I was suddenly very alone and very frightened. The wolf was right. If he hadn’t come along I’d be dead. I reached out after him. “Thank yo—“ I yelled as I glanced down at my hand but it wasn’t a normal hand. It was large and the back was covered with honey brown fur. The claws were long and pointed. I thought about what I’d been doing outside, on the mountain, before the other cat showed up. I’d been hunting.

Was I like him? A creature?

Feeling a strong need to find out, I dashed toward my house, past trees of pine and ash. I jumped over large bushes and wild strawberry patches. I ran through tiny trickling streams, burrowed under brush, and snapped at the heels of a family of elk I came upon. There was only one thought and it pushed me to run faster than I ever believed was possible.

I needed to see what I was.

I would check my reflection in the pool behind our house. When I came to the border of the Cavanaugh land, I stopped. I’d forgotten about the super tall chain link fence that went all the way around the back part of our property. How had I gotten out? I clawed my way up the fence. At the top was barbed wire. With effort I climbed over, though much of my fur snagged on the barbs. Jumping to the ground I ran to the pool and then slid to a stop.

My pulse raced with apprehension. Peering over the edge, I saw what I’d been afraid of. “No.” I quickly stepped back, took a deep breath and tried again. The beast was still there, staring at me with a horrified expression. I touched a paw to my face, watching it move the way my brain told it to. Except for my eyes, I didn’t recognize myself. Fizban had told me I was a Vaktare. Was the hideous creature staring back a Vaktare?

“How did I get this way?” I whispered the words, feeling those blasted tears push at my eyes again. I roared. “I am a beast!” The thought made me sadder than I’d ever been. My parents were gone and I had no idea what was happening to me. I couldn’t even call them and ask. The numbers I had for my mom and dad had been disconnected.

A pile of sadness seemed to bury me.

I walked over to one of the patio lounge chairs and tried to climb on. My claws tore through the polyester. But I didn’t care. I rested my head against the part that was still whole and closed my eyes.

“It’s all a dream, Beatrice. It’s all a dream.”

When I opened my eyes I was shocked at how bright my room was. Seconds later I realized I wasn’t in my room. I wasn’t even on my window seat. I was outside. Birds chirped in the pine trees nearby. Squirrels prattled on at each other as they searched for nuts. The smell of pine and chlorine immediately told me I was by the pool. Shocked, I tried to stand, but my limbs were tangled within the broken patio chair.

That’s when I remembered last night. There’d been a large cat with the blue eyes. He’d tried to kill me. And the huge blond wolf. The cat had called him Locanis. Was that his name or his species? Whatever he was, the wolf had protected me. And then I’d seen my reflection in the pool.

I was like the black one, a large, weird, talking cat. I shuddered in dismay. If it had been a dream, how had I ended up outside in the exact spot where I’d lay down in my dream? Before I could find an answer, I heard my name in the distance.

“Beatrice,” Adam called, an edge of fear in his voice.

“Miss Cavanaugh.” That was Isaac.

“I’m over here,” I tried to holler, but the words got caught in my throat.

“Bea. Bea, it’s me, Will. Where are you?” He sounded close.

“Here,” I called. The word came out raspy like I smoked two packs a day.

A shadow passed over my face. I squinted, trying to see who it was. “I seem to be wrapped up in . . .”

Will laughed. “What happened?” He leaned down and started to unwind the polyester material from my legs. His hands brushed my backside and I realized with a start that I was naked.

I screamed, quickly covering up as much as possible.

Will laughed harder. “Naked and tangled up. It must’ve been some party last night.”

“I—no.” I felt my whole body blush, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

“Miss Cavanaugh.” Isaac found me next.

Where Will was just standing there staring, Isaac quickly took off his jacket and threw it over me. “Thank you, Isaac.” I tried to cover myself but I was still mostly tangled.

Adam burst through the two men and bent beside me. “What the hell?” He ripped at the stupid lounge chair until I was free. Then he picked me up, making sure I was covered and practically ran toward the house.

“Wait for me,” Will called.

“Isaac, will you make sure Will leaves?” I asked, my gaze catching the butler’s.

“Of course. If you would,” I heard Isaac say.

Adam mumbled something under his breath.

“What?” I asked, mortified but trying not to be.

“I don’t like that kid.”

“Who, Will?” I shrugged, which made Isaac’s jacket fall off my shoulder and slide down my chest so I was exposed. I gasped.

Adam kept his eyes forward. “Don’t talk. Don’t move until I say so.”

I glanced up at his face. He was clenching his teeth, his jaw flexing and un-flexing. “You’re kind of bossy,” I said, surprised.

At my words his bright eyes found mine. He made a point of focusing only on my face. “Shhhhh.” Then he faced forward, opening the back door, walking through the living room, down the hall, and up the stairs. When he reached my room, he kicked open the door and basically tossed me on the bed. My limbs went flying, the jacket all but coming off. My face burned, embarrassed. The door slammed shut and I was alone.

“Rude.”

I thought I heard a bark of laughter from the other side of the door. “When you’re decent come find me.”

“Fine.” I jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, desperate to see my face. I was dirty, but still me. There were no sharp teeth. There wasn’t any fur. No claws or paws. I sighed. “Sleepwalking?” I thought aloud.

“More like shifting,” Fizban said from my cell phone.

I yelped. “How did you get in here?” I was asking my phone, which hadn’t been in the bathroom moments ago.

Fizban answered. “I can be anything. Why would you think I couldn’t move your phone?”

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart.

Fizban popped out of my cell phone and was suddenly sitting on my toilet seat. The ends of her long red hair rested in her lap. She was dressed in fingerless gloves, a dress that’d seen better days and shoes with holes in the toes.

“Why are you dressed like Raggedy Ann?”

“Why are you not dressed at all?” She smirked when I suddenly reached for a towel and wrapped it around myself.

“I’m in the bathroom, where I should have privacy,” I sputtered.

“Uh-huh. Well get in.” The water in the shower turned on.

“Not with you in here.” The shower was a snail cove, which meant I went inside the shower and had privacy, but knowing her, she’d climb in too.

“I solemnly swear not to peek.” As she spoke, she raised her right hand.

“Fine.” The faster I finished, the faster I could find Adam. I walked into the shower, hung my towel on a hook nearby and stepped into the water.

“So, tell me how you’ve been?”

I snorted. “You probably know more than I do.”

“Perhaps, but I want to hear you tell it.”

She sounded suspiciously close. “I was shopping yesterday when I was overwhelmed by all of these emotions. I fell from the second story. Luckily Adam caught me.” I smiled at the thought of him. It was weird that I already cared for him. Cared. Yep that was the right word. I cared. For him and Isaac and Mrs. Dotts.

“I see. And what have you learned about the Vaktare?”

“Nothing,” I huffed, rinsing out my hair.

“That’s not true.”

I glanced around the corner. She stood right next to the opening.