apartment. “It was you,” she said. “Wasn’t it? This morning?”
“Yes,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing to explain to someone you’ve just met. Doesn’t come up that often, really.” Jason was wearing a tight—way too tight—gray t-shirt. His jeans were pretty snug too. He looked way too good. Especially for a werewolf. Weren’t they supposed to be hairy? I mean, he didn’t look bald but she figured they were only model-handsome in the movies. That they were scruffier.
He reached up and scratched at the back of his head, looking for all the world like a puppy that had just been reprimanded. How was that so cute? “You can’t really start a conversation with ‘Hey, do you believe in werewolves? Do you think maybe you could?’ But you…you recognized me. That doesn’t usually happen. Even most women in the werewolf line won’t recognize one at first.”
“What does that mean, werewolf line?”
“Werewolves exist,” he said. “But they’re usually only men. It’s like colorblindness, I guess. Every once in a while you can get someone who’s the exception, but mostly, it’s guys.”
“So…how does it happen? Did you get bitten or something?”
He shook his head. “It’s genetic. If there’s a way of making a werewolf, it was lost a long time ago.”
“But it doesn’t happen to women?”
“Not usually, no. But women carry on the bloodline. They’re just as important as the men are to our clans. Maybe more. Every clan has an Alpha male and a Queen. That’s the most powerful woman in the clan. She can…see what other people don’t.”
Lucy did not like the way this was heading. “Like what?”
“Like recognizing a werewolf as a human and a wolf,” he said. “Lucy, I don’t even know how to begin to tell you—your mother was the clan heir. You’re a Queen.”
“That’s not possible,” she said.
“Your uncle—our Clans were talking about an alliance. When he died, I wasn’t even sure how we’d be able to talk to you. How we’d even start. But then your father was looking for protection, and Ian was looking to expand—I thought it was our lucky break. For both of our clans. I could meet the three of you, and we’d be able to explain what was going on, keep you all safe….” He chuckled. “Shows what I know. Instead, we’ve just freaked you out.”
“The animals—”
“We’re honestly not sure yet,” he said. “It might be werewolves paying you tribute—they can smell a Queen, pretty easy. But that might just be coincidence. Whatever’s out back there—” He nodded at her porch— “should help. I…I hope you can still trust me, trust us, to do that.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But…I guess I’ll give you a chance.”
“Lucy,” he said, and it sounded sincere, at least. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
He reached out for her hand and took it. “You’re…I know it sounds crazy, but I can—I just know. I know how strong you are. I know we can get through this. And we can figure out…we can figure out everything.”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“Just trust me,” he said. “I’ll…just wait here and I’ll see what’s out there. You don’t have to look or anything. I’ll come back in just a minute.”
“Okay,” she said. She still wasn’t certain…but she was pretty certain it was the best option for now. She sat down at the table and took out her pencils. “Are you going to—to change?”
He smiled. “Can’t when the sun is shining. Too strong. Only the dark or moonlight. New moon’s best, actually, that full moon thing’s a myth. Just hang tight, though, I can still give it a sniff.”
Give it a sniff. If she didn’t know better she’d think she was in some hidden camera show. It was ridiculous.
Having Jason in the apartment helped, though. She took down a pottery pitcher from the kitchen cabinet and started to sketch it. She didn’t forget what Jason was doing, much less the
“Yes,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing to explain to someone you’ve just met. Doesn’t come up that often, really.” Jason was wearing a tight—way too tight—gray t-shirt. His jeans were pretty snug too. He looked way too good. Especially for a werewolf. Weren’t they supposed to be hairy? I mean, he didn’t look bald but she figured they were only model-handsome in the movies. That they were scruffier.
He reached up and scratched at the back of his head, looking for all the world like a puppy that had just been reprimanded. How was that so cute? “You can’t really start a conversation with ‘Hey, do you believe in werewolves? Do you think maybe you could?’ But you…you recognized me. That doesn’t usually happen. Even most women in the werewolf line won’t recognize one at first.”
“What does that mean, werewolf line?”
“Werewolves exist,” he said. “But they’re usually only men. It’s like colorblindness, I guess. Every once in a while you can get someone who’s the exception, but mostly, it’s guys.”
“So…how does it happen? Did you get bitten or something?”
He shook his head. “It’s genetic. If there’s a way of making a werewolf, it was lost a long time ago.”
“But it doesn’t happen to women?”
“Not usually, no. But women carry on the bloodline. They’re just as important as the men are to our clans. Maybe more. Every clan has an Alpha male and a Queen. That’s the most powerful woman in the clan. She can…see what other people don’t.”
Lucy did not like the way this was heading. “Like what?”
“Like recognizing a werewolf as a human and a wolf,” he said. “Lucy, I don’t even know how to begin to tell you—your mother was the clan heir. You’re a Queen.”
“That’s not possible,” she said.
“Your uncle—our Clans were talking about an alliance. When he died, I wasn’t even sure how we’d be able to talk to you. How we’d even start. But then your father was looking for protection, and Ian was looking to expand—I thought it was our lucky break. For both of our clans. I could meet the three of you, and we’d be able to explain what was going on, keep you all safe….” He chuckled. “Shows what I know. Instead, we’ve just freaked you out.”
“The animals—”
“We’re honestly not sure yet,” he said. “It might be werewolves paying you tribute—they can smell a Queen, pretty easy. But that might just be coincidence. Whatever’s out back there—” He nodded at her porch— “should help. I…I hope you can still trust me, trust us, to do that.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But…I guess I’ll give you a chance.”
“Lucy,” he said, and it sounded sincere, at least. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
He reached out for her hand and took it. “You’re…I know it sounds crazy, but I can—I just know. I know how strong you are. I know we can get through this. And we can figure out…we can figure out everything.”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“Just trust me,” he said. “I’ll…just wait here and I’ll see what’s out there. You don’t have to look or anything. I’ll come back in just a minute.”
“Okay,” she said. She still wasn’t certain…but she was pretty certain it was the best option for now. She sat down at the table and took out her pencils. “Are you going to—to change?”
He smiled. “Can’t when the sun is shining. Too strong. Only the dark or moonlight. New moon’s best, actually, that full moon thing’s a myth. Just hang tight, though, I can still give it a sniff.”
Give it a sniff. If she didn’t know better she’d think she was in some hidden camera show. It was ridiculous.
Having Jason in the apartment helped, though. She took down a pottery pitcher from the kitchen cabinet and started to sketch it. She didn’t forget what Jason was doing, much less the
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