his door and glancing into the back seat. “Kelsey and Paris, I want you to stay here. Stay in the vehicle. Keep your eyes open. If you see anything suspicious, text Zoe. She’ll have her phone with her.”
“What happens if I have to go to the bathroom?” Kelsey asked.
“Then I’m going to have to kill you,” Aric replied, not missing a beat. “Come on, Zoe.”
I followed Aric up the sidewalk, slipping my hand into his. Old trees lined the street, offering us shadowy shelter. Aric was silent as we closed the distance.
In front of the house, he cocked his head to the side and lifted his nose. He was scenting the location to determine whether any wolves had recently been on the property. I recognized his efforts.
“Anything?” I whispered.
“I only smell humans,” Aric replied, keeping his voice low. “There’s something … familiar … here, although I can’t put a name to it.”
“Do you mean you smell a familiar human other than Mark?”
“I’m not sure,” Aric replied, rubbing his chin with his free hand. “It’s just … familiar. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
“So, what next?”
Aric shook his head. “It looks like the back yard is closed off with a privacy fence. I’m not keen about trespassing before we know what’s going on. We can wait to check the yard when we know he’s in a class. Dad managed to get his schedule.”
“How nice of him,” I said, irritation bubbling up. “Too bad he couldn’t have gotten Mark’s schedule before he set off a bomb at our engagement party.”
“I don’t blame you for being angry, but you have to let that go eventually,” Aric said. “He screwed up. He knows he screwed up. You can’t keep beating him up over it. It’s not fair. We all had a hand in this.”
“Whatever,” I said, frowning when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. “Aric … .” I swiveled quickly, peering into the darkness. We weren’t alone. I could feel it.
Aric scented our visitor seconds later, a loud growl tearing free from his throat as he moved to shove me behind him. “Vampire,” he hissed.
I pressed my eyes shut, reaching out with my mind. I brushed against something almost forgotten yet still familiar, and broke out into a wide grin as I pushed Aric to the side. “I know who it is,” I said. “I sense him.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Aric was frustrated by the darkness. He knew something was out there, but he couldn’t yet see our potential enemy.
“It means that she recognizes me after all this time.” I knew the voice even though I hadn’t yet seen the vampire.
Aric relaxed, if only marginally, and scowled. “Oh, well, great. If this isn’t the end to a perfect day, I don’t know what is.”
I was already smiling when the tan vampire stepped beneath the streetlight and shook his head, his long dark hair brushing his shoulders. He looked exactly the same. “Long time no see, wolf.”
“Rafael,” I said, jumping away from Aric and rushing to him to give him an enthusiastic hug. “I can’t believe you’re still here!”
11
Eleven
R afael was stiff at first , but he ultimately gave in and returned the hug. He chuckled as I pulled away, shaking his head. He looked exactly the same, which made me feel old and strange at the same time.
“I almost didn’t believe my eyes when I saw you and the wolf walking down the sidewalk,” Rafael said. “For a moment I thought I traveled back in time.”
Aric moved up to my side, his eyes narrowed, and slipped his arm over my shoulder. “Mine.”
I stilled, surprised. “Did you just … ?”
Aric cut me off. “Shh.”
“Don’t you shush me!”
“I’m glad to see that you haven’t changed, wolf,” Rafael said, meeting Aric’s challenging gaze. “She was always yours. There’s no need to mark your territory.”
Aric grabbed my left hand and lifted it, arching his eyebrow for emphasis. “Mine.”
“Oh, you know what? Why don’t you pee on my
“What happens if I have to go to the bathroom?” Kelsey asked.
“Then I’m going to have to kill you,” Aric replied, not missing a beat. “Come on, Zoe.”
I followed Aric up the sidewalk, slipping my hand into his. Old trees lined the street, offering us shadowy shelter. Aric was silent as we closed the distance.
In front of the house, he cocked his head to the side and lifted his nose. He was scenting the location to determine whether any wolves had recently been on the property. I recognized his efforts.
“Anything?” I whispered.
“I only smell humans,” Aric replied, keeping his voice low. “There’s something … familiar … here, although I can’t put a name to it.”
“Do you mean you smell a familiar human other than Mark?”
“I’m not sure,” Aric replied, rubbing his chin with his free hand. “It’s just … familiar. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
“So, what next?”
Aric shook his head. “It looks like the back yard is closed off with a privacy fence. I’m not keen about trespassing before we know what’s going on. We can wait to check the yard when we know he’s in a class. Dad managed to get his schedule.”
“How nice of him,” I said, irritation bubbling up. “Too bad he couldn’t have gotten Mark’s schedule before he set off a bomb at our engagement party.”
“I don’t blame you for being angry, but you have to let that go eventually,” Aric said. “He screwed up. He knows he screwed up. You can’t keep beating him up over it. It’s not fair. We all had a hand in this.”
“Whatever,” I said, frowning when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. “Aric … .” I swiveled quickly, peering into the darkness. We weren’t alone. I could feel it.
Aric scented our visitor seconds later, a loud growl tearing free from his throat as he moved to shove me behind him. “Vampire,” he hissed.
I pressed my eyes shut, reaching out with my mind. I brushed against something almost forgotten yet still familiar, and broke out into a wide grin as I pushed Aric to the side. “I know who it is,” I said. “I sense him.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Aric was frustrated by the darkness. He knew something was out there, but he couldn’t yet see our potential enemy.
“It means that she recognizes me after all this time.” I knew the voice even though I hadn’t yet seen the vampire.
Aric relaxed, if only marginally, and scowled. “Oh, well, great. If this isn’t the end to a perfect day, I don’t know what is.”
I was already smiling when the tan vampire stepped beneath the streetlight and shook his head, his long dark hair brushing his shoulders. He looked exactly the same. “Long time no see, wolf.”
“Rafael,” I said, jumping away from Aric and rushing to him to give him an enthusiastic hug. “I can’t believe you’re still here!”
11
Eleven
R afael was stiff at first , but he ultimately gave in and returned the hug. He chuckled as I pulled away, shaking his head. He looked exactly the same, which made me feel old and strange at the same time.
“I almost didn’t believe my eyes when I saw you and the wolf walking down the sidewalk,” Rafael said. “For a moment I thought I traveled back in time.”
Aric moved up to my side, his eyes narrowed, and slipped his arm over my shoulder. “Mine.”
I stilled, surprised. “Did you just … ?”
Aric cut me off. “Shh.”
“Don’t you shush me!”
“I’m glad to see that you haven’t changed, wolf,” Rafael said, meeting Aric’s challenging gaze. “She was always yours. There’s no need to mark your territory.”
Aric grabbed my left hand and lifted it, arching his eyebrow for emphasis. “Mine.”
“Oh, you know what? Why don’t you pee on my
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