“That’s it. Now watch your height. Careful as you get close to that larger pine—excellent!” Grant claps Evelyn on the shoulders. “Well done.”
Evelyn beams proudly.
We’ve been out here for over an hour. While they take pictures of the land from above, I take pictures from below with the trusty Nikon. I catch glimpses of the wolves through the trees, darting through drifts and shaking off loose flurries that sparkle in the sunlight. Half of the pack went for a run earlier this morning, both to check the property and to let their animals out. Rowen explained that going a few days without shifting—or ten in this case—is like going a few days without a shower. He gets itchy, uncomfortable, and needs to break free.
It’s strange how I feel the same way, yet without the need to shift.
Is this what my life will be like now? Like I’m… waiting for something? Holding my breath between moments of sunshine and happiness?
I fucking hate it.
The cold bites through my jacket, sharp enough to remind me I’m still here. I just want that peace again—what I’d felt right before Taren dove back into her research.
I walk around the yard, snapping a few photos of the sunlight cutting through the trees, smoke curling from the chimney, and the pale shine of frost on the wreath. The beauty here is truly endless.
But my heart isn’t in it today. I’m fighting a headache that makes every step painful. All I want to do is lie down.
“Hey, look at that,” Grant says, pointing at the screen on the controller. “Two deer are going at it by the creek.”
Evelyn rolls her eyes before sending the drone in another direction.
“Honestly, though, it looks clear. No tracks that I’m seeing,” Evelyn says.
Sage takes a long sip from his coffee mug beside her. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
The two men exchange a look, like they know that’s asking the impossible.
It won’t stay this calm. It can’t. Not when two people the coven want are in this house. How long before Rip discovers I’m here?
Disheartened, I head inside and settle onto the couch, the scent of pine and gingerbread swirling around me. It’s Christmas Eve, which in it’s own way is filling me with all kinds of feelings. Longing and ache and… just things I shouldn’t dare want, yet I do. Deeply.
I scroll through the photos, mark the ones I want to edit, then set the camera aside. In the quiet room, I pull the leather bracelet from my pocket and turn it over in my hands. The delicate knots and tiny beads have worn through in some places as if Rip wore it for years.
I haven’t been able to put it on yet, and I’m not sure if I ever will. Not when it was a part ofhim.But I can’tnotcarry it either, clinging to Red’s hope that this could somehow give us a warning.
But what good will the warning do? I can’t outrun Rip. I can’t fight him. What am I supposed to do if he comes? Say my prayers and hope hedoesn’t find me? It’s unfair to expect Rowen or the pack to fight Rip when the vampire could kill them too.
If only I hadn’t stayed with my friends that night in the park. Then none of this would’ve happened. I would still be a boring, ordinary human. Not this… half-changedthingwith shadows under my skin.
I’ll keep you safe, Tobias.
Rowen’s lingering promise calms me, even if it feels impossible. I clench the bracelet, catching a faint whiff of cedar and pine from where he’d brushed past me earlier, and I look out the window for my favorite reddish-black wolf.
Footsteps sound from the stairs and a moment later, Evan and Jericho appear, freshly showered and freshly… well, sated. It’s obvious. The quiet smiles and loosened energy give them away.
Jericho sits on the opposite couch across from me, with a small sketchbook in his hand. I’ve seen him drawing often, but have never gotten close enough to see his work. Rowen says it’s some of the best he’s ever seen.
After grabbing a drink, Evan joins Jericho. Something silver glints on Evan’s neck, just opposite his large scar, and it makes my stomach twist. His mate mark. How can Evan be okay with Jericho drinking from him? Doesn’t it hurt? It felt like my skin was being torn to shreds whenever the vampires bit me.
Jericho opens his sketchpad while Evan plays a game on his phone. I chew my lip, watching Jericho out of the corner of my eye. I don’t fear him anymore. I just… don’t trust him yet either. Not completely.
A knot tightens in my chest slightly, and my fingertips brush against the couch. He doesn’t deserve the space I’ve been forcing between us. Jericho has been nothing but patient and kind since I met him.
“How did you end up in all this?” I say on a whim. “With the vampires, I mean. Evan told me some of it, but… I want to know more.”
Jericho seems surprised I’m talking to him. I’ve mostly avoided him.
“You don’t have to tell me,” I add quickly. “I was just curious.”
