The Better to Bite (Howl #1)(18)

But he didn’t leave right away. Instead, his eyes narrowed. “Why do I feel like you’re so different from everyone else that I’ve ever met?”

Different. “Because I am.” I sure was being honest with him. Strange.

Another dimpled smile, and he turned away. I headed for his truck and propped my back against the tail-gate. The better to just sit back and watch the cars charge out of the parking lot.

It didn’t take long for the place to clear. The other team shuffled out of the stadium and crowded onto their bus. There wasn’t much chatter from them or their band, or even their cheerleaders. I guess it was hard to be cheery after a slaughter.

Their bus rolled away, shooting exhaust into the air, and almost drowning out the sound of a motorcycle.

Almost, but not quite.

Rafe drove slowly around the lot. His helmet was on and the visor was down, so I couldn’t see his face. As I stared at him, I straightened up. Was he going to stop? Say something to me? Tell me once more that Brent really wasn’t interested in me?

But the bike just picked up speed, and he drove away.

I realized I was almost alone in the lot then, and that—that wasn’t good. My hand shoved into my purse, and I closed my fingers around the mace I’d brought tonight, just in case…and to shut up my dad.

I stood there, wishing Brent would hurry, and—

A howl cut through the night. Not close, but floating in the distance. I shivered.

“It’s gonna be a bad night to be out alone in the woods.”

That was Cassidy’s voice. I glanced to the right. She’d come toward me, and I hadn’t even heard her approach. I guessed she must move like Granny Helen, all quiet and sneaky.

“I’m not planning to be alone in the woods,” I told her. No, that definitely wasn’t an item on my to-do list for the night.

“Good.” She glanced up at the dark sky. A half-moon hung over us. “They’re going to be hungry soon.”

“You’re creepy, you know that?”

She frowned at me.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been creepy more than my share of times, too.” Wasn’t that the truth? “But you really need to ease up, or you’re not gonna have any friends.” This was so the speech my dad had given me before we left Chicago. Almost word for word. And he thought I never listened to him.

“What makes you think that I want friends?” Angry, defensive.

One of my shoulders lifted, then fell. “Because you’re standing here, talking to me, and because you just spent your Friday night at a football game.” Come on, that screamed wanting friends.

Her lips snapped closed.

“Why you’re giving me this BS spiel about the night being dangerous, I don’t know.” I didn’t really care. “But maybe you should just try chilling out.”

Brent emerged from the shadows of the stadium. He had a duffel bag thrown over his left shoulder.

“Maybe you should come to the party,” I told her because I’d seen the flicker of uncertainty on her face. “It’s at Brent’s house.”

She slipped back a step. “My grandmother…she’s the one who told me to come tonight.” She licked her lips. “She wanted me to—”

“Warn me about the dark?” Brent wasn’t close enough to hear us. A good thing. Maybe I shouldn’t even be trying with Cassidy, but she just reminded me of…me. “You did it. I’m warned. Now we’re heading to the party at Brent’s, and you should come, too.”

I could see the temptation on her face. She wanted to come. But Cassidy shook her head. “No, she said it wasn’t safe tonight.”

Right.

Brent was closing in.

“Be careful,” Cassidy told me, and then she hurried away.

I exhaled on a long, hard breath.

“Problem?” Brent asked, glancing over at Cassidy’s fleeing figure.

“No.” I smiled. I’m so good at the fake smile these days. “Just a little girl talk.”

His hair was wet from the shower, and he smelled clean and fresh. No more black paint on his face. Back to being All-American. All-American was growing on me. He walked around me, and opened the truck door. I wasn’t really expecting that gentleman move from him. It was nice. I slid inside and eased onto the leather seat. He slammed the door behind me and hurried around the truck.

When he turned on the engine, a blast of hard, pounding rock filled the car.

We both laughed as he turned down the volume. “Sorry,” he told me with a flash of a shy grin. Shy? Him? “I like to get into the mood before a game. The music pumps me up.”

Then he leaned over me. Real close. I lost that deep breath I’d taken earlier. His mouth was so near to mine that I thought he was going to kiss me.

But he just grabbed the seatbelt behind me and pulled it over my shoulder and clicked it in place near my waist. “Got to buckle up,” he said.

The guy was a boy scout. Cute, smart, and law-abiding. When he found out about the whole law-abiding part, my dad would be in heaven.

I was actually pretty close to that sweet spot myself. Maybe my bad boy days would be over.

He cranked the truck and pulled out of the empty lot. I didn’t see Cassidy anymore. No telling where she was. But I had the weird feeling she was around, watching me.