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“Hey, honey.” She throws it into the dumpster and pulls over a crate to sit down beside me. Her hand finds my back and rubs small circles there. She doesn’t ask what’s wrong.

My coffee’s gone cold. She takes the cup and goes inside, and I follow her.

Nick and I spend the day in Fairbanks running errands for Marthe. Which, as expected, makes him tired and grumpy. As we drive home, I debate telling him about my investigation into Dominic. It would be a wild spin on the Nick wheel of moods. He reaches across the bench seat of his pickup truck and threads his fingers through mine as we come down the mountain and into Ravenslight Creek.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Can you read minds? Because I’ve never actually asked, and I’ve been assuming not.”

“No.”

“Great. Great.” I let that sink in. “Would you have told me?”

“Yes, but I can read your body language, hear your heart beating, when you take shallow breaths or deep ones. Sense the perspiration on your skin, your scent.”

“Ew. Stop that. Meanwhile, I have to guess what you’re thinking like I’m locked in an escape room, blindfolded and handcuffed, with my ears stuffed full of cotton. Not fair.”

“So, you’re banning the use of my abilities?” He grins.

“Yes.”

“All of them?” His eyes slide to my neck.

My mind drifts back to the numerous nights we’ve spent together and how much I’ve enjoyed some of those vampire traits, including how he uses his blood to heal the more visible bite marks. Some of them I’ve kept.

“Not the point,” I grumble.

“You can tell me anything, Elle. Always.”

“Okay…just don’t be mad.”

His eyes narrow, and I wait for it.

“So, I’ve been digging into the guy who attacked me. He was a hockey player at UAF. And the Renards, mostly Dominic. Roslyn’s been helping.” The rest comes out in a rush. “People have gone missing, Nick. Some of them I’ve connected to Dominic.”

“Ellery, the Renards are dangerous.” His voice turns hard. “Why didn’t you come to me?”

And the wheel lands on furious Nick.

“I wanted to get some tangible evidence first.” I hold my ground. “And I can take care of myself.”

“Not when it comes to them.” He hasn’t looked at the road once.

I grip the seat while he takes the bends like he could do it blind.

“Not all of us are friendly. Not even the ones bound by the Pact.”

He pulls the truck over into a small parking area by the steel bridge that leads into town, and shuts off the engine.

“I don’t need a lecture.” I fold my arms across my chest and stare straight ahead.

He turns in his seat. “Remember the blood you found at Mom’s house?”

“Yes.” My curiosity piqued.

His voice might be steady, but his face says otherwise. Nick, afraid, scares me.

“If you’d been there on your own that day and a bear came running out of the woods at you, what would you have done?”