My old beater of a car flew down the dirt road as I headed toward Betty Sue’s place. I was on autopilot, only able to think about how my night camping would be. I hoped Shane didn’t try anything. I hoped his brothers didn’t either. Camping with Alec would be fun. So would spending time with Becca and Benji. Heck, even hanging out with Ridley sounded like a blast, but not Shane. He was not a friend of mine. He was quite possibly not a friend to Ridley either. The guy seemed to have issues with all supernaturals, not just werewolves.

At least with Ridley there, Shane wouldn’t single me out.

Even if she didn’t have magic like the other women in her family, she still was tainted by it in Shane’s eyes. The entire guilty-by-association rule seemed to always apply when it came to him.

My car thumped over a section of potholes I hadn’t remembered being there the last time I drove out to Betty Sue’s to pick up my dad. The last few rains must have washed out the gravel road. I wondered how long it would be before Hershel fixed it.

While I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting, considering he was as much of an alcoholic as my father, I knew he’d get around to it eventually. For someone in his sixties, he managed to get around well—when he wasn’t drinking to escape his demons with my dad that is.

Hershel’s pain was mental, unlike my dad’s. This didn’t mean they had nothing in common besides their need for alcohol. They also shared the agony of missing their wives.

The difference was, Hershel’s wife hadn’t left him the way my mom had left my dad. She’d passed away.

Mrs. Ammons had battled diabetes and a multitude of other health issues her entire life. Mildred Ammons was the sweetest woman, though. In fact, she was the only human I ever thought would be worth changing, if it were possible. She deserved to be healthy and happy. Unfortunately, becoming a werewolf wasn’t something you could force on anyone. It didn’t happen with a bite or scratch like in books and movies. You were born with the werewolf gene or you weren’t. Simple as that.

An old memory of the first time I wished I could change Mrs. Ammons flickered through my mind, bringing with it a smile. I was little, maybe eight years old at the time. Dad had brought me with him to help Hershel fix their vehicle. Mrs. Ammons was sick that day. So sick I thought she was dying. Hershel swore she wasn’t. He said she was feeling under the weather was all. I remember being in the living room, doodling on a piece of notebook paper when I heard her coughing. I crafted a plan that would make Dad bring me back the next day so I could sneak her a mug of salvia tea. I knew how becoming moon kissed worked even at eight years old. Sort of.

I never got a chance to bring Mrs. Ammons any tea.

Gran busted me snipping leaves off her plant and scolded me harder than she ever had. The image of her crouched down at eye level with me while she shook her finger in my face would forever be burned in my memory. So would her telling me I could’ve killed Mrs. Ammons by giving her the tea. Apparently, drinking the herb wasn’t something humans could tolerate. Especially not ill humans.

I tapped my brakes, managing to slow down before hitting the tiny bridge barely big enough for one vehicle. Betty Sue’s place was around the next corner. I could picture the white farmhouse before I even saw it. It used to be so beautiful. Nowadays, it looked rundown. Since Mrs. Ammons passed, the place had seemed to slowly die as though it grieved her loss along with the family. Hershel was too old to properly upkeep the place, and I didn’t blame Betty Sue either. She did the best she could between taking care of her dad and working a full-time job. Adding in the house was too much. And all the land. There had to be ten acres surrounding the place. I imagined by the time Betty Sue got home from pulling a twelve-hour shift at the hospital, the last thing she wanted to do was yard work or fix things in desperate need of repair.

The white house with green shutters and trim to match came in to view. Its paint was chipped in places, the porch looked unsafe, and two of the gutters along the front of the roof sagged due to built-up debris clogging its inside. None of this surprised me. The place had looked the same for years.

What did surprise me was the for sale sign to the far right of the property.

Was Betty Sue selling the place? I couldn’t imagine Hershel wanting to move out of the house he’d shared so many memories with his late wife in, but maybe Betty Sue felt it was time they moved on. Or maybe she wasn’t selling the house, but instead a good portion of the land. Even though it wasn’t my business, I knew I’d be asking.

