Dare (10 page)

I didn’t let the panic seep into my voice. “See you in ten minutes.”

As usual, I zigzagged back to the trails. If there were eyes on me, I wanted to confuse the hell out them. Case was sitting on a bench when I arrived. I assumed he had been nearby, on his own patrol. My hair stood on end knowing he was watching us all the time. Whom would he take next?

I sat next to him.

“Just tell me they aren’t hurt.” I stared at him.

“Depends on how you define hurt.” He smiled.

I knew he was only trying to provoke me, to make me react, and to make me growl loud enough to turn him on again. I pressed my hands in my lap.

“You might be a narcissistic prick, but you aren’t vicious.”

He stretched an arm behind me, rubbing my shoulder in the process. “Let’s make this whole thing easier. Say you’ll marry me. I’ll let the girls go and they can be your bridesmaids. Instant wedding party and it cuts down on some of the planning. The solution is easier than you think. It’s all up to you, babe.”

“There isn’t going to be a wedding. I don’t want to marry you.”

He squeezed my shoulder, his nails digging into the skin. “Here’s the thing, little kitty. You
will
marry me. And if I have to take everyone in your life until you say yes, I will. I’m feeling less generous each day you postpone the festivities.”

He let my shoulder go, but I didn’t rub it. I moved toward his face, hissing in his ear.

“The Nox are not mail-order brides. So tell your Tribe none of us is getting married. Let them go or there will be consequences, Case.” I stood from the bench. “You don’t want to know what we’re capable of.”

He laughed. “See, I’m glad we can meet like this. It reminds me how feisty you are. I like this side of you.”

I whipped around. “You don’t know what a bitch I can be.”

“How about that nerdy history guy? Does he know?”

“What are you talking about?” I stared at him.

“Your date tonight. You know the tall guy. Tuxedo. Works at the museum.”

“He’s just a friend.” I scrambled to say something. A sour pit twisted in my stomach.

“Is that why I saw him leave your place, his shirt half unbuttoned? The lights never turned on. Funny way for someone to act who’s another man’s future wife.”

“Are you spying on me?” I wished I had my claws out. I wanted to scratch the smug look off his face.

“I’m always spying on you. That’s how this works. You make mistakes. I have to tell you what they are. Back and forth. Back and forth, little kitty.”

“Stay out of my life. Stay away from my friends. Get out of Sullen’s Grove.”

“I can’t, babe. You know that. We have less than a month to get this ceremony over with. I can’t leave until then. It works out kind of perfectly. We can graduate together. Have the ceremony, probably near the waterfront, I think. Take a honeymoon and then I’ll be on my way.”

I gritted my teeth. “Just go now. Go find your next wife. I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to be Mrs. Case Maddox number one.”

“Doesn’t work that way. There is an order to this. I have my instructions from the council. You are wife number one. I wouldn’t have enrolled at The Grove for any other reason. I need to claim this territory before I can take the next. And you—” He grabbed my shoulders roughly. “Are keeping me from my destiny. You’re being selfish, Dare.”

My pulse thickened in my blood. God, how I wanted to flatten him. Sullen’s Grove was my home. My territory. I wasn’t going to sign it over to Case or anyone. The council was wrong. The old magic that gave us our power was completely outdated and misogynistic.

He stood to face me, his breath close enough I could feel it across my neck. “You know, darlin’, we could skip the whole wedding part and just go straight to the bonding. That would be enough for me. All you have to do is say yes.”

I shoved him in the chest, knocking him back on the bench. “I’m not bonding with you. You’ll never hear those words from me. Never.”

It always came back to that. Stupid sex.

“Lose the guy. You belong to me.”

“Feeling threatened, Case?”

“By a human?” He laughed.

“Yeah, by a strong, thoughtful, intelligent man, who doesn’t have to force me into liking him. Because you should be. He’s everything you’re not.”

“Be careful. You’re starting to sound like a girl in love.”

“Love? If it pisses you off—that’s exactly what it is.” I’d known Zac less than twenty-four hours, but Case didn’t need to know our timeline. This was working. His eyes were frantic despite the coolness in his voice.

