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"What’s theto take a nap with Tessa" She s"

"I’ll help you" Cara vae noise sounded in Tessa’s bedroo sound? Aopening?

He raced down the hall and grabbed Tessa’s doorknob Locked

His blood chilled "Tessa! Open up!"

No response, but the as blowing into the rooid air seeping under the botto hi her hands He didn’t even want to knohy at this point He made a dead run for the front door and threide open

Tessa struggled with the key in her car door lock His heart beat out of bounds, the thrill of the chase deeply ingrained in hi hilanced at the key Notany headway on the lock Frozen?

He stalked toward her, his footfall crunching on the glazed snow She glanced up at hiaze, but she shivered and looked like a rabbit caught in a trap He gave her credit for not running away

"Let’s go inside and discuss this, Tessa"

"Like two hus?" she asked, her eyes narrowed

He couldn’t help the sed at his lips, but then he frowned at her "If you stay out here, you’re going to catch pneumonia"

"But you won’t?"

"We can discuss this inside, now"

Her brows knit together, and she stormed past him Meara and Cara watched from the front entrance, but quickly ave Meara a look that meant he would have a ith her later Cara closed and locked the door behind him Ashton and Rourke ca at this point" Ashton shook snow off his parka

Everyone was glowering at Ashton, except for Tessa Tre, she knelt before the fire, her hands spread over the flames

Hunter crouched beside her "Ask lanced at the others and then focused on Hunter "You have two options as far as taking care of me Make me one of you, or kill me"

Chapter 12

HUNTER SUSPECTED THE WORST--THAT ASHTON HAD shapeshifted in plain view of Tessa and noas faced with a new dilemma

Rourke swore under his breath

Hunter clenched and unclenched his hands Damn Ashton "Ashton, the ’s open in the master bedroom The door is locked Go around the front and climb in, shut the , and unlock the door, why don’t you?"

"I’ll go with him," Rourke hastily said

When the loves and then the other

Meara said, "I’ll make lunch"

"I’ll help her," Cara quickly added, and the two disappeared into the kitchen

"Tessa, what did you see?" Hunter’s gut clenched with concern for what she was feeling

If he could undo the last few days in a heartbeat to save her from what now had to be done, he would He couldn’t believe Ashton had caused so ood policy

Tessa sed hard and stared at the fire while Hunter rubbed her cold fingers "Ashton was acting crazy, pacing all over the place, and then he went outside and stripped off his clothes in the snow I thought he was rabid, and I was afraid he would hurt Cara Instead he… he changed Transformed into a wolf Cara wasn’t surprised Your sister toldhad happened And if neither of them was shocked, ither, despite everything--her cousin, his own feelings about changing a human, the fact she had a brother, which would cause evennow he had no choice but to explain his world "I’m sorry"

"That you have to terlistened with tears "How could I? They’d lock me away"