Hemlock (31 page)

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

“And Jason?”

“Would never have hurt you.” Whatever moments of doubt I’d

“Would never have hurt you.” Whatever moments of doubt I’d had after talking to Bishop had passed.

“You sound so sure.” Amy leaned forward, eyes twinkling, almost like she was enjoying herself. “How wel do you realy know him? After al, you didn’t know he was in love with you.”

I blushed and pushed my hair back, using the gesture as an excuse to look away. Was that realy true? Had there ever been hints that I ignored? Glances and touches and words that should have set off alarm bels?

“Busted,” she whispered. “Maybe you don’t want to think Jason could have done it because you secretly get off on the idea that he’s into you.”

I met Amy’s eyes. I tried to remind myself that it wasn’t her, that the real Amy wouldn’t have said it, but then I remembered everything I had learned. How wel had I realy known my best friend? “Why don’t you just tel me who did it? Was it even a werewolf?”

She shrugged. “How should I know? I’m just a figment of your imagination.” She stared down at her shirt. “Gross.” A red stain spread out from her shoulder and was quickly joined by a second and a third until the fabric was so saturated with blood that it clung to her.

Amy looked up at me, a bewildered expression on her face. “I don’t know why it keeps doing that.”

I gasped as my body jerked back to consciousness. Against al odds, I had somehow falen asleep.

I had a moment of heart-seizing panic when I realized that I had lost my grip on Kyle’s hand. But then I noticed that he was lying on lost my grip on Kyle’s hand. But then I noticed that he was lying on his side—not on his back, as he had been when I dozed off. And the hand I had been holding was now resting on my hip, two fingers hooked through a belt loop on my jeans.

“Kyle?” It was barely more than my lips forming the shape of his name, but his eyes opened. Warm and brown and maybe the single most comforting sight I’d ever seen.

“Sorry,” he said. “You looked exhausted. I thought I should let you sleep.”

My hand flew to my mouth, trying to muffle a noise that was halfway between a shout and a sob. And then I was crying—so hard and so fast that it hurt.

“Shhhh.” Kyle puled me against his chest. “It’s okay. I’m okay.

I’m fine.”

I heard feet pounding on the stairs and the creak of the door and I stiffened.

“It’s al right,” murmured Kyle. “It’s just Serena.”

The door clicked closed and I sucked in deep breaths, trying to stop the flood of tears. I’d heard of people weeping because they were happy, but this was from sheer relief.

Kyle reached for a blanket at the foot of the bed and draped it over my shoulders. He looked perfect and whole; there wasn’t a trace of the injuries he’d gotten last night.

“Out of curiosity,” he said, “where are we?”

“Henry’s,” I gasped.

“Right. Henry’s. How stupid of me.” He smoothed the hair back from my forehead and then clumsily tried to wipe the tears from my cheeks. “Don’t suppose you could tel me who Henry is?”

I took a deep, shuddery breath. “A werewolf Serena and Trey know. We’re about twenty minutes from town, out near the lake.”

I closed my eyes. “You almost died,” I accused, curling closer against him.

Kyle planted a light kiss on my forehead. “Sorry. Wasn’t planned.”

“Just don’t do it again.”

He chuckled, a low rumble deep in his chest. “I’l try not to.”

“I’m serious.” I titled my head back so I could study his face, and Kyle brushed his lips against mine.

“I know,” he said, voice thick. He cleared his throat. “Is Serena’s little brother al right?”

I nodded. “Trey got him out.”

“Jason?”

“He’s okay.” I assumed he was okay, at least.

Relief slid across Kyle’s face. He leaned in for another kiss.

I fisted my hand in the sheet wrapped around his waist as he gently pressed his lips to mine. I had almost lost him. He could have died without ever knowing how I felt. Without me ever saying those three stupid, impossible words.

Because saying them when he was comatose didn’t count.

“Mac . . . ?” Kyle puled back, a wary look crossing his face.

“Are you al right?”

I tried to suppress the fluttery, nervous feeling in my stomach.

“Yeah. There’s just something you should know.”

Kyle cupped my face with his hands, like I was something Kyle cupped my face with his hands, like I was something fragile. “Whatever it is,” he said, “you can tel me.” And then he kissed me again—soft and tender and a little desperate—like I was the one who had almost died, like he had almost lost me.

