Chapter 12
Although my leg was feeling much better, it still took me a long time to make it down the two flights of stairs on my own. Evey’s moaning and groaning did little to help the situation.
“I don’t understand why you won’t just let me carry you.”
“Evey, you’re half my size, that’s ridiculous.”
“I’m a werewolf! My size has nothin’ to do with my strength. We could already be outside eatin’ deviled eggs and fried pickles. I swear, if they’re all gone by the time we get there, you’ll have me to answer to. And trust me, you don’t want to deal with a hungry werewolf.”
“Deviled eggs?” My mouth watered.
“Yup. Miss Elsie makes the best I’ve ever tasted. And at this rate, we’ll be eatin’ next week’s deviled eggs instead.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop being so dramatic, we’re almost there.”
A minute or two later, we finally made it to the ground floor. Evey led me behind the grand staircase, and down a long hall to sliding glass doors. Out past the back deck were a bunch of wooden picnic tables with at least two dozen people sitting, standing, and loitering amongst them.
“I knew we’d have a big turnout today,” Evey muttered beside me.
We stepped onto the back deck to find a long stretch of tablecloth-covered tables, holding what looked like enough food to feed half of North Carolina.
One table held plates piled high with hamburgers, hotdogs, ribs, brisket, fried chicken, and pulled pork. Next to that sat potato salad, coleslaw, hush puppies, cornbread, corn on the cob, fried pickles, mac and cheese, and the most delectable looking deviled eggs. Last was the dessert table. A half dozen pecan pies joined about as many apple, and sweet potato pies. Beside that was a large bowl of fruit salad, a couple tiered cakes, and a large plate full of a variety of cookies.
To my astonishment, most of the dishes were already half gone.
“You are so lucky there’s eggs left!” Evey huffed before sprinting away from my side, and over to the food laden tables. She popped a deviled egg into her mouth before grabbing a paper plate and piling food onto it.
I limped over to join her when Abraham appeared next to me. “I got you a plate already.” Without waiting for a response, he grasped my elbow, and led me down the deck stairs, and onto the lush grass.
He directed me toward a mostly full table up front and motioned for me to take one of the remaining spots. When I sat down, he slid a mountainous plate of food in front of me.
My eyes widened. “I can’t eat all that!”
“You don’t have to,” he assured me, “I didn’t know what you liked, so I got you some of everything.”
“We clearly need to have a talk about my food preferences,” I mumbled.
He chuckled and leaned closer to my ear. His warm breath tickled the sensitive skin there. “I look forward to learning anything I can about you.”
I fought off a shiver and kept my gaze fixed on my monstrous plate. When I spotted a paprika-speckled stuffed egg, I scooped it up, and stuffed it in my mouth. Evey was right, they were delicious.
As soon as my mouth was full, Abraham took that opportunity to introduce me to the rest of the table. “Elizabeth, I want you to meet some of the pack.” I turned to a thin, strawberry-blond man with a smattering of freckles spread across his face. “This is our healer, Dr. Monroe, and his mate Doreen.” The olive-skinned woman next to him gave me a warm smile which I returned.
“Please call me Kyle. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth, although I’m sorry for the circumstances.”
I couldn’t help but like the exceedingly polite man. “Thank you, Kyle. It’s nice to meet you too.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to take a quick look at your wounds after dinner. I know Abraham treated them, and he’s perfectly capable, but you are still human, and I want to make sure there’s no infection we need to worry about.”
“Thank you, Kyle, that’s very kind of you to offer.”
He waved my gratitude off, and his wife shook her head indulgently. “He can’t help it, he’s been beside himself since you got here, and Abraham wouldn’t let anyone see you.”
“You’re the only survivor we’ve come across. And although you’ll be a werewolf soon enough, you’re still human, and very susceptible to infection,” the doctor added.
I turned a questioning eye to Abraham, but he was ignoring me. Instead he turned to the other two men at the table. Their features were similar, but their expressions were vastly different. The one with long, shaggy brown hair just grazing his shirt collar had an open expression, and friendly hazel eyes. Next to him sat a larger man with a buzz cut, and a severe look on his face.
“These are my cousins, Calvin and Clyde,” Abraham gestured to the men. “Calvin’s the one who found you in the woods.”
I smiled gratefully at the friendly looking man. “Thank you, Calvin. I would have died out there if you hadn’t found me.”
