Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(123)

Tears filled Fredericka’s eyes; partly for the strong man baring his soul, and partly for herself. Right then she understood why so many of the students respected this man.

“But it is worse,” Fredericka said. “I already know that. I told myself he was dead all these years. It was easier believing that than … than thinking he just abandoned me.”

Burnett inhaled. “Look, Holiday spoke with the friend of your dad who brought this envelope. She knows some of what is in here and she tells me that you need to read it. And my wife,” he put his hand on Holiday’s shoulder, “knows her shit. Trust her. I know it’s hard. When people have let you down in life, it’s hard to trust. It took me forever to learn that. But I finally did. I realized that you can’t let the past control you or define your future. This is your life, Fredericka. You define what you are by how you live, but to do that, you need to let go of it. Read this.”

He held out the envelope. Fredericka’s hands shook, but she took it.

*

At eleven fifty that night, her blood fizzing, preparing for the upcoming shift, her heart reeling from reading her father’s letter, Fredericka started out to meet the other Shadow Falls weres. As she moved through the woods, she lifted her face hoping to catch Lucas’s scent. He wasn’t nearby yet.

She’d heard he’d been looking for her earlier, but she’d spent the afternoon and evening working in the shop, trying to get her necklace sets finished. Now, however, she needed to explain why she wouldn’t be running with the pack tonight.

Standing in the midst of the woods, night noises filling the dark silence, her phone dinged. Earlier, she and Brandon had been texting back and forth. She’d been tempted to go see him this afternoon, but with her emotions heightened and the slight physical changes due to her upcoming shift, she worried he might notice something. But as the night grew darker, she started worrying about something completely different.

Brandon’s safety.

Now that Cary couldn’t hurt her, would he go after Brandon? Before she’d assumed Cary cared too much about his job to do something stupid. Now he didn’t have that job.

She’d warned Brandon about Cary—the best she could. Telling him only that the teacher had quit and was upset, and that she’d explain later, but for him to be careful.

She was unclear about what all she could tell him. She knew she couldn’t tell him she was worried her teacher would show up at his house as a were.

Cary wasn’t stupid, he knew that crimes done by weres when they were shifted were often overlooked. At least by the Were Council, but not so much by the FRU.

And yes, Burnett had informed her that he’d warned Cary that he would be keeping an eye on his every step. But was Cary arrogant enough to think he could get away with anything?

She pulled her phone from her pocket, and saw Brandon’s name. She read his message.

You’re probably asleep, but I just walked outside and realized what tonight is. No wonder I feel so … antsy. Do you ever feel that way during a full moon? If you’re still awake, go peek at it. It’s beautiful and somehow alluring.

She stopped and looked up at the moon through the trees. Would it be so wrong to tell him the truth? She recalled Holiday saying it could be bad. Could. Could be bad. Which meant there was a chance it could not be bad?

So caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t pick up the scents or hear the footsteps until they were right behind her.

Startled, Fredericka swung around, a growl on her lips.





Chapter Fourteen


Lucas and Will, another were, moved in.

“There you are,” Lucas said, his voice deep and his frown apparent. Then he glanced at Will. “I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

As Will treaded off, his footsteps almost silent on the damp earth, Lucas’s unhappy gaze fell back on her. “What’s going on with you?”

She waited until Will was far enough away not to overhear her response. “What’s wrong?”

“You know what’s wrong!” he growled, and even in the dark night with only a few moon rays to add light, she saw his blue eyes bright with familiar frustration. For sure, she’d heard that tone from him so many times—always when he’d been giving her hell about the tension between her and Kylie.

To his credit, most of those times Fredericka probably deserved his anger, but it hadn’t stopped it from hurting, and more importantly, she didn’t deserve his attitude this time.

And with her emotions on her sleeves due to the lunar energy, Fredericka’s hackles rose. “If this is about that picture of Kylie, then you need to pull your head out of your ass, because I’ve been cleared of that charge! I wouldn’t hurt—”

“I know that,” he interrupted. “I’m talking about Cary Cannon, and your not coming to me when he started acting like an ass! You’re like family to me. And I’m the leader of your pack. You should have come to me.”

“I … I went to Kylie. You two are attached at the hip, so it’s practically like going to you.” Oddly, she hadn’t even considered going to Lucas. And maybe she should have. The pack leader was there to help, but her problems with Cary were … relationship based, not werewolf based.

He frowned. “It’s not the same.”

“Almost,” she said, realizing it felt kind of good knowing he cared. “I’m glad I ran into you. I’m going to run off somewhere after the turn. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”