"She's changing," he said. "We're heading to the Black Opal later."
He noticed what I was doing and cleared his throat. Who says werewolves are all bark and no brains? "There was just a full moon a couple weeks ago, Daisy. Remember?"
Embarrassed, I looked over at him.
Nicholas had his arm in a sling, and it was also wrapped in what looked like about a million bandages from the incident on the night of the last full moon. It looked like a lot more than a little bitty accident, and I wondered why Rose had downplayed his injuries.
"Sorry," I said, feeling silly for panicking. I paused before sheepishly asking, "How does it work, exactly?"
Nicholas stared at me in amusement. "Being a werewolf?"
I nodded. "Is it possible for them to shift even if it's not a full moon?"
Nicholas sighed and looked down at his injured arm, as if reliving painful memories. "When you're young—when the gift first manifests—it's nearly impossible to control. It can happen anytime."
I recalled Wolfgang Paxton's spontaneous wolf-out at the memorial service. "It must be scary to have that overtake you when you least expect it," I said.
"It is," Nicholas said. "But it gets easier as time goes on. As a fully mature Were, I only shift during the full moon. It took lots of training, but I can control the beast within me."
I thought about it. I really was ignorant about what it meant to be a Were. I wouldn't make that mistake again. I knew how I felt when people treated me differently. First when I was the only norm in the family, and then when I got my powers.
"I think I know what you mean." At his look of surprise, I continued. "It's like with my powers. I can't always control them. Sometimes they control me. But I'm working at it, and I'm getting better at making them do what I want to do, instead of the opposite." I paused for a moment, chewing on what he had told me. "So I guess the Were I saw tonight must have been a youngster."
Nicholas's eyes widened. "You saw a Were tonight? Where?"
I explained what happened in the hedge maze at the Wilder mansion. "Do you think it could have been Elise?" I asked.
"Hard to say," Nicholas said cryptically. "Whoever it was, I wouldn't worry too much. They obviously didn't intend any harm."
"Yeah, I guess I got off easy," I said, gesturing toward his arm.
Suddenly Nicholas sniffed at the air. "What's that smell? It's coming from you."
"Thanks a lot," I mumbled. I wasn't wearing any perfume, so I wasn't sure what odor he could be referring to.
"Check your pockets," Nicholas said, zeroing in on the source.
I was wearing the same jacket I had worn to the park a few nights ago. I hunted through the pockets and pulled out the shriveled plant Midnight had been playing with when I found her.
He took it from me and sniffed it. "I can smell oleander, mixed with a faint hint of M&Ms."
"Oleander? Isn't that poisonous?" It was a good thing I had taken it away from my kitten.
"You should be careful with that," Nicholas warned. "Oleander is poisonous, but you can find it almost anywhere. Where did you pick this up?"
"Right by the fountain in the park. Where they found Mr. Davis's body."
A niggling thought was forming at the back of my mind. Could this oleander be somehow related to Mr. Davis's death? I couldn't figure out how to tie it to the murder, except that I'd found it in the same location.
Rose swept into the room, wearing a sparkly orchid-colored tank top perfect for clubbing.
"Tell Mom I won't be back until late, okay, Daisy?" she said. She winked and gave a little nod toward Nicholas. That's when I realized that her lips hadn't moved. I still wasn't totally used to the whole telepathic thing. I was used to Rose being able to read my mind, but not the other way around. And I blushed bright red when I realized where, exactly, her mind was. I did not need to have an image of that in my brain.
I headed to bed, but I couldn't sleep. I was too wound up with the thought that a volatile werewolf was on the loose in Nightshade. I shuddered as I remembered its eerie eyes and huge teeth.
There was a loud bang as an object hit my bedroom window. I jumped and then peered out.
Ryan stood below my window. "Daisy, come outside. I need to talk to you," he said in a carrying whisper.