“You should have,” Clyde interjected.
I felt Abraham tense beside me, and a low, menacing growl come from deep in his chest.
Calvin turned angry eyes toward his brother before giving me an apologetic smile. “You’ll have to forgive Clyde, he’s got a way with words. Unfortunately, it’s a bad way.”
Clyde slammed his palms against the table and stalked off. Calvin sent a worried glance in Abraham’s direction before excusing himself and following his brother.
“Don’t worry about him,” Abraham said between gritted teeth. “He’s just upset we haven’t found this wolf yet and doesn’t understand why he left you alive. It’s nothing personal.”
I nodded mechanically, but underneath, Clyde’s words had shaken me. Was he unhappy to have me as an addition to his pack? Was he mad that I survived when so many others hadn’t? But that doesn’t make sense, he should be happy there was one less body left in this killer’s wake.
Loud chatter interrupted my musings and Evey, Delilah, and Callista squished into the seats left unoccupied by Calvin and Clyde. I smiled weakly at the women and returned my attention to my plate. I’d hardly eaten anything, but found my appetite was missing.
“Do you want something else to eat?” Abraham asked softly.
I couldn’t help the small smile that lifted my lips. Nothing got past him. “No, this is all delicious. I’m just not that hungry anymore.” I met his gaze and saw the concern in his blue eyes.
“Did you like the deviled eggs, Elizabeth?” Evey piped up from the other end of the table.
I turned to her with a forced smile and nodded. “You were right, they were amazing.”
Evey smiled knowingly and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by shouts coming from the other end of the yard. We all swiveled to see Calvin and Clyde arguing. Clyde’s fists were clenched as he towered over his brother whose hands were up like he was trying to placate the angry man.
“Looks like Jekyll and Clyde is at it again,” Delilah muttered.
“Del,” Abraham snapped.
The spunky woman raised her hands. “I’m sorry, but that man is unhinged.”
“He’s your cousin.”
Del scoffed. “Right and bein’ a part of our bloodline makes you a paragon of sanity?”
Abraham didn’t reply, but his thinned lips spoke of his displeasure.
“How are you feeling today, Elizabeth?” Callista’s soft voice broke the silent tension.
I turned gratefully to her. “Much better, thanks.”
She smiled sweetly and turned to talk to Doreen.
Abraham’s calloused hand wrapped around my arm. “Would you like to meet some more of the pack?”
I gulped. I hated being the new girl. Making a good first impression in a social setting was difficult for me. Put me in front of a judge and a twelve person jury of strangers, and I excelled. Ask me to make small talk, and I had a bad habit of sinking. But these people were a part of my future, and it would be a good idea to make friends.
I nodded. “Sure.” My smile was brittle, but it was there all the same. If Abraham noticed, he didn’t comment on it.
He led me to the next table over. “You’ve already met, Bea,” he motioned toward his sour-faced sister. I gave her a smile despite her obvious aversion to me. What I’d done to the woman, I wasn’t sure, but although she intimidated me something fierce, I’d never let it show.
“Hi, Bea. Nice to see you again.”
“It’s Beatrice,” she snapped.
“Bea!” Abraham growled.
The woman just rolled her eyes and turned to the black-haired woman next to her.
“That’s Bea’s best friend, Peyton,” he motioned toward the woman Bea was speaking to. Peyton gave me a brief inspection from head to toe before returning her attention to Abraham’s irritable sister. She seemed to like me as much as Beatrice did.
Making friends already, Montgomery.
Abraham then gestured to a short, black-haired man next. “That’s Peyton’s brother, Paul and next to him is his mate Annalise.”
I smiled, and greeted both of them, and was given only slightly warmer welcomes. The next few tables Abraham dragged me to were very different. It seemed like the majority of the pack were both happy to meet me, and curious about my encounter with the elusive serial killer. Abraham squashed any questions that arose, telling them it was too soon for me to talk about any of it.
I was torn. Letting a man make decisions for me about what I did or didn’t want to talk about was against my nature. I didn’t let others speak or decide for me. Especially not a man. But, I really didn’t want to talk about the attack yet. It was still so fresh in my mind, and after the nightmare I’d just had, I was feeling even more raw. Besides that, I was at a party full of people that I’d never met before, and I felt very much out of my element.
