Chapter 10
Callie
“Stop being ridiculous, Callie,” I berated my reflection in the mirror.
Despite that, I pulled off the fifth shirt I’d tried on and pulled on the sixth. This was a royal blue sleeveless top that made my eyes look great, but it was all wrong too. With a huff, I ripped it off and threw it onto the growing pile at my feet.
Standing there in a plain white bra, I rolled my eyes at myself and slid my arms into one of my typical flannel shirts before buttoning it up.
Like I said, ridiculous.
It was Wednesday, which meant Wyatt was supposed to drive me to the lab in his brother’s truck and I was losing my mind. I hadn’t been able to get him out of my head since last Wednesday, and I also hadn’t been able to find him, which made for a confusing week.
Part of me couldn’t wait to see him again, while the rest knew it was best to keep my distance. I was just finding that harder and harder to do. I’d even almost gone down to his house to make sure whatever was going on last Wednesday had turned out all right before I talked myself out of it. But with the disappearing act he’d pulled this week, I’d been more curious than ever.
With one last unimpressed look at myself, I grabbed my bag stuffed full of notebooks and reference texts and left my room to find Abey. I didn’t know how else to get in touch with Wyatt since we hadn’t exchanged numbers before he ran off last week.
When I got to my brother’s office, I knocked once and walked in when he called for me.
“Hey, Callie. You ready to go?”
I took a quick glance around his office hoping to see Wyatt even though I already knew it was empty. “Um. Yeah. Is Wyatt on his way up here?”
Abey shook his head as he rose from his chair and walked around his massive desk. “No, he had something come up. I’m taking you.”
My insides deflated like a party balloon. “Oh.”
He must have heard something in my one syllable answer because he paused and looked up at me with a frown. “Is that all right?”
I shrugged. “I guess. I was just expecting Wyatt.”
Abraham snorted as he passed me by and opened his office door. “Last week you were mad that I couldn’t take you, and this week you don’t want me to take you. Which is it, Callista?”
I rolled my eyes and brushed past him. “Whatever, Abey. Let’s just go.”
He mumbled something about wishing he’d had brothers instead of sisters, but I ignored him as I shuffled down the staircase and out to his truck. We loaded up my things and made the drive down to Asheville in mostly silence. I knew he could tell there was something wrong, but thankfully he didn’t ask, and I didn’t offer an explanation.
“Give me a call when you’re done and I’ll be back to pick you up,” he said as he dropped off the last load of sample racks in the lab room.
“Okay. Thanks, Abey.” My brother turned to leave when more words came tumbling out of my mouth. “Is everything okay with Wyatt?”
He spun around slowly and eyed me. “I think so. Why?”
I toed the linoleum beneath my sneaker as I worked to avoid my brother’s inquisitive gaze. “He had to rush off last Wednesday and I haven’t seen him all week, so I was just wondering.”
My brother was quiet for so long that I looked up and caught his blue eyes watching me. It looked like he wanted to say something but then he turned away and cleared his throat. “I don’t think it was anything serious. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
I opened my mouth to argue further but bit my tongue before I could. If I pressed this, Abey would know something was up, and the very last thing I wanted to do was make him suspicious. My brother was nosier than any of my sisters, and when he knew a secret was being kept from him, he was relentless. It was better to let this go for now and try to find out more on my own.
“Okay. I’ll give you a call in a little while.”
My brother nodded and turned to leave. “I’m checking out some property down here, so I won’t be far.”
I waved him off and tried to push thoughts of Wyatt out of my head so I could concentrate on my work. That proved difficult, but I did my best to use my lab time wisely and not obsess too much about the werewolf that had been suspiciously missing lately.
***
Another two weeks went by without a single Wyatt sighting, and the only thing stopping me from marching down to his house was the fact that there was a full moon tonight and he had to show up. Unfortunately, that did nothing to make the hours go any faster.
“Callista, if you don’t stop bouncin’ your leg, I’m gonna sit on it.”
I ignored Del and shot another glance around the kitchen, hoping for the hundredth time that Wyatt would decide to get lunch at the lodge for a change.
“That’s it,” my sister said before standing up and walking over to me.
I looked up at her with narrow eyes. “Don’t you dare.”
Del smirked and slid onto the bench next to me, placing a firm hand on my knee. “I know it’s the full moon tonight, but jeez, you’re wound tight.”
I shrugged and shoved her hand off my leg. “I just need to run it off.”
“I hope that’s all it is. You’ve been a pain in the ass for weeks.”
I shot her a glare before looking around
