Caged

5-1

5

White stippled paint greeted me upon waking, just as it had bid farewell before sleep. The arm hooked beneath my head had folded at a funny angle against the sofa back, the tendons running down from my shoulder pulled taut to snapping point.

I tugged it out, stretched my fingers toward the ceiling, withdrawing my other hand from beneath my waistband. Massaging life back into my deadened limb, I swung my legs around to sit.

Gurgles drifted through from the kitchen, followed by a quiet click. I turned toward the sounds and inhaled, catching the scents of the two females. Even though the pouring of liquid and the comforting aroma suggested coffee could be on offer, I hesitated over joining them.

For hours, I’d replayed my stupid actions and chastised myself for making the move on a distraught woman. She wouldn’t understand I hadn’t intended to take advantage, that I really did like her. I’d seen the look of horror on her face once she’d come to her senses, but I’d also been witness to her response when I’d kissed her.

Females—the damn species mystified me.

I rubbed my hands across my face like they’d somehow remove all traces of my discomfort and fatigue. With a deep breath, I pushed up from the sofa and padded into the next room.

Mia stirred the contents of one of two mugs in front of her. Dressed in nothing more than socks and a huge sweater I’d seen Gabe in a few times, she peered across toward me. “Coffee?”

“Thanks.” Leaning against the doorframe, I turned toward Shelley at the breakfast bar, pushing aside the memory of what I’d imagined doing to her on there. “Hey.”

“Hey.” The greeting arrived weak. Her gaze flickered away, before returning to me as she cleared her throat. “Sleep okay?”

I slid my hands into my pockets and crossed my ankles. “Sure.”

She stared hard at me, like she could see right through the lie. The dark smudges beneath her eyes suggested I’d not been the only one still awake in the early hours.

“You?” I asked.

Mia passed Shelley her drink, before tossing a curious glance my way.

Shelley looked about to shrug, but instead, she eyed the brown liquid beneath her nose. “Sure,” she murmured.

“You want sugar?” Mia asked me.

I nodded. “Two.”

“One it is, then.” She winked, seemingly amused by herself as she spooned in the white granules and stirred. “So ...” She crossed the room to me. “What plans do you have today?”

I took the coffee from her with a nod and sampled it. “I’m waiting on Dad. But my guess is, we’ll expand the search and head back out to look again.”

“Can I come?” Mia asked.

I studied her a moment and shook my head.

“Why not?” she asked, as I took another sip of my drink.

“Because ...” Struggling to come up with grounds that didn’t sound as sexist as the truth, I raised and lowered a shoulder. “Just ... because.” I ducked back into the living room to avoid the conversation that would surely follow.

The sofa groaned beneath my weight as I sat. In the kitchen, Mia mumbled to Shelley about her interpretations of my excuse for telling her no. Although Shelley placated that I probably didn’t mean it that way, Mia had it spot-on.

Elbows resting on knees, mug between my laced fingers, I stared at my mobile. Maybe if I did it for long enough, Dad would pick up the vibes and ring to get me out of there.

When the buzzing rippled it across the table, I almost spilled my drink. I snatched up the phone as I stood, hit connect and placed it to my ear in one fluid movement. “Dad?”

“You ready?”

I marched into the kitchen. “Are you here?” Straight across to the sink, I set my half-full mug down on the counter.

“Yes—just pulling up.”

“I’m on my way.” I spun as I disconnected and found two sets of eyes on me. “Dad’s here.” My long legs carried me to the doorway in four strides. Another sent me through it.

“Ethan?”

I halted and looked back at Shelley, as she took a step toward me. Her mouth opened but closed again.

“I’ll call you if we find anything,” I said. “Okay?”

Although the tightening of her eyebrows suggested creases hid beneath her fringe, she nodded.

I sent her a head bob of my own, returned to my route, and bolted out the front door.

The morning smelled fresh compared to the scent of humiliation that had stifled the house. Nostrils flaring to accommodate the deepness of my inhalation, I jogged along the short path and rounded the truck as though about to embark on a high-speed chase.

“Where’s the fire?” Dad asked, as I leapt in beside him.

“Didn’t want to keep you all waiting.” I peered into the back, noticing for the first time the others’ absence. “Where’s—”

“Working out a better grid.” He pulled off from the kerb. “We’ll continue the search, and meet with Connor and Kyle before lunch. Need to remember to eat today.”

Leaving it so long the day before had left me weakened—something we needed to avoid at all costs. “Where are we headed?”

“I’ve had a change of direction in my thoughts.”

He took a corner, and I waited until he’d picked speed back up to ask, “Which is?”

“What are the chances of them still being this close to the last ones they took?” He glanced at me.

I thought about his question. “More than what are the chances, what would be the point?”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “They’ve taken one from this area. The odds of finding another here, when Gabe isn’t part of a pack, are pretty much zero. If they’ve done enough research to know where to go in the first place, they’ll know how many are where.”

“You’ve thought this through.” More than I’d done. Only topic on my mind had been Shelley. “So, we’re combing which area?”

“I rang Jack for suggestions. He believes witches are the source of the females that have gone missing.” He flicked on his indicator for the turn off the island we rounded. “So, we’re going north ... to Witchurch.”

My eyebrow lifted. “Jess lives in Witchurch.” I’d had a brief moment with Jem’s older sister at the beginning of the year.

Dad nodded. “She’s also a witch.”

“You’re telling me we’re going to Jess’s?” I hadn’t seen her since I’d knocked back her amorous advances.

“We owe her a warning, Son.” He stopped at a red light and turned to me. “Or would you like to tell Jem your pride got in the way of giving her sister a heads up?”

Staring back at him, I thought about suggesting he go on his own. Instead, I shook my head. “No, I don’t.” She’d played a big part in helping the pack over the previous New Year. “We do owe her.”

Heading from one awkward female moment to another hadn’t been how I’d envisioned my day, but it looked like it was happening whether I wanted it to, or not.

“Good,” he said, and sent his attention back to the road.

***