Raven's Rose (Charity Series Book 3) (12 page)

             
He continued to hold my hand as we walked. He was amused at my hesitation. “I promise you’re safe with me. Why are you so afraid?”

             
I closed my eyes and focused on how wonderful it felt with my hand engulfed in his. I opened my eyes and glanced up at him. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you’ll tell me your name—your whole name, I’ll answer your question.”

             
He stared at me as if he was considering my offer. “Fine,” he finally said, “My name is Eli Nathaniel Drake. Now you.”

             
A very nice name
, I thought to myself. “Hmm, okay. Well, I’ve been having nightmares about this forest.”

             
His eyes widened. “Nightmares? What kind of nightmares?”

             
“Well, something hairy and scary grabs me and carries me off every time I step into this forest.”

             
“Let me guess. You pass out from fear and wake up in your bed. Well, nothing’s carried you off this time.”

             
“That’s still debatable.”

             
“I assure you nothing will grab you in this forest except me.” He smiled down at me and my stomach instantly knotted.

             
“Where do you go to school?”

             
“I’m almost nineteen. I graduated at my school in Atlanta.”

             
“Oh, well why are you walking around in the forest anyway?” I asked curiously, peering up at him. What I really wanted to ask him was, why did it seem like he was stalking me?

             
“I could ask you the same thing.”

             
“I guess I’m trying to overcome my fear—that or prove to myself that they were actually dreams and not reality.”

             
He stopped walking, peering down at me seriously. “You think it’s possible they really happened?”

             
“I’m starting to think so,” I admitted, although I wasn’t sure why I did. “The last dream I had I ripped my nightgown, and when I woke, my nightgown was really ripped.”

             
“Hmm, sounds interesting. What did your nightgown look like? Was it white and tight?”

             
I slapped his arm. “Stop.”

             
He laughed and ducked away, running deeper into the forest. “Come on!”

             
I lost sight of him, but could still hear him laughing.

             
“I’m not coming!” I yelled back. My feet were frozen in place. I was terrified to keep moving, but for some reason I wasn’t scared when Eli was with me.

             
Suddenly, I squealed as he ran up and grabbed me from behind. “I told you nothing would grab you except me.”

             
“Don’t do that!” I shrieked. “You scared me!”

             
“Oh please.” He waved his hand dismissively, as if he thought I was overreacting.

“You’re a little too bold for your own good I think.”

He laughed. “Yeah, that’s what my sister-in-law tells me.”

“Your brother is married then?”

“Yes. She’s a pain in my butt, but I love her. She’s the reason for this red streak in my hair. My brother and I are twins, and she keeps getting us mixed up.” He laughed at some hidden memory, and I was instantly curious, but before I could ask he interrupted.

“What do you think grabbed you in your dreams anyway?” His eyes widened, waiting for my reply.

              “I’m not sure, but it was big and furry with snarling teeth.” I said, shuddering at the memory.

             
His eyes narrowed. “It sounds like a werewolf to me.”

             
“A werewolf?” I thought about that for a moment. “Yes, yes, now that I think about it, it
was
a werewolf.”

             
He looked at me skeptically. At least that’s what I thought he looked like. Maybe I was just paranoid. “And you think there are real werewolves running around?”

             
I shrugged. “Do you?”
I was suddenly afraid to admit it. Would he think I was crazy?

             
He shrugged. “Hey, anything’s possible.”

             
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

             
“Of course, that’s why I like you—and I believe you.”

             
My eyes widened. “Really?”

             
He began to walk toward me, taking one baby step after another. “Really.”

             
“You don’t think I’m a freak?”

             
His eyebrows arched. “Why would I think that?”

             
He had me backed totally against the tree now, his face just inches from mine.

“Because my eyes are different.”

              “I happen to like your eyes. It’s the first thing I noticed about you, even in the dark I could make them out clearly. I think you have beautiful eyes. As a matter of fact, I think everything about you is beautiful.” His mouth came down on mine then, and I was powerless to refuse him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew him closer. His mouth ravaged mine, over and over.

             
My mind cleared momentarily, and I was able to pull away. “Wait! When I first met you it was daytime.”

             
“Huh?”

             
“You said you could make out my eyes in the dark, but when I first met you it was in the middle of the day. What did you mean by that?” My heart was beating heavy now.

             
“Oh, I meant the daytime, of course.” His eyes flashed yellow.

             
I jerked back and eyed him suspiciously, and suddenly the connection was made. I ducked and squeezed away. “I’d better go.” I made my way around him and quickly darted through the forest, headed back in the direction I’d come.

             
“Wait! Don’t go! I can explain!”

             
Panic took over and I began running. “No! I don’t think you can!”

             
“Please, Shae, let me explain!” He was instantly in front of me.

