Light-headed, Chase pulled the truck to the side of the road and cradled his head. No clue where that had come from. Guys who got invited to try out for the football team didn’t usually get dizzy spells. Maybe some side effect from the beast within, or from his relationship with Maddie?
Slowly his equilibrium returned and he drew in a shuddering breath. But when he reached for the gear shift, he couldn’t force himself to drive on. A vision flashed through his mind, a second there and the next gone, and Chase gasped. Not far away from where the dizziness had hit him, Maddie sprawled on the ground beside the boulder where he’d seen her earlier. A black form shaped like a bear hovered over her.
Chase threw the door open and stumbled from the truck. A path led away from the road. He raced through the brush and erupted into a small clearing. “Get away from her!”
The creature lifted its head. Chase tried to stop and fell backward onto the bank. Fangs bared; the creature snarled. Horror rocketed through him. It wasn’t a bear. It resembled his other form, only much darker, and this one was angry.
Pain stabbed in his stomach and lanced up his back. Beneath his skin on either side of his spine, nerves rippled and shifted. Under his breath, he muttered, “Not now, not now.”
The sharp point of an extending tooth poked into his lip. Chase fought against the transformation. If this similar creature saw him, everything Dad feared could come true… whatever that was.
The black beast leaned over Maddie again. Drool dripped from its lips. Its claws extended. One bony black finger flicked out and stroked her cheek. Maddie’s unconscious form shuddered.
Chase closed his eyes and willed himself to stay human. Maddie smiling. Maddie shoving books into his locker. Maddie playing with her hair while they enjoyed lunch, such as it was… she’d made school lunches a good thing. His breathing slowed. The wind shifted. Was that her perfume? It smelled so good.
He opened his eyes. Maddie lay in the clearing alone, one hand reaching toward the granite boulder as if seeking support. The beast was gone.
Whirling in a circle, he searched the vicinity, narrowing his eyes and using his enhanced senses to ensure they were truly alone. Then he stumbled over downed branches and fell to his knees at Maddie’s side. Her pulse beat strong and steady against his fingertip.
The creature had touched her cheek. The wound from her dream had reopened and a small streak of blood spread across her pale skin.
The sight of Maddie’s injury caused Chase’s body to tingle again. Her eyelids fluttered open and he struggled to regain control. Deep calming breaths weren’t working. The pain began in agonizing waves. If she saw him change…
“Chase?”
He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of her voice. No, that wasn’t working. He had to touch her. The need outweighed the risk and he pulled her onto his lap, nestling her head beneath his chin. It felt right. The emotional roller coaster of the last few days ended. His heart rate returned to normal and the pain faded away.
He’d won.
Her words were muffled. “I’m sorry.”
Tears wet his shirt. His sin against her stung. “What do you need to be sorry for?”
Maddie leaned away from his chest and swiped at her tears. “I’m sorry for how I behaved when I met your family. Please don’t leave me.”
He held her tighter and fought the guilt that tightened his throat. “You did nothing wrong. I’m the one who should be sorry. Will you forgive me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Chase cradled her. Nothing had ever felt more right. His hands on either side of her face, he dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers. Electrical pulses shocked his lips and coursed through his body.
She trembled, and that set his pulse pounding again.
The energy faded and he cleared his throat. “I’m so sorry, Maddie. I won’t ever leave you again. That is, unless you ask me to.”
She didn’t speak, and he swallowed. That day might actually come. Shakily he stood, lifted her into his arms, and carried her back to the road, to his truck. Deposited inside, she flashed him a small smile.
He lifted his finger for her to wait, then jogged back to the clearing and retrieved her purse. A cursory glance around the area, but he couldn’t see any proof of the black beast’s existence. There were no obvious signs that anyone had ever been there, much less a monster he still barely believed in, and he huffed a sigh of relief.
Chase returned to the truck and slid behind the wheel. “What now? Do you want to go home?”
She nodded. He started the truck, checked the rearview for traffic, and pulled out.
While he drove, Maddie stared out at the passing scenery, her face turned away. He gnawed on his lip. Had she seen the black beast? Did she think it was him? What was she thinking? The silence was deafening. Picking what he thought was a safe subject, he asked, “Where’s your bike?”
She frowned. “You mean you don’t know?”
“Know what?” He bit the inside of his cheek to mask the lie.
Maddie pushed her hair from her face. “Someone ran me off the road yesterday.”
It wasn’t hard to create appropriate fear and concern. “Really? Were you hurt?” Stupid question. After all, she’d gone to school, at least for the morning classes.
If she thought the question stupid, no sign of it showed in her voice. “No. I was rescued.”
“How?” Here it comes. She’s going to blurt it out.
She grimaced. “I’m not exactly sure. When I figure it out, I promise you’ll be the first to know.”
Surprised by her answer, Chase asked, “You’re sure you’re okay, then?”
“Yeah, I feel one hundred percent better now.”
She felt better because she was with him, or because she’d left school and wouldn’t have to suffer through chemistry and gym, or… the possibilities were endless and agonizing. But before he could figure any of it out, Maddie twisted on the bench seat to face him, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.
“Why have you avoided me for the last two days?”
Too late, Chase realized he should have expected the question and had an answer ready. No way could he say, Hey, I’m a mutant beast and I was afraid you would set off my powers. Although maybe he should, just to see what she said… no, not a good idea. Instead he shifted and fidgeted. “Well…”
Maddie studied her hands and sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry about the dinner table conversation. My parents’ death is still fresh on my mind and I was way too blunt.”
“Maddie—”
“It’s okay. I understand. I come with a lot of baggage.”
No time to figure out something to comfort her; they’d arrived at her grandma’s house. Chase guided the truck into the rutted driveway. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Maddie, do you have plans for tomorrow evening?”
“No.”
“Would you like to go with me to the school dance?” Coal Creek High sponsored one each month in the gym; the flyers had been posted in each classroom.
Her eyes and smile widened. “I would love to.”
“Great! I’ll pick you up around six.”
“Okay.”
He parked outside the house. “And on Saturday morning we could go hiking and have a picnic, if you like.”
She climbed from the truck and leaned in through the open window. “I would like that. And thanks for the ride home.”
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow morning, then?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow morning.”
Chase watched as she walked away from the truck and went inside. His body relaxed as he felt her tension ease. Perhaps tomorrow they would have a long talk. They really needed one.