I weigh the pros and cons, chewing on the inside of my cheek. I have to take the chance. I have to risk it. Aim true, and away from Dustin’s vital organs. Got it.

  I know I won’t have much time between getting in there, grabbing it, and getting Donevan to listen to what I say. This needs to be clean. There is no room for error. I take another peek through the slats, making sure there is nothing in my way. I’ll push through the door and dash for the crossbow. As long as I pick it up the right way I’ll have it aimed at Donevan before he even knows what’s going on.

  And what happens after that, well, that’s up to him.

  I roll my shoulders and let out a quick but silent breath, trying hard not to think about what I’m doing. If I overthink this, I’ll fuck up. I need to let my instincts take over and go with it.

  Just go with it, Rev.

  For her. Do this for her.

  I countdown in my head. Knowing this could potentially be the stupidest and possibly the last mistake I ever make. I feel a surge of terror rising up inside of me. Am I really going to kill someone? Yes. I am. I need to. There is no other option.

  It’s survival, the voice deep within me says.

  If I fuck up, Dustin won’t be the only person Jade loses tonight.

  I just can’t let that happen.

  I refuse to be the cause of her pain.

  And I won’t let anyone else be the cause of it either.

  Three...

  I lift off with my left foot.

  Two…

  My right one goes up and connects with the threshold.

  One…

  My hand reaches for the door handle. I turn and push.

  I don’t look, I don’t think. I just go. I move like I’m possessed, and maybe in a way I am. My instincts are heightened, and I can almost sense Donevan’s movement before it happens. A second later my hands are wrapping around the cold metal of the crossbow and I’m holding it up. One hand on the trigger, one on the foregrip, the stock resting up against my shoulder. It feels good. A thrill shoots through me like a spark of electricity. I could get used to this. This power. This excitement. I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face when Donevan realizes the mistake he’s made. Rookie move, leaving your weapon out of sight.

  “Tsk, tsk,” I tease, taking a step back, putting distance between me and Donevan. He barks out a laugh, raising a brow.

  “Well, well. If it isn’t the fucking thorn in my side that just won’t budge.” He runs his tongue along his teeth and cocks his head to the side, that scar standing out above his eye like a sore thumb.

  “Put that thing down before you hurt yourself,” he growls.

  I click the safety off and smirk. The fear in his eyes is quick. Had I not been watching him so closely, I might have missed it.

  Yeah, I like this feeling.Powerful. In charge.

  “Someone is going to get hurt, that’s for sure. But it isn’t going to be me... and it isn’t going to be that cocky asshole you got tied to a chair either.” I move towards the door, kicking it open all the way and steadying it so it doesn’t close again. “Untie him,” I say, gesturing towards Dustin with my chin but never changing aim. If I pull the trigger, the arrow will go right through Donevan’s skull. Clean through. He takes a step towards me and I ready myself, prepared to shoot, my finger tight on the trigger. Pride swells in my chest as I notice how steady my hands are. “The bow is loaded, the safety is off.” I breathe steadily, never breaking my gaze. “You think I won’t shoot you? Take another step and it’ll be the last thing you do.”

  “Reverie, you’re being a fucking idiot,” Dustin chastises me.

  “Oh, yeah? Pretty sure you’re the idiot who wound up kidnapped and is now tied to a chair.”

  “Hm, does that at all sound familiar to you?” Dustin’s voice is deadpan. I want to laugh, but I don’t.

  He does have a point. And now that I think about it, I guess I do kind of owe him.

  “You scratch my back, I scratch yours,” I say with a simple shrug.

  Dustin looks at me for a long moment, fury in his bright blue eyes, jaw clenched. He doesn’t like me, and that’s fine. I can’t say I like him either. He can thank Jade for this. Not me.

  “I’m waiting!” I shout, my blood racing with adrenaline. And then Donevan does it. The arrogant prick makes his move. Not towards Dustin like he should, nope. He takes a step toward me. The exact thing I told him not to do.

