Accidentally Wolf (47 page)

“Sera, you okay?” Davis asked gently as she stepped out in to the garage with me. She leaned her shoulder against the wall, giving me space and I appreciated that.

“I
’
m being silly,” I answered, nodding and trying to act like I was fine.

“Well, I like silly.” She chuckled, giving me a wink. “Why don
’
t you spill it anyways? Get it off your chest and out there while the guys are busy. They
’
ll assume we
’
re talking boys and bras or whatever and leave us be.”

“Wanna go for a run?” I asked instead, realizing I needed to clear my head as I processed this all out.

“Sure if you don
’
t run at your crazy wolf speed,” she answered with a smile instead of looking at me like I was crazy, which was what I had kind of expected. “I
’
m just a witch, so that doesn
’
t make me any faster than a human.”

“I got clothes you can borrow if we can find them.” Good, I had a plan. I was happy with a plan and I could relax then. At least for a little bit. Davis had proved to be tightlipped more so than anyone else in my life. If there was anyone I could lay my past on… It was her. And it seemed I needed to let something out or I was going to implode.

Chapter 18

We did a lap around the block before heading over to the park to check it out. The day was warm and clear. And the fresh air was soothing as I ran, my feet padding against the sidewalk rhythmically.

I also noticed how it
’
s amazing that I can
’
t just shut off my training in my personal life. I saw who had surveillance, which were the nosey neighbors looking out their windows at the new people moving in, who had the dogs that were going to piss me off because their owners just let them bark incessantly, and the houses with kids who might end up running into the street one day when I was driving home.

“Okay, spill it,” Davis said as we got to the park. “What
’
s going on with you, Sera? I mean today with us showing up. You looked like you were going to close the door and duck under your bed.”

“I grew up in the foster system,” I blurted out with absolutely no finesse. She waved her hand in a circle saying
okay, what else?
“I was invisible. No one at any of the houses cared what I did and I basically grew up on my own, just being someone
’
s paycheck.”

“So you
’
re not used to people caring.” Her tone was gentle as if making sure I understood she was on my side.

“No, not even slightly,” I sighed, picking up speed a bit now that we
’
d warmed up. “I graduated High School early, seeing it as my way out. I was sixteen when I went to college, and they gave me my own dorm room because what eighteen-year-old away from home for the first time would want to room with a kid? Then I graduated college in three years and did a three year stint in the Navy because I was too young to join the FBI.”

“Okay, but you made friends at college or in the Navy, right?”

“No, not really,” I answered, giving her a shrug. “I dated a few guys but didn
’
t really have or need friends. I was always the outsider and not just because I was younger than everyone else, except in the Navy, though I was young for an officer. But I was always odd person out. I was the only woman in my Officer Candidate training, and I kept to myself when I was deployed. I always wondered if people knew I was different because I was clairvoyant.

“I was so used to being alone that I never really tried to make friends. But I
’
ve basically lived on my own and alone for twelve years. Now I
’
m a wolf and a siren, I have Tristan and Riley living with me—”

“And a team that adores you and considers you a friend,” she finished for me. I nodded, not sure what to say next. “What about your last team? You
’
re easy to get along with, Sera. I can
’
t image that they didn
’
t like you.”

“No, but they didn
’
t really try to get to know me either like you guys did. Or maybe I was just so closed off I missed it if they did try. But, either way, when I was hurt and made a wolf, no one showed up at the hospital. I mean, I didn
’
t expect them to be sitting overnight at my bedside or anything. Though a phone call or
something
would have been nice. None of them have even checked up on me since I was transferred. Nothing.”

“I
’
m not defending them, but what would they say?” she asked gently. I glanced at her then with a raised brow and she sighed. “If you guys weren
’
t really all the tight, then wouldn
’
t one of them calling or sending a note saying
sorry you were hurt and now a wolf
piss you off? I mean, that would be an awkward conversation.”

“Yeah, I never thought of it like that. I never really factored in the shifter thing until I realized they were afraid of me. I just saw it as I was injured on the job, and, if it had happened to any of them, I would have made sure they were okay.”

“But you
’
re not like normal people, Sera.” I bristled at the comment until she continued. “You didn
’
t have any prejudice against paranormals. You see us all as just people
,
but most don
’
t. You
’
ve gotten a taste of what it
’
s like for us and how lots of humans treat us. Your old team might have liked the Seraphine Thomas who they worked for, but now you
’
re just a werewolf in their eyes and maybe not someone they
’
d associate with.”

“I understand but it doesn
’
t make it any easier to deal with.”

“I know and it
’
s a shocking adjustment from what I hear. I was born a witch, so I grew up hiding what I was and then when paranormals came out as being real, I grew up hiding from the hate lots of humans felt toward us. You, on the other hand, grew up one way and now have been thrown in the deep end of a completely different way of living. I can
’
t imagine what you
’
re going through just with that, but, I have to say, we
’
re all impressed at how you
’
ve adjusted.”

