The Tempering (The Mackenzie Duncan Series) (22 page)

“Girls, I am sending everyone out of the house today. It is supposed to be unusually nice outside and you have all been cooped up indoors for too long. I know a certain gentleman has been hoping for some time with a certain young lady,” Margret said with a little grin in Teresa’s direction. The blush that emanated from Teresa’s skin suggested she too knew who the certain gentleman was. Natalie, on the other hand, looked completely torn. “Mackenzie, Natalie, I hoped I could convince the two of you to take Liam for a run with you. Spend some more time with him. He was closest with Geoff and Mason, and with Geoff gone and Mason dealing with pack business around here, he needs to be with someone he is comfortable with. Plus, I think the sire bond is something to explore.”

Mackenzie knew what she was doing. She had told her just the night before to explore other options in the opposite sex. She wasn’t sure she was happy about being set up with someone who she had just started to be friends with, but at least Natalie would be there too.

Teresa began buzzing around the room getting ready for whatever she and the mystery man would be doing. Watching her flit around, Mackenzie couldn’t even believe it was Teresa. She had never even seen her leave the bed before nine, let alone do it happily. She smiled as she watched her friend. She was happy for her, but that apparently didn’t work for Natalie.

Grudgingly, Natalie and Mackenzie readied for the day as well, but it proved difficult with all three crowding the bathroom. They had never attempted to do so before and they soon figured out why. A single sink and limited counter and mirror space had the girls pushing and shoving to declare their own area. Unfortunately for all of them, it took longer than if they had taken turns.

Teresa headed out first, leaving Natalie sulking. Mackenzie watched her friend and wondered if maybe the sire bond between the two was stronger for one than the other.

“Nat?”

“Not now, Mack. Please?”

“Okay, but I am here, ya know. No judgments, no comments, just an ear to listen.”

“Thanks.” Natalie stood up and wrapped her arms around Mackenzie, squeezing her tightly. “You are a really good friend. I am so glad that you joined our family.”

Mackenzie just nodded and hugged her tighter.

~*~

Liam, still rumpled from sleep, met the girls at the front door. Both girls took in his appearance and laughed. His hair was sticking in all directions, there were pillow lines along his face, and he still wore his pajama pants.

“What? I’m here, aren’t I? Why am I here?”

“Because we were banished from the house for the next few hours apparently and you were lucky enough to be assigned to the two of us. Are you sure you want to run in that?”

Liam looked down at himself and ran a hand through his hair, then looked back to the girls. “I have my running shoes on.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go!” Natalie called out before charging out the door. Liam and Mackenzie followed behind her, pushing themselves to catch up.

The brisk morning air chilled her nose, but the speed with which they were running began to warm Mackenzie from the inside. The three running partners said nothing. The only sounds came from their feet on the pavement, their heavy breaths, and the few animals still skittering about.

After an hour, the three ended up in the middle of town. Mackenzie looked around to see if anyone had noticed them, remembering Liam’s worry about being seen by someone who knew him.

“We can go if you want,” she whispered, leaning up close to his ear so only he would hear her. She didn’t know how much he wanted to tell Natalie and it wasn’t her story to tell.

“Let’s grab a bite to eat first. It’s still early. I doubt anyone will be here,” he whispered back in the same way. The closeness brought a smile to Mackenzie’s face.

Liam held the diner door open for the girls and followed in behind them. Taking a corner booth in the very back of the dinner, they ordered breakfast. What had become normal to them astounded the waitress. With every stroke of her pen on her order pad, her eyes grew wider. After the fifth full meal was ordered, she began to look at them skeptically. Perhaps she thought they were just a bunch of rude kids who would run out on a huge tab, but Mackenzie knew she would be pleased when they did in fact stay and eat every bit and tip her accordingly.

Once they were alone, Mackenzie knew it was time to tell them more about her last cycle. Perhaps if they tried to do it, Margret would have more experiences to study.