  But I get it. He thinks he knows me. The Reverie he’d taken before wouldn’t have been able to back up his threat. But I’m not that Reverie anymore. I don’t hesitate, knowing this is life or death. If he gets this crossbow from me, we’re both done. So, I don’t allow it. I squeeze the trigger, and with a click and a hiss, it goes clean through Donevan’s skull, anchoring into the wall behind him. It feels like forever before his body drops to the ground with a loud thud, but in reality it was probably only a few seconds. My heart pounds behind my chest as I drop the crossbow to my side, using my free hand to wipe the sweat from my brow.

  Dustin looks to the dead man on the ground and then up to me slowly. “That was fucking badass.”

  I shrug and grin. “You can thank me later.”

  “Pretty sure we’re even.” His eyes narrow at me.

  “Pretty sure we’re not. Technically, you didn’t do shit for me. That was all Ranger.”

  “Semantics,” Dustin growls.

  “Do you want to get out of that chair or not? I could leave you here with this rotting corpse, if you’d like…” I turn, pretending to leave.

  “Just untie me, asshole,” Dustin grumbles.

  “You could say please.” I feign my best Ranger impersonation and smirk at him devilishly as I take another step towards the door.

  “Please,” he growls out with so much hate, I know I’m going to pay for it later.

  “Well, since you asked so nicely…” I tip my head to the side and smile at him as I turn around to fully face him. If he didn’t hate me before, he sure does now.

  I put the crossbow back on the table where I found it and untie him as he so kindly asked me to do. When I’m done and he gets to his feet, I take a step back and hold out my hand. “Truce?”

  He looks from my hand to me, his jaw clenching. He takes it, shaking it firmly but just once, and doesn’t say a word. He walks by me, heading out the door. I pick up the crossbow, deciding it makes a pretty good souvenir.

  Chapter 34

  Dustin

  We’ve just stepped into the safety of the trees when I spot them. Jade and Ranger. They both look confused to see Rev and I together. She’s wearing Ranger’s shirt, and the wind rustles with a chill in the air. Ranger’s hand falls from Jade and drops to his side as her eyes widen. We all stand there for a long moment, just staring at one another. Nothing but silence between us. Jade’s eyes move from me to Rev, then back to me. She takes a tentative step forward, almost as if she’s unsure of what to do. I catch Rev nod his head on the side of me. It pisses me off, but when she starts moving again, heading right towards me, I forget about all of the anger I’m aiming towards him. All I can think about is her. And when she throws her arms around my neck, and wraps her legs around my waist, I settle into her and forget the rest of the world around me. I squeeze her tight, nuzzling my nose into her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

  Jade Hollow just ran to me. She chose me. It’s almost too hard to breathe as unfamiliar emotions rise up.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

  “Shh,” I tell her. “Everything is going to be fine, we’ll figure it all out.”

  I open my eyes to find Ranger staring at us, a curious look on his face. I’ve known the man for a long time, just as long as I’ve known Jade. I’ve never seen him look at her like that before. Sure, he’d give her the literal shirt off his back, or come running to her side if she were in trouble, but this is different. I almost can’t believe it. And my wolf knows it, too. When my eyes flick to Reverie, I know he sees it too, but he doesn’t look angry like I’d expect him to be. He doesn’t even look jealous, he looks… relieved. Happy, almost.

  I don’t know what any of this means, but right now I don’t care. My chest is still sore from where Donevan was playing hide the bow, dragging it back and forth through my chest like a fucking straw until he finally yanked it out with promises of shooting me with another arrow and doing it all over again. Thankfully, I’d healed up, but it still hurts like a bitch. But more than the physical pain I feel, Jade is in my arms, the only place I've ever truly wanted her, and that’s more than enough to make up for all of it. I’d go through it again, just to keep her here in my arms forever. I don’t know how long this will last before she’s back to her normal self, so I’m going to eat up every second of it.

  I take a step forward and she tries to get down, but I squeeze her tighter to me, not ready to let her go just yet. She can fight me if she wants to, but I’m not letting go. She doesn’t say a word, just softly giggles into my neck. I carry her all the way back to the clubhouse, not a word spoken between the four of us.

