softly.

I looked at him, trying to decide if I
should say anything. I decided against it. I didn’t need to
complicate things any more. I forced a smile, and shook my head. “I
am just tired. It has actually been a really long night for
me.”

“
All this interaction
getting to you?” he asked playfully.

I laughed softly. “Yes, something like
that. Do you need help getting Mason inside?” I asked, as I opened
my door.

He shook his head. “Go head inside. I
will get him to his room.”

“
Ok,” I said softly. I
wasn’t going to argue with him. My mind was racing. I had so many
feelings that I wasn’t used to. I didn’t know what any of them
meant, and I wasn’t quite sure if I really wanted to know what they
meant.

I lied in my bed looking at the
ceiling. A few hours had passed since I’d lied down. It was still
dark when I climbed in bed, but now the sun was peeking through the
slit in the curtains. I tried a couple times to close my eyes and
relax, but sleep would not come no matter how hard I
tried.

I didn’t understand why I was so
emotional over the whole thing. Why did I care if Dawson only
wanted me here because of my power? I didn’t understand why it was
bothering me so much. I was still needed; that should have
mattered. I was used to living in a world where no one cared that I
existed, and that was ok with me. I didn’t understand what was
different now. I was used to no one caring about who I was or what
I could do. Now they did care, and I was worried it was for the
wrong reasons.

My mind drifted back to my ability. I
could control Mason when he was drunk. It must have worked because
his guard was down. I wondered how far my ability went. I really
didn’t know much about myself. I didn’t really know what my limits
were. I used to think I had none; of course, that was before my run
in with Mason. I began to wonder if I even had the limits I thought
I did. I thought I couldn’t control werewolves because they were
supernatural, but I was wrong. I could control werewolves; at
least, I could under special circumstances. I wondered if I could
practice my ability, maybe strengthen it. If I strengthened it;
then maybe I could control werewolves. Then what? I sighed as I
pushed the thought away. I couldn’t think like this. I didn’t want
to go the rest of my life controlling everyone, did I?

I sat up and sighed in annoyance. I
ran my fingers through my hair and rolled my shoulders in an
attempt to release the tension. I couldn’t sleep. I decided to get
up and roam around. Maybe a walk in the fresh air would make me
feel a little better.

I pulled a pair of pants and a tank
top on. I peeked out my door; there was no one in the hall. The
house was completely quiet. It was a little eerie, considering it
was the middle of the afternoon. I crept down the hall, trying to
be as quiet as possible. I didn’t want to wake anyone else
up.

“
Larel,” Dawson called
from behind me. His soft voice startled me a little.

I turned and looked back down the
hall. He was standing in his doorway. He wasn’t wearing a shirt.
His hair was tousled from sleep, and his pajama pants were hanging
low on his hips. He was a beautiful man; the sight of him was a
little breathtaking.

“
I didn’t mean to wake
you,” I said softly. I was trying not to focus too much on his
chest. He was covered in tattoos, and I had the overwhelming urge
to study his body in detail.

“
Are you ok?” he asked as
he ran his fingers through his hair.

“
Of course, I just
couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about going for a walk,” I said,
forcing a smile.

“
I could come with you, if
you want some company,” he said, watching me.

“
I am fine, really. You
should get back to bed.” I was trying to brush him off nicely. I
really needed to be alone. I couldn’t think straight anymore. I was
hoping some fresh air would help me clear my head, so I could make
up my mind about everything.

“
Okay, well. Get me if you
need me,” he said, smiling.

“
I will,” I said,
returning his smile. He turned and disappeared back into his room.
I walked down the hall to the stairs. I walked quickly down the
stairs, and out the front door. I stepped out into the warm
sunlight, and I immediately relaxed. I loved the warmth of the
sun.

I stepped off the porch into the soft
grass. I was trying to decide which way to go. Woods surrounded the
house on three sides. There were trails in every direction. I
picked one, and started down it. I wasn’t sure where I was even
going. I was just walking. I was careful to note landmarks so I
wouldn’t get lost. It seemed like it would be easy to get lost in a
place like this.

I wasn’t sure how long I walked. I
wound through the trees not really paying attention to where I was
going anymore. I figured I would eventually find my way
back.

“
You are brave, coming all
the way out here on your own,” a soft female voice said from in
front of me.

I hesitated, and looked up. Lena was
standing only a few feet away from me. I hated that I hadn’t even
heard her approach. It was a really big disadvantage to me. “Do I
have something to worry about?” I asked casually. I really didn’t
want to start a fight with her, but it looked like I was going to
get one, by the expression on her face.

She scoffed and glared at me. “You are
taking him away from me!” she said angrily. Her hands were balled
into fists at her side, and tears rolled down her
cheeks.

“
You have this all wrong,”
I said cautiously. I didn’t understand why she automatically
assumed I was going after Dawson. I suppose any sane woman would
have gone after him if given the chance. “I am just staying at the
house. I currently have no romantic interest in Dawson.”

“
Currently?” she asked,
sounding a little angrier.