“You guys, I think I figured out how to speed up controlling the beast.” Both Liam and Natalie exchanged a look with the other before turning back to her. She cringed when the word beast slipped from her mouth. She knew the rest of the house detested her use of the word to describe the wolf. She hoped her friends in front of her would ignore her personal views of their circumstances and focus on her intended meaning.

“What do you mean? I know you said you thought you remembered bits and pieces, but you think you made that happen?” Natalie asked in hushed whisper. Liam sat next to her silently. He stared at the table and Mackenzie hoped that he wouldn’t return to the ‘I hate her’ mentality. She rather like hanging out with him.

“I know I did. Geoff told me not to fight it. To allow the change to happen and to somehow keep my own mind. When the moonlight hit me, and the pain started in, I swear every time I think I’m going to die, but I gave into it. I thought of everything in my human life that I loved. My mother, even though she and I never really saw eye to eye once I grew up, my grandmother, and... feelings I wanted to remember. I stopped fighting the wolf. When the morning came, I could remember bits and pieces. Not much, but enough to know that it was working.”

“You think it will work for us? What if that had nothing to do with it? What if you can just do it faster? I can already remember. I wonder if I would be able to control it for more than a few minutes?” Natalie asked.

“The only way to know is to try it. Can you guys keep this between us? Margret wanted to make sure what I was saying was true before telling anyone. Didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. But after the last two cycles, I thought you two would want to know there was a chance.”

“But the pain, how do you…how do you just, just let it happen?” Liam asked, still intent on studying the table.

“You focus on something else. What is the one thing that keeps you honest? That reminds you of how good it can be to live. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Everyone became lost in their own thoughts as the food was placed on the table. Less than an hour later, every plate was empty and still not a word had been spoken. Mackenzie was terrified that she had just scared them off, but as Liam paid the bill and the girls split the tremendous tip, Natalie looked up with unshed tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Smiling at her friend, and then looking over her shoulder to Liam, she knew she had done the right thing. “You’re welcome.”

Instead of running back as a group, Natalie decided she wanted to shop alone for a while. “You guys head back. I just need some girly products and Liam shouldn’t have to be subjected to that from any female he isn’t dating. And no offense, but you are just not my type.” Mackenzie couldn’t help but laugh because she finally knew what type that was.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to hang around some other shops and we can all head back together?”

“No, you two go on. I will be fine. I want some time alone anyway. See you back at the house.” With that, she disappeared into a store with mannequins in the windows decked out in sweater dresses and stunning bags.

“Hey, I didn’t, you know, make you mad back there did I? I thought you would want to know. I mean, I am really glad I figured it out because just the idea of years of not knowing and not controlling myself part of the time just scares the hell out of me.” Mackenzie stumbled through her thoughts. She was just trying to help but she didn’t want him to go back to ignoring her.

“No, why would I be mad? No offense, but I never want the wolf to hurt anyone. Animals are one thing. I ate animals before you bit me. Hell, I had a steak that very night. I eat animals now. The only difference is that as a wolf, I hunt it and eat it without going to the store and buying it already butchered. But I never want to hurt a person. I don’t want to wake up and find out I killed someone or turned someone. If what you said works, I won’t know how to thank you.”

“You could forgive me?” She had finally said it. She knew it was her fault that he had become like her. It was her fault that he had to leave his real family, her fault his brother was hurt, her fault he despised his life so much.

“I already have. I told you I know you didn’t have control, that it was the monster that hides inside of us.”

“But some part of you, some part has to still blame me. Hell, I still blame the bastard who bit me and I don’t even know who it was. The fucking wolf attacked me and ran off after I bashed its face in with a rock. I don’t even know why now. At first, I thought it was because I hurt it. But I know how fast we heal now. I think the rock should have just pissed it off more. It should have killed me. But it didn’t. It ran off.”

“Do you think it was young and couldn’t control itself or did it know what was going on?” His question was one she had asked herself a million times. She wished she had the answer.

“I have no idea and I doubt I will ever be able to ask.”

