Bearly Consenting: Russet Falls Series (9 page)

Chapter Twelve

The next day she was exhausting and she was tired of telling
her friends over and over about the fire. It was all over the news by that
time, and Molly and Lindsay kept asking Avery again and again what the gala had
been like and how she thought the fire had started. Apparently, there was still
no signs of how the fire had started at the mansion.

By lunchtime Avery was sick of fielding questions. She
locked herself in her room, pretending that she wanted to rest. Instead, she
lay flat on her bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Drew.

Had anything changed since high school?

Here she was, lying on her bed, pining for the same boy. Had
she made any progress in the past seven years?

Just as she was lying there, thinking about Drew, her phone
rang.

It was Drew.

“Hi,” she answered, sounding somewhat breathless and being
angry with herself for sounding that way.

“Hi,” Drew said on the other line. “How are you? Do you feel
okay? Did you sleep okay?”

“I’m alright,” she answered honestly. “Still a little
shaken. It doesn’t even seem like it really happened.”

“It definitely happened. I just want to make sure that you
are okay.”

“I’m fine, Drew, really. Thanks for checking in on me.”

The line was quiet for a few seconds. “I also wanted to call
you because I have to head back to the clanlands unexpectedly.”

Avery sat upright. Drew was not on good terms with his
family, so she couldn’t imagine what would send him back home so quickly after
his recent visit.

“Is everything okay?”

“No, but it will be,” he said darkly.

That part of Drew was different, she decided.

There were parts of him now that seemed dark and foreboding,
as if she couldn’t reach him.

“Can I do anything to help?” she asked, knowing full well
that Drew would say no.

“No. Not right now. Just,” he stopped for a moment, “Just
don’t give up on me.”

It was a strange thing for him to say, especially given the
fact that they were just getting back in touch.

“I’m not giving up on you, Drew,” she said slowly, feeling her
heart flip-flop and flutter. “I just want to understand.”

“I’m going to try to make this visit as fast as possible.
Then I will be back, and I plan on doing a re-do of last night. I want to put
that far behind us.”

“Go home and do what you need to do. I’m not going
anywhere.”

“I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.”

After the line went dead, Avery sat there looking at the
phone. Something in her gut told her that things weren’t right, and more than
anything she wanted to be with Drew. She had the crazy notion to go back to the
clanlands herself.

She jumped up, quickly pacing her room.

She would be insane to follow Drew to Russet Falls.
Especially since he was cryptic about why he was going.

Is that why she wanted to go?

Because she wanted to see what he was up to?

But Avery knew that wasn’t the real reason—she trusted Drew
and she just couldn’t help feel that there was something amiss.

She wanted to be with him.

As crazy as it was, she wanted to be at home with him,
supporting him in any way that she could.

And tomorrow was Memorial Day, so it would be quite easy for
her to go home, and possibly even take time off on Tuesday if she needed.

She was not usually this reckless, but for some reason she
felt like this was something that she needed to do.

Without over-thinking, she grabbed a duffel bag out of her
closet and began to toss clothes in there for the next few days. Her sub plans
were ready to go in her classroom, and being completely honest, the kids were
going to be nuts since there was only a week left of school. The substitute
would basically be babysitting for the day.

Molly must have heard the commotion, because a few minutes
later there was a knock at Avery’s door and Molly popped her head in.

“What’s going on?”

“Last minute plans,” Avery said, rifling through her makeup
and tossing her staples into a bag. “I’m going back home for a quick visit.”

“Really?” Molly asked, unable to hide her surprise. “You
were just there.”

“I know.”

“But you never go home.” Molly came into the room slowly,
sitting down on Avery’s bed. “Does this have something to do with Drew?”

Avery looked over at her friend, feeling slightly annoyed,
but also touched that Molly was looking out for her.

“Yes,” Avery admitted. “I’m not really sure what’s going on,
but Drew had to head home, and I just feel like I should be there for him.” She
didn’t want to elaborate too much. “He had a really tough home life growing up,
and I can’t understand why he would go back home.”

Molly nodded thoughtfully. “Did he ask you to go home?”

Avery froze. “No.”

Molly bit her lip. “I’m just concerned for you. Don’t you
think he would have asked you to go home too?”

