Chapter 10 Evan
EVAN
Istep out onto the lawn, needing to put some distance between me and Jericho’s sketchbook for a while.
The yard is empty, and there is no trace of which direction they disappeared to.
I wander around for a bit, staying close to the house while admiring the beautifully maintained yard.
The pack clearly takes pride in their property, even in these colder months.
It makes me curious, how much land do they own? And how many other packs are in the area? Will they all react to Jericho the way Bronson had? And if so, can we trust them? Can we trust this pack to protect him?
Every question just makes me more and more anxious, until I finally pull my phone out to text Jericho: Everything okay? It’s been a couple of hours.
My entire body aches from the stress of this morning, and I’m fairly certain there is a bruise forming on my side from where Jericho grabbed me.
It’s a good thing he did, or I would’ve been wolf chow.
And holy hell. What a testament to Jericho’s new-found abilities.
To act so fast and with so little effort…
He’d flung us twenty feet into the air before I could even blink.
When another thirty minutes pass without a reply, I start to get agitated.
I shouldn’t have let him go. Not after we promised we’d stick together!
What if he’s in trouble? Shit, why didn’t I grab my gun before we left my house?
I had been too surprised by Jericho’s return to think clearly. I need it now.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should’ve known better.
Rowen, Ivy, and Justice are sitting on the porch when I return to the house. I keep my distance, having not forgiven Rowen for nearly killing my best friend.
“So just before he steals the ball from Calli, his back arches and he starts to shift,” Justice says.
Ivy covers her mouth. “Oh no. During class?”
“Yup. Startled everyone, especially his girlfriend.”
Ivy laughs. “Did it take him long?”
“No, only a few seconds. The coach didn’t even see it.”
Ivy and Rowen burst out laughing. “Poor guy,” Ivy says. “I’m not surprised though. He is the son of an alpha. Alpha born always shift faster.”
“Yeah. I’m just glad my first shift wasn’t in public,” Rowen says, face wrinkling in discomfort. Ivy snorts, shoving her brother.
I can’t help but grin, picking up on the conversation. Curiosity gets the better of me. “How old do you need to be to shift, anyway? I’ve never heard of kids running around as wolves, so I’m assuming teens?”
They all turn toward me with mixed expressions. “Usually happens around fifteen.”
I nod. “Makes sense, I guess. Just like all the other changes our bodies go through then.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
I shake my head. “It must be weird to be a shifter.”
“No way. I’d rather be a shifter than a vampire,” Ivy says with a laugh. “Can you imagine needing blood every few days?” She makes a face. “Gross.”
Every few days. Is that true? I honestly have no idea. I’ll need to ask Jericho how often he needs to feed. Or drink? I don’t even know what to call it.
I clearly don’t know anything.
“I don’t know, man. Vamp gifts are pretty cool,” Justice says, pulling one foot up to rest his chin on it. “Dad knew a vamp once who could hold his breath under water for like fourteen hours! He ended up joining the coast guard, I think.”
“That’s good,” Rowen says. “At least he’s using it for good. So many of them don’t.”
“Especially lately,” Ivy says, her voice dropping. She turns to Justice. “How is everyone in your pack doing anyway? I can’t believe it’s been six months since your mom died.”
Justice sighs. “Yeah. We’re okay, I guess. Dad struggles the most.”
Ivy reaches over to squeeze Justice’s arm. “Just know that we’re here for you. We know how much it hurts. We’re here if you ever need to talk.”
“I know. My dad doesn’t like me leaving the house anymore, though. Says it’s too dangerous.”
Ivy frowns. “I’ll try to be better about coming to you, okay? Or calling, at the very least. We miss you guys. I know Mom still thinks about Gerina a lot.”
Justice nods, running a finger along the worn material of the track pants he is wearing. He must have borrowed them from Rowen since he’d arrived in wolf form. After a moment, he wipes at his eyes and Ivy pulls him in for a hug.
Rowen sees me watching and says, “Justice’s mom was killed by a newborn vampire last spring.”
“Was it one of Foxx’s vamps?”
He nods. “She was freshly turned and overwhelmed with bloodlust. Jus’s mom was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.”
I mutter a curse. “I’m so sorry, man.”
He avoids my gaze.
At least that explains why Bronson wanted to murder Jericho the moment he saw him.
If my wife or spouse or whatever had been killed by a vampire, I’d want to murder those responsible.
And isn’t that exactly what the pack was doing when they first found us?
Reacting to their own pain? Sasha died at Foxx’s hands too.
The list of victims is never ending. Just like the pain.
A long, awkward moment passes before Rowen clears his throat. “Anyway, um, I wanted to apologize for what I did this morning. To Jericho, I mean. I realize now that I overreacted, and I should’ve just listened to you guys first. I’m sorry.”
I quickly look away. I was just thinking the same thing, but I’m not ready to forgive him, or pretend like it hasn’t happened. I’m not ready to let it go. But these people are kind of hard to hate. They’re decent and kind, and they just want to defend their family.
I get that. I felt the same way when Jericho first disappeared. I wanted to rip the world apart to try to find him.
The front door opens seconds before a little boy comes running out, squealing in delight. “Jussy!”
Justice turns to sweep Aster up into his arms, completely forgetting about our conversation at all. “Hey, little man!” He laughs and tickles Aster’s side, bending over to blow a raspberry against his cheek. “I missed you!”
I notice Taren standing by the front door, keeping an eye on her son. She offers me a shy but guarded smile, so I smile back.
