4
Why didn’t you tell me?
Henley
After school on Friday, I’m excited about hanging out with Parker. He’s been busy with his dad all week and I’ve hardly got to spend any time with him. But, as we’re about to get into his Jeep, he gets a phone call. I try hard not to show my disappointment when he fishes his phone out of his pocket.
“What?” Parker practically yells into his phone. He waves a hand at Blaine, who is about to get into his truck next to us.
Blaine makes his way over to us, his hands in the front pocket of his jeans.
“Fine.” Parker ends the call and shoves his phone back into his pocket. He looks at me. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.
He sighs. “Blaine, can you take Henley home?”
Blaine perks up. “Absolutely.”
I grin. “You mean I’m not stuck with Will tonight?”
Parker kisses me on the cheek. “I have to go, but stay with Blaine until I come later tonight.”
I nod. “Okay.”
He gets into his Jeep, so I follow Will to his truck. He opens the passenger side door for me. I notice a couple of girls looking our way, but we’re too far away for me to hear their thoughts. Still, it’s not hard to see the jealousy on their face.
Out of all the guys in the pack, Blaine is the one the girls like the most. It’s easy to see why—he’s the nice one. He has a flirty persona that makes girls think they have a shot with him. Not to mention, Blaine is very good looking. It’s those blue, blue eyes.
Blaine gets in the driver’s seat and shoots me a grin, revealing his dimples.
I shake my head at him. “It’s unfair how cute you are.”
His grin widens. “Ah, Henley, flirt with me like this and I will buy you dinner.”
“You’ll buy me dinner anyway.” I put on my seatbelt.
“Will I?” He inquires.
I nod. “Yes. Because I’m a cheap date. I don’t eat nearly as much as a wolf shifter.”
He laughs. “Just promise you won’t let Parker hear you call this a date.”
I frown at the mention of Parker. Just what is my mate up to that has him so busy? I know that he has to help his dad with stuff as part of his alpha duties, but I never see him anymore.
Blaine turns his truck in the opposite direction of my house and instead heads toward town. I glance over at him, curious about where we’re going.
“I need food, and you promised to be my date,” he says. “Does pizza sound good? We can grab a couple of boxes and head to your house.”
“Okay.” I relax in my seat. “But keep in mind, I’ll only eat a couple of slices.”
“Maybe I need three then.” He nods like it’s already decided. “I hope you like meat.”
I guess I should have expected that.
An hour later, after pizza and homework, Blaine and I sit in the living room. He’s playing a video game while I knit on a sweater I started a few weeks ago.
“Sorry you’re stuck babysitting me,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “Eh, you’re not so bad. Besides, I’d much rather be here than at home.”
I frown, remembering the night I heard his parents fighting. It was pretty intense—yelling and throwing things. I get the feeling that night wasn’t as bad as it gets sometimes.
“What are you working on?” Blaine shuts off the gaming system and turns to me.
“A sweater.” I hold it up for him. “I just split for the sleeves.”
“Huh.” He studies my sweater. “Is it going to fit you?”
I laugh. “Yes. It’s not done yet. I’ve got to finish the body and do the sleeves.”
“What else have you knit?” he asks.
I put my sweater to the side and sit up straighter. “Do you want to see all my socks?”
One corner of his lips turns up. “Wow. You look really excited about the idea of showing me socks.”
“Come on.” I push myself up, motioning for him to follow me.
We head upstairs, to my bedroom. He stands in the doorway, not fully coming in. I open my chest and pull out a huge box of socks.
“I have more in storage,” I tell him.
He comes closer, looking inside. “Wow. You really didn’t have friends before you came here.”
I put the socks back in the chest and roll my eyes at him. “You’re just jealous because I made a pair for Parker and I didn’t make any for you.”
He chuckles. “Why am I not surprised?”
I hear my dad’s bedroom door open. He walks past my room and backs up when he notices Blaine and I are inside.
Dad furrows his brows. “Uh, hi, Blaine.”
“Hey, Mr. Stone.” Blaine lifts his hand and waves at my dad.
