Taken at Dusk (10 page)

Kylie remembered. “At Nana’s funeral I got a terrible headache.”

“That was probably them trying to get through to you. And that was before you could see them. Sometimes they can come at you all at once and it gets … difficult.”

“But if that’s the only lead I have, I have to try.”

“You don’t have to,” Holiday argued. “In the beginning, I wouldn’t have ever refused to help a spirit. But I learned that sometimes you have to say no for your own sanity.”

“But they’ll just keep coming back.”

Holiday tilted her head a bit. “Don’t you remember us talking about how to shut them out?”

Kylie frowned. “I remember, but I haven’t mastered that so well.”

“We could go over it again, but…” Holiday looked at her watch. “I have an appointment—”

“I want to help her. There’s something about her.” Kylie might not have amnesia, but there was so much about her life she didn’t know, things she wanted to know.

Holiday nodded. “I understand. And I’ll support whatever you feel is right. But just make sure you check with me before going, and … as Burnett said earlier, you’re not to go anywhere without a shadow.”

“I’m not too keen on the whole shadow thing,” she said.

“Just until we see how things go.”

Kylie bit down on her lip, remembering the other things she needed to discuss with Holiday. The whole healing and protector issues. Not to mention the questions she had about her sudden overpowering effect on Derek’s emotions.

Then there was … She would never get rid of the shadows if she confessed her other concerns. But to not discuss them was stupid. And Kylie wasn’t stupid. “Are our security cameras set for … shape-shifters?”

Holiday leaned forward. “I’m sure they are. Why?”

“It’s probably nothing, but a couple of things happened. They could be nothing, but they didn’t feel like nothing.”

Holiday stopped rolling the pencil in her hands. “What kind of things?”

“When I left to go back to the cabins, I came across a rattlesnake, but I didn’t see it until an eagle swooped down and snatched it up. It was freaky.”

“Did it go after you?” Concern darkened her green eyes.

“No, it never got the chance. But the whole thing was just strange.”

“Strange like how?”

“The eagle just swooped down.” Kylie suddenly felt as if she were overreacting.

Holiday added, “Rattlesnakes are prevalent this time of year, and I admit seeing an eagle swoop down might be—”

Kylie didn’t wait for Holiday to continue. “And then when I went to … run in the woods, a deer—a big buck—came hurtling onto my path. I stopped and, not a split second later, lightning struck right past the deer. If the deer hadn’t stopped me, I might have been hit.”

Holiday frowned. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

“And the deer and the eagle, they … looked right at me as if they were trying to tell me something.”

Holiday’s brow wrinkled. “You think you can communicate with animals?”

“No. I don’t think that. They looked evil.”

Holiday tilted her head to the side. “The deer and the eagle appeared evil?” When Kylie nodded, Holiday looked even more perplexed and worried. “With two of these strange things happening, I can’t believe they are accidents. However, if I’m understanding you, both the eagle and the deer saved you from getting hurt. How could they have been evil? If anything, they were protecting you.”

Kylie pulled a handful of hair over her shoulder and twisted it. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but it felt that way.”

Holiday set the pencil on her desk and reached for her phone. “We’d better let Burnett … Wait.” She put down her phone. “Burnett left to have a meeting with the FRU. I don’t want to disturb him now, but I’ll tell him about this as soon as he gets back.”

Kylie heard the front door of the cabin open.

Holiday looked at her watch and frowned. “I have another meeting, but we need to talk more about this. Can you wait until I finish so we can continue this?”

“I can come back later,” Kylie said, not really wanting to hang out at the office. It would make her feel like a kid sent to the principal’s office. “Oh, does Burnett still need the pictures of my dad? If not, I’d like to have them back.”

“He’s having them tested to see if they are originals or copies. It shouldn’t be more than a few days.”

“Hi,” came an unfamiliar female voice from behind Kylie. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had someone in here. I can wait in the—”

“It’s fine,” Holiday said.

Kylie’s heart did a little tumble when she recognized the brunette as the one who’d been plastered to Derek in the picture on Della’s phone.

“Kylie,” Holiday said, “this is Ellie Mason. She’s signing up for Shadow Falls.”

Showtime, Kylie thought. Time to pretend it didn’t hurt. She forced a smile. “Hi.”

