Claire De Lune (12 page)

Because they want me dead. And he’s holding their hands and telling them that they’re absolutely right.
The realization hit Claire like a slap.
They don’t even care what the truth is. They’re scared, and they’re mad, and they want someone to pay for that.

She forced herself to look over at Matthew. His features didn’t hold the same slow-burning anger that shone on everyone else’s face. But he didn’t look disgusted by his dad’s
rhetoric, either.
He’s been listening to this for seventeen years,
Claire reminded herself.
He’s probably immune to it by now.

Dr. Engle leaned into the microphone, his voice booming over the crowd. “It ends today. This is Day One of a new era. It gives me great pleasure to announce the formation of the P.A.C.—the Protective Action Council. This community-based group will work in conjunction with Federal Human Protection Agency and the local police. Your cooperation will allow us to take every measure available to us to capture the beast that lurks, unwelcome, in our midst.”

Claire shivered, glad he didn’t know just how accurate his words were.

“Anyone who would like to volunteer their services … and we need everyone, from those who can stuff envelopes to those of you who are skilled and experienced hunters”—Claire blanched—“can sign up before you leave here today. The time for action has come, and I am counting on each of you to answer the call. Thank you, and God bless.”

The crowd erupted into cheers. They thrust their signs into the air, whistling and applauding. The table where the sign-up clipboards lay already had a line snaking around the parking lot. Claire stared, unable to pull her gaze away from the stream of people who, one after the other, signed up for the privilege of killing a werewolf.

Matthew slid his arm around her shoulders. “You’re not thinking of joining, are you?” he asked.

A strangled laugh slipped out of Claire’s mouth. “Uh, no.”
Way to blend in, Claire.
“But your dad’s a really good speaker. Everyone seems really excited.”
I hate him, but yeah, he can fire up a group of morons, all right.

Matthew rolled his eyes. “It sort of loses its oomph when you’ve heard him practicing in front of the bathroom mirror for two days. Come on, if we don’t get out of here soon, I’ll get stuck shaking hands for the next hour.” He steered Claire toward the cars. With trembling fingers, she opened the door, slid into the oven-hot car, and leaned her head back against the seat.

This is the worst date I have ever been on.

Matthew’s car couldn’t get cool fast enough for Claire—between the heat and the panic, she felt faint.

“You look flushed.” Matthew’s voice was worried. “Why don’t we go get some ice cream? Cool off a little?”

“Can I take a rain check?” She hated how shaky her voice sounded. “Right now I just want to go home and take a shower. And maybe lie down for a little while.” The urge to get home, to sort through what she’d just seen, was too strong to ignore.

“I’m so sorry, Claire.”

Matthew turned the air-conditioning vents on his side of the car toward her. Since they were still blowing hot air, it didn’t do much good, but it was still sweet of him.

“I should never have dragged you out in this heat to stand around with a bunch of self-righteous morons.”

She reached over and took his hand. “I liked being there with you.” The last two words made it true.

Matthew pulled up in front of her house. “Do you want me to walk you inside?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for dropping me off.”

He leaned over and kissed her, just a quick, light pressure of his mouth against hers. “Call me later and let me know how you’re doing.”

“I will.” Claire slid out of the car and walked into the house.

She dragged herself upstairs, worn out from the heat and the crash from the adrenaline high she’d been on at the rally. She pushed open the door to her room and cringed to see her mother sitting on her bed.

“What are you doing in here?” Claire thought of the journal hidden under her mattress, and the shirt—the one she’d taken from her mother’s closet without permission—that lay in a stained lump in the bottom drawer of her dresser. There were secrets stashed all over her room.
If she’s been snooping around in here, I’ll die.

Claire’s mother pursed her lips. “I’m waiting for you, obviously.”

“Couldn’t you just wait in the kitchen?” Claire complained. She edged into the room and sat down on the bench in front of her vanity.

“No. I want to talk to you, and it is not a conversation that I want to have an audience for.” Her mother glanced pointedly at the door.

