Since Aden had broken the lock, the wolf was able to pry the window open with his paws. Aden remained in place, armed, ready. This wasn’t how Elijah had predicted his death, so perhaps he’d just be mauled. That didn’t lessen his determination to defend himself however necessary.

Rather than leap at him, though, the wolf remained outside and peered into the bedroom. A tense moment passed in silence. Then: Do you know your parents’ names?

The voice drifted through his head, but that wasn’t what held him immobile with shock and disbelief. His parents? Really? “Look, I’m sorry about your leg. I went back to bandage you up but you were already gone. I didn’t want to hurt you that day but you gave me no choice. You were going to kill me. I had to do something. Just like I’ll do something tonight if you attack.”

You and I will settle that soon, but not now. Now I need to know if you know your parents’ names.

Confusion beat against the shock and disbelief. What was going on here? “No. I don’t. They were just Mom and Dad, and I was three last time I saw them.” He could have asked one of his caseworkers for their names, but hadn’t allowed himself to do so. They hadn’t cared about him, so he wouldn’t care about them. “Now, if you want a fight, you won’t walk away unscathed.”

Could you be any more uncooperative? I’m trying to help you here.

“Yeah. Right.”

With a growl, the wolf twisted around and raced off.

MARY ANN WAS AT HER DESK running a Google search on the best way to track down a birth certificate when Riley reappeared.

He doesn’t know.

She rubbed her temples. “I was afraid of that. Did he know where he was born, at least?”

Riley had been stalking toward his discarded clothes, but stopped. I didn’t ask him.

“Oh. Well, I’ll ask him tomorrow, I guess. If he doesn’t know that either, it’ll be okay. We’re going to order his birth certificate. It’ll give us his parents’ address, as well as the hospital he was born at. I just need his driver’s license. Do you think he has one? If he does, I can get that tomorrow, too. If he doesn’t…I don’t know what I’ll do.” She pushed out a frustrated breath. “Waiting is going to be hard. I wonder if I’ll sleep, after all.”

Riley ran his tongue over his teeth and jumped back through the window.

THE SCRATCHING STARTED UP again.

Aden stormed over, ready this time. He had a dagger hidden at his side. “Decide you want a piece of me, after all?”

Do you know the name of the hospital where you were born?

This became more confusing by the moment. “No. Why do you care?”

Do you have a driver’s license? The wolf sounded irritated and out of breath.

“Yes. But I’m not allowed to drive. It’s only for identification.” He’d gotten it a few days before coming to the ranch. He’d been one question away from failing the written test, the souls “helping” him with his answers, but had aced the driving itself. Everyone had loved the illusion of freedom and had been quiet, lost in the moment.

Aden, the wolf snapped. Concentrate. I need you to give me your license.

“Why?”

Mary Ann wants to order a copy of your birth certificate. Since you don’t know who your parents are, I’m guessing you don’t have one handy.

Wait. Mary Ann wanted his birth certificate? That had to mean she believed him. That had to mean she was going to help him. He wanted to laugh—even though he’d told her to stay away from the beast, not recruit it to his cause. “No, I don’t. But I’m not giving you the license until I hear from her. I don’t trust you.”

Well, you’d better start, because she’s trying to help you and your friends and won’t be able to sleep until she has that license. I don’t like the thought of her tossing and turning.

She’d told the wolf about the souls; she’d confided his darkest secrets to his enemy. Aden waited for a sense of betrayal to overtake him, but it never did. She was trying to help him. Nothing else mattered.

“What does the name of the hospital I was born at matter? What do my parents matter?”

You’ll have to ask her.

“I will.” Aden crossed the room to his desk and dug through the top drawer for the requested item. “Here.” He held it out and the wolf clasped it between his teeth. “I don’t want her tossing and turning either. If you hurt her—”

She has nothing to fear from me, human. I wish I could say the same about you.

HERE YOU GO. Riley dropped the license in her lap.

Mary Ann bent down and hugged him. “Thank you.”

My pleasure, he said, purring against her hair.

Now that she’d seen his human form, the action made her want things she shouldn’t. Things she didn’t want to name, not to Riley and certainly not to herself. But she couldn’t help but wonder if Riley wanted those unmentionable things, as well.

Why else would he hang out with her so much? Unless…

She pulled back, a smile frozen on her face. Did she make him feel calm, as she did with Aden and apparently Tucker? Was it part of his job, something that helped him protect Victoria?

That was not what she wanted.

The fake smile fell away. She faced her computer to hide her now-pinched expression. “All I have to do is send a note with my request, a copy of a photo ID and ten dollars, then boom, his birth certificate is mine. Can you believe that? I’m going to order mine, too, since apparently my dad lost it.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Riley back away from her, shake his head. I have to go. The clothes I’ll leave behind. Hide them from your dad.

“He’d freak out if he found them, that’s for sure. He’d only just gotten used to the idea of me dating Tucker. If he knew a boy was actually sneaking inside my bedroom…” She shuddered. “I’d be placed on total lockdown.”

Your dad’s reaction to Tucker’s appearance would not have come close to mine. But like I said, hide the clothes. I’ll need them next time I’m over.

Next time. He was coming back; she would see him again. Maybe by then she’d have her new, silly feelings for him under control. “I will.”

Oh, don’t worry that the underwear is missing. I don’t wear any. See you tomorrow, Mary Ann.

The next morning, Aden did a double take as he arrived at school. Victoria stood just outside the front doors. What was she doing out in public? Everyone could see her—and every boy that passed her couldn’t help but stare.

Shock pounded through him, an urge to hide her riding fast on its heels, and he quickened his step. Mary Ann had to run to keep up. They’d met in the forest, halfway between their houses, and had walked the rest of the way together in a rare moment of privacy. Shannon had stayed home sick. The wolf was also absent. She’d grumbled about him the entire way, wondering where he was, what he was doing and why he wasn’t with her. There hadn’t been an opportunity to thank her for deciding to help him.

“What are you—oh,” Mary Ann panted. Was that excitement in her voice?

He followed the line of her gaze. The boy Aden had seen with Victoria that day in the forest—Riley, the bodyguard—stood beside the vampire, clearly angry to be there.

But Aden was more interested in Victoria. Today she wore a glittery black shirt that hung midthigh like a dress, a pair of black tights and slippers with little bows on top. Her blue-streaked hair was pulled back in a ponytail that swung behind her. The only thing that was the same was her opal ring.

She noticed his scrutiny and shifted from one foot to the other. “These new clothes are uncomfortable, but for once we were concerned with fitting in. Do you like them?”

“You’re beautiful.” And she was.