two security guards. Ben came up quickly behind them.
“My word, Trina. Are you alright?” Ben asked. “What happened? I thought you’d left long ago.” He rushed towards me in a hug. I finally let the fear and adrenaline take over. I felt weak and shaky as he guided me to a chair.
“Can you tell us what happened, Miss Sayter?” asked one of the guards.
I nodded and asked for a glass of water first. I needed a moment to collect my thoughts and come up with a story that sounded half way believable, after all. For my safety—and Sean’s, I thought—I wasn’t ready to share yet anything about a golden wolf to Ben. Had he read that book? If so, why hadn’t he shared it with me?
Chapter Twenty-One
Ben called Sean to come pick me up, knowing that I was still somewhat flustered by what had happened. I watched from a distance as he appeared to scold Sean for leaving my side, even though I had instructed him to do so. I felt bad that Sean was being yelled at for something he, in fact, had not done.
Ben lifted my backpack off the ground and handed it me. “Good Goddess, Trina. What on earth do you have in there? Bricks?”
I hurriedly took the pack from him before he got too curious and opened it. “Oh, you know, the usual—Geometry book, history book. I think they get bigger and heavier every year.” I quickly set the backpack in Sean’s car, away from Ben. I couldn’t explain my sense of protection and privacy over this book, but I knew it was what I needed to do right now.
After a promise from Ben not to call my mother and worry her, Sean and I took off towards home. Ben promised he would call me if they got any leads on who the wolves were or what they might have wanted from me.
“So, Trina,” asked Sean. “What’s really in the backpack?”
“What do you mean?” I asked him innocently.
“Look, I haven’t seen you crack open a textbook, much less carry one, in the last several months. So fess up, chickie. What did you take from the Council’s library?”
I looked at Sean with what I hoped was enough feigned hurt feelings that it was believable. Hmmm, apparently not.
“Look, I found a book in there with my family crest. Why would that be there and not with Gram’s things? And why would Ben keep it from me? Is there something I’m not supposed to know or what? And seriously, chickie? Really?” I chuckled.
“Maybe Ben didn’t know about the book either. Have you thought of that possibility?”
“Well, what concerns me is that the guys that attacked me in the library knew about it. They told me to hand it over. So whatever is in there must be important.”
“Trina, I’m sure Ben needed to know that.” Sean sighed in frustration.
“I’m not ready to share that with him yet. Okay, Sean? Please trust me on this and give me some time to read it and examine it further. That’s all I ask. Then we can tell him about it if you still think I should. Besides, at some point I think I’ll be ready to confront him about why he hasn’t shared it before now.”
Sean shrugged. “Don’t be too hasty and jump to conclusions. That’s all I ask.”
I nodded and settled into the seat. We were almost to the house. I was ready for a shower and my bed. Sean opened my car door for me. I must have dozed off because I hadn’t even realized the car had stopped. I got out and leaned into him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him hard.
“Thank you, Sean. I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”
Sean nodded
“My word, Trina. Are you alright?” Ben asked. “What happened? I thought you’d left long ago.” He rushed towards me in a hug. I finally let the fear and adrenaline take over. I felt weak and shaky as he guided me to a chair.
“Can you tell us what happened, Miss Sayter?” asked one of the guards.
I nodded and asked for a glass of water first. I needed a moment to collect my thoughts and come up with a story that sounded half way believable, after all. For my safety—and Sean’s, I thought—I wasn’t ready to share yet anything about a golden wolf to Ben. Had he read that book? If so, why hadn’t he shared it with me?
Chapter Twenty-One
Ben called Sean to come pick me up, knowing that I was still somewhat flustered by what had happened. I watched from a distance as he appeared to scold Sean for leaving my side, even though I had instructed him to do so. I felt bad that Sean was being yelled at for something he, in fact, had not done.
Ben lifted my backpack off the ground and handed it me. “Good Goddess, Trina. What on earth do you have in there? Bricks?”
I hurriedly took the pack from him before he got too curious and opened it. “Oh, you know, the usual—Geometry book, history book. I think they get bigger and heavier every year.” I quickly set the backpack in Sean’s car, away from Ben. I couldn’t explain my sense of protection and privacy over this book, but I knew it was what I needed to do right now.
After a promise from Ben not to call my mother and worry her, Sean and I took off towards home. Ben promised he would call me if they got any leads on who the wolves were or what they might have wanted from me.
“So, Trina,” asked Sean. “What’s really in the backpack?”
“What do you mean?” I asked him innocently.
“Look, I haven’t seen you crack open a textbook, much less carry one, in the last several months. So fess up, chickie. What did you take from the Council’s library?”
I looked at Sean with what I hoped was enough feigned hurt feelings that it was believable. Hmmm, apparently not.
“Look, I found a book in there with my family crest. Why would that be there and not with Gram’s things? And why would Ben keep it from me? Is there something I’m not supposed to know or what? And seriously, chickie? Really?” I chuckled.
“Maybe Ben didn’t know about the book either. Have you thought of that possibility?”
“Well, what concerns me is that the guys that attacked me in the library knew about it. They told me to hand it over. So whatever is in there must be important.”
“Trina, I’m sure Ben needed to know that.” Sean sighed in frustration.
“I’m not ready to share that with him yet. Okay, Sean? Please trust me on this and give me some time to read it and examine it further. That’s all I ask. Then we can tell him about it if you still think I should. Besides, at some point I think I’ll be ready to confront him about why he hasn’t shared it before now.”
Sean shrugged. “Don’t be too hasty and jump to conclusions. That’s all I ask.”
I nodded and settled into the seat. We were almost to the house. I was ready for a shower and my bed. Sean opened my car door for me. I must have dozed off because I hadn’t even realized the car had stopped. I got out and leaned into him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him hard.
“Thank you, Sean. I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”
Sean nodded
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