I nodded. “I know Everest was probably killed by the Creeks, but do you think Aidan had a hand init?”
“He owns a hotel on Creek territory. Is it so farfetched to think they owed him a favor, and he collected onit?”
No, it wasn’t. Itabsolutelywasn’t.
“Have you told Liam about your theory?” I asked, stretching my arms over my head andyawning.
“Yes. And he’s looking intoit.”
I wondered if Liam had found out anything. Wouldn’t he have called a pack gathering if he had,though?
That night, I dreamed of Liam. But suddenly, Liam morphed into anotherman.
One who looked so much likehim.
Heath.
I woke up with a scream that had Jeb crashing through my bedroomdoor.
“Sorry,” I rasped, trembling all over. “Just anightmare.”
Jeb’s eyes, which had started glowing like his wolf’s, dimmed. “Got plenty of those myself.” He turned to go but paused. “Want to talk aboutit?”
I tucked my frigid hands under the pillow. “No.”
I hadn’t spoken about the night I’d posed as an escort to get access to Heath with anyone but Everest. I’d hoped that not speaking about it would somehow erase the memory, but it had simply repressedit.
“Wake me if you change yourmind.”
I closed my eyes, willing the nightmare to vanish when the sheets rustled. Jeb pulled the comforter over my shoulders and tucked it around me. And then he placed a palm on the top of myhead.
“I hope better dreams find you. You deserve better dreams. You deserve better everything.” His eyes shone like freshly buffedbone.
Once he left, I watched the wall that divided our bedrooms for a long time, finally understanding why my mother had listed him as the emergency contact on my school forms. She’d known that if I ever needed saving, he would come through forme.
29
Iwas supposedto start at the Watts’ the following day, but August texted me that it would be better if I began once his mother was released from the hospital. He’d have more time to show me theropes.
So another day passed before I drove myself to my newjob.
Jeb sat in the passenger seat. Where Sarah liked to tell me every little thing I could do better—she was annoying but thorough—he offered advice sparingly. Mostly he complimented my driving, which felt incredibly empowering, and then he told me Greg would come over that evening to give me an eyeexam.
“Greg’s an ophthalmologist?” I asked, sliding to a stop in front of the Watts’warehouse.
“No. But our eyes . . . oureyesight. . . it’s not quite the same ashumans.”
My mouth rounded. And here I’d been ready to book an appointment with any old eye doctor. Good thing Ihadn’t.
Jeb got out of the Boulder Inn van and walked around the bumper. I took off my seatbelt and hopped out. As he took the seat I’d just vacated, he said, “You know, I could give you anallowance.”
“And you know I would never acceptit.”
“Just as stubborn asMaggie.”
Proud, not stubborn, although I would take any comparison to mymother.
“Call me when you’re done,” he said. “I’ll come pick youup.”
