Awake at Dawn (23 page)

Another sweep of the room and Kylie found Derek. He leaned against a wall, arms crossed, watching her. A slow smile widened his lips. Something in his smile told her he could really use some company.

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She gave the room a quick check to see how many individuals could either smell her hormones or read her emotions. They were everywhere.

What to do? What to do?

She glanced back at Derek, remembered how good it had felt when he’d held her those few minutes in the office, and she thought …
what the
hell
. She started walking toward him.

* * *

Standing this close, she could smell his freshly showered skin. A vision of what he’d looked like standing in the buff wearing only a few water droplets filled her mind. She blinked the vision away.

“Is that like dancing in the moonlight? It’s supposed to be seductive.” She smiled and then bit her tongue. Why was it when she got within three feet of him, all she could think about was … him?

He grinned. “It could be. With the right person. And the right pizza.” He laughed. “Hey, I’m hungry.”

They got themselves two slices each of pizza and a couple of drinks and walked out of the dining hall.

“I know the perfect place,” he said as they left the chatter of voices and the air-conditioning behind in the dining hall. The night air was warm and smooth. He pointed to the two large, white rocking chairs at the front of the office. She followed him. She was just about to sit down when the phone in her pocket chimed.

Sitting her drink down, she balanced her plate in one hand and pulled out her phone to check the number. She frowned when she saw her dad’s number and she hit the off button.

“Who was it?” Derek moved the second rocker over so they faced each other.

“My dad … I mean, my stepdad,” she corrected herself.

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“You still aren’t talking to him?” Derek sat down and picked up a piece of pepperoni pizza and took a big bite.

“Nooooo.” She stuffed her phone back in her pocket and dropped down in her rocker. Their knees touched and it felt nice.

“Why not?” Derek asked between bites of pizza.

Kylie stared at him. “Why would I want to talk to him?” She positioned the plate in her lap.

He finished chewing and swallowed. “Because you care about him. Because up until the shit hit the fan with your parents’ marriage, he was a pretty good dad.” He held up his finger. “You’re the one that told me that.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t tell you to use it against me.” She picked up the slice of pizza and stared down at the oozing cheese. Her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled. Thankfully, she was finally hungry. For a while there, she thought the blood had ruined her for eating regular food.

“I’m not using it against you.” He took a sip of his drink. “I’m just …

trying to help. Because when you saw it was his number, your emotions went all lonely and sad. I felt them all the way to my gut. Maybe if you talked to him, you wouldn’t have to feel that anymore.”

“He cheated on my mom.” She fought back the slight annoyance she felt toward Derek and took a small bite of pizza. The spicy sauce along with the gooey cheese made her taste buds jump up and down.

“That’s just it,” Derek said, taking another bite of his slice. “He cheated on your mom. Not you.”

Kylie swallowed the pizza and frowned. “Why does everyone keep saying that as if his infidelity didn’t affect me? It broke their marriage up.

Nothing is the same for me anymore.”

Derek studied her over the rim of his drink and started his rocker moving. “Maybe if you spoke with him, some of it would be the same. The relationship between you and him could be the same.” 191/375

She dropped her pizza back on her plate, frustration chasing away her first sign of hunger in days. “You know, for a guy who won’t even think about talking to his dad, you’re a fine one to talk. I mean, you had a detective find your dad, and you still won’t even contact him.” His jaw tightened. “And your point?”

She narrowed her own eyes and steadied her stare at him. “My point is, back off, okay?”

Derek scraped his feet on the porch, brought his rocker to a fast halt, and stared at her. “How far back do you want me to go? I’m already scared to even talk to you in public. Isn’t that far enough?” Frustration filled his voice, but it was the hurt in his eyes that made her see reason.

Why was she being such a B with an itch?

“I’m sorry.” Kylie said. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. And I don’t mean that you can’t ever talk to me in public. I just … I’m just … I’m so moody.” Kylie remembered what Holiday had said about the mood swings in werewolves before the full moon. Was that why she was acting this way? She looked up at the dark navy sky and focused on what almost appeared to be a full moon. Come Monday she’d know, wouldn’t she?

