“Wait. What?” Trevor did a double take. “Details.Now,” he nearly growled. Jenna decided he had a nice growl.
Jenna told him that there had been rumors of strange creatures running around the city for years. But recently the stories had started getting more detailed, describing something vaguely baboon-shaped being seen in the Skid Row district.
“The thing they described sounded exactly like the creature that kidnapped Hannah,” she added. “I thought that if I could find it, then maybe I could find my sister, too. But instead of running into the creature, I saw Hannah.”
“You’re sure it was her?”
Jenna nodded. “I’m sure. When I called out her name, she turned to look at me and I got a good look at her face. It was definitely her. I’m certain of it.”
“Did she say anything?”
Jenna swallowed hard, tears stinging her eyes. She blinked them away. “No. Hannah looked right at me and I could tell that she recognized me, but then she turned and ran off. Which still doesn’t make sense. Anyway, I chased her for blocks and blocks, but just as I got close, she turned down an alley and disappeared through an open manhole and into the sewer.”
“Did you go after her?”
Jenna shook her head. “No. I couldn’t follow her. Not down there.”
She didn’t bother to mention the fact that shewas deadly terrified of even the thought of going underground. She had been since the night that creature had dragged Hannah down into the darkness right in front of her. Thinking about it was almost enough to make her hyperventilate.
Jenna took a deep breath. “Even though she ran away from me, I was still thrilled that I finally had confirmation that Hannah really is alive. Unfortunately, I couldn’t convince anyone else of that fact. The police took a report but did nothing with it, while my parents only talked to me long enough to call me delusional and suggest I check myself into a psychiatric facility. That’s when I went to Dallas to ask Connor for help. He didn’t believe me any more than the police or our parents.”
She refused to mention the part where her brother had called hercrazy. Having spent half her life in one form of therapy or another, that wasn’t a word she liked.
Trevor was silent for a long time. Jenna held her breath, waiting. To say they had one hell of a night was putting it mildly. She wouldn’t be shocked if he packed his bag and walked out right this minute.
But instead, he only continued to regard her thoughtfully. “So what’s your next move?”
“I’m going to keep looking for my sister,” she said firmly. “And now that I know the creature that took her—or at least the same kind of creature—hasmade a home in the Skid Row district, that’s where I’ll focus my search.”
Trevor seemed to consider that. Jenna opened her mouth, ready to offer him an easy out. Let him know it was okay if he bailed on her and her long list of complicated issues. But the words got stuck when he took her into his arms and hugged her again. She was so unprepared for the warmth and support that she almost missed what he said. But then the last few words registered, and her heart began to pound.
“…and now that I’m going to help you, I think we need to call for help,” he was saying. “If we’re going to find your sister and deal with that creature again, we need backup.”
Jenna closed her eyes and squeezed him tightly, not trusting herself to speak. Getting someone else to help find Hannah sounded good to her. But who could help with something like this? More importantly, who the hell was going to believe them?
CHAPTER 5
“What can I say?” Trevor asked with a soft chuckle as he and Jenna left the guest bedroom and walked into the kitchen. “Chasing after that creature in the alley burned up whatever was left of the burger and doughnuts we had. I’m starving again.”
He pretended he didn’t see the stunned look on Jenna’s face as she opened the cabinet and took out a bag of Oreos. It wasn’t her fault that she had no idea how much food an alpha werewolf needed to survive. True, sugary snacks weren’t what he was looking for—the partial shift and that short fight with the creature had burned up a ton of calories—but ordering three meat lover’s pizzas at this time of night might look weird, so he’d make do with the cookies.
“Speaking of chasing that creature,” Jenna said as he tore into the bag of creme-filled goodness. “What happened after you disappeared down that alley? You were gone for so long I was afraid that thing had gotten you.”
“Fortunately, the creature didn’t try to attack me again. It simply ran—really frigging fast.”
He chomped down on two cookies at a time, realizing he felt badly for making Jenna worry. Which wasbizarre, since he’d merely done what was necessary. Still, she’d been scared, and it was his fault. It bothered him more than he would have thought possible.
“I chased it about three blocks through the back streets before the thing dove down an open manhole,” he continued, deciding he’d ponder his exaggerated reaction to her concern later. “I followed but immediately found a hole in the bottom of the sewer pipe. The creature dug through the concrete with nothing but its claws. I would have kept following it, but the tunnel underneath was way too small for me to fit through. I would have had to crawl on my hands and knees and hope I didn’t get stuck.”
Trevor was so busy inhaling another cookie he almost missed how pale Jenna’s face had gotten. He probably would have if it wasn’t for how fast he could hear her heart was racing. He quickly set the bag of cookies on the counter and rested his hands on her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked softy. “You’re pale all of a sudden.”
Jenna didn’t say anything at first, instead taking slow, deep breaths. After a moment, her heartbeat had returned to normal, and she visibly looked better.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I don’t like underground spaces, that’s all. Especially dark, tight, underground spaces like sewers.”
Trevor didn’t have to ask to know where Jenna had gotten that phobia. Not after what happened to her sister.
