work clothes and mud-stained shoes? I was pretty sure that as soon as I told this boy's parents what happened, they wouldn't care either.
I liked Kim. David seemed like a good father. I'd just never realized they were... different. I'd never even realized that different was possible! They seemed so completely and totally normal. How was I supposed to guess that this was going on right under my nose? Let alone that letting my daughter date their son could make her sick? I was supposed to be worrying about teen pregnancy and body image issues, maybe even eating disorders and bad grades. Not this!
I was power-walking along the sidewalk in front of the office when I saw a car pull into their drive. I probably looked rabid myself, but I stretched my legs just a little more, hoping to catch whoever that was before they got inside. I'd just reached the street when Kim got out of the driver's seat.
"Kim!" I yelled.
She turned and held up a hand, and then slowly let it fall back to her side. "Elena? What's wrong?"
"Gabby's infected!" I snapped. "Where was Roman this weekend?"
"He and Xander went camping up by the lake. Why?"
"Because it wasn't Xander he was with. He took Gabby, and now she's sick!"
Ashley was right behind me. "She knows, Kim. We told her."
"Who's with Gabby?" Kim asked, looking honestly worried.
"Elena's mates," Ashley said as we finally got close enough to stop yelling.
I heard the words, but I didn't think anything of them. Kim, however, did. Her fingers relaxed, and her purse fell from her hand, spilling out on the drive by her feet, but her eyes turned to me.
"Alpha," she whispered, dropping her gaze.
"Haven't got to that part yet," Ashley assured her, bending to help gather her things. "Kim, where's Roman?"
"Oh, god. I have to tell David." Ignoring her purse, she scurried to the house. "David!"
"I'm so confused," I admitted.
Ashley grabbed Kim's purse in one hand, using the other to turn me to the door. "Long story short, my brother is the leader of this pack. His roommates are his betas. Think of them like the extensions of his authority. His job is to protect us all, and last weekend, he basically gave you the power to be his second in command. Congrats, Elena, you outrank me, and I was born to lead this pack. It's kinda a big deal."
"Right. Big deal." But not even on my radar considering what was happening to my daughter.
Thankfully, Kim had left the door open in a clear invitation. Just inside, her husband was holding her shoulders, listening intently as she rambled out everything she knew at him. Their younger daughter was at the table, her eyes wide, looking too scared to even move. While Kim talked, I watched David's face pale, and then he turned to us, gesturing for us to come inside. The moment he let go of his wife, however, all hell broke loose.
"Roman!" Kim screamed at the ceiling. "Get your ass down here right now."
"Yeah," the boy called back. "Gimme a sec."
"No sec," she bellowed, the sound almost a roar. "Get down here, or I'm coming up, and I won't do it on two legs!"
The immediate tromping proved that threat was a good one. The problem was that he only made it halfway down before he saw me. Immediately, Roman froze, then he partially turned back. It looked like he was debating making a run for it.
"Now!" Kim ordered.
His next steps were slower, and his entire body was tense, but Roman wasn't ready to give up the charade yet. "What's going on, Mom?"
"Were you with your girlfriend this weekend?"
He stopped. "No, why?"
"Because she's sick," I told him.
His response was not at all what I expected. The boy smiled. It lasted only a fraction of a second before he forced his face to look worried. "Is she ok? There's like a flu going around or something."
"Really?" Ashley asked, moving a step closer. "Here. Now!"
Her words snapped across the house like a whip, and the boy obeyed. His head dipped and he hurried closer, suddenly looking like he'd been kicked a few too many times. The change was almost confusing.
"It was our anniversary," he said. "We didn't do what you're thinking."
David didn't believe him. "And how did she get infected then, boy? I told you to use a condom! I told you the risks, but you ignored me?"
"We didn't have sex!" he yelled back.
Ashley's voice filled in the stunned silence. "He bit her."
David sighed.