Kelley Armstrong - The Gathering

“Maybe. But I’m always looking for ways to fine-tune the process.”

He shook his head and waved me to the truck.

An unintentional side effect from Serena’s medication must have killed her. We were almost certain of that now. The St. Clouds were already covering up the failure of this Project Genesis, and they didn’t dare admit that they were responsible for Serena, too. It didn’t matter if it’d been a freak side effect and they honestly thought the drugs were safe. They had to cover it up.

So what had happened when Mina Lee came snooping around? Did she find something and confront them? Did they kill her?

The problem with that theory was the “they.” Who killed her? Chief Carling? Mayor Tillson? Dr. Inglis? No way. Daniel agreed. His theory was that the St. Clouds had sent someone to murder her and no one in town was involved.

I was good with the no-one-in-town part, but the other half of the explanation seemed a little Hollywood to me. Hired assassins in Salmon Creek? This wasn’t New York or even Vancouver. You couldn’t just sneak in here unnoticed. The bounty hunter who’d come after Rafe had barely made it to town, but I bet people were already talking about him, wondering who he’d been, what he wanted with Rafe.

Damn. I hadn’t thought of that. People would have noticed him. He’d spoken to someone who knew me. There would be questions. We needed—

No, Rafe could handle that. My problem right now was Serena—or that was the problem I was focusing on, to keep from thinking of Rafe and Annie and skin-walkers and—

Serena .

We thought we knew how she died. So what would we do about it?

I suppose the obvious answer would be “expose the failed research to the world and bring down the St. Clouds.” Or that would be the obvious answer if we thought they were mad scientists about to unleash unsafe drugs on the world. But they weren’t. They were the people who gave us a great life and took care of us, and if they were responsible for Serena’s death, we couldn’t ignore that, but nor could we do anything drastic until we were sure it hadn’t been a freak accident that they’d learned from.

We needed to know more.

WHEN I GOT HOME, my parents noticed my lip right away—kind of hard to hide. I said I’d been sparring with Daniel, who played along, teasing me about not ducking fast enough.

Dad was on the computer, tracking the wildfires. I wasn’t eager to retreat to the silence of my bedroom, so I suggested we keep Dad company. The four of us played poker until Dad decided he could stop monitoring the situation and grab a few hours of sleep.

That night I lay in bed for hours, thinking mostly about what Rafe said. I tossed and turned, but I could smell the forest through my open window, and it was like trying to sleep when I was starving and could smell steak grilling outside.

Finally I got up to close the window. I stood there, looking out. Moonlight flooded the yard. Scents washed over me. Even the sounds of the forest seemed to call to me, and I told myself I was just reacting to what Rafe said, but that wasn’t true. I’d felt this way for the last three nights. Only now I knew what it meant and that made all the difference.

I wanted to go out. I wanted so badly to go out. Even Fitz, stretched on the railing again, watched me as if to say, “Well, are you coming?”

When I stepped out the balcony doors, he chirped, rising and stretching. Then I climbed onto the railing and crouched there, and he chirped again, glanced over, and leaped. He landed awkwardly, then looked up at me, yellow eyes glinting.

I jumped. I hit the ground in a crouch. Pain darted through my legs, but I’d instinctively landed right, without injury. Just like Rafe and Annie. Just like a cat.

Fitz’s chirp pulled me from my thoughts. He started toward the forest, then glanced back to see if I was coming. I followed.

After a few steps, a cold nose brushed my hand and I looked down to see Kenjii, seeming worried as she nudged me. I patted her head and told her I was fine and she followed at my side. Fitz trotted along at a distance, as if he was simply heading the same way.

The forest was like a warm wave washing over me. My muscles relaxed, my heart rate slowed, and quiet energy pulsed through me.

I glanced at Kenjii and Fitz, then over at the recuperation shed, the animals inside stirring, as if they sensed me nearby.

We get our energy from nature .

Control over animals .

Healing powers .

Sound familiar?

I shivered, and Kenjii licked my fingers, whining. I patted her absently and gazed around, as if I expected to see something.

See what?

I don’t know.

Yes, you do. You’re looking for what drew you out here .

I searched the darkness.

“I’m over here.”

I spun to see Rafe on the edge of the clearing. He stepped back, hands raised.

“That was a warning, so I wouldn’t spook you.” A wry smile. “Not much chance of that, I suppose, finding me outside your house at two in the morning.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m not stalking you, as bad as it looks. I wasn’t going near your house. I just … I couldn’t sleep, and I thought maybe you couldn’t either, so I walked over, in case you came out.”

“That’s quite a hike.”

He shrugged and stepped toward me, then stopped short. “Your lip.”

“Sam.”

He swore. “What happened?”

“Daniel and I bumped into her, and …” I shrugged. “It’s not important. I—”

“It’s Daniel,” he said.

“What?”

“She likes Daniel. Along with every girl in this town except you. He’s the local equivalent of the high school quarterback.” He stepped closer. “But if she’s got you in her sights, watch out, Maya. She’s got problems. And she has a crush on Daniel.”

“I don’t think it’s like that.”

“Then why’d she flip out when Nicole went to your party with him?”

“What?”

“Hayley said she heard them fighting next door before the party. Sam found out Nicole was going with Daniel and lit into her. That’s what Hayley was talking to me about after the climb. Saying how surprised she was that Sam showed up, and that Nicole better watch her back.”

He met my gaze. “I’d say the same to you. I know you and Daniel are just friends, but Sam …”

“She’s unstable.” A memory flashed, something Serena said about Sam. While I tried to recall it, Rafe took another step forward.

“How are you doing?” he said. “Other than that?”

What do you think? You told me I’m a shape-shifter. That I’m going to change into a cougar. That someday I might not change back .

“Just … not sleeping well these days.”

Another step closer, but still keeping his distance. “Is it the dreams?”

I looked up at him.

“Dreams of the forest,” he said. “Of running. You wake up with a fever. You need to get outside.”

I nodded.

“Me, too. It started a little while ago. Annie went through it just before …”

“She started to Shift.”

“It’s the Calling. The start of the transformation.”

“So it’s coming.” I tried not to shiver. “How much longer?”

“A couple of weeks with Annie.” He paused. “We need to talk about all that but … later. Let’s just …” He looked out at the forest, then at me. “Let’s just go for now. Run. Work it off. It’ll help you sleep.”

He backed into the forest, and his eyes shone like amber.

“Come on,” he whispered. “I know you’re still mad at me, but I won’t try anything. Just forget that for now and come on.”