Intertwined

Mary Ann wants to order a copy of your birth certificate. Since you don’t know who your parents are, I’m guessing you don’t have one handy.

Wait. Mary Ann wanted his birth certificate? That had to mean she believed him. That had to mean she was going to help him. He wanted to laugh—even though he’d told her to stay away from the beast, not recruit it to his cause. “No, I don’t. But I’m not giving you the license until I hear from her. I don’t trust you.”

Well, you’d better start, because she’s trying to help you and your friends and won’t be able to sleep until she has that license. I don’t like the thought of her tossing and turning.

She’d told the wolf about the souls; she’d confided his darkest secrets to his enemy. Aden waited for a sense of betrayal to overtake him, but it never did. She was trying to help him. Nothing else mattered.

“What does the name of the hospital I was born at matter? What do my parents matter?”

You’ll have to ask her.

“I will.” Aden crossed the room to his desk and dug through the top drawer for the requested item. “Here.” He held it out and the wolf clasped it between his teeth. “I don’t want her tossing and turning either. If you hurt her—”

She has nothing to fear from me, human. I wish I could say the same about you.

HERE YOU GO. Riley dropped the license in her lap.

Mary Ann bent down and hugged him. “Thank you.”

My pleasure, he said, purring against her hair.

Now that she’d seen his human form, the action made her want things she shouldn’t. Things she didn’t want to name, not to Riley and certainly not to herself. But she couldn’t help but wonder if Riley wanted those unmentionable things, as well.

Why else would he hang out with her so much? Unless…

She pulled back, a smile frozen on her face. Did she make him feel calm, as she did with Aden and apparently Tucker? Was it part of his job, something that helped him protect Victoria?

That was not what she wanted.

The fake smile fell away. She faced her computer to hide her now-pinched expression. “All I have to do is send a note with my request, a copy of a photo ID and ten dollars, then boom, his birth certificate is mine. Can you believe that? I’m going to order mine, too, since apparently my dad lost it.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Riley back away from her, shake his head. I have to go. The clothes I’ll leave behind. Hide them from your dad.

“He’d freak out if he found them, that’s for sure. He’d only just gotten used to the idea of me dating Tucker. If he knew a boy was actually sneaking inside my bedroom…” She shuddered. “I’d be placed on total lockdown.”

Your dad’s reaction to Tucker’s appearance would not have come close to mine. But like I said, hide the clothes. I’ll need them next time I’m over.

Next time. He was coming back; she would see him again. Maybe by then she’d have her new, silly feelings for him under control. “I will.”

Oh, don’t worry that the underwear is missing. I don’t wear any. See you tomorrow, Mary Ann.

CHAPTER 13

The next morning, Aden did a double take as he arrived at school. Victoria stood just outside the front doors. What was she doing out in public? Everyone could see her—and every boy that passed her couldn’t help but stare.

Shock pounded through him, an urge to hide her riding fast on its heels, and he quickened his step. Mary Ann had to run to keep up. They’d met in the forest, halfway between their houses, and had walked the rest of the way together in a rare moment of privacy. Shannon had stayed home sick. The wolf was also absent. She’d grumbled about him the entire way, wondering where he was, what he was doing and why he wasn’t with her. There hadn’t been an opportunity to thank her for deciding to help him.

“What are you—oh,” Mary Ann panted. Was that excitement in her voice?

He followed the line of her gaze. The boy Aden had seen with Victoria that day in the forest—Riley, the bodyguard—stood beside the vampire, clearly angry to be there.

But Aden was more interested in Victoria. Today she wore a glittery black shirt that hung midthigh like a dress, a pair of black tights and slippers with little bows on top. Her blue-streaked hair was pulled back in a ponytail that swung behind her. The only thing that was the same was her opal ring.

She noticed his scrutiny and shifted from one foot to the other. “These new clothes are uncomfortable, but for once we were concerned with fitting in. Do you like them?”

“You’re beautiful.” And she was.

Her lips slowly lifted into a smile. “Thank you.”

“Hello, Riley,” Mary Ann said to the bodyguard.

Riley nodded in greeting. “Mary Ann.” Was that gruff affection in his voice?

Aden frowned, his attention whipping to her. “You know him?”

She nodded, gaze not leaving the boy. Man. Whatever he was. He looked older and harder than all the guys entering the building. “You know him, too. He’s the one you warned me away from. Don’t worry, though,” she rushed to assure him. “He won’t hurt us.”

The only person—thing—he’d warned her away from was the werewolf. With that thought, Aden sucked in a breath. The werewolf. Riley the bodyguard was the werewolf?

He moved in front of both girls, splaying his arms, and studied the boy, this human version of the big, black animal.

“As Mary Ann just told you, I’m not going to hurt them,” Riley said, rolling his eyes.

Aden remained in place. His gaze landed and remained on Riley’s legs. There wasn’t a bumpy area to indicate bandages.

“I heal quickly,” Riley explained with only the barest hint of anger. “Only limped for a day.” He shrugged. “Or two.”

This was so unexpected. Surreal, unbelievable.

“Eve?” Aden said aloud, and Riley frowned.

Yes, Eve responded.

The only time Mary Ann had failed to banish the souls was when she’d been with the werewolf. That meant the wolf somehow negated her ability, the same way Mary Ann usually negated Aden’s.

When he’d considered Shannon the wolf, he’d thought that Shannon, in human form, simply could not affect Mary Ann—and therefore Aden—in any way. But Riley did, even in human form.

Which meant Aden was indeed standing in front of the “vicious and bloodthirsty” creature that hated him. The vicious and bloodthirsty creature that had helped him last night.

Aden? Eve prompted. Did you need something?

“Oh. Sorry. I was just checking to see if you were with me or in the black hole,” he muttered.

“Who are you speaking to?” Riley demanded as Eve said, I want to talk about Mary Ann. There’s so much I—

Who to answer first? “A friend,” he told Riley. “And Eve, you know I can’t talk to you in public. Please understand.”

She growled at him, not unlike the wolf had in their prior encounters, but lapsed into silence.

“Actually, I shouldn’t be speaking to any of you. Not here.” Aden scanned the area, said, “This way,” and took Victoria and Mary Ann by the hand, leading them under the towering oak that shaded the side of the building.

A frowning Riley followed. His narrowed gaze remained on Aden and Mary Ann’s twined fingers until Aden released her.

“What’s going on here?” Mary Ann kicked a pebble with the toe of her shoe, looking nervous, unsure. If Aden wasn’t mistaken, she was watching Riley through her lashes.