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Just because they gave themselves fancy names didn't change the fact that they could turn into oversized wolves.

“Whatever. I just want you to understand that I never asked for any of this.”

I was just tired of it all. They could kick my mother out of their coven, for all I cared. Then we could finally get out of here and everything would be back to normal.

My gaze met Emely’s.

“Neither did I ever want you to hate me.”

Emely stared at me, her expression unreadable.

“I don't hate you,” she finally sighed and closed the door as if someone could be listening.

Her gaze softened.

“Okay, listen. I believe you.” She sounded sincere. “You seem to have a talent for getting yourself into trouble, just like my uncle.”

Why did she sound exhausted?

This was not the Emely I knew…

I let the desperation wash over me as the fingers of my right hand found my left wrist.

“Yes, maybe you're right... And it's driving me crazy that everyone here is so hostile.”

In an attempt to keep my fingers away from my wrists, they ended up on my thumb, and I started picking at the skin until it hurt and I bit my lip.

“That has a lot to do with our history,” Emely sighed.

I felt like a difficult case she now had to take care of, just like Grace and Julie had been forced to.

When would I finally be allowed to take care of myself? When would all this madness finally come to an end?

There was a haunting feeling deep inside my chest that was determined to fight its way to the surface, but I pushed it back down with a sudden sense of inner panic.

This strangely chaotic day was digging up things inside me that I had been certain I had already buried in Sacramento.

“A history I don't even know.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. “The only things I know about your family are those Julian...”

I paused, looked at Emely, and knew that I had just opened two wounds at once.

Her eyes glazed over, she turned away from me, and walked over to the window.

Shit.

I should have known that Julian was a taboo topic for her, but I didn't really know how much she felt for him or what exactly those feelings were.

They had been friends for years, knew each other forever. I had only known him for four months and missed him so incredibly much.

It was only in the last few weeks that I had realized I was lost in this town without him. He had always been there, one window away, when I had needed to talk. He had been there when I had been looking for clues about Alice. And he had made me feel like I wasn't completely alone on campus, especially when Larissa had disappeared and recently seemed to be spending more time with her long-lost vampire brother – I could well imagine that the two of them had a lot of catching up to do.

Julian had always been there. Now he was suddenly gone.

It had been three damn weeks and no one seemed to know where he was.

Hesitantly, I watched Emely staring out the window.

“Has he... Has he been in touch with you?”