Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series) (40 page)

Rebecca let the question marinate in her mind for a few breaths.  The first response that came to mind was no, no she could
not.  But the second thought, the thought that immediately sprung to her mind was what if? 

‘
You became a wolf because you believed in the idea of an eye for an eye.  Has that mindset changed?
’

‘
No… well, maybe a little.  Before I was an alpha, responsible for others, role model to others like Willow and River, I would have easily taken their heads without a second thought.
’  Rebecca felt the emotional growth happening in her mind in that moment.  She felt the light come on, and bring light to the darkness that was her soul since the day her parents died.  ‘
But now, I want to find the killers and turn them into the authorities so the law can make them pay for their crimes
.’

‘
You lie to yourself
.’

‘
No, I don’t think I do
.’

‘
If you insist upon following this path that resolve in your voice will be tested.  This I promise.
’

‘
Perhaps
.’

"Interesting evaluation
and I’m impressed that you took the more enlightened path in your answer."  Johansen smiled and continued on with her lecture.  "In the end, it’s really about what you are willing to compromise, or what you are willing to lose.  In every deal, both sides lose something, no matter how big or small.  And when a deal falls through there is always a chance of retaliation or worse."

Rebecca looked at Lucky and Gabriel.
  That was exactly what she was worried about.  Retaliation, especially when they discovered what she was planning.

'You should be worried.
'  The alpha's voice rang in her mind, dripping with venom.  She was pissed, but Rebecca knew, deep inside, it was because the wolf was scared.  They had been through a lot the last month.  Rebecca wanted to understand her because she was stronger with the alpha on her side.  She needed to understand her because they were linked together for the rest of her life. 

Rebecca’s thoughts focused on Savvy and Hunter.
  They were so innocent, so naïve to the world they lived in which left them incapable of protecting themselves when supernatural beings came around; and she knew they would come around.  They had been around all along.  Her mind went to Natalia and Jackson.  They had been integrated into their lives from the moment they came to live with their grandmother.  It was grandma who pushed Jackson on them.  Natalia and Jackson had been visiting them since as far back as she could remember.  Were they protectors? 

Keeping Savvy and Hunter untrained did very little to prepare them for the war ahead.
  Keeping them untrained made them targets.  Just because they’re untrained did not keep them safe from others who sensed their lineage, the secrets hidden deep within their DNA. 

Rebecca was happy grandmother finally agreed to tell them about their history, she just worried it was too late
.
  They deserved to make this decision for themselves; not to have this decision made for them.  It was time to give them the gift of their DNA.  Saturday, their lives would change.  She only hoped it would be for the better.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

~”I think a lot of people settle with comfort.  I’ve kinda pushed my whole life not to do that.  There’s nothing wrong with settling, it’s definitely an easier life than the one I’ve chosen to live.”

~
Aubrey O’Day

Savannah
 

"Up a little more and to the left
."  Savannah directed 
Joshua and Danny as
th
ey hung the last banner for the dance that night
.  
"Good, that looks perfect."  She smiled brightly.  The dance committee was in charge of picking the theme,
but a 
'Midsummer's Night' was her idea and as she
look
ed around the room it was perfect.  She
manage
d to get a large foun
tain
which
they put almost center with the room
.  E
verything else was built around the waterworks display.  Simon added light effects to the fountain so the water changed from green to red to violet on a timer.  The effect was stunning.  A level of unbelievable pride filled her.  She wondered if she would make a good party planner and the dance tonight would prove she had talent.   

Trees and plants were placed in all four corners of the room.
  The room was lit by fire lanterns which created two walkways around the fountain and to the dance floor.  As a finishing touch she procured a bubble machine which would run on autopilot throughout the night.  Without a doubt, this night would be magical.

To help with the memory of the night she set up a large picture of trees in a forest for the background to the picture booth which was the final part of the decorations.
  The refreshment committee would be bringing in the finger foods and punch about an hour before the dance. 

Danny started his way down the ladder and Savvy ran over to steady it before he fell.
  He was her date for tonight, perfect boyfriend material.  He had short wavy blonde hair, kind grey eyes, and was built like a solid football player.  He was the perfect guy in many people's eyes and many believed he was the one to beat for the king's crown tonight.  It was why he asked her to the dance.  She knew it, but she didn’t care.  She had bad luck with men lately and Danny was easy.  Besides, together they had the best chance of taking both crowns.  Before last week it bothered her that it was the only real reason why he asked, but that all changed when she saw the kiss between Gabriel and her twin sister, Rebecca. 

