by Sara Snow
"Excuse me, what?" I asked as I scooted closer to her. "When did this happen? How? Why am I just hearing about it now?"
“We actually . . . um . . . he, um . . .” Her eyes drifted to the door, then she leaned forward. “He fed on me.”
“Excuse me? He what?!” I yelled, and she slapped her hand over my mouth. I pulled her hand away. “Really?” I asked more quietly, and she nodded.
“So he took your virginity?” I asked in a rushed tone, needing to know all the details. For years, my two dearest friends had obvious feelings for each other—or obvious to me, at least—and finally, it looked like they’d stopped dancing around it.
“Goddess, no,” she answered quickly, her cheeks now scarlet. “We just kissed, and he—” She closed her eyes. “He touched me and that’s all. He did something to me. I don’t know how to explain it, but suddenly, I wanted him so badly I couldn’t think of anything else. I would have had sex with him right there on the floor, but he said he wouldn’t do that to me.”
"On the floor?” I squealed, and we both erupted into laughter. "Oh my goddess, you're both animals! I can't believe this. Finally, this is happening." She narrowed her eyes at me, and I nodded. "Oh yeah, I've known about the two of you for years. It's about damn time."
Skye smiled, apparently relieved that everything was finally out in the open. "Oh, before I forget, I was telling Cyrus that I think it would be a great idea for him to teach the pups about all the different kinds of supernatural species there are, especially dark creatures. I mean, the children honestly receive very little education about such things, and Cyrus has been around. If they had a dark creature as their teacher, they’d understand that not all things labeled as dark are evil, you know?"
She gave me a very intense look, and for a moment, it confused me . . . until I realized what she was trying to say. I nodded my head in return. Even though the pack accepted him, I’d known for some time that Cyrus still sometimes felt like an outsider. If he had a job to do, he probably wouldn’t feel the need to leave as often as he did.
“You’re right. We keep the children close to home since they’re so vulnerable at that age. But they learn little about the world outside of the pack. That needs to change.”
“Exactly,” she replied. Then she leaned back against the wall, her eyes seeming to grow tired.
“I’ll talk to Father about it. But in the meantime, I think you should get some more rest. You just woke up after all.”
"I'm fine. After all, I've been asleep for two days. But before I forget, I wanted to ask, what happened a few nights ago when Connor howled a warning that you were in danger? I know you, so don't feed me the same crap he did, that he’d thought you had slipped off the cliff. You were out there meeting Will, weren't you?"
I turned away from her. I’d gone back to the cliff looking for Will after that night, but he didn’t come back.
"Yes," I confirmed, eager to tell Skye about Will somehow wiping Connor's memory, when Cyrus entered the room. "Um, but you need to rest. I'm okay," I quickly said as he returned to his seat by her side.
“What’s wrong?” Cyrus probed as he handed Skye a cup of water.
“Nothing,” I answered, standing up to leave. So far, Skye was the only one I’d told about Will. I wanted to tell Cyrus, but I had no idea how he’d react. “I’m just a little stressed out about the whole getting married thing. Elijah will return in three weeks, and we’ll official announce our engagement to the rest of the pack at that point. I’m just not sure how I feel about it.”
Skye was still looking at me with concern. But since she knew my marriage to Elijah wasn’t the only thing on my mind, she said nothing. She reached out her hand to me, and I quickly took it.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” I told her as I squeezed her hand. “I’ll go talk to my father about your idea of letting Cyrus teach. I’ll let you know what he says, okay?” They both nodded, and I turned and left.
“Hey,” Cyrus called after me, and I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded, my chest tightening. “Trust me, I’m fine.”
4
Elinor
If anyone were to walk by me now, they’d think I was crazy, given the way I was smiling. Skye and Cyrus were finally on the same page about their feelings for each other, and I couldn't be happier for both of them.
The way Skye smiled up at him filled me with happiness—something that had been definitely lacking in my life lately. I wasn’t even mad that Skye hadn’t told me about their encounter sooner. I was just thrilled it had happened—even if, like Will and me, they wouldn't be able to share their love for each other with the rest of the people in their lives.
Skye's mother might not mind having a demon for a son-in-law, but most of the pack definitely would. In the end, it came down to this—interspecies relationships were forbidden for werewolves. And while Skye was a werewolf, Cyrus wasn't.
Because we had predetermined mates, many wolves believed that being with anyone else—even within our species—was taboo. We had to take so many factors into consideration . . . What happened if a wolf met her mate after having kids with another? Many times, the mate bond was so strong, two wolves would fall for each other immediately. But that wasn’t a good thing if one wolf already had a family . . .
The mate bond was powerful, and when it worked, it really worked. The rejection rate between wolves was very, very low. But it happened. In those rare cases when a wolf rejected a mate, it could lead to the rejected wolf’s death. The trauma of losing a true mate could leave a wolf shattered. I hadn’t even known of any rejected wolves until I met Meeka at the Werewolf Guard examination. She’d said it had taken her years to recover.
