Anders was waiting for me on the front porch. “You weren’t lying. You made it about five minutes early,” he said as I shifted.
“I like to be on time,” I said, and pulled my phone out to text Gran that I’d made it safe.
“Shit!” Anders hissed.
I flinched at his outburst and put my phone on the counter. “What? What’s wrong?”
He growled with frustration. “I forgot the fucking town map. I had one of the elders bring it from city hall. It shows all the streets, roads, and borders for Idlewild. I needed it for this meeting. Damn it.”
“I’ll go get it.” I wanted to be helpful, and I also wanted to keep him from losing his temper. “Where is it?”
“It’s at my mom’s. I stopped by to see her before coming home. I must have put it down and forgotten it.”
His mother had lived in the same house as long as I’d known him. I could get the map and be back in less than twenty minutes.
“No problem. I’ll go now.” I smiled at him, doing my best to exude the attitude of a helpful, loving mate.
Anders didn’t smile back. He only managed to grunt in agreement before turning away. “I gotta piss before the guys get here. I’ll see you when you get back.”
I suppressed a shudder at that and headed out the door. I walked in my human form for several hundred yards, enjoying the weather. Honestly, I didn’t want to be thererightwhen the envoys arrived. That seemed awkward. I didn’t have any experience with things like that, and I’d prefer to slip in and hide off to the side while they talked about whatever it was they talked about.
There was no doubt in my mind that it would be dry and boring stuff. Maybe, when it was over, Beatrice and I could have dinner. I slipped my hand into my pocket to take out my phone, then realized I didn’t have it.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
I’d only been gone five minutes or so. Maybe the people hadn’t arrived yet. If I hurried, I could swing by, grab my phone, then head to get the map.
Screw it.I turned and jogged back to his house. Once there, I rushed up the stairs and hurried through the front door.
“Sorry. I forgot my phone,” I called, my eyes locked on my phone, where it sat on the counter. “I’ll be right back with the…” I trailed off as I turned to find Anders sitting on the couch, facing Levi and Rainier.
My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. Cold, watery tendrils swirled down my spine at the sight of the man I’d left, sitting across from the man I’d left him for. Rainier looked incredibly uncomfortable, but he flashed me an embarrassed smile and waved at me.
Anders was glaring at Levi, his jaw set, lips twisted petulantly. Levi, however, was looking at me, hurt and longing on his face. It was the same way he’d looked at me the last time I’d seen him.
“What…what…I don’t…” I struggled to form words, and when it became obvious that my brain had short-circuited, I chose the only other option I had. I ran, sprinting from the nightmare scene.
The last thing I saw as I left was Levi leaping to his feet, his hand outstretched. “June, wait!”
53
LEVIATHAN
Irushed after her, heedless of what Anders or Rainier might think. Just seeing her after weeks without her was like a cool drink of water to a hot and dry throat. I hadn’t understood how much I’d missed her until the moment she walked in and spoke. Just hearing her voice was enough to send my heart soaring. Even as I ran down the steps and reached out to grab her, I tried to shove my feelings away.
“June, please,” I said, taking her arm as gently as I could and turning her to face me.
She spun, not even trying to fight me, but the look on her face broke my heart. A combination of anger, shock, and confusion. In fact, she looked mortified that I was here. Maybe some shame was seeping in? Shame for how she’d left.
She didn’t pull her arm away, and I took that as a good sign.
The heat of her skin beneath my fingers brought back memories of us, our bodies writhing together.
“Why are you here?” she hissed, dragging me from my inner thoughts.
“Don’t worry about that. Why did you leave? Can you at least tell me that?” I asked, desperate for the answer.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said, pulling out of grip to shove her hands into her hair, like she wanted to rip it out.
