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  “Thanks. For stopping me.” I fought to catch my breath, studying him. He was only a few inches taller than me, looked about twenty, and built like an athlete. He was also rumpled and appealing, in that way only the Brits seem to pull off. I don’t know why, but it calmed me. Maybe because it was so normal. I don’t get much of that anymore. “Where—I didn’t see anyone else when I started across the street.”

  “I believe you were too focused on eluding your pursuit.”

  My breath lodged in my throat. “You saw—”

  “It? Yes.” He ran one hand through his wavy brown hair. “Your panic was part of the reason I followed after you. Once you left the neighborhood, the creature turned around.”

  I had a feeling it was because he appeared on the scene.

  He cupped one hand under my elbow, and I leaned against him as he helped me to my car. I was right; his baggy sweater hid some impressive muscles.

  “Thanks again,” I said.

  “Oliver Martin.” He smiled again, and I couldn’t keep from staring. Until now, pain occupied most of my brain, so I didn’t notice how striking he was. Like movie star striking, with angular features and a presence that demanded attention. “I am here to meet with Sam Emmett.”

  “Sam? How do you know—”

  “I don’t, not yet. Jake invited me.” He studied me with those pale green eyes for a long moment, then he spoke again. “I am a Fenris.”

  England. Fenris . . . oh, God—he was that Fenris. The one who never changed. Jake obviously asked him here without Sam knowing. That explained the conversation earlier. I had a feeling if they were alone, Jake would have told Sam what he’d done. Now Sam was going to find out along with everyone else. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be present for that meeting.

  “You’re here to help?”

  “As I can.” He took my hand. “If I do no more than offer my experience, it will be worth the trip, having met you.”

  “I—” And cue the hated blush. “Thank you, for coming all this way.” I was grateful, even if Sam would want to tear into Jake for going behind his back. “Sam has been through a lot the last few months. Anything you add to their research would mean so much.” Especially to me.

  “I will do what I can. How are you acquainted with Sam?”

  “He’s my boyfriend.”

  Surprise flared in his eyes, along with another emotion—one that disappeared before I could grasp it. “But you are human, not—”

  “A monster?” I never asked Sam, but Jake’s comment earlier confirmed my suspicion that monsters could sense each other. “No. I just know far too much about them.”

  “Sorry—I meant no insult. Most of us form attachments to those—like us. Humans tend to run before we can make a favorable impression.”

  I smiled, thinking of Jake. I did run—and he didn’t make a favorable impression until much later.

  “It takes more than that to insult me—or scare me.”

  “Good to know.” His smile would have made my heart pound, if it hadn’t already belonged to Sam since first grade. Yeah—good looks and a British accent. Deadly combination. “You will be all right from here, then? I’ve already missed our agreed on time, playing hero.” He held up one hand when I started to apologize. “Absolutely worth the delay, since it brought us together.” He surprised me again by kissing my cheek. “Take care, Alex. I look forward to our next, less adventurous meeting.”

  It wasn’t until after he dashed across the street that I realized I never told him my name.

  3

  Since I no longer had study period, I arranged with Misty to work on the school project in between my duties at the haven, once she finished cheerleading practice. The day after my run-in with Oliver, I waited for her outside the office, enjoying the distraction of watching the residents, and the time to think about what happened.

  I hadn’t told Sam yet, and I wasn’t sure if I should at all. Oliver probably heard about me from Jake. I’d hold on to that logical explanation, until I was proven wrong.

  I caught sight of Misty, waving wildly from the town sign. She had Zach in tow. I smiled, happy to see him. He and Simon saved my life, more than once, and I enjoyed our long, rambling talks about pretty much everything. He was amazingly well read for being a recently fallen angel.

  “Alex!” Misty bounded over to me and gave me a big hug. She’d been doing that since I nearly died before Christmas. I have to admit—I like it. “I heard Hern got out again. He’s okay?”

  “Yeah. He just wanted to see the ocean. Sam promised to take him out again. Hey, Zach.”

  He flashed his heart melting smile and wrapped me in an embrace that left me feeling calm and loved. He just had that way about him; probably a left over from being an angel. I could still see the gold aura around him, though today it was edged with blue.

  “How’s Simon?”

  “He’s on the trail of another potential resident. Though this one may end up in the Santa Luna haven. Mom likes to work with the demon possessions.”

  Simon disappeared after trying to help me save Sam. If ghosts could die, I figured what I witnessed was the closest thing to it. Simon was also the reason we lost our sentient shield. Unlike the other haven shields, which were usually protection spells, this one turned out to be Elias, a fallen angel whose fall went horribly wrong. Now Elias was somewhere in Simon’s consciousness. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there to see it happen.

  He and Zach track down the monsters now, demons and Others, who need sanctuary. It allowed Zach to use his talent for finding—and kept Simon out of town. It’s hard to explain how you are now alive when everyone you know attended your funeral.

  “Tell him hello,” I said. “And that he’s welcome down here anytime. There are several residents who would love to thank him in person for leading them here.”

  “Thanks, Alex.” Zach gave me a smile. “Since he can hear most of my conversations, he probably already knows.”

  “Oh.” I knew Zach really hoped that connection was temporary. I guess not.

  Misty wrapped her arm around Zach’s waist and kissed his cheek, making him laugh. They were so cute together. Love at first sight that blossomed into a solid relationship. I was thrilled for both of them.

  “So,” she said. “Have you thought about the Spring Fling?”

  The dance. I did a mental head slap. I’d been so busy here when I wasn’t at school that I completely forgot. Or blocked it out. I’ll go with forgetting—it will be less painful.

  “I haven’t really—”

  “You forgot, didn’t you?” She didn’t sound upset, just resigned. “Alex—you have a boyfriend now. Boyfriend equals social life. She’s still new at