Enchanting Wilder (22 page)

Wood pats his back. “Not exactly, but you’re getting there.”

Standing a little taller, Kai puffs his chest.

Wood steps away and offers me his arm. “Shall we?” My eyes find Declan and he winks, so I take the crook of Wood’s arm and we walk away from the group.

We stroll to the bar and he leans on the dark, stained wood. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to take a minute to talk,” I say.

He sighs heavy. “We didn’t really get off to the best start, I guess.”

I smile. “Not really, which is why I thought it was a good idea for us to come over here and get all the formalities out of the way.”

A hired waitress walks up to us and I decline food, but Wood orders himself a burger, taking extra long moments to check out the girl’s gigantic boobs.
Figures Jared would hire drop dead gorgeous women to serve food at a rooftop party.
I’d roll my eyes and give Wood hell for so easily falling into the douchebag category, but I don’t know him well enough yet.

When the waitress walks away, Wood turns his attention back to me. “So what formalities are we talking? Want to know all the dirty skeletons in my closet?”

I grin to myself and grab a couple of pieces of ice from the tray in front of me, popping one into my mouth. “No, maybe another time. I just wanted to let you know I consider us all on the same page. We’ve all somehow merged into this coinciding story and I’m not looking to step on anyone’s toes.”

“Oh,” Wood says, taking another drink of his cup. “You mean Declan. Nah, it’s all good, McKenna. Declan’s a big boy. It’s not my place to judge or tell him what to do. You seem to be good for him.”

“Yeah?” I perk up, feeling more comfortable.

“He’s different since meeting you. He’s still a pain in my ass, but he’s more bearable. I can’t complain.”

I swallow. “He’s pretty special.”

His mouth pulls to the side and he shrugs. “He’s all right.”

I laugh and jump to the side when someone tickles me.

“Well, well,” Candy slurs, her eyes dim. “Whodowehavehere?” It comes out in one long word.

Wood’s expression changes to something like annoyance and intrigue all in one.

“This is Wood. Declan’s brother,” I tell her, attempting to hold all of her weight because she decided to lean against me.

“Wood? Like a peeny weeny?”
Did she seriously just say, peeny weeny?
I struggle to contain my laughter. We’re obviously sisters. We pretty much had the same reaction to his name.

She stumbles closer to me. Crap. She’s dry-hump-a-random-guy drunk. This could get ugly. Candy isn’t the nicest when she drinks the hard stuff, and from the stench of her breath, she’s been downing bourbon all night. I wonder if that has something to do with Jared. I lean back, my eyes searching for him, but don’t see him anywhere.

Wood’s head rears back, and his mouth twists in disgust. “It’s short for Sherwood.”

Candy waves him off, fumbling on her feet. “Oh. Whatever. I’m Candy, McKenna’s sister. The funner one.” She trips again, and I’m forced to catch her in my arms. She pokes me playfully in the chest. I swat her away.

Wood’s eyes widen as he watches Candy make a spectacle of herself.

“Jesus, Candy. What the hell?” I oomph. “And funner? That’s not a word.” I give Wood an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. She can get pretty crazy when she drinks.”

Wood clears his throat and sets his cup down. “She’s young.”

Candy stands up straighter, attempting to look larger, but it’s moot when she realizes Wood is well over six feet tall. Her eyes blink a couple of times. “Yeah, well…you’re…I don’t know. A giant.”

Wood’s dimples twitch and he attempts not to laugh before his stone-cold expression returns quickly.

“All right, sister. Time for you to sober up so we can have an adult conversation.” I pull her up by her arms to look at me in the eye. “Yes?”

She thrashes in my arms and shakes her head. She’s belligerent, but I link to her anyway, grabbing on to her arms. Breathing in through my nose and out of my mouth, I concentrate on her breathing, erratic and inconsistent. I close my eyes.

Allowing my mind to go to my tranquil place, I close my eyes and imagine driving down a long stretch of road just outside of Summerson. The old asphalt under the tires jolts me in the driver’s seat and I grin, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

My eyes slit open, fully at peace, and I peek at Candy. Her head is still slightly slumped, and her shoulders are forward. Her weight is mostly in my arms, so I grab onto my emotions deep inside and push them into her, imagining a bright yellow light flowing from my body into hers. Wood stands in front of Candy and I, blocking us from curious eyes and I remember we aren’t cloaked. I shake my head, angry with myself for forgetting.

“Iiad, nu, osaric,” I chant low.

Candy sucks in air through her teeth and stands up straight, taking all of her weight on her feet. “Shit. Thanks, McKenna.”

I let go of her arms and give her a level look.

“What?” she asks innocently.

I shake my head and smile. “You’re an ass.”

She bites her lip and glares at Wood. She almost seems embarrassed, but doesn’t say it. “Hey.”

He steps aside, leaning onto the bar again. “Hey.”

“So as I was saying…”

“McKenna,” Declan snaps, grabbing my hand. “We have to leave. Now.”

