Chapter 3
Selene tried to remember how much she’d had to drink before this conversation. Nothing. She hadn’t had anything to drink. But she was tired. That long, long drive. That was why she was hearing bizarre things instead of whatever Allie was trying to tell her.
“Auntie Selene?”
Tired. Very, very tired.
Allie poked her in the arm. “Are you okay?”
“What did you just say?” Selene stared at her niece.
“My boyfriend is a werewolf,” Allie replied.
Maybe it’s not me. “Have you been drinking?”
“No.”
“Do you have a fever?”
“No.”
“Is this a joke?”
“NO!”
Allie threw up her hands and left the room. Selene heard the front door open, followed by Allie saying to someone, “You were right. You’d better come inside.”
When Allie returned to the living room, Josh was at her side.
“Hi again, Ms. Jones,” Josh said.
Selene’s eyes widened, and she turned a hard stare on her niece. “Allison, what is going on? You were supposed to say good night to Josh. Has he been waiting outside all this time?”
“It was my idea, Ms. Jones,” Josh answered. “Please don’t blame Allie.”
In their brief meeting outside, Selene had noticed Allie’s new boyfriend was cute, but seeing him in the full light proved that assessment severely lacking.
He had an adorable mop of light-brown hair, shot through with golden threads, and a smile that could melt ice.
Teenage dream incoming. No wonder Allie was smitten.
“Josh.” Selene resisted his sweet smile. “We have rules in this house, and if you want to date my niece, you’ll need to respect them. It’s fine for you to come over, but not without letting me know.”
“I understand that, Ms. Jones, and I meant no disrespect.” Josh smiled again.
“I think you should show her,” Allie said and took Josh’s hand.
“Are you sure?” He turned wide sky blue eyes on the girl. He had dangerously long eyelashes.
Selene watched Allie’s heart bloom.
Damn.
“Yes, she needs to know. And she won’t believe me without seeing it.” Allie rose to her tiptoes and kissed him.
“Allison.” Selene frowned. “Now is not the time for PDA.”
“Ms. Jones.” Josh looked at Selene. His stark tone silenced her. “Please know that I will never hurt your niece . . . or you.”
“Excuse me?” Selene could swear her heart stopped. Why would he say that? Why would anyone say that?
“Go on,” Allie said.
“I’ll need this in a sec.” He snatched a throw blanket from a basket beside the couch and handed it to Allie. She nodded and moved closer to Selene.
“Just remember to breathe, Auntie Sel,” she said.
Selene was about to reply when something happened to Josh.
At first it looked like his muscles twitched.
Then they rippled. In the next moment, his entire body convulsed, his torso lengthened, his face elongated.
His shirt ripped and his jeans tore. The shredded remnants of his clothing dropped to the floor.
Fur sprouted from his skin, and claws replaced his fingernails.
It all happened in the space of two heartbeats that felt like an eternity.
Selene gaped at the wolf that politely dropped to its haunches on her living room floor. Josh’s blue eyes blinked at her.
Then she fainted.
When her eyes opened again, Allie hovered over her. “Aunt Sel?”
“Allie?” Selene looked up at Allie. “Did I fall down?”
“You passed out,” Allie replied. “Don’t feel bad. That’s a normal reaction.”
“What?” Selene frowned.
“Are you okay, Ms. Jones?”
Selene’s eyes followed the sound of the voice that asked the question. Her gaze landed on a boy standing in the living room. For some reason, he was wearing a blanket instead of clothes. He looked familiar.
“Who are you?”
“Oh boy.” Allie huffed out a breath. “Aunt Selene. This is Josh, remember? My boyfriend.”
Memories took shape within the haze of Selene’s mind. Avondale. Moving day. A boy waiting in front of Emma’s house.
“Josh, right.” Selene pushed herself onto her elbows. Her vision swam. “Sorry. I’m not sure what happened. I’m a little lightheaded. I guess the drive really wore me out.”
“Should we take her to the hospital?” Josh asked Allie. “I think she hit her head on the coffee table.”
Selene squinted at him. “Why are you wearing a blanket? Where are your clothes? You need clothes.”
“Auntie Sel.” Allie spoke very slowly. “Do you remember what happened right before you fainted? What Josh showed you?”
There was a tiny voice clambering for Selene’s attention, trying to tell her something vital, but Selene instinctively knew she did not want to hear whatever that voice had to say.
“I remember meeting Josh,” Selene replied. “And you telling me that you guys are in a serious relationship. But Josh was supposed to go home. It’s late. Josh shouldn’t be here. You’re both kids. And he needs clothes. Clothes are important.”
Josh cleared his throat. “Maybe we should try this again tomorrow. She’s not taking it well.”
