Chapter 10
JULIET
The beers are making my brain feel fuzzy and unfocused, so I rummage through my bag and pull out the components for s’mores. Best thing to soak up alcohol is to get some food in my belly.
Some in Zoey’s too. She was practically climbing Warner when he showed up. The sight made me anxious.
Tanya was right. Warner is extremely likable. I found that out when I talked to him on the phone to schedule a time for him to come repair the hole in my house. He’s charming and funny, and even through the phone I could hear him smiling.
Basically the opposite of his brother.
Unfortunately, that means Warner’s sheep disguise is even more convincing. I doubt many would see through to the wolf underneath. I only do because I know about the beast lurking there.
But Zoey is a naive human—at least naive when it comes to the fact that there are mythical monsters in the world.
I feel protective toward my new friend. She only showed up in Pine Falls a few weeks ago to deal with a piece of property her family owned. She’s new to this place, and she reminds me of myself when I first stumbled into Bear Valley.
The campfire crackles, a log splitting and sending sparks dancing through the air.
We made sure to surround the flames with a ring of stones and built our firepit at a slight distance from the tree line.
The residents of Pine Falls wouldn’t welcome the two of us newbies if we started a forest fire on the edge of town.
And I do want to be welcome here. To fit in. To find friends and build a life.
Werewolves only make up a fraction of the Pine Falls population, as far as I can tell, and I figure if I keep my distance from them, I can live happily with only an occasional thought toward their existence.
I shouldn’t have mocked Roderick.
But I couldn’t seem to help myself when I made out his distinct shadow in the woods.
I should have been creeped out, like I said.
But for some reason, my warning signals didn’t go off.
No part of me felt threatened or hunted by the man.
More like he was observing Zoey and me. Checking up on us to make sure nothing was wrong.
Stop trying to make him a good guy, I grouse at myself. At best, he’s a neutral force.
But worst-case scenario, I have to go on the run again.
As I rip open a bag of fresh marshmallows, I consider how to help Zoey live a safe life in a town full of wolves.
I moved here, knowing there were monsters in town.
The undetectable barrier of safety that comes with living in a pack’s territory is the reason I chose this place.
Which, again, brings me back to the fact that Zoey is lacking in all the facts.
But it’s not like I can just blurt out there are werewolves. Even if she did believe me, knowing about them could put her in danger. What if she says the wrong thing to the wrong person?
Better to approach this in a more subtle manner.
“So, you know that guy Warner, huh?” My voice sounds tight to my ears, but maybe Zoey is too drunk to notice. Or too distracted by the stick I hand her with three marshmallows speared on the end.
Zoey shrugs, as if dismissing him. “He’s helped me out a couple of times. And he’s, like, the friendliest person I’ve ever met.” Her whole concentration appears focused on rotating the little white fluffs over the open flames.
I follow suit, trying to carefully consider my next words. Unfortunately, the beers I already drank are making that hard to do.
“He seems interested in you,” is the best I come up with.
Zoey snorts. “Well, that’s a mistake on his part.
” Her fingers pinch at the marshmallows, checking if they’re melted enough to be sandwiched between chocolate and graham cracker.
“I mean, I’m leaving town as soon as my grandmother’s cabin is cleaned out.
So, getting hung up on me is a big pile of pointless. ”
The words both reassure me and bum me out. I try really hard not to frown as I pass the box of graham crackers her way.
“That makes sense.” With effort, I keep the forlorn note out of my voice and reach into the cooler to dig out another beer.
Zoey hums happily beside me as she bites into her treat.
I know it’s safer if she leaves, but a selfish part of my heart wishes Zoey were also setting some roots down in this small mountain town.
I just started this friendship with the web designer.
She’s been coming into the library the last few weeks to utilize our Wi-Fi, and we finally bonded over a romance novel she was checking out.
No need to dwell on the fact that it was a biker romance.
Honestly, I thought I’d hate any book with bikers after Cory. But for some reason I don’t want to examine too deeply, I’ve enjoyed reading about a hot guy on a motorcycle wooing a badass chick.
Maybe it’s because the lady usually knocks him down a whole buttload of pegs before she agrees to let him anywhere near her pants. And then he treats her like a queen, eviscerating anyone who dares to hurt her.
But that’s fiction. This is real life, as strange as it seems. And in this world, it’s better if Zoey and I keep our distance from sexy biker men.
Our happily ever afters can’t be found with monsters.