I heard a rap on the door, but it barely registered. Whoever it was would go away.

“Ahem . . .” Serena cleared her throat and Kyle and I froze.

“I’m realy sorry, but Henry’s on his way upstairs to check on Kyle before he leaves for work.”

I scrambled to a sitting position, trying to straighten my clothes.

Serena was studiously staring at the wal, but the corner of her mouth twitched in a grin. “I just thought you guys would appreciate some advance warning.”

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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I SLIPPED OUT OF THE BEDROOM TO GIVE KYLE SOME privacy while henry checked him over. Trey was in the hal.

henry checked him over. Trey was in the hal.

“What time is it?” I asked, combing my fingers through my hair in an effort to work out some of the tangles. I sniffed a strand and frowned: it stil smeled faintly of smoke.

Trey shrugged. “Around ten, I think.”

I suddenly didn’t care that I smeled like a forest fire.

Tess would be freaking. Even though she couldn’t report me missing for twenty-four hours, it’d be a miracle if she hadn’t caled the cops. I reached for my pocket before remembering that I had lost yet another cel. Tess would kil me if I kept going through them at this rate. “Do you have a phone?”

A wary look crossed his face. “Who are you going to cal?”

“Tess. My cousin,” I said, trying not to sound impatient.

Trey studied me for a minute, then handed me his phone. “Don’t tel her where you are.”

I roled my eyes and spun on my heel, looking for an empty room as I punched in Tess’s number. It went straight to voice mail.

She stil hadn’t charged her phone.

The only other rooms upstairs were a home office and a bathroom. I opted for the bathroom. Sitting on the edge of the tub, glancing around at the blue and white tiles, I tried the apartment, folowed by Ben’s place. No answer at either.

I bit my lip. What if they were out looking for me? I remembered the receipt with Ben’s cel number on it and dug down into the depths of my pocket. The scrap of paper was crumpled into a smal bal and I had to flatten it against the edge of the tub to read the number.

Taking a deep breath, I dialed.

Taking a deep breath, I dialed.

Ben picked up on the third ring. I could hear the familiar sounds of a restaurant in the background.

“Umm, hi,” I stammered. “Is Tess with you?”

“Yeah, we’re just having breakfast. Hang on—oh, and don’t worry about the truck. I had it towed over to the garage.”

Breakfast? They were eating out while I was missing?

There was a muffled noise as Ben passed the phone to Tess. I steeled myself for a verbal lashing.

“Hey. How’d you sleep? Are you home?”

“Huh?” Tess sounded way too cheerful and remarkably unconcerned. “You’re not mad?” I asked, cautiously, wondering if her chipper tone was some sort of trick.

“Why would I be?” I heard her take a sip of coffee. “Okay, yeah, I was a little worried until I caled Jason.”

I broke out in a cold sweat. “Jason?”

“Yeah. He told me you guys were watching a movie and you passed out on the couch. He said you seemed exhausted and asked if it would be okay if he just let you sleep. You did look realy tired yesterday morning.”

“Yeah.” I rubbed my temple as I tried to go along with the lie.

“Jason said something about having people over later. I was thinking I’d just stick around—if that’s okay?”

“Sure,” said Tess. “I’l see you at home later.”

I hung up and stared at the phone. Jason had covered for me?

He picked up on the first ring.

“Why’d you lie to Tess?”

“Mac.” Jason said my name like a relieved, exhausted sigh. I could practicaly picture him leaning against a wal for support.

“You’re okay. Is Kyle al right?”

“Yes. No thanks to your friends.” I stood and began to pace the tiny bathroom. Four steps to the door. Four steps back. Rinse.

Repeat.

“That doesn’t matter right now.”

I stopped. “You did
not
just say that.”

“Look, I’m sorry for what happened—you have no idea how sorry—but you have to tel me where you are.”

“Not a chance.”

He let out a strangled, frustrated groan. “They’re watching the roads, Mac. The Trackers are trying to catch Trey and Serena.

Trey made Derby run and now Derby is out for blood. You can’t get in or out of Hemlock without passing through a checkpoint.”

I sat back down on the edge of the tub and swalowed. “How far out are they looking?”

