“Aidan’s house. I need to get to Aidan’s house,” Jebwhispered.
My skin bristled, and white fur spouted from my pores. I was shifting. I pushed my wolf back before she could rip through my clothes and race across the forest toward the hateful Creek’sestate.
“Give me your car key,” August said, taking charge. “I’lldrive.”
“August, you can’t shift. I’ll go withJeb—”
He shot me a glare that shut me up. “Like hell I’m letting you go without me. Get in thevan.”
We all sprinted outside and into the car. My uncle was muttering to himself. I tried to make out what he was saying, but his words were allgarbled.
I leaned between the front seats and said, “We should callLiam.”
August’s gaze was narrowed on the road he was hurtling down at breakneck speed. “I textedCole.”
When, I wondered? I hadn’t even seen him use hisphone.
He tore his gaze off the road to look at me. “When we getthere—”
“Don’t tell me to stay in thecar.”
He slammed his gaze back on the windshield and took a turn so fast I had to dig my nails into his headrest to stay upright. He veered again and then the van lurched up the long driveway toward Aidan’s glass and wood mansion. My aunt stood on the threshold, shivering like a strip of cut-out paperdolls.
Jeb flung open the passenger door and leaped out before the car had come to a full stop. He ran to his ex-wife and huggedher.
August spun around in his seat. “Ness—”
“Together. We go in together.” I jumped into the passenger seat and out the door that was stillopen.
August rounded the front bumper, long strides devouring theflagstones.
Amidst chest-wracking sobs, my aunt said, “He’s downstairs. With a knife in histhroat.”
“Lucy!” Jeb said, gaping at her interror.
“He helped Alex murder our son, Jeb. I heard them joking about it.Joking.”
My uncle made a pained sound as he gathered his ex-wife against himagain.
“I went to the police,” she said. “They asked me for proof. I told them Aidan put a tracking device in the Jeep. They called me back saying they’d gone to the impound lot and checked the car. They told me they didn’t findanything.”
“Oh, Lucy,” Jeb said. “The police . . . they’re corrupt. You should’ve come tous.”
“You hate me.” Her voice trembled. “You all hateme.”
“Lucy . . .” He squeezed her tighter tohim.
“Stay out here with her,” August told my uncle whose face had gone as pale as hisbeard.
I started toward the door when Lucy called out myname.
Her lids were so puffy her eyes were mere pinholes. “I’m sorry for . . . for everything.” Tears ran down her cheeks, mixing with the blood splatter. “Everest, he was my baby. He could do nowrong.”
My uncle’s lipswobbled.
“But he did do a lot of wrong.” Lucy’s body shook anew, jangling all her bracelets. “And I helped him. And now he’sgone.”
My aunt’s apology was so unexpected that it rooted me inplace.
