Shift (Southern Werewolves Book 1) Page 4

Another laugh escaped her as she crawled onto the bed next to me. Personal space didn't seem to be something Evey was familiar with. “Anytime, babe.”

  I smiled begrudgingly. You couldn’t stay mad at Evey.

  “Really.” I eyed both siblings seriously. “Thank you both for everything. You saved my life, patched me up, lent me your clothes, and even fed me. I’d be happy to pay for the clothes and accommodations if you’ll let me.”

  Both of their mouths opened to respond, but they were interrupted with a soft knock at the door. Abraham groaned.

  “Can we come in?” a female voice yelled.

  “Would it matter if I said ‘no’?” he muttered.

  The door opened, and in walked two stunning women. One was tall and thin, with curly hair haphazardly thrown into a bun on the top of her head. The other was shorter, with wavy brown hair streaked with hot pink, and curves to spare.

  “Nope. It wouldn’t have mattered,” the shorter one answered.

  Had she heard him from out in the hall?

  The two women’s hopeful eyes bounced from Abraham to me and back again.

  With a sigh, Abraham gestured to the tall woman, “Elizabeth, this is Callista,” then the shorter one, “And Delilah.”

  I had that specimen-under-a-microscope feeling again.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi,” they replied in unison.

  My eyes traveled from each new girl, to Evey, and back to Abraham.

  “You’re all related?”

  Evey giggled next to me. “Yeah, those are our sisters.”

  “There’s four of you?” As an only child, this concept was astonishing.

  “Actually, we’re quintuplets,” Callista explained, her voice soft.

  Quintuplets?!

  I counted the people in the room.

  “Where’s the other one?”

  Delilah cocked a hip, “Oh, Bea’s around here somewhere. Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to meet her too.” It almost sounded like a threat.

  I tried to stifle a yawn, but Abraham, always watching, saw right away.

  “All right, ladies. Time to go. Elizabeth needs to rest.”

  Delila’s mischievous eyes danced between me and Abraham. “Sure, Abey. We’ll leave you two alone.” She grabbed both Callista and Evey’s arms and dragged them to the door.

  Abraham let out a huge breath, and I couldn’t help but laugh. His surprised eyes met mine, and he smiled a beautiful smile that made my heartbeat pound in my ears. Seconds passed as our eyes stayed locked, our smiles firmly in place, time standing still around us. Until another yawn escaped me. His brows dipped low, blue, blue eyes radiating concern.

  “Get some sleep.”

  I nodded and scooted down until my head hit the pillow.

  “Night, Abraham. Thank you,” I muttered.

  I was almost asleep when I heard his reply.

  “Of course, Elizabeth. Anything.”

  Chapter 5

  Bright sunlight gently roused me from my sleep. Unlike last time I woke up in this strange bed, this time I remembered exactly where I was.

  In a house full of werewolves.

  Only you, Elizabeth. Only you.

  Because if there was trouble in a fifty mile radius, it would inevitably find me. My sealed juvenile record could attest to that. I purposely led a boring, solitary lifestyle for that exact reason.

  I’d been on vacation only a few hours, and already been attacked by a serial killer, and then rescued, and brought to a house full of werewolves.

  Werewolves.

  The rational part of me fought fiercely with what my eyes had seen. Evey, who’d seemed like an average woman, transformed into a wolf right in front of me. A lifetime of believing things like this only happened in books and movies was all wrong. Couldn’t be more wrong.

  I’d just met a whole family of them.

  Elizabeth, Elizabeth. What have you gotten yourself into this time?

  A soft snore came from across the room, and I jerked in surprise.

  What is Abraham doing in here?

  He was lying on a brown leather chaise against the far wall. One of his broad shoulders hung over the edge of the cushion, his bare feet jutting off the end. His normally expressive face was slack with sleep making him appear younger.

  I had trouble forcing my eyes away from him. Every time I looked, I found something new to marvel at.

  The dark hair covering his thick forearms.

  A birthmark next to his right ear.

