Full Moon Rachel Hawthorne (top 10 novels .TXT) 📖

be? If I told him I had doubts, would I lose his friendship? Could I stand to lose it after having it for most of my life?

“But do you love him?” Kayla asked.

Why did that question seem to be a common theme tonight? And why in the hell didn’t I know the answer?

The next morning I caught up with my mom and dad for breakfast. The dining room had lots of small, cloth-covered round tables so families could engage in intimate conversations. What I got, though, was the third degree.

“We didn’t see you last night,” Dad said conversationally, but I knew a lawyer tactic when I heard one. His dark hair was turning silver at the temples. It made him appear very distinguished, even with his brown eyes homing in on me as if he were a wolf scenting a rabbit.

“I was hanging around with my friends, as usual.”

“Connor was looking for you,” Mom said. Even in the wilderness, my mom looked as though she could take tea with the queen. Yes, my family—just like Connor’s—was among the elite of our clan. We never got our hands dirty from making an engine work; we hired people for that sort of thing. We’d even hired Rafe’s dad, until he’d declined into heavy drinking and become undependable and quarrelsome.

“He found me,” I assured her.

“I’m not sure why he would have to look for you in the first place,” Mom said, tucking a stray strand of her blond hair back into the French twist she wore.

“I got bored watching the football game, so I walked around for a while.”

“Do you know that when a person lies the scent of their skin changes?” Dad asked, casually buttering his toast.

I groaned inwardly. It’s impossible to keep a secret around here. I decided to change the subject.

“Is that why you’re so successful in court? Because you know when the witness is lying?”

“That’s one of the reasons. So do you want to try another answer?”

“No. I’m happy with the one I gave.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. That predatory look was probably another reason he was so successful. If I hadn’t grown up with it, I’d be shaking in my sneakers. I knew he was more growl than bite—well, except when he was in wolf form. Then he could rip out a throat without remorse. It was rumored that he’d actually done it once—to a guy who had killed a couple of teens and gotten off on a technicality. But if that was true, Dad had never admitted it. He believed in the law of the jungle, but he was all about working within the confines of the Static law.

“I saw you with that Lowell boy last night,” he said with deadly calm.

I felt anger rising up within me.

“Boy? Rafe is a Dark Guardian, protecting your butt—”

“Watch your tone with me, young lady.”

Sometimes my parents could be so…well, parenty. It was irritating. “Why didn’t you just ask about him to begin with, instead of treating me like I’m a bad guy on a witness stand?”

The muscle in my dad’s cheek jerked. “Trust me, sweetheart, I’m a little more ruthless with the bad guys. You don’t want to go there.”

“We’re just worried, honey,” Mom said, restoring tranquility to the table. She was good at that. She owned a world-class spa in our small town. It drew practically as many tourists as the forest did. “I’ve been where you are. I know sometimes things can get scary when you’re approaching your time, but you have Connor. And he’s better suited to you.”

Better suited? I thought about Brittany’s shoe comment the day before. It did sound like my parents and I were selecting accessories. It was kind of insulting, to both Connor and me.

“Meaning…?” I prompted.

“Connor comes from the same type of background as you do. Rafe’s family is a little more…coarse.”

“His dad was a drunk, but he’s not.”

“Rafe was arrested for stealing a car,” Dad said.

He’d hotwired a car a few years back—I’d forgotten about that. “When he was sixteen. Right after his dad died in that awful car accident. Maybe he was acting out. He hasn’t done anything wrong since.”

“You mean he hasn’t been caught doing anything wrong.”

“Okay, look. Rafe is my friend. He’s Connor’s friend. If you’re going to put him down, I’m out of here.”

“Were you with him last night?” Mom asked.

“Nothing happened.” I knew that’s what they were really asking. Was I cheating on my boyfriend? On the perfect Connor? I scooted my chair back. “I’ve got to head out with the others. It was great seeing you both.” Not. Never was. They wanted me to be what they were: rich, successful, sure of themselves.

Before I could stomp off, Mom reached out and gave me a quick hug; we barely touched. I’d heard some Shifter families actually roll around on the floor together like wolf cubs. Not my parents. Sometimes I wondered if they weren’t quite comfortable with the animalistic side of our legacy.

Dad said, “Do you need any money?” It was his equivalent of I love you.

“No, I’m good. Getting a paycheck every week.” I hugged him because I knew other families might be watching. Our family motto was never to let on if anything was wrong. Dad was probably going to run for governor someday. Nothing about us was supposed to create scandal. That was probably the reason that they were more comfortable with Connor than with Rafe. Connor was an Eagle Scout. Rafe had spent time in juvie.

I picked up my backpack and headed outside, quickly sweeping my gaze over the parking area. Rafe’s bike was gone. I figured he’d already headed out.

Connor was standing at the bottom of the steps, staring out into the wilderness.

“Spare me from another breakfast with my parents,” I grumbled as I joined him.

“Tell me about it. Dad and I got into an argument,” he said wearily.

“About what?”

“Nothing you should worry about.”

But shouldn’t we share tough moments like this?

“I didn’t see you in the dining room,” I