Claire would have said something in agreement, but her mouth was much too busy. The kiss consumed her, drove out every thought that wasn’t Matthew. They wound tighter together, and Claire shivered as his fingertips traced a path down her spine and around her waist.
The gearshift was jammed uncomfortably into her thigh, and when Claire tried to shift away from it, Matthew paused, leaning his forehead against hers.
“Okay, it’s broad daylight and we’re on the side of the road,” he observed in a strained voice.
“It’s a very private road,” Claire panted.
He laughed a low, rumbling laugh that went straight to Claire’s middle. “Still, this is probably a very bad idea.” He kissed her again, his lips moving down to the edge of her jaw. “Can you really find a way to get to Doug’s party?” His voice was full of concern. “I don’t want to talk you into doing anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she whispered.
“Okay.” He straightened up and grinned at her. “Then get out of my car before we get caught, and I’ll call you later.”
Claire opened the door, fully aware that she had a ridiculous smile on her face, and not caring in the least. “That sounds fabulous.”
As she made her way up the shimmering-hot driveway, Claire heard his car drive away. When she opened the front door, Lisbeth looked up from the couch where she was sorting a pile of papers.
“Oh! I didn’t hear a car,” she said, surprise crossing her face.
Claire shrugged, not trusting herself to say anything.
“So, did you have fun?” Lisbeth asked.
“Yeah, we had a great time. But it was too hot. I’m gonna go for a swim, if you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine. I may even join you when I’m done with this.” Lisbeth went back to her papers and Claire floated up the stairs. She hadn’t even had to tell Lisbeth outright lies. … It was just a matter of making people see a different side of the truth, that was all.
Claire was lying across the foot of her bed, flipping through the channels, when someone knocked. Her hair was still damp from swimming, and the chemical scent of the chlorine tickled her nose. “Come in,” Claire called, thinking it was Lisbeth.
The door opened and her mother came in. She shut the door behind her. Claire swallowed hard.
“Hey,” she said, trying to sound natural.
“We need to talk.” Her mother sat on the bench in front of Claire’s vanity.
Oh, crap.
Claire sat up and braced herself.
“You’ve seen Matthew again, haven’t you?” The hard glint in her eyes made Claire shiver.
“What makes you say that?”
Her mother straightened the cuffs of her shirt. “This is no time for games. I know you left the house last night. You were not in your room until almost four in the morning. Explain yourself.”
Relief rushed through Claire. Fine. This she could handle.
“You’re right, I wasn’t here. But I wasn’t with Matthew.”
Her mother stared at her, waiting.
“I was with Zahlia. She was helping me—practicing with me so that I’d be ready for the next moon. Call her and check if you don’t believe me.” Claire crossed her arms in front of her.
Her mother pressed her lips together. Claire could tell she was mad, but she could also smell confusion, bright and almost electrical, coming off her.
“You were practicing? But you haven’t completed your transformation yet. What would you be practicing?”
Claire shrugged. “Hunting, a little bit. And some other stuff she showed me how to do. It’s no big deal, Mom. I wasn’t going to tell anyone else, but I don’t want to look like a moron when I transform, and that’s exactly what will happen if I don’t know how to do anything.”
“I told you that I would teach you when the time is right. You should have listened. Zahlia is not the sort of influence that you should have guiding your transformation. I want you to see less of her. I cannot command you—only Beatrice can do that. But I’m concerned that you two have grown too close. This is not just about you, you understand. If our relationships become too close, it is a risk for our pack. The more we associate with one another outside of pack business, the greater our chances of being discovered.”
Claire frowned. “Well, I just ran into Victoria while I was with Emily at the coffee shop and she didn’t act like I was a stranger or anything.”
Marie clenched her jaw. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? What happened? What did you say to her?”
Each question scraped against Claire’s nerves. She was getting really tired of her mother’s personal version of the Inquisition.