I turned to see a young man with light-brown hair, broad shoulders, and a broader grin. A familiar face, at least in this house.
“Adam!” Paige disengaged from Lucas and turned as Adam caught her up in a hug, being careful not to jar her injured shoulder. “This is a surprise. I didn’t expect you until Monday.”
“The real surprise is yet to come.” Adam winked over her head at Lucas. “So are we ready for Monday’s meeting? Jaime’s coming, isn’t she? Recovered from her ordeal?”
As they talked, I slipped to the doorway.
“Bye, guys,” I whispered. “I wish you all the best. You deserve it.”
I found Savannah in her room, dressed in jeans and a bra, talking on the phone as she surveyed a bed covered in shirts.
“…taking Paige away for the weekend,” she said. “Romantic getaway, big surprise and all that.” She paused, then snorted. “Yeah, I wish. I can’t stay overnight by myself until I’m eighteen. Can you believe that? So they called in Adam.”
She lifted two shirts and held them up, one after the other, peering at her reflection in the mirror, then tossing both on the floor with a lip-twist of disgust.
“Yeah, yeah, he’s cute, but he’s even older than Paige.” Pause. “Twenty-six.” She pulled a face. “That’s sick! No way.”
She grabbed a T-shirt from the bed, mumbled “Hold on,” then pulled it over her head. It was at least two sizes too small. She looked in the mirror, checking it out from all angles, then gave a nod of satisfaction and reached for her hairbrush with one hand and the phone with the other.
“I have to go, baby,” I said as she brushed her hair, still chattering to her friend. “I won’t be coming around like I used to, and I just wanted to tell you that. You know it doesn’t mean anything’s changed. You’re still the best damned thing I ever did. But you’ve got your life, and now, finally, maybe I have mine.”
A double-knock at the door.
“What?” Savannah yelled.
“Everyone decent?” Adam called. “I’m coming in.”
As Savannah swiped on lip gloss, Adam jangled the door handle. She flew across the room and threw it open.
“What the hell are you doing?” she said. “This is my room. You can’t just barge in here.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, I was just getting you going.” He strolled in and looked around. “See you haven’t cleaned it since the last time I was here.”
“Hey, this is my room! Get out!”
He turned to do just that, and she grabbed him by the arm.
“Don’t I even get a hello?” she said. “God, you’re so rude.”
I shook my head and smiled as they bantered.
“Poor baby,” I said. “It’s just not going away, is it?” I skirted past them to the door. “I have to leave, but I’ll be back to check on you now and then.” I hesitated, then stepped closer to Savannah, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I know you’ll be okay, baby. You don’t need me to make sure of that.”
I turned to the hall. Savannah sputtered something at Adam, and he laughed. I walked to the top of the stairs, and hesitated. One more look. Just one more—
I squared my shoulders, and walked down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out into the yard, where Kristof was waiting.
About the Author
Kelley Armstrong lives in Ontario with her family.
I LOPED ALONG THE PATH, MUZZLE SKIMMING OVER THE ground. The earth was thick with the scent of my prey—a deliberate move, weaving and circling, permeating this patch of forest with his smell, hoping to throw me off the trail. Did he really think it would be that easy? If so, he’d underestimated me—a mistake he’d soon regret.
I untangled the web of trails, and latched on to the most recent. As his scent separated from the others, I picked up speed, the ground whooshing past beneath me. Ahead, the trail opened into a clearing. I pitched forward, straining for the open run. Before I hit the edge of the clearing, I dug in my claws and skidded to a graceless stop.
I stood there, heart tripping, adrenaline roaring, urging me to keep running, find him, take him down. I closed my eyes and shuddered. Too eager. Keep that up and I’d run straight