Laurie’s Wolves(81)

Laurie let that all sink in. “What about the weather. Why do you think the black smoky aura always comes to me, and it comes to me during a crisis?”

“I won’t deny the spirits want your attention. I just think you’re misguided when it comes to their intentions.”

“How do you know what they want?”

Melinda frowned. “Honey, you don’t. I never have. All you can do is follow your heart and your instincts.”

“Melinda, my instincts tell me to stay out of town,” she grumbled.

Melinda shook her head. “Okay, then maybe you shouldn’t follow your instincts this time. You can tell the difference between evil intent that involves real harm and a warning, right?”

“Probably.”

“So think about each sighting. Did you ever feel like the spirit was angry with you in particular?”

“No, but it sure is angry.”

“Well, I’ve had the same sensation. I know the spirits are angry with our entire section of the country for some reason. They’re trying to warn us. I know from the earthquake that the spirit genuinely wanted me to keep Rebecca safe. I did that. It worked. She’s alive, and she helped so many people the day of the earthquake, something she couldn’t have done if she’d been one of the victims.

“She experienced many similar things as you—unexplained rain for one, and a smaller earthquake for another. She could have left town. Hell, she’s even human. Every aspect of this weirdness was new to her. But she didn’t. She held her ground—stomping and complaining until the bitter end.”

Laurie’s head was spinning as she tried to make sense of all this. “What about your mating? You saw several spirits also.”

“Yeah, that was different, I’ll admit. I knew instinctively they were there to warn me. I even thought something was about to happen to the casino site. I assumed it would be weather related again. It wasn’t. Our intuition isn’t an exact science. It’s a guide. I knew with my very soul that Keegan was in danger on that site. He’s stubborn. It took forever, and he almost lost his life, but I finally got through to him.

“In the end, lives were saved. If that casino had been built, who knows how many people would have died in the next earthquake. The structure would have collapsed and taken everyone inside down with it. Instead, it was never completed.

“Now we’re in a new phase. Are the spirits warning you of some sort of natural phenomenon that’s about to occur? Or is it human stupidity the spirits are worried about? I’m not sure. But what I am sure of with one hundred percent certainty is the spirits didn’t intend for you to interpret their presence as insinuating you needed to leave town.”

“Why don’t they come to me now, then? I’ve been here long enough. If one of those black auras wanted to pay me a visit and get me to return, why not face me here? I’ve been home all day. I could have taken the visitor in stride,” she mocked.

“Not sure. But I can say the sightings have not been this far from the two counties at any point. In fact, they were originally only spotted in high-altitude locations in the mountains. The fact they came down into our towns and homes is disconcerting. But they have not strayed farther than that.

“Perhaps their goal was simply to impress upon you that you too had the powers of the women of our family. Perhaps they put weird weather occurrences in your path to get you to pay attention to them and not the other way around.

“We may never know for sure. But I’m pretty intuitive, and I’m going to insist that your warped idea is wrong.” She tugged the jeans back that still lay on Laurie’s lap and shook them in the air. “Get dressed. I’m not fucking kidding you.” She shivered. “I don’t know about spirits visiting people this far from home, but I do know that my skin is crawling with the need to return with haste. So let’s get a move on.”

Laurie paused. She blew out a breath in defeat. “Okay.” Reluctantly she pulled herself to standing and shrugged into the jeans. They chaffed against her pussy even with the cotton panties between them as a barrier.

She pulled a sweater out of her bag and yanked it over her head next, not bothering to remove her T-shirt or put on a bra. She was too exhausted for either.

“Good. I’ll tell Mom we’re leaving.”

“Why doesn’t she come with us? Maybe we could use her.”

Laurie smiled. “I totally agree. And I hope I can convince her of that soon. But she has a life here that needs to be wrapped up before she can skip town. Your brothers both live nearby. Her mate has a job. It’s complicated. I understand that totally.