Chapter 10

10

Erin paced the length of Jace's living room with her cell pressed against her ear. She listened carefully to each ring, waiting for one to be cut short and to hear Gretchen's voice on the other end. A click had her pause, but it was just Gretchen's voicemail kicking on.

"Hey there! It's Gretchen! I'm sorry you missed me, but don't be too bummed! I'll call you back. Maybe!"

"Hi, Gretchen," Erin began. "I know you're not interested in hearing from me. You said your piece, and I know how you feel about what happened. I respect that. I just want you to know I was only trying to look out for you. I didn't have all the information, and I misunderstood. I just hope you can forgive me someday."

She paused and tipped her head back until she was looking at the ceiling. There was no telling if Gretchen would listen to this message at all or if she'd just delete it. What did she have to lose? "I'm still in the area for a little while if you want to get together. Just call me, okay? I'm sure we can talk about this and get it figured out. We've been friends for too long to do anything else. Bye."

"Everything all right?" Jace came down the stairs. He'd just showered, and the scent of his body wash floated around him.

Erin breathed him in. Her whole body had tensed up while making that phone call, but being around Jace was making it slowly unwind again. "Yeah, well enough. I was just giving it another shot with Gretchen."

He brushed his hand down her arm, his eyes looking into hers. "I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you."

He never had to say much to let her know he understood. Erin smiled at him. "It'll be okay. She's not the first person who's rejected me."

"What do you mean?" He'd started toward the door but now paused .

"Nothing." She waved her hand through the air as though it could dispel the numerous people who'd turned away from her in the forty years she'd been alive. It wasn't easy to be a witch, a shifter, or just a girl who never fit in. Erin was all of those, which seemed to give people all the reason they needed to keep their distance. Right now, though, the only thing that mattered was being with Jace, soaking up the time she had with him. She urged him toward the door. "Where are we going tonight? You never did tell me."

Jace opened the passenger door. "I was a little preoccupied with everything else we've done today." His eyes changed a bit, taking on a meaningful look.

Erin felt her face flush as she got in the car. They'd certainly kept themselves busy. Other than a few breaks to eat, they'd mostly been in bed all day. A steady rain had fallen, the drops pattering on the bedroom window as they lay in each other's arms. Sometimes, they slept and even watched a little TV, but mostly, they explored each other's minds and bodies. It'd been a perfect day as far as Erin was concerned, the kind of day that'd been pulled right out of the secret fantasies in the back of her mind and made reality.

"Fair enough," she replied when she'd settled into her seat. "I can't say I was too concerned about any plans myself, but do I get to know now? Or are you going to blindfold me until we get there?"

"Have you ever been to a drive-in?" Jace carefully backed out of the driveway. He lifted his hand to wave at someone as they drove past one of the other houses on his little section of the beach.

"A drive-in theater?" Erin asked, immediately thinking of that scene in Grease. "Do they even have those anymore?"

"Not very many, I don't imagine, but there's one in Wellfleet. I haven't been in a while, but I thought it sounded fun." He turned to her and smiled. "There's so much I'd like to show you around here, and I don't think I'll have enough time."

It was something she'd felt heavily within herself. Erin had avoided it up until now. They'd only known each other for a few days, and it was too early to talk about the future, but the more time they spent together, the more she worried about it. "I know that feeling. I'm not really sure what happens after all of this."

One brow crunched down over his eye, and his lips tightened slightly. "Neither am I, to be honest." He reached over and took her hand, weaving his fingers between hers and holding them tightly .

She squeezed her fingers around his, feeling all the emotion and energy that came with that simple gesture. "We could just be complete teenagers for the moment."

"Make out at the drive-in instead of watching the movie?" Jace asked with a smirk.

Erin laughed because the thought had certainly crossed her mind when he'd mentioned where they were going. "Possibly, but I meant just enjoying the moment and worrying about the rest later."

"You know, I haven't gotten to just sit back and not think about things for a long time. That sounds kind of nice."

"Then it's a plan," Erin confirmed. "Or rather, not a plan. But still a plan. Anyway, what movie are they playing?"

Jace turned onto the road and accelerated. "Guess."

"How am I supposed to guess?" she asked. They still had plenty of daylight, but the sun was starting to slide downwards. It angled its light at Jace. "You have the brattiest grin right now."

"I'll give you a hint," he said, his smile widening at her comment. "They're playing some older, classic movies tonight."

"That really limits my options, then," Erin replied, but she was enjoying their bit of fun. "I don't even know what kind of movies you like."

"Guess," he repeated.

"Let's see. I'm going to go with the obvious and say you like anything with a nautical theme. You probably assumed I'd guess that, and you're trying to trick me, but I'm going with it anyway. Titanic. "

"That's actually one boat-themed movie I've never seen," Jace admitted.