Now, though, as someone who harbored feelings for someone who wasn’t a wolf, I felt torn. At least Skye and Cyrus had a tiny chance of being together, considering our pack had accepted Cyrus long ago. But Will and I . . . we could never be. Even simply being friends was dangerous.
If I was to meet my mate, whatever there was between Will and I would end. We’d made no grand declarations to each other. The chaos of our friendship being discovered was what I feared the most. My mind instantly took me back to that night at the cliff and the smile on my face faltered. If Will hadn’t done whatever magic he did to Connor, my father would have learned the truth. And he’d have had Will hunted down and killed.
I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction Will’s kind would have. Would they have killed him for befriending a wolf, or would they have been satisfied with just killing me? And if my father had orchestrated Will’s death, would his kind have retaliated?
I pressed my fingers into my eyes. This shouldn’t be so hard. I had to end things with him—the risk was just too great. Even so, my chest tightened at the thought of losing him.
I sighed as my hand fell to my side.
Is he even worrying about this the way I am?
I'd been keeping a close eye on Connor, watching him to see if his memory of that night would return. It had been days, but so far, the events of that night seemed forgotten.
I needed to put my foot down and find out who Will truly was. Every time I thought it was okay to get comfortable with him, something new happened that showed me I knew absolutely nothing about him.
The fact that he had a beating heart and somehow alternated between being cold to the touch as vampires should be, and then warm, like a human, was another thing I needed more details on. For a time, I’d even wondered if he was truly a vampire. Of course, those doubts had been washed away. Nevertheless, I needed to figure him out once and for all. Was he a regular vampire, or a more powerful one? And did all vampires have such strength and skill? If they did, we were in trouble.
“Elinor!”
I froze, then looked up and realized I was already back to my house. I’d been too deep in thought to notice. When I looked to my left, I saw Ione and Nurse Hilary walking towards me. Ione’s blue eyes shone brightly as she waved at me.
&
nbsp; “Hey, Ione.” I waved back at her and walked over to meet them. “Hi, Nurse Hilary. Did you hear? Skye is awake!”
Hilary nodded as her blond hair—so much like her daughter’s—danced around her. “I did. It’s wonderful news. But there is something Ione and I need to do before I head over to Skye’s place.”
Ione’s smile stretched even further. “I’m remembering my visions now, Elinor. Just bits and pieces, but still, I can remember them.”
“Really?” I asked, sharing her excitement. Ione was an Enchanted, and a major part of her abilities included seeing visions from time to time. Her inability to remember her visions had been very frustrating for her . . . until now.
She had one of her visions in my presence not long ago. She warned me to be careful on the night of a full moon. I didn’t understand what she was talking about when she had the vision, so I’d nearly forgotten about it. At only fourteen years old, Ione had a long way to go before becoming a powerful Enchanted, but she was well on her way.
I thought back to her warning. A vampire almost killed me on a night with a full moon . . . but that was also the night I’d met Will. Had Ione seen our meeting? And if so, what else had she seen?
“That’s great,” I said, placing my hand on her shoulder.
“That’s why we need to see your father,” Hilary interjected, and the pleasant smile vanished from her face. She looked down at Ione. The corners of Ione’s mouth drew downward into an expression of profound sadness and regret.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, looking from one to the other. “Did something happen?”
Ione nodded. “It did. But I saw it too late.” She swallowed. “I had a vision of Keith.” My eyes widened at the mention of the local boy who was murdered. “I saw the moment of his death on the night of the festival. Like I said, I only recall bits and pieces, but I remember enough that I think it might help the Alpha find whoever’s behind it.”
We all started walking towards the house. I felt both excited and relieved that we might finally have a lead on who—or what—had killed one of our own. "What did you see?"
“I-I saw parts of the festival, people drinking and all. I saw Keith talking to several pack members and even Cyrus. But then things got foggy.” Ione paused at the door, and Hilary and I stopped with her. “Then my vision switched to viewing everything through Keith’s eyes. He couldn’t see who attacked him, so I couldn’t either. But I heard hissing.”
“Hissing?” I repeated. I looked at Hilary, and she nodded. “So, you’re thinking vampire, even though there were no bite marks on the body?”
She nodded again. “I know we had almost ruled out vampires, but it is possible. Not all vampires are alike. So, perhaps it could have been one of them, or any other creature we know that hisses.”
“This will help, won’t it?” Ione asked me, hope shining in her eyes. I knew she must be relieved to finally be able to use her Enchanted abilities to help the pack.
“It definitely will. Now we can narrow down the search for whoever killed him.” I opened the door for them and stepped to the side as they entered the house.
“I mean, there aren’t many creatures that hiss,” Hilary added. “I can’t help thinking it was a vampire. After all, we really know so little about them or the abilities they have. They might have developed an alternative way of feeding.”
Will.
“My guess is it was a Skin. A Bleeder wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from doing more damage,” Hilary continued. But I was lost in thought.
Hilary was right. I’d just learned that vampires had all kinds of abilities we weren't aware of. If Will could have a beating heart, was it so crazy to think that his kind might be capable of feeding without biting?
My heart throbbed in my chest. Will might know something about what had happened to Keith and the other victims. He had been at the festival, after all. Maybe he saw something? And I had to consider . . . I had no idea what he did before I saw him that night—or afterward, for that matter.
