ideas. If I couldn’t come up with some other way to save her, would I eventually give in and do what the demon wanted?
I left the kitchen and went to the back door. I stood there a moment, unsure I wanted to leave Sienna in the house alone. Jeremy was watching her and I’d only asked for him to stay for a few minutes, yet I wasn’t ready to go upstairs to start my own vigil.
The door made hardly a sound as I opened it. Jeremy would understand. He’d watch Sienna as long as I needed him to.
The night was cool on my skin as I stepped outside. I breathed it in, let it seep into my pores in the hopes it would help clear my mind. It had been far too long since I’d taken some time to myself to simply relax.
The path was just barely visible in the dark. I was still struggling to see at night, which was starting to worry me. I’d never been as good as a werewolf at seeing in the dark, but I used to be a lot better than this. I really hoped there wasn’t something wrong with me on top of everything else.
It didn’t take long to reach my destination. I could just barely see the lights from the house through the trees. If something were to happen, I’d be able to hear Jeremy’s call.
I knelt in front of the plain stone beneath the tree and rested my hand upon it. It felt cold, lifeless. I shivered.
“What should I do?” I asked Thomas’s grave. “I don’t want to mess this up.”
A rustle in the trees brought my head up, but I couldn’t see anything. I listened for a long moment before returning my gaze to the stone.
I’d gotten better at suppressing the guilt over my brother’s death over the last few months. He wouldn’t have wanted to live as the monster he’d become. This was better.
Still . . . I’d been the one to kill him. Could he ever forgive me for something like that, even if he might have wanted it? I had to believe he would.
“Watch over me, okay?” I asked, speaking under my breath. “I need that right about now.”
I felt a tingle on the back of my neck and stood. There was another faint rustle. It could have been the breeze rattling the leaves or it could have been a small animal hopping from one branch to another.
Or it could be someone trying to sneak up on me.
There were eyes on me; I was sure of it. I couldn’t tell if they were humanoid or not. There was no way I was going to head deeper into the woods to find out, especially with how poorly I was able to see.
Besides, I told myself as I hurried back to the house, you don’t have your weapons; they’re inside.
I slipped into the house, my entire body crawling with the knowledge that something was out there. I closed the door behind me. It locked automatically, thanks to Ethan’s adjustments.
I stood by the door for a good long minute, scanning the trees for any hint of movement. It wasn’t like me to get spooked so easily, but I was positive I hadn’t been out there alone.
Nothing had come barreling out of the trees at me, so I had to assume I’d either freaked myself out over nothing or whoever or whatever was out there was content to watch. I turned and headed upstairs to find Jeremy leaning against the wall just outside my bedroom door.
“You can take my room . . .” He trailed off and frowned when he saw me. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” The feeling of being watched had faded when I’d moved away from the door. “I think someone might be outside.”
Jeremy straightened. “Did you see them?”
“No,” I admitted. “I felt them.”
“I’ll go look.”
I nodded, knowing he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’d taken it as his job to keep the property clear of would-be watchers. I wasn’t about to take that away from him.
I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest and waited. I was almost positive I’d hear Jeremy cry out and then a dozen well-armed wolves would burst in, but the minutes passed and I heard nothing.
Eventually Ethan came upstairs. He looked
I left the kitchen and went to the back door. I stood there a moment, unsure I wanted to leave Sienna in the house alone. Jeremy was watching her and I’d only asked for him to stay for a few minutes, yet I wasn’t ready to go upstairs to start my own vigil.
The door made hardly a sound as I opened it. Jeremy would understand. He’d watch Sienna as long as I needed him to.
The night was cool on my skin as I stepped outside. I breathed it in, let it seep into my pores in the hopes it would help clear my mind. It had been far too long since I’d taken some time to myself to simply relax.
The path was just barely visible in the dark. I was still struggling to see at night, which was starting to worry me. I’d never been as good as a werewolf at seeing in the dark, but I used to be a lot better than this. I really hoped there wasn’t something wrong with me on top of everything else.
It didn’t take long to reach my destination. I could just barely see the lights from the house through the trees. If something were to happen, I’d be able to hear Jeremy’s call.
I knelt in front of the plain stone beneath the tree and rested my hand upon it. It felt cold, lifeless. I shivered.
“What should I do?” I asked Thomas’s grave. “I don’t want to mess this up.”
A rustle in the trees brought my head up, but I couldn’t see anything. I listened for a long moment before returning my gaze to the stone.
I’d gotten better at suppressing the guilt over my brother’s death over the last few months. He wouldn’t have wanted to live as the monster he’d become. This was better.
Still . . . I’d been the one to kill him. Could he ever forgive me for something like that, even if he might have wanted it? I had to believe he would.
“Watch over me, okay?” I asked, speaking under my breath. “I need that right about now.”
I felt a tingle on the back of my neck and stood. There was another faint rustle. It could have been the breeze rattling the leaves or it could have been a small animal hopping from one branch to another.
Or it could be someone trying to sneak up on me.
There were eyes on me; I was sure of it. I couldn’t tell if they were humanoid or not. There was no way I was going to head deeper into the woods to find out, especially with how poorly I was able to see.
Besides, I told myself as I hurried back to the house, you don’t have your weapons; they’re inside.
I slipped into the house, my entire body crawling with the knowledge that something was out there. I closed the door behind me. It locked automatically, thanks to Ethan’s adjustments.
I stood by the door for a good long minute, scanning the trees for any hint of movement. It wasn’t like me to get spooked so easily, but I was positive I hadn’t been out there alone.
Nothing had come barreling out of the trees at me, so I had to assume I’d either freaked myself out over nothing or whoever or whatever was out there was content to watch. I turned and headed upstairs to find Jeremy leaning against the wall just outside my bedroom door.
“You can take my room . . .” He trailed off and frowned when he saw me. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” The feeling of being watched had faded when I’d moved away from the door. “I think someone might be outside.”
Jeremy straightened. “Did you see them?”
“No,” I admitted. “I felt them.”
“I’ll go look.”
I nodded, knowing he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’d taken it as his job to keep the property clear of would-be watchers. I wasn’t about to take that away from him.
I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest and waited. I was almost positive I’d hear Jeremy cry out and then a dozen well-armed wolves would burst in, but the minutes passed and I heard nothing.
Eventually Ethan came upstairs. He looked
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