Page 37 of Bony Bony
Apale haze of crimson colored my vision. “Shewill.Ihave something to offer her she won’t be able to refuse.”
“What’sthat?”Violetasked.
“Immortality.”Mylips spread into a victorious smile. “Andto make her more pliable, the pendant has been persuading her.”Iturned toMax. “Howmuch longer before it will be most effective on her?”
Max’sgaze drifted off and he brought his long fingers together. “Notmuch longer.”Heturned back to me. “Itwould be most potent during the full moon.”
“So, thisSaturday?”Iasked.
“Yes,” he drawled and then nodded. “Thatsounds about right.”
“ThenSaturdaywe act,”Ireplied.
“What’sthe plan?”Violetasked, arching her brows.
Iturned to face her. “She’shaving a costume party at her club that night.Itwould be the perfect opportunity to slip in disguised.”
“Andthen what?”Maxasked.
Mylips spread into a smile asIenvisioned my victory. “Giannacomes with us.”
CHAPTER12
SEBASTIAN
Idrove north on the highway without any destination in mind.Thesky was now fully dark aside from the moon and a smattering of stars overhead.ToobadIwasn’t scheduled to work at the restaurant that night asI’dhave something else to focus on besides my suddenly troubled marriage.Whendid this canyon-sized distance grow between us?
Mywolf whined inside.
Whatdo you want me to do about it?Iquestioned, already knowing the response.
Goto her.
That’sexactly what she doesn’t want.
Humanshad it much easier when it came to heartbreak.Sure, they could suffer from a broken heart, but they didn’t have another part of them, an animal side that acted on primal instincts, pining for their mate and unable to comprehend the nuances of human emotions.Mywolf knewGiannawas our mate and therefore we should be with her.Hedidn’t understand that pushing her would ensure she’d leave us for good.Shedid what she wanted, when she wanted.IfI“smothered” her any more, it would be the quickest way to lose her.
Irubbed the tension that tightened my muscles from my neck to shoulders.Humansmight find a second chance at love, maybe even a third.Wolvesmated for life.Therewas one—and only one—for them.Ifthey were rejected, the anguish was pure torment, unbearable, all-encompassing…
Nope.Notgoing there.
Iblared music as loud asIcould tolerate,TypeONegative’s“IDon’tWanttoBeMe.”Mynostrils flared asIclenched the wheel, and my heart pumped faster asIstruggled to drown out my thoughts.Whothe hell did she think she was to tear us apart like this over—what?
Thatpart was still opaque.Angerburned through my veins at being unexpectedly blindsided.Butit worked for a couple of songs untilSublime’s“Santeria” began, andIrememberedGianna’sversion—“Idon’t practice a car-ee-ah.”Hermisheard song lyrics, which often made me smile, hit me with an acute pang of loss.
Fuck.Ineeded to listen to something harder.Iplayed a metal playlist on my phone and tried to lose myself inMetallica’s“ForWhomtheBellTolls.”
Isang along, drumming the steering wheel, in search of any thoughts other than being estranged from my mate.Soon, a sign noting the proximity toNewHampshiresurprised me.Iblinked and rubbed my bleary eyes.Ihadn’t planned on traveling to my home state but with the border approaching, why not?Iknew of many spots not far from the highway whereIcould run.WhenIfound the next parking area,Iparked in the empty lot and turned off the lights, adjusting my vision to the darkness.Ifanyone had hiked this trail today, they were gone, which was best.Avoidinghumans—especially hunters—was critical out here in the woods.
Glancingup at the sky, my gaze drifted over the hundreds of stars in this brilliant tapestry, somethingIcouldn’t see through the light pollution back in the city.
BeforeIshifted,Ireminded my wolf not to run back toGianna.
Mywolf whimpered inside.
Notyet,Iadded.Noneed to pile on more anguish.Giannaasked for space with this separation, not a complete break, soIhad to keep from contemplating the worst possible scenario.
Thechallenge wasIfelt the yearning to return to her.Evenif she didn’t want me as her lover, the instinct to protect her was woven into me and now as natural as breathing.Howlong wouldIbe able to fight it?