I held up my hand and said, "I'll be right down." But before I did, I took a look at myself in the mirror. Frizzy hair, pale face, and ratty old pjs. Not exactly the image I wanted Ryan to carry with him, even if I was mad at him.
I quickly put on a cute hoodie over my faded boy-band T-shirt and put my hair into a ponytail. I added a little lip gloss and then scampered down the stairs as quietly as I could. I snagged a breath mint out of my purse in the hallway, where I'd thrown it earlier.
"Hey," Ryan said. He was sitting in the swing on the front porch. "I'm sorry I didn't make it to your birthday dinner. Something came up." I was about to roll my eyes after having to hear yet another one of his excuses when he held out a small, brightly wrapped package.
I sat next to him and opened the present. It was a gold locket. It looked old.
"It was my mom's," he said.
"Ryan..."
"I want you to have it. She used to say it would protect her from harm. Will you please wear it?"
And then I was in his arms and he was kissing me like his life depended on it. He didn't stop kissing me until we were both hot and sweaty and way too overheated.
Somehow, I'd ended up on my back, pressed against the seat of the swing. I put out a hand to his chest to slow things down, but I only had time to gulp in some air before Ryan bent toward me and nipped my lips, hard enough that he drew a little blood.
"Hey, watch it!" I said. He'd never done that before. It hadn't really hurt, but it had startled me.
Ryan sat up, breathing heavily. "Daisy, I'm sorry. I ... I don't know what's gotten into me lately."
"What's going on with you? It seems like I never see you anymore, but then you show up here"—I looked at my watch—"at midnight."
"I wanted to talk to you," he said in a low voice. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's okay," I said, trying not to let him know that I was blushing. "I was startled, that's all. I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you, too."
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
About a million things. Elise, where he'd been lately, the werewolf. Where to start?
"Did your dad hear anything new about Mr. Davis?" I began. It seemed like the easiest place to start a conversation, but I was wrong about that.
Ryan tensed and looked away. "What about him?"
"Well, have the autopsy results come back yet?"
"I don't know," he replied tersely.
I sighed. "Well, until they do, I guess we won't know what killed him."
"It wasn't a werewolf, if that's what you're thinking," he said in a snotty tone of voice.
Why was he so defensive? Was it because his precious Elise was a shifter? "I didn't think so before, but now I have my doubts."
"What do you mean?" he snapped.
What was wrong with him? I couldn't even talk to him anymore. "Christy's mom saw claw marks on Mr. Davis's face." I ignored the fact that Nicholas had already confirmed that a human had made the marks. I had no reason to doubt Nicholas, but somehow, my mouth just wouldn't stop.
"Since when do you listen to gossip?" His voice was shaking with anger.
"It's not just that," I said. "The other night in the park, I heard howling. And just tonight, I came face-to-face with a werewolf!"
He stood so suddenly that he set the swing rocking furiously. "Do you know anything about werewolves? Their strength and speed? You could get hurt."
"Ryan, why are you so mad?"
He didn't answer at first. "This was a mistake. I've got to go."
"Ryan—" But he was already letting himself out of the front gate.
"Just let it go, Daisy," he called over his shoulder. "Let my dad handle the investigation.
" Then he ran down the street and disappeared into the darkness.
What just happened? I was baffled by Ryan's behavior. He couldn't deny that there was a werewolf on the loose in Nightshade. And even though I liked Nicholas and Chief Mendez, they had connections to the Nightshade City Council—and they could be covering up for the killer. No matter what Ryan said, I wasn't butting out of this investigation. Not a chance.
Chapter Sixteen
I was glad to spend the rest of the weekend away from Nightshade, at Grandma Giordano's place. But my troubles were still waiting for me when I got back. On Monday, Samantha found me during morning break.
She was with Jordan Kelley, a cheerleader who was definitely more Sam's friend than mine. Jordan was all right, but I didn't really see what Sam saw in her. Jordan probably wondered the same thing about me.
"So did you and Ryan make up yet?" Sam asked.
