Inheritance (The Dark Gifts) (12 page)

She looked away.  “I’m not really thinking about anything.”

“You’re thinking about something.  Just a second ago you had a look on your face like something was bothering you.”

Sarah thought for a moment and made a decision.
  Tired of feeling so alone, she searched his face for any telltale signs of deceit or hidden emotion.  Reading nothing but concern, she said, “Can I ask you a weird question?”

“Sure.  I might give you a weird answer though.”  He laughed and brushed a stray hair from her face.

“If you knew something terrible about someone, but it didn’t have to be if they handled it right--what would you think?”

“That’s pretty vague, Sarah.  How can someone be terrible
, and not, at the same time?”

“You’re right it doesn’t make sense.  How about this?  If you knew someone you cared about had a secret most people would think is terrible, how would you feel about them?”

Shad’s eyes opened in feigned shock. “Holy crap, Sarah, are you a serial killer?”

Both of them burst into fits of laughter. She flinched as he poked her in the ribs.  “Stop! That tickles.”

Grinning, he mischievously repeated the offense.

Finger up in warning, she proclaimed
, “I’m not kidding, I won’t talk to you the rest of the afternoon.”

“Chicken,” he said as he moved his index finger gently up her side.

Leaning on her elbow, her face became somber again. “Seriously though, that’s not where I was going with this, but let’s stay on this line.  What if I was?  No wait, that’s not going to work because I could never do that.  What if someone I was close to...was?”

“Well, I have a hard time believing someone like you would ever get close to a serial killer.  I mean, you just don’t seem the type.  Are you trying to tell me your brother is a serial killer?”

“No!  That’s not it at all.  I don’t know what I’m trying to get at, let’s just forget it.”  Sarah rolled over on her side facing away from him.

“What’s wrong?  Something is obviously bothering you.  I know this is our first date--it’s not even a real date--but you can tell me anything.  I like you.  I want to get to know you better.  If you need my help--”

Sarah’s eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over.  She was homesick and missed her friends, but as great as her friends were, she could not have told them the things she wanted to tell Shad.  Maybe she couldn’t tell him either.  Maybe she could never tell anyone.  Who would believe her anyhow?

“Hey, don‘t do that.”  Shad pulled her onto her back, leaned over, and gently kissed her lips. It was just a short kiss, but long enough to do damage.  A burst of electricity sent shivers down her back.  When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her. 

“You can always talk to me, my beautiful Sarah.  Is something going on at home?  Are you in some sort of trouble?”

Shad‘s pocket started to buzz, spoiling the moment.  He pulled his cell out and answered with a curt, “Hello?” 

Sarah heard his side of the conversation but couldn’t make out what they were talking about.  Shad didn’t say much just “yes” several times and then hung up.  Jumping up he offered her his hand.  “Well I guess the party’s over, I have to go home.”

“Anything wrong?”

“Nope, nothing I can’t handle.  Let’s get this stuff rounded up and I’ll take you back.  At least your brother will be happy I didn’t keep you out late.”

Something about the look on his face made her uncomfortable.  For just a moment, he had a hungry, cold look to him.  In that instant, he seemed menacing and dangerous, then his smile returned and he was once again the man she was falling for.  She laughed at herself as the thought crossed her mind. 
I’m not falling, I’ve fallen hard and fast.  Holy crap, what am I doing?

When Sarah returned, Jason was missing.  Thomas sat at the table drinking coffee and chain smoking.  He glanced up as she entered.  “How did it go?”

“It went fine.”

“You didn’t go to the movies; where were you?”

“How do you know we didn’t go to the movies?  Are you watching me now?  Look, let’s get this clear right now,
you
are not my father.  I already take that crap from Jason, and I’m not taking it from you.  I don’t need anyone telling me where I can go and what I can do when I get there.  Should I decide I
do
need it, I’ll let you know.”

Sarah spun on her heels and left the kitchen.  Thom followed her into the living room.  She faced him, arms folded across her chest waiting for him to speak. 

Thom’s eyes glittered with anger.  “All right, girly, while we’re getting things sorted, I have a few words for you as well.  No, I am
not
your father, but I am second Alpha in command. 
We
do not date outside our species.  Pack law forbids it.  So if you think you’re doing anything other than gathering information, you’d better rethink it.  Let me remind you that
you
would not be the
first
Alpha put down for endangering the pack.  Clear enough for you?”

Sarah’s jaw dropped.  Her heart began pounding as her hands balled up in fists. “Let me remind you of something,
Thomas
.  Next month I turn eighteen, and will be able to transform.  When that happens, I’ll be the one in charge of the pack.  I will have
total
control.  Don’t mess with me.  You won’t like what you get in return.”

Thomas laughed and shrugged his shoulders as she uttered the last words.  “That’s right.  I have nothing to worry about.  You keep on seeing your Indian boy.”  His eyes turned steely as he continued, “Next month when you transform, you’ll take care of him for us.  All I have to do is open the door.”

Sarah ran to her room, slammed the door, and fell on her bed in tears.  There was no way she could keep seeing Shad.  Although the thought had crossed her mind, it hadn‘t carried much weight.  She’d deluded herself into believing that if she thought hard enough, she’d come up with an answer to the dilemma.  But, Thomas was right, if she continued their relationship, she would be putting him in terrible danger.  Even if she managed to control herself during her change, if they got too serious, the others would go after him and kill him.  She was Alpha, she had to mate within the pack.  Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the ceiling seeing nothing but his deep green eyes and beautiful smile.

***

The rapping at the door became more insistent.

“I said go away!” Sarah yelled.

“Oh come on.  Just unlock the door and let me in,” Jason answered.