"Really? I thought everyone had seen that."

"Try again."

Erin thought for a minute. " Jaws? "

"Ian is the one who's never let go of his obsession with sharks, not me. The time frame is about right, though."

"Huh. You know how when someone asks you what your favorite restaurant is, you can't seem to think of any restaurants at all? That's kind of where my brain is at right now. Let's see." She leaned her head back against the seat, still holding Jace's hand. " The African Queen is too old."

"A good one, though."

" The Perfect Storm is too new. What about The Poseidon Adventure ?" She lifted her head to look at him.

"Bingo. "

"Really?"

"That's the one," he confirmed as he pulled into the Wellfleet Drive-In and up to the booth to pay their way. "I saw it when I was a kid, and there was just something about it that I really liked. There was an adventure in trying to navigate through an upside-down cruise ship."

"I can't believe that didn't scare you away from the water, especially since most of the people died," Erin noted.

He moved his sedan slowly down the rows of cars until he found a good spot and pulled into it. "There's not much that scares me."

"I guess not." Erin unbuckled her seatbelt as Jace tuned the radio to the right station. "You were brave enough to put up with Hugo, Gretchen, and their friends on that yacht, and then you took a chicken like me sailing. You must be brave, indeed."

"I thought you said you were a bobcat, not a chicken," he chuckled.

"Very funny." She felt warm and happy as they scooted closer to each other, watching the ads and previews. Erin laid her head on his shoulder, and their hands entwined once again. It didn't matter if they made out during the movie or just sat there together. Spending time with Jace and exploring his world was much better than being on vacation with Gretchen's snobby friends. It still pained her to know that things had gone so poorly, and she almost felt guilty that something so wonderful for her had come out of it. Almost.

The movie started, but her mind wandered to what things might've been like if they'd been able to find each other earlier in their lives. Would it have been easier? Harder? Would she ever have had the chance to have the children she'd always wanted? Ian was a handsome young man who'd probably been an adorable little boy.

The picture flickered. She didn't think much of it since that just made it seem more like the classic experience this was supposed to give, but then it happened again. The happy passengers of the SS Poseidon, who didn't yet know they were about to meet their doom, wobbled and stretched. The interior of the ship leaped off the screen and disappeared before it could capsize, and the screen was blank.

"Hm." Jace glanced backward toward the small building that housed the projector. "I'm sure they'll fix it in a minute.

"Probably."

The picture was restored for only a couple of seconds before it blanked out again. Several minutes ticked by, and nothing was improving.

Jace rolled down the window when he saw a staff member moving through the rows of cars. "I'm sorry, folks. We're having some issues with the projector. It looks like it's going to be a while."

"I want a refund!" a man demanded a few cars over.

"You'll need to speak with the manager," the employee began.

"Bring him here," the man insisted.

"Sir, if you can just hold on for a minute?—"

But the angry customer's tirade was enough to spark the frustrations of everyone else who'd come to see a movie. Cars began backing out of their spots, all heading toward the exit at the same time. A sedan and a coupe were at an impasse as to who should be able to go first, each of them creeping forward inch by inch as they tried to get an edge on the others.

Erin looked up at the screen, but it wasn't any better. "I'm sorry about your movie."

"No, that's fine," Jace replied easily. Unlike the other customers, he hadn't even turned on the engine. "I've seen it before, and I just wanted to be here with you. I know something else we can do."

"How are we supposed to make out if there's not even a movie we're pretending to watch?" she joked.

Jace laughed and opened the door. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Erin looked at the herd of cars trying to escape the lot.

He took her hand once again, a habit she was really beginning to like. "I don't see any point in sitting in the car fighting the crowd. We can leave later once it's all calmed down. For now, we can take a walk." Instead of heading toward the ice cream bar or the mini golf course, Jace moved toward the woods.

Erin stepped under the trees with him, leaving behind the honking cars and angry customers. Her animal senses, aware even when she was in human form, told her that the wooded space was small but free of other humans. The earth was damp and fragrant from the day of rain, and a few drops still dripped from the overhead leaves. A creek moved through the trees, rushing with water.

Jace let go of her hand. As Erin turned to look at him, she saw that he was no longer standing there—or at least, not the version of him she was used to. He'd let out the other side of him, the side she'd known and sensed but had yet to see. Jace's shift had been a quick one, and she now stood next to a black bear. His thick, dark fur covered a bulky, muscular body. The long claws on his big paws dug easily into the soft ground, and he gazed at her with placid brown eyes.

"I see," she murmured, reaching out to touch one of his ears. It was small and soft, a contrast to his large size and the fact that he could probably tear someone apart with very little effort.

