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Clara moved to the side of the bed, tossing a glance at Eagan. He stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest staring at the floor. She looked at Bethany.
“I don’t want to get him in trouble,” she said quietly.
She knew he’d hear, but so what. It had been weighing on her conscience ever since he’d thrown her over his shoulder and marched her to his cabin. He felt some obligation to keep her out of trouble. It wasn’t fair for him to lose his family over her.
Bethany’s lips curled into a sad smile. “Oh, you’re special,” she whispered. Not in a condescending way. But like she was truly surprised. She turned her attention toward Eagan. “I wonder if there’s such a thing as a Halloween miracle?” She raised one eyebrow at him.
“I hope so,” he muttered almost to himself, and kicked his foot up on the wall behind him. His stance was casual, but his expression was anything but.
Bethany stepped closer to him, and Clara had the urge to glue herself to his side.
“None of us think you’re a monster, Eagan. You just need to explain to them what’s happening. Especially Magic. He’s taking this hard.”
Whatwas happening? Clara wanted to tell them to quit speaking in code and explain this to her.
Eagan nodded. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.” His tone didn’t sound convinced.
“Bailey’s manning the kitchen. Renner and Owyn are talking Magic down. Layna is taking care of business. Everything is going to be fine. Just… tell him. Tell him what I see here. Make him understand.” She hesitated. “Like Renner did.”
Eagan gave her another non-committal nod.
Bethany shot Clara an encouraging smile and then strolled to the door. “Tell Clara too, Eagan. Nothing sucks worse than being a human in the dark.”
Clara agreed with that statement. Wholeheartedly.
* * *
The brush was thickthis far off the path. It was barely noon and the sun beat through the orange and gold tent of leaves, whisking away the chill of the autumn morning. But the promise of a crisp nightfall was never more than a breath away.
Clara turned right at the rock she’d set for a marker.
Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she shouldn’t trust him this much yet.
But how could she not? He’d taken care of her, kept her notebook to himself even at the cost of alienating his clan, and when she would have been caught, he’d made a way for her to escape. She had to believe that he was helping her because he saw through all the bad to something good in her. She was his mate, but it had to be more. Had to be, or he wouldn’t risk his family. She had to believe she wasn’t too far gone.
“Almost there,” she called behind her.
After she’d agreed to take him to her camp, Eagan had gone quiet. He seemed lost in thought. But his steps were steady behind hers as they crunched through twigs and fallen leaves.
“You’re smart,” he murmured. “You picked a good area to hide out in.”
“Not hide out,” she corrected. “I’m not on the run. Well… I guess I could be if Magic had called the cops.”
“I just meant, this is solitary enough no one would happen upon you. Not even one of the cats. We like to stretch our legs in these woods but generally we don’t go out this far.”
Clara smiled. “You wouldn’t have found me anyway.”
Eagan barked out a laugh. “That right?”
“Mm hm. I’m very good at hermitting.”
They stopped when they reached a cluster of thick saplings and vines that spanned a twenty foot gap between older trees. Here, the cover was so thick it was almost impossible to see through. Any place thin enough to offer a peek, only revealed rock that bled into the mountain.
“Here we are,” she said.
“Here?” His tone was skeptical.
“Yep.”
