remain on the island. It was so far away that no one who was sent there could ever return, assuming they survived long enough to be able to try.
There be demons there , one of the oldest wolves had warned the children one day when Luca was small.
What do you want of me? he thought, wondering if the gods could actually hear him. Why would you compel me to come back here to find her, knowing that she would try to lead me to that place?
Have I committed some crime?
“Who did I harm?” he whispered aloud.
Katrin? He’d rejected her completely, after she’d given him her love and support nearly all her life.
His brother?
Someone else?
Weary beyond the telling of it, he stepped back into the bedroom and found that Allison had indeed fallen asleep, curled on her side with her beautiful red hair spilling over the white pillow like a sheet of flame. He thought about lying down beside her and surrendering himself to sleep, but the wolf was restless inside him.
This place wasn’t isolated, like the old barn; most of the other rooms were occupied, and it was still early enough that people might be coming and going. But it was fully dark out now, and a few hundred yards behind the building, there was a thick stand of trees running downhill.
Still naked, he climbed out the bathroom window, crouched in the shadows behind the building long enough to transform, then ran swiftly toward the woods.
Fourteen
“Oh, there’s no problem,” Julie said. “Why would there be a problem? You’re my maid of honor, but you keep disappearing on me, or not showing up at all. I have no idea where you’re going to be from one minute to the next. And then there’s Luca. He said he was coming to Matt’s bachelor party, but Matt said there’s no sign of him either.”
Her voice didn’t convey any hurt, or anger, or disappointment; her tone was very matter-of-fact.
Her eyes said something completely different.
“I was right,” she went on, still outwardly unbothered. “You two are perfect for each other. You’re both completely self-involved. You have no interest at all in other people’s feelings. You’re a perfect match. You should set up a blog so you can teach people how to do that. It’s awesome.”
The words cut like a laser beam—mostly because Julie was absolutely right.
“I’m sorry,” Allison said softly, as sincerely as she could manage.
She’d been a complete jerk ever since she’d run into Luca in the old neighborhood. Ever since then, Julie’s needs had run a very distant second, and even now, it was tough for Allison to focus on her friend rather than on Luca.
Given that this was supposed to be the most memorable week of Julie’s life, that was a pretty huge transgression. The trouble was, it was also turning into the most memorable week of Allison’s life, one that had left her exhausted and bewildered a dozen times already.
“Are you going to not show up for the wedding?” Julie demanded. “If you aren’t, tell me now.”
“Of course not. I mean, of course I’ll be there.”
“ Are you?”
“Julie, I…”
A few yards away, Gina was talking to one of the guys manning the door at Stitch, a club that hadn’t been here during their college days. It was the hot new thing in town, and one of Julie’s favorite bands was playing tonight. Gina had found out their schedule ahead of time and had insisted on holding Julie’s bachelorette party at the club.
In theory, all the arrangements for the party were Allison’s responsibility, but since she lived so far away and Gina was local, Gina had grabbed hold of the reins a couple of months ago—and Allison had let her.
What, exactly, Gina was talking to that guy about, Allison had no idea. They were both grinning a lot.
Julie wasn’t paying any attention. She was watching someone in a blue convertible trying to maneuver into a parking space that might have been big enough for a Mini. Her bland expression had turned into a deep, fiery
There be demons there , one of the oldest wolves had warned the children one day when Luca was small.
What do you want of me? he thought, wondering if the gods could actually hear him. Why would you compel me to come back here to find her, knowing that she would try to lead me to that place?
Have I committed some crime?
“Who did I harm?” he whispered aloud.
Katrin? He’d rejected her completely, after she’d given him her love and support nearly all her life.
His brother?
Someone else?
Weary beyond the telling of it, he stepped back into the bedroom and found that Allison had indeed fallen asleep, curled on her side with her beautiful red hair spilling over the white pillow like a sheet of flame. He thought about lying down beside her and surrendering himself to sleep, but the wolf was restless inside him.
This place wasn’t isolated, like the old barn; most of the other rooms were occupied, and it was still early enough that people might be coming and going. But it was fully dark out now, and a few hundred yards behind the building, there was a thick stand of trees running downhill.
Still naked, he climbed out the bathroom window, crouched in the shadows behind the building long enough to transform, then ran swiftly toward the woods.
Fourteen
“Oh, there’s no problem,” Julie said. “Why would there be a problem? You’re my maid of honor, but you keep disappearing on me, or not showing up at all. I have no idea where you’re going to be from one minute to the next. And then there’s Luca. He said he was coming to Matt’s bachelor party, but Matt said there’s no sign of him either.”
Her voice didn’t convey any hurt, or anger, or disappointment; her tone was very matter-of-fact.
Her eyes said something completely different.
“I was right,” she went on, still outwardly unbothered. “You two are perfect for each other. You’re both completely self-involved. You have no interest at all in other people’s feelings. You’re a perfect match. You should set up a blog so you can teach people how to do that. It’s awesome.”
The words cut like a laser beam—mostly because Julie was absolutely right.
“I’m sorry,” Allison said softly, as sincerely as she could manage.
She’d been a complete jerk ever since she’d run into Luca in the old neighborhood. Ever since then, Julie’s needs had run a very distant second, and even now, it was tough for Allison to focus on her friend rather than on Luca.
Given that this was supposed to be the most memorable week of Julie’s life, that was a pretty huge transgression. The trouble was, it was also turning into the most memorable week of Allison’s life, one that had left her exhausted and bewildered a dozen times already.
“Are you going to not show up for the wedding?” Julie demanded. “If you aren’t, tell me now.”
“Of course not. I mean, of course I’ll be there.”
“ Are you?”
“Julie, I…”
A few yards away, Gina was talking to one of the guys manning the door at Stitch, a club that hadn’t been here during their college days. It was the hot new thing in town, and one of Julie’s favorite bands was playing tonight. Gina had found out their schedule ahead of time and had insisted on holding Julie’s bachelorette party at the club.
In theory, all the arrangements for the party were Allison’s responsibility, but since she lived so far away and Gina was local, Gina had grabbed hold of the reins a couple of months ago—and Allison had let her.
What, exactly, Gina was talking to that guy about, Allison had no idea. They were both grinning a lot.
Julie wasn’t paying any attention. She was watching someone in a blue convertible trying to maneuver into a parking space that might have been big enough for a Mini. Her bland expression had turned into a deep, fiery
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