Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,43

called, but Trick got in and slammed his car door. Katelyn reached out a hand in his direction, but he started the car and peeled out much the same way as Mike. She watched him go, feeling guilty, angry, sad . . . and relieved. What had she been thinking? She couldn’t feel this way about Trick. She was a werewolf.

“Lee wants you over now,” Justin said. “He’s going to train you himself today.”

She realized Justin had shown up just as the normal school day would have ended. He hadn’t known about minimum day. She made a face.

“Here’s the thing. My grandfather bought tickets for a show in Little Rock for my birthday. It’s this weekend and we’re leaving as soon as I get home.”

Justin stared at her as if she’d spoken to him in a foreign language. She forced herself not to cringe or apologize and waited for him to say something.

“You can’t just leave,” he said. “The alpha didn’t give you permission.”

“Um, I’m not leaving,” she said hotly. “I’m going to Little Rock.”

He turned off his motorcycle, kicked down the stand, and got off. He walked toward her and, without thinking, she took a step away from him. He stopped.

“I know you’re new at this,” he said.

“There’s no way I can tell Grandpa I’m not going so I can go over to your house,” she said. “Justin, he’s my grandfather. I live with him. I’m a minor and he’s in charge of me. Legally. He also knows what a big deal this is to me so he’d be sure to guess something is wrong. Be suspicious. Of the Fenners.”

He stared at her for a long moment. Then he said quietly, “Maybe we have to change things. Maybe you shouldn’t be living with your grandfather any longer.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she cried. She made a fist and shook it at him. “Don’t you dare touch him!”

“You,” he said, grabbing her fist. Then he pulled her against his chest. All she could see was his blue eyes. “You are my pack inferior. You never tell me what to do.”

“Fine!” she shouted at him, but her voice shook. “Whatever!”

He took a breath and lowered his head toward hers, then stopped at the last moment and released her, breathing hard. He stepped back and whipped out his cell phone. Punched in a number. Brought it to his ear.

“Hi, Uncle Lee,” he said. “We got a bit of a situation today.” He quickly explained. “I know, sir.” He held out the phone. “He wants to speak to you.”

“Kat,” Lee Fenner said on speaker. “This time, it’s okay. Next time, it’s not.”

“Okay,” she said. Justin mouthed Yes, sir at her. “Yes, sir.”

“One word, one, and your grandfather won’t come back from Little Rock.”

She felt as if he had punched her in the stomach. “Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be home soon, Uncle Lee,” Justin said.

“Get some ice cream,” Lee Fenner said. “Your daddy loves mint chocolate chip.”

Color rose in Justin’s cheeks. “Yes, sir.” He disconnected.

Katelyn said, “I’m sorry.”

“You check in with me while you’re gone. Text me. Tell me where you are.”

“Okay,” she said, and he looked meaningfully at her. She blinked in disbelief. “Yes, sir.”

“And, Kat?” He looked in the direction Trick’s Mustang had gone, and his face became guarded. “Remember the way it works? If you bite someone, even a little love nip, and accidentally draw blood, they change. And if they change, they’re dead for sure.”

She was floored. He was talking about Trick. About making out with him.

“For sure,” he repeated. There was anger in his voice. Jealousy. He started up his motorcycle and roared off.

“Jerk,” she said, as tears welled in her eyes. “Like I would.”

Everything looked strange, foreign, as Katelyn drove home through the woods toward the cabin. The trees were all different, but not in any special way. Even though there was only one route, she kept wondering if she was going in the right direction. She felt weirdly light, as if she were floating.

She remembered after her father died, her mother had curled into a ball on the floor in a corner of the living room and said something in French over and over again. Katelyn couldn’t understand her, but she had crept down beside her and they held each other. After a long time, Giselle had said in English, “Is this still our house?”

Detective Cranston, one of her father’s police friends — he had many friends in the force — had taken Katelyn aside and explained that