“You did everything you could, Nico,” Maddy whispered.
My eyes stung with tears. “I should have listened to you. Maybe it would have been better if we hadn’t gone after Maxwell.”
“And if you hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been here to help Sinthy save Sebastian. Everything happens for a reason. I know you feel guilty about the ones who died or were hurt, but you’ve done everything right. It’s all been for me and your family and your pack. Let it go.” She rubbed my back gently. “Let it all go, Nico.”
And I did. I sank into her and let it all go. My eyes slipped closed. I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep until I woke up several hours later. Eyes snapping open, I glanced around the room. Maddy was still breathing deeply beside me. The room was dark, the moon still high outside. What had woken me?
Then the sound came again. A muffled voice from downstairs. It sounded like Sebastian. Frowning, I eased out of bed and tiptoed to the door. Once I was on the landing, I thought I heard the refrigerator door open and close. A glance at my watch told me it was almost three in the morning. Who was getting a snack at this hour?
At the base of the stairs, I saw Sebastian smearing peanut butter on a slice of bread—a jar of jelly sitting beside him. Sensing my movement, he glanced up. Our eyes met, and he gave me an embarrassed shrug.
“I was starving. Haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
It was the first time I’d seen him since he’d been brought up to the house. He’d slept the entire day, which I couldn’t blame him for. He’d basically been dead for about three minutes.
I walked quickly around the counter and latched on to my friend, embracing him hard enough to make him stumble. Happiness, regret, relief, sadness, anger, and hope—every possible emotion I could feel—flowed out of me.
“I’m okay, bro. I really am,” Sebastian whispered.
Yanking at him and hugging him tighter, I nodded. “Yeah. I can tell.”
I was finally fully at ease. Like I hadn’t been able to relax the whole day until right then, even earlier with Maddy, I’d still held on to my worry about my best friend. Having him here, smelling his scent, and knowing he was fine brought relief I didn’t know I could possibly feel.
Releasing him, I nodded to his sandwich. “You gonna make me one?”
Sebastian chuckled. “Sure. But I’m not putting potato chips on it like you like. That shit’s gross on a PB and J.”
The next morning, Dad came in and told me what I’d been expecting. We were sitting around the table eating when he walked in the door and pointed back the way he’d come.
“News vans, Nico. Every-damned-where. The big names, as well as some I’ve never heard of. They’re camped out at the gate.”
“Have they said what they want? Or are they just reporting from our location?” I asked.
“Interviews. That’s all they’re yelling about. You, Maddy, Sinthy, anyone who will come out.”
I sighed. I didn’t want to do any interviews. Everything I had to say had been said in the video. But I’d known everyone would want a follow-up. I couldn’t stop it. They’d push and push until they got what they wanted. It might even help. The more I was out there, the harder it would be for Viola to be the only voice of the crisis.
“Okay, I’ll do one interview. One of the bigger national stations. CNN or something. See if you can make that happen, Dad.”
He blew a breath out, puffing his cheeks. “I’ll give it a shot. Do we know when Sinthy will be back in good health? I want to open a passage through the barrier so we can take the bodies out to a coroner or something.”
“I actually heard her moving around in her bathroom this morning,” Gabriella said. “I know it took a lot out of her, so I’ll check in and see how she feels today. It might not take a lot to do that.”
“Good. Let me know. I’ll head out and make contact with the media for you.”
Dad left us to our breakfast, and I looked across the table at Gabriella. “Have you seen Maddy? When I woke up, she was already gone.”
“She went running,” Gabriella said as she smeared butter on her muffin. “She seemed upset about something but didn’t want to talk about it.”
Through our strong connection, I felt her out in the pack lands somewhere. I wanted to be near her. Standing, I tossed my napkin on the table and headed for the door.
“I’m gonna go find her. Let Dad know what Sinthy says.”
I closed the door behind me and shifted, sprinting off toward the forest. Maddy’s scent and aura pulled me in the right direction, the warm air of the morning fluttering through my fur as I ran. I found her on an outcropping of rock, still in her wolf form.
Shifting back, I walked up beside her. She turned her head and nuzzled against my leg as I eased down to sit beside her. While I sat there, Maddy rubbed her face across my hands and lap and cuddled beside me. I stroked her fur and gave her time. Something had upset her. It could have been a bad dream or something else.
At last, she shifted back to her human form and rested her head on my shoulder. It was then that I could sense what it was that had her so upset. Guilt.
