Page 11 of Saving Sarah (Blissful Bets)

She looked up. “No, no plans. Same time?”

“Sounds great.” He kissed her lips softly and then walked to the door. She was half tempted to drag his ass back and lock them both in.

The moment he was gone, Sarah collapsed on the couch. What in the hell was wrong with her? Maybe she was losing it. Sarah clicked on the TV and settled for the preview channel. It wasn’t long before she grew bored and turned it off. Both Devon and Gavin kept popping into her head, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Should she call her ex and get that part of her life over with so she could move on with the new part?

As much as she didn’t want to, she knew what had to be done. It wasn’t a conversation that could happen over the phone. She’d have to find him and confront this problem face to face.

Sarah stood and walked outside. The truck he drove was parked three spaces down from hers. She walked along the sidewalk until it turned, and she stood in front of his door. He opened it before she knocked.

“I was hoping you’d come by.”

“Let’s get this over with.” Sarah walked around him into his apartment. She stumbled to a stop, looking around. Pictures of them, together, covered almost every available space on the walls. The breath completely left her body at the memories so clearly in front of her.

“Sarah, why don’t you have a seat? You know, I’ve had these pictures with me the whole time I’ve been gone. Even if I couldn’t be with you, having the memories around me helped.”

Numbly, she sat down on his blue cushions. “Why did you leave? Go ahead and finish.” She tried to control her emotions but knew it wouldn’t be long before she broke. Just seeing their past surrounding her caused an ache like nothing she’d ever experienced. The need to flee kept pushing against her brain. A picture caught her attention, and she immediately stood, walking over to look at it.

The girl looked so young. She and Devon were kissing on the beach. The pink and orange of the sky, as the sun set, looked faded with time. But she remembered that day as clearly as if it had just been taken. It was shortly after she found out she was pregnant. They were so much in love then. At least she thought they were.

“That one is my favorite. We were so happy then. Do you remember?”

“Every day, Devon.” She sighed. “Now go on.”

“Sarah.” He turned her around to look at him. “What I’m about to say cannot leave this room. You have to promise me that when I tell you, you’re not going to freak out. It’s going to sound outrageous and unbelievable, but I promise you that what I’m saying is the truth.”

“Just tell me, Devon. I don’t care what it is. I need to know.”

“Do you remember the summer I went through all those problems? I got in a lot of trouble with my mother for the stupid, reckless things I did.”

“Yes, of course, but what does that have to do with anything?”

Devon pulled her to the couch so they could both sit down. “That summer, I found out something that changed my life. My father visited for the first time and told me something so unbelievable, he had to end up showing me for himself. I have a feeling that’s exactly what I’m going to have to do with you.”

“Devon, just tell me,” Sarah said, losing patience.

“I know everyone’s heard legends about werewolves.”

Sarah’s palm connected with his cheek before she knew she’d raised it. “You are not fucking going there, Devon. I think I deserve a better excuse than that.”

“Just hear me out, please. It’s the reason why I had to leave. When my father died, they expected me to take over. I haven’t found a replacement good enough for me to come back, until now.”

Sarah’s palm connected with his cheek, again, but she didn’t stop at that. She went wild swinging her fists and attacking him. “What kind of piss poor excuse is that? You expect me to believe that crap, Devon! A freaking werewolf legacy you took over from your father? You son of bitch!”

Sarah jumped up and headed for the door. A fucking werewolf. Ridiculous! Next he’d be telling her that little green men ate breakfast with him every Sunday, and fairies really did exist.

Devon leaped from the couch so fast, he beat her to the door before she got two steps away from where’d she had been sitting.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me. Don’t make me show you. I don’t want to scare you, but I need you to believe and trust me.”

“Either you grow fur or else I’m screaming bloody murder until you move your ass out of my way. Fucking werewolf. You must think I’m the most gullible person in the…”

Horrified, she watched Devon’s features morph. The trembling of his body was quickly followed by his limbs contorting. Clothes fell to the floor and suddenly she was staring at a very large, black wolf. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. It was like she’d just seen a horrible car accident. It was impossible, and yet she couldn’t deny what was standing in front of her. Tears streamed down her face as her reality crashed to the ground. It couldn’t be real.

Stumbling backward, she fell over her feet and landed hard on the floor. She continued to crawl backwards until her back pressed against the wall and there was nowhere else to go. No words would come for a long time.

He hadn’t so much as moved since he’d changed. She was almost afraid to speak, but there were so many questions and she didn’t even know where to begin. Sucking in a deep breath, she forced the words out “You really are a wolf, aren’t you? I thought…”

He turned human just as fast. The powerful, nude body that stood before her was not the same one she’d seen when he left. “You had to know. I didn’t have a choice. Sarah, I couldn’t take you with me. It’s dangerous there, and I couldn’t bear something happening to you too. If I kept contact with you, a rival could have found out. But you had to know I planned on coming back to you. I told you the day I left that I would be back.”

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