  Tiny specks of stubble along his jaw and chin.

  I could look at him all day, but I was feeling like a creep. What would he think if he woke up to find me sitting here drooling over him?

  Not a good look, Montgomery.

  Besides, he was a werewolf. Were we even the same species? When hazy images of his moonlit naked form crept into my head, I quickly shut down that train of thought. This was not the time to fantasize about a relationship with a mythical creature. And I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not now, and not any time soon.

  I needed to get moving. Hopefully they won’t mind if I took advantage of their hospitality a little further and had a quick shower before heading back to my cabin.

  As quietly as possible, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. The room spun for a few seconds before I could see straight again. My temples throbbed with a slight headache, but I would manage.

  With equal pressure on each leg, the wounded one hurt, but seemed a little better than last night. I took one half-shuffle forward, and couldn’t prevent the soft hiss that escaped my mouth when I put weight on my bad leg.

  Abraham shot to his feet, and scanned the bedroom with quick, shrewd eyes. “What happened? What’s the matter?”

  Before I could answer, Abraham had assessed the room, and found the only threat to be my wounded leg. He frowned as he walked over.

  “You look like you could use some help.”

  I straightened my spine and tipped my chin up.

  “I don’t need your help.”

  Abraham shook his head and grasped my arm.

  “I didn’t say you needed help, because I’ve already been informed that you don’t.” I met his cocky grin with a cool glare. He chuckled and continued. “I said ‘you could use some help’. Which you definitely could. So just let it go and let me help you.”

  He didn’t wait for an answer, just led me across the room.

  With him helping to support my weight, I made it into the bathroom, and took a seat on the edge of the garden tub. I was out of breath, and desperate for him not to notice. His concerned frown told me I probably wasn’t fooling him.

  “Just wait a minute, I’ll be right back,” he tossed over his shoulder as he left the bathroom.

  I turned on the faucets and propped my leg up on the edge of the tub so I could remove the bandage. When Abraham returned with a towel and a small pile of clothes, I was just peeling back the edge of the bandage. He emptied his hands and grabbed a washcloth from a cabinet on the wall.

  “Wait a second,” he said as he wet the cloth, and came to kneel in front of me.

  I instinctively leaned back, my breath catching in my throat.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he insisted.

  He thought I was afraid of him.

  I was.

  Terrified.

  But not in the way he thought.

  I was terrified of how fascinating he was. Terrified of the way it felt like my life was spiraling out of control, and this man was the eye of the storm.

  I wasn’t afraid for my safety.

  I was afraid for my peace of mind.

  “I know you won’t. You just startled me,” I assured him. “What’s the washcloth for?”

  “It doesn’t hurt as much if you wet the tape before you pull it off.”

  Abraham got to work pressing the damp terry cloth against my skin. When he was satisfied, he gently peeled the tape off, and removed the gauze.

  The jagged puncture wou
nds dotted my skin like they’d been stamped there. They’d bled a little on the gauze, but had scabbed over by now. It looked much better than the bloody pulp I’d been expecting.

  “Did you do this?” I asked, gesturing to my leg. “The bandage,” I amended. “You seem like you know what you’re doing with this stuff.”

  He smiled and stood to wring the washcloth out in one of the sinks. “Most werewolves know basic first aid.” A light blush tinged the apples of his cheeks. “Some of us can get pretty...rowdy.” He chuckled softly. “Especially when we’re younger. It’s much worse then.” His head tipped back as he squinted at the ceiling. “I can’t think of a single wolf I know who’s never broken anything.”

  I smiled. “I guess we’re all guilty of doing dumb things when we were young. I haven’t broken any bones, but I’ve had my fair share of trouble.”

  “I’d love to hear about it sometime,” he said with a grin.

  My smile slid off my face faster than butter off hot pancakes.

  “Yeah, sure. Sometime,” I lied.

  I’ve never told anyone about my past.