I glanced over at Jordan. She was nice enough, but I didn't feel like confiding my troubles to the entire school. "I don't want to talk about it."
Samantha said, "Jordan, why don't you go on along. I'll catch up with you later."
After Jordan left, there was silence.
"Honestly, I can't believe you two are still fighting," she said.
"You can't?" I asked incredulously. "Sam, you were there. He stood me up. On my birthday!"
"You mean he hasn't even tried to explain?"
"I'm getting mixed signals," I admitted, fiddling with the necklace he gave me. "He came over and gave me this the other night. Late."
"I can't believe he thought he could just drop in for a late-night booty call—"
"It wasn't like that, Sam," I said. "And since when do you use words like 'booty call'?"
"All I know is that he was majorly bummed all weekend. Sean told me he said he tried to talk to you, but you wouldn't listen. He's devastated."
"I find that hard to believe," I said. "After the way he acted the other night, it didn't seem like he even wanted to be with me anymore."
"That's ridiculous," Samantha said. "Even if he's been acting weird lately, Ryan Mendez is still totally in love with you. That's what he told Sean. Now, do you want to fix things or what?"
I nodded weakly. Of course I wanted to fix things. I just didn't know how.
"Why don't you come to their baseball game with me tonight? Then the four of us can go to Slim's afterward."
Despite my misgivings, I agreed to go.
"Great," she said. "I'll come over after school to get ready."
After school, we headed for Samantha's car. Instead of her BMW, she got into an older-model red VW convertible. Although still spiffy, it was a step down for a Devereaux.
"Where's the Beamer?" When had Samantha traded in her car? Her parents had just bought her the BMW less than a year ago.
She shrugged. "I got tired of it. This is cute, though, right?"
"Very cute, but—"
"It gets better gas mileage, too," she added.
I stared at her. Since when did Samantha care about saving gas? I narrowed my eyes at her. Something wasn't right.
The Sam I knew wouldn't be caught dead in a used car. I remembered the stack of past-due bills I'd found at her house a few months ago, but I decided not to say anything. It wasn't my business if the Devereauxs were having money troubles. I just hoped Sam would come to me when she needed someone to talk to. I didn't care about her money, or lack thereof, but I did care about Sam.
"What? I'm just trying to be a little more environmentally conscious. You should try it sometime," she said edgily.
Walking, which is what I did most of the time, was pretty much as environmentally conscious as you could get, but I wasn't going to say anything to Sam.
"I love the color," I said and then changed the subject. "What should I wear tonight?"
"Something that'll knock his cleats right off him," she said.
Samantha chattered away on the drive, but I only listened with half an ear. I was nervous about seeing Ryan.
At my house, Samantha vetoed half my closet before she found a midnight blue top I'd inherited from Poppy.
"This is more like it," she said.
I'd never worn it, because it showed more skin than I was used to showing. "I don't know," I said.
"Now let's find a skirt to show off those long legs of yours," she said.
"No skirt," I said. "It's freezing outside." A slight exaggeration, but it was overcast and windy.
"Okay," she said, "But no baggy jeans."
A thought struck me. "What if the game gets rained out?"
"It won't," she assured me. "Now hurry up and get dressed."
I was ready a few minutes later. I brushed off Samantha's attempts to do something with my hair. "Let's go! If we primp any longer, we'll miss the game."
When we got there, the field was damp. Our feet made squishing noises as we walked, and I was glad I'd opted for boots instead of skimpy sandals like the ones Samantha wore.
"You've got your gym sneakers in the car, right? Maybe you should grab them so your feet don't get soaked," I suggested to an uncomfortable-looking Sam.
"No thanks," she sniffed. "I want Sean to notice me, not think I'm one of his teammates."
"No chance of that," I said.
We found an open spot on the bleachers, and Samantha spread out a blanket to cover the cold metal bench.
The team was still warming up. My heart lurched when I saw Ryan in his uniform.
