“Maybe. He wasn’t very happy to hear you’re dating a vampire, so he might not trust you.”
Evan presses his lips together. “I’d like to try, at the very least. Maybe if he sees I’m a victim in this too, he’ll…” He stops himself, jaw tightening. With one hand, he rubs the scar. “I fucking hate what they’ve done to him. To everyone.”
My stomach twists. I hate that the scars will never fade—not from him, not from Tobias.
Jericho squeezes his shoulder.
“I’m really glad you’re okay,” I say. “I didn’t say that last night. But I mean it. For both of you. I’m glad you’re back.”
They each give me a small smile.
Neal returns just as I finish my burrito, and Grant and I get up.
Jericho stands too. “I’m going with you.”
Evan pulls Jericho down for a kiss. “Be safe, okay?”
“We will.”
While we shift in the mudroom, Jericho retrieves a coat, hat, and gloves from his van, then we head out.
The bitter chill cuts through my fur, making me shiver. There’s no way Jericho and Evan would’ve stayed warm in their van with a small heater. This cold snap is brutal.
The forest is dead quiet as we walk. No rabbits or deer to be seen. No owls calling. Not even a stirring in the branches. Everything has hunkered down for warmth.
I look to the sky, groaning at the deep, endless gray.It’s going to snow.
Neil’s ears flick.I was just thinking that. We need tohurry.
My muscles twitch. As if we need any more snow. Drifts are already piling up against bushes and hiding our usual trails. But maybe this’ll give us more time too, since vampires won’t want to run through the snow and leave tracks.
Jericho points to something on a hill. “Look up there.”
A massive pine tree lies split in half, with several branches splayed in all directions. Pine cones and needles are scattered everywhere.
We sprint ahead to sniff around. Two ravens take off from a nearby tree, but otherwise there are no footprints or animal tracks of any kind. The split is definitely new, judging from the strong pine scent. And a tree this size, this close to the house, would definitely have made enough noise for someone to hear—especially someone with supernatural hearing.
I look up at Jericho, wishing I could speak to him in this form. No way in hell am I shifting.
Grant bumps his hand then gestures to the tree, as if thinking the same thing.
Jericho touches a few of the branches, still weighed down with snow. “It probably snapped from the weight. Look at the wood. It was rotten inside, so it would’ve been weak. And all the compounded snow where the clumps landed? It’s definitely new.” He looks around, seeing his van about 100 yards away. “It’s probably what I heard. It sounded like snapping.”
I should be relieved that it’s nothing worse, but the unease won’t leave my chest. What if we’re wrong?
I turn to Grant.Should we do a quick loop before the storm? Just to be sure?
His ears twitch in the cold.Let’s split up so we can cover the property in half the time. You and Jer take the west and south sides. Neal and I will take the east and north.
Bumping Jericho’s leg, I signal for him to follow me while the others part ways. “Guessing we’re doing a quick perimeter run?”
I bump him again, and we pick up the pace.
The air changes as we reach the west end. A gust of wind bites through my fur and makes my teeth ache. Even with my thick fur coat, the cold seeps into my bones, deep and punishing. Each breath clouds the air in front of me.
Jericho mutters a curse, pulling his hat tight. I can only hope he’s warm enough in the thick gray coat.
Snow crunches under my paws, while Jericho’s steps barely make a sound. When we reach the frozen creek dividing our property from Cedar Ridge, I get the first whiff of something foul, and it makes my stomach tighten.
