Wickford High 2 - Furiously Tempted (2 page)

“Dad,” Vicky cut in, “this is the part where I ask you to have an open mind.”

Ryan held up his hand, shaking his head. “Okay, I’ll keep an open mind. I just want answers, and I want truthful answers.”

This time Vicky reached over, squeezing Luke’s hand reassuringly. Luke pressed his lips in a grim line, looking from Vicky to Ryan before he spoke. “Well sir . . . we are .

. . man this is hard to say.” Vicky nudged him for encouragement. “Here goes nothing.

We’re werewolves sir.”

Vicky's father sat back in his chair, closing his eyes. He shook his head and then reached his fingers up, rubbing his temples. Opening his eyes, he stared hard at Luke.

“What did you do with those madmen?”

The color drained from Luke’s face. “Uh . . . let’s just say that they won’t be a threat to Vicky anymore.”

Mr. Phillips shifted in his chair “What do you mean, no longer a threat? Until those men are dealt with, they will always be a ‘threat’ to my daughter.”

“Dad . . .”

He shook his head at Vicky. “Pumpkin, I
need
to know . . . all of it. If those men are still out there, we have to leave. Your mother died at their hands. I can’t lose you too.”

Vicky shook her head. “Those men can’t hurt me or anyone else anymore.”

Luke swallowed hard, shifting uneasily in his chair. “They’ve been
dealt with
sir.”

“Dealt with? You mean dead, don’t you?”

Luke diverted his eyes. “Yes, sir, I do.”

Mr. Phillips stared off into space. “I see. I guess we need to report this to the police,” he mumbled more to himself than to anybody.

Luke caught his breath in alarm. “That won’t be necessary.”

He turned his head, and furrowed his brow in worry, as he focused his full attention on Luke. “We have to report this. I don’t want to get you and your family in trouble, but someone will find the bodies. It could get ugly.”

Luke shook his head. “They won’t find any bodies.” He shifted in his chair . “All traces of the . . . event . . . have been removed, including the stake.”

He stared hard at Luke, frowning. “It sounds like you and your family are accustomed to
dealing
with these kinds of situations.”

Luke’s eyes locked with his. “No, sir . . . we’re not. My family and I may be werewolves, but our kind doesn’t make a habit of killing people. We’re not like the werewolves you read about in horror stories. We
can
control ourselves. Our kind are more of a shape-shifter for lack of a better explanation. Our bite can’t turn people into werewolves. It’s a gene that passed on from generation to generation.”

He shook his head in thought. This was a lot to absorb, and he was suddenly curious. “Do you know how your family inherited this . . . trait?”

Luke nodded. “About a hundred and fifty years ago, a white witch enchanted my ancestor. Her reasons have been lost over time, but I believe it had something to do with protection. I don’t know the whole story. I believe at the time someone or something was after her. I can’t imagine what it could be because she was a very powerful woman. I mentioned to my mother that Vicky was a white witch. My mom said that their kind is rare and that Vicky is probably an ancestor of the witch that enchanted our family. We will protect her with our lives. I instinctively feel like that’s what our kind was created to do, and my family feels the same way I do.”

Mr. Phillips let a long breath slide past his lips. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.” He glanced up at the clock. “Go home Luke. It’s late, and I still need to talk with Vicky. Thank you for coming to her aid.”

Luke stood up, but hesitated. “Sir, I . . . uh . . . Vicky and I . . . I mean . . .”

Frustrated, he spoke forcefully. “I still want to date Vicky.”

Vicky’s eyes widened and she placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

“Good-night, Luke. We’ll talk at school.”

Mr. Phillips cleared his throat. “You’ll know what my decision is on
that
subject, later, after I’ve had a private talk with my daughter.”

Luke inclined his head. “That’s fair enough. Well . . . goodnight.” He met Vicky's gaze straight on. “Will you meet me in front of school before class?”

Vicky couldn’t help it, she giggled. “Sure, Luke, is fifteen minutes early, early enough?”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

“I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Great! Good-night, Vicky, and you too, Mr. Phillips.”

Mr. Phillips wrinkled his brow shaking his head. “Good-night, Luke.”