With my feelings in turmoil, I decided to just stay quiet instead of kicking up a fuss about it. Besides, I was learning that Abraham didn’t have any ill intentions. He was trying to protect me, and it wouldn’t hurt to let him, would it?
Once I’d been introduced to dozens of pack members, Abraham led me to the dessert table, and insisted I try a piece of Miss Elsie’s famous pecan pie. I’d had a chance to meet the older woman herself, and could confirm her personality was as sweet as her pie.
“Oh my god, this is good,” I groaned around a mouthful of pie.
Abraham chuckled. “I know right? Elsie joining this pack was a godsend.”
I swallowed a large bite before speaking again. “How long has she been with you?”
He squinted up at the darkening sky. “Hmm must be about five years now. After her husband passed away, she left her old pack and came to ours.”
“How come?”
Abraham frowned. “She didn’t agree with that alpha, and once her sick husband was gone, she had nothing keeping her there.”
“How did she find you?” I asked, eyes still on my dessert.
“I knew her from our old pack.”
I met his gaze, my brows furrowed. “And she didn’t leave with you at first because her husband was sick?”
Abraham nodded.
“Why did you leave your old pack?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a joyous declaration from someone on the lawn. “Bonfire!”
Abraham smiled and shook his head. “That’s a long story for another time.” He grasped my arm, and led me back down the stairs, and over to a series of rocks and logs encircling a large fire pit. The orange and red flames were growing, licking, and snapping toward the twilit night.
He led me to a large petrified log, and I took a seat, grateful to be off my injured leg. I closed my eyes and luxuriated in the warmth emanating from the fire. Abraham’s large hand rubbed small circles across my shoulder blades, and I had to stop myself from moaning in pleasure.
That realization snapped me out of my stupor, and I sat up straighter. Abraham’s hand fell away from my back, and I stared straight ahead, unwilling to see if my actions had upset or disappointed him.
Since when did I start caring about his feelings?
“How’s your leg?” he asked quietly.
I turned to him, but another face caught my attention. Across the circle from us sat Beatrice and Peyton. The latter’s face was pinched in fury, her glare even hotter than the fire. My eyes widened in shock. What could I have done to make her so upset?
“Elizabeth?”
Abraham’s deep voice broke through the staring contest I was having with the irate werewolf. “Huh? Oh. Right. I’m fine, thanks. A little sore, but much better.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Kyle’s right, I should have had him take a look at your leg a long time ago. If you have an infection, we could have caught it days ago.” His worried voice rumbled in the space between us.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not infected. Stop worrying so much.”
He shook his head and leaned in closer. “It’s my job to worry about you.”
“Because you’re the alpha?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I turned to meet his eyes. They were dark blue in the early evening light and so deep, I swear they were bottomless. We stayed locked like that for an immeasurable amount of time. I felt my body sway toward his, as if he were a magnet and I was a pile of iron filings, helpless to deny the attraction I felt. Gravitating toward him as if that’s where I belonged.
“Who wants to hear some music?” A voice yelled nearby, breaking the spell. I leaned back and took a deep breath to steady my nerves. My eyes sought Peyton without my permission, and found both her and Beatrice still glaring at me, their eyes brimming with hatred.
I looked away, remembering you weren’t supposed to stare down an angry animal. The comparison elicited a dark chuckle from me that had Abraham shooting a questioning look in my direction.
Del was sitting nearby fiddling with the tuning pegs on a tan acoustic guitar.
“Del’s really good,” Abraham whispered near my ear.
I ignored the chill his proximity sent down my spine. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. She has gigs around Asheville all the time.”
“Anyone have any requests?” Del called over the chatter.
Abraham cleared his throat and stood. “Do you mind if I join you?”
My wide eyes traveled from him to his equally surprised sister and back.
“You wanna’ play with me?” she asked incredulously.
He laughed. “Let me go get my guitar,” he called as he hurried toward the house.
Evey slid into his empty seat and leaned toward me. “Abey hasn’t played in years. Him and Del used to write music together all the time. It’s been years though. I can’t believe he’s decided to play tonight. I wonder what’s changed,” she mused. I could feel her eyes on me, but I ignored her, refusing to entertain her insinuations. There was no way I was responsible for his sudden change of heart. He’d just met me. How could I have had such a big impact in such a short time?
As I tried to believe my own words, a little voice in my heart whispered: look how much he’s changed you already. I ignored it too.