Revelations by Susan Evelyn (recommended ebook reader .TXT) 📖

have not been turned for many years.

I had only read the first chapter of my book when Lexie arrived. He grinned broadly but there was still a question in his eyes. He sat beside me on the rock by the little pool, close but not touching. Apart from the initial greeting, it took him a measurable time to look me in the eye and begin a conversation.

He opened with a compliment on my memory and then wondered if I did not like Pet better than himself. I laughed at him quite shamelessly and pointed out a puppy was more fun for a four year old than a surly older boy. And he laughed with me. I do like to see him laugh; my heart skips a beat every time. He kissed me though he had not meant to and the thrill shook all the way down to my toes.

We shared the food and talked some more. I had questions about werewolves, for instance how he had changed last night when the moon was only three quarters full. As it turns out, he is a shape-shifter by heritage and as such can morph from one form to another at will once the first change had taken place. He had come into his inheritance earlier than normal whereas for most of his kind it occurred on entering puberty. There is one drawback though, the full moon forces a change whether he likes it or not.

There was no need to swear me to secrecy; that was too obvious. However, he surprised me when he asked what Dad thought about his return. I blushed and admitted I had not told him. Lexie was stunned and stared at me with wide incredulous eyes. Then a possible reason he asked hit me like a solid blow. “He knows?” I blurted. Lexie nodded, a slow smile teased a twinkle from his eyes. I heard myself continue to display my ignorance and question what exactly Dad knew. Everything! About Lexie and Pet, about my sneaking out to see them, about the strong attachment which had grown between us.

I groaned. I lived in a transparent fish bowl. Only my friends had no idea.

I knew I had to tell Dad now. Maybe he already knew. Maybe Lexie’s father had already contacted him. The idea of telling Dad filled me with dread. I had no idea how he was going to react, specially without Mum there to hold his hand. Mum! Another person I had not thought about in any detail for a long time. I must have mumbled something when the realisation blundered into my head, or Lexie can read minds too. Must remember to ask him about it sometime.

Whatever! The important thing is he said something quite strange. So bizarre I remember the exact words - “Your mother? She’s the one who arranged everything.”

I rounded on him immediately for more detail. I pleaded, cajoled, demanded, and tried sulking and pouting but nothing would make him say any more. All he said was I needed to ask Dad. Males can be so infuriating!

He helped me stand before we left the grove. He did not let go of my hands until he had kissed me again. I was transported to some other dimension filled with streamers of bright colour and exploding stars and barely felt the restrained strength as I was drawn against his body.

He held my hand as we walked home. It was natural and comfortable as if we had done the same all our lives. I guess in some sense we have. He would not come inside but watched from the corner of the property until I was safely indoors. Obviously I had to tell Dad all about it before Lexie would come any further.

Confessions have been put on hold. Dad is not home. He had gone to work for an hour or so according to the note he left. He should be back soon, long enough for me to get my thoughts and words together to fill him in. Personally I think he knows, or at least knows something is different. He has been giving me odd looks when he thinks I don’t see.

.............................

Telling Dad about Lexie and what he had come to mean to me made me really nervous. I had never kept him out of the loop before. It seemed almost underhand. But I needn’t have worried because he was really nice about it.

He um’ed and ah’ed a bit when I broached the subject and described everything, including regaining my memories from childhood. The part about the recall perked him right up. He appraised me for a long time until I fidgeted with the discomfort, then decided it was time for an overdue chat.

There has been a lot of family history kept from me all these years. In summary, my mother was from a long line of Gypsies until she had fallen head over heels in love with Dad and given up the nomadic life. Her ancestors had a history of working and inter=marrying with the werewolf clans so she had been thrilled when I had made friends with Alexis. Then he and his father had to go away. We had been too young for our parents to expect the relationship would last so she had acquired a charm from her gypsy connections to make me forget. The ear studs. Dad had been uncertain about it but she told him anything meant to be would find its own means. A wise lady, my mother.

When Lexie and I had met again, he had not outgrown the imprint I had forged on his juvenile animal form. From my account of events to date Dad surmised Alex must have held back on the relationship in case I did not remember or did not want to pursue it.

