you.” He paused, squinting at the picture.
Colt wasn’t entirely sure himself. “Your mom knew me when I was a kid,” he said slowly. “She knew my parents.”
Ronnie’s face fell. “Colt, I’m sure whatever it is, she had a reason for not telling you.”
“They always do,” he said gruffly.
Ronnie looked away. “I’m sorry.”
Colt started looking through the rest of the box, hoping for any other clues. The shawl smelled of mothballs and potpourri, and the concert tickets were for some hair metal band that hadn’t been touring for a good twenty years. Colt looked on both sides for any note or clue as to why Susan might have kept them, but he couldn’t find anything. He lifted the shawl out of the box, and something hit the floor.
When he knelt down to pick up the fallen object, Colt froze short of touching it. The unmistakable outline of a silver puzzle piece hung from a flimsy little chain, and even before he turned it over, he knew what the other side read.
“Best?” Ronnie echoed, leaning over to eye the necklace. “What’s that mean?”
“It’s one of those friendship trinkets the girls in school used to give to each other,” Colt muttered. “The other half was left on a grave marker in the woods. The changeling wanted me to find it.”
Ronnie’s eyes widened in disgust. “What? Why? And why would my mom have the other half?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Colt asked dryly. “Our mothers were ‘besties.’ Evidently not close enough for yours to tell me who she was.”
Ronnie shook his head. “Colt, I swear, I had no idea.”
“I know you didn’t,” Colt said in a softer tone. He took the photograph and tucked it into his pocket along with the necklace. “Your parents are good at keeping secrets.”
“Where are you going?” Ronnie asked as Colt rushed down the stairs.
The Alpha stopped and turned back to look at him. “I can’t trust your parents anymore, Ronnie. Or the sheriff.”
“You can trust me,” Ronnie said fervently, following him down the stairs. He gripped the railing tight, his jaw set in determination. “Whatever’s going on, I want to help. Please.”
“Your dad was right about one thing. I’m not the strongest Alpha out there. When I encountered that thing in the woods, the way it got into my head…” Colt shook his head. “If it happens again, I’m not gonna be able to protect you.”
“But I—”
“Ronnie,” Colt interrupted, touching Ronnie’s shoulder. “Maybe I do still have another brother out there somewhere or maybe I don’t, but I have to look out for the one I do have. I already came close to losing you last year, and I’m not gonna let you put yourself back in harm’s way because of me.”
Ronnie frowned, but Colt could tell his words had taken effect. He could also tell the other ghoul still had some lingering feelings after his confession of his feelings for Colt, but they’d been able to repair their friendship for the most part.
“There is something you can do,” said Colt.
“What?”
“Go to my parents’ house,” Colt said, texting him the address. “Tell them I won some bullshit award at work and Jason got sick at the last minute, so I need them to be in New Hampshire tonight for moral support. They’ll eat it up.”
“They’re not gonna listen to some random dude who shows up at the door telling them to leave town.”
“They will if you say Captain Hook sent you.”
Ronnie arched an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“It was my favorite story as a kid,” Colt said with a laugh. “It was my anti-kidnapping password.”
“Gotcha,” Ronnie snorted. “Where are you going?”
“To find Jason and do what I should have done a long time ago,” Colt said somberly.
“What’s that?” Ronnie asked warily.
“I’ve tried doing ‘the right thing’ by keeping him out of the loop, but this changeling is after me. At first, I thought introducing himself to Ken and Richie as Peter Pan was just some fucked up coincidence, but it’s obvious he’s trying to send me a message, and Jason’s the best medium.”
“So you’re going to tell him you’re a ghoul?” The doubt in Ronnie’s tone made it clear what he thought of the idea, but he didn’t voice it.
“I don’t have a choice,” Colt murmured. “It’s too dangerous for him to be out there alone, with or without my security detail on his ass. I can’t fuck up his entire life without telling him why.”
Ronnie blew out a weary breath. “Good luck with that.”
“Thanks,” Colt said, parting ways with Ronnie at the