  The sun will be up soon, and I really need sleep. By the looks of it, so does Rev. I glance at Ranger, and then to Jade in my arms. Just because they look okay doesn’t mean they’re not exhausted and in need of a good sleep too.

  I put Jade down when we reach the rope and she heads up first. I take the opportunity to slap her ass, not caring what kind of repercussions it earns me. She doesn’t even say a word, just shakes her head. I turn towards Rev, with a dare you to say something about it look but he only shakes his head too.

  “Hey, Dustin, if I go next, will you slap my ass too?” Ranger asks in his normal, annoyingly happy tone.

  “In your fucking dreams.” I climb up the planks to find Jade waiting at the top for me. I glance down to find Ranger and Rev sharing a few words at the base of the tree and I take advantage of the fact that for the moment, it’s just me and Jade. I close the distance between us, taking her face between my palms and press my lips to hers. When her hands reach up to cover mine, and she leans into me instead of pulling away, a huge weight falls off my shoulders.

  There are a million and one things I want to do to this girl, none that I have the time for right now. So I pull away, but press one more soft, chaste kiss to her lips before taking her hand and leading her towards the bed. I drop onto the mattress with a groan and pull her into my lap, not caring what anyone else thinks and definitely not wanting to let her go. I’ll take whatever I can get from her, not knowing how long it’s going to last. I’m so tired, but I don’t want to go to sleep. I don’t want to wake up and find this perfect moment between us gone.

  Rev and Ranger make their way up and come into the room.

  “We all could use some sleep,” Reverie says.

  “Exactly what I was thinking,” I grumble, pulling Jade closer to my chest.

  Ranger winks at Rev and walks into the other room and my brows furrow, actually worried about what that means. After a bit of shuffling around, and something heavy falling to the floor, Ranger walks back through the door dragging two mattresses behind him. He slides them across the floor, dropping them right beside the one I’m laying on. I raise a brow at Ranger who just flashes me his usual panty-dropper grin.

  “To stay warm.”

  “Uh huh,” I groan as Jade just laughs, and I catch her smiling at Ranger.

  “It’ll be like the old days, when we were little. Remember the sleepovers we had? All of us cuddled together on the mattresses like this, sharing blankets and pillows,” Jade says.

  “That was different,” I argue.

  “Why?” Reverie asks. I note the curiosity on his face.

  “Cause we’re not kids anymore.” I sigh.

  “So?” Ranger looks to me, a challenge in his eyes. I’m not in the mood to argue. I’m so tired I wouldn’t care who I slept with.

  “Whatever.”

  I kick my boots off and pull the blanket off the floor and onto us, keeping Jade curled into my side. Rev takes the spot on the other side of her while Ranger gets in beside him.

  Like the old days. Only it isn’t. So much has happened from then until now. We were carefree then, not a worry in the world. No one worried about losing people they loved. No one worried about having to fight off other men, there wasn’t jealousy, there wasn’t competition. We just were… the three of us.Now there’s one more.

  But as I lie here, with the sun starting to peek up, Jade asleep in my arms, and two other men she cares for a mere foot away from us, I wonder if it needs to be that way. Maybe there doesn’t need to be competition, we don’t need to be jealous. I don’t need to be jealous.

  I worry I’m sleep deprived and possibly losing my mind. I can’t possibly be suggesting such a thing. It goes against everything I’ve ever known.

  But it could work.

  We could make it work.

  Couldn’t we?

  I push the thoughts from my mind, saving it for another day. Tomorrow morning, maybe. That’s what Jade and Ranger always do. Sleep on it. Everything’s always better in the morning.

  Chapter 35

  Jade

  I’ve never been so relieved to see anyone in my entire life. I’ve never felt so on display in my life either.

  I’d fought against what I knew in my heart was right.

  Because I was afraid.

  I was afraid of my future because I didn’t quite understand what it all meant. But as I wrap my arms and legs around Dustin Blackridge and breathe in his scent, spicy cedar and pine, I know there is nothing to fear.

