Wolf Kissed

3

2

C A I T

The devastated look on the parents’ faces when I told them I was leaving was enough to make me feel bad enough to consider staying—only almost, though. I packed as quickly as I could, so theycouldn’t guilt me into staying.

As I got in the car Embry had ordered for me, I checked my email. There was a first-class ticket for a direct flight from Sydney to Dallas, along with instructions to meet another driver who would be picking me up and taking me the nearly two hours to Embry’s house.

First-class seats? Drivers? I was starting to believe Embry didn’t do online marketing for a small company like she’d told me these last few years.

Her texts were few and far between as I gathered my belongings. Even when she did respond, it wasn’t to answer any of the fifty questions I’d asked. I was beginning to wonder if I was making a mistake just taking off on a whim at her demands.

The driver chatted my ear off about the weather and tried asking me about the places I’d visited while in the country. Even with my minimal answers, he managed to keep the conversation going until he stopped at the terminal.

I waved goodbye once I had my bags in hand and took a deep breath. I could do this. Embry was my best friend. All I had to do was trust her.

Except, that faith wavered every time I caught sight of the mark on my inner wrist.

The color hadn’t changed since I got back to the house, but I still marveled at how perfectly shaped it was. I hadn’t had time to search for any answers online, considering I went from quitting my job to packing within the span of only thirty minutes.

Check-in was almost closed. I was cutting it close with the flight Embry chose, but since I was first-class, I cruised right through the bag drop and was even upgraded through security and customs. Luck seemed to be on my side.

My name was called over the speaker when I was still a dozen gates away from mine, and I was nearly panting by the time I shoved my phone into the flight attendant’s face.

“I’m here,” I heaved.

“Ahh, yes, Ms. Jones. We’ve been paging you. You’re just in time,” the lady scanned my electronic boarding pass and pointed to the hallway. “Just follow that down and someone will get you seated if you need help.”

I nodded and waved my thanks while she closed and locked the door behind me. A young man

was tapping his foot, likely waiting on my arrival.

Mumbling my apologies, I rushed to my seat, which was only four rows in and ginormous. As soon as I tucked my purse below, a flight attendant creeped in from behind.

“Good Evening, Ms. Jones. Can I get you anything to eat or drink before we take off?” she asked, smiling politely and not at all making me feel horrible for nearly causing a delay in take-off.

“Water and…” Crap. What did people eat in first-class? I was only used to the hard cookies or peanuts that were normally tossed out to economy seats.

She patted my shoulder. “No worries, dear. I’ll get you a bottled water, and there’s a menu next to you when you’re hungry. A pillow and blanket are under your seat as well. Just press this button here if you need anything at all once we’re in the air.” She pointed to the panel above my head, and I glanced at her name tag.

“Thank you, Judith. You’ve been very helpful.”

She nodded and ventured off while I figured out the seat controls. The seventeen-hour flight was going to be the best ever, I thought as I lay the seat back and rested my eyes.

The day’s events had caught up to me, and I was asleep before she even came back with my water.

As soon as we landed, a heat settled into my body, and I found it difficult to breathe.

Cool air was hard to find inside the plane, and it was even stuffier inside the airport with all the people milling about.

It was just after eight in the morning when I turned my phone back on. There were two texts from Embry: one telling me the previous driver had canceled and she was picking me up. The other said she’d had something come up and someone else was being sent. I typed a message back, wondering how the hell I was supposed to know who I was looking for, but she didn’t respond before I had to go through customs.

After that chaos, I’d forgotten about Embry and was tempted to just take a taxi, except I didn’t know where I was going. My head was pounding, my vision was blurred, and I was hangry. I thought I’d gotten enough sleep and food on the plane, but jetlag wasn’t playing nice as I lugged my two suitcases behind me.

As I exited the doors of the Dallas airport, an August summer heat seeped into my bones. It felt like it was nearing one-hundred degrees and humid as hell. Why would anyone willingly live here?

I glanced around for the taxi line, but before I could find it, I saw a bearded giant holding a white sign with my name on it. He winked and waved me over to the sleek black sedan I didn’t recognize the make of, but the chrome trim and sleek lines told me it was expensive.

His reddish-brown hair was shaved at the sides, but long on the top and slicked back. His beard was the same color and several inches long. His light blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he continued to wave at me.

“Cait Jones?” he asked, and I nodded. “Fantastic. Give me your bag.” His words were demanding, as if he was used to people doing whatever he said, but there was a kindness in his deep tone I hadn’t missed, either.

“And you’d be?” I asked in return. “Oh, right. We didn’t talk about that.”

I smirked. “No, we didn’t. I don’t make a habit of getting into cars with strangers.”