Dad and Hershel sat in the weathered wooden rockers that took up the front porch when I pulled in behind Dad’s truck. I turned my car off and robust laughter from the two old men made its way to my ears. My dad was always such a happy drunk. Sure, sometimes he mumbled things about Mom and how much he missed her, but for the most part, he was happy.

It was the only silver lining to his alcoholism.

“Mina, what are you doing here?” Dad asked as I climbed out of my car. His words slurred, but I’d long ago learned to decipher what he was saying regardless of how much he’d drank. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“Graduation was a couple weeks ago, Dad. Remember? I did the whole cap and gown thing?” I started toward the uneven stairs of the porch. They bowed in the center, and nails were coming up in places. “Gran cried. You complained you could barely see me because you guys were in the nosebleed section of the auditorium. Gracie said she couldn’t wait until she graduated.”

“You tellin’ me you don’t remember goin’ to your own daughter’s graduation?” Hershel asked. His wrinkled face scrunched together even more as he gawked at my dad. Anger flared in his words. I knew him well enough to know it wasn’t all for show. Hershel was pissed. Family meant everything to him. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. This is your little girl and that was her special day.”

Dad waved Hershel’s words away. “Ah, hell. I remember going to her graduation. I was kidding, old man.”

Whether he was telling the truth didn’t matter. Dad had been there. In my memories, he’d been proud and happy, slightly drunk, but proud and happy. That was all I cared about.

“I’m here to pick you up. Betty Sue called and wanted me to come get you,” I said as I climbed the last step to the porch. Dad flashed me a look that let me know he wasn’t ready to leave yet. I crammed my hands into the back pockets of my shorts, already knowing this wasn’t going to be easy. “Are you ready? I think they have someplace to be.”

“Someplace to be?” Dad laughed. His head tipped back with the force of it as it rumbled from somewhere deep in his belly. “Hershel ain’t got no place to be.”

“The hell I don’t,” Hershel insisted. It wasn’t clear to me if Hershel actually knew where he was going, or if he just didn’t like the fact someone said he had no place to be.

“What’s going on out here?” Betty Sue asked as she came to the screen door and peered out. Her face lit up when she spotted me. The smile that stretched across her face reminded me of her mom. “Hey, darlin’. You sure did get out here fast.”

“I wasn’t doing anything.” I shrugged. “Just sitting around.”

“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be sitting around on a Friday afternoon. That boyfriend of yours working today or something?” She cracked open the screen door and motioned for me to step inside.

I’d forgotten the last time I was here I’d mentioned Alec to her. My heart skipped a beat as I waited for my dad to say something about me having a boyfriend. While he knew about Alec and me dating, he didn’t like it.

When he seemed to have not heard Betty Sue, I answered her while stepping inside the house.

“Yeah, he got a summer job at the feed store stocking shelves.” I followed her to the kitchen, leaving our dads on the porch with their cooler of beer between them.

“Have you got a job yet?” Betty Sue glanced over her shoulder at me. There was no judgment in her eyes, which I found refreshing. For whatever reason, the moment someone turned eighteen in this town, everyone automatically thought they needed to buck up and get a job, or they ran the risk of being labeled a slacker. It didn’t seem to matter if they were going off to college in the fall. Once you graduated, you were an adult through and through.

I wasn’t sure if I’d fallen prey to the label yet, but knew I was inching closer every jobless day I spent in this town.

“No.” I shook my head. “You know how Gran feels about me working while in school.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. So, you decided you’re going to college, then?”

We stepped into the tiny kitchen. The familiar yellow cabinets and white tile countertops put me at ease. I’d spent so many days here when I was younger, before Mrs. Ammons passed away, that it was almost like a second home. Nothing had changed. The tan linoleum and off-white walls still seemed so bland to me. All of the appliances were old, but from the savory scent coming from the oven, I knew they were still functional.

I stepped to one of the vinyl covered chairs at the dining room table tucked against a wall.

“The decision wasn’t mine. Gran would keel over and die of a heart attack if I told her I didn’t want to go to college in the fall. We compromised, though. I get to take the summer off and start in the fall instead of diving right in after graduation like she wanted.”

“That’s what I did. It’s the smartest way to go about it. I had friends who opted to take a year off before starting college. It didn’t work out. They never went back to school.” Betty Sue stepped to the oven and switched on the light before peering inside. “Where did you say you were going?”

