Read Online Unraveling Midnight by Stephanie Beck - Free Book Online

Surley there was a logical explanation for why the really nice man she hadn’t been able to get out of her head in weeks had turned into a wolf.
    She rested her forehead against the steering wheel, thankful for how clean it was. The vehicle reminded her of Scott, big, powerful... She hoped to everything good and holy in the world it didn’t transform. Maybe she was just tired. Fatigue made people see unexplainable things sometimes. She needed to go home, drink herbal tea, have some granola and sleep in her own bed. When she woke up, the whole day and night would be nothing more than a dream.
    She put the truck in gear again, turning right at the corner near her apartment. Home was only a few minutes away, which meant her sanctuary approached. She was halfway home when guilt started trickling in. The kids hadn’t eaten breakfast. She’d taken off like a giant wimp and if Scott—whom she was not going to think too much of—was back to being ill, then they wouldn’t have anything to eat. Their trusting eyes came to mind and she knew there was no way she could walk away.
    She turned toward her favorite diner before she could talk herself out of it. She didn’t think she had a fever, but maybe Scott’s fever had transferred to her for a moment, making her a little delirious. That had to be it. The momentary lapse in sanity wasn’t enough of an excuse to let the kids go without breakfast.
    With delusion firmly in place, she parked the truck and headed into the diner. It was early, so the breakfast hotspot wasn’t too busy yet. She hoped it wouldn’t take long. Then again, for the amount of food she’d need to feed the kids, maybe it didn’t matter.
    * * * *
    A full hour had passed when Lucy pulled the truck back into Scott’s driveway. In the passenger seat were half a dozen large containers filled with food. The waitress had laughed, asking if she was in charge of breakfast at work. It wouldn’t have made sense to say it was for three little kids, so she’d just smiled and nodded. Telling herself Scott couldn’t possibly be a werewolf wasn’t working for her any longer, not when the facts had come together in her mind while she waited for the food with a cup of tea at the diner.
    What had happened was scary, but she hadn’t been threatened and hadn’t felt threatened. That had to mean something. If Scott could turn into a wolf, the kids might too and they weren’t scary. Her grandmother had always told her to follow her feelings, not necessarily her first reaction. Her gut was good in fight-or-flight situations, but when there was time to think, she needed to consider all of her feelings. With a clearer head, she had to admit she’d overreacted. To be fair, she’d never mentally prepared for her first meeting with a werewolf.
    She grabbed her purse and all the food. If she was going to make amends, she hoped food worked the same for werewolves as it did for people. She walked around the truck and nearly stumbled when she saw Jessie sitting alone on the front porch. Scott’s house wasn’t the prettiest thing to look at, but she knew they hadn’t been in it long and were working on the inside more than the outside. The porch was in good shape, though, and Jessie was writing on it with sidewalk chalk. She looked up and her eyes lit with excitment.
    “You’re back! I told Daddy you’d come back.” She jumped to her feet.
    Lucy smiled. The little girl was a delight, but a second later Lucy remembered what she was. Werewolf. Jessie’s steps faltered and her joyful expression turned sad.
    “You’re not scared of me, are you, Lucy?” Jessie asked with wide eyes.
    “Oh, honey.” She sat on the porch stairs, setting the food down. “I did get scared this morning when I saw your daddy. I’m trying really hard not to be nervous around you because I do think you’re wonderful.”
    “It’s okay to be scared,” Jessie said, not looking at her, but it sounded like the child genuinely did understand even