Still, there were other Skins at the festival too. Maybe they were responsible? This was giving me a headache.
“Elinor, are you okay?”
“Mm? Oh yes,” I rubbed at my temple, as Hilary continued to stare at me with concern. “Just thinking about everything, that’s all.”
She nodded. “It’s a lot to take in.”
And she didn’t even know about the other deaths yet. My father had told me what was really going on, about the other victims, from other species, from other towns. Few people knew how bad it really was.
Still, it was great that Ione could remember that vision now. My father would leave in a few days to meet up with the leaders of the other species that had lost people to this new threat. Surely this news could help in some capacity.
“Well, my father should be in his office,” I answered. As Hilary walked away, Ione remained by my side.
“I remember the vision I had of you,” she blurted out. I frowned, confused for a moment before I realized what she was speaking of. “I saw you fighting a Bleeder. It attacked you. If only I had been stronger or had remembered my vision back then, I would have been able to help. I’m sorry, Elinor. Because of me, you almost died.”
I placed my hand on her shoulder and turned her to face me, my green eyes boring into her blue ones. "Please don’t think like that. I didn't almost die because of you. I almost died because I was foolish enough to run into the forest during a full moon. I don't want you to blame yourself, okay? You're not some tool—you're just a girl trying to learn some control. I was powerful enough that night to beat those Skins, and you're getting stronger at remembering your visions. That's what matters—you’re getting stronger in your own time and with your own effort. Okay?"
“Are you sure?” she asked. I released her shoulder as I stood up straight. The way she was looking at me reminded me so much of how I used to look at my father. I used to trust his words so much.
“I’m sure,” I told her. “I’m happy you’re getting stronger. You’re one of the most important members of our pack, Ione.”
Her eyes lit up with joy. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course. No one else has such a cool gift. By the way, what about your nightmares? Have they stopped, or are you remembering them now as well?”
She shook her head. “No, those are still a mystery. But don’t worry, I’ll start remembering those soon, too, I hope. Then I’ll know why I keep having them.”
“Good.” I ruffled her hair and earned myself a semi-disgusted look, though she was still smiling. “Now go do your thing, Enchanted.” I winked at her and watched as she climbed the stairs with her mother to the second floor of the house.
I sighed once they were out of my sight. Deep down, I was worried—worried that Will might have been the one who killed Keith.
Could it have been him? And if it was, what was I going to do?
Skye
I watched Cyrus as he gazed out my window. It was almost time for bed, and other than helping my mother make dinner, he hadn’t left my side. Nurse Hilary had stopped by to remove the bandage on my neck, and he’d stayed the entire time as my silent guardian. My mother told me he was there the entire two days I slept too.
I smiled as my heart swelled with gratitude for this man. For the second time, he’d saved my life.
I gazed at him now, standing there so calmly, and then thought of the raging beast I watched him become.
“Cyrus?” I called, and he turned around instantly. “Are you okay?” He walked over to me and sat on the bed beside me. “Hilary said I can get up and move around tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I heard. That’s good news. I know you hate being stuck in bed.”
You know me too well.
“Yeah . . . Cyrus, can I talk to you about something?” I asked. He exhaled heavily, as if he had been waiting for me to say something. “In the alley . . . what happened to you? What kind of power was that?”
He turned to th
e window once more but didn’t answer right away. Then he combed his hair back and looked back at me. He closed his eyes briefly. “Black magic,” he whispered. “Magic I inherited from my father.” He picked up my hand. “Were you . . . afraid of me?”
I shook my head immediately. “No, no, of course not. I mean, you looked . . . scary, but I knew it was you. You wouldn’t hurt me. I just . . .” I sighed. “We’ve never been in a situation like that before, so of course I’d never seen that side of you. But now that I have, I can’t help wondering what else there is that I don’t know about you. We grew up together, and yet you’re still such a mystery sometimes.”
“Come on,” he chuckled, his eyes turning to slits as he smiled. “You know me. There’s not much more to know.”
I didn't smile back, and soon his smile died. And though he was trying to hide it, I could see the truth in his eyes—there were a lot of things I didn’t know about Cyrus.
“You know you can tell me anything, right?” I asked, and he frowned. I glimpsed a look of worry on his face before he turned away. “Right?” I repeated.
"I know," he answered. And while I waited for him to say more, he didn't.
Sighing, I rubbed at my temple. “I know you hide a lot of your true nature from us—from me. What you did the other day made that clear.”
“I have to,” he groaned. I took his hand, hoping he’d realize he could trust me with anything. “As much as I hate it, the fact is that I’m the son of the Demon King and a Sin. I can’t be around you and Elinor or the pack without holding back my true nature. I’ve worked too hard to have the control that I do, and I can’t be careless with that side of myself.”
“A little too much control, if you ask me,” I grumbled, and he chuckled.
"Sure, maybe a little too much, but you've been helping me with that." A mischievous smile curved the corner of his lips, and my stomach clenched at the memory of what we did—of our kiss. "We haven't talked about what happened."