Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
“ W ow, you can see the bonfire from here.” Lily sighed in awe as they made their way up the hill toward the open field where the party was being held. They could hear the music from the tent while they were getting dressed. Sadie didn’t have many clothes with her, but she had found a lovely summer dress. Now, she doubted her choice; maybe she was overdressed.
“Maybe I should go change.” Sadie looked down at herself, slowing her pace.
“Don’t you dare,” Lily frowned, wrapping her arm with Sadie’s so she wouldn’t return to the tent. “You look beautiful. All the men will be falling all over you.”
“I don’t want men falling all over me.” Sadie snorted, rolling her eyes. “As if that would even happen.”
“Not even Kile Jackson?” Lily wiggled her eyebrows at her. “He’s a fine-looking man, and I’ve seen the looks he gives you, Sadie.”
Sadie’s heart quickened at her sister’s mention of Kile. “I’m human, Lily.”
“No shit, Sadie.” Lily mocked, dropping her arm from Sadie’s. “I am so sick of hearing you say that. So what. You’re human, I’m a shifter. We are people, end of story. Get over it already. Why is it such a big deal to you?”
A little surprised by Lily’s reaction, Sadie frowned. “Because this is your world, not mine.”
“Ugh! Our worlds are one and the same.” Lily threw her hands out to her side and then pointed to the fire in the distance. “Do you see the fire?”
Sadie glanced that way, then back to Lily. “Yes.” She replied slowly.
“How about the stars?” Lily looked up, her tone angry.
“Of course I do,” Sadie said, getting a little upset herself. “What’s your point?”
“The point is...we are in the same world.” Lily glanced from the sky to Sadie. “We are walking on the same grass, seeing the same stuff, and breathing the same air. Why can’t you accept that?”
“Because I was never accepted in your—" Sadie realized what she was about to say and stopped. It was as if the thought was automatic and her go-to, which proved Lily was right.
“But you were accepted by us, your family.” She sighed, her eyes sad as she lifted her arm again toward the crowd of people. “They are accepting you. Kile, a shifter and a man who can’t keep his eyes off you. I know Gemma offered you a job here, and I also know you will turn it down because you feel you don’t belong. That you will somehow hold me back if you stay because you’re a human or that I will lose opportunities because I have a human sister. Stop putting that on me. Live your life, Sadie. The only loss I will suffer is if you leave.”
“I’m only looking out for you.” Sadie tried to make a point, but it fell flat even to her own ears.
"We're sisters. We watch out for each other—that’s what sisters do," Lily said softly, tilting her head as she studied Sadie. "I love you, but you have to stop taking responsibility for my choices, whether they're good or bad. I made a mistake with Colton. That was my mistake, and it has nothing to do with you being human. It has nothing to do with you at all. Mom and Dad taught us a lot, but they put too much focus on you being human and us being Shifters. Maybe that's why you feel guilty like I missed out on things because of you, but you're wrong. I was happy. I am happy. I wouldn’t change a thing because I have you, Sadie. That’s what matters. If I can live with that without guilt—without feeling like we took you away from the human world—and still be happy, why can’t you?"
Sadie felt tears burn the back of her eyes. Everything Lily just said was so true. “I thought you said we were from the same world,” Sadie said past the burning lump in her throat. She then laughed as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Shut up,” Lily whispered with a laugh, grabbing Sadie in a tight hug. “I love you, Sadie, so much. I’ve seen you struggle with guilt since we were young. There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. I would have made the same choice as Mom and Dad about adopting you into our family. I don’t regret it. You are the sister of my heart and always will be.”
“I love you, Lily,” Sadie whispered into the softness of her sister’s hair. “I just want what’s best for you.”
Lily pulled away, her smile tinged with sadness. "And I want that for you also. Let's be there for each other and actually enjoy life. For the first time in ages, I feel safe and welcomed—not just by Shifters, but by humans too. Don’t you?"
Sadie glanced up at the crowd gathered in the field above them. It hit her then—she did feel safe here, less on guard than she’d been in so long. Her eyes instinctively searched for someone in particular, which caught her off guard. Turning back to Lily, she nodded slowly. "Actually, I do. It's strange... but I do feel at ease here."
“Good.” Lily pulled her hand again as she led Sadie up the hill. “Now, come on. I’m hungry and want to dance.”
“You’re always hungry.” Sadie laughed, rolling her eyes. The smell of food drifting in the night air had her stomach growling. Obviously, she was hungry, also.
She walked with Lily toward a line of tables set up with food. She smiled at a few people who said hello as they walked by. She hadn’t officially met many of the people here, and some she had never seen before. Taking a plate, she started filling it, then laughed at the sight of Lily’s plate compared to hers.
"Where do you put all that food?" Sadie asked, eyeing her sister's slender figure with a mix of disbelief and amusement. "If I ate that much, you'd have to roll me over to the table."
Finding a table, they sat and began to eat, giving Sadie a chance to look around. Everyone seemed so happy as they laughed, talked, and danced on a makeshift dancefloor near the bonfire. Thankfully, she saw a few women her age wearing dresses. She didn’t feel overdressed now which put her at ease. Kids were running around playing tag while teenagers stood in huddles talking among themselves. Her eyes returned to the fire to see Kile carrying what looked like a small tree and tossing it into the fire. He stood staring at it for a minute before turning around, his eyes going to hers as if he knew she was staring at him.
Sadie almost choked on the potato salad she shoveled into her mouth. She chewed slowly, her eyes refusing to leave him. A slow smile spread across his face as he gave her a nod when Cole walked over to talk to him.