“One month damn it. You and I will be together. Now start deciding if you want stations or a sit-down dinner. And pick out some flowers for the Nox to carry.” His laugh grew louder. “This will be my first wedding, not my last, but it should be special. I want to remember all the detail you put into it.”

I was done sparring with him. Done threatening him.

I took off for the sidewalk. I knew he would trail behind me, he had admitted as much. If I ran fast enough I could lock myself in the house before the tears were visible. The tears that said everything. I couldn’t hold the Nox together. I couldn’t stop Case from kidnapping. I couldn’t make him leave town.

I
t was hokey. I could tell it right away. However, this was exactly what the museum wanted. The festival kicked off at eight o’clock with a lecture at the museum. There were workshops and seminars set up in every available room.

Lacey reported the tickets for my Ghost of the Forest tour had sold out. Great. I still didn’t know what I was going to talk about. I’d also need to say a prayer that whatever I saw in the woods the other night had moved on. The memory seemed more dreamlike than real.

Part of me hoped they hadn’t.

“You headed over to the park?” Lacey stood in front of my desk.

“Yeah. Thinking about it.”

“Looked like you had a good time last night.”

“Mmmhmm.” I closed out my laptop.

“You never said you were dating someone.”

My eyes shot to hers. “I guess I didn’t.” I had no interest in getting into this right now.

“It’s just…I thought…I mean…I thought you would have said something.”

There wasn’t anything to say. Truth was, if I had had a legitimate girlfriend, I probably wouldn’t have let Lacey flirt so shamelessly, but I didn’t. After one date, I wasn’t going to call Dare that. It was one date.

I pulled together a stack of papers and shoved them in my messenger bag. It had a scratch across the front now from where I had tossed it on the trail. “Look, I’ve got to setup for the tour.”

“Right.” She stepped to the side. “The flashlights have already been delivered.”

“Thanks.” She had taken care of all the mundane tasks for me.

“No problem, boss.” She lingered by my desk.

“Uh…bye.” I didn’t want to play this game again.

The festival events at the park were more upbeat than what I had seen at the museum. It had more of a family flair. Balloons, funnel cake stands, storytellers dressed in costumes.

“Ice cream?” a man with a pirate hat asked.

“No thanks.” I walked past him. He reminded me of the story I told Dare last night. The pirate who gave it all up for love.

The place was filled with kids. It made me wonder who had bought tickets for the tour tonight. The last thing I wanted was a bunch of kids crying on a dark trail.

I stopped at the entrance to the trail. The same one I had taken two days ago.

It was quiet in this part of the park. I retraced my route from the other night. It didn’t look as ominous in the daylight, but I knew when the sun went down it would be a different story.

I looked on either side of the pavement for tracks, footprints, anything. All I saw were weeds.

I continued until the pavement became gravel. I didn’t know where I had broken off and been chased, but there had to be something. A rut on the side, broken limbs. I walked back and forth, but each time I made a pass, it was the same thing. Nothing.

“You look deep in thought.”

She startled me. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Running. It’s my route,” she answered.

Dare had on short running shorts and a tank top that hugged all her curves. I liked her hair in a ponytail. She could pull off sporty and elegant.

“Right. I guess I should have figured that out.”

“And what about you? Did you lose something?” She eyed me.

“Uh—mapping out things for tonight. The tour sold out. I have to have something to tell these people.”

She laughed. “Good luck with that.” She returned the earbuds. I noticed a tattoo behind her ear I hadn’t seen before. It was a line of stars clustered together. I flashed back to last night to my lips on hers.

“Wait.” I stopped her.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Why don’t you come watch me make a fool of myself tonight?”

“You mean go on the tour?”

“Yeah. It could be fun. Didn’t you say you wanted to meet up afterward? Maybe we can get another drink. You pick the place this time.”

“Sorry, I can’t make the tour. I have other plans tonight. Something came up after you left.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Maybe another time, then.”

She smiled. “Yeah, maybe another time. I’ll call you.”

I watched her run until she disappeared around a bend. If I was going to date a girl like that, showing off my cool historian skills probably wasn’t the way to go.