“Are you Kylie Galen?”

Kylie nodded, unsure what to expect.

“Derek told me about you.” She smiled, then tightened her brows to check out Kylie’s brain pattern. “Wow. You do have an odd pattern.” She made a funny face as if embarrassed.

“Yeah,” Kylie said. “Everyone tells me that.” Her forced smile melted.

“I’m sorry,” Ellie said. “I didn’t mean to be rude. Derek has nothing but great things to say about you.”

“Don’t believe everything he says.” Kylie attempted to soften her tone because she felt like a bitch for not liking her. But how could she like Ellie when all Kylie could think about was how Ellie was most likely one of the four girls Derek had slept with? Then she wondered if a kiss was all they’d shared in Pennsylvania.

“I always believe Derek. Especially about people.” Ellie took another step inside.

Kylie hated to admit it, but Ellie was pretty. Blue eyes, thick brown hair, and dimples.

Ellie’s sincere smile widened. “Derek doesn’t tend to exaggerate. And being half-fae, he’s a good judge of character. If he likes someone, they deserve it.”

Kylie wished she could have disagreed. Not so much because she didn’t want to be considered deserving. But because Derek obviously cared for Ellie enough to bring her back here, which meant Ellie was a deserving person.

The being-a-bitch feeling hit again, and Kylie tried to push it back. “Maybe I caught him on an off day.” She attempted to put some teasing in her voice and stood up. “I should go.”

“Kylie, why don’t I drop by your cabin in about half an hour?” Holiday asked, concern deepening her tone.

Kylie nodded.

“And be careful,” Holiday said.

“I will.” Kylie stopped when she neared Ellie. “Welcome to Shadow Falls.” And she tried to mean it.

“Thank you,” Ellie said.

*   *   *

“Is my vampire hearing off? Did you actually say, ‘Welcome to Shadow Falls’?” Della asked sarcastically when Kylie got outside. “I would have bitch-slapped her.”

“No, you wouldn’t have.” Kylie noticed the stormy weather had passed.

“Maybe not, but I would have wanted to.” Concern shaded Della’s eyes.

“And you think I didn’t?” Insecurities rained down on Kylie. “She’s pretty, isn’t she?”

“No,” Della said, but Kylie knew it was a lie. Ellie was pretty and nice and she’d probably had sex with Derek.

Kylie’s chest swelled with unwanted jealousy, and her mind created an image of Ellie and Derek together. Of them kissing … of them …

She started walking toward her cabin. Walking fast. Della stayed with her, but somehow she must have sensed Kylie’s mood, because she didn’t say anything else.

Kylie got to their cabin without speaking, but once she stepped up onto the porch, she faced Della. “Do you think they had sex?”

“I…” Della made an odd face.

“I know I shouldn’t care. But I guess I do. And damn it, why does it seem that it all goes back to sex? I’m beginning to hate sex and I haven’t had it yet. I’ve got these images flashing in my head. It’s like a porn movie and I just keep seeing them—”

Della pressed her hand over Kylie’s mouth and shifted her gaze to a point over Kylie’s shoulder.

Kylie reached up and peeled Della’s hand from her lips. “Is someone standing behind me?” She prayed the answer was no.

Della’s sassy smile told Kylie her prayer hadn’t been answered.

Swallowing a lump of embarrassment, she tried to imagine the worst person possible standing behind her. Ellie? Derek? No. She met Della’s eyes again and mouthed the word
Lucas
.

Please. Please. Please don’t let it be Lucas.

Della nodded. Kylie bit back a moan. Not quite ready to face him, she stared out at the woods. Through a maze of trees, she saw the sun slip lower in the horizon. She wished she could follow it and disappear.

“Can you give us a minute?” Lucas’s voice came right over her shoulder.

Knowing it was inevitable, Kylie turned. Her face burned when she recalled what she’d said about a porn movie and her whole “I hate sex” conversation. Great!

“Can’t,” Della answered. “I’m her shadow.”

“Well, I’m taking over,” he said, almost growling.

“It’s okay,” Kylie said to Della.

Della frowned. “If something happens to her on my shift, I swear I’ll be all over your wolf ass.”

“Nothing’s going to happen.” His blue eyes grew darker, and around the edges, Kylie saw flecks of burnt orange, which meant anger.