“I was going to lecture you about having boys in your room, but I wasn’t expecting Blaine to be here.” Dad looks curiously between Blaine and me like he’s not sure how to proceed with his lecture.
“Parker is busy with alpha duties, so he asked me to come over.” Blaine stuffs his hands into the front pocket of his jeans.
Dad nods.
“I was showing him my socks.” I walk closer to the door. “We were just heading back to the living room. He’s staying here until Parker is done doing whatever he’s doing.”
“Okay. Well, I’m heading out,” Dad says, his voice sounding… off.
I look curiously at him, just now noticing that he’s not dressed in his work clothes. Instead, he has on a nice pair of jeans and a button up shirt.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
He clears his throat. “Out. Remember the rules—no boys alone in your room while I’m gone.” He starts to turn, then pauses. “Oh, and Parker isn’t allowed in the house at all while I’m gone, even downstairs.”
“Okay, Dad.”
After that, he turns and leaves my room. I hear him whistling as he heads down the stairs.
I glance at Blaine. “Okay, he was acting really strange.”
“Come on. Let’s go downstairs so your dad doesn’t think I’m trying to put the moves on you.”
The thought makes me snort, but I follow him anyway. “I never knew my dad was so paranoid about boys until we moved here. He was torn between happy for me and horrified when he found out about Parker and me.”
Blaine walks in front of me as we head downstairs. “I think it’s better to meet your mate young. There is less time for temptation that way.”
“There are advantages, but also disadvantages.” I frown, thinking of how Parker and I never get to spend time together. I almost think Parker’s dad and mine are scheming to keep us apart. “I think after high school might be better.”
“My dad met his previous girlfriend in high school,” Blaine says casually. “He grew up in a really small pack. His girlfriend was the only other supernatural that went to his school.”
I furrow my brows. “I thought she was in this pack.”
He sits down on the couch, a frown playing on his lips. “Her mate happened to be in this pack too. This was my mom’s pack.”
“If it bothers your mom so much, why don’t they join another pack to get away from her?” I sit down beside Blaine.
He snorts. “Because my mother is ridiculously stubborn.”
My heart aches for Blaine. His parents are both incredibly selfish in their actions. I wonder if they’ve ever put him first. Whoever his mate is, I hope she’s a good one. He deserves the best.
“They’re fighting a lot right now,” Blaine admits. “And I figured you wouldn’t mind having me hang out with you. It was me or Will.”
I frown. “Yes. Thank you for saving me from Will. However, I don’t understand why I even need a babysitter. I’m at home and since I can’t drive it’s not like I’ll be going anywhere.”
“It’s because of the other supernatural on pack land,” Blaine says casually.
“Other supernatural?” I ask.
“Parker didn’t tell you?” His blue eyes focus on me. “It’s why he’s been gone so much. There is another supernatural sneaking around pack land. No matter what they do, they can’t catch them. They’re really sneaky.”
My mind goes back to last weekend when I walked home from Parker’s house by myself. Before Will caught up with me, I ran into another supernatural. I thought it was strange, but I keep forgetting when I’m with Parker.
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, wondering if I should tell Blaine now. If I do, Parker will be even more insistent that I have a babysitter.
Blaine nudges me with his knee. “Hey, are you okay?”
I nod, then sigh. “Yes, but I’ve seen the guy. The, uh, supernatural, I mean. At least, I think it was him.”
His eyes widen. “What? When?”
“Last weekend,” I admit. “Parker had to leave. He told me to wait for Will to come home, but he’s always so paranoid about something happening to me. I decided to walk home without waiting. This other supernatural approached me, but they ran off before Will got there.”
“And you didn’t tell Parker?”
I shrug. “How was I supposed to know another supernatural was roaming around pack land without permission? He never said anything to me.”
“But you should’ve told him,” Blaine insists.
I throw my hands up. “When was I supposed to tell him? Was that when we were in class? Because that’s the only time I’ve seen him this whole week.”
