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“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t know you were watching me. I just…I just wanted to forget for a while.”

“Lauren, you can’t erase your problems with alcohol. I’m forbidding you from using it. You don’t see anyone socially without my approval. You hear me?” Sam growled, and a squealing sound came through the charm, making us cover our ears and flinch.

“Yes, Alpha,” came the woman’s sarcastic response, and I jumped out of the chair when I heard what sounded like a smack on flesh.

“Wait, Char!” Zoe called, but I was already rushing to the door.

When I threw it open, the woman was running off toward the woods as Sam watched, hands fisted and skin rippling with his wolf close to the surface.

“Sam,” I said, getting his attention. But when he turned toward me with bright silver eyes and a crimson aura, I took a step back toward the door.

Zoe crashed through a second later, almost smacking into me, and by the time I looked back at Sam, he was in control again, grinning like we’d just shared a joke.

“Sorry, ladies. Let’s go back inside.”

“Actually, I think I’m ready to go home,” I said, glancing toward Mabel’s car, hoping she’d seen whatever went down.

“That’s a shame. But I’m looking forward to Friday night. Don’t forget, I pick you up at seven. I have big plans for us.” He leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek, his scruff rubbing against my skin as a vision took hold of me.

Sam and Julian fought shirtless, growling and clawing at each other as I rushed toward them. It was gone as soon as it came, and I barely felt Zoe tugging me inside to pay the bill.

When we finished and stepped back outside, Mabel was nowhere to be found. Zoe tried to call her but only got an old-fashioned busy signal.

“She was here before. I saw the car,” I said, squinting at the spot in case the whole car went invisible. “Do you think she’s okay?”

“She’s a ghost. How not okay can she be?” Zoe shrugged. “Come on. No one’s here, I’ll portal us home.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I whispered, glancing around but seeing no auras hiding in the nearby tree line. “I don’t mind walking. We just won’t cut through the forest.”

But Zoe already straddled the portal to our living room. I hurried through so she could close it up.

“Everything okay?” Mama asked with a hand over the bottom of her cell phone.

“Fine. I’m going to bed,” I said, headed for my room at the front of the house.

“Someone’s got a date on Friday!” Zoe squealed behind me, and I winced before shutting the door and kicking off my shoes.

Chapter 7

Picnic Time

“Are you going to teach me to use a weapon?” I asked, splayed on my back on the soft grass of the basement. I’d tried to block it out, but the awkward chase through the woods the night before wouldn’t leave me alone.

“First, we need to get you used to some self-defense moves. You’re doing great!”

I rolled my head to the side to glare at Daphne as she beamed at me. Then I accepted the magic water and guzzled.

“Your best weapons are your brain and your voice, Char.”

Wiping my arm across my mouth, I considered. “Honestly, if I’m truly in danger, I’d likely just use my mind-bending or telekinesis. It’s worked for me so far. I just hate using that—especially the mind-bending. It feels…wrong.”

“If it saves your life, it’s not wrong,” Daphne chided, taking the empty bottle from me.

“I don’t suppose you would know about a humanoid bat creature that lives in the woods?” I asked, changing the subject. Sort of.

Daphne blinked. “You mean Oscar? What about him?”

Oscar? I proceeded to recount what had happened on my way home the night before.