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Istepped out of my tree after a restless night. Last night, I’d kept an eye on Lorraine from the forest rather than sleeping with her in the cabin. I’d stayed over one or two nights now, and it was fucking dangerous.
If I did that too often, I would get used to it. And when all this was over, I would miss it.
No fucking way I would let myself get that pathetic again.
I slipped out of my tree and into my human form, stretching until my spine popped. I turned my neck both ways until it popped on both sides before I tilted my head back and took a deep breath.
It was a new day.
I’d waited for that piece of shit to come back, but he hadn’t.
Good.
I’d fucked him up just enough that he was too scared to come back, but not so much that he wouldn’t remember what had happened. I wanted him to remember every blow and know that if he came back, that would happen again. Next time, though, it would be a lot worse.
Still, the fact that he’d been here wasn’t solved. Why had he come back here? They’d combed this area when Lorraine had first gotten away from them, and thanks to the magic that hid the cabin, they hadn’t found any sign of her being here at all. They’d moved on to other places, searching, but they’d been going further and further away.
At least, that was what had been happening. Now they were back.
What was here that drew them back when the magic hid her so well?
Something was wrong.
“Hey,” Rowan said, stepping into view. “You’re up early.” He chuckled. “Or maybe I should say, you’re up.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, it’s not such a weird thing for me to be awake.”
“A while ago, it was a rare occurrence. I got to see you once every couple of decades. Now you’re around so often, I’m starting to get sick of you.”
I snorted. “Thanks for that.”
Rowan laughed heartily at his own joke and leaned against a tree. “So, what are your plans for the day? Any chance you’re going to swing by the lake for a change and actually hang out with the rest of us?”
I shook my head.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you would,” Rowan said, pulling a face. “Worth a shot, I guess. You know, if you make yourself that scarce, you’re going to reach a point where you’re not missed anymore.”
I glared at Rowan. “That should make it easier on all of you when I leave, then.”
Rowan’s smile faded. “Gods, I was just joking, asshole. What crawled up your tree and bit you in the ass?”
I shook my head. I was being a dick.
“Something’s wrong,” I said.
“Would you like me to list a couple of things I can think of, or did you have something in mind?” His smile and his joking attitude were back. I liked him, but he pissed me off sometimes, too.
“I had something in mind,” I said.
“Oh, okay.” His eyes danced with laughter. “Shoot. I’m all ears.”
“The traffickers are back.”
“What?” Rowan’s smile gave away to a frown. “How do you know it’s them?”
“I saw one,” I said. “I fucked him up good and proper, too, but I don’t think this is the end of it.”
“Oh, I missed a fight? Dammit! Why do you always have all the fun?”