“I’ll let myself out.” He left, closing the study door behind him.

Her father grew serious again. “Are you okay, Pumpkin? Did they hurt you?”

She self-consciously rubbed at her chafed wrists. “I’m okay, Dad. I’ll be sporting a few bruises for about a week, but otherwise I’m unhurt.”

He shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “I think we need to move again.

Someone in this town informed those lunatics you were here. I thought this place, would be safe for you.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. He brought his gaze back to hers “It appears that I was wrong.”

Vicky shook her head frantically. “I don’t want to move again.”

He sat up straight, splaying his hands. “Be reasonable. Someone in this town is out to get you.”

“Luke will protect me.” As her dad’s eyes widened, she tried to reason with him.

“I think I know who is out to get me.”

He scowled. “Oh? Whoever it is, we have to stop—”

Vicky shook her head. “I’m not absolutely sure but . . . I think it was that girl . . .

you know . . . the one I got into a fight with . . . in the bathroom at school.” He shook his head in confusion. “That girl that I was forced to
demonstrate
my powers to yesterday at school.”

He gave her a puzzled look. “The one that you said called you a harlot?”

“Yeah, that would be the one.”

“That’s all the more reason that I should get you out of here. If that girl’s out to get you, I need to take you away from here, to safety.”

“I’m not running from Sara! If I’m ever going to feel safe anywhere, I have to stand on my own two feet. I have to stop running and stand my ground.” She jumped up from the chair charging up to the desk. “Dad, I’ve never been a coward. Don’t turn me into one now.”

“You’re right. I didn’t raise a coward.” He gave her a weak smile, standing. “But, if things get out of hand, I need to know immediately. Do we have a deal?”

She rushed around his desk, throwing her arms around his neck. “We’ve got a deal.” She let go, backing up. “Oh . . . Dad . . . uh . . . about Luke . . .”

He sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest, “What about Luke?”

She shrugged. “I want to continue seeing Luke.”

He shifted uneasily in his chair. “I don’t know. Luke seems like a nice kid, but, he is a wolf, a predator, underneath it all. I have your wellbeing to think about.”

“That’s being prejudiced and you know it. You, of all people.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? That’s not being prejudiced, it’s being cautious.”

“That’s prejudice, in my book.” She brought her hand up to her chest. “People would be prejudiced against me, and fear me, if they knew I was a witch. They definitely showed bias against Mom for that. It’s something that we can’t help. We were born that way. Just like Luke was born a shifter. He can’t help what he is any more than I can help what I am.”

He looked away. “That’s different.”

“Different because I’m your daughter?” He stood up abruptly from behind his desk, raking his fingers angrily through his hair. His expression softened as her words finally sunk in, and she laughed bitterly. “You see, Dad, prejudice is everywhere. Luke saved me. I am safe with him, and I really like him. He likes me in spite of the witchcraft. Cut him a break, will you?”

He sat back down in his chair. “Okay, you can continue to date Luke, if that’s what makes you happy.”

She ran over to her dad, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. “Thanks, Dad!”

He squeezed her tight and then let her go. “Now, off to bed. You have to get up in a couple of hours for school.”

She hurried to the office door, stopping to peer back over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Daddy, and thanks.”

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. “Good-night, Pumpkin, get some rest. I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” she called from the stairway.

Vicky pulled her ’99 Ford Mustang into the Wickford High School parking lot fifteen minutes early as promised. The first student to arrive, she parked as far away from the building as she could get. She cut the engine, but left the key engaged so her radio continued to play in the background.

Luke was nowhere to be seen.
Either I’m early, or he’s running late.
She turned around in her seat and her gaze stopped at the building. Goosebumps traveled down her arms in an unexpected shiver. Her impression of the building from the day before had not changed much. It still felt ominous and foreboding. There were things going on behind those walls, evil things that were kept secret. She shivered again.
Girl, you’re
letting your overactive imagination run away with you
,” she mumbled to herself again.

She sucked in a breath at a knock on her driver’s side window and jumped. She giggled nervously, rolling down the car window; the frantic pace of her heart had not slowed much. “Luke . . . you snuck up on me . . . again!”

Eyes sparkling, he smiled. “Did I scare you again? Or are you just happy to see me?”

