“She only did it out of desperation.” I grabbed a scrap of fabric that had once been my pants to cover myself. I wasn’t cold, strangely the snow didn’t bother me, but I didn’t want to be exposed.
“That doesn’t change anything.” He strode away toward the house, leaving me in the snow.
“Let’s go, kid.” Chet glared down at me where I still sat on the ground. “We don’t have all day.”
“What else do you have to do? What else do any of us have to do now?”
“You owe him.” Chet didn’t look at me as he spoke.
“Owe him? For what? Turning me into a monster? Trying to steal Mary Anne?”
“He’s not trying anything.” Semi leaned over me. “It’s done.”
The anger inside me boiled again.
“Easy there. Don’t let the Dire take over.” Chet sounded more worried than angry this time.
It was too late. The change was coming, and there was absolutely nothing I could do. I felt my strength surge and warmth enveloped me as my vision deepened.
“What the fuck did Hunter do to us?” Semi’s question was the last thing I heard before I Iet go of my human side. My first instinct was to run to the house, but I couldn’t. Even if everything they were feeding me was lies, I couldn’t risk hurting Mary Anne. I had to find a way to control myself. I had to learn to stop the transformations from taking over. I’d do whatever it took to be with Mary Anne again.
Chapter Two
Mary Anne
I’d made a mistake; a huge, never going back mistake that was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. But it was worth it. Gage had another chance at life. That was what mattered.
“Mary Anne?” Marni said my name softly.
I turned from the window. I’d been watching for Gage for over an hour. We had to stay here whether he liked it or not. He needed the help of Hunter and his pack. He couldn’t make it on his own. I hoped the new wolf side of him realized that. I couldn’t get the image of his dark angry eyes out of my head. Was it still Gage, or had he become someone else entirely?
“Yes?” I finally answered. I couldn’t ignore her forever.
“You need to stop watching.”
“Why? Why does it matter if I stand here?”
“It’s going to be hours. You’ve been through so much today. You need to rest.”
“Rest?” I laughed dryly. “How can I rest knowing what Gage is going through?”
Marni opened her mouth and then closed it.
“Just say it. Say whatever it is you want to say.”
“You might not like what I have to say.”
“My guess is I won’t, but if you’re going to say it, just get it over with.” I crossed my arms over my chest. The fireplace was doing nothing to help the cold growing inside me.
“You promised yourself to Hunter.”
“I’m aware of what I did.” I knew Marni wasn’t the cause of my current situation—at least not directly, but she was part of the pack, and currently she was the only member around. Fair or not, she was on the receiving end of my anger.
“I’m not sure you are.” She stepped toward me. “If you were, you wouldn’t be watching for Gage.”
“I can’t shut my feelings off.” I wrapped my arms tighter around me. “I can’t push it all away.” I felt tears streaming down my face, but I ignored them. I wasn’t allowed to cry. I was still human. I’d given up so little compared to Gage.
“You have to.”
“I can’t.”
She put her hands on my arms. “Do it for Gage. The longer you hold onto those feelings, the harder things are going to be for him.”
“Hunter didn’t make me promise not to feel.”
“He made you promise to be his in every way. That means more than your body, Mary Anne. That means your heart.”
“I’m not sure I even have one anymore.”
“That’s bullshit.” She shook me lightly until I looked at her. “If you didn’t you wouldn’t be crying.”
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“You’re supposed to walk away from the window and start your new life.”
“You make that seem so easy.” I wasn’t ready to leave my old life behind. What about my family? And Gage’s? Had they found the truck yet? Were they really going to think I was dead?
“I never said it was easy, but it’s the only thing you can do.” She released my arms and stepped back.
“Why does he want me?” It was time to try my questions again. There was nothing I could do about it, but I still wanted to know. “You can tell me now. Can’t you?”