Erin knew it was her turn. She wanted to show Jace her true self. He'd already seen every part of her human form, and she was eager to share this secret with him. It was still a bit difficult to shift in front of someone who hadn't seen her do so before. Erin filled her lungs and then let the breath go, allowing her human side to go with it. She felt herself shrinking, falling into her other form. Her bones and organs shifted and changed, and she heard several pops in her skull as she accommodated this other shape. Her stomach jumped and swirled. That wasn't unusual as she tried to fit into the small beast, but it jumped more than usual this time. Erin stretched from her neck to her stubby tail.

You're stunning. Jace's voice was in her head, communicating with her without any need for spoken words.

She cherished hearing that, not so much because it was a compliment but because she knew they wouldn't be able to talk like this if they didn't have the fated bond. Erin looked up at him and took a step back. He loomed over her. And you're huge!

I'm pretty average amongst all the other bears I know. Jace took a step into the creek, letting the water rush over his paws. Maybe I should've thought about this a little more, though. You probably don't like water.

Erin judged the distance before she made an easy leap from the bank to a large rock in the middle of the creek. I don't mind it that much, but I can find a way to get around it when I need to. Her landing hadn't been quite right, leaving her just a touch off-balance, but she'd made it.

Jace crossed to the other side. Do you get much chance to be in your bobcat when you're at home?

I manage, just like anyone else. She leaped after him, landing more easily this time. I can slip around unnoticed fairly easily. I don't imagine that's quite the case for someone your size.

Are you calling me fat? There was humor in his voice even when they spoke this way. And actually, I have quite a bit of time to be myself. We own a whole segment of the beach, and it's out of the way. There's no danger to us .

That sounds nice. It really did. Erin could understand why they'd all stayed, living next to family instead of trying to find places of their own. She'd been lucky enough to find a group she was truly comfortable with, who loved, accepted, and looked out for her, but she knew that all shifters weren't that fortunate.

How do you get away with it?

What?

Well, I don't know what your situation is like there in Salem, really. I just mean, where are you able to shift safely? They'd reached the other side of the creek and were moving along it now, walking slowly.

Erin dodged between his legs, timing her steps so she walked beneath him. It's easy when you're small.

Jace picked up a front paw and attempted to look at her. You're not exactly a housecat.

Close enough. Erin slipped out the other side and hopped up onto a rock. I'm still careful not to be seen, and we actually have some great parks and conservation areas. I admit that, now and then, I've taken advantage of the fact that people in Salem expect to see the unusual.

Jace stepped up to her rock. Easier in your form than mine, that's for sure.

Yes. Feeling frisky, she positioned her paws on the rock and launched herself, arcing over Jace and landing on the ground on the other side of him. I'd say we each have our advantages.

A scream pierced the air around them. Erin and Jace looked at each other, both knowing that this couldn't have anything to do with the flubbed movie. That was a scream of abject terror.

I think that was coming from over near the mini golf place. Jace headed along the stream, moving quickly now. His much longer legs and powerful muscles had him covering plenty of ground with little effort.

Erin twitched her ears as she hurried along with him, dodging around bushes and leaping over a fallen branch or two. When they got as close as they dared without leaving the safety of the trees, Erin peeked through the tall grass.

"Come on, honey. We're getting out of here." A woman clutched her daughter's hand tightly as she hurried toward the exit.

"But I want to keep playing golf," the girl insisted.

"I understand. Mini golf is a lot of fun, but not when there's a monster around here. Just lay your club right here. That's a girl. We'll go find something else fun to do." She picked up her daughter, who was more than old enough to be walking herself, and ran toward her car.

A young man who appeared to be a worker stood watching with bewilderment as customers fled. "Can someone tell me what's going on around here?"

"You've got some sort of creature around here," a man said. He paused just long enough to talk to the worker, but he practically vibrated with the need to leave. "I saw it with my own eyes, something big and fierce. Glowing red eyes and everything!"

"Oh, come on, mister. That doesn't even sound real."

The man gestured behind him. "Look at all these crying children and tell me it's not real." He hurried off.

Did they see us? Erin mused.

Couldn't have, came Jace's reply.

She startled. She hadn't even meant to direct that message to him. The connection had simply been automatic. You're right. We were careful, and whatever scared them came from the opposite direction.

Jace was silent for a moment. He sniffed the air, and his ears twitched. Do you sense anything off?

Erin took stock of her senses. There was an odd energy to the air, but she didn't pick up anything indicating another animal was nearby. Even a dog or cat would be on her radar, but there was just nothing. Maybe it left. All the screaming could've scared it off.

Maybe so. Just to be safe, we ought to head back.

They made their way back up the creek, resuming their human configurations before they stepped onto the asphalt and walked to the car.

Jace opened the passenger door for her. "Just a typical evening at the drive-in, right?"