Avery shook her head and continued packing. “No. He’s not
like that.” She stopped. “I don’t really know what he’s like anymore,” she said
honestly. “Sometimes he seems like the same old Drew that I knew back in high
school. But then I look at him and see this business mogul who has built this
entire empire, and when I think about that, I get all twisted and confused and
feel like I don’t know a thing about him.”

She sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Molly.

“I have kept my guard up for years,” she admitted, “I’ve
been afraid of anything and everything because of what happened between Drew
and I. And even know, I’m afraid to let my guard down, afraid to trust Drew
even when he is standing right in front of me. So, I can’t explain this feeling
that I have, but I need to follow it and see if going back home brings me any
more answers about Drew.”

“Okay,” Molly agreed. “As long as you have thought this
out.” She stood up and Avery got up too. Molly gave her a big hug. “Just let me
know if you need anything. Do you know when you’ll be back?”

“I think Tuesday night. I’m afraid to take any more days off
from school with the end of the year being so close.”

“Just let me know if you need something.”

Avery nodded, and Molly left the room.

Avery flew back into action, tossing a few more things in
her bag. It was just after one in the afternoon, and if she hurried, she could
make it home by four. Her mother would be surprised, but she would certainly be
happy.

Avery called in her sub for Tuesday and quickly said goodbye
to Molly and Lindsay. She didn’t even call her mother until she was in the car.

“Hey Mom,” she said as soon as her mother picked up.

“Avery! How are you?”

“I’m good,” she hesitated, “I have a bit of a surprise.”

“Oh?”

“I’m actually in the car now. I’m on my way home for a
couple of days.”

There was a long pause and Avery could just imagine her
mother’s face as she tried to digest this surprising bit of information.

“What? Right now?” She could hear the happiness hovering on
the edge of her mother’s voice at the prospect of an unplanned visit from her
daughter.

Avery suddenly felt guilty.

She should visit more often.

“Yes! Is that okay?” she asked quickly, worried that maybe
it wouldn’t be okay.

“Of course it’s okay!” her mother explained. “Gosh! I’m just
so surprised! That’s wonderful, Avery!”

Avery smiled. It would be nice to spend some time alone with
her mother. Her father was rarely around due to his work for the tribe and she
knew her mother got lonely.

“When will you be here?” she asked.

“Umm,” Avery glanced at the clock on her car, “A little less
than three hours. Are you sure that it’s okay?”

“Of course! I’ll just make sure that your room is all ready.
What a nice surprise! I forgot that tomorrow is a holiday. How long will you be
staying?”

“I have to get back to the classroom on Wednesday, so I can
stay until Tuesday afternoon.”

“Perfect! I’m going to hang up now so I can get a few things
together. I’m so happy to see you again!”

“Me too, Mom,” Avery said, “I’ll see you soon.”

She hung up still feeling guilty.

She couldn’t tell her mother that the real reason she was
returning home was to see Drew.

Or spy on Drew.

Or support him.

Or whatever it was that she was doing.

She wasn’t quite sure herself.

Following a hunch?

Either way, she would be able to see Drew this weekend, and
her mother, which seemed like a win-win.

She settled back into her seat, and prepared herself for the
drive.

Chapter Thirteen

Drew angrily slammed his foot down on the brake pedal,
swerving around a slow motorist. He hated when his anger got the best of him.

Or more accurately, when Seraphina got the best of him.

He
knew
with every fiber of his being that Seraphina
had somehow been responsible for that fire and not only that, but she had
actually been there herself. He had seen just a flash of her, but it had been
her.

He was certain.

And the fact that she was now summoning him back to Russet
Falls, only made him more certain.

He was just ten miles outside the town, and he had yet to
decide where he was staying. The thought of having to stay with his mother
again filled him with dread. As he turned the corner, a small hotel came into
view—the Russet Falls Inn.

He had driven past it a hundred times, though never gave it
much thought.

Yet, today, it seemed to be just the answer he was searching
for.

He whipped his car into the parking lot, cutting off the
motorist behind him, and he grabbed his bag and hurried into the hotel.

The hotel was nice for Russet Falls, but not the
accommodations that he was now accustomed to. However, it was a million times
nicer than what awaited him at his mother’s house.