“No,” Allie said firmly. “She needs to understand that it’s real.”
“That what’s real?” Selene’s head ached. She really wanted to lie down and close her eyes.
“Are you sure?” Josh asked. “She might be concussed.”
Allie knelt beside Selene and inspected her skull. “I don’t see any bumps. Aunt Sel, do you know what year it is?”
“I’m not concussed.” Selene had no idea if she was concussed, but she was pretty sure she did know what year it was. She also knew she wanted this conversation to end. It was obvious she needed to go to bed.
Putting her arm around Selene’s shoulders, Allie helped her sit all the way up. “Show her again, Josh.”
“Show me what?” Selene didn’t understand the dread that suddenly pressed against her ribs. Why would she be afraid?
Josh’s expression grew somber, but he nodded.
“Aunt Selene, I need you to watch Josh,” Allie instructed. “Don’t take your eyes off him. Don’t even blink.”
In the moment all Selene wanted to do was shut her eyes as tightly as she could.
Allie seemed to sense that and whispered, “Please, Auntie Sel.”
“I won’t blink,” Selene agreed, even as her gut clenched.
“Do it now,” Allie told Josh.
Selene didn’t blink, and Josh turned into a wolf.
This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.
“Do you remember now?” Allie’s voice sounded very far away. “Josh is a werewolf. He’s my boyfriend, and he’s a werewolf.”
Maybe I never made it to Avondale. Maybe I fell asleep at the wheel. Oh god. What if the car crashed in a ditch and this is all some near-death hallucination? What if Allie is dying too?
That tiny voice piped up again, and this time Selene couldn’t shut it out. Why would you hallucinate about Allie and werewolves? You know that’s not what’s happening.
As much as the voice’s logic was bizarre, it was also accurate. Werewolves weren’t something Selene dreamed about, or even thought about. Ever.
Also, the Josh-wolf was still sitting in front of her.
“Auntie Sel?” Allie gave her a little shake. “You’re scaring me. Please say something.”
A laugh of disbelief flew out of Selene’s throat. “I’m scaring you?”
The wolf turned back into a teenage boy, who quickly wrapped himself in the blanket again. “I think that’s a good sign. The sarcasm, I mean.”
“I think so too,” Allie said. She put her other arm around Selene and hugged her tight. “I promise it’s okay, Auntie Sel. I know it’s a lot to take in.”
Werewolves are real. Oh my god. I can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it.
“Josh,” Selene said in a pained voice. “I’m having a hard time. You’d better show me again.”
“No problem,” he replied, and a moment later she was staring at a wolf again.
Werewolves are real, and my niece is dating one.
“You’re a werewolf,” Selene said flatly.
He changed back. “Yes, but I’m not dangerous.”
“Since you haven’t attacked me, I’m going to believe you.” She rubbed her aching temples.
“I still think we should take you to the hospital,” Josh said. Werewolf or not, he sounded genuinely concerned. “You did hit your head.”
“I’m okay,” Selene said. Her headache wasn’t because she bumped her skull on the coffee table. That she was sure of. “No hospital.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?” He waggled three fingers at her.
It took Selene a moment to answer. All she could think about was how a minute ago that hand had been a paw. “Three.”
“Who is the president?” Josh asked.
“Josh, come on,” Allie said. “She’ll be fine.”
“I’ll get you a glass of water, Ms. Jones.” He left the room, blanket flowing behind him like a cape.
“And some ibuprofen, Josh,” Selene called. “I think there’s some in the medicine cabinet of the powder room.”
I can’t believe I just said “powder room” to a werewolf. Oh my god. There’s a werewolf in my house.
Black crept into the edges of her vision again.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Aunt Selene?” Allie took her hand.
Selene shook her head, forcing it to clear. “How long have you known about this? Since the beginning?”
Allie looked away. “Yes. Avondale isn’t like other towns. Most of the people who live here . . . aren’t exactly people. I knew Josh was a werewolf when we started dating.”
Selene gripped her niece’s hand. “What? How? Why?”
She couldn’t form an actual question. Maybe this was a dream. Yes. A dream. Eventually she’d wake up.
“I know it’s a shock, but I swear it’s not a bad thing,” Allie said. “It’s a whole new reality, but once you adjust, it’s awesome.”
Selene pinched the bridge of her nose, her world tilted so far on its axis, she was certain it was about to flip.
It could still all be a dream. Couldn’t it? I could wake up tomorrow and none of this will have happened.
“. . . but Josh is amazing.” Selene realized Allie had been talking the whole time she’d been lost in her thoughts.
“I had no idea I could feel this way about someone.” Allie sighed out the words, her expression cartoonishly smitten. Selene wouldn’t have been surprised if her niece’s pupils suddenly became hearts.