Blaine’s face softens. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”
He goes quiet, a strange look on his face. He cocks his head to the side and stares at a random spot on the floor. I turn to look and don’t see anything.
What is he…
“Parker is on his way,” Blaine abruptly says.
Oh. He was mind linking with Parker.
I run my fingers through my hair. “So what’s the deal with this supernatural? Why is he on pack land?”
Blaine shrugs. “I don’t know. To know why, they need to catch him. It’s against the law for another supernatural to invade pack land without permission, so whatever he wants, it can’t be good.”
“I didn’t know that was the law. Maybe he doesn’t know either,” I suggest.
He gives me a look, raising an eyebrow and pursing his lips. “Henley, supernaturals know the law. You would know them too if you had grown up knowing what you were.” He snorts. “And I still don’t know how you ever thought you were human.”
I roll my eyes.
I’ve heard this before. Many times, in fact. And maybe he’s right, but how could I have possibly known? I didn’t realize there were other people who were different, like me. As I’ve learned, supernaturals hate large cities. It’s a sensory overload for us. I have no idea how my dad dealt with it as long as he did. It must’ve been overwhelming with his shifter hearing.
A couple of minutes later, the front door to my house bursts open. I jump a little at the abrupt noise, my heart racing. When I see Parker walk in, I let out a breath of relief. But when I see Mr. Thorne walk in behind him, I tense again.
Why did Parker bring his dad?
I shoot a look at Blaine, who doesn’t seem the least bit shocked by the presence of his alpha.
Parker comes straight toward me, his jaw tense. His eyes seem to flash between their natural color of blue and the gold color of his wolf. He sits down beside me and grabs ahold of my hand—only then does he seem to calm down.
Mr. Thorne shuts the front door and casually walks over, taking a seat on the loveseat catty corner to us.
“Parker tells me that you have seen this supernatural that is invading pack land,” Mr. Thorne says, his gaze solely on me.
“Uh, yeah.” I look from him to Parker, but Parker’s eyes are still glowing gold. I turn back to his dad. “I didn’t know that it was a big deal. I ran into him on the path between your house and mine last weekend.”
“Him. So, it’s a male.” Mr. Thorne nods. “What did he look like?”
I shrug. “Tall, I guess. I could tell he was supernatural. His eyes were brown, but even in the shade of trees, I could see them glowing. I knew he wasn’t a wolf shifter, but I didn’t know what kind of supernatural he was. I asked him and he seemed surprised that I didn’t know.”
Parker tenses. “You talked to him?”
“Barely.” I look at him, my stomach tightening when I see that his eyes are an even darker color of amber now. “Before he could even tell me what he was, Will came. He seemingly disappeared into thin air. Will walked me home after that. Nothing else happened.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Parker’s dad asks.
I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “Uh, because I didn’t realize it was a big deal.”
“You didn’t know we were looking for a supernatural on pack land?” Mr. Thorne looks from me to Parker, his eyebrows raising.
“I didn’t want to scare her.” Parker runs his free hand through his hair. His blue eyes turn to me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Like I said, I didn’t realize it was a big deal. Besides, when was I supposed to tell you?” I try to keep the bitterness out of my voice, though I’m sure it’s very apparent. “I’ve barely even seen you since we found out we’re mates. I only see you between classes and on our drives to school. To be honest, I didn’t want to waste what little time we had talking about something I didn’t realize was a big deal.”
Parker’s lips turn down.
“It’s not your fault, Henley,” Mr. Thorne insists. “Parker should have told you about the supernatural.”
“Blaine told me—that’s when I told him about the incident.” I look away from Parker, not wanting to see the sad expression on his face.
“I told you not to tell her,” Parker growls at Blaine.
Blaine rubs a hand at the back of his neck. “She needed to know. She’s been moping around all week. Even her dad seemed surprised to find me here instead of you.”
Parker flinches.
I put my hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I know you have alpha duties.”
“Alpha duties shouldn’t come before your mate,” Blaine says.
Parker growls again.
Mr. Thorne clears his throat. “We’re getting off topic here.”