Kai runs up behind him and Wood stands at attention. With Kai’s big eyes and Declan’s erratic breathing, I can sense something’s wrong.

“What? Why?” Candy asks.

“Thayans and other hybrids are circling the building,” Kai informs us. His eyes skirt around, an air of uneasiness surrounding him.

“Dammit.”

Declan eyes Wood with caution and Wood grabs Candy’s hand.

“What are you doing?” she protests, attempting to pull away.

He holds on tighter. “Trying to help.”

She rolls her eyes, but we’re dragged to a side exit and she’s unable to retort. Alden waves to me with uneasy eyes as I pass him and I give him a small smile, hoping I don’t look too worried—or kidnapped.

Declan pulls out his gun when we’re out of sight, cocking it. The snapping sound echoes against the metal walls of the hallway we just stepped in to.

Guns used to scare me. But the way Declan holds his, it’s almost erotic. He’s so familiar and comfortable with it. It’s almost like another one of his limbs. He owns it like some badass, it makes me feel protected. I have to stop and remind myself this isn’t the time for swooning.

“What’s the plan?” Wood asks, releasing Candy and cocking his own gun.

Kai slides his hand into the pocket of his jeans and yanks out a small knife. I squint to see the engravings etched on the weathered metal. They look Celtic—or maybe something more ancient. “I spelled the place before we got here, but they must feel my pull.”

“So what should we do?” Candy asks and I’m so thankful I sobered her up.

“Dissipate?” I offer.

Kai looks to me, impressed. “Exactly. Can you do it?”

Declan bites his lip and smiles his confident smile at me. I nod.

“Candy?” He turns to her.

“I can dissipate.”

“Can you do it with Wood?”

“What?” they both say at the same time.

Kai rolls his eyes, clearly the that’s-what-she-said conversation still fresh in his mind. “Dissipate. Can you dissipate with Wood?”

“Oh.”

Wood clears his throat.

“I think so. I’ve never done it, but I can try.”

“Okay,” Declan says, grabbing my hand. “Wood, be careful. It makes you feel like shit once you land.”

His mouth set, Wood nods.

“Where are we going?” Candy inquires.

“We can’t go back to the flower shop.” Kai gives me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

I knew this moment was coming. I had a nasty feeling if they couldn’t get to the bottom of the Thayan problem quickly, we’d have to abandon Summerson. I just didn’t think it would be this soon. “It’s….” I rub my lips together. “We’ll figure it out. Where are you guys staying?”

“Blackbird, room four-o-two. It’s just off of the freeway, about ten miles from here,” Declan tells me.

“Is it spelled? Can we get there without being seen?”

“We should be okay, but we won’t have long,” Kai says, regretfully.

“What about clothes? Shampoo? The essentials?” Panic rises in Candy’s voice.

“They have those things in stores,” Wood mocks, his eyebrows furrowed.

Candy gives him a hard look and my stomach drops. We have to leave everything behind. For how long? Having a home is far less important when my life is possibly in danger, but it’s still my home. I don’t want to leave it.

Home isn’t about a place, though, is it? Home is about the people. It’s the time spent with whom you trust the most. Over the past month, these people – Declan, Wood, and Kai—they’ve become something like family to me. Sure, we have so much to learn about each other, and I know we’re going to get on each other’s nerves, but what really defines family? People who’ll look out for you? Or people who’ll try their hardest to keep you safe? Open their heart to you?

Those three men have done all of that and more in the time we’ve known each other. I know them better than I know most of the people in my life.

It’s not just about Declan. Wood and Kai, they care for me, too. It’s apparent in their actions. And even though, the annoyance between Wood and Candy is more than noticeable, I can tell he cares for her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here.

I take in a deep breath, and watch as a sincere smile slides onto Declan’s face, encouraging me. He winks and squeezes my hand. “Let’s do this, baby.”

I laugh and turn to Candy, my eyebrows raised. She begrudgingly takes hold of Wood’s hands and his jaw twitches.

“Kai, you good to get there?”

“I’m good. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay,” I say.

“Okay,” Candy repeats.

“Huma, loet, una, rash,” we chant together and fade into thin air.

“Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?”

“I swear to God, Wood, if you make another
Dumb and Dumber
joke, I’m going to sack punch you.” I laugh.

Wood cackles and McKenna snickers in the backseat snicker.

“What?” he feigns ignorance. “We’ve been in this car for way too long. You can’t blame me for going a little nuts.”

“Yeah,” McKenna sympathizes with a tap on Wood’s shoulder.

Sure, we’ve been on the road non-stop for almost two weeks, but I can’t help but get temperamental. Close quarters and all that crap. I did agree to stop for a day last week. The girls talked me into stopping in New Orleans for a day of fun. That means something…right?

Candy rolls her eyes. “I’m with Declan. I think we’re all over the movie quotes.”

My eyes lift to the rearview mirror and I wink. “Thanks, Candy.”

“You’re all just a bunch of party poopers.” McKenna crosses her arms and falls against the back of the seat.

My mouth falls open. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called a party pooper.”