“So,” I say, sucking in a breath. “Did you guys all grow up together or something?”
All three of them smile. “Kind of. Justice was too young to go to school with us, but we still knew each other from pack get-togethers. Then his dad bought the land next to ours about four years ago. So we’ve seen a lot more of each other,” Ivy explains as she ruffles his hair.
“He feels like a cousin now or something.”
Rowen grins at the younger man. “I don’t know. I like to think of him as a lost puppy, since he’s always following us everywhere.”
Justice laughs, though he ducks his face as his cheeks turn a soft shade of pink.
I pull my phone out to check for a text from Jericho, but there still isn’t one. It bothers me. I thought he’d be back by now.
When I see Jasmine through the window, I head inside. “Hey.”
Jasmine pauses, wiping at her brow with the back of her hand. She has a rag in one hand and a bottle of cleaning solution in the other. “Hi.”
“You haven’t heard from them, have you? I’m starting to wonder when they’ll be back.”
She sighs. “Grant called a few minutes ago. Said they’re meeting with one more pack before coming home. They should be here in about an hour.”
I clench my teeth. “Is he… I mean, how’s it going?”
“They’re fine,” she says. “The other packs have mostly been understanding.”
I must make a face because she gives me a small smile.
“Bronson is… well, he’s kind of a hothead. Always has been. But I think that’s gotten worse since his mate died. Anyway, I promise you, the others aren’t like that. They’ve been guarded, but not aggressive.”
I look over my shoulder, where Rowen is laughing at something Justice said. “No offense, but I don’t believe you. Everyone has reacted the same way to Jer. Even you.”
Her smile fades. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’m sorry about that. We’ve just been under so much stress lately. Every vampire we come across seems to be connected to the coven. It’s made us all a bit… jumpy.”
I shove my hands in my pockets, unsure of what to say.
“We used to all get along, you know. Shifters and vampires. But ever since he…” She sighs and shakes her head. “It’s just a mess now. We don’t know who to trust.”
I hear the vulnerability in her tone, and want to believe her. “Jericho is a good guy, I promise.”
She presses her lips together in a way that reminds me of my mom, when she’s trying to figure something out. “You said you met him in college, right?”
I nod. “At ComSci. We were both students.”
“And were you… Sorry, are you just friends, or…?”
It takes a second to realize she is asking if we’re together. As in, together. A couple. My cheeks heat.
“I only ask because if you’re not mated and you’d rather sleep in here, I can make a bed up for you.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re offering me a bed, but not him?”
She hesitates. “I’m not comfortable with him in the house just yet.”
I scoff. “Then thanks, but no. I’ll stay with him. I trust him completely.”
I turn to walk outside, annoyed. Yet somewhere deep down, what she said strikes a nerve.
I haven’t thought about what we must look like.
Two men, traveling together in a small van.
No wonder she assumed we’re a couple. Hell, it’s what I would assume if I were in her shoes.
But I never considered what our relationship must look like to other people.
Even in college, Jericho and I were together all the time. Hanging out and sleeping at each other’s houses. In separate beds, but still. We were… are best friends.
Not a couple.
I’ve never even looked at him—or any guy—that way, but…
Jericho’s drawings flash in my mind, along with that intense curiosity again. Fuck.
I bite the inside of my cheeks, looking out over the yard. I’m going to lose my mind if he doesn’t come back soon.
Finally, Jericho and Forest appear at the edge of the trees, flanked by two wolves. Their steps are slow, head down as they talk.
Jumping off the deck, I go to him.
“Are you okay?” I ask, looking him over.
He nods, but doesn’t say anything.
“No one tried to kill you, right?” I say with an edge, unable to keep the anger from my voice. If anyone hurt him…
Jericho gives me a tired shake of his head. “No, I’m fine. I met with two other alphas and most of their packs. They weren’t thrilled to hear I’m staying in the area, but they didn’t attack like Bronson had.”
I let out a breath. “And what about them? Were they civil?” I gesture toward the house. Jasmine had drawn a clear line between Jericho and the pack. She still didn’t trust him yet, if at all.
Jericho watches the younger shifters on the deck for a moment. “I don’t think they’re bad people, Ev.”
I study him, curious about what changed his mind. “They hurt you,” I remind him.
His eyes soften. “Because they’ve been hurt. All of them. Every pack I talked to has been hurt by Foxx.” He scuffs the dirt with his toe. “It makes me sick.”
“Justice’s mom was killed by one of them.”
He nods. “Yeah. Forest told me.”
I take a step closer to him, not really sure what to say.
“How’s your mom?” he asks.
I suck in a breath. I’d completely forgotten about her after finding Jericho’s sketchbook. “She’s good. Relieved and a little terrified that I found you,” I admit, “but good. Busy with work as usual.”
He tilts his head, confused. “Terrified?”
“I told her you were turned.”
He flinches, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looks away.
Uncertainty slams into me. Did I risk something by telling her?
When Jericho starts to walk away, I reach for him, panicked that I somehow fucked up. “Jer.”
He turns to me, but I struggle to find the right words. “We’re okay, right?”
His expression softens. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“I don’t know. You just seem… tense all the sudden. Like I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s fine, Ev. I don’t care that you told her. Just wish you didn’t have to. I wish none of this had happened at all.”
He walks away before I can reply.
I stare after him, completely deflated. I had no idea a vampire could feel so ashamed of his existence, yet Jericho does. He hates what he is. A part of me gets it, I hate thinking about how he became one. But now, as a vampire? Jericho is even more incredible.
I need to help him see that before I lose him.