What the fuck.
I LEFT THE DINER BEHIND a half hour later, dazed. The bell rang overhead as I pushed through the door out into the shocking cold. I turned my face toward the sky, the blue-black that only seemed to exist in the dead of winter. I breathed in and out. That odd pressure in my head grew, and I didn’t know why.
I took a step, meaning to cross the street toward the garage.
The pressure increased sharply.
I stumbled.
I barely managed to stay upright.
I gripped the sides of my head. The blue-black sky was in my skull, and it burned, it burned, it hurt it hurt it hurt—
From across the street came the howl of a wolf.
I raised my head as I panted through the storm.
Gavin was running toward me, eyes violet and bright. His arms pumped as he ran, claws and fangs flashing in the winter sunlight. Chris and Tanner and Rico followed him, their eyes narrowed.
Gavin skidded to a stop in front of me. He gripped my shoulders, violet eyes searching mine. “What is it?” he growled. “I feel it. I feel it. I feel it.”
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered.
The guys reached us, looking around wildly as if they could find whatever the hell was wrong and destroy it.
Chris was spooked. I could hear it in his voice when he said, “Ox. Gordo and Ox. What happened? Carter, what happened?”
“We need to get home,” I said with a grimace as the pressure increased again. “Now.”
Gavin nodded and started pulling me toward the truck we’d taken into town. I looked over my shoulder at the diner. The people inside were looking out the window. Will came to the door, a frown on his face. “Carter?”
“Be ready,” I snapped at him. “Wait for my call. You wanted a fight? I think you’re gonna get one.”
“You got it. Keep me in the loop.” He grunted as Dominique shoved by him, eyes orange, fangs dropping. “The sirens?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. It might be nothing.”
I prayed I was right.
safe
Mom and Mark were standing on the porch by the time we pulled up, rocks and dirt kicking up around us as Rico screeched to a halt. I was out of the truck even before he stopped.
Mark was pale, and Mom had a determined look on her face. “You felt it.”
“Gordo,” Mark whispered, swallowing thickly. “He’s….”
“Alive,” I said. “We would know if he wasn’t. Did you get ahold of them?”
Mom shook her head. “We tried. Bambi’s calling again. Jessie’s on the phone with your brothers and Robbie.”
Dominique headed into the house. We followed her through the open door. I could hear Jessie talking quickly in the kitchen. She looked relieved when she saw us. “Hold on. The others are here.” She held out the phone to me.
I grabbed it and turned around, heading toward the office. “Joe? Kelly?”
“Yeah,” Joe said, the line crackling. He sounded angry. “We’re here. Robbie too. You’re on speakerphone. What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I said, opening the door to the office. The others followed me inside. Dominique was holding Joshua as Bambi disconnected her phone call and tried again. I could hear it ringing and ringing before Gordo’s voicemail picked up, his voice gruff.