Stay (24 page)

“You’re leaving.” Vera’s voice startled me in the dark. I was startled so much more now. My experience in the cave had messed me up more than I wanted to admit.

“Yes I am.”

“I’m coming with you.” She caught up with me, letting her pace match mine. Her long legs were shorter than mine, but I wasn’t walking fast.

“You don’t even know where I’m going.”

“You’re going to find your mom.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned to her. “What makes you say that?”

“I could see it in your eyes yesterday. You’re not going to let this go if there’s even a tiny possibility that she’s alive.”

“Am I crazy?” I wasn’t sure why I wanted her opinion, but I did. A small part of me needed someone to tell me I was doing the right thing.

“Yes, but not because of this.”

I smiled for the first time that evening. “I can’t give it up.”

“And you shouldn’t. You should never give up on the ones you love.”

“I don’t love that many people.”

“You do love some. You love Levi, you love Allie, you love your mom. That’s how I know you can do this. You found, Levi, didn’t you?”

“Only because you helped.” I was in a self-deprecating mood, so I didn’t mind giving credit where credit was due as long as it wasn’t to myself.

“Getting help isn’t always a bad thing.” She shoved her hands in the pocket of her jean shorts. They were a darker color, different from the ones she usual wore.

“You went shopping.”

She smiled. “You noticed.”

“You seem to always get my attention.”

“Does that mean I can come?” She gazed right into my eyes, and I wanted to turn away because it felt like she could see straight into my soul. It freaked me out, yet excited me at the same time. I was losing it completely.

“Why do you want to?” She had no reason to help me. She’d more than repaid any thank you for saving Casey.

“What else am I going to do now?” She emphasized now, and I knew exactly what she meant.

“Yeah, I guess Casey’s all right on her own.”

“She’s not on her own. We both know that.”

“No.” I smiled for the second time. Casey and Toby worked, and he made her happy. At least someone had managed to fix the mess I’d made there.“You can come if you want. Who am I to stop you?”

“It’s not like it would be hard to stop me. You can just fly away at any time.”

“Flying only makes sense when I have a destination. Without one, I’d rather walk.”

“I may have said something that wasn’t true back on the plane.”

“Oh?” I wondered where she was headed.

“You aren’t a seven kisser, you’re an eight.”

I smiled. “Only an eight?”

“I’m thinking that I should probably try again, just to be sure.”

“You mean you want to use me?”

“I figure if we’re going to be spending more time together it’s probably going to happen—and other things might too.”

“I told you I don’t want to sleep with you.”

“And I told you I didn’t want to sleep with you. Can’t we just stop lying? It’s getting old.” Her eyes brightened. She was even more beautiful when she was in a playful mood.

“You’re good at saying exactly what’s on your mind.”

“It works better than beating around the bush. People get hurt less that way.”

“I’m tired of people getting hurt.”

“Trust me, I am too.”

“Come here.” I put a hand on her hip.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t step down from challenges.” I used my other hand to push her body against mine.

“I don’t either.” Her lips were on mine before I could blink, but I refused to let her take control for long. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth. She moaned, and I released her lip, using her distraction to slip my tongue into her mouth. She tasted tart, a flavor I wasn’t used to, but wanted more of. One of her hands moved into my hair, she tugged on it slightly as though she wanted us even closer, but there was no more space between us to close. The only other thing to get rid of were our clothes.

I slipped a hand under her tank top, greedily running my fingers over her smooth skin. She was so warm, so soft, and so damn irresistible. I wanted more and more.

She broke the kiss and stepped back. “Go get packed.”

“Are you going to come help?” I wanted her to say yes, to follow me back to my place so we could finish what we’d started, but another part of me wanted her to say no. For once I didn’t want to screw up a good thing.

“I need to say goodbye to my sister first. Meet me down at the hotel.”

“Sounds good. I won’t be long.”

She smiled. “Good, and Jared?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind if we made one quick stop before we focus on finding your mom?”

