Aden missed her, too. Monster and all, whatever she’d meant by that. He still didn’t fully know. Her demon-possession example hadn’t told him much. Did she morph into an actual beast or just exhibit beastly qualities? Either way, she’d been mortified to tell him.

Didn’t she realize he would care for her, no matter what? Didn’t she realize that this, whatever it was, made her better able to understand him and his differences, and offered more proof that they belonged together?

There was absolutely no way he’d date those other girls. That simply wasn’t going to happen, whether Victoria was fine with the idea or not.

The newcomers didn’t speak again, even when they reached the edge of the forest and the ranch came into view. They simply backtracked, soon disappearing. Aden didn’t get a chance to ask Shannon about his problem, though. Ryder and Seth were at the edge of the property, smoking.

When Shannon spotted them, he drew up short again. Only this time, a little color flooded his face. He was…blushing? Really? Why?

Aden closed the rest of the distance. “Why aren’t you inside?” Usually, they were doing chores this time of day.

“Mr. Thomas didn’t come in again today,” Seth said with a shrug. He raised the butt to his lips and inhaled, his wrist turned so that Aden had a full view of the fanged snake tattooed there. “We did our chores early and called it a day.”

And then they’d snuck out to smoke. Dan would rage if he saw them inhaling “cancer sticks,” as he called them.

“Want?” Ryder asked, claiming the butt and offering it to Aden.

“No, thanks.”

Shannon finally approached, though he remained outside the little half-circle. “Where’s D-Dan?”

Ryder immediately looked down at his shoes. He handed the cig back to Seth and tangled a hand through his hair. “He had to check on his cows or something and said he’d be right back.”

Maybe he’d luck out, and Dan would arrive too late to take him to Dr. Hennessy. Like you’re really that lucky.

Shannon motioned to the cigarette with a wave of his hand. “T-then maybe you should put that out.”

Ryder’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowed. “Maybe you should make me.”

“T-thanks for the invite, but I’ll pass. I mean, why b-bother?” Shannon’s hands balled into fists, and the image caught Aden’s attention—as if it were important. As if it were…life-changing. Why? “You already smell like an ashtray.”

Tension crackled between them, thick and palpable. Usually, they got along just fine. Clearly, though, something had changed.

“So, uh, what’s Dan going to do about Thomas?” Aden asked, hoping to distract them from their anger. He brushed off his uneasiness. There was no time to ponder it now.

Seth shrugged. “He tried calling the guy, but someone else answered, a Ms. Brendal. She said she was his sister and that he’d disappeared. She also said she’d be by later to talk to us. Fingers crossed she’s hot.”

Guilt consumed Aden. Guilt and fear. Ms. Brendal. She claimed to be Thomas’s sister. If she had told the truth, she was a fairy. Which meant another enemy of the vampires would be coming to the ranch. Asking questions. Would Aden be forced to kill someone else? A woman this time? He shuddered. Please, God, no.

Gravel suddenly crunched up ahead, and Aden saw Dan’s truck coming up the long driveway. Nope. He wasn’t that lucky. His stomach sank.

Seth tossed the cigarette on the ground and smashed the butt with his shoe. Ryder whipped out a tiny can of body spray from his pocket and hosed everyone down. Shannon coughed and glared, but didn’t protest.

“I better get going,” Aden said, fighting dread and trudging forward. When he was certain the wind wouldn’t carry his voice back to the boys, he muttered, “Elijah, are we coming out of this unscathed?”

Silence.

Aden stiffened, stumbled.

You might, the psychic finally said, but I don’t know about us.

“TELL ME ABOUT the voices, Aden.”

“I don’t hear voices anymore, Dr. Hennessy.”

“You’re lying to me, Aden, and I don’t like liars. Tell me. About the. Voices.”

“I don’t hear voices anymore, Dr. Hennessy.”

The same conversation had been replaying between them for over an hour. Aden was tired and fighting sleep, lying in the doctor’s plush recliner, the lights dimmed, and peering up at a plain white ceiling. His lids were heavy, keeping them open a difficult chore. Didn’t help that soft music played in the background. Dr. Hennessy sat behind him, papers rattling every so often, but even that had a lulling effect.

Bor-ing, Caleb said with a yawn.

Lame, Julian agreed.

Remain on guard, please, Elijah said, but even he sounded fatigued. I don’t trust this man.

I’m always on guard, Caleb retorted.

This time, Julian yawned. You’re a liar, and Dr. Hen is pushy. Not a good combo.

Aden agreed.

“—and as you know, I’ve read reports from your other doctors.”

Great. He’d lost track of the conversation. “So?”

“So, when you were younger, you told several of them that these voices are souls and those souls possess special powers.”

“I lied.” No way would he trust Dr. Hennessy with the truth. That would only score him more medication, more sessions like this one. “No one has special powers.”

“So you admit there are souls, then? They just don’t have any otherworldly abilities?”

He ground his teeth. “No. I didn’t say that.”

“Are you telling me that one of the souls can no longer time-travel?”

Aden stiffened. Eve had been the time-traveler, sometimes sending him back into younger versions of himself. One wrong word, and he would change the future, sometimes returning to a different reality than he’d left.

He didn’t think he could time-travel now that Eve had passed on, and anyway, he was too afraid to try. The consequences were too vast, and he was too happy with his life. Well, most of it.

“Aden,” the doctor prompted.

“Time-travel is a myth,” was all he said.

“As mythical as predicting when other people are going to die?”

“Yes,” he croaked. “Where are you going with this, Dr. Hennessy?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have given you the impression that it’s all right to question me. It’s not. I ask. You answer.”

Aden’s hands fisted. He’d had a lot of doctors over the years, but this one was by far the worst. As condescending as he was, Aden had to wonder if the man even had a degree. “Better yet, how about if I just don’t talk at all?”

“That’s all right, too,” Dr. Hennessy replied easily, as if that’s what he’d wanted all along, surprising the hell out of Aden. “Silence is better than lies.”

They would see about that.

One minute ticked by after another, not a word spoken. Soon Aden’s eyelids grew even heavier. The ceiling began to blur, becoming one giant white blob. He blinked rapidly, trying to stay alert, but on and on the soft music played in the background. He thought he recognized the melody. “Hush Little Baby.” What an odd song to pick for grown patients. But even the voices quieted, listening, falling…

“You’re exhausted, Aden.”

“Yes,” he found himself replying from a sea of black. Black? Yes, he thought. He was floating, the white gone, darkness all around him. His eyelids must have closed for good, then. He tried to open them, but they were glued together.

“You’re relaxed.”

“Yes.” And he was. Lost, still floating. No cares. No secrets or problems. Just…freedom.

Dr. Hennessy asked him another question, but he couldn’t make out the words. They were too jumbled. Odd, then, that he responded anyway. What he said, though, he couldn’t be sure. Again, odd. And yet, he didn’t care. Such peace.

This was heaven, he thought. All that black. So tranquil. So quiet. He wanted to set up shop and stay forever. Perhaps Victoria could even join him. Yes. How kickass would that be? Just the two of them, floating and drifting and relaxing.