here in over a week.”
“Luke has a big mouth.”
Malcolm opened his hands, his all-knowing eyes were difficult to avoid. “Don’t blame the boy. You know how persuasive I can be.”
“I haven’t been around much.”
“Is there a woman behind your absence?”
“Jesus, I don’t have time for this.” It was killing me not to tell him about Lana.
“We don’t have time for you to keep playing the field, Adam. I thought you understood.”
I shook my head. “I have enough on my mind without the Pack-needs-babies talk.”
He took a step back. He looked hurt, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it right now. I promised myself I’d make it up to him later.
“Tell Aren to call me,” he said as he walked out of the house. He stopped at the door and turned back with his all-knowing stare. “I’m ready to listen whenever you’re ready to talk to me.”
…
Lana got our tickets to Vegas, but the next flight wasn’t for another four hours. Dammit. It was a good eight-hour drive to Vegas, so jumping in the Jeep wasn’t going to help either. My hands were tied, and I was stuck waiting. Waiting. I paced my living room floor, wishing I had something to take my frustrations out on.
“I’m going to go batshit crazy.” I grumbled and went out the back door to the barn. I needed to get a grip.
I walked through the barn aisle, and Bruce shook his head as I reached for his halter. “I missed you too, buddy.”
After a quick grooming, I saddled him up and grabbed his bridle off the hook. Bruce was eager to take the bit, and I easily slid the bridle over his ears, giving his neck an extra scratch as I led him out of the barn. He waited for me to get my foot in the stirrup and then started for the ring as soon as my butt hit the saddle. “Impatient today, too?”
He shook his head and we hit the arena. Every gait felt smooth. We were so closely in sync that I could cue each gait with a minor shifting of my weight. The wind blew against my face, lifting his mane so it brushed against my hands where I held the reins.
So simple. Horse and rider.
Why couldn’t life be like that?
I took a deep breath and let Bruce have more rein. He didn’t increase his speed at first, waiting for my command. I grinned and leaned forward closer to his neck. “Go for it, big guy.”
His body lunged forward, his hooves pounding the earth, faster and faster until the scenery around the arena blurred. I lost track of how many laps we did like that before I settled back into the saddle. Bruce’s gait slowed gradually until his gallop was a leisurely lope. The sound of his hooves beat out a perfect three pattern. And the calm that settled over me was intoxicating. I eased back on the reins, and his gait slowed to a jog and finally he just walked. I loosened the reins more, letting his head drop down as he cooled his muscles. When we got back to the barn, I dropped to the ground and found Luke waiting for me.
“Want me to rinse him off for you?”
Foam had accumulated where the reins rubbed against Bruce’s neck, and sweat dripped from his flanks. I gave his face a gentle rub. “Thanks, buddy. That was just what I needed.”
I handed the reins to Luke. “That’d be great. Thanks.” I gave him a small smile. It wasn’t the boy’s fault he was worried.
He led the horse back to the wash rack and unbridled him. I loosened the cinch and removed the saddle. Bruce gave a good full-body shake and pawed the ground, anxious for a reward.
“I’m going to Vegas to meet up with Aren, so you’ll be in charge again,” I said as I gave Bruce a handful of grain from the treat bucket.
“All right,” Luke replied.
I rested the saddle back on its rack and turned the saddle blanket upside down to dry out. When I came out of the tack room, Luke had washed off Bruce and was feeding him a carrot.
“I saw Malcolm when I got back today.”
Luke’s shoulders rose up a bit, and he didn’t turn around to face me when he spoke. “He’s been looking for you and Aren.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said. Did you mention the woman I brought home with me the other night?”
Luke turned around. “I’m sorry. He kept asking. You know how he is.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing really.” He shrugged. “I didn’t get to see her before she took off in the Jeep. I told him you hadn’t been at the ranch much and that you had a lady with you the last time you came by.”
“That’s all you said?”
Luke thought about it and then nodded. “Yeah, that’s all I knew.” He met my eyes and straightened up a bit. “That was all I knew for sure, at least.” Maybe he assumed the jaguar scent he caught was from me tracking Gabe’s killer. Either way, Malcolm didn’t know. That was all that mattered. “Sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t, Luke. I just wanted to know what you told him.”
“Is she someone special?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. She’s very special.”
“When do we get to meet her?”
I felt my smile fade away. “Hopefully soon,” I lied.
Keeping the truth from the people I care about sucked—fucking sucked. I gave Bruce one last scratch and wondered how I was going to be able to walk away from my life.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The lights on the Las Vegas strip were flashing, dancing, enticing everyone to forget their worries and come play. It was a stark contrast to how I felt. Dwarfed by all the massive towers of hotel rooms and suites, all I could think about was that somewhere in these crowds, Aren was injured and being held against his will.
Because of me.
Adam reached over and took my hand as we drove in our rental car. “You’ve been awfully quiet over there.”
“I’m not the only one.”
He nodded, moving ahead a few feet through the traffic light. “Yeah, I just want to get Aren back and move on with our life.”
I nodded and looked out my window, blinking my eyes to keep the tears back. There wasn’t going to be any “our life.” Adam hadn’t spoken much when he came back to pick me up. His dad had been at the ranch, and Luke too. But beyond that he didn’t offer anything else.
I guess we all had our secrets.
While I was back at the hotel, I double-checked the date of the full moon and then bought my plane tickets with my frequent flier miles. No one would be able to trace the purchase through a credit card. Adam wouldn’t be able to find me. My heart clenched. Under the full moon, he’d run with his Pack and I’d be flying out on a red-eye to Chicago. It’d be easier to disappear in a big city, and I’d have two weeks before the new moon to figure out where I could lay low while I shifted. It was getting easier to accept now, that I really did turn into a large, carnivorous panther on moonless nights. Strange.
When Adam pulled into the back lot of the hotel I laughed. “This is it? We passed all those gorgeous new resort hotels, and our big showdown is going to be here?”
Adam was looking up at the top of the tower. The lit up signboard read, RIDE AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD. He glanced over at me and chuckled. “Maybe Sasha likes wild rides?”