“Where is it?” It’s not like I even knew where to start yet, so I wouldn’t have said no to any suggestion.

“You think you’re ready to meet my dad?” She grinned.

“Uh, what?”

She laughed. “I should have been more specific. I’m talking about my birth dad, the one I haven’t seen since I was a few years old. My mom’s there too, and it’s probably time to see her. And who knows, maybe she’ll send us in the right direction? From what Casey said, my mom met yours.”

“All right. I don’t have any other ideas anyway.”

“I liked you better when you were cocky. This whole ‘woe is me’ act doesn’t work. Do me a favor and get rid of it before we meet up?”

I smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

“No.” She put a hand on my arm. “You’ll do it. It’s not about trying, it’s about doing.”

“What, are you a motivational speaker now?”

“No. I’d find much better ways to motivate you than speech.”

“Now that sounds enticing.”

“And that sounds like Jared.” She patted my arm before stepping away. “Get ready. You don’t want to see me when I’m impatient.”

“Actually, I think I’d like to see you in every way.”

“And you will, but only if you get packed.”

“I’m on my way.” I turned my back and headed home.

I’d have never imagined I’d leave New Orleans or my position working for Levi, but sometimes doing the right thing means leaving. Hopefully one day I’d be back in my favorite city, and when that day came I’d make sure I was a better man, the kind of man who deserved to stay.

The Empire Chronicles will continue with Jared and Vera in 2015! Keep reading for a preview of
Dire (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #1)
a New Adult Paranormal Romance by Alyssa Rose Ivy.

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A single howl made me stop short. “The wolves!”

“Let’s hope they are farther away than they sound.” Gage tightened his hold on my hand and pulled me forward.

Three more howls filled the night. “They sound closer.”

We picked up the pace, and I chanced a glance behind me. That was a mistake. Several large grey wolves came into view. “Run!”

Gage didn’t need to be told twice. He broke into a run without letting go of my hand.

I ran as fast as possible over the frozen snow, but we didn’t get far before the wolves started circling around us. “Oh my god.” Could things get any worse?

“You have to make a run for it.” Gage’s voice quivered. “They’re going to kill us.”

“I’m not leaving you.” I tried to stay strong, and I kept my eyes locked on the wolves. There were five of them. All of them were massive, much larger than any wolf I’d seen before, but one of them was even bigger and had a large silver streak running down its back. That wolf seemed to be staring right at me.

“I’ll distract them. You run. I’ll catch up.”

I spotted an opening next to one of the smaller of the wolves and went for it. I didn’t make it far before one of the wolves stepped in front of me. I froze, paralyzed with fear, before my legs were knocked from under me. Suddenly, I was lying in the snow with a giant wolf hovering over me.

“We’re fucked.” Gage voiced exactly what I was thinking.

The silver streaked wolf stared down at me. It’s almost glowing eyes bored into mine. Was I really going to die as half-frozen food for a giant wild animal?

Then things got hazy and the air seemed to buzz. Moments later it wasn’t a wolf on top of me—it was a man. A completely naked man with a faint scar across his face.

“What the heck?” I tried to scurry back, but Hunter didn’t move. His very exposed parts nearly touched me. I didn’t want to notice his size, but I did. He was huge. He also didn’t look remotely concerned with the cold.

His lips brushed against my ear. “Were you going somewhere?”

He wore black athletic shorts that sat low on his hips and gave me a fantastic view of his perfectly sculpted abs. I had a strong desire to touch those abs with my hands and quite possibly my tongue. His bare chest was equally as alluring, all muscle with just a little bit of sweat sliding down.

“Thanks for waiting up for me.” He walked into his room and closed the door. “I was worried you’d have fallen asleep already.” He slipped off those black shorts and walked toward his bed that amazingly enough I was already tucked into. He pulled back the blanket. “And you’re wearing the lingerie I like best.” He grinned wickedly as he slipped in beside me.

