“No more fur at night. Deal?”

My heart felt like it had exploded in my chest. She was telling me I should sleep with her every night. As a man. Sure, I knew she only wanted me for my body heat. But I didn’t care. She could have me in whatever way she wanted me.

She fell asleep quickly while I stayed up most the night enjoying the feel of her wrapped around me. It was different from when I’d slept next to her when she was sick. Her hands moved often, finding a new spot on my chest or waist to warm themselves. I didn’t want to miss a moment of it.

When her cell rang early, I wanted to groan. It was Sunday, the day Gabby usually slept in. Bonus snuggle time. Hiding my disappointment, I quickly reached over her, grabbed the phone, and handed it to her.

She glanced at the display and frowned.

“Hello?” she said.

“Gabby, I found her, but...”

“Luke?”

I scowled. Why was he calling her?

“Yes. I understand you think she’s important, but she’s not even eighteen. How am I supposed to get her to come with me?”

Gabby pulled away from me and sat up. I grunted, annoyed with Luke.

“I can’t believe you actually found her. I need to talk to her. If she’s like me, which I think she is, you had better bring her to the Compound. I hate to admit it, but the Elders need to know.”

“Fine. You better be there when we get there,” he said, sounding annoyed.

Good. At least I wasn’t the only annoyed one. He’d ruined what could have been the best morning of my life. I refrained from sighing as Gabby got out of bed. At least there was tonight.

Chapter 21

It wasn’t just the next night, but every night, that Gabby folded back the covers to invite me in next to her. And, each day I went to work, with no signs of challengers waiting. I lived in a state of bliss.

Daydreaming of sleeping next to Gabby, yet again, I barely heard the shop phone ring or Dale’s answering, “Hello, Dale’s Auto Body.” Last night, she’d been so cold she’d practically slept on top me the entire time. If I concentrated, I could still smell her on me.

“Clay! It’s for you.”

I straightened away from the hood of the car I was working on and frowned. No one knew to call me here. Still, I went to the phone.

“Hello?”

There was an indrawn breath, then a moment of silence. The wait wasn’t long.

“Clay, I did it again,” Gabby said, her voice sounding strained. “I’m at the diner where we had breakfast. I need you to come get me before it gets worse.”

Damn it. I hung up the phone.

“Dale, I need a ride. It’s Gabby.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

I jogged out the door, and he hurried to catch up. Who had she managed to find at the diner? I’d been so sure she would go after Rachel.

“Where to? Should we call an ambulance?”

“The diner on Main. No. She’s just sick, again,” I said as he pulled out of the lot.

He just shook his head and kept driving. When we pulled into the parking lot, I had the door open before he even stopped.

“Come back when you can. Take care of her.”

I nodded and leapt out.

Through the window, I spotted her. She looked pale. Her bottom lip trembled when she caught sight of me. I pulled open the door and strode to the booth where she sat.

“Hi,” she whispered, tilting her head to look at me. The pain in her gaze worried me.

She handed over her keys then started to slide out of the booth. I helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. Fine tremors wracked her body as she shuffled alongside of me. I wanted to be frustrated with her—why did she need to keep hurting herself like this—but concern outweighed frustration as I maneuvered us out the door and to her car.

Once I had her in the car and buckled up, she shut her eyes. Her breathing hitched several times as I drove home, and she didn’t move when I picked her up and carried her inside. I knew she was awake, though; so after I tucked her into bed, I got her a glass of water. She drained it, then lay back with a tooth-chattering sigh.

I stripped to my shorts and slid in with her. This wasn’t the kind of snuggling I’d had in mind. I hated this. Hated the worrying. She didn’t understand her abilities and neither did I. What if she had a finite number of zaps in her? What would happen if she used them up? Would she burn herself out? Would she not wake up?

I held her, and I worried. At some point during the night, I pulled her close so that her head rested on my chest. Then, I just listened to her breathe.

Close to dawn, she moved. She lifted her head, and I felt her look at me. Keeping my eyes closed and my breathing steady, I silently waited. She was thinking about something.

She carefully pulled away from me, and I felt the mattress move as she got out of bed. I opened my eyes to watch her leave the room. That she was up and walking meant she was through the worst of it. I heaved a relieved sigh and got up to turn on the light for her so she wouldn’t trip getting back into bed. Sitting against the headboard, I listened to her wash her hands and then leave the bathroom.

When she reached the bedroom door, she paused and eyed me. I studied her in return. She did appear to have more color. Although I was relieved, I was also annoyed. What possessed her to keep transferring her power? I hoped she’d explain. I needed to understand; but more, I needed to hear her say she’d never do it again.

Biting her lower lip, she closed the door and slowly turned back toward me. She wouldn’t meet my gaze as she walked back to bed and burrowed under the covers once more.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. Then, she finally looked up at me. “I didn’t plan it...but I think I’ve figured out what I am, Clay. I’m like a GPS for werewolves. I can find people. Not just people, but compatible Mates like me.”

I wanted to sigh. I didn’t care that she could find others like her, not when I’d just spent over sixteen hours waiting for her to wake up.

She tucked her cold feet under my legs and kept talking.

“When I touched Rachel yesterday, I really paid attention.”

When had she seen Rachel? I almost swore. I’d known it would be her.

“I saw the energy I release when I shock a person. It goes into them and pulses outward, passing through almost everyone else. And everyone this energy passes through fades in my mind, almost dimming to the point of non-existence. Five people didn’t fade, Clay. In the whole world, there are only five. Six if you include me. And when the energy I release touches them, it bounces off to come crashing back on me. That’s what’s been knocking me on my butt.”

She played with the quilt for a second, and I nudged her to keep her going. I still hadn’t heard, “I’ll never worry you like that again, Clay.”

She smiled at me then resumed talking.

“It was different when I touched Luke. With him, I zoomed in on one specific spark, a yellow-violet one on the east coast. The paper I gave Luke? That was directions to find her. I think she belongs with him. I think I found his Mate just by touching him.” She grinned and said, “I don’t think he appreciated my help, though.”

I remembered the phone call and agreed. However, I was glad he was off chasing some other female.

A faint laugh outside the house caught my attention. I turned my head toward the window, staring out into the dark. The soft sound continued. Someone was in the driveway, slowly circling to the front of the house. Other than the laugh, there was silence.

I felt Gabby move on the bed behind me. The laughing grew louder. Whoever was outside had heard her move. Only one of my kind could hear that well. I growled and threw off the covers.

Fangs exploded in my mouth, and my ears changed as I struggled to control my rage. For weeks, the challengers had met me in the abandoned shop, respecting the need to keep Gabby safe after that first challenge. Why would someone come here now?