Now!
Glass bit into my flesh and rained over thefloor.
Something thumped lightly in the living room. And then everything turned quiet-quiet. I lunged toward my open door and shoved it wide, claws skittering over wood. My aunt’s mouth rounded with a gasp as I leaped onto her, slamming her against the floor. Her skull cracked like an eggshell, or maybe it was one of the bones in her body because her eyes were still wide, still seeing. I bared my teeth andgrowled.
The sharp tang of urine and fear filled theroom.
“Ness!” she shouted, but it sounded like static to my buzzingears.
I barked, and she blinkedwildly.
Suddenly, something collided into my side and tore me off my aunt’s heaving, urine-soakedbody.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Iwas half expectingto see my cousin, but it wasn’t Everest who’d flung me off Lucy; it was Liam. He’d caged her underneath his massive furredbody.
What are you doing?Ihissed.
Lucy was muttering, “It’s not what youthink.”
He growled at her so roughly she shut up and turned as white as the towels I’d laundered for her day afterday.
Liam spun his face toward me.We need to find Everest, and Jeb doesn’t know where he is, but I bet shedoes.
I stared at him wide-eyed. My uncle wasn’t in on it? How could he not have known?How—
The others are on theirway.
I turned toward the wrap-around windows, and sure enough, vehicles were rolling up the drive. Suddenly, the room was filled with humanbodies.
Frank rushed toward Evelyn, who was shaking with sobs. The second he freed her, she slung her arms around his neck. He whispered into her ear words I couldn’t pick up. And then he kissed hercheek.
And she lethim.
But then Liam stepped in front of me and blocked out the rest of the room. He licked my cheek, and the warm wetness stung, and then he tried to lick my shoulder, and I realized he was trying to get the blood offme.
I shoved him aside. I’d tend to my injuries later. First, I needed to ascertain Evelyn wasn’thurt.
Cole and Lucas were hauling Lucy up. I felt them look my way, but I didn’t look at them, utterly focused on Evelyn. She released Frank and limped toward me. Slowly, she kneeled, pain excavating each one of her wrinkles, and then she extended her arms, and I walked into herembrace.
I trembled when her fingers combed through myfur.
“Querida,” she murmured croakily. “She told me you needed me, that you were here.” She took my face in her hands, then pressed her forehead to mine. “Lo siento. I am so sorry for going with her.” Evelyn swept her shaky, dry palms over mymuzzle.
A bone-deep shudder raked across my body, and tears skimmed off my eyes, tangled with my bloodied fur. Fear, relief, anger, and tension swept through me inwaves.
Evelyn wassafe.
She wassafe.
I tried to tell her I loved her but remembered I was still a wolf. She wouldn’t understand me. And then I realized this was the first time she saw me in my beast form, and Ifroze.
She threaded her shaky fingers through my fur again, stroking my neck over andover.
She wasn’t running off,screaming.
I relaxed into her embrace, but then a hand touched my haunches. I snatched my head out of Evelyn’s hands and snarled at the person who’d dared pet me. Frank pulled his arm back to his side, as though fearing I wouldbite.