“Isn’t the best part taking it off me?” I bit my lip, knowing that it would only turn him on more.

“You remembered.” He slipped the strap down off my right shoulder.

“I remember everything about you. I always have.”

“How’d I get so lucky?” He slipped off the other strap as he left tiny kisses from my shoulder up toward my neck.

“You know you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

“I know.” He pushed my top down and out of the way. “I feel exactly the same way.” His mouth closed around my breast.

“Mary Anne!”

My eyes flew open as someone pounded on the door to my dorm room. I blinked a few times, trying to hold on to the remnants of my dream.

“Mary Anne!” The voice yelled louder.

I grudgingly dragged myself across the room and opened the door. I wasn’t surprised to see Genevieve standing there.

“Finally!” She pushed into the room. I closed the door and cut her off before she could sit on my bed. I needed to make it first. I pulled back my jersey knit lime green sheets and navy blue comforter. As soon as I smoothed out the comforter, she took a seat.

I sat in my desk chair and watched her. “As lovely as it is to see you, I’m guessing there’s a reason you’re here?”

“Aren’t you a little grouchy this morning?” Suddenly her glossy lips twisted up into a smile. “Wait….you were dreaming about him again.”

“Why do you have to say it like it’s a bad thing? Most women have some sort of sexual dreams. It isn’t at all abnormal.” I ran my fingers through my long red hair to get out the tangles.

“Mary Anne, I’m only saying this because I’m a friend and I care about you, but you’re obsessed.” She crossed her legs. “Most women may have sex dreams, but they’re about celebrities, not a guy they actually know. Plus, the frequency is the crazy part.”

“There’s nothing wrong with dreaming about Gage.”

“There is. If you want him so bad, just get with him. It’s not like he’d say no. He’s gotten with half the girls on this campus already.”

I groaned. “That’s not entirely true. I admit he has a reputation, but he doesn’t actually sleep with everyone. Plus, I can’t just sleep with him. We have a history. We’re from the same town.” Maybe claiming we had a history was a bit of an overstatement, but I had known him practically my entire life.

“Is he still driving you home for break?” She leaned back on her hands.

“Of course. Why would that change?”

“I thought you might have considered taking Roy up on his offer to drop you off on his way home.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Gage and I are going to the same place. It makes sense to have him drive me. Plus, my parents know him.”

“Mary Anne.” Genevieve was in the habit of saying my name far more often than necessary. She was the best friend I had at Eastern U, so I didn’t remind her of how annoying the practice was. “You know what you’re doing, right?”

“Are we still discussing my plans to get a ride home with Gage?”

“More specifically we’re discussing your decision to say no to Roy’s offer. You’re chicken. You’re afraid of accepting an overture from a guy who you actually have a chance with. A guy who is really interested in you.”

“I wonder why you want me to give Roy another shot?” I bit back the smile that was ready to come out. “This would have nothing to do with his best friend, would it?” I’d gone out on one date with Roy, and although there was nothing particularly wrong with it, I had no intention of seeing him again.

“What?” She put a hand on her chest. “Of course not.”

“Oh? It wouldn’t be convenient for you if I were dating Roy?”

“Sure, it would be convenient to have an excuse to spend time with Tony, but that’s not why I want you to give Roy another chance. He’s a nice guy.”

“He is nice. He’s also intelligent and cute, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend four hours in a car with him.”

“Not when you can spend the same amount of time in a car with Gage.”

“Gage drives a truck.”

Genevieve sighed. “Same thing. My point is that you have no excuse to be sitting around pining over a guy when you have real, good options knocking down your door.”

I didn’t take the bait. I was too stressed out to get into a fight about my love life. “I’m taking a shower.” I walked over to my closet and pulled down my favorite pair of worn in jeans. I took a purple thermal shirt from my dresser. December in Boston was cold.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a cold shower.” Genevieve made no move to leave my room.