It doesn't take too long to dig up the address. There's only two Parker families living within a ten-mile radius, and one of them is just a young couple. That just leaves one place to go.
I decide to take my bike, rather than shifting and running after her. Especially in the human territory, I figure Livvy will be a lot more likely to ignore the sound of an engine than my scent. By now, she must know it pretty well.
Hell, she's probably still got it all over her.
Once I find the house, I've got a mile radius to work with. But from there, I should be able to catch her scent pretty easily.
Normally my mind wanders while I ride. But this time, I've got a single purpose. All I care about is finding Livvy, and bringing her back safely. I don't even care if she still wants to marry me. If I have to go on the run, I will. Hell, the wolves are already out for our blood anyway. There's not going to be an easy path for us, no matter what.
We're both between a rock and a hard place. I can see that now. Back at Douglas Mountain, where everything simmers under the surface, I missed it. Subtle really isn't my style. But with teeth and claws in my face, everything gets really clear, really fast.
We're outcasts either way.
But I'd rather be outcasts together.
Maybe I'm a traitor to my kind, but I don't believe in soulmates. Never have. It's tied in more deeply with were-culture than it is with humans, and that's saying something. Some people even believe you can only successfully breed with your "one true mate."
I don't know what Livvy and I have. I wouldn't be stupid enough to claim you can fall in love with somebody after a couple of hours. One single night together. That's insane.
But it's more than a crush. It's a connection. It's something real, whatever it is - realer than I've ever felt.
At first, when I catch her sent on the wind, I think I'm imaging it. But then it gets stronger.
Even stronger.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There's no other smell mixed with it, nothing that tells me she's hurt or in danger. So that's one good thing.
But that means I'll have to convince her to come back on her own. And that'll be a fuck of a lot harder than carrying her.
After what feels like ages, I see her. She's in human form, curled up on the soft, mossy ground. Sure enough, there's a little makeshift headstone just beside her.
She can certainly hear the engine, but she doesn't look up. Her fingers absently stroke the moss above Mr. Midnight's grave, like she's petting his ghost.
I kill the engine and walk over to her.
"Livvy?"
She sighs, looking up briefly. Her face is streaked with tears.
"I really thought one of Kane's would find me first," she says. "The I remembered, last night...I told you something I never told anyone else."
Well. That certainly is something.
"Livvy, you have to come back," I tell her, softly. "That Kane of yours is going to put my head on a spike."
"Oh, I thought you could take on anybody." She almost smiles, but then her face gets serious again. "I don't think I can do this, Nolan."
"Of course you can." I want, so badly, to just fold her into my arms and make it all better. But I can't.
"Why do you care so much?" She wipes the back of her hand across her face, roughly. "Now you know why I was like a fox in a trap. Might as well chew my own leg off. We're damned if we do, damned if we don't."
I nod, sitting down beside her. "I know that. But I was thinking, on the ride over here...if we're fucked either way, I'd rather be fucked with you."
She bursts out laughing. "Oh my God. That's..."
"And by you, of course." I glance at the little headstone. "Sorry, Mr. Midnight. That's...probably disrespectful."
Livvy takes in a deep, shaky breath. "This is insane. You know that, right? We've known each other for, like...twelve hours."
"Thirteen," I correct her. "We're late to our wedding, you know."
Another laugh, this time a quiet chuckle. "Have you been counting down the hours?"
"Actually..." I look away, the flash of a cardinal bursting out of the underbrush momentarily catching my eye. "You know, just a way to keep my brain from turning into slush on the ride over from Issaquah. I guess it's pretty stupid."
"It's sweet," he says, softly. "Weird, but...sweet."
"This whole thing is weird," I remind her.
Livvy sighs, tilting her head a little in my direction. "Wait...Issaquah? I thought you came from Seattle."
"It's close by," I tell her. "Sort of. Just easier to use the landmark everybody knows."
"One of these days, I want to know more about where you came from," she says. "I want to know everything."
"Might take a while."
She said one of these days. That implies a lot of days for us together in the future. Yeah, I noticed. Yeah, it makes my heart skip a beat. I'm only human.
Well, that's not right. I'm more than human. But I've got a weakness when it comes to this girl.
"Good thing we've got a while," she says. Finally, a smile breaks through.
There's definitely not a lump in my throat.
"Not if I don't bring you back soon," I counter, grinning at her. Impulsively, she grabs my hand in hers. "Kane will skin me alive."
"Oh, his bark's worse than his bite." She entwines her fingers with mine. "Probably. I mean, I've never been on the receiving end of his bite. I'm no idiot."
"Not like me." I stand up, pulling her with me.
"Well." She glances at my arm. "You do have a 'YOLO' tattoo."
"What, I'm not allowed to make mistakes?" Okay, so it is pretty stupid. I just didn't expect to take so much shit for it. Weres are a tacky bunch, in their own right.
Her laugh rings out like a clear, silver bell. I've never really heard it, I guess. Not without that undercurrent of bitterness and sarcasm.
I pull her in close, inhaling her scent, and for once just letting myself enjoy my body's reaction to it. Goosebumps all over, the shiver on my scalp. Just a slight aftertaste of euphoria.
And, of course, my dick rising up like an angry rattler.
Sorry, Mr. Midnight.
My lips are inches from hers when she exhales: "Wait."
"What?" I murmur.
"This will be our first kiss," she whispers. "Let's save it for the wedding."
I have to laugh. "But you've already sucked my cock."
"I'm aware," she replies, dryly. "Just indulge me, okay?"
Of course, now I want nothing more than to kiss her. But this is the least I can do.
"How about a quickie before the ceremony, at least?"
"Tempting," she laughs. "But no. Afterwards, trust me...the wait will be worth it."
I let her go and straddle my bike. "All right. Hop on, and hold tight. Maybe we can still get there in time for the reception."
Even with the rev of the engine, I can still hear her laughter in my ear.