I sighed in annoyance. It didn’t
really matter what I said. She was going to find a way to turn
everything around on me. “What does it matter? From what I
understand, you were more interested in Mason,” I said,
curtly.

Her eyes narrowed. “Mason was a
mistake, and you don’t know anything about it.”

I was only making her angrier, but I
didn’t care. “I have a walk to get back to,” I said, dismissing
her. I moved forward to continue on my path. She stepped closer to
me, like she was going to attack. I looked at her, daring her to
start a fight. I had no clue what I was going to do if she did. I’d
never had to defend myself. I wasn’t entirely sure how well I would
do against a werewolf.

“
He is mine; he just needs
time, and he will come back to me,” she said, firmly. I wasn’t sure
if she was trying to convince me or herself.

“
Then you have nothing to
worry about,” I said simply, and continued on my way. She didn’t
attempt to stop me again, which was a little surprising. I really
thought she was going to force me to fight. I didn’t look back, and
she didn’t make an attempt to follow me.

I made it back to the main road. I
knew I wasn’t far from the bar, which meant I wasn’t far from the
house. The sun was starting to set. I decided to walk back toward
the house instead of toward the bar. I didn’t want to go to the
bar. Lena seemed to be on edge, and I was sure she had friends. She
at least had more friends than I did.

The sound of a vehicle approaching
from behind me caught my attention. I turned as Dawson’s truck
approached. He was coming from the bar. He slowed as he pulled up
alongside me.

“
Do you need a ride?” he
asked playfully.

I smiled as I opened the passenger
door. “I would love a ride.” I was in a much better mood, now. The
walk really did me some good. I was able to relax, and clear my
mind. I hadn’t come to any solid conclusions, but I at least
relaxed a little.

“
Have you been out
wandering around since early this afternoon?” he asked, sounding
slightly amused.

I nodded. “I feel a lot better. I am
used to silence. Lately, so much has been going on. I was starting
to feel a little overwhelmed.”

“
So you aren’t the robot
Mason claims?” he asked, playfully.

I giggled. “No, I do have feelings,
despite what Mason says.”

“
I knew that,” Dawson
said, smiling. “You are a little distant, but you are starting to
warm up.”

I scoffed. “It is more like I am
getting more confused. Have you talked to Lena lately?” I asked,
changing the subject. I didn’t really like the topic being about
me. I decided to make it about him. I was more comfortable when it
was about him.

He looked a little surprised by my
change of subject. “Not since last night; why?”

I shrugged. “She was in the woods
today. She seemed a little upset.”

“
She talked to you?” he
asked, sounding a little worried.

I smiled slightly. It was obvious he
knew what had happened. He probably knew Lena well enough. “She
did. She seems to think I am trying to take you from
her.”

He rolled his eyes. “She really
doesn’t get it,” he muttered. “I don’t get how she can sleep with
Mason, then just expect me to look the other way.”

I shrugged. “I’m not an expert on
relationships, but she seems pretty obsessed with you.”

He sighed. “Unfortunately, that isn’t
a good thing.” He pulled into his driveway and put the truck in
park. “I have some other errands to run. I will be back a little
later.”

I was a little disappointed that he
was leaving me, but I wasn’t going to say anything. I climbed out
of the truck, and gave him a little wave. He backed out of the
driveway, and set off down the road.

I turned and walked up the steps into
the house. I wondered if Mason was up yet. He’d had quite a bit to
drink the night before. I was debating on whether I wanted to go in
the house or not. It was such a nice night, I was beginning to
think I would rather spend it outside.

“
I find it hard to believe
that he leaves you alone,” a familiar male voice said from behind
me.

I turned, a little startled. I thought
I would get used to being snuck up on, but I hadn’t. Deek was
standing not far from the base of the stairs. He was dressed in
jeans and a tight fitting white tee shirt. The look was different
from the night before, but the clothes were still just as
expensive. He was holding a packet in his hands. I was a little
curious as to why he was here. He was even more brazen than I’d
thought. Showing up at the bar was one thing; showing up at
Dawson’s house was really pushing the limits.

“
Why? I am a big girl,” I
said, smiling. I wasn’t afraid of him. I figured if he was going to
do something to harm me, he would have already done it. I doubted
he would harm me. If he harmed me, I would be of no use to him. He
didn’t appear to be the type to come around if someone was of no
use to him.

He smiled slightly, and offered me the
packet he was holding. “I thought you might like to see
this.”

I raised my eyebrows in confusion as I
moved forward to take the packet from him. “What is it?” I had to
admit I was curious. He had my attention, and he knew it. I wanted
to know what was in the packet.

“
It is a little
information I found. I think it could have something to do with
what you are,” he said simply.

I looked at him, confused. “What do
you mean, what I am?” I never claimed to be anything, but like the
others, he automatically assumed I was something unique, like he
was.

He laughed like I was being silly. “I
know you have no idea what you are. I have contacts throughout this
pack. Mason cannot keep his mouth shut to save his
life.”