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“But—”
“Just till the end of today.”
I knew that voice. It was reserved for times like now when he was to be taken seriously. I lay back and sighed. I needed to get to Millie, and I could only hope she was waiting for me and not Bruno.
Millie
I pulledup to the address Becca had sent me and marveled at the quietness of the town. It was even smaller than Crystal Lake, which I hadn’t thought was possible.
I stood by my car and breathed in the fresh air. A tingle went through me as if my body was telling me I was home, that this was where I belonged. With nature. In solitude. Not gallivanting around the world like Lira and my parents did.
“You must be Millie,” a voice called out.
I looked toward the complex and saw a beautiful girl walking toward me. Her purple hair had an underlying dark brown shade, and she had big doe eyes. I felt puny compared to her and found myself wanting to become smaller so she wouldn’t notice me too much. But then I remembered I’d vowed I was going to be more like Lira and forced myself to stand up straighter. Pretending I was at the gallery selling art to customers, I stuck out my hand in greeting, but she enveloped me in a hug instead.
After a tight squeeze, she pushed back, but left her hands on my shoulders as she studied me. “You’re very pretty.”
“Thank you,” I managed to reply, completely taken aback.
For a second, I thought she was sniffing me, but I told myself that was crazy. What person would go around sniffing others?
“I like you. I see why they’re fighting over you,” she said.
“Wh-what?”
But before the girl could explain, Becca came running out of the complex. “Millie! You made it!”
She enveloped me in a second hug, and I relished the thought that in just the short time of arriving, I’d had more physical touch than I could remember.
Becca pulled back and swept her arm at the other girl. “I see you’ve met Sandy. She’s the boys’ older sister.”
“Except Dredge, that is. He’s the oldest of us all,” Sandy said. “Never let him know that you didn’t include that little tidbit.”
Becca laughed.
Looking at Becca, I asked, “Is this your home?”
Sandy swept her hand in a flourish at the building in front of us. “This istheMcCullough pack abode.” She then burst into a fit of laughter, Becca following suit.
“What’s so funny?” I asked them once they’d both calmed down. “Your family owns this whole place, right?”
“Yes, that’s true. But this,” Sandy said, pointing at the building, “is just a regular apartment building, shaped like a lodge to blend into the forest. It’s our way of enticing tourists here.”
“Do you get many who come here?” I asked.
“You’d be surprised,” Sandy said. “Humans—”
“Are nature bound by nature, pun intended,” Becca said.
I saw a look pass between Becca and Sandy but didn’t have time to dwell on it as Becca was already walking toward the entrance and gesturing at me to follow.
“Let’s go in and get you unpacked. You must be exhausted from all the driving. I got us two two-bedroom apartments so that we can all be together this weekend. Jill and Sandy will be in one room, and you’ll be staying with me.”
We made our way up to the fourth floor, and Becca stopped in front of Unit 423.
“I’m going to go freshen up. Millie, I’m so happy you’re here,” Sandy said, grabbing hold of my hands and pulling me in for another big hug. “I just know we’re going to be like sisters.”
Becca cleared her throat behind us, and Sandy let go. Giving me one last hug, Sandy left us to enter the room next door.