“Henley doesn’t need to be alone. Ever,” Parker says, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Why not?” I ask.
His yellow eyes snap to me. “Are you kidding? This guy clearly took an interest in you. What if he hurts you?”
I shrug. “If I die, I’ll just come back to life.”
“You don’t know that. We don’t know what you are. There could be limits to it. And what if there is a way to kill you permanently and this guy knows it?” His voice is so low and growly.
Okay, he has a point.
“Then teach me how to defend myself,” I say.
He shakes his head. “Absolutely not. It’s my job, as your mate, to protect you.”
Blaine sits forward. “Don’t take offense, Henley. Male shifters are very protective of their females.”
I want to argue, but I realize that I’m coming at this from a very human point of view. I’m still learning the ways of shifters. From what I’ve seen, shifters are protective of their mates.
“We can discuss it later.” I sit back on the couch, purposefully not meeting Parker’s gaze.
Mr. Thorne smirks in a way that reminds me of Parker. He slides forward, standing from the couch. “Well, I am going home. It seems we won’t be getting any more information tonight.”
“I’m going to stay with Henley,” Parker declares.
Blaine snorts. “Not here you’re not. Henley was just informed she’s not allowed to be at her house with you alone.”
“Seriously?” Parker crosses his arms over his chest.
Mr. Thorne chuckles. “Why don’t the three of you come to the house? I’m going to grill some steaks for dinner.”
Parker and Blaine both perk up at that.
Of course. Because shifters love meat.
Parker turns to me. “Do you want to hang out at my house?”
I nod—not because I want steaks, but because I want to spend time with my soulmate.
Parker
We keep getting so close to the guy who is sneaking around pack land, but he keeps getting away. It’s maddening.
The worst of it is, the guy is most often found close to Henley’s house. It’s obvious that she is the reason he’s here.
Will and Blaine stand outside of Henley’s house with me. It’s nearly midnight, so Henley is in bed and has no clue that we’re stalking outside of her house. She wouldn’t mind if she knew—we’re trying to protect her.
“What are we going to do?” Blaine asks, looking from Henley’s house to me.
“Protect her,” I answer, shooting him a glare. The answer should’ve been obvious already.
“Are you going to tell her?” He rubs a hand at his jaw.
“No way. I don’t want to scare her.”
Will huffs. “If you don’t tell her, she’ll only do something stupid. You know she hates having a guard all the time. She’s too independent.”
“I agree.” Blaine shoots me a look. “She wasn’t raised in this life. She knew nothing of supernaturals before we met her. And before us, she’s been on her own. You can’t expect her to stay home unless you give her a reason to.”
“I don’t want her to know.” Some of my alpha powers slip through in my words.
Will rolls his eyes. “You’re the boss.”
“I need help watching her.” I look between my friends. “I have to catch this guy—there is something off about him.”
“You mean the fact that he smells like Henley?” Blaine asks.
I shake my head. “No, it’s more than that. If he were truly interested in Henley because they’re the same kind of supernatural, he would approach the pack and ask to meet her. He’s being sneaky about it, which makes me think he’s here for nefarious reasons.”
“You know we’ll help,” Blaine says.
“I will keep helping her figure out how to block thoughts,” Will offers. “And when Blaine is with her, I’ll help you.”
Blaine steps closer. “We will help you protect your mate.”
“But I still think you should tell her.” Will crosses his arms over his chest. “You know she’s not going to like having a babysitter. Telling her the truth will help ease the sting.”
Blaine nods. “He’s right, Parker.”
“Absolutely not.” I turn away from my friends. “You two can head home. Another pack member is coming soon to watch Henley so I can get some sleep.”
Blaine sighs and Will openly glares at me, but neither of them argues further.
I can’t tell Henley about all of this. She already has so much on her. She tries to play it off, but I know school is hard on her. I hear the other kids whisper in the hallway. Their curiosity has only grown stronger when it comes to her. The fact that Will, Blaine, and I are always with her only makes it worse.
No, I will keep this from her. I’ll tell her later… after we catch the guy and after I know she’s safe.