“Just wait.”
The wolf pauses in the small clearing below, and his fur melts away as his form straightens and elongates until my friend stands there, already dressed in jeans and a worn T-shirt. Magic comes in handy for shifting without losing anything.
"You can come down now," Josh calls out. "I made sure no one followed me."
That's good enough for me. Bane’s my cousin and best friend. He and Josh are family; they wouldn't betray me. Marlow isn't so convinced. He stops me before I can jump down to meet my friend.
"He still doesn't have a backpack."
True. I was expecting the supplies to appear when he shifted. But that doesn't mean anything suspicious is going on.
"Then I'll go find out what's up."
"No, you shouldn't—Wynn, wait!"
I drop from the rocky outcrop, landing softly on the forest floor.
It's not a trap. And if it is a trap, is that really the worst thing in the world? Sure Marlow might spend the rest of his life in prison for a crime he didn't commit and I might do some jailtime myself for helping him. But we won't have to talk about the kiss if we’re arrested first.
Okay. Prison is worse. Prison is definitely worse, even if one extra uncomfortable conversation somehowseemsworse, just a little bit.
In a few strides, I reach Josh and pull him into a tight hug.
Josh returns the embrace. "You're an idiot," he mutters, but there's no real anger in his voice.
When we pull apart, Marlow lurks behind us, eyeing our new ally suspiciously. "Where are the supplies?"
"Back at my car.”
"Oh hell no," the demon objects. "Absolutely not. We're not going to your car."
"Do you really have supplies?" I wonder, noticing the way he avoids eye contact as he answers.
"Yes!" Josh promises. Met with two sets of skeptical eyes, he looks away and fidgets. "Totally. Let's just go check… And if they're not there, no big deal. I forgot them at home."
Marlow points an accusing finger at Josh. "See? I knew it. This is a trap."
"No, it's not," both Josh and I say.
"Well, not the kind of trap you're thinking," I tell the demon.
Josh won’t hand us over to the authorities. Josh and his mate are making sure I accept their help.
Sure enough, Josh says, "Come back home with me. You'll have everything you need, and you can hide out in the apartment for as long as it takes."
“Don’t want you involved.” I can’t let them pay for my actions.
"In case it's not clear, Bane and Iwantto be involved,” Josh insists. “Let us help. You need it. Are you telling me you don’t need magic or a way into the city?"
Okay, he has me there. But that's not the point. “You and Bane shouldn’t take this risk, not because of me.”
“Sitting around wondering how much trouble you're in isn't doing us any good. Bane’s been going nuts ever since you left," Josh counters.
Yikes. I can only imagine how much he must be losing his mind. I never wanted him to worry about me. "How did he even know what was happening?"
Josh glances between me and Marlow. “He read between the lines and just had a feeling after you texted him.”
Something tells me that's the short version and I'm grateful he doesn't elaborate. Bane could tell Marlow got under my skin and I'd rather the demon not hear all about that.