“Just Mirror Lake Community College.” I wasn’t sure why I’d said it the way I did, as though it wasn’t as important as if I planned to attend a university or somewhere out of state. College was college, wasn’t it?

“That’s nice. I started at MLCC too. Got any idea what you want to go for?” I watched her as she pulled a pair of oven mitts from a nearby drawer and put them on before removing a large pot from the oven. The heavy scent of basil and garlic floated to my nose, causing my mouth to water.

“I’m not sure. I’ll probably opt to get the general stuff out of the way first, and then hopefully by the time I’m finished, I’ll know what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said as she set the pot on the stove and closed the oven. “You have plenty of time.”

I smiled as I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “So, what made you decide to visit your sister?”

I’d been surprised when she called earlier, asking if I’d come pick up Dad so her and Hershel could get on the road to her sister’s place.

Margaret was three years younger than Betty Sue. If you put the two of them side by side, you’d never be able to guess only three years separated them. Betty Sue’s life had been harder than Margaret’s. It made her appear decades older because of it.

Margaret had gotten to go to college outside of Mirror Lake and started her life elsewhere. She hadn’t been forced to stay like Betty Sue.

Which was exactly what I wanted for Gracie.

While I wanted her to become moon kissed, it didn’t mean I wanted her to settle in Mirror Lake like I planned to. I wanted her to explore the world. I didn’t want her to think she had to be with our pack until the day she died. She could join another pack, or do like so many others and become a rogue wolf, free to roam and do as she pleased without a pack tying her down.

I couldn’t do those things.

I was Betty Sue. Destined to stay in Mirror Lake and care for my alcoholic father until he passed away. Gran wouldn’t be around much longer, which meant taking care of Dad would be something I’d have to do on my own. I knew this. I accepted it. It was why I always came whenever anyone called saying he was wasted. I’d long ago accepted my role.

“Well, you know how it is. Time keeps ticking away no matter how much I don’t want it to. Dad isn’t getting any younger. Neither am I. It’s been almost seven years since Margaret came for a visit. I figured it was our turn to head her way. I’d like to see my nieces and nephews, too. Have some family time. Some time away from here.” She busied herself with cutting up the meat she’d been roasting in the oven, but from the tone of her voice, I knew she was on the verge of breaking down.

Sadness for her hit me square in the gut. Did she feel bad for not visiting Margaret in so long? Or was it that she felt bad because she desperately wanted a break from dealing with everything on her own?

“I hope you have a good time. You’ll have to tell Margaret I said hi.”

“Thanks. I will,” Betty Sue said as she pulled a plate down from a cabinet and began filling it with potatoes, carrots, and a few slices of the meat she’d cut up. “Are you hungry? There’s more than enough if you want to stay and eat.”

“I’m good, but thanks.” It was barely one o’clock. Why was she serving dinner already?

“I know it’s early to be eating such a hearty meal, but I wanted to get something decent in Dad’s stomach before we got on the road. I learned the last time I took him to his cardiologist appointment in the city, it’s best for him to travel on a full stomach. He gets crabby otherwise. Plus, he’ll generally take a nap for a few hours.”

“Sounds like you’ve got him figured out.” I stood and started toward the front of the house to get my dad. “Have a safe, fun trip. I hope he sleeps like a baby for you the entire way.”

“Thank you, darlin’,” Betty Sue said as she set the plate she’d made on the counter and followed me.

We walked to the porch. Halfway there, I remembered the sign out front.

“I noticed your for sale sign. Are you selling the house?” I asked.

“The property. I decided ten acres is too much to keep up. I talked Dad into letting me sell five. He said he’d only agree to it if it was someone he knew who wanted to buy. Thankfully, the Morris family from down the road is looking for an extra piece of property to put a couple of horses on.”

“Awesome. I’m sure that’s a load off your shoulders.”

