Hunting Human

  “Um, no. Whatever’s fine.” She hoped she wouldn’t be staying long enough to care.

  “Okay. I’m sure you’re tired. I changed the sheets in Braden’s room. You’ll be more comfortable in there.”

  Beth bristled at the same time Braden choked. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Nonsense.” Anna dismissed them with a wave and a glare in Braden’s direction. “Braden’s room is far more comfortable and it has a private bathroom. Braden can sleep down the hall in one of the guest rooms for the time being.” Between her tone and her pointed glare in her son’s direction, Beth decided not to argue.

  “Come on, Lucy.” Anna stepped out the front door, beckoning her daughter to follow.

  “You two be careful,” Braden said, his words weighted with caution.

  “We will,” Lucy said, dismissing him.

  Beth wondered if Lucy had been overprotected in a family with so many men.

  “I’m serious,” Braden persisted.

  “Oh, relax. We’re meeting Chase and Dad for a late lunch, we’ll be fine.” Lucy followed her mother out the door. She shot a beaming smile in Braden’s direction and gave a little finger wave. “You two have the whole place to yourselves…have a good time!” She pulled the door shut behind her before Braden could reply.

  Braden cleared his throat, cutting the silence. “Can I get you anything?”

  “A car and directions back to Portland,” Beth blurted out before she could stop herself. She knew she couldn’t leave. A part of her even acknowledged that Markko was as responsible for that as Braden was. Still, the lack of choice rankled.

  “Anything else?” The words came out as a quiet apology that Beth didn’t want to deal with.

  “I could use some sleep. I didn’t get much last night.” She let the accusation hang between them.

  “Right. I’ll show you where my room is.”

  Beth followed him quietly up the stairs and down a sunlit hallway. They passed a loft showcasing an ornate pool table, a forgotten game still laid out on the green surface. The room overlooked the entryway and a portion of the family room. The two-story windows at the front of the house poured light in and provided a breathtaking view of the forest.

  Their home was everything she might have imagined of Braden’s family, had her arrival not been so hostile. The picture of normalcy, the warmth of his parents, Lucy’s constant laughter; all of that a weighty force that made it difficult to believe she’d arrived in the trunk of a car. The contradiction exhausted her.

  Braden opened the second door on the left and allowed Beth to precede him into the room. A queen-size, cherry sleigh bed dominated the middle of the room, crisp white sheets and what looked like a down comforter were pulled back invitingly.

  Fatigue overtook her in a rush. She ignored the rest of the room, sat on the edge of the bed, toed off her shoes and ignored Braden hovering in the doorway.

  “Do you need anything?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Beth, I…”

  Beth cut him off with a jerk of her hand. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say. “Go away, Braden.”

  “Look, I just want to…”

  “I don’t care what you want.” She tucked her feet underneath the sheets and sank into a mattress as soft as a cloud. “Go away.” She closed her eyes, willing Braden to leave her alone. Maybe she’d have a better idea of what to say to him after she slept.

  He sighed, but switched off the light. “I’ll be down the hall in the office, third door to the right, if you need me.”

  Beth turned her back to him and burrowed into the pillows. “I won’t.”

  ***

  Beth had been lying awake for a little more than an hour, staring out the window, watching the sun’s steady arc toward the horizon. She knew the moon marched steadily in behind it.

  “Knock, knock.” Lucy lightly rapped her knuckles on the door as she pushed it open. “Oh good, you’re awake.” She grabbed four large shopping bags off the floor and marched into the room.

  Beth sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, reluctant to leave the quiet behind her. “What’s all that?”

  Lucy started pulling things out of the bags she dropped by the dresser.

  “The stuff I picked up for you in town,” she answered, pulling out several long-sleeve shirts, a couple of T-shirts, two pairs of jeans and several satin pajama sets.

  “You didn’t need to get all of this. Some underwear and a toothbrush would have been plenty,” Beth said as Lucy continued to pull things out of bags, laying them either across the end of the bed or on top of the dresser.

