"No, you wouldn't have." Kylie noticed the stormy weather had passed.

"Maybe not, but I would have wanted to." Concern shaded Della's eyes.

"And you think I didn't?" Insecurities rained down on Kylie. "She's pretty, isn't she?"

"No," Della said, but Kylie knew it was a lie. Ellie was pretty and nice and she'd probably had sex with Derek.

Kylie's chest swelled with unwanted jealousy, and her mind created an image of Ellie and Derek together. Of them kissing ... of them ...

She started walking toward her cabin. Walking fast. Della stayed with her, but somehow she must have sensed Kylie's mood, because she didn't say anything else.

Kylie got to their cabin without speaking, but once she stepped up onto the porch, she faced Della. "Do you think they had sex?"

"I..." Della made an odd face.

"I know I shouldn't care. But I guess I do. And damn it, why does it seem that it all goes back to sex? I'm beginning to hate sex and I haven't had it yet. I've got these images flashing in my head. It's like a porn movie and I just keep seeing them-"

Della pressed her hand over Kylie's mouth and shifted her gaze to a point over Kylie's shoulder.

Kylie reached up and peeled Della's hand from her lips. "Is someone standing behind me?" She prayed the answer was no.

Della's sassy smile told Kylie her prayer hadn't been answered.

Swallowing a lump of embarrassment, she tried to imagine the worst person possible standing behind her. Ellie? Derek? No. She met Della's eyes again and mouthed the word Lucas.

Please. Please. Please don't let it be Lucas.

Della nodded. Kylie bit back a moan. Not quite ready to face him, she stared out at the woods. Through a maze of trees, she saw the sun slip lower in the horizon. She wished she could follow it and disappear.

"Can you give us a minute?" Lucas's voice came right over her shoulder.

Knowing it was inevitable, Kylie turned. Her face burned when she recalled what she'd said about a porn movie and her whole "I hate sex" conversation. Great!

"Can't," Della answered. "I'm her shadow."

"Well, I'm taking over," he said, almost growling.

"It's okay," Kylie said to Della.

Della frowned. "If something happens to her on my shift, I swear I'll be all over your wolf ass."

"Nothing's going to happen." His blue eyes grew darker, and around the edges, Kylie saw flecks of burnt orange, which meant anger.

Kylie couldn't help wondering if that was targeted at Della or-

"Fine." Della stormed inside. But not without slamming the door so hard, the porch shook.

Kylie met Lucas's gaze. He still looked half-pissed.

"Let's take a walk," he said.

Kylie recalled how he'd stiffened earlier when she'd taken up for Derek. Was he angry at her, too? The thought of hurting him when he'd risked his life to save her made her stomach clutch. He didn't deserve that, not that she'd meant to hurt him. But neither did Derek deserve to be blamed for trying to help her.

He started off the porch and looked back.

His eyes were a brighter orange now. Kylie remembered a time she would have freaked out at seeing an angry werewolf. Heck, she remembered a time when she hadn't believed werewolves existed, angry or not.

"You coming?" Lucas asked.

Chapter Nine

She could say no, but she didn't want to. She followed him. The sun hung low, but its light clung to the sky. However, once they moved into the woods and under the umbrella of the trees, the remnants of daylight faded into dusk. They walked without talking.

She remembered the dead bird and the ghost's announcement that someone else was out there. Fear brushed against Kylie's neck. Almost as if she could feel the hot breath of something evil on her nape, she reached up and tried to brush away the sensation. Everything seemed to grow darker.

"Should we be going into the woods?" She heard a rustle and looked to her left. And she walked right into Lucas's back, unaware that he'd stopped. He turned and she saw him lift up his face as if to sniff the air.

"You're scared of me?" he asked.

Even through the dimness she could see anger in his expression.

"No. I'm scared of ... other things." She didn't know what to call them.

"Scared Derek will hear you went off with me?" His tone came with accusation.

"No."

He swung back around and commenced walking again. She matched his steps. He stopped abruptly and faced her again.

"I said I'd be patient and I will, but I won't be made a fool of."

"I didn't make a fool of you," she insisted.

"You stood up for Derek."

"I just stated the facts. You were wrong to blame Derek." Her throat tightened again. She'd been fighting tears all day, and this time when they crawled up her throat, she was helpless.

She turned away, hoping to stop them before he saw. But when she reached up to swipe away the first tear, he caught her hand. How he could have moved in front of her without making a sound was unnerving.

He let go of a deep breath. "I didn't mean to upset you, it's just..."

She tried to tell him it wasn't him making her cry, but the concern in his tone had the knot in her throat doubling in size. The next thing she knew she was against his chest, her tears and almost silent sobs being absorbed by his pale blue T-shirt and his extra warm chest.