Page 63 of Gone Hunting

She laughs, since I’m obviously not embarrassed enough. “You’re incredible,” she says, the flush in her cheeks spreading across her face and beyond. “I’ve never met anyone so perfect.”

My wolf leaps inside me, running around in circles. This is the moment to be romantic and to say something that will blow her away. Instead, I kiss her, showing her with my lips everything I can’t say with my mouth.

Celia falls onto her back, her fingers dragging through my hair as my arms band around her waist. This is greatest moment of my life.

“Aric!”

Until Mom’s voice from the doorway tells me it’s over.

I jump up into a sitting position, my eyes wild when I see Momand Dadstanding in the doorway.

“I thought you weren’t coming home until Friday?”

Dad takes my comment as well as you might think. “Is that all you have to say right now?”

“Uh.”

Mom gasps, covering her mouth, her gaze travelling between me and Celia. “Oh, my God,” she says.

Dad stands frozen. That doesn’t mean I can’t sense the underlying rage surging to the surface. He takes a step forward. “Didn’t you tell me, just the other day, that you didn’t even notice girls?” he asks, his tone clipped.

I slide out of bed, wearing only the basketball shorts I slept in. I glance at Celia as she slithers out of the bed and toward the window, her face flaming as red as mine feels.

I clear my throat. “This probably looks bad—”

“You think?”

Dad is raging. I can count on one hand how many times Dad has growled at me in my life. This is one of them. Trust me when I say, it makes up for the rest.

He storms forward, his face reddening. “We leave you alone for two days only to find you bedding a young female you should know better than to disrespect.”

“Dad, it’s not like that—”

“What’s it like, Aric?” he snaps. “She’s young. Impressionable. You had no right taking advantage of her innocence.”

Dad has written Celia off as one of those naive girls only interested in me for my family’s status. It makes me angry. Not because he thinks I somehow used my clout, but because of what he thinks I did to her.

“I would never take advantage of Celia!”

My growls only further enrage Dad’s wolf. “Then what do you call this?” he asks, his deep voice booming. “This isn’t her first time in your room. I sensed her in here yesterday, but I had no ideathiswas happening.”

“There is no ‘this’,” I insist. “Not in the way that you’re thinking.”

“We found you in bed with a female, Aric. Do you have any idea how insolent your actions are? This is our home. A sacred place. You’ve barely stepped into adulthood and this is the activity you’re engaged in?” He points at Mom. “Yourmothersaw you like this.”

His voice cuts off and his hand slowly lowers when he sees Mom standing in front of Celia.

Celia practically has her foot out the window. She probably meant to make her big escape. Mom held her in place. Not with her hands. Mom wouldn’t threaten an innocent like Celia, but with the way she responds to Celia.

Mom’s eyes brim with tears as her hands fall away from her mouth. “Celia,” she says, inching forward. Very carefully, she reaches out, smoothing Celia’s long hair around her shoulder.

Celia’s gaze follows Mom’s every motion. Her breath hitches as Mom shows her affection only a real mother can demonstrate. I don’t have to guess it reminds Celia of her own mother. I can see it in her stance. She’s remembering the feel of those long-forgotten touches.

Mom sniffs, turning around to face Dad as the first of her tears fall. “Her name is Celia, Aidan.”

There’s nothing left of Dad’s rage. The shock he initially demonstrated returns ten-fold.

“My God,” he says. “How is this possible? He’s too young.”

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