When she glanced back at Derek, he’d continued eating. Not that he looked all that happy. He wouldn’t even look at her. Her thoughts shifted from what might happen on Monday to the anger that had just passed between them.

“Hey,” she said to get his attention.

When he looked up, his discontent showed more on his face.

“I’m really sorry,” she said again.

He dropped what was left of his pizza back on his plate. “You shouldn’t be,” he muttered, and used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. He closed his eyes for a second. “You’re right. I wouldn’t want you trying to tell me I needed to call my father. It’s just…”

“Just what?” she asked.

“I feel everything you feel and it can be a tad overwhelming.” 192/375

“Bad overwhelming?” she asked.

“Not really,” he said, and glanced away.

“So we’re okay? I’m forgiven for being a bitch?” she said in a soft, pleading voice.

“I don’t think you’ve hit the bitch mark yet.” He smiled. “But yeah, you’re forgiven for being grumpy.” He set his plate on the porch and stood up. Bracketing his palms on the arms of the rocking chair, he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss wasn’t overly sexy, but the soft way his lips brushed against hers had her heart swelling with emotion. Emotion that was as gooey as the cheese pizza she’d abandoned.

“Mm.” He pulled back, smiling. “I don’t know if it’s you, or the pizza, but something tastes good.”

She touched his cheek. “Will you still like me if I’m werewolf?”

“What do you think?” His lips met hers again. This kiss came with a touch of his tongue and had her pulse racing even faster than its abnor-mally fast pace.

But when he pulled back this time, he wasn’t smiling. He didn’t look happy.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He sat back down in his rocking chair.

She looked at his expression through the moonlight. “I hate it when people do that.”

“Do what?” he asked.

“Say nothing, when it’s sooo obvious that it’s something.” He let go of a sigh. “Okay, if you must know. It just occurred to me that maybe I wouldn’t be so thrilled if you turn out to be werewolf.”

“Because I’ll get all hairy?” Kylie asked.

“No.” His expression darkened. “Because … because Lucas is werewolf.”

Later, after Derek walked her back to her cabin in an uncomfortable silence, Kylie decided to go to bed early. She’d only been in bed a few hours when she felt herself having a dream. She knew it had to be a dream from the moment she became aware of the floating sensation. She rolled over and tried to force herself awake, but then she saw …

Him.

Again.

Lucas.

He looked at her and smiled. His bright blue eyes looked heavy, sleepy. She realized that she was no longer above him, but stood beside him. He wore jeans and a light blue button-down shirt that wasn’t buttoned. Her gaze went to his chest and then up again. All the way up, away from his open shirt. His black hair looked mussed, as if he’d just gotten out of bed himself, and the dark strands appeared to be a tad longer. It even had a bit of waviness to it.

“You came,” he said.

“Came where?” she asked, feeling out of her comfort zone.

He didn’t answer her, instead he said, “Come on, let’s go for walk.” He held out his hand as if wanting her to take it.

She hesitated. The idea of touching him tempted her, but she remembered she was angry at him, although she couldn’t quite recall why.

“I don’t bite.” He smiled again.

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It was just a dream, she told herself, and slipped her hand into his, forgetting about the hint of anger she felt inside. His palm felt so warm against hers that it made her giddy.

“I missed you,” he said.

She didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Or at least not about missing him. But she had, she knew she had.

“Where are we going?” she asked when he started walking.

He stopped. “Where would you like to go?” All of a sudden, Kylie realized they were standing in a patch of woods; large trees with sweet-smelling flowers hung overhead.

“Paris? The mall?” He looked around as if just noticing the scenery.

“Or would you like to go back to the lake, like in the last dream?” His voice grew deeper, huskier. “Is that where we’re going?” Blood rushed to her face.
How did he know about that dream?
Then she remembered this was just a dream. Nothing had to make sense.

