Focus, Claire. You need to know what he knows.
Every second that ticked by brought her mother closer to the tip of Dr. Engle’s needle. Claire hated all this secrecy, all the double agent crap. She wanted to just ask him about it, to tell him that she needed to know. He trusted her, right?
But then he’d want to know why she was asking. And she’d just have to start lying all over again. And he might get suspicious and clam up. Or worse, tell his dad.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You seem sort of distracted tonight.”
“Sorry,” said Claire. “I guess it’s just, uh, weird to see all these other cars and people with the sun going down.”
Matthew nodded. “Yeah. Everyone’s back to enjoying the long, hot summer, thanks to my dad’s ‘service to the community.’” A harsh little laugh tore out of him. “Whatever.”
Claire’s ears pricked up. “Whatever?” What did he mean by that?
Matthew pulled into a parking space at the edge of the park and turned off the car.
“What do you mean?” Claire asked gently.
Matthew let out a long breath that filled the car with the scent of his confusion and anger. “It’s just—you know how I told you that I wasn’t sure about what my dad was doing? That I wasn’t sure he was right?”
Claire sat frozen, as motionless as an animal who knows it’s being hunted. She forced herself to give a stiff nod. Claire tried to collect herself enough to keep her voice from shaking. “I don’t really know that much about werewolves. No offense, but I don’t know why I should take your dad’s word for it that they’re the most awful things ever, you know?”
One lie, two lie; red lie, blue lie.
Matthew stared at her, a happy glow seeping into his eyes and sweetening his scent. “Not offended,” he whispered.
“So.” Claire swung open her door and climbed out of the car like they were having the most normal conversation in the world. “What’s actually going on? Making you question your dad again?”
Matthew grabbed an enormous cooler out of the back of the car and set it on the ground. “If I tell you—Claire you couldn’t tell anyone. I mean, if my father found out, I’d be dead.”
Claire met his gaze with steady eyes. “I’m really, really good at keeping secrets.”
And that’s more truthful than you’ll ever know.
He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. The sky behind him shimmered with the last of the day’s light. “Okay. Let’s eat while we talk—I think better on a full stomach.”
“Sure. Here, I’ll help you with that.” Claire grabbed the cooler’s handle and lifted with him.
Matthew’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wow. You’re really strong.” He and Claire blushed at the same time.
“I’ve been doing a lot of swimming—”
“Yeah, I didn’t mean that you looked weak, or anything.”
They grinned at each other. “Forget it,” said Claire. They set the cooler down near the center of the field. “I’m starving,” she said, anxious to change the subject.
“That’s good—I packed enough food for an army.” He opened the lid and tossed her a blanket.
Claire spread it on the ground while Matthew unpacked the cooler. When they were each on their second chicken leg, Claire couldn’t stand it anymore. “So?” she asked, stripping the meat off the bones with her teeth. “What’s the deal with your dad?”
Matthew poked his fork into a container of potato salad. The first stars glimmered overhead and the growing darkness hid his expression. “Well, you know how they’re keeping the werewolf at the lab until they can give it the cure?”
Claire suppressed a shudder. “Yeah?”
“Okay, really, he’ll kill me if he finds out about this.” He twisted a paper napkin in his hands.
“Matthew. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
He looked up at her. “I know. I trust you. Okay.” He took a deep breath. “I sort of snuck into the lab one night. I was curious, you know? And it’s not like I would have gotten hurt—that thing’s cage is stronger than Fort Knox. Anyway, when I got in there, the wolf—it was crying. Like, really, really crying.”
A ripping sensation tore through Claire’s chest. She struggled to breathe.