Page 70 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
"Thankyou," she finally managed to answer. "I'm honored to be a part ofit."
Garrett'ssmile only widened. Watching her climb into her car, he gave her a friendlywave as she pulled out onto the road.
Fora long moment, she just drove in silence. Men that could turn into wolves, itwas almost too fantastic to believe. Even seeing the transformation herselfhardly helped quell the surreal feeling the knowledge gave her. She had goneher whole life thinking everything was just as it seemed only to find out thefamilies she encountered every summer were some sort of divine beasts. Shakingher head with a wondrous smile, Sana headed back home.
Aftera while and two calls from Zach, she finally pulled to a stop at the gasstation in Tarki. Putting the SUV in park, she looked warily out her window,scanning the station's wide parking lot. The door to the gas station swungopen, and Sana froze for a second before recognizing Noah's tall form. Walkingover to her, he stopped at her window as she rolled it down.
"Hithere," he smiled.
Verysimilar to Zach, Noah was a tall, handsome man. His obsidian hair seemed todrink up the sun as it gracefully fell partially over his face and one of hiseyes in the brisk wind. She wondered how far their similarities ran. What didhe look like as a wolf? Was his coat black like Zach's?
"Hi,"she replied.
"Icould be wrong, but I think this may be the first time you and I have evertalked," he said as he stopped in front of her rolled-down window.
Sanafrowned as she tried to think back. "I don't think so…right?" Doubtcrept into her voice as she came up empty in her search.
Turninghis smiling face to the wind, she watched as his hair blew from his face givingher a perfect view of his strong profile. Grabbing the gas pump, he walked tothe gas cap to her car and began to unscrew it.
"No,I'm pretty sure this is a first," he called out from where he stood."Zach has done an excellent job keeping you to himself in a town filledwith his more-than-curious family members."
Sanafelt her cheeks go warm at that.
Settingthe latch on the pump so that it would fill by itself, Noah walked back to herand leaned a forearm onto her window sill. "But now that we will be familysoon," he let the meaning of his words linger in the air between them ashis teasing golden eyes watched her flush deepen even further. "He willhave no excuse keeping us all away. Be prepared to be inundated with a shit tonof curious questions." He grinned, giving her the barest flash of hissharp teeth.
"Where'sthat guy that's usually here?" she blurted out, immediately regretting howfoolish she sounded.
Forsome reason being in the presence of him and Garrett and knowing their secretand knowing she probably shouldn’t discuss it was making her seriously nervous.All she wanted to do was examine them and ask them no doubt forbidden andintrusive questions.
"Youmean the guy you found, and I quote—creepy?"
Herembarrassment could not run any deeper. She was going to kill Zach!
"I…Ididn't m-mean to-"
Noahheld up a hand and shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry, you weren'tthe only one who found him creepy. Before I could let the man go, he just upand quit. Saved me the hassle buuut,” he let the word drag out, “here Iam," he waved a hand, indicating the station. "Now, I need to sitdown and look through my applications and try to hire someone else."
"I'msorry, I didn't mean to cause any issues," she began just as the pumpclicked loudly at the back of her car, indicating it was done.
"Don'tworry about it. Like I said, you and Zach weren't the only ones who found himoff-putting. If this wasn't the only gas station in Tarki, then it would haveaffected my business."
Handinghim the money, Sana searched for something more to say. She wanted to apologizeagain but knew he would only politely dismiss her attempt.
"Iguess I can't help but feel guilty about it. I wonder where he went?"
"Thatis a good question. I'm honestly not sure. I allowed him to park his camper hehad attached to his pickup truck back behind the station, but it’s gone. Isuppose he's moved onto another town," he said, looking off into thedistance in the direction of Gaulding.
Sanathought of the creepy old man taking up his camper and driving out of Tarki.She could imagine the mean set line of his lips and the hard glare of his darkeyes and resisted the urge to shudder. There was an unmistakable anger runningthrough that man that frightened her, which only added to the guilty feeling ofrelief at his departure.
Athought struck her. "Has anyone seen that old sheriff Samons since thatday?" she quietly asked.
Themuscles in Noah's face tightened, outlining the hard edge of his jaw andcheekbones. She had almost forgotten that Noah hated Samons with just as muchzeal as Zach. Both tormented throughout their youth by the bigoted sheriff,there would be no such thing as forgive and forget for Samons.
"No,and trust me, I have personally searched. The bastard ran out of town beforeZach or I could get a hold of him for one last farewell."
Shegave him a speculative look that only made his smirk sharper and his goldeneyes glimmer in mischief. "Well, I'm glad you didn't," she admitted."I know you two hated him, and I know he more than deserves whateveryou're thinking, but I rather you didn’t. I just want Zach to be safe andSamons out of our lives forever."
Chuckling,Noah stepped back away from her window as another car pulled into the station."Don't worry about Zach, if you're safe, then nothing could hurt him. Seeya later, cuz."
