MattI opened my eyes, squinting against the light spilling in around the thin curtains. Celeste was asleep next to me, her head resting on my mostly numb arm. I held her close to my chest with the other. I closed my eyes, hoping I could slip back into sleep, but it was no use.She shifted in her sleep, pressing back against me. I tucked my face into the back of her neck and breathed in her scent. It was soft, like sunshine and grass, and I let it wash over me. It still felt like a dream, having her here. I half expected to wake up and discover none of it was real. That she was still in that place, and I couldn’t help her.Every time I thought about it, my chest tightened. No matter what she said to reassure me, I knew I’d failed her. I’d never forgive myself for that.She sighed in her sleep and rolled slightly away. I slid my arm out from under her head, careful not to make any sudden movements. She settled into the pillow without waking, and I got out of bed, trying not to jostle h

MattI stocked up on clothes for Celeste, making sure to grab multiple of everything, just in case she wolfed out again. I picked up a few things for myself as well, but I didn’t need as much. While my clothes were slightly baggy, they didn’t bother me if I had a belt on. Celeste, on the other hand, was swimming in fabric.It was one of those combat stores, run-down and off-putting from the outside. The sort of place respectable people didn’t shop. It was perfect for what I needed.I put the clothes in my car and walked down the street, heading for a corner store at the end. Ted sent me out with a few bills and a plea for a carton of cigarettes. We weren’t supposed to leave the compound if we could help it, and Ted was getting desperate for nicotine. His boyfriend, Andrew, called it a nasty habit, but Ted didn’t seem to care.“I need it,” he’d insisted. I was taking pity on him.I was halfway down the road when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I reached the corner but didn’t

JackHe sighed and tilted his head back against the wall. It was almost a relief to have the truth out in the open. To not have to sneak around and lie anymore. If he was being honest with himself, the subterfuge was really getting to him.Now, at least, everyone knew what he’d done. He’d told Matt everything, down to the last detail. Whatever they did to him now was out of his hands.Still, the fact that the truth came out because of Henry Schreiber was a hard pill to swallow. His father, if he could even call him that, threw him right under the bus. Jack shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d already abandoned him. Why not get him killed, too? Then he could take the newly minted Maiden all for himself.Jack didn’t believe that Henry actually cared for his sister. How could he? He’d abandoned her just as much as he’d abandoned Jack. It was an unforgivable offense, and it hurt him to see Celeste talking to him, being somewhat friendly. They went off together, Fiona trailing after them wi

MattI reached for Celeste’s hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. She returned the gesture, her eyes locked on the pyre in front of us. We’d buried the dead Schreibers out in the woods, our own we planned to honor in the old way.Brodie succumbed to his injuries the night of the attack, his healing powers unable to contend with the silver powder the Schreibers used to tip their blades.We found James’s body in the woods, a bullet hole through his head. His siblings, Andrew, and Kelly stood together, tears streaming down their faces. Ted hovered near them, his hand on Andrew’s shoulder. I could barely bring myself to look at them. I kept seeing the triplets together in that motel room, laughing over their pizza.Seth and Jenna stood together. He’d taken a silver bullet to the leg, and he leaned on a makeshift crutch Enzo had found him. It was basically just a large stick, but it did the job. Despite the bullet being removed, it was the sort of wound that took a while to heal.Th

The reinforcements arrived just after midnight. We were sitting in the church when Andrew tore into the room, breathing heavily. He’d been on patrol with Jenna when they caught the scent. A few minutes later, a broad, middle-aged man walked to the church. He was dressed in black fatigues, with several guns at his belt and a long sword strapped to his back.“General Bukowski,” Nina said, jumping up to meet him.He shook her hand. “We’ve set up a perimeter around the town, and we’re going to camp out in the woods tonight.” His gaze roved over the small group. His eyes lingered on me and Matt for a moment before flitting away. “We encountered no signs of any Crescent wolves on the way in.”Nina nodded. “Alright. We should speak.” She gestured for Enzo to follow, then the three of them disappeared into the night.“Well, it’s bedtime for me,” Fiona said with a yawn.Everyone else seemed to agree, and we all wandered downstairs.We had our sleeping bags spread out across the floor of the ba