Oliver was right, technically. Nothing was physically stopping me from going. And I probably still had my job if Iwanted it. The IA investigation would resolve itself one way or another, even without Cole’s involvement. My apartment was still waiting for me, too. My old life was there, collecting dust.
But the idea of going back felt… impossible.
“I guess what we’re trying to say is that you’re pretty badass,” Lee added, flashing me a teasing grin that made me feel more welcome than I had in an entire decade on the force. “For a human.”
“Give the man a break,” Hunter said playfully. “We were human once, too.”
At those words, Lee’s smile dimmed and he nodded, his gaze drifting down to his plate. “Yeah. That’s true.”
“This place reminds me of summer camp,” I said, mostly to break the sudden tension.
Emma, carrying a mug of coffee, walked over and joined us. She raised her eyebrows at me. “Summer camp?”
“Yeah. When I was a kid. My mom sent me every year, near Mount Shasta. Big mess hall, a bunch of cabins scattered around, everyone eating together in the mornings. It felt like this.” I gestured vaguely at the room. “Communal. Safe.”
Emma’s expression became troubled. “You’re right. It used to be a summer camp, actually. A very long time ago.”
I blinked. “I mean, I guess that makes sense.”
“It went out of business in the fifties after too many children went missing in the woods. The bleeds were much worse then and creatures came through more often.” She paused. “The camp shut down and the land sat empty for years.”
“Until the pack bought it,” Sarah chimed in. “We turned it into our base of operations. Partly to make sure no one else tried to set up shop here. No more kids wandering into the woods and vanishing.”
Emma nodded. “Yes. But then the mundane folks built the ski lodge about five years later and the town sprang up around it, bringing hundreds of innocent humans into the area.”
“But, hey, we tried,” Lacey said sarcastically.
Ice settled in my stomach at Emma’s words. “How many kids went missing before it was shut down?”
Emma’s face went carefully blank. “Too many. We managed to save some of them, but not nearly enough. Even though the pack was larger back then, we still couldn’t be everywhere at the same time. And this is a large area.”
Poppy stood up, carrying her plate to the sink. “Well, this is a cheerful breakfast conversation. Next we’ll be talking about taxes and the bubonic plague.”
Hunter laughed at that, earning an amused look from his twin.
I glanced over at the twins and Daniel. They were allowing themselves to be much closer to each other than I’d ever seen before. Things had shifted between them after last night. I made a mental note to ask Reed about their shared history later, because it was clearlysomething.
While I was distracted, Simone must’ve approached the table, because when I looked up, there she was. “How are you feeling, detective?”
“Good,” I said immediately. “Thanks to you.”
She waved a hand dismissively. “I’m glad I could help.”
“How is Sally doing?”
“She’s home now. The faerie is looking after her.”
“Right, but how is she doing with… everything? I don’t even want to think about what she’s been through.”
“Nathaniel’s blood healed her injuries,” Simone replied. “He also removed the worst of her memories from her encounter. She won’t remember much of what happened to her. Only that she went into the woods and woke up safe.”
Relief swept through me. “That’s good. She doesn’t need to carry any of that.”
“No,” Simone agreed. “She really doesn’t.”
“She’s alive. That’s what matters.” I paused, turning to Poppy, who was returning from the kitchen area after rinsing her plate. “You guys did most of the work, getting the portal open. Without that, there’s no way we would’ve—”
I broke off, the puzzle pieces snapping together like a sudden breakthrough on a difficult case. Because becoming awerewolfput someone in a transition state between life and death. That’s what Reed had told me. He’d been trying to scare me off the topic, since the bite would culminate in my death.