             
I squealed, darting around him. “No! I have to go! Leave me alone!” Pure fear had consumed me.

             
I finally made my way out of the forest and through my yard. When I entered the house, I slammed the door closed and locked it. I was breathing hard as I pressed my back against the door, relieved to be in the safety of my home.

             
What had just happened? Did I just discover what I think I discovered? No, it’s not possible. My mind rejected my thoughts as I ran up the stairs and into my bedroom, where I collapsed on the bed and pulled a pillow over my head.

                                         
Chapter Six

      
                                 Shae

Saturday morning, after breakfast, I headed out to the picnic table in the back yard to work on my report. It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the flowers were blooming. I also felt safe since my parents were home and working in the yard around me.

             
By lunchtime I had accomplished a lot and decided to take a break. I called to Mom, but she didn’t answer. Dad, too, was missing in action. I stepped up to the deck and spotted a note taped to the door.

Shae,

Your father and I headed to Home Depot to get some mulch and some lunch. You were too busy with your work to interrupt. See ya soon. We’ll bring you something back.

                                                                                     Love,

                                                                    
                Mom

My heart raced. I was home alone. I turned and scanned my surroundings, but no one was there. I sighed and went into the house, locking the door behind me. I went upstairs to my room and set my things down on my desk.

“It’s about time you got in here.” I spun to see Eli sitting on my bed, arms crossed.

My heart jumped and I made a mad dash for the door, only to be intercepted by him as he grabbed me from behind and held me.

“Let me go!” I squealed.

“Shae, listen to me. Let me explain!” There was pleading in his voice.

I struggled to get free until he finally picked me up and dumped me on my bed. “You’re going to hear me out!”

“Are you a werewolf?” I blurted out in exasperation.

He let out a big puff of air. “Yes, but I’m a good guy. We don’t hurt humans, I promise. We protect humans.”

“We?” A wave of nausea hit me, and I bent over and put my head between my legs. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

He approached, kneeling down by me, but he didn’t touch me. “Shae, please. I would never hurt you. I tried to tell you in the forest all those times but you kept passing out.” His voice turned mocking. “You don’t handle stress very well, do you?”

I looked up and gave him a stern glare.

He held his hands up in defense. “Okay, I know it seems like I’m the bad guy here, but trust me I’m not.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How can you say that? You’re a werewolf! How’s that even possible?”

“Being a werewolf is awesome. And I have the coolest family ever. Wait until you meet them.”

My voice rose a notch or two. “Meet them? What on this earth makes you think I’m gonna meet them?”

“You mean you don’t want to?” He looked hurt.

I stood and began pacing in exasperation. “Eli—are you totally insane?” My arms were flailing in the air. “You break into my home, attack me, and tell me you’re a werewolf—and you think I wanna meet your folks? Get a grip.”

             
He threw his hands up. “Okay, so I see your point, but please give me a chance.” He began pleading again. “All I want is for us to get to know each other. If you would hang out with us you’d see just how normal we are.”

             
“I don’t think so, Eli. As you can see I don’t handle some things all that well.”

             
“We’ll take it slow.”

             
“Why do you care what I think anyway? You barely know me.”

             
He put both hands to his chest. “Tell that to my heart. I’ve been watching you for a while.” He pointed to the forest.

             
“You’ve been watching me from the forest?” I screamed in alarm.

             
His eyes widened as if he’d said something wrong.
Which he had
. “Umm.”

             
“Are you kidding me?! I’ve been undressing in here!”

             
He rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

             
“You mean you’ve seen me?!” I screamed.

             
“Well, what do you expect me to do—turn my head?”

             
“Yes!”

             
“Well, I didn’t—so shoot me.”

             
Anger shot through me like a bullet, and I planned to show him just what I thought of him at the moment. “I think I will.” I got up to go in my father’s room for hi
s
.45.

             
He stopped me, his expression questioning. “Wait, are you serious?”

             
If I weren’t angry his expression would’ve made me laugh. “Yes, I am.”

             
He searched my eyes for a moment, as if reading my mind, and then he took off like lightning, bolting from the room and out of the house.

 
              I sat back down on the bed, put my face in my hands, and cried.

                                Chapter Seven

          
                             Shae

I kissed my parents goodnight and headed up to my room to shower before bed. I emerged some time later, dressed in my nightgown, but was too tired to dry my hair. I was just getting comfortable under my covers when someone grabbed me and covered my mouth. I struggled, but to no avail as I was carried across the room and out my window. I could make out two figures in the dark. One duck taped my mouth, while the other tied my hands. Then I was sailing through the air as one picked me up and jumped. We landed on the ground below with very little jarring. I looked up to see Eli’s beautiful face. My own face turned red with anger. I tried to yell at him, but the tape muffled my screams.