Page 50 of Secret Shifters Next Door

Tate walked backwards with them, almost like he didn’t want to let Emily out of his sight. It was the most bizarre thing I’d ever seen in my life. Even more bizarre was the way Emily was acting. If a man Tate’s size had looked at me like that, I’d have been terrified. She acted like he wasn’t even there.

As Tate stepped through the door, he said, “I’ll berightback.” He emphasized the word ‘right’, almost like he was warning me. Or warning Emily? From the corner of my eye, I thought Emily smirked.

“Umm, are you sure you and Tate don’t know each other?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. Never met him before. He’s cute, though. Good job, sis.”

I sighed, not even trying to hide my confusion. “It just seems like he’s a little… hostile toward you.”

Emily waved a hand in dismissal. “He’s probably worked up about the whole kidnapping attempt. Speaking of, how are you doing after that? I freaked when you called and told me.”

Caught a little off guard, I said, “Uh, good, doing good.”

I didn’t really buy her excuse about Tate. She didn’t look anything like a masked grown man. There was no way she was involved in what Luis was doing. Except, there was no other explanation.

“Anyway…” she said, “…I need to get going. I’ve got a few more things to do before grandma’s house sells.”

Forgetting my misgivings, I asked, “Does that mean you’ll be leaving soon? If the house sells, I mean?”

She nodded sadly. “I will. Unfortunately, my work here is done.”

That saddened me a little. Emily was the only friend I’d made since I got into town. I didn’t want her to go, even though things had been a little strained between us the last week. Maybe some distance would be good.

Tate came back inside a few minutes later, and he did so rather quickly. I had to tell myself he hadn’t sprinted back to the door. Emily grinned at me as he stepped inside.

“I need to head out.” She hugged me. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep in touch. Plus, I’m sure I’ll see you again before I leave.”

She turned and walked to the door. Neither of them tried to hide the way they looked at each other as she passed. Tate’s face was just as it had been, but maybe more angry rather than suspicious like it had been before. I could only describe the look Emily gave him as one of disgust. Like he was something to be wiped off her shoe. She disappeared out the door, and Tate stared out the window as she walked away.

I crossed my arms. “So, what the hell?”

Tate glanced back at me. “Huh?”

I gestured to the door Emily had closed behind her. “That? You acted like she was here to kill us all. The looks you were giving her? It was weird as shit, Tate.”

Without holding back, he growled, “I don’t trust her.”

I furrowed my brow. “Why?”

“Trust me. I have my reasons. I’ve got to make a call.” Without another word, he grabbed his phone and stepped out on the porch.

I tried to figure out what the hell had happened, but realizing there was no way to figure it out without more information, I decided to look at the gifts Emily had brought. Once I poured the jewelry out onto the counter, my jaw dropped. It was all gorgeous. It was crazy that she’d want to get rid of it all. Someof the pieces looked pretty valuable. All my hesitations about her evaporated. She really was just being nice, even though she was a little odd.

An opal necklace caught my eye almost immediately. When I reached out for it, I could almost swear I felt energy pulsing out of it. The stories of people saying crystals contained energy sprang to mind. In my life, I’d never experienced it and had thought it was silly––until now.

The necklace was hypnotic. I stared at the stone, almost enraptured at its beauty. My heart raced as my fingers closed around it. As I lifted it, light danced across the opal, making circular patterns in it. Beautiful orange, pink, and white colors wavered as it turned in the light. It almost felt like the necklace was calling to me, asking to be worn. And I wanted to wear it.

Just as I was about to put the chain over my head, Tate’s hand clasped over my wrist. I jumped, surprised. I’d been so focused on the opal, I hadn’t even heard him come back inside.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He relaxed his grip but still had an intense look on his face. This time, it wasn’t the angry aggression he’d shown with Emily. There was fear in his eyes as he stared at the necklace.

“Don’t put that on,” he said.

“Why?”

“Just trust me, please.” He glanced at the other things on the counter, too. “Don’t put any of it on. Don’t let the girls wear it, either.”

---