Heat rose to her face, and she turned away self-consciously. “I guess it’s a little of both,” she replied, looking past him into the parking lot. “Where's your truck?”

“I live close enough to the school that I don’t need the truck.”

“I didn’t see you walk up . . .” She giggled softly. “I didn’t see you walk up because. I assume you approached my car as a wolf?” His smile grew larger. She grabbed her bag and tossed it to the back seat. “Why don’t you climb in, and we can listen to the radio while we talk.”

He opened the passenger door and climbed in. He leaned forward and gently kissed her. Sitting back in his seat, he stared at her clothes. A slow grin spread across his face. “Nice legs. That skirt really shows them off.”

She rolled her eyes. “Stop teasing me. I hate this horrid uniform, and you know it.”

“No, seriously, the uniform looks great.” She tugged at her skirt trying to cover more of her legs, and he changed the subject, “I see you’re still in one piece after your private conversation with your dad.”

She shifted uneasy in her seat. “Yeah, Dad wanted to pack up and move again.”

The smile left Luke’s face. “I don’t want you to move!”

“I don’t want to move either.” She exhaled dramatically. “I think I was able to talk him out of it. It really depends on what happens in school if I’m threatened again, he won’t give me any choice. Luke’s eyes took on a hard gleam. “We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“You’re sweet, but I don’t know if there is anything you can do to stop it.”

“I will always be there to protect you.”

She caressed his face. “I couldn’t ask for a better champion than you.” She kissed him gently, and turned away, dropping her hand to her lap. “I’m afraid that this battle is going to be fought with magic. I’m going to have to prove to myself and to Sara that I’m not a coward. I’m going to have to stand on my own two feet, just like I told my dad I would.”

Luke’s gaze dropped to his lap. “Speaking of your dad,” he began nervously, his eyes rose to meet hers, “what’s the verdict?”

She tilted her head, furrowing her brow. “You’re not on trial. My dad doesn’t blame you for what happened last night.”

He lowered his eyes to her lap and picked up her hand; he rubbed his thumb over her palm in a gentle caress. Lifting his eyes to hers, he asked, “Did he change his mind about me? Can we still go out?”

“My dad was angry, and he didn’t have any facts when he said we couldn’t date.”

“I’m aware of that . . . but . . . is he going to hold my being a . . . wolf . . . against me?”

“I’m not going to lie to you . . . he tried.” Clenching his jaw, he looked away.

“Luke, don’t look like that. I had a very serious talk with my dad, and I told him his concerns were unfounded, that I felt safe with you. And so that you know, he likes you.

It was the wolf thing that had him going. To answer your question, yes, we can still date.”

Luke let out a breath in a rush. His eyes sparkled. “Good, we’ll go out again tonight

“Luke . . .”

“Maybe we can go to a movie . . .”

“Luke . . .”

“Or . . . or . . . go out to dinner again!”

She giggled at his enthusiasm. “Luke, I can’t go out again tonight.”

“Why not? I thought . . .”

“It was after one-thirty before I was finally able to go to bed last night.” She reached over and squeezed his hand at the disappointment still evident on his handsome face. “I wish I had your energy. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you come over to my house for dinner, we’ll order a pizza or something, and we’ll watch some TV or maybe a movie.”

He beamed. “Sure, why not. At first I thought you were trying to just brush me off . . .”

She rolled her eyes again and grinned. “No, I enjoy your company. You are the only reason I want to stay in this town. It certainly isn’t for this creepy school.” She shivered.

The smile left his face, replaced with an expression of concern. “Are you getting sick? It’s not cold.”

She shrugged. “No, I’m not getting sick. I . . . just . . . I mean . . . It’s just . . . this place . . . it’s just . . . so . . . creepy.”

Luke glanced over at the building, shrugging. “It just looks like a school to me.

Since I’ve lived here all my life, I don’t have anything to compare it to. I’ll have to take your word for it.” His eyes sparkled mischievously. “You’re safe with me. I’ll protect you from whatever you’re afraid of.”

“I didn’t say that I was afraid of anything. I just said that the building gives me the creeps.”

“I’m just saying, you can run into my arms anytime.”