Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,86

you everywhere,” he said. As she stared at him, he came up to her and offered his cheek. Her knees rubbery, she tried to rise on tiptoe to kiss him, but she was rooted to the spot.

Then he gathered her in his arms, embracing her, and rocked her back and forth. “Remember when you used to dance on my feet? My little gal. My gal.” He sighed against her hair. “Where’ve you been, Corry?”

“Um, oh, here and there,” she said hoarsely. He was lost in one of his delusions.

“I’ve missed you. I can’t sleep when you’re not home.” His voice was whiny and petulant. “I worry so much about you. High time you got yourself a mate, so someone else can do the worrying for me.” He chuckled. “They’re all so scared of me, no one wants to declare for you.”

“Right, Daddy,” she managed to say.

“I didn’t know you were sweet on Justin,” he said, pulling back. His eyes were glazed, like someone in a bad movie pretending to be hypnotized. It was terrifying.

Did you bite me? In secret? Is it because you’re crazy?

“Yeah, too bad he’s my cousin,” she said with a fake laugh.

“Why should that stop you two kids?” His chuckle was deep and warm. “Didn’t stop me and your mama.”

“Oh, well, that — that’s great,” she stammered.

He beamed at her. “Justin is perfect for you. You two could mate and lead the pack.”

“Wow, yeah.” She pushed tendrils of her hair away from her face and licked her lips. “We’d both like that.” She was playing along, and playing for time, expecting Justin to check in on her soon. Surely he had detected the arrival of their alpha.

“You go find him. Bring him here.” Mr. Fenner raised a hand as if in blessing. “I’ll make it official.”

“Sure, okay,” she said, seizing her chance to escape. “Back soon.”

She whirled on her heel and took off running.

And collided head-on with Lucy as the other girl stepped from behind a tree, her lips pulled back in a grimace of attack.

16

Katelyn took an involuntary step backwards, giving Lucy a wide berth. Lucy’s eyes were practically glowing, and she bared her teeth at Katelyn as if she were in wolf form — losing control, Katelyn translated — and she swept back her arm as if getting ready to slap Katelyn as hard as she could. And even though Katelyn had dreaded seeing this side of Lucy, she was so terrified of what was happening with Mr. Fenner that relief flooded through her like a river.

“Lucy, oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” Katelyn said in a rush. “You have to help me. He — he thinks I’m her, I’m Cordelia.”

“Don’t say that name,” Lucy snapped. But she stayed her hand, and uncertainty flickered in her eyes.

“He kept calling me by her name. And saying he’s been hunting for me. I tried to play along because I didn’t know what else to do.” Katelyn could hear the panic and misery in her own voice and she wondered if Lucy could, too.

A moment later Mr. Fenner called out, “Cor, where are you? Let’s go and tell Justin the good news. Your wedding. I’m so happy.”

Consternation washed over Lucy’s face and she whined softly. Lucy was just as distressed as Katelyn was.

“Let’s get out of here,” Katelyn whispered.

Lucy stood silently for a long moment, and then shook her head. “You go. I’ll deal with this.” She smoothed her hair, then made a wide berth around Katelyn and started walking in the direction of Mr. Fenner’s voice. “Uncle Lee, there you are,” she said, sweet as honey.

Katelyn didn’t stick around to hear what was going to happen next. She took off running toward the house. She’d made it to her Subaru and was reaching for the door handle when a hand closed around her wrist and spun her halfway around.

It was Justin, eyes wide. “What the hell,” he muttered.

“Did you see?” she demanded. “He thought I was her.”

“He’s getting so much worse,” Justin said, more to himself than to her.

“I’ve got to get out of here.”

She expected him to argue with her. But he didn’t. He just nodded and let go of her wrist, then walked slowly back toward the woods.

Katelyn got in her car and blew out of there as fast as she could, her tires fishtailing as she swerved onto the main road. Her heart pounded as she imagined what was happening with Lucy and Justin and Mr. Fenner. A fight? A challenge? What if Arial