Sure, we’ve got the journal, snagged like thieving pickpockets.
But what happens if there are no answers in it?
What if we open the pages and find nothing but drawings of the ridiculous fluffy cat?
Lacey tells the girls everything that’s happened and as I watch, the wounds on her face close up. Skin knits together and leaves stains behind where stitches would have been required.
“Yeah, see if you can track the phone. We’re still sharing our location with you, right?” Lacey pauses. “Okay, good. Then we’ll see you in a few hours. Okay, ten hours. I’m not counting.”
She hangs up before they can argue with us because we all know it’s going to take more time than we have for RJ and Aimee to get here.
What the hell are we going to do?
How are the vampires going to hide when the sun rises?
My teeth chatter louder and Lacey doesn’t bother to plaster a fake smile to her features when she turns to me. We both know it’s too much effort.
“They’re on the way. They’re going to meet us here.”
“Where is here?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter. They’re tracking our location. It’s a precautionary measure we took before and now I’m damn sure glad we did.”
She settles at my side, making more noise than I would have expected, and I wonder if it’s because she knows it will make me feel better.
Or she still hasn’t adjusted to no longer being human and her control has snapped with exhaustion.
Does the noise comfort her, too?
She gives off no body heat but I scoot closer to her regardless. Wolves are pack animals. Even my secrets didn’t stop me from seeking the comfort of another body. I need to lean on something or the screams will strangle me from the inside.
It’s useless. Body battered, thigh leaking blood from the newest set of puncture wounds, I almost give in. How much better would it be to taste the reprieve of unconsciousness?
“How are they going to find us?” I ask instead, the question burning in my gut.
“Colt always knows where I am. Don’t worry.” Lacey pats my knee. “It’s part of him biting me.”
“Like a blood pull?”
My head bobs in her direction and I jerk upright. It’s one thing to sit together, and another entirely to cave when enemies are still out there stalking us.
“They’ll find us,” Lacey repeats.
“What do you think happened to Grayson?” My words are a whisper.
Silence stretches and it takes a second to realize the forest has fallen still. There are no wing beats overhead, owls or bats searching for their next meal. Even the wind has paused to see what she’ll say next.
“I’m not sure.” At least Lacey is honest. “If the shift is taking him over and he can’t control it, then generally…”
“It means he’s losing it. The curse is taking over.” She hadn’t been as close as I had to him, felt the rolling heat and scented the first bit of rot.
“I won’t make you promises, Mandi. There’s no way for us to know if this is going to work out or not. Death is, unfortunately, a huge part of our world. It’s the only constant there is.”
She blows out a breath through her nose, slowly.
“I hope he’s okay. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
She glances sideways at me, her eyes dark and her expression unreadable. “None of us do, girl. The only thing we can do is our best. Colt gave us a chance to run. We took it.”