“I need a room, please,” he said to the pretty brunette at
the counter. Her nametag read
Gabby
.

“Sure,” she said kindly, “How long will you be staying for?”

Drew was caught off guard. Would it be a night? Two? He had
no idea what Seraphina would require of him.

“I’m not sure,” he said, feeling the anger swell inside him.

Gabby smiled and waved her hand. “No worries. We aren’t that
crowded. I’ll book you for one night, and you just let us know if you need
more.”

Drew smiled. “Thank you.” He slid his credit card across the
counter.

She nodded as she entered some information into her
computer. A moment later, she was finished and she handed him an old-school key
attached to a slender chain with the number 321.

“Here you go. You’re all set, Mr. Alexander.”

He nodded as he took his key and made his way to the elevators
in the back of the hotel. He didn’t bother looking around, he simply surveyed
the room, placed his bags down and headed back out again.

As he approached Seraphina’s house, he could feel her power
over him. He had tried before to break her spell, but it had been useless.
There had been nothing that he could do, and knew that her magic was a dark
kind.

“Drew,” she said with fake happiness, pulling the front door
open as he approached the house.

Drew felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and his
bear roared his disapproval. If only his bear had been on alert seven years ago
when Seraphina had lured him into her web with her glossy hair and freshly
baked cookies.

“Hello,” he said curtly, striding into the house.

“Well, well, don’t you seem pleasant,” she murmured.

“Cut the bullshit.”

“Watch your tongue!”

Drew stopped in the hallway and Seraphina walked languidly
around him until she was facing him. Her long black hair hung loose and
youthful-like down her back and her big green eyes were carefully watching him.
She was barefoot, of course, and dressed in a simple floral dress.

She looked so sinisterly beautiful that Drew had to close
his eyes for a minute to clear his head.

“What’s the matter?” Seraphina purred. “Cat got your
tongue?”

Drew’s eyes snapped open. “I know what you did,” he hissed.

Seraphina lifted her hands up to the sky innocently. “Oh,
and what did I do this time?” she asked.

“You hurt people! You killed a woman! And a man!” But he
knew Seraphina could care less. He knew that from having to do her bidding all
these years.

“I know nothing about what you’re talking about. I simply
asked you here because I have more business for you.”

Drew let out a short laugh. “Please! You make it sound like
you politely asked me here.” He rubbed his arm, remembering the pain of
Seraphina’s beckoning.

Whenever she needed to see him, she somehow re-created the
searing pain he had felt after he had signed her contract.

“You make me run to you like a puppy,” he growled.

Seraphina laughed, the tinkling sound clashing with her true
personality “Perhaps you mean like a cub?” she teased.

Drew didn’t find it funny.

“Where is Ryker?” he asked, knowing that he was hitting her
where it hurts. “Did he leave you all alone again so you had to bring out your
playthings?”

“Watch yourself,” she warned.

“Oh, I’m watching,” Drew said, feeling his bear growl just
below the surface. “I’m done playing your games, Seraphina.”

“Actually, you’re not,” she said coyly. “You’re never done.
You made a commitment to me, and in return, I’ve given you anything and
everything that you could ever dream of. So, instead, you should be asking what
you can do for me.”

“Why was Marcus there?” Drew asked bluntly. “Why were you
there? And don’t deny it! I saw you!”

“As I said before, I have no idea what you are talking
about,” she gave Drew a long look and then inspected her fingernails.

“Marcus was there! You were there! What the hell were you
doing?” he yelled.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes so much so that she looked like
a snake. “That doesn’t concern you. Now let’s sit down and go over the business
that I have for you.”

She walked into the kitchen, clearly expecting Drew to
follow.

“I’m done, Seraphina,” Drew said, and his words surprised
himself. He had thought it many times, though he had never verbalized.
Seraphina may never admit what she was up to, but Drew knew that it had to do
with Avery.

“Oh you foolish boy,” she laughed. “You aren’t finished.”
Her sweet voice changed instantly. “Now sit down and let’s talk.”

The chair opposite her flew out from the table and Drew felt
himself being pulled in the direction of the kitchen.

He had no choice but to sit down.

He had made his choice seven years ago, and he had to live
with it.