“Oh, honey, you have no idea. Just the time alone I’d save not mowing it all would be worth it. I hired someone to do it when I could, but lately I haven’t been able to afford it. Which means I’ve had to do it all by myself. It’s too much. I can’t do it anymore. So, I decided the best thing to do was sell it. I plan to put the money I make from the sale into the house to spruce it up a bit. There are so many repairs that need to be done.” She smoothed a hand over her face. “I don’t even know where to start. If you know anyone who could use a little extra work and is good with a hammer, let me know.”

I pushed the screen door open and stepped onto the porch. Only one person popped into my head. His name passed from my lips before I had time to think about whether offering his services was a good idea. “Eli Vargas is handy with carpentry stuff. He’s renting out one of the old trailers in the park. He’s done a lot to the place in the last couple of weeks. I know he works nights at Eddie’s bar, but I’m sure he’d be interested in helping you.”

“You know, I think I already knew he was good with a hammer. I’m not sure why he slipped my mind.”

“If I see him on my way home, I’ll be sure to give him your number.” Again, I wasn’t sure why I was offering. Maybe deep down my subconscious was wanting an excuse to see him again.

“Thank you. That would be great,” Betty Sue said. “Need any help getting your dad to the car?”

I shook my head. This time wouldn’t be as difficult as the last few. He wasn’t nearly as lit.

“I’m okay.” I maneuvered around Hershel’s extended legs and headed for my dad’s side. “Come on. Let’s get you home. Hershel and Betty Sue have a long road trip to pack for.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Hershel’s been talking about it for days,” Dad grumbled. He reached for his cane and used it to pull himself up into a standing position. I waited for him to show signs of a struggle before I reached out to help.

“Dad, dinner is done if you’re ready to eat before we leave,” Betty Sue said as she proceeded to help her drunken father out of his rocker as well.

“I ain’t hungry,” Hershel muttered while swatting her hand away.

“You sure? I made your favorite—roast beef with potatoes and carrots,” she said. I grinned at her approach to coax her dad to eat as I helped mine down the porch steps. “You know I’m not stopping. It’s a one-shot trip. Five hours there, which is five hours without food,” Betty Sue insisted.

“Did you say roast beef with potatoes and carrots? Let me get myself a plate.” Hershel pulled open the screen door and disappeared inside. “See you two later. Take care of yourself, Bill.”

“Will do,” Dad grunted as he made it down the final step. He tripped at the bottom when his cane became wedged between two large chunks of gravel in the driveway. I helped him right himself and then opened my passenger door by pushing the button in and pulling up before jerking it open. I really need to get the dang thing fixed.

“Bye, Betty Sue. Thanks for calling me to come get him.” I waved to her while starting around the front of my car while Dad situated himself in the passenger seat. “Have a great trip.”

“Thanks, sweetie. Don’t forget to give that oldest Vargas boy my number. I’ll pay him well to help with the repairs around this place.”

“I won’t. I’m sure I’ll run into him sometime soon.” That was an understatement. The universe always seemed to be pulling us together, and since the full moon and him kissing me, I’d been finding it harder to stay away from him.

Once I situated myself behind the steering wheel of my car, I cranked the engine. It sputtered a few times before finally catching.

“Damn, this thing sounds horrible,” Dad said. The amusement laced in his words irked me.

“Yeah, I know.” I clamped my lips together before I said something that would start an argument between us and made a mental note to put in an early request at the next full moon for him to do repairs on it. Near a full moon was the only time he sobered up.

My cell chimed with a new text. I glanced at it in the cup holder. It was from Becca. I scooped it up and read what she’d said.

I’m getting ready to pick up Ridley and then head to the store so we can get her a sleeping bag. I need to pick up some other supplies I’m sure the boys will end up forgetting, too. Want me to swing by and pick you up?

I quickly typed out a message, letting her know I was busy right now but could meet her at the store in a few. Then, I asked which one she was going to. As I shifted into reverse and turned around in Betty Sue’s driveway, I tried to remember if I had a sleeping bag still. I used to have one. It was turquoise with white daisies. I wasn’t sure if it was still around or if Gran had donated it a while back. If she had, there was a hundred bucks tucked in my underwear drawer. I could spare some of it for a decent sleeping bag.

Unless Alec wanted to share his with me.

A fluttering feeling shifted through my stomach at the thought. I couldn’t wait to spend time with Alec tonight.