Page 40 (1/2)

He also flinched at the na his ears A fine treround Stood This tiaze down

I searched his face, searched for signs of insanity And exactly what does that look like? Steven just looked scared

Tired And young Way too young

"It’s not a curse," I finally said "You’ll be a shifter until you die"

Which wouldn’t be byto say about it I’d send him back to Firth with Bobby Hopefully one of the clans would take him in Teach him how to be a shifter

How to accept the new anireen eyes wide "No," he whispered "No You have to take it back You have to You don’t knohat it’s rowled and spat in the snow "Your beast doesn’t ain, and I frowned at Bobby A reed with hied shifters I knew from those memories that the hu their first shift Huh their first shifts to help theh I had no doubt Steven believed his beast controlled him

Bryant had, too

But Bryant had shown no reiven into his every i he had no control over his beast That hy Bryant was dead

"What did it ave round Gilh me I sed I had way too little blood inelboith anyone Oh yeah, I understand i away froer than the scent of unwashed body was the reek of fear still pouring off hiht I saw faint yellow outlines twisting around him

Ghostly yellow lines that looked a hell of a lot like what I sahen nored it I did not need ht now

"What are you waiting for?" Gil asked, her eyes widening and brows lifting to eer to follow her , and Gil jerked her chin indiscreetly at Steven Oh

"I don’t think he’s rogue," I whispered, though at this distance, Steven probably heard me better than Gil I turned back toward hilanced between Gil and me "You’re here to kill me?"

I opened ue or on the verge of turning rogue, it was true I had to destroy hied him He was my responsibility

"I tried to do it myself," he whispered "Twice But both tilance with Bobby A suicidal shifter?

Antidepressants don’t work on shifters--our h to attempt suicide…?

"I’m your second Do you want me to take care of him, Kita?" Bobby asked

I shook my head I’d never actually accepted Bobby as ht up to the elders and tell them he was ready to accept his share of my punish to our laws, a second could execute a tagged shifter in danger of turning rogue But I didn’t want Steven executed He wasn’t rogue--not yet, at least He was confused Scared But ouldn’t he be? He was alone He just needed a chance He was so young And so familiar…?

"Bobby, I want you to take hiate opens"

Bobby stared at ain "Kita, it would be a mercy kill You heard him"

"Yeah, and I tried to sunbathe a couple days after beco a vampire Do you think someone should have mercy on me, too?"

His jaw dropped "Kitten, you wouldn’t--"

"Can you arrange for the safe-house or not?"

He nodded

"Then it’s settled Now, Steven, the other ht you attacked e?"