Wolf's Bane (Monstrous Hearts #2)

Chapter Nine

Even as her stepmother cast a puzzled glance at the nearest clock, Alice felt herself light up. "It's Colton. I meant to say—we finally talked, earlier, and he's here to take me home."

"What?" Denise's hand fluttered to her messy hair. "But I have no makeup on. And your father's still in the shower."

Alice had already left the kitchen, now raising her voice as she hurried for the door. "It's okay. We can talk outside until you're ready."

"No, bring him right in! Just tell him I don't always look like a hag."

"You look fantastic, Denise." By then, her hand grasped the doorknob. Even as she turned it, the uncertainty of the past few weeks flared back into life, wrapping a thin line of dread around her heart. What if Magdalene stood there before her with that crooked, sharp smile? A nightmare sliding back into reality...

The door opened without a creak, as well-heeled as the rest of the house, and then she saw nothing except Colton, hands easy in his pockets while he waited. His eyes had picked up the vivid green of the porch plants, and they warmed further at the sight of her.

As he stepped over the threshold, gaze never leaving her face, Alice felt a jolt of surprise over his appearance. Gone were the flannel shirt and shapeless coat. Instead, the white collar of a dress shirt peered out from beneath a dark leather jacket, and well-fitted slacks had replaced the rough jeans. Even his shoes looked nice, polished and well-cared for. With his dark scruff and sharp eyes, one couldn't say he seemed clean-cut and safe. But it was a new type of formidable from him—an indication that he could handle civilized threats as easily as the primal kind found in the forest.

"Infuriating man," she whispered, tugging at his jacket as he pulled her close. He smelled like fresh soap, as if he'd been careful to wash away any lingering traces of blood, but beneath that, she caught a hint of hot skin and the tang of iron. Even cleaned up, he exuded an earthiness that dared anyone to dismiss his presence.

He gave her that hungry look that always left her breathless, but his hand remained gentle as it traced the curve of her cheek, and concern rumbled in his voice as their mouths brushed. "Been prowling for a while. Smelled you growing upset."

"I'm fine. Especially now." Even as she reluctantly pulled back, her fingers twined with his.

It felt strange, having him there in her parents' house. Their own home always had a sense of the not-quite-normal out there in the forest, as if it existed separate from the rest of the world. As she led him to the kitchen, watching him walk on the shining, hardwood floor and cast a shadow against the spotless, cream wall, she felt nearly giddy at seeing how easily the supernatural could slip into the mundane. Even well-dressed and relaxed, without a hint of yellow in his eyes, she sensed how he could still shift into a wolf if he wished, how he could turn into a living shadow among the granite counters and gleaming pots of the kitchen.

When Alice introduced him to Denise, her stepmother had a ready smile on her face, but her eyes widened in surprise. The few boys who had come over to the house during high school years had been clean-cut and teenage-awkward, and the vague expectation formed from those memories obviously didn't fit Colton.

He waited to shake hands until Denise held out her own, first. The surprise then filtered into her voice, turning delighted. "Old-fashioned manners. You don't usually find a man who knows them outside of my parents' generation. Sit down and get comfy; Alice and I were just about to have breakfast. I'll get some for you, too."

Before Alice could warn him of her stepmother's definition of a meal, Colton nodded. "Thanks."

He took in the kitchen with a sharp glance, and Alice's mouth twitched toward a smile as his forehead furrowed in confusion over the cold stove and empty oven. They still held hands underneath the table, and she squeezed his to get him to look over.