  Sure, my parents and gran, and even school officials were notified. But I’d never told anyone. And I wasn’t about to start now. It was too shameful, and I didn’t want to relive it. My past was locked up tight, and buried deep, and I intended to keep it that way.

  If he noticed my lie, he didn’t let on.

  He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I brought you some clothes. They’re way too big, but I thought you’d like something clean.”

  “Where are my clothes?”

  He winced. “They were filthy and ripped. We threw them away. I can pay to replace them.”

  I shook my head quickly. “No, no. I don’t need them replaced. Thank you though. I’ll return these to you as soon as I get back to my cabin and get them washed.”

  And then run as far and fast away from you as I can.

  I didn’t need a distraction like Abraham in my life right now.

  His blue eyes darkened. “We’ll talk about that later.”

  “Talk about what?” I asked with a frown.

  He ignored me and headed out the door. “There’s some bath beads or bombs or salts or whatever under the sink if you’d like.”

  Once he was gone, I dug out some lavender bath beads, and liberally added them to the steaming water. Within moments, I was undressed, and submerged from the neck down. I let out a deep sigh and felt my sore muscles relax.

  An hour later I emerged from the muggy bathroom to find Abraham with wet hair and clean clothes, sitting on the perfectly made bed. In his hands were rolls of gauze and tape. He rose and assisted me to the bed. His help was especially welcome since I needed to hold onto the shorts to keep them on my hips. I propped my leg up on the mattress so he could have easier access.

  “What did you use on it? It’s working great. My leg is healing so fast.”

  Abraham froze for a moment and then shook his head. “I haven’t put anything on

  it. I just cleaned and wrapped it.”

  I frowned. “Then how is it healing so fast?”

  He was quiet as he gently taped the gauze to my calf. When he didn’t answer a

  couple minutes later, I dipped my head to catch his eye.

  “Abraham?”

  He sighed and met my gaze, his mouth open to speak, but only a sigh came out. “Elizabeth, I–”

  “Knock, knock!”

  Abraham leapt to his feet. “Come in, Evey,” he hollered.

  The woman came barreling in with a pile of light blue fabric in her hands. “Hey, Elizabeth. I thought you might like some clean clothes.”

  Abraham swiftly stepped in front of her. “She’s already got clothes.”

  She looked incredulously from Abraham to me. Her critical gaze roved over the baggy clothes hanging off my frame. With a roll of her eyes, she gave him a shove, and to my surprise, he stumbled back a step.

  “Don’t be an idiot, Abey.”

  He gritted his teeth and watched me with serious eyes. A delicate snort from Evey had me look her way in time to catch another eye roll.

  “Don’t listen to him. You can’t wear that, they’re fallin’ off you!” She tsked and shook out the dress she brought me. It was a pale blue, halter top sundress, with white daisies lining the hem. It was adorable. And small.

  I eyed the dress critically. “Evey, I’m not going to fit in that.”

  “Nah, it’ll look fine.”

  “Don’t you have some pants I could borrow?” I was grasping.

  She shook her head. “You’re way taller, all of my pants would be too short. This dress is gonna’ look great on you, just wait.”

  I took the questionable garment in my hand, and suddenly Abraham was at my elbow, helping me into the bathroom.

  “You don’t have to wear that if you don’t want to,” he whispered.

  Evey scoffed from across the room.

  “It’s all right. I can try it on at least.”

  Abraham guided me into the bathroom and left swiftly. I shed his too-big clothes, leaving only the borrowed underwear I’d woken up in, and slipped on Evey’s dress. It was snug, making a bra unnecessary which was good since I didn’t have one. I took a look in the mirror and frowned at my thighs. The dress was a little shorter than I was comfortable with, but it beat wearing clothes I had to hold up or risk losing.

  “I guess I’ll just return these to you now,” I said to Abraham as I eased out of the bathroom. I was met with dead silence.

  Both of them were looking at me though their reactions were much different. Evey had a smug smile on her lips, and Abraham’s mouth was ajar. With a laugh, Evey gave him a tap under his chin, and it closed with a snap.

