That I was thinking ofhim.
As my carrier searched for network, Jane said, “You won’t get any reception ’round these parts. Dad put up a bunch of jammers. He’s not a fan oftechnology.”
And suddenly my concern of what August was feeling was superseded by a new one—that of being disconnected from the entire world. The Rivers suddenly felt more oppressing thanwelcoming.
Liam leaned over me. “Will you have Wi-Fi at thecompound?”
“We have a computer connected to dial-up.”
I gaped atLiam.
They hate the Creeks, not us,he said through the mind-link.
I tried to let his words reassure me, but I wasn’treassured.
What had we gotten ourselvesinto?
11
August and Nelsonhad come out to Tennessee and returned to tell thetale.
The Rivers weren’t going to make Liam and mevanish.
I repeated this to myself as we drove down a dusty road lined with identical one-storied stone and log cabins. The only building that was different was the one at the very end. It was built in the same style—rough gray stone, tawny slats, grids of windows—but it was long like horse stables with a thatchedroof.
The car came to an abrupt halt right in front ofit.
“Lunchtime,” Zack bellowed, stretching himself up to his full height before vaulting over the side of thecar.
This time, Liam jumped over too, then held out his hand to me. When in Tennessee, do as the Tennesseans, I supposed. I sat on the edge, swung my legs over, then placed my hand in his and hopped down. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I letgo.
This trip wouldn’t change the fact that I was Liam’s Second and not his girlfriend. Not even his friend for thatmatter.
Businesspartners.
A petite and shapely woman with crinkly blue eyes was stationed by the entrance of the thatched structure. As we approached, she extended both her hands. First to me, then to Liam, and then she stepped close toZack.
“My mate,Eileen.”
The wordmatemade my heart pinch. Even though werewolves called their spouses this way, I couldn’t help but think ofAugust.
“Nice to meet y’all,” shesaid.
Zack pointed to the two women standing around a young boy. “Three more of my flesh and blood: Poppy, Penny, andJack.”
I committed all of their names to memory. Where Jack waved to us, his sisters—who looked identical—observed me and Liam with quiet caution. They had the same auburn hair as Jane, but their eyes were different, dark, almost black, like the bitter coffee I’d drunk on theplane.
Zack rubbed his palms. “Lunchready?”
Eileennodded.
He kissed the top of her head before striding through the opendoorway.
Eileen tipped her head for us to go ahead of her inside the giant structure. Clutching the strap of my backpack, I walked alongside Liam, gaze zipping over every inch of the building. I’d expected it to be dark, but the entire back wall was made of glass. A river rushed beyond the picture window, and beyond that stretched a copse of evergreens so dense the trees looked weldedtogether.
“A Watt original,” Zack bellowed. “Ain’t itstrikin’?”
I pulled Mom’s ring out of my tank top and speared my finger through the warmed band, twirling it at the same time as I rotated to take in my surroundings. The buildingwasspectacular. When I stopped spinning, I came face to face with one of the twins. I wasn’t sure which one shewas.