  Lucy grinned at her. “Don’t be silly. My clothes don’t fit you and Braden said to make sure you’re comfortable.”

  More items appeared by the second: several sets of underwear, a hairbrush, makeup, toothpaste, even a silky robe. Beth felt anything but comfortable. “It’s too much.”

  “Nah. Besides, I parted Braden from his credit card before I left.” Lucy looked at her, an earnest expression crossing her face. “He wanted to make sure you have everything you need.”

  “Well, thanks, I guess.”

  Lucy beamed at her response and started sorting through things. “Okay, I got you a couple of extra bras and some underwear, I followed the sizes you gave me, but I hope I got the right styles. You didn’t say.”

  Lucy shoved some lacy undergarments, matching lacy undergarments, Beth realized, into her hands.

  “These are great.”

  “Oh good.” Lucy began pulling dresser drawers open until she found an empty one. “I got you some pj’s. I hope satin’s alright.”

  Lucy ripped off store tags and started depositing items in drawers.

  “Oh, well yeah, but…”

  “No buts. Try on those jeans, make sure they fit before I tear the tags off,” Lucy said, gesturing toward the jeans on the bed.

  Beth grabbed the jeans and escaped into the bathroom. “Wow.”

  “Hmm?” Lucy popped her head around the corner. “What?”

  “This is the nicest bathroom I’ve ever seen.” A huge standing shower with multiple jets and a large whirlpool tub occupied the far wall. A deep marble countertop ran the length of the room, showcasing a beautiful modern sink. The space would have been right at home in any upscale master suite in the country. “Are all your bathrooms like this?”

  Lucy moved past her and dropped a load of cosmetics on the counter, shooting her a strange look. “Yeah. When my parents built the house they made sure we all had our own bathrooms. A nice hot soak is really relaxing the morning after.”

  Beth didn’t have to ask the morning after what…but she did marvel at Lucy’s casual acceptance.

  “Okay. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Check.” Lucy set both of them at the corner of the sink. “I also got you some deodorant, unscented. I figured you probably didn’t like perfumes in most of your stuff.” She glanced at Beth in the mirror for confirmation.

  “Yeah. Thanks.” Beth sat on the edge of the tub and watched Lucy bounce around the bathroom, a never-ending fountain of energy.

  “I got you a razor and some shaving cream.” Lucy placed them inside the shower and turned back to the remaining items on the counter.

  “I guessed when it came to makeup. I got the basics—some translucent powder and some neutral-toned blush.” Lucy stopped dead when she turned back to Beth, as though it just occurred to her that she’d been running a mile a minute since she walked in. She fidgeted, then set the makeup on the counter.

  Beth stood. Lucy had been nothing but kind to her, warm and welcoming since they’d first met. Beth couldn’t explain it, but she hated the expression of uncertainty on her face. It didn’t suit her. She forced herself to reach out and squeeze her arm.

  “Thanks.” Beth took in the assortment of cosmetics scattered on the countertop. “Is that hair dye?”

  Lucy laughed, the awkward tension broken. She picked up the box and turned it over in her hands. “Yeah.
You’d look good a few shades lighter.” Lucy shrugged. “I can get a little carried away.” She put the box back on the counter. “Dinner’s going to be ready soon. I’m going to hang up some stuff I got for myself. I’ll swing back by and get you when I head down, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Try on those jeans.” Lucy grabbed the remaining bag off the bed and dashed out the door.

  ***

  Beth sat on the edge of Braden’s bed and pulled off her shoes. She didn’t need to look out the window to know the sun was dipping below the trees on the horizon. The hour or so before the sun set on the day of a full moon always resonated in her. Her foot tapped, her hands shook, her muscles tensed. She felt edgy and alert, everything around her brighter, sharper, crisper. Adrenaline flooded her in small bursts, triggering her systems to react. Her body hummed with the anticipation of the change.

  Strange, considering how much I hate it.