Kylie couldn’t help wondering if that was targeted at Della or—

“Fine.” Della stormed inside. But not without slamming the door so hard, the porch shook.

Kylie met Lucas’s gaze. He still looked half-pissed.

“Let’s take a walk,” he said.

Kylie recalled how he’d stiffened earlier when she’d taken up for Derek. Was he angry at her, too? The thought of hurting him when he’d risked his life to save her made her stomach clutch. He didn’t deserve that, not that she’d meant to hurt him. But neither did Derek deserve to be blamed for trying to help her.

He started off the porch and looked back.

His eyes were a brighter orange now. Kylie remembered a time she would have freaked out at seeing an angry werewolf. Heck, she remembered a time when she hadn’t believed werewolves existed, angry or not.

“You coming?” Lucas asked.

Chapter Nine

She could say no, but she didn’t want to. She followed him. The sun hung low, but its light clung to the sky. However, once they moved into the woods and under the umbrella of the trees, the remnants of daylight faded into dusk. They walked without talking.

She remembered the dead bird and the ghost’s announcement that someone else was out there. Fear brushed against Kylie’s neck. Almost as if she could feel the hot breath of something evil on her nape, she reached up and tried to brush away the sensation. Everything seemed to grow darker.

“Should we be going into the woods?” She heard a rustle and looked to her left. And she walked right into Lucas’s back, unaware that he’d stopped. He turned and she saw him lift up his face as if to sniff the air.

“You’re scared of me?” he asked.

Even through the dimness she could see anger in his expression.

“No. I’m scared of … other things.” She didn’t know what to call them.

“Scared Derek will hear you went off with me?” His tone came with accusation.

“No.”

He swung back around and commenced walking again. She matched his steps. He stopped abruptly and faced her again.

“I said I’d be patient and I will, but I won’t be made a fool of.”

“I didn’t make a fool of you,” she insisted.

“You stood up for Derek.”

“I just stated the facts. You were wrong to blame Derek.” Her throat tightened again. She’d been fighting tears all day, and this time when they crawled up her throat, she was helpless.

She turned away, hoping to stop them before he saw. But when she reached up to swipe away the first tear, he caught her hand. How he could have moved in front of her without making a sound was unnerving.

He let go of a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to upset you, it’s just…”

She tried to tell him it wasn’t him making her cry, but the concern in his tone had the knot in her throat doubling in size. The next thing she knew she was against his chest, her tears and almost silent sobs being absorbed by his pale blue T-shirt and his extra warm chest.

His arms were around her and she felt his cheek resting on top of her head. She felt safe. Safe and something else. She felt cherished. The way his arms held her, the way every inch of him embraced her—she wanted to stay here. Savor it.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, her face still buried against him. “I shouldn’t be sliming up your shirt.”

“Is it over?” His words tickled the top of her head.

“Is what over? My crying?” She wasn’t ready to give up the wall of muscle or having his arms around her. Nor was she ready to let him see her all red and splotchy.

“No. You and Derek.” His tone deepened, and she sensed it was hard for him to even ask the question.

“Yeah.” She nodded her head against him.

His arms tightened around her. She almost sighed because it felt so good.

“Then you’re welcome to slime my shirt,” he said, and the undercurrent of anger vanished. “I don’t have a lot of rules, but that’s one of them. Only uncommitted girls can slime my shirt.”

She chuckled.

“Is that a smile I feel against my chest?” His words stirred her hair.

“A slimy one.” She snaked her hand up between their bodies to clear her face before looking up.

“I’ll bet it’s still beautiful.”

He inched back, and in the dark woodsy light, she felt his eyes on her.

“You might lose the bet.” She wanted to cover her face but would feel silly doing it.

“You’re right, I would have lost.” He laughed. “You don’t cry pretty.”

She thumped his solid chest with her palm. He laughed again.

“Come on.” He fitted his hand in hers and started walking again, deeper into the woods. With the night sounds around them, she tuned her ears and waited for it to go silent—for something bad to suddenly appear.

She gave his hand a slight pull. “Let’s go back the other way.”

He turned and studied her. “What are you afraid of?”

“If we walk out of the woods, I’ll tell you.” She tried to make light of the dread gnawing at her gut.