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MARY ANN SNUGGLED against the war pad in her bed She’d never slept this deeply or this peacefully before Maybe because this was the first real sleep she’d had in what see drastic Or ht be her very last sleep

No Wait That kind of thinking didn’t ht tossing and turning, and wondering if she really was a Drainer, if Riley was done with her, if the witches were now coan What was she going to do? Hoas she going to-- Wait again Nopad remained pressed into her side How odd Even odder, she didn’t own a heating blanket Did she? Her eyelashes fluttered open

There was a big, black wolf in her bed

Mary Ann yelped in surprise, heartbeat speeding out of control

Shh It’s me It’s okay

The words reverberated inside her head, deep and husky and familiar "Riley?" His name was more a shout than she’d intended She rubbed the sleep frohts were off, and the sun hadn’t yet risen all the way, so details were hazy

The as stretched out beside her, dark fur gleaht

"Riley," she said, a statement of fact this ti here?" More importantly, did she look like a mess? She scanned herself She wore a blue tank, and her covers bunched at her waist, shielding her lower body--boy shorts and bare legs--froles, but nothing too terrible

You ht be a Drainer, and that witch, Marie, suspects it No way you’re sleeping alone again

He cared, then He still cared And he’d said "ht be a Drainer," which was an improvement frooing to kill me" Her lips curled up at the corners "So you’ve been here all night?" Protecting her

Yep Caht after I escorted Aden and Victoria hoazesher as he had in the very beginning, before the witches and the feeding, as if she were i else in the world A girl could get used to that

Grin widening, she fell back onto the mattress and wished she’d woken up sooner "Now that we’re both alert, we should probably talk about last night We said sos that--"

Suddenly her bedroo "What is going on, Mary Ann?"

"Dad!" Panicked, caught red-handed, she jolted upright, jerking her co?"

"You shouted that boy’s naaze landed on Riley and he stilled, terror darkening his eyes He was still in his pajaht from bed "Mary Ann, listen to me, baby Get up slowly No sudden movements, okay? I want you to inch your way behind me Okay? Do it now, honey"

Oh, God This was so not happening "Dad The, uh, dog is harest Lie Ever

To prove his "harmlessness," Riley licked her palm Goose bumps broke out over her skin, and then heat flooded her cheeks She didn’t want her dad to think a dog turned her on

"How do you know thatis harmless?" Her dad had always hated ani away from him and toward me? I don’t want to scare you, but he could use your face as a chew toy, sweetheart" Riley stiffened

"I just do Know, that is," she said "He won’t hurt ht, even though she knew he couldn’t hear her "He has been for the past feeeks"

Her dad’s blue eyes widened, panic and fear giving way to bafflement "No No, that isn’t possible I would have known"

"Yes, way See?" She wrapped an are fra hi his head "You would have told me I would have known"

Oh, Dad There’s a lot you don’t know She straightened, heart still haainst her ribs "I know about your rampant animal phobia, so I kept him hidden But, see? He’s trained He doesn’t cause any trouble I swear"

He was shaking his head again before the last word left hercould have you for breakfast, Mary Ann I want it out Now"

"Daddy, please Please let me keep hi it on too strong? Maybe But she needed hio freely There’d be no ht of this before "He makeshiht was low, but she was desperate<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>