“Because Jenna looked me directly in the eye and told me she didn’t think that,” Trevor said simply. “And I believe her.”
Connor seemed to consider that a moment before nodding. “It’s hard to admit, but I guess I’m simply going to have to accept that you probably have a better read on how my sister feels about things right now than I do. Maybe better than I ever did.”
There wasn’t much Trevor could say about that, so he didn’t even try.
“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” Connor asked after a minute or so as Hale, Mike, and the others moved ahead of them and turned out of sight at the next corner. “For not believing in her like a brother should, I mean?”
Trevor’s first thought was to point out that it was none of his business whether Jenna ever talked to Connor again, but one look at his pack mate’s slumped shoulders and broken expression, and he knew he couldn’t do that to his friend. But at the same time, he wouldn’t lie to him, either.
“I don’t honestly know,” Trevor said, his voice low. “I wish I could say it’s going to be fine, but I know that if it was me, I don’t think I’d ever forgive you. That said—and Jenna being the wonderful and warm person that she is—I think that you and she will get past this at some point. Just remember, you spent years digging this hole you’re currently in. It might take years to dig yourself back out.”
That obviously wasn’t the answer Connor had been hoping for, but he didn’t say anything as theymade their way down the corridor and around the corner, only to discover that they’d reached the end of the Disney-like part of the tunnels.
“This is going to be messy,” Connor murmured as they stepped into a few inches of slimy-looking water leading toward the three branching passageways ahead of them. “Good thing Jenna decided to help Davina. She would hate trudging through this slop.”
Trevor doubted that. Jenna had agreed to hang at Davina’s club with Isaac and Esme to help find a way to defeat the ghouls. She’d wanted to come with Trevor and Connor but had gone to the club because she thought that was where she could be the most helpful. To suggest that a little dirty water would have mattered to her was silly. Then again, Connor had admitted that he didn’t know his sister very well. Trevor supposed that was simply another example of it.
“Do we split up again?” Owen asked, looking down each of the three dimly lit passageways one after the other. “Like we did last time.”
“No!” was the firm answer from Trevor and everyone else in the tunnel, including Maya.
Trevor almost laughed out loud at how close she stuck to Owen, blatantly refusing to be separated from him for even a moment. It was obvious that she had a thing for Owen, but the guy was simply too dim to notice.
“We take the passage on the right,” Trevor said. “If my sense of direction is still intact down here, it should lead to the southeast and toward Skid Row. That should hopefully get us close to the cavern entrance we’re looking for—if it exists.”
Mike and Hale took point as they headed that way. Owen and Maya—and their flashlights—followed. Trevor and Connor brought up the rear. They walked slowly and as quietly as they could through the ankle-deep water, not wanting to make any more noise than necessary. They had no idea if the ghouls had extra good hearing, but they didn’t want to risk it. Before coming down here, the one thing they’d all agreed on was that they had to avoid another confrontation with the creatures. Until they came up with a better way to fight them, they couldn’t take the chance.
“So Jenna is fine with you being a werewolf, but what did she say about the whole soul mate thing?” Connor asked softly, slowing to put a little more distance between them and everyone else.
Trevor winced. “Um…we didn’t exactly have a chance to talk about that yet.”
“Seriously?” Connor said, splashing to a stop in the water. “Wasn’t that one of the key things you went over there to talk about? How could you leave without telling her that she’sThe Onefor you? She needs to know why she’s experiencing all the weird things she’s almost certainly feeling right now.”
Trevor bit back a curse. “I know all that,” he saidin exasperation. “But I had to pick my battles, and getting her to accept the whole fang-and-claw thing without a meltdown was my first priority. I plan to ease into the soul mate stuff a little more gracefully so she doesn’t come off thinking I’ve taken away her free will.”
Connor looked prone to argue but then let out a long sigh. “Okay, I guess I see your point, but you really need to tell her soon. She deserves the truth from you.”
With that, he started walking again, leaving Trevor no choice but to follow.
Trevor agreed with everything Connor said but couldn’t imagine how he was going to bring up the subject without freaking her out.
Hey, I know you feel this really intense connection to me that makes you want to stay with me forever. Well, it turns out we have this werewolf soul bond. We’re fated to be together. Who knew?
That sounded cringey, and he hadn’t even said it out loud.
They’d just caught up with the others when Trevor picked up that familiar dirt and musky scent. Mike and Connor must have caught it at the exact same moment, because their claws and fangs came out. Trevor did the same.
“What’s wrong?” Owen asked, gripping the aluminum bat in his hand even tighter. “Should we run? Try to hide?”
Before Trevor or anyone else could answer, four ghouls rounded the corner. Trevor leaned forward, ready to attack even as his teammates did the same. It would buy Owen and Maya some time and give them a chance to escape at least.
Trevor started forward, only to freeze when a woman pushed her way through the crowd of creatures, who’d come to a dead standstill in the middle of the tunnel. To say he was shocked to see her moving comfortably through the midst of the ghouls was an understatement. She was in her early twenties, he guessed, wearing heavy boots, dirty jeans, and a sweatshirt emblazoned with anI Love Hollywood!slogan. Her long, blond hair was held back in a ponytail tied with a bandanna, revealing sharp hazel eyes that regarded them calmly as one of her hands casually rested on the hilt of an old fixed-blade knife sheathed on her hip.
Connor took a step forward at the same time as the woman did.
“Hannah?” he whispered, the word so soft that Trevor could barely hear him.
“Connor,” the woman said, her rough voice seemingly out of place with her soft features. “It’s been a long time.”
