Page 20 of The Lunatics

I clamped a hand over my mouth and smothered my laughter, both grateful that she’d lightened the mood and thankful that my relationship with her had always been somewhat ridiculous.

Half an hour later, I was ready to go. Mom and I had packed in record time, working together to sort through the essentials. We let the conversation drop early on, but only because I promised her that I would call on the trip down so we could have a more open discussion, free from the threat of being overheard by Dad or Michael.

“That was quick,” Michael said when we hauled my stuff downstairs.

“I hadn’t really unpacked from school yet,” I told him.

“Is this everything?” He looked from my duffel bag of clothes to my two boxes, one of which was filled with shoes, the other schoolbooks.

I nodded. “Everything else can stay here cluttering up their house for now.”

“I believe I took more luggage on my last vacation.”

“Well, yeah, business suits take up a lot of space, so that makes sense.”

“I didn’t wear suits on vaca—” His eyes narrowed when he realized I was teasing.

Mom and Dad chuckled.

I shot him a grin, swung my duffel over my shoulder, and headed out to the truck.

Michael joined me a moment later, the boxes stacked in his arms, showing no sign of strain beneath their combined weight. Guess he was still a shifter after all.

“I think everything should fit in the cab with me,” I said. A wall of gray clouds hung low over the mountains, and the smell of rain permeated the air. I didn’t want my stuff to get soaked.

He set the boxes on the passenger seat and closed the door. Something about the way he lingered made me feel like he wanted to say something.

“What is it?” I asked.

He leveled his gaze at me. “Are you an alpha?”

Uh-oh. I had hoped to avoid this conversation for as long as possible. I shook my head.

He lifted a hand and brushed the air in front of me, reminding me of Audrey. “Then why does your power feel like this even when you’re relatively calm? Last night, in the crowd, I could pick it out like a beacon.”

I sighed. Might as well be open. Starting our relationship off with lies would only come back to bite me in the ass. “It’s a long story. One I’m not ready to tell you yet.”

He dropped his hand and nodded. “Understood. But you should know, the arrival of a werewolf packing such a punch may attract unwelcome attention in the city.”

“I’m used to it. This past semester, I couldn’t turn a corner in Amherst without bumping into a witch who justhappenedto be there.”

“The witches of Amherst are quite aggressive, I’ve heard.”

I nodded. “They got so annoying that I was thinking of completing my degree online rather than put up with them anymore. Is it that bad in the city?”

“No one will trouble you so long as you remain in our territory. The coven controls Cambridge, however, so if you decide to attend classes there, we may need to formally request a special dispensation if you’re to pass unharried in their quarter.”

Alexa, please translate that into modern vernacular, I thought, but kept my smart-ass comment to myself. I didn’t know him well enough to tease him 24/7 yet.

“I guess we can worry about crossing that bridge when we get there,” I said.

“That we can. Are you nearly ready?”

There was an unsettled quality in the bond. Impatience? He felt like he itched to be on his way, and I found it a little infectious. The sooner we got to Boston, the sooner we could break the news to his family and try to settle into some semblance of normalcy. Whatever our new normal would look like.

“I’m ready,” I told him.

Saying goodbye to my parents proved harder than expected. Mom and I both cried. Dad hugged me so hard it was like being at the chiropractor.