Chapter Five

Serena walked back to her cabin as fast as her altitude-starved lungs would let her. As soon as she was inside, she locked the door and leaned back on its solid wood panels. “I can’t believe I did that.”

Still reeling from the shock, she made her way on wobbly legs over to the small love seat in front of the fireplace. She leaned back against the smooth leather and stared at the logs, stacked and ready for a match. Her mind was spinning, and she had no idea what to do next. So she did what she’d always done. She picked up the phone and called home.

Her sister Lacey answered. “What’s up?”

A sudden lump formed in Serena’s throat. She tried to speak, but no words came out.

“Serena? That’s you, isn’t it?”

Finally, something emerged. “Mm-hmm.”

“Oh, honey, is it that bad? Mom said you shouldn’t go. Colorado is too far away, isn’t it?”

Right now, it was. Too far away from where she could crawl into Lacey’s arms and receive that fierce, protective hug that sisters always gave come crunch time.

“What is it? Is it the pack? Are they being mean to you? Is it the job? Wait…you don’t start until Monday, right?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it? Is it that guy? Sam?”

Hot tears began pouring down her face. “I screwed up, Lacey. God, all of this could have been avoided if I had a physical wolf, like you, and could identify everyone by my nose.”

“Wait a minute. What could have been avoided? I thought he was okay with you being a dreamwalker. If that shifter is giving you any grief I’m coming out there. I’ll tear him apart with my own teeth and claws. No one messes with my sister.”

Serena reached for a tissue from the box some thoughtful person had left on the coffee table. “I haven’t even seen Sam yet. He’s working all day at the restaurant and then he has a night shift as an enforcer.”

“They should pay their enforcers, like we do. That way they wouldn’t have to work two jobs. Being a cop isn’t easy.”

“I think they have a few paid positions.”

“But that’s not it, is it?”

“No.” Serena could almost see Lacey frowning into the phone. Similar size, similar coloring, they almost looked alike to be called twins. Almost. But no one would ever make the kind of mistake that she had. No one. Her throat choked up.

“Tell me.”

“My boss hates me. She wants me to fail. She pretty much told me so.” The more she talked to her sister, the easier the words came. “And the cabin they’ve given me is dark and depressing.” She gave a short laugh. “I don’t think the curtains have been changed out since the seventies. And Lacey…I may have given a blow job to Sam’s twin brother.” That last part came out in a rush, as if by saying it fast her sister would ignore it and focus on the other issues.

The silence on the other end of the phone had Serena’s chest constricting. “Lacey? Are you there?”

“He has a twin? Why the hell didn’t he tell you?”

Relief bubbled up, and her breathing resumed. “Oh, Lacey, it’s such a mess.”

“Dish.”

“I had such a bad day. It took forever to get here. It’s hours away from the airport and by the time I got here I had to walk directly into a meeting with the full council without even changing clothes. And then my boss, Nancy, basically told me I had two weeks before she fires me. So I went for a walk, and there he was. Sam. Like it was meant to be. He shifted and I saw him. And all I could think about was how I wanted him. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, and all that spark and attraction were still there.”

“But it wasn’t Sam.”

“No.”

“And neither of you figured that out until after you’d blown him?”

“I know. It’s crazy. If I had a physical wolf I’m sure I would have known by his scent, but he’d been running and he smelled like the woods and sweat, and I was just so relieved that I still wanted him after coming out all this way.”

“So, what now? What did he say when he figured out that you thought he was his brother?”

“I have a date.”

Lacey’s laughter echoed into the phone. “That must have been some blow job.”

Serena giggled back. “Oh, Lacey. Thank you.”

“Hey, that’s what sisters are for. What are you going to tell Sam?”

What was she going to tell him? How could she explain? “I don’t know. Here I am with all my social work experience. I have scripts up the ying-yang to give people in tough conversations, but nothing for something like this.”

“You can’t be your own therapist, Serena, you know that.”

“I know, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like I should know better.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t be such a mess.”

“Sure you should. You’re human too. Or mostly.” Lacey giggled at their old joke. “Okay, enough about that. Tell me about the dragon boss.”

Fifteen minutes later she hung up the phone feeling better, but still unsure of how to break the news to Sam when she saw him in the morning. A cool breeze blew through the cabin. She realized it was getting dark. Night was almost here, and it got cold in the mountains. She got up and turned on a light. The breeze blew stronger and the bedroom door slammed shut.

Serena jumped. “What the—?” She thought she’d closed all the windows and doors when she’d left earlier. She remembered double checking the locks. Hadn’t she?

She turned on every light she could reach as she walked over to the bedroom door. She paused with her hand on the knob and told herself it was just a breeze. This was an old cabin and summer at this altitude meant chilly nights. She eased the door open and poked her nose into the bedroom. In here, it was much darker. She flicked on the switch. This was the room that was tucked up under the old pine tree, with the back door—that was now wide open with only the screen to keep out intruders.

Colder now, she rubbed the goose bumps on her arms and crossed the room to close and bolt the door securely. Next time, for sure, she was triple checking all the doors before she left the house. Twisting the knob and shaking the door, she made sure it was locked tight before going to each and every window and double checking the locks and pulling the curtains closed. Then she checked the front door, opening and closing it firmly before sliding the deadbolt.

The old cabin’s dark wood seemed to close in on her, and she shivered in her shorts and t-shirt. Maybe a fire tonight would be a good idea. It might take away this chill that wouldn’t let her get warm.