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Sure, that had only happened on Saturday But two days apart felt like forever when Riley was involved She was used to seeing hi when he snuck into her room

And, to be honest, she’d never liked anyone the way she liked him Maybe because there was no one quite like Riley He was intense and smart, sweet (to her) and protective And sexy All thoseas a olf shape-shifter and fighting as a vaed the uardian, he was unemotional and distant (to everyone but her) He had to be, to do such a violent job But as a olf, he was soft, warht, her grin spreading

"Are you going to stand out there all day?" her dad called

She snapped to attention, grin fading How had he known she was there?

Just get theher chin, she marched the rest of the way into the kitchen and settled at the table, dropping her backpack at her feet Her dad set a plate of pancakes in front of her, the scent of blueberries and syrup suddenly coating the air Her favorite Her stoht about Riley, but even so, she didn’t think she could eat Or rather, didn’t want to risk the possible consequences Like vo in front of her brand-new boyfriend

Her dad eased into the chair across from her His blond hair was spiked around his head, as if he’d raked his fingers through it a few thousand tiht blue eyes were dull, with dark circles underneath the him look as if he hadn’t slept in weeks Maybe he hadn’t

Despite everything, she hated seeing him like that He loved her, she knew that But that hat had " she rinder-and-use-the-pieces-as-fish-bait

"Dad," she said at the exact moment he said, "Mary Ann"

They peered at each other for a rinned It was the first easy o first," she told hiist, and he was tricky as hell With only a feords, he could get her to spill her feelings without her realizing she’d even opened her stupidtoday because she had no idea how to kick things off

He heaped a few pancakes onto his plate "I just wanted to tell you that I’ And that I did it to protect you"

A good start She followed his lead and filled her plate, then proceeded to push the food around, pretending to eat "To protectyour own ht that you had somehow…that you had…"

"Killed her?" The words croaked froht throat

"Yes," he whispered "You didn’t, you know It wasn’t your fault"

Her realbirth to her That happened soht? No reason for her father to blame her But then, he didn’t know the whole truth He didn’t know that Mary Ann muted paranormal abilities

She had only just learned of it herself, and all she kneas that hertheir "gifts"

If not for Aden, she never would have discovered even that He was the biggest paranornet of all time (And if he wasn’t, he should be ’Cause anyone as stronger--shudder) Her nancy, little Mary Ann literally sucking the life right out of her And then, at the ht into Aden, Mary Ann thought with a sigh Aden, who had been born on the same day, in the same hospital Aden, who had also drawn three other huht into his head

Only, Anne/Eve hadn’t reht away, her ured everything out, hershe’d wanted most in life, that which she’d been denied by her death A single day with Mary Ann And once her otten her wish, she’d vanished Never to be seen or heard froain…

Her dad didn’t know any of that, either, and Mary Ann wasn’t going to tell him He wouldn’t believe her He would think she was as "unbalanced" as her real mom had been

"Mary Ann?" her dad pro Tellhi to for wildly, she popped to her feet Riley He was here "I’ll get it," she said in a rush

"Mary Ann"

But she was already racing from the kitchen to the front door The h the netted screen, her stomach calmed completely

He smiled his bad boy smile, half wicked, half really wicked "Hey"

"Hey" Yep Sexy He had dark hair and light green eyes He was tall, with the body of a dedicated, can’t-be-sacked football player having an affair eights His shoulders were broad, his sto ropes under his black T-shirt His jeans bagged a little on his strong legs, and he wore boots caked with dirt

Wait Had she just given hiaze back to his face Clearly, he was trying not to laugh

"Do you approve?" he asked

The heat intensified "Yes But I wasn’t done," she added He wasn’t beautiful in a , with a slightly crooked nose--probably fro jaw And she had once kissed hiain?

She was ready More than ready That was the ue had ever had