The school mascot was there, jumping around and generally making himself a nuisance. We were the Nightshade Sea Monsters, or Monsters for short.
A few minutes later Sean, concealed head to toe in catcher's gear, stepped behind the plate, and Ryan stepped up to the pitcher's mound and started to warm up.
Samantha gossiped with a couple of the girls from school, but I couldn't take my eyes off Ryan.
The game went by in a blur. I heard the crowd cheering, saw the teams take their turns at batting and fielding, but if you had asked me the score, I would have had no idea. I was mesmerized by the beauty of Ryan's body in motion.
Could I trust him? I hoped I could, but he was definitely keeping something from me. I hoped it wasn't another girlfriend.
It was a good thing my powers were so completely unreliable or I'd be tempted to peek into his mind to find out what he was hiding. Rose wouldn't approve, I know.
When the game was finally over and the teams had shaken hands, Ryan and Sean gathered up their gear and headed toward the bleachers where we were sitting.
"C'mon, let's go," Samantha said.
I stared at her, puzzled. We were going to leave without talking to the guys?
She explained, "I want Sean to get the full effect of my outfit. They'll catch up." If she didn't catch pneumonia first.
Samantha and I grabbed our stuff and headed for the snack bar. They jogged up to us by a picnic table.
"Daisy, you made it!" Ryan said. He wrapped his arms around me, and I leaned in and touched my lips to the cinnamon-colored skin near his neck. He jumped as if shocked by the contact and then pulled me closer for a kiss. Maybe Sam was right and everything was going to be okay after all.
"We're heading to the diner," Sean said. "Do you guys want to come with?"
Ryan bent down and whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my neck. "I'd rather be alone with you. My dad's working late tonight."
"I think we'll pass," I said.
We walked with Samantha and Sean to the parking lot. After they left, we walked hand in hand to Ryan's car. But when we got there, someone was already waiting for him: Elise Wilder.
I dropped his hand. "Seems like you already have other plans," I said. I turned on my heels and walked away, forcing myself not to look back. I could hear Ryan calling my name, then the low voice of the girl. I couldn't hear what she said to him, but it sounded urgent, almost hysterical.
I didn't miss the amber-colored glare she sent my way, either.
Ryan didn't follow me, which
I guess said it all. Even Sam would have to see my side of things now.
I walked without thinking, my feet taking me in whatever direction they wanted. I finally emerged from my thoughts and noticed my surroundings. I was in the park, and it was past dark. I realized it was a stupid thing to do.
I glimpsed some movement out of the corner of my eye. I didn't slow down to take a picture, just lengthened my stride. I remembered the howling I had heard in the park and shivered at the thought.
I reassured myself that I'd taken a basic self-defense class but ignored the fact that one of the tips I had learned in it was to avoid isolated areas, especially when no one knew where you were.
I'd managed to outrun Nicholas once before when he was in his furrier form, but he was also a friendly werewolf. I had a feeling that whatever was following me wasn't as friendly.
Chapter Seventeen
When I looked over my shoulder, I discovered a different kind of predator entirely.
"Daisy, please wait!" Duke. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
"Duke, you scared me," I said.
"I was driving by and saw you enter the park. I wanted to make sure you were safe," he said.
I was a little creeped out when I realized it had been him following me.
"It is not safe to walk here after dark alone. Let me give you a ride home."
In the distance, I heard a long, mournful howl and decided Duke was the lesser of two evils. And he, at least, was harmless. Whatever had made that noise probably was not.
I followed Duke to his car, which turned out to be a new Lexus. I wondered how a high school junior could afford a car like that. The fortune-telling business must be pretty profitable.
Then again, Nightshade High's parking lot was filled with everything from new Porsches to thirty-year-old Pintos.
He opened the passenger door for me, and a T-shirt fell from the seat. I picked it up, but he snatched it away, though not before I saw the college colors.
"Are you thinking of going there?" I asked.