“I don’t want to talk.  Leave me alone.”

She heard Jason’s body slide down the door and hit the floor with a soft thud.  “I’m not leaving until you open the door.”

“What part of I don’t want to talk do you not understand?”

“I understood perfectly.  That doesn’t mean I’m going to allow you to sit in there a mope.  It’s not healthy.”

“This from the burger boy?  What the heck do you know about healthy?”  She scoffed.

Jason sighed. 

She could imagine him on the other side of the door, with his elbows resting on his knees and head in his hands.  He hated it when she defied him, although she rarely did.  “You might as well go away.  There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Sarah Lynn Masada, open this door, right now.”

“Ooooo, you’re pulling out the big gun
s now, huh?” 

Something began methodically bumping against the door.  Even though she couldn’t see what it was, she was fairly certain it was his head.  “Stop it, Jase.  That’s annoying.”

The thumping became louder.

“I said stop it.  If you don’t hurt your head, you’re going to break the door.”

The entire door began to rattle with each blow.  “Oh for the love of--” Sarah quickly moved across the room, unlocked the door and swung it open.  Jason fell through and landed on his back.  The shocked expression on his face was priceless, and despite her mood, she giggled.

“What the hell?  A little warning next time?”  He said jumping to his feet.

“If you hadn’t been making so much racket, you’d have heard the lock click.”

Jason shut the door behind him and turned to her.  “Listen, I know what happened and--”

“Oh you do, do you?  Do you know he threatened me?  He used Mom and Dad as an example of what could happen to us!  I hate him,” she hissed.

Jason placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Yes, he told me.  And he feels terrible about it now.  He’s not used to people telling him what to do, sis.  He’s used to making all the rules and people following orders.”

Sarah crossed her arms and plopped on the bed.  “I don’t care.  That’s no excuse.”

Sitting beside her, Jason slung his arm around her shoulders.  “He really does feel bad.  If you’d just talk to him, you’d--”

Sarah exploded off the bed.  “I am not talking to him.  Not now, not ever!”

Jason’s voice dropped as he said sternly, “Sit down, and shut up.”

Sarah’s eyes widened.  “How could you take his--”

“I’m done with this tantrum.  What are you, two?  What’s gotten into you?  I’ve never seen you like this before.  And I am not taking his side.  Now sit and listen.”

“Jason, I--”

“Don’t talk, just listen.  Okay?”

She nodded and remained quiet.

“He was wrong.  I agree with you there.  He should have never talked to you like that.  But you were wrong too.  Sarah, Thomas has been good to us.  He is trying to help us.  You know if we leave, they’ll come after us.  Even if the Masada pack leaves us alone, Shana
, and anyone she can find to help her, will
still
hunt us down.”

Sarah nodded again.

“People don’t always say what they should when they’re mad.  And he is really worried about you.  He’s positive the Garcia’s are White Horns.  I’ve tried to make him see reason, but he keeps telling me I don’t know how deceptive hunters can be.”

“They are not hunters.  Come on, Jase.  Do
you
think they are?”

Jason shook his head and sighed.  “Of course not.  Heather is a pain, but Ash is one of the sweetest girls I’ve met in a long time.  And Shad seems like an okay guy, too.”

Sarah laid her head on his shoulder.  “I really like him, and he likes me.  I don’t know what to do.  What if Thomas is right and I kill him?”

He patted her head.  “You’re not going to kill him.  I won’t let that happen.”

Leaning back, she gazed into her brother’s face.  “How can you trust him?  He killed our parents.”

“He didn’t, and you need to quit saying that.  You know he wasn’t even here when it happened.  Shana and the others made sure he wasn’t here to stop them.  After all these years, he’s still tore up about it.  I trust him Sarah.  You should too.”

“Well, we need to set some ground rules.  He is not my father, and he needs to quit bossing me around.”

“Done.  I’ll make sure he understands that.”

“And I’m not seeing Shad anymore, but it has nothing to do with him.  It’s my choice.”

“Agreed.”

“And I don’t want him thinking it’s because he has any say so in the matter.”

Jason sighed.  “Okay, I get it.  Thomas doesn’t get to think he’s right.”

Sarah’s lips spread into a grin.  “I am being a baby, huh?”

He tried not to smile as he answered her.  “A little.”

She cocked her head to the side and stared at him.

“Okay, a lot.” 

Both siblings began to chuckle. 

“We’re good then?”  Jason asked.

“Yep.  We’re good.”

***

Sarah managed to avoid Shad for three days.  Jason and Thomas had strict orders to answer his calls and kindly tell him she wasn’t there.  Neither of them were doing a very good job with the kindness thing.  On the third day, Shad decided to show up.  He knew what she was up to, he just didn’t understand why.

“I know she’s here, Jason,” Shad’s voice carried from the front door.

“I said she’s not.  Are you calling me a liar?” Jason inserted his wide frame in the open door.

Craning his neck, the young man attempted to look around the hulking body and into the house.  “Yeah, I guess I am.  I
know
she’s in there.  If she doesn’t want to talk to me that’s fine, but she can at least tell me herself.”

“What’s so important you can’t just let it go?”

“I like her, okay?  She's completely different than other girls.”

Jason smirked, but responded quietly, “You have no idea how different.”

Eyes narrowing, Shad grimaced.  “I don’t owe you any explanations.  If anyone owes anyone an explanation, she owes me.”

“Look, I told you she’s not here.  Just move on.  There’s no point to this.”

“Fine.  I’ll sit right there in the truck and wait for her to get home.  She can tell me herself she doesn’t want to see me anymore.”   Arms folded across his chest, the young man glared at Jason.