6
ROWEN
When I come downstairs the following morning, Jericho and Evan are at the table looking like hell. Jericho’s dark curls fall loose from a hairband, and dark circles shadow Evan’s blue eyes.
Across from them, Grant and Neal sit hunched over a laptop, their monthly expense sheets spread out in front of them—work records from the jobs they do for other packs. Neal is a financial advisor, and Grant co-runs a handyman business with Sage.
I swallow my guilt. At least they’re still bringing in money. It’s more than I can say for myself. I need to start pulling my weight again, get some shit done.
Grant clears his throat when he sees me. “Hey, Ro. I was just going to come get you. We’re going on a run this morning, and I want you to join us.”
I pause. “Is something up?”
He glances at Jericho before explaining. “Jer thought he heard someone in the forest last night.”
I frown. “I didn’t hear anything.” I was up most of the night thinking, but hadn’t noticed anything.
Jericho sits back. “You probably wouldn’t have heard it inside.”
My eyes widen. “You slept in thevan?”
He looks away before lowering his voice. “We thought Tobias could use some space, is all.”
Shit. No wonder they look like crap. Trying to sleep on a tiny bed? And when Evan is still recovering too.
I finish pouring some coffee. “Could it have been someone from Cedar Ridge?”
Grant closes the laptop and sets his notebook on top of it. “No, I already called to ask. No one was outside at that time. No reports from the other nearby packs, either.”
“So a vamp then?”
“Or nothing. We won’t know until we look around. Can you be ready in twenty minutes?”
“Yeah, let me get something to eat first.”
“Thanks.”
Neal heads toward the stairs. “I’ll let Taren know I’m heading out.”
I heat a frozen breakfast burrito in the microwave, then sit by Jericho at the table. “You didn’t have to sleep outside,” I say quietly.
Jericho shrugs. “We’re fine.”
“Bullshit. It’s like, what? Thirty degrees outside?”
He shakes his head. “We’re hooked up to the power here, and we have a portable heater. We’re fine.”
I want to say more, but decide not to.
“How’s Tobias?” he asks quietly, voice thick with guilt.
I shrug. “As expected, I guess.” It took two movies to coax him out of the closet last night, but I don’t know if he got any sleep. His door was still closed when I came downstairs.
Evan takes a bite of oatmeal, and my attention drops to the rough, jagged scars on the side of his neck. Breck had not only drained Evan, but torn out a chunk of his flesh when Kaine pulled him off.
If Jericho hadn’t fed him some of his blood, he wouldn’t be here. It’s just a fact.
“Do you think he’ll talk to me?” Evan says. “You know, human to human?”