“They have checkpoints near that motel at Morrissey Point and out by that turnoff you take to get to the old mil. I know there are others, but I don’t know where or how many.”

I pressed my nails into my palm. Morrissey Point was fifteen minutes farther out than we were. If there realy was a net, we were caught in it. “Are you lying?”

“No.” Jason’s voice was low and urgent. “You have to let me help you.”

Maybe it was stupid, but something in his tone made me believe him. Or maybe I was just trying to make up for doubting him after him. Or maybe I was just trying to make up for doubting him after Bishop’s.

“What about Kyle?” I asked, closing my eyes for a second and trying to think things through. “You said they were looking for Serena and Trey, but what about Kyle?”

“No one saw him shift,” said Jason. “The cars were already gone when he went al furry.” There was a bitter edge to his voice, but I couldn’t tel if it was because Kyle was a werewolf or because we had hidden it from him—possibly it was a bit of both.

“Serena, Trey, and Kyle are al infected,” I reminded him. “Why would you help us?”

“Because you’re with them, and if the Trackers catch you with three werewolves, they might shoot first and ask questions later,”

he said harshly. He hesitated, then added, “And I owe Kyle for saving me last night.”

I rubbed my temple, trying to think past my exhaustion. “And because Kyle’s your friend.”

Jason didn’t say anything.

“
Because he’s your friend
,” I repeated, my pulse skipping.

“Because he’s my friend.” The words were so soft that I only caught them because I was listening so desperately.

Praying I was doing the right thing, I gave him directions to Henry’s and hung up.

I glanced at the floor. I’d dropped the receipt with Ben’s cel number. I picked it up, stood, and was about to slip it back into my pocket when something caught my eye.

It was just a receipt for gas from the Chevron station on Maple Street—thirty dolars’ worth of unleaded and a cup of subpar, Street—thirty dolars’ worth of unleaded and a cup of subpar, battery acid coffee—but something about it seemed
wrong
.

I stared at the date. April fourth. The day before Amy had died.

A Tuesday.

Ben had been out of town. He’d left the Sunday before and not gotten back until Friday. He had been at his aunt’s funeral in Dayton.

So why was I holding a receipt from a gas station in Hemlock with his credit card number and signature?

My head swirled. Why would Ben have lied about his aunt’s funeral, and if he’d realy been in Hemlock, where had he been staying? Not at his apartment—Tess or I would have noticed.

There was a knock on the door and I jumped, whacking my shoulder on a towel rack.

I shoved the receipt into my pocket and opened the door.

Kyle stood in the hal, dressed in a pair of worn blue jeans that were just a little too short and a Lakers T-shirt that clung to the muscles in his shoulders and chest. He smiled and then frowned as his gaze swept my face. “Are you al right?”

“Yeah,” I lied. “I was just caling Tess.” I squeezed past him and headed for the stairs. I didn’t know what the receipt meant and I didn’t want to give Kyle anything else to worry about—he was going be worried enough when he found out Jason was on his way over.

“Have you lost your mind?” Trey paced the bright, yelow kitchen while the rest of us sat at the four-seater breakfast table. “You had no right to tel him where we are!”

no right to tel him where we are!”

Figuring the fewer werewolves in the house the better, I’d waited until Henry left for work before teling the others that Jason was on his way.

“Trey . . .” Serena watched her brother pace.

“He helped them burn down our house, Ree.
Our house
. They almost kiled Noah.” Trey’s voice was a deep growl.

“I haven’t forgotten,” she said gently.

“Derby thinks I kiled Amy. A mob is probably on their way here right now.”

I swalowed. With al the tension in the room, it was a little hard to breathe. “I don’t think Derby realy believes you kiled Amy,” I interrupted.

A wave of goose bumps swept down my arms as three pairs of werewolf eyes locked on me. Warm, late-morning sunlight streamed through the windows, but I shivered.

“If he realy thought you had, Derby would have shown up with the police and a press corps. He would have made it an event.” I thought about how last night had felt more like an initiation than an interrogation, how Derby had watched Jason like he was certain of what he’d do. “I think he somehow found out about you and Amy and was hoping it would be enough to push Jason into kiling his first werewolf.”

Serena cleared her throat. “No offense to Jason, but why would Derby care what he did?”