My Wolf’s Bane(67)

“You’re both going?” Without being blackmailed into it?

“Is something wrong? You sounded happy in the emails, so we thought you’d like a little more alone time.” She studied my face and pressed a warm palm to my cheek.

I smiled. “I really missed you guys.”

“Everything going okay?” my dad asked.

“School is still tolerable and I have a new car. Couldn’t be better.” And it was all the truth. So long as I had Zack in my life, I knew everything would be fine.

“You think you can do without us for a couple more weeks?” he asked. “It might end up being a little longer, but not by much. If it’s a problem, your mother can stay.”

I missed my mom and her cooking, but Zack’s aunt’s cooking kicked ass too. Plus, I still needed to learn to morph and if they were human, I couldn’t have them around while I practiced. If they were shifters… Since they weren’t grilling me at the moment, they probably had no clue a werewolf had been in their house.

If only I could ask them what they were.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured them. “I’m glad you guys will be together. When you’re not working, you can sightsee in Montana together. Like an extended vacation.”

Mom pulled me close. “That’s what we thought. But did you want to come?”

As much as I’d love to be with them, no way was I leaving. “Prom is coming soon. Last year I missed it, because Dad got a job and we moved.”

Now that I thought about it, why was prom so important when I didn’t have a date? I couldn’t imagine Zack taking me. Even for pretend. It would be far too personal for him — and too much like a real date. But what if his feelings changed up the road and he asked me?

“You can stay.” Dad ruffled my hair. I loved his playfulness, but not that particular gesture.

“How soon are you leaving?” I asked.

Mom checked her watch. “In about forty-five minutes.”

“Seriously?” My mouth dropped open. “You’re not even spending the night?”

Dad shook his head. “They’d like me on the job tomorrow.”

I glanced from one to the other, unable to squeak out a response.

Mom slung an arm around my shoulder. “Look at it this way. The sooner we leave, the sooner we come back. And since we already have a rental,” she nodded toward the car in the driveway, “you don’t have to drive us to the airport. Let’s go inside.”

“Wait. I have to put away the groceries.”

“Which reminds me, we made another deposit into your account for food or whatever else comes up,” she said.

“But I still have money left over from the car.”

Dad held the door open for me. “We trust you to manage it wisely. I’ll get the bags out of the car.”

“Okay.” Who were these people? Why such generosity now when before I had to pay back every penny or stay grounded? Why weren’t they worrying and fussing over me? Why weren’t they interrogating me on my friends and whether I’d seen any weirdoes lurking in the bushes? They’d done a complete one-eighty. Not that I minded. It was just very, very strange.

My dad lightened the Taurus’ load, then my mom began putting the food away.

“I can do that,” I told her.

She waved me away. “I want to see if you’re still eating healthy.”

Good. They hadn’t been taken over by the pod people after all. No way would I mention the hamburgers.

My mom quickly went through the bags, eyeing the contents with approval. I folded each one as she emptied it. “You bought a ton of stuff. Feeding an army?”

Only Zack, one meal a day, which made up for the meal I had at his house. “I don’t want to go shopping again anytime soon, so I got enough to last a while.”

“That’s my girl.” Mom smiled, her eyes twinkling as she closed the fridge door.

They brought out a couple more suitcases from the attic and filled them up, then collected last-minute items. I glanced at the time on my cell, knowing Zack would be home soon. When he discovered I wasn’t there, he’d come looking for me.

If my mom and dad were shape-shifters, a werewolf’s presence would stress them out. If they were merely human, an unknown guy coming to the house while they were supposed to be away might put them on alert. They might even cancel their trip.

I went inside to text Zack, telling him about my parents and not to come over. Dashing back outside, I sat on the front porch as they loaded up. Dad tossed a bag in the trunk before scanning the vicinity. My mom mimicked the move. It was strange the way they kept tabs on everything around them. It reminded me of how Zack always looked around to make sure danger wasn’t lurking.