“What do you mean? I am what I am now. What
’
s the point of crying about it?”

“Sera!” She laughed as she slowed down and turned to face me. I lifted my leg on to one of the park benches and started stretching. “You
’
ve been a wolf, what? Not even a month? You can control your shift, find out you
’
re a siren, new office, new team, new
promotion
and yet, here you are jogging and talking calmly about it all. Don
’
t you get it? Most people would still be in a shifter safe house crying and screaming that life isn
’
t fair.”

“I never knew anyone who got turned in to a shifter,” I hedged, hoping maybe I wasn
’
t handling everything as badly as I
’
d thought. “I have no idea how the normal process goes.”

“Talk to Harris,” she replied. “Ask him about how he got turned and what happened. He had it a little rougher than most, but his story is closer to what normal people go through. You
’
ve had way more dumped on you than just being changed in to one of us. Give yourself a break, Sera. And I say this next part without meaning to sound condescending, but realize you
’
re worth caring about and having close friends.”

“That didn
’
t sound condescending.” And it didn
’
t. Just a little like a therapist. She smiled as she patted me on the back and I got images that she was glad I wasn
’
t pissed or taking anything the wrong way because she wanted to be friends with me. Davis was used to being around witches, and, while they might be powerful, they weren
’
t always strong. She liked that I was teaching her more and more and enjoyed the self confidence that it built in her.

Interesting. I
’
d never thought her as lacking in that area, but, then again, I never tried to know much about my team more than their files. I never wanted to cross that line. But after today, seeing that we could work together and be friends… I did want that.

We headed back to the house, and I had several things I listed as needing to get done. One, talk with Harris like Davis had suggested. Two, look further in to finding out more about the training everyone in our department had. Maybe get some questionnaires together about what they had in their background and what they
’
d like to learn. I had files from the Shifter Council on the actual laws of a werewolf pack, which I needed to read up on before I went head to head with Engle again.

So as normal, it was a never-ending list of things to
d
o. However, I did feel better about some of what had happened, so now it was as if my mind was clear enough to move forward with what came next. We slowed down to a walk when the house was in sight, and I suddenly made a decision on how to take the next step in this whole being friends thing.

“After we finish this case and catch Bob, do you want to go with me and check out the club that Tristan works at?” I asked in a total ramble, feeling like I might be a rejected date.

“Yeah, we could use a girls
’
night out,” she answered with a smile. Good. Okay. I could do this. I walked in to the front door, glancing over my shoulder at her to return the smile.

I felt more than saw someone coming at me. And then I got an image they were coming from my right. I ducked and rolled, kicking their legs out as I went. I heard a loud grunt and watched as Noah fell to the floor.

“See? We told you!” Riley chuckled as he looked at Noah, who was still crumpled on the floor.

“Care to explain why Noah was trying to jump me?” I asked, not able to keep all the anger out of my tone. I got to my feet and stared down at the man, who looked shocked. “What?”

“We were talking about the next pack gathering at the full moon,” Riley explained, losing the smile. “I said I hoped you didn
’
t end up getting cornered again, but it was awesome to watch you kick those guys
’
asses.”

“Okay?” I drawled, glancing around at my team and everyone else in the room.

“Noah made a comment about how it couldn
’
t have been too hard for you since most wolves rely on their strength but don
’
t have much training. That if you went up against someone who
had
training, knew what they were doing, and was older than you, that they
’
d kick your ass,” he finished.

“So we bet him twenty that you
’
d have him on the floor before he could even take a shot at you.” Harris gave me a wink. “If he got the drop on
you
and got one solid hit before you landed him on his ass, then he won.”

“Um, should I get all the money since I had no say in this bet?” I asked, not sure how I felt about all of this as I watched people hand over money to my team and Riley.

“I want a do over and a real fight,” Noah growled as he got to his feet and straightened his clothes. “I can win.”

“Hi, welcome to my new home now let
’
s rumble.” I knew my tone was sarcastic, crossing my arms over my chest and rolling my eyes. “I think not.”

“You cannot beat me in hand to hand combat, Sera,” he replied, eyeing me over. “And I
’
m much older than you are.”

“Great. Want a cookie?” I let my disgust show in my gaze and in my tone. “Whip yours out and I
’
m sure it will be bigger no matter the size because I don
’
t have a dick. Are we done with this now? What
’
s gotten in to you?”

“I said I
’
ve never seen anyone fight like you before and that you were poetry in motion,” Riley answered even though I wasn
’
t directing the question at him.

“And I replied he
’
s never seen a true fight between warriors if he thinks that.” Noah
’
s eyes sparkled at the idea. “I am a real warrior.”

“Again, you want a cookie?” Then I realized something. “What do you mean a
warrior
? Most say they are a soldier.”