  “Is it that bad?” I could feel the heat creeping across my cheeks.

  The tiny brunette leapt to her feet. “Of course it’s not bad! Girl, are you crazy? You look amazin'!”

  “It’s too short,” I complained.

  She took a step back and eyed me up and down. “It’s a little short, but not indecent. You’re keepin’ that dress by the way. There’s no way I can wear it again after this. It’d look like a potato sack on me.”

  I shook my head in amazement. “Well, thank you for this. And thank you too, Abraham. For saving me and fixing me up.”

  He stood and took a step toward me. “You’re welcome?” He replied, eyes confused.

  “Nice meeting you two,” I tripped over my words, and gave a half hearted wave.

  Not one for awkward goodbyes, I spun on my heel, and headed for the door I knew led to the hallway. As I reached for the handle, I realized I had no clue how to get out of this place. But how hard could it be?

  “Elizabeth! You can’t go!” Abraham called as he caught up to me.

  My brows furrowed. “Why not?”

  He swallowed harshly, his eyes darting around the room. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  I put a hand on my hip. “Okay, what is it?”

  His frantic eyes met mine, and he opened his mouth, but no words came out.

  “Maybe you should have a seat. You’re still hurt, and this may take a while to explain,” Evey said from behind me. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and helped me back to the bed. I thought with the height difference she wouldn’t be much help, but she surprised me. She was pretty strong for such a little thing.

  “Okay guys, what’s up?” I directed my question at Abraham who was still standing across the room, looking torn.

  He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and took a few slow steps toward me. “You asked me how your leg was healing so fast.”

  It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway.

  “Right,” I dragged the word out. “Are you trying to say you know why?”

  He nodded his head, but didn’t speak. I looked from him to Evey, but neither of them continued. I sighed in frustration, and Abraham took another jerky step in my direction.

  “Okay, how about
this? I’m sure you’ve heard of werewolves before last night, right? Tell me what you’ve heard.”

  My forehead creased in confusion, but I thought back. “Um, okay. Well, uh, they turn into wolves during the full moon?”

  Abraham nodded his head. “Yes, what else?”

  “Uh… they’re allergic to silver?”

  His head shook side to side this time. “Not true, but good job. Keep going.”

  I wracked my brain, but couldn't think of anything else.

  “What about how werewolves are made? What do you know about that?”

  “Oh! They’re bitten right?”

  Oh, no.

  “Most werewolves are born, like me and my sisters, from werewolf parents.”

  An important skill I’d learned from being a lawyer is to hear what someone was saying, and also what they weren’t. A lot of times, it was the unspoken words that told the real truth. So I immediately picked up on the key word in his statement.

  “Most?” I asked hesitantly.

  He nodded and closed his eyes. “Almost all.” With a deep breath, he opened them again, and speared me with his laser gaze. “But some are bitten.”

  And that storm I’d felt coming?

  It had finally reached the shore.

  Chapter 6

  “Elizabeth!”

  I heard my name being called, but couldn’t respond. Body frozen in shock, my world was spinning violently around me.

  I’d been bitten by a werewolf.

  How could I have not put the pieces together before now? Everyone knew if you’re bitten by a werewolf, you turn into one. Then again, everyone also knew werewolves were make-believe. Boy, were we wrong.

  “Why aren’t I a…” I swallowed harshly, and spit out the next word like it tasted bad, “werewolf yet?”

  The siblings looked at each other silently until Abraham approached me and took a seat on the bed. I immediately noticed the creases lining his handsome face, and the bags under his eyes.

  “It won’t happen until the next full moon,” he explained.

  The next full moon.

  “And when is that?”

  “Not for about another four weeks.”

  I nodded as my chest constricted.

  I had a month until my life became drastically altered forever.

  My impending change threatened to drown me in fear and anger, but I fought to keep my head above water. Besides, I’d never been one to sit and cry about a problem instead of trying to solve it, and I wasn’t about to start now.