The walk back was a slow one, neither wanting to rush back to the house, just enjoying the companionship. Mackenzie looked up at Liam and wondered if what Margret said were true, that Geoff could never really be with her, if she could ever have a future with Liam. Immediately, after the thought passed through her mind, she chastised herself. If Geoff had wanted to follow the traditions of the packs, then he would have told her. He would never lie to her or lead her on. He cared for her. She knew he did. Even if he did get his manly urges off with unsuspecting human girls. Mackenzie briefly wondered if he was doing that at that exact moment. Jealousy flared through her and knowing it was wrong but knowing it wouldn’t stop her anyway, she turned to Liam.

He was extremely attractive. She had realized that immediately. She wasn’t blind after all. He had that cute geek chic look going but more of the Clark Kent variety because she knew what lay under his shirt. She knew now that they finally were speaking and were on friendly terms that he really was a nice guy and made her laugh. She also knew there was something about being around him that made her feel different.

“Hey, do you know when that movie is playing?” She asked.

“Next week you mean? I hadn’t checked yet. Still need to ask the others.”

“You should look for this weekend. You don’t have to invite the others.”

Liam looked surprised by her statement, and in all honesty, so was she. She knew she was hung up on Geoff. But Geoff couldn’t or wouldn’t be with her. Liam was perfectly nice and perfectly handsome, and perfectly available.

~*~

Days went by without word from Geoff. At first, Mackenzie felt really guilty for making plans with Liam, but with every passing day that Geoff didn’t call, she felt less and less bad about going out with Liam.

It was nice to actually have a date. Not a movie in the living room or sitting next to one another at a table with the whole pack, but an actual date. Dress nice, put on some make up, and go out together without anyone else around. Not having to hide the smiles when they looked at one another in front of the pack was new and exciting as well. She was actually able to talk to Teresa and Natalie about everything because the idea of a relationship with Liam not only wasn’t taboo, but also encouraged by Margret.

On more than one occasion, Mackenzie had seen Margret smiling at her and Liam. She had even given Liam extra money to turn their movie into a real date night with dinner as well. Liam wasn’t supposed to tell Mackenzie, of course, but he had anyway. She was pleased, but also a little nervous. What if it didn’t work out between them? What if they were destined to be really good friends and Geoff was the one for her? Would going out with Liam jeopardize everything she and Geoff had? But every time that thought entered her mind, she would swat it away. Geoff told her he couldn’t be more than a friend until they were ready to pledge forever to each other. Forever was a very long time.

Music blared through the speakers in Mackenzie’s room as she danced around with Teresa and Natalie. Clothing scattered the room as she tried on everything she owned twice, and Natalie’s once and she still hadn’t found anything that she wanted to wear. Standing in front of the closet mirror in nothing but her underwear and bra, she held up two pieces of clothing, going back and forth and throwing them to the floor in frustration as well.

“That’s it! I am going like this. Let’s do my hair and makeup and be done with it.” Mackenzie announced through a fit of giggles.

“Hey, I’m sure Liam won’t mind. His job is half done that way,” Natalie shouted before jumping away from Teresa’s swinging arm. Another round of laughter sounded from the girls until finally Mackenzie sighed, looking around at the destruction surrounding her.

“I have no idea why I am so worried about this. He sees me every day. I bet I can just throw on some jeans and any old shirt and it would be fine. I mean, dinner at the little diner and a movie. It isn’t a big deal. Let’s just pick something.”

“Mackenzie, maybe you should try this?” All three girls jumped at the sound of Margret’s voice in their room and turned around to see her standing there holding up a beautiful deep green sweater dress and brown boots.

“Those are so pretty, but are you sure it will fit?” Mackenzie all of a sudden found herself transported back into her old body, her old feelings, and her old mentality that anything pretty was too small.

“Yes. I am. Try it on.”

Teresa ran over to Margret and grabbed the garment and practically forced it over Mackenzie’s head. It fit like a glove in all the right places and flowed nicely over the rest. Looking into the mirror, she didn’t see the overweight girl that so often reflected back to her, but a confident beautiful woman.