“Did you have fun at the rally?”
Claire leaned against the vanity behind her. “I had fun with Matthew,” she said carefully.
“I imagine his father delivered quite a speech.” Marie fiddled with the strap of her watch, straightening it against her wrist.
“Yeah.” Claire shuddered. “I guess you could say that. He’s forming some sort of werewolf extermination squad. People couldn’t sign up fast enough. It was crazy.”
Her mother let out a long breath. “I assumed it would be something like that. It’s good that you went. That you saw firsthand what people think of us, what they would do to any one of us if we were exposed.”
“I know how to keep my mouth shut.” Claire huffed. “I don’t have a death wish and I’m not an idiot. God.”
“Goddess,” her mother corrected.
“Whatever. Fine.” Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest, unwilling to give her mom the satisfaction of hearing her say it.
“I’m not trying to start an argument with you, Claire. Please. This is important, and I need you to listen.”
Claire cocked her head to the side. “I’m listening.”
“Very well. Most of us have a relationship with a human at some point that is about more than reproduction. It does not often last long. There is too much to hide, and too many lies are told. But it is allowed. The need for companionship is understandable.”
Claire swallowed hard. I really don’t think I want to know where this is going.
“Mom—”
Her mother held up a hand, silencing her. “But. Matthew Engle is not just any human. His father is a danger to us. And you are at a very vulnerable time in your transition. It is a bad combination, a risky one. Because of this, I must forbid you from seeing him. You are welcome to find another boy to date, but from this point on, Matthew is off-limits.”
Claire stared at her. “You have got to be joking.”
Marie stood up and straightened her shirt. “I would not joke about this. I am your mother and you will do what I tell you.”
The ice in her mother’s voice made Claire stiffen. Her mom headed for the door.
“It smells like dinner is almost ready. I’ll see you downstairs.”
Claire stuck out her tongue at the closed door, crossed the room, and turned the little lock on the doorknob. She didn’t want her mother coming back in to make any additions to her new “rules.”
Claire sighed and unlocked the door.
It’s not like a little twist lock is going to keep a werewolf out. The words turned in her mind, forming a new thought. It’s not like it can keep one in, either.
Her mom didn’t trust Matthew because she didn’t know him. But Claire did. And since her mother was gone so much, she’d never know if Claire saw Matthew or not. At least, not as long as Claire was very, very careful.
Claire was still asleep when Matthew called the next morning. She dug her cell phone out from under the pillow next to her and looked at the clock.
“Hello?” She cleared her throat. God, I sound like an eighty-year-old with a Marlboro habit.
“You’re still asleep?” Matthew teased.
“So I’m not a morning person. Sue me,” Claire grumbled.
“Lawsuits aren’t really my style. How ’bout I take you to lunch instead?”
Claire bit her lip. Being with Matthew was the only time she felt really good anymore. But she’d have to make sure that she could get there—and back—without her mom knowing.
Crap.
“Hang on a second.” She stuck the phone under her pillow and walked to the door. “Mom?” she hollered down the stairs.
“You missed her by an hour—she won’t be home until dinner,” Lisbeth called back. “Do you need something?”
“Um, no.”
Claire crawled back into bed with a smile on her face. With her mom gone, she just had to get around Lisbeth, which wouldn’t be too hard. She dug the phone out from under the pillow. “Yeah, lunch sounds good.”
“I’ll be there in an hour, okay?”
“Okay,” Claire agreed, struggling out of bed. She snapped the phone shut and headed for the shower.
When she got downstairs, she told Lisbeth that she was going out to eat with some friends. Which wasn’t a lie.
Lisbeth’s eyes lit up, which wasn’t the reaction Claire had expected. “If you don’t need me to make you lunch, then I’m going to go practice my forward bends for a while.”
“Ooooh, thrilling,” Claire teased, trying to hide the fact that she was jumping up and down inside. This was easy. This was too easy. She hadn’t expected Lisbeth to be so excited to get rid of her.
Right on time, Matthew pulled up in front of the house and honked the horn. Claire winced, hoping that Lisbeth hadn’t heard. She’d seen Matthew’s car before, and if she looked out the window to see who it was, Claire’s luck would be over.