  She’d been fascinated at dinner, watching the other family members exhibit some of the same mannerisms. The way Lucy’s foot constantly bounced, the way Chase’s fingers flexed continuously around his silverware. Even Braden had teemed with energy. Braden’s father had been more difficult to read. He always exhibited such a calm, quiet air about him. But Beth saw it, even in him, in the way he lingered against his wife when he kissed her cheek, breathing in the air around her.

  Anna was the only one that hadn’t seemed effected by it. Throughout dinner Beth had watched her, fascinated, as she carried on, business as usual. Beth hadn’t been aware of how open her study was until Anna leaned toward her and casually whispered, “I’m not like them. I never chose to be turned.” She’d leaned back into her seat and turned to her husband who idly stroked her arm.

  “Hey,” Lucy said, breaking through her thoughts. She stood in the doorway wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, looking for all the world as though she intended to relax around the house. “Are you coming with us?”

  “Where?” Beth pulled off her socks and stuffed them in her shoes.

  “When we’re all at home, we usually run around the woods surrounding the house. You know, goof around.” She smiled invitingly. “Wanna come?”

  “I think I’d better stay here.”

  “Ah, come on! I’m always outnumbered by the guys,” Lucy pleaded. “It’d be nice to have a girl to back me up for a change.”

  “I’ll pass.” Lucy looked so disappointed that Beth forced a lie past her lips. “But maybe next time.”

  “Are you sure?” Lucy hovered uncertainly in the doorway, obviously warring with whether or not to push the issue.

  “Leave her alone, Luce.” Braden gave her a gentle shove down the hallway. “Chase is waiting for you downstairs and Caleb pulled in ten minutes ago.”

  “Okay. See you in the morning, Beth.” She disappeared down the hall, yelling for Chase.

  “Who’s Caleb?”

  “My other brother. He came in from Portland.” He leaned casually against the doorjamb, studying her. “You didn’t eat much at dinner.”

  “I wasn’t very hungry.” She turned away from his scrutiny and moved toward the window. Lucy and Chase goofed around on the lawn. Another man—Caleb, she assumed—scooped Lucy up over his shoulder and spun around. Lucy shrieked with laughter. The clear sky continued to fade from brilliant blue into a reddish-purple glow. They didn’t seem to notice. Or care.

  “You shouldn’t skip meals before the change. It’s not good for you.”

  “You should go. Your family is waiting for you.” Beth gestured toward the window, silently willing Braden to leave.

  “I thought maybe I’d stay with you.”

  “I don’t want you here.” She strode across the room, her mind set. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Braden caught the door she tried to slam in his face.

  “It’s easier with someone else. Please, Beth.”

  “No.” A spasm ran through her, her fingers clenching involuntarily around the door. “Go away.” A shudder racked her frame, the muscles in her shoulders and along her spine rippling. He had to leave. Now.

  “It’s already starting?” He moved as if to step into the room, brown eyes warm and concerned.

  Beth put her hand in the center of his chest and pushed. “Just go.” Desperation tinged her voice. He took a small step back, enough for her to slam the door and twist the lock. The moment she did another spasm ripped through her, tormenting her sore muscles and igniting the places the Taser had touched her. She barely managed to muffle the cry that bubbled up her throat.

  Moving as quickly as she dared, she stripped out of her jeans and T-shirt. She was down to underwear when the first true contraction hit her. She stifled a scream, as the pain drove her to hands and knees.

  The doorknob rattled and Braden’s voice pleaded through the door. “Beth, please. Don’t do this.”

  Why isn’t he shifting?

  Beth gasped for breath and struggled out of her bra. Her stomach turned. Saliva that tasted of the roast chicken dinner flooded her mouth. She distantly registered the first howl from the front yard. She answered it with a scream of pain that drowned out everything else.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Braden slammed his fists against the door, Beth’s screams raking through him like claws. He fought his own change, delaying the inevitable.

  His shoulders rippled and tensed. He breathed through the muscle spasms, willing the shift to wait a few more minutes.

  “Braden?” His mother’s voice cut through his concentration.

