If thisdidwork, they would be married as soon as possible. With that possibility there, it seemed silly to be angling for a dinner date. But she meant it. She’d rarely meant anything more.
In fact, some tiny, selfish part of her almost hoped that thiswouldn’twork. Thatnothingwould work. It was a new thought, and it scared her, especially since it led to a thousand more. What if she did have to dissolve the pack to save it from Reeve? What if Mountainview scattered to the four winds? She would be devastated to lose the only family she had left, but wouldn’t it also be the tiniest bit ... freeing? She would be relieved of a responsibility that had been hanging over for more than half her life. She would get to make choices without calculating how they’d affect dozens of people around her.
She could go on the road with Case.
Someone who had lived with kind of complete freedom, easily going from place to place and never needing to settle down longer than he wanted to, would never want to stick around in a poky little town like Mountainview, chained by obligations he hadn’t been born into. He would help her out because it was the right thing to do, and he was good in a way few people were, but he wouldn’t stay. She couldn’t blame him for that.
If everything went according to plan, she would marry him and then lose him. And that ... that was fine, wasn’t it? It would have to be fine. He was an incredible guy, and incredible guys didn’t come along every day, especially way out here, but she still didn’t really know him.
Even if she almost felt like she did.
“I’d love to have dinner with you,” Case said.
And then he doubled over in pain.
7
Case felt like every bone in his body was being slowly split in two. His skin itched and burned, even on his scalp and the soles of his feet. He had to force himself to let go of Lydia’s hand before he accidentally gripped it tightly enough to crush her fingers.
He’d done his best to hold back any wince or cry when she’d bitten him, because anybody could have seen what a hard time she was having with it. But compared to this, the bite wasnothing. He had to sink his teeth into his lower lip to catch the groan before it escaped—and while he managedthat, there was nothing he could do about how the rest of his body now seemed to have a mind of its own. He was rigid one second, feverishly shaking the next, and going into uncontrollable spasms after that.
“God, Case! Is there anything I can do?”
He threw his head to the side, which was the best he could do right now when it came to managing a simple “no” shake.
“Just happened,” he said through gritted teeth. “All at once.”
Lydia tentatively rested her hand on the back of his neck. He felt so clammy and chilled and that her touch was like a hot brand, but he still leaned back into it, soaking up what comfort she could give him.
He wished he could give her some in return. He’d failed her, hadn’t he? This had to be his body rejecting the transformation.
He’d wanted to help her. He was only realizing nowhowmuch he had wanted it. What was even the point of him having lived an unattached, unencumbered life if he couldn’t give it away to Lydia when he wanted to?
God, this hurt. It was like his body was trying to tear itself apart.
“Lie down,” Lydia was saying. “Just lie down. It’ll be okay.”
It wouldn’t. What was she going to do? Declan had told him what her other options were like.
He let Lydia slide a pillow under his head.
“Sorry,” Case said through suddenly chattering teeth. “Sorry. I guess it’s not taking.”
“Don’t apologize to me right now!” He was surprised by how fierce her voice was, especially since she was still so gentle in tucking her quilt around him. “You’re inagony. Focus on that. I’ll figure something out. I’m going to see if I can get you one of Ruth’s morphine shots, all right?” She raked her hands back through her hair. “I know you’re not supposed to share prescription medications, but I think we can make an exception here.”
He clenched his jaw to keep his words steady. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Did he imagine it, or did she comb her fingers through his hair? He thought she did. He was letting her down, and she must’ve been disappointed, but none of that came through in how she was handling him.
He would have been so lucky to stand by her side, even for a little while.
Lydia slipped out of the room to go get the morphine, and Case gritted his teeth and tried to will his body into doing what he wanted.
Turn, he thought, clenching his fists. He could feel the sweat running down his forehead.I know you’re trying to fight off the bite, but I need you to lean into it. I have to help her.
Dizziness swamped him, making the whole room spin. He felt feverish, and—had she only left a second ago? Or had it been longer? He couldn’t seem to get his eyes to focus on the clock. How long had he been lying here with the bite on his arm throbbing?
Lydia had said something about how being a werewolf meant having an inner wolf, a cross between a pet and your own embodied subconscious.
