CHAPTER EIGHT

The limo pulled up in front of the town house and Toni got out. The wolf followed. It was almost seven. She’d gone back to the office and filled Ulrich and Cella Malone in on what had happened. They didn’t seem surprised, but Ric didn’t seem too happy about the fact he’d bought a limo he didn’t need.

After that, Toni left the office and found the wolf and the cat waiting for her. Where the driver had managed to get that nasty lump on his forehead, Toni didn’t know and she didn’t ask. She was just glad that he was willing to drive her home. Why Ricky went with her, she didn’t know, either. If she didn’t have the fever now, she wouldn’t get it. Her shoulder did still hurt but nothing she couldn’t manage. By tomorrow, the pain would be a faint memory.

Toni thanked the cat for his help, reminded him that he now had in writing Ulrich’s commitment to replace his vehicle with one that didn’t have a torn roof from bear claws, and said good-bye. Then she walked up the stairs to the town house, unlocked the door, and went inside.

She’d barely stepped into the hallway before Coop suddenly came at her. “Run.”

“What?”

“Run,” he whispered. “Make a run for it while you can!”

Ricky only had a moment to wonder what the holy hell was going on when they were there, trapping Toni against his chest, which pinned Ricky against the closed door. This was all of them, he guessed. Toni’s parents, the siblings. And they were all yelling. At Toni. At each other.

“Where have you been?” her mother was demanding, one of the twins in her arms.

“Hey!” her father called out, trying to calm his brood while he held the other twin. “Why don’t we let Toni have a few minutes to—”

But his attempt was drowned out by Kyle, Oriana, and another young boy as they threatened each other with all manner of things that anyone under the age of twenty-five should not be saying.

Cooper stood behind them all with another young female, both of them giving their sister what Ricky could only call a “we’re so sorry” look. He knew they meant it, but unfortunately it didn’t really help.

And that’s when Ricky spotted her. Easing out of the library and floating silently down the hall in her all white summer dress that flowed lazily around her ankles, comfortable sandals on her feet, and a beige messenger bag hanging from her shoulder.

She looked very different from her siblings. Her hair was blonder and long, reaching down her back. She moved differently, acted differently.

He couldn’t explain it, but there was something . . .

Toni went up on her toes and said loudly to the girl, “Where are you going, Delilah?”

It was the way they all fell silent that concerned Ricky. It was like they suddenly froze, suddenly awareof another’s presence.

The one Toni called Delilah stopped walking, and Toni’s parents and siblings all turned and looked down the hall. Slowly, Delilah faced them.

“Sorry?”

“I said where are you going?”

With a small smile that seemed permanently fixed, Delilah moved closer.

“Out for a walk,” she said. Her voice was soft and . . . lilting. Not like her siblings at all. She didn’t even seem canine. If he couldn’t smell the jackal in her, Ricky would have assumed she was a full-human. “I won’t be gone too long.”

“I can come with you,” Toni offered.

“No. I won’t be gone too long.”

“What about Cooper? Just to keep you company.”

“No,” Delilah said again. “I won’t be gone too long.”

Her voice never changed. Her attitude never changed. It was like she had one note and one note only.

“Well . . .” Toni dropped back on her heels. “Just be careful then. Okay?”

With a nod, Delilah turned away and headed off down the hallway.

The family stayed silent until they all heard a doorway somewhere deep in the house open and close.

Toni looked around at her siblings. “All right. Everyone in the living room. Calmly. Quietly. No arguing.”

She started to follow after them, but Ricky caught the back of her shirt.

“Who was that?” he asked.

“My sister.”

“Really?” They seemed unbelievably different to actually be related. “Was she adopted?”

Toni shook her head. “No. She’s one of us. Turned eighteen a few months back.” She started to walk off but stopped, glanced back at him. “I know my sister’s pretty,” she said, her voice very low. “But stay away from her.”

“I’m not interested in her.”

She nodded, then added, “Tell your brother to stay away from her.”

“Because she’s so young? Because she’s family?”

Toni studied him for a moment before replying, “No. That’s not why.”

Without another word, she walked into the living room and Ricky let himself out.

As Ricky walked down the stairs, he noticed another limo sitting in front of the house. The driver opened the back door and a woman stepped out. She was full-human but covered in wolf scent. Some wolf ’s mate. She walked toward him, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and gazing up at him with disturbing blue eyes.

“I know you,” she said. She shook her head. “No. Not you. Someone related to you. You have very similar cheek bones and eyes. That friend of Dee-Ann’s.”

“You know Dee-Ann?”