Page 112 of Wolf's Mark

Sedona

The day was insufferable.

My mind was frazzled.

My heart ached.

What could be a worse combination?

I was on my way to my daughter’s birthday party, my little girl being chauffeured by my best friend instead of her own mother. I was a horrible mom, but I’d wanted to head to the lab to start a few tests, a few I had to send off to a friend of mine back in Chicago who would keep quiet.

Or so I prayed.

I’d found some surprises for my baby girl downtown, happy with my purchases. I’d been headed to the party when I’d turned down the wrong street.

Passing the tarot card reading shop.

While I’d done my best to ignore the draw, I couldn’t seem to help myself. It was as if my willpower was gone now that I knew… That I assumed…

“No. You won’t go there. Not yet. Not until the evidence is in.”

Not only was I talking to myself as I sat in my car a block away from the tarot place, but I was acting as if the entire situation was one big crime scene. Well, in a way it was.

I hadn’t asked Jax what he’d done with the dead body or beast or whatever, but he’d made a couple of calls. Men had arrived.

I’d remained rooted to one spot the entire time in front of the fire while they’d been outside, trying to drink myself to oblivion. But I’d done nothing more than remain in a fog. Jax had left me alone, but we’d both been brimming with questions.

He’d shown me the room and I’d curled under the covers, only to have bloody images keep me awake all night. I hadn’t even paid any attention to how long it had been before he’d shifted back to his human form. Naked and glorious.

The cuts he’d received had concerned me, but they’d healed within a matter of minutes. Minutes. How was that possible?

I’d finally come up with a decent explanation.

I’d gone to sleep one night and woken up in an alternative world.

A day had gone by in one huge fog. Even Daphne had fawned over me, Marla showing up unannounced with some equipment that I hadn’t paid any attention to.

She was finishing a project and would be able to give me her full attention by tomorrow.

I wanted to scratch my eyes out.

Great reaction. Just great.

Before I lost my nerve, I climbed from my car. The feeling of being watched had remained with me and I glanced up and down the street. How could I see anyone with the busy early afternoon crowds?

I was wearing a little skirt and simple top, the heat the reason. Nothing felt comfortable on me any longer. There was no other reason that I was ready to claw my skin off. Everything continued tingling. That hadn’t stopped since leaving Jax.

“Get going,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath as I headed down the sidewalk at a fast clip. How I was going to get the girl to talk to me I wasn’t certain, but I would do it. I was determined.

Once close to the door, I took another deep breath and held my head high. However, the sign was off and the door locked. As so many people did, I jerked at the door handle and knocked. There was no one visible inside. Had I scared them off?

Frustrated, I turned around and huffed.

Barely five seconds later, the man I’d seen in the shop the day with Lucia rounded the corner of the building, walking quickly.

“Excuse me. Sir? Can I ask you a question?”

He didn’t stop right away until I repeated myself. When he turned around, a look that I couldn’t understand tore through his entire face.

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