Claire got up to close it, rolling her eyes once her back was to her mom. She sat back down on the bench and waited. Marie eyed Claire like an apple she suspected of having a worm.

“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.

In the six seconds it took Claire to cross the driveway, tiny beads of sweat had already sprung up on her forehead.
She practically leapt into the cool interior of the car.

Matthew grinned and turned the air-conditioning up even farther. “It’s ridiculous out there, huh?”

“Oh my God, it’s insane.” Claire leaned forward into the stream of cool air and sighed. “So, hi.”

“Hi, yourself.” Matthew’s smile widened. “You hungry?”

“Always.” Claire leaned back in the seat, twisting around to look at her house. She didn’t see Lisbeth hovering behind any of the windows. So far so good.

“Yeah, I know that feeling.” Matthew turned out of the drive. “Is Louie’s okay?”

“Sure.” Her hunger faded at the mention of Louie’s. The diner was always full of people from school. Pretending that she was normal in front of Matthew wasn’t so hard, but the idea of being surrounded by people she knew, of having to hide what she was in the wide-open like that—it made her want to sink down into the car seat and disappear.

But I was already changing at my birthday party, and no one noticed anything. ’Course, it’s a lot easier to keep a secret if you don’t know what it is.

To hide her nerves, Claire flipped through the stack of CDs that Matthew had stuffed below the car stereo. She held up a disc. “You mind?”

Matthew glanced at it. “Are you kidding? That’s pretty much my favorite band right now.”

Claire smiled at him and put in the disc. When she sat
back, Matthew reached over and slid his hand into hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. The tingly feeling that zipped through her made Claire catch her breath.

The third song had just started when they pulled into the parking lot. Claire took a deep breath.

“You okay?” Matthew stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Just don’t want to get out of the air-conditioning,” she lied.

“I can help with that.” Matthew pulled up to the front door. “Go on inside. I’ll just go park and I’ll be right there.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Claire climbed out—he’d stopped so close to the diner’s glass entrance that she had to be careful not to bang it with the car door.

She stepped into Louie’s and shivered. It wasn’t the rush of cold air—it was because nearly every person in the restaurant turned to look at her. Everyone always looked when someone walked in to Louie’s, watching for people they knew, but the scrutiny sent panic clanging through Claire’s chest. The crowd at the rally hadn’t bothered her—after all, no one there had known who she was. Standing in front of a roomful of people who were rating her social status while she watched was totally different.

A couple of people waved and she forced herself to smile.

Matthew walked in behind her. Relief washed through her when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered
her toward a booth. Several people looked surprised to see the two of them together, which just increased Claire’s desire to slide underneath a table.

She’d never been wildly popular. Being the center of so much attention would have made her uncomfortable last year, too.
But at least then I thought I was the same species as everyone else.
She scowled at the menu.

The waitress appeared and tapped her pencil against her order pad. “You all ready?”

Once they’d ordered and were alone again, Matthew leaned back against the cushioned banquette and draped his arms across the top. He looked comfortable, familiar. He looked like he belonged.

Across the diner, a tableful of girls that Claire recognized from the show choir stared at her and Matthew. They looked horrified. With her pulse thudding in her fingertips, Claire reached up and touched the rims of her ears, checking for fur. Her skin was smooth.

Oh my God. They’re not looking at me because they know what I am. They’re acting like that because Matthew’s here with
me.

Claire picked at her cuticles under the table and glanced around the diner. The show choirettes weren’t the only ones staring. Near the back of the room, Claire spotted Yolanda Adams. Claire hadn’t seen her since her birthday. Yolanda raised a hand and waved at Claire, grinning. Claire smiled back, feeling relieved and pathetic all at once.

“So, uh, how’s soccer going?” It was the only question Claire could think of.
Lame, lame, lame!
She fiddled with the paper from her straw, tearing it into tiny shreds.

Matthew shrugged. “It’s not, really. Coach cancelled our two-a-days. I guess the school board thinks we’re going to get heatstroke or something. I’m pretty worried about it, actually. If we don’t get some serious practice time in soon, we’re going to suck when the season starts.”