  Braden made a desperate grab for the control to not shift on the spot.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not. You’re fighting the change.” His mother stepped up next to him, the scent of lemon and rosemary still clinging to her skin. “Why?”

  “She’s hurting.” Beth’s screams had died almost as soon as they’d begun but her painful whimpers continued to echo through the door.

  And his gut.

  And his heart.

  “Hurting yourself won’t change that,” she scolded. “I’m going to go check on the others. When I come back up here, you better not be standing on two legs.”

  Braden squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his forehead against the door. “Fine.” He couldn’t fight the change that long anyway.

  “If I need to, I’ll pick the lock and let you in, okay?” His mother’s hand trailed across his shoulder, but didn’t ease any of the tension in his muscles. He nodded and she silently walked away. He took another bracing breath and silenced the instinct that was trying to force the shift long enough for him to strip out of his clothes. The moment he was free of the fabric he slid into the wolf.

  It was instant relief and instant torture. His muscles no longer ached and his awareness was no longer consumed with the need to change. But as a wolf he clearly heard Beth’s muffled cries and the unsteady click of her claws against the wood that told him how stiff she was. The door shielded nothing of her agony from him, but prevented any attempt he could make to soothe her.

  It was beyond frustrating. Bad enough she’d spent the entire day avoiding him, either physically placing herself on the other side of the room, or pretending he wasn’t there at all. Worse was when Lucy wrung a laugh or a smile out of her. Or when his mother spoke with her in low, easy tones. Worst of all had been her ease around Mike. She didn’t flinch away when he gently touched her shoulder or examined her wounds. She’d even joked with him! But the moment they were alone, the moment he thought he might have a chance to apologize, she’d slammed the door on him and gone to sleep. And now she’d shut him out again.

  Braden paced the length of the hall, his claws clicking against the polished wood floor. He paused, rotating one large ear toward his room. A heavy exhale and a thump carried through the door. Then nothing. He pushed his head against the door, not bothering to conceal the whine that slid out of his throat.

  No response.

  He paced for over an hour. Once or twice he’d
heard the excited barks of the rest of his family after Chase’s howl had cut across the night. He’d cocked his head, his ears trained in the direction of the sounds, and wondered if they’d found a deer or a rabbit to hunt. He couldn’t bring himself to find out.

  “I hoped if I left you alone you’d go on outside.” His mother’s voice carried down the hall as she mounted the top of the stairs. “But seeing as you are determined to wear a path in floor, I suppose I better interfere.”

  His mother heaved a long-suffering sigh and pulled out the slender screwdriver she used to tighten the joints on her reading glasses. “Are you sure about this? She seemed determined to do this on her own.” His mother hesitated by the door, studying the handle as if it held all the answers. “She’s been forced enough already—maybe you should let her rest. She’s safe in there for tonight.”

  Braden plopped to the floor, let his shoulders hunch, his ears droop and eyes go wide. When she didn’t notice, he produced the most suffering whimper he could manage. His mother’s gaze immediately snapped to him, her expression softening.

  “Stop that.”

  Braden whined a little louder.

  His mother’s expression broke. “Someday that’s not going to work on me.” She inserted the screwdriver into the tiny hole in the doorknob and pushed. “I don’t know what you’ll do then.”

  Braden heard the lock click open and a second later Beth startled to her feet, paws scrabbling against the wood, carrying her away from the door. He leaped to his feet and brushed against his mother’s side in an impatient thank-you. When she didn’t push the door open fast enough, he scratched at the wood by the doorjamb.

  “Cut it out. Don’t make me regret this.” She pushed the door open wide enough for him to slide in. “And come morning I better not find your clothes still cluttering up my hallway!”

  The door snicked shut behind him as Braden searched the room for Beth. A soft growl jerked his head around toward the window. She stood by the window, under the fall of moonlight, stick thin, hackles raised and growling defensively. He inspected her closely from across the room. Two things stood out to him. First, the change wore on her in a way it shouldn’t after so long. Second, she was absolutely stunning.