Danny was the perfect gentleman.
  He smiled at all the right times, listened intently when she spoke, and held her hand with the perfect amount of shyness to make her feel good.  Not to mention, he would not be sneaking off during the night to kiss her sister, or anyone else for that matter.  Savvy never understood why she had very little attraction to Danny.  When he reached the bottom of the steps he picked her up and spun her around.  "You did an amazing job, princess."

It was so spontaneous Savvy couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips.
  When he put her down he placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips.  It was warm and comfortable.  He fit her like a glove and most girls would be happy with that.  She wondered if she could be happy with a man like him.  She wanted passion, excitement, more.  But she wasn’t interested in the drama that came along with it.

"I am so glad you decided to go with me.
  I made a promise to myself that if you didn't accept my invitation I was going to go to the dance alone."  He confided in her.

Savvy rolled her eyes.
  "Sure, you have half the class begging for just a glance from you and you were going to go alone.  You could’ve had your pick of girls.  To be honest, I thought you already had another date by the time I accepted."  She looked down at her feet shyly.  She still felt a little guilty for making him wait.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted a magical or political night.  After everything she decided political was the safest bet.

"I promise you, I was holding out for you
, and only you."  He laced her fingers into his hand and pulled her to the center of the dance floor.

The
 DJ was doing a sound check and when he saw them together on the dance floor he played the romantic slow song "A Thousand Years".  She fell into a slow dance with him and placed her head on his chest.  He was too tall for her to reach his shoulders.  His romantic gesture reinforced the fact that he was perfect boyfriend material.  He was even close with his mother; she came to every game and ran the booster club to show her support.  Savvy always admired the closeness he had to his mother, it was something she would never have again, but had once.

She found herself willing
herself to fall head over heels for him, pleading with her heart to find a spark.  But nothing developed; simply camaraderie and respect.  She wondered if that was enough.  From what she saw it was more than most married couples had that she knew.  And she wasn’t looking for a husband, just a high school boyfriend. 

His voice was hoarse and
his breath was warm on her neck as he whispered, "There’s one thing you can do to make this moment perfect." 

Savvy looked up at him with a smile, half lost in her worried thoughts.
  "And what’s that?"

"Say you
’ll be my steady girlfriend."

She sucked in a breath
.
  In that moment, she found herself wondering if she should give him a chance to see if the spark would develop later, maybe with time.  A voice in the back of her mind reminded her that with a simple touch from Lucky,
 
the spark ignited, but he was not available.  He was her sister’s boyfriend.  And the other man she found dangerous and interesting was into her sister as well
.  
It was rather ironic.  Danny was not the bad boy type.  Maybe she needed to change the type of guy she was interested in.  Maybe she wasn't meant to be with dangerous men.

A good, strong guy who was close to his mother may be just what the doctor ordered. 
 

"
Breathe, princess
, 
before you pass out
.
  It was just a question
.
  You can give me an answer later
to
night at the dance."  He chuckled nervously as he pulled her close to him again to finish the dance. 

The music stopped
playing, but her head didn't stop spinning.

"Let me take you home after school, please?"
  He asked.  It broke the haze that was forming in her mind.

"I brought my own car and Hunter is riding home with me
..."  His face fell. 
"
But I will meet up with you before we go home for a kiss.
"  The smile appeared again and Savannah found herself admiring the dimple in his left cheek.  It reminded her of Lucky’s grin.  Was Danny that different than him? 

Maybe... maybe she just needed time to find that spark.
  With so many things going on in her home life right now perhaps the reality hadn’t caught up to the drama.  It was
a 
lo
gical assumption, but logic wasn’t something she relied heavily on, emotions and feelings were more important and real to her.  Logic could be bent in different ways but feelings didn’t lie.  And she wasn’t feeling good about what was happening to her family.  She no longer had a connection to her sister, her grandmother was acting strange, and even her
brother deserted her to make time for
his first girlfriend.  It
wasn't
fair that she didn't give Danny a chance with everything going on.  "Yes."  The word spilled out of her mouth, it was too late to take it back.

"Yes what
?"  
He asked as they started walking out of the gymnasium. 

She didn’t want to take it back.  She wanted to give it a try.  "Yes.  Let’s try going steady."
 

"
Really
?"  He picked her up and spun her around again, causing
giggle
s to erupt from her lips.  Some random students walking past shot nasty glares in their direction.  Apparently they didn’t like seeing others happy.  Savvy didn’t care.  Politics be damned! 

This time when he placed her down he crushed his lips possessively on hers and she felt
what could very possibly be the start of a spark somewhere deep
inside
as she melted against him.