Swallowing her half-chewed food, she choked, grabbed her drink, and took a large sip. Her eyes watered as she forced the food down her throat. Holy shit, he was going to kill her with just a look.
“Told ya,” Lily snorted, pointing a chicken leg at her.
“Told me what?” Sadie asked innocently, her voice raspy from her near-death experience with the potato salad.
“Don’t act like you didn’t just choke from that look Kile gave you,” Lily whispered with a huge grin. “Damn, if a man looked at me that way, my panties would melt right off.”
This time, Sadie choked on the water she had just drank. Coughing, she set the water down, grabbing a napkin. “Dammit, Lily,” Sadie choked, then laughed and couldn’t stop. “You trying to kill me?”
“You’re lucky I don’t fancy that hunk of man meat.” Lily wiggled her eyebrows. “I’d have to let my wolf out on your ass.”
“Ladies, what are you doing sitting here.” Beth Ann rushed over and then grabbed Lily’s arm. “When there is dancing, no one sits around.”
Lily jumped up, grabbed their plates, tossed them in the trash, and then ran back, grabbing Sadie. “Come on!”
Beth Ann grabbed Sadie’s other arm as they made their way to the packed dance floor. Finding herself in the middle of dancing bodies, she smiled. She and Lily spent their childhood and teenage years making up dances to their favorite songs. Other ladies joined their small group, all dancing and singing at the top of their lungs, and Sadie and Lily were right along with them.
A man with a cowboy hat came up behind Beth Ann, dancing behind her. Suddenly, a large man grabbed him by the neck, pulling him away as they shared words that didn’t look friendly. Beth Ann ignored them as she continued to have fun.
It happened more times with other ladies. Different men came up to dance but were pulled away. “Their mates,” Lily said over the music at Sadie’s wide eyes. “Shifter men do not share their women.”
Sadie nodded as she glanced around to see men surrounding the dance floor watching their women. She wondered briefly how it would feel to know someone cared enough about you to watch you have fun while keeping you safe. Someone knocked into her, almost taking her off her feet. Turning, she looked up to see a handsome man looking down at her.
“Sorry, ma’am.” He smiled down at her as he began dancing with her. Looking up, he frowned, then gave a nod, turned, and walked off the dance floor.
Confused, she turned back around to see Kile standing at the edge of the dance floor, staring at her. The look was so intense that her breath caught in her throat, and for her life, she couldn’t look away until Beth Ann grabbed her arm and pulled her from the dance floor.
“Come on, let’s get a drink.” She yelled over the music.
Sadie followed her but turned, looking over her shoulder to make sure what she saw with Kile was just wishful thinking. It wasn’t. He was still there, his eyes burning into hers. She suddenly wondered if Lily was right, and panties could melt.
Taking a cup from Beth Ann, Sadie took a long drink, watching Lily still dancing and having the time of her life.
“She’s so sweet.” Beth Ann also watched Lily, who waved them back on the dance floor. “The girls and I will keep an eye on her with the unmated females. I think they’ll be fine once they get to know you.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.” Sadie said, hoping she was right. A few men passed, giving them both looks, but they didn’t stop. “There are a lot of people here I haven’t seen. Are they the ones who live off the property?”
“A few of them, but mostly it’s Lance’s men. He’s Gemma’s neighbor. Lance is the one who throws the party so everyone can meet and catch up. You’d never believe that Gemma and Lance were once enemies.”
Before Sadie could ask about the trouble between the two neighbors, a slow song started, and she watched as a handsome man walked up to Lily on the dance floor.
“Can I have this dance?” A male voice took her attention away from Lily to see Beth Ann’s mate smiling down at the beautiful woman.
“Let me check my dance card.” Beth Ann grinned but handed her cup to Sadie.
“It better just have my name on it.” He growled, then winked at Sadie as he led Beth Ann where the couples slow danced.
“Would you like to dance?” Another male voice came from behind her. Turning, she saw a man she remembered from breakfast. He was cute and very nice, but yeah, she was not going there.
“Thank you, but I’m good.” She smiled at him, not wanting to be rude, but after the looks she had gotten today, saying no was the safer option for her. Plus, the man she really wanted to dance with wasn’t asking. “I’m holding a drink for Beth Ann.” It was an odd excuse but the only one she could think of.
He frowned but gave Sadie a nod as he walked away. Her attention went back to the dance floor looking for Lily. Spotting her, she smiled. Lily was talking a mile a minute to the man who seemed to be listening intently. On the other hand, Alex stood in the shadows, his eyes glaring at the man dancing with Lily. She wondered if Alex would ask her sister to dance.
Her gaze roamed over the couples, and she had to admit she was looking for one person in particular. She was relieved not to see him dancing with a woman. Spotting Beth Ann and her mate, she sighed. They seemed so in love. The way he held her against him as if encasing her body with his made her own heart flutter and left her wondering what in the world that would feel like. She had danced with guys before, but no one special.
A few more men approached her and asked her to dance, but she gave them the same song and dance, pun intended, as she had given the first guy. She had no clue who was attached or who liked who yet. Stepping on toes, especially when it came to possibly hijacking a relationship, was not her style. She had finished her drink and set Beth Ann’s on the table behind her. She rubbed her arms stepping closer to the fire. The night air was turning cooler.
“Dance with me.” Kile’s voice sent a heat shooting through her, instantly warming her. It wasn’t a question like the other men, but more of a demand, and she...liked it. Disappointment swarmed her, knowing she had to turn him down, but when she turned to look up at his handsome face, she wondered if she could ever turn this man down.