  There are a thousand things I want to tell him, but all I can say is, “I’m sorry.”

  That would have to do. For now.

  The sunlight shines through the cracks of the trees and the windows, and the sound of chirping birds stirred me and I opened my eyes. Dustin is wrapped around me, face buried in my neck, the rise and fall of his chest a most beautiful sight.

  I peek over to the mattress next to us, and a smile creeps up my lips as my vision settles on Ranger, who has draped an arm over Rev.

  Rev doesn't seem to mind very much either, as he’s backed up pretty close against him, completely comfortable, and that makes me feel a spark of happiness I wasn’t expecting.

  I’ve always known about Ranger’s interest in other men. It’s not something he talks about freely, and I know he thinks I don’t know, and I’ve never pushed him about it. It’s not like he’s the only man in Starfall Creek who feels that way. I don’t know if he’s ever acted on it though.

  I always thought he had a crush on Dustin when we were little, the way he followed him around all the time, ate up every word he said.

  For the record, I never thought it was weird. I thought it was cute. But I also might be terribly biased.

  The memory of last night returns, and I think about that look he gave me.

  The one right before Rev showed up with Dustin.

  I know Ranger better than anyone on the planet. But it was like… something just clicked.

  Like a door had been unlocked, but I had no clue where the door was, or where it would lead.

  But as I look around me, at the sleeping bodies surrounding me, I know in my heart that this is the way it should be.

  I sneak out quietly, trying my best not to disturb my sleeping darlings, and slide down the rope.

  The birds chirp sweetly, and the sun is barely over the clouds as I strip out of Ranger’s T-shirt, and my bra and panties. I stretch my muscles, readying for the shift.

  Today we’ll go to Hollow House and come clean to my dad about everything. Donevan kidnapping Rev. The scratch. My bite... that made him like us. I’ve never been this nervous in my life, and my anxieties start to swirl. I know the run will help me shed some of that nervous energy. I figure I might as well grab a morning bath in the lake while I’m at it; after all, I’m covered in sweat, dirt, and bodily fluids I don’t even want to think about. I’m not meeting my dad like this.

  My muscles retract and make way for my wolf, and the feeling is… freeing.

  Relief.

  The shift is welcome and smooth, my body being used to it at this point.

  My legs take off in an instant, and I feel at peace.

  I lay my head down on the soft earth between my paws, and I bask in the morning sun by the lake.

  I feel him before I see him. I close my eyes, and focus on my breathing. The wind rustles the leaves in the trees and glides through my fur.

  Dustin nudges me softly, and I let out a small whimper.

  He nips at my neck sweetly.

  Did you have a nice run? He settles down next to me, long black fur making him stand out against the bright green and blues of the forest. I focus my gaze on the lake, the crystal blue waters, the lush greenery of the treetops. The peace and serenity this place brings.

  I did, actually. I was just thinking.

  About what? He looks up at me with those striking blue eyes I’d recognize anywhere.

  Lots of things. But mostly, I was thinking I really need a bath.

  Dustin’s head perks up.

  I can help you with that, you know.

  If wolves could smirk, I’m pretty sure that’s what he was doing.

  I’m disgusting, Dustin. Seriously. You don’t want near this—

  I beg to differ.

  I get up, and start pacing. So many thoughts, emotions run through me, when I look at him. I expect my wolf to react to this sudden onslaught of human feeling, to tell me to run. But she doesn’t. And I have to admit the human in me doesn’t want to run either.

  Dustin’s eyes watch me intently. I’m certain he’s not going anywhere.

  When I shift to my human form, he doesn’t miss a beat and does the same.

  I stand there in front of him, hair disheveled from running with the wind, from shifting, my skin still strewn with debris. I feel like crap, but Dustin looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time, and I can’t help but feel… loved. My cheeks flush and my heart flutters. I don’t think he’s ever looked at me like this before. Even in the moments before we crossed that line, he didn’t look at me like this. Then, it was a look of hunger.