My Lexie is not only the most gorgeous thing on two legs (or four) but also a gentleman. (As if I didn’t know already.)


Day 15
Dear Diary,
Back to college. Where does the weekend go?

I only saw Lexie in class when we exchanged smiles and no longer avoided eye contact. I had trouble staying in my seat and burned all my willpower to not slide to the floor as a pool of jelly.

He was much more open today and exchanged more than a greeting with the people either side of him. His eyes are no longer haunted by suppressed memories but he still fights an instinctive wariness which separates him from society. I guess it will always be there, being a survival instinct after all.

As everyone filed through the doorway at the end of class, he slipped a casual hand around my waist. I grinned up at him and slipped him a note. It read “Dad knows. Lunch tomorrow?

”

He was half way down the hall before he read it. I turned around in time to see him glance back at me, smile and nod. An inordinate thrill caught the breath in my throat and I suppressed a huge grin only with enormous effort. I was still not ready to confess to my best’ies and kept the relationship to myself for now.


Day 16
Dear Diary,
Before Dad left for his boys’ night, I told him I had invited Lexie to come over on a study date.

I had never seen my father hesitate before. After a long pause he looked me directly in the eyes and asked if I thought this was a good idea. I assured him everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

Dad delayed leaving until Lexie arrived. They were both cautious in their approach of each other but were much relieved as soon as they shook hands. There is some instinctive rapport between males I will never understand even though I have seen it in action. Dad invited Lexie to dinner tomorrow and to bring his father. There was a lot of catching up to do. He then grinned broadly and told us to be good. Lexie and I exchanged glances, I giggled, not as if I had any intention of misbehaving.

The study date had not been an excuse and we did a lot of work in preparation for tomorrow’s English Lit class. Later in the evening Lexie followed me to the kitchen and did not surprise me when his arm snaked around my waist. His breath was hot on the back of my neck; I leaned into him and nearly succumbed to his musk. My instinctive response threatened to overpower me so I banished him to the lounge room in order to finish preparing our snack.

Snack over, he returned the clutter to the kitchen. The light pressure of his hands on my shoulders from where he stood behind the couch prevented me from rising. He leaned down towards me and I heard him take a deep breath above my head. He kissed the nape of my neck and nuzzled below my ears. He tickled. A delicious quiver ran through me.

He climbed over the back of the seat without losing contact managing it easily with the strength and control evident in his pommel horse routines. His face was intense as he grappled with conflicting emotions. I suspect he wanted to be intimate with me but he is too honorable to force himself on an unwilling partner. He opened his mouth a couple of times but words failed him. With each attempt he edged closer until we were almost nose to nose. All of a sudden he abandoned attempts to talk and kissed me. The force pinned me to the back of the seat. It was fierce. This was no meek, mild puppy dog but a wolf barely chained.

I was shocked to discover an equal response in myself. I kissed him back and in that moment I wanted him more than anything. My leg muscles seized and my toes curled. I had seen it in movies but never believed it would happen to me. My stomach knotted but not like when I have nervous butterflies. This was very different. Tight and twisted as my innards were, I was empty and yearned to be filled. I could not get enough of the man whose heightened scent assailed me, whose soaring temperature burned into me.

He clutched me to him and buried his face into my neck. We both breathed hard and heavy for a long time. The intensity dissipated as we sat holding each other. And as good luck would have it, Dad arrived home about then. In one sweeping glance he looked at us sitting close together, at the pile of dishes in the kitchen, at the books still open on the table. He was satisfied and reiterated the invitation to dinner tomorrow before he disappeared upstairs.

Lexie collected his books and said his goodbyes with a much more subdued kiss than the earlier encounter.

How am I going to face him in class tomorrow? Worse. How do I not let on to Jem?

I can almost hear what Dad would say. One day at a time, girl, one day at a time.


Day 17
Dear Diary,
Classes were as per usual.

There was no problem about seeing Lexie. I shouldn’t have worried. He chose to sit directly behind me instead of a few rows back. He whispered to me later in the canteen queue about how he didn’t want to interfere with my friendships and remembering Jem’s reaction to him moving forward, he had done the right thing. Anyway, the suitor in him added he preferred the view. Awww! What a dear!