I opened my mouth and then closed it. Another moment passed and I lowered the remote. “I lied.”

She turned to me. “About what?”

“The first question you asked.” I didn’t look at her as I shook my head, staring at the list of movies on the screen. “I lied, just a little.”

Chapter 8

“I was beginning to wonder if you were becoming a recluse or something.” Andrew sat on the narrow railing surrounding the raised deck, his legs dangling into empty space. A near-empty bottle of beer was perched on the railing beside him, and if he’d been human, he would’ve been the poster child for the dangers of underage drinking. “Or if you just didn’t like us anymore.”

Sitting in a chair with my feet kicked up on the patio table, I smirked. “It would be the latter.”

Andrew snickered. “You’re a jackass.”

I didn’t disagree with that statement.

Across from me, Adam mirrored my same position, except he was staring out into the woods, a thoughtful expression on his face. Sometimes being around the brothers was hard, because it reminded me of how it used to be with Dawson.

Andrew and Adam were identical in physical appearance, both tall and strong, blue eyed and blond, but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. They really were like Dawson and I used to be. I was the hothead. Dawson was the calm one. Andrew was the asshole and Adam was the peacekeeper.

Not that I’d ever tell Dee, but I was glad it was Adam she appeared to be taking more seriously. I really didn’t know how much their relationship had progressed, and I tried not to think about it, but yeah, I was glad. Andrew was too much like me.

As I watched Andrew finish off his beer, my mind wandered. Coming over to their place Tuesday evening didn’t feel right, not when Kat had a trace on her, but Andrew had been right. I hadn’t seen the guys in a while and Dee had told me that Kat was staying home. She would be okay there, since it was doubtful an Arum would get that close to the colony, and as long as she wasn’t out running around publically with Dee, endangering her, I really shouldn’t care.

I didn’t care.

Dee’s question had been haunting me. Do you like her? I’d said no, and I had lied a little. What I felt for Kat was complicated and twisty. I liked her, but I didn’t. I also liked wolves, but I didn’t want one as a pet.

Picking up my bottle of water, I took a long swig of it as Adam glanced over at me. “Do you know when the girls are getting back?”

I raised one shoulder. “Don’t know.”

“Ash was pissed.” Andrew chuckled as he looked over his shoulder. “She said she was leaving as soon as Dee finished stuffing her face with food.”

“Gotta love a girl with an appetite,” Adam murmured, lips tipping up at one corner.

My eyes narrowed on him.

Adam’s grin faded. “Or not.”

“Sounds about right,” I commented, idly spinning the bottle of water.

Andrew leaned backward and flipped over, landing on his feet like a damn cat. He twisted around, picking up the empty bottle. “I need another drink.” He looked over in my direction. “You?”

“I’m good.”

“Pansy ass.”

I flipped him off.

He chuckled as he disappeared into the house, closing the door behind him. My gaze traveled behind the deck, to the heavy edge of the forest. From our vantage point, I could see the tips of Seneca Rocks. I liked it out here. Like where Matthew lived, there really weren’t any other houses nearby, and it was almost always quiet. The only noise came from the wildlife, and as night was steadily falling, the hum of crickets increased. I looked up. Darker storm clouds were starting to roll in.

“I know,” Adam announced.

Frowning, I looked over at him. “Know about what?”

He glanced at the door before he continued. “I know about the girl who moved in next door.”

The foot I’d been moving stilled. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say Dee told you?”

Adam nodded as he leaned back, folding his arms. “Dee really likes her.”

“Hmm.”

“I haven’t said anything to Ash or Andrew. Not planning to, because you know how they’re going to react. I’m guessing Matthew knows?” When I nodded, his thoughtful expression returned. “Got to admit, though, I’m kind of surprised you haven’t said anything.”

I sat the bottle on the table. “Don’t know why you’d think I’d actually bring it up. Not like I sit around and think about the girl.”

Adam cocked his head to the side, his grin slow to appear. “Well, I wasn’t insinuating that you sit around and think about her, but normally, you’d be bitching to anyone who’ll listen about Dee making friends with a human girl.”

A muscle flexed in my jaw. “It’s not important.”

“It kind of is,” he replied.

“And I don’t sit around bitching about things.”

Adam’s shoulders shook with a silent laugh, and I started to tell him exactly what I thought about that when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Stretching to the side, I yanked it out of my pocket. Dee’s name flashed across the screen.

I answered it. “You done with that dinner thing already?”

Adam perked up across from me, and I decided I really didn’t like that. “I think we have a problem,” Dee started, her voice pitched high.

Pulling my feet off the table, I tensed. “What kind of problem?”

“Is there any chance that Kat is with you?” she asked, sounding hopeful.

A ball of dread settled in my stomach like lead. “No. No chance in hell.”

“Oh no. I just got back to the house and her car is not in the driveway. So I stopped over to just be sure she wasn’t there and no one answered.” She paused, her breath ragged over the phone. “She’s left the house, and she has a trace on her.”

I was standing without even realizing it, walking over to the edge of the deck. My voice was low. “You said she was staying in tonight.”

“I know.” Her voice rose. “That’s what she told me, but she didn’t.”

“Dammit.” My hand tightened around the phone. “Of course she didn’t.”

“Is everything okay?” Adam asked from behind me.

I ignored him as Dee spoke up. “Don’t be mad at her, Daemon. She doesn’t know it’s not safe for her out there right now. She has no idea. This isn’t her fault.”

Her fault or not didn’t matter. It was still a huge pain in my ass.

“I’m going to go and see if I can find her. I bet she’s at the library and I will—”

“No, you won’t. You aren’t going anywhere. You keep your butt at home.” Anger rushed over me, but underneath that, dread was expanding. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Daemon—”

“I’ll text you as soon as I find her.” I resisted the urge to turn the phone into a missile. “I’m sure she’s fine. Just…just stay home and don’t worry.”

Hanging up, I dropped the phone back in my pocket. “I’ve got to go.”

Adam stood, concern etched into his features. He already had his phone in his hand, and I hoped like hell Dee knew to keep the whole trace thing to herself. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I placed my hands on the railing. “Tell Andrew I’ll catch up with him later.”

I vaulted over the railing, dropping a good fifteen feet below, landing in a crouch. I rose and took off toward the front of the house. I almost started to go past my SUV, because I could get to the library faster on foot, but how would I explain that to Kat when I found her?

Hell.

Pivoting around, I hurried toward my car and climbed in. Turning the engine on, I threw the SUV into reverse, navigating it around the cars and trees. The drive into town felt like it took an eternity, and I had to have gotten behind every slow-moving ass on the highway. Fat drops of rain splattered off the windshield. Since it started raining, it appeared no one could drive more than twenty miles an hour. My hands clenched the steering wheel until my knuckles bleached white. Anger rolled through me like the storm brewing outside.