Right? Yet this dream seemed even stranger. Different.

He laced his fingers through hers. “We could go anywhere, as long as I’m with you.” His irises appeared to darken and his eyelids looked heavier.

She recognized the emotion. Desire. Hunger. Passion. She’d seen it in his eyes the day they’d kissed at the creek by the dinosaur footprints. But that wasn’t the first time she’d seen that look. She’d seen it first in her dream. The dream of them swimming—of him touching her.

“We can even do anything … because…”—he moved in closer—“because this is just a dream. It’s not real. Just like the first one. But it’s your choice. You’re the one in the driver’s seat.” His head dipped down an inch, and his face felt lightly scratchy against hers. Then his lips brushed across her cheeks until he found her lips. She let him kiss her. At first, she didn’t respond. At least not until his tongue slipped between her lips.

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Unable to think of anything else, she gave in and started kissing him back. It was hot. It was wonderful. It was just a dream. His hands were on her back, and then shifted to her front. Her breasts felt swollen when he brushed his palm across them.

Then … she remembered Derek. Strong, kind, beautiful Derek. And then she remembered Fredericka. Yeah, that was why she was mad at Lucas.

She jerked back. She was breathing hard. He was breathing hard, too.

She started floating away.

“Don’t go, Kylie,” he said. “Come back. Please.” Kylie suddenly became fully awake. She jackknifed into a sitting position. Her heart raced as if she’d run a marathon. Her palms felt sweaty.

Her body tingled in front. It tingled darn near everywhere.

Socks, still in skunk form, meowed from the foot of the bed.

“Weird dream,” she said aloud, and it felt good to hear her own voice.

“A very weird dream.”

Then she remembered Lucas’s letter. His first letter.

Dream of me,
he’d signed it.

Was it a coincidence?

Crazy possibilities started forming in her head. What if…? What if werewolves had the power to get inside one’s dreams? What if these weren’t just dreams, but something more? Did that kind of power even exist?

The more she thought about it, the more she started to believe it, and the angrier she got. How dare he just come into her dreams and … kiss her. Touch her. Wasn’t Fredericka enough for him? Did the she-wolf know Lucas was skipping out on her to come visit Kylie in her dreams?

So many questions and no answers. She realized one place she could look for answers.

Turning on the light, she yanked open the drawer and pulled out his letter. She’d already unsealed it and it slipped from the envelope easily enough. She blinked to adjust her eyes.

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Hi Kylie,

Another letter from me. For all I know I’m the last person in the world
you want to hear from. But it doesn’t stop me from writing you. Or from
thinking about you. But damn, I think about you all the time—wonder if
you have discovered what you are and the many talents that you have.

I’ve spoken to Burnett and when I asked about you, he only said you
were fine. I think he knew I wanted details but for some reason, he
wasn’t willing to give them. It makes me wonder what you’re doing that
Burnett won’t share. I don’t want to think about it too much, because I’ll
start worrying.

You could say that I feel very possessive of you. I’m not saying it’s
right, but I did meet you first.

Do you remember when we met? You were in your front yard, lying
on the ground, staring up at the sky. When I came over, you didn’t even
say hello. You looked at me with your big, curious eyes and asked if I
saw the elephant. At first I thought you were crazy, but then you pointed to the clouds.

Kylie stopped reading as the tiny piece of memory started floating around her head. She did … remember. Taking a deep breath, she went back to reading.

I remember I told you I didn’t see the elephant in the clouds. But I did. I
don’t know why I lied, probably because you made me nervous. I could
see you weren’t human, but I couldn’t tell what you were and it seemed
strange. Not really a bad strange. You were just like a puzzle I wanted
to figure out. Ha! It’s been ten years, and here I’m still trying to figure
you out. Part of me wonders if it’s because you are a female, girls are always a mystery, or if you are really that big of a puzzle.

Anyway, I hope you’ll think this is good news, but I may be able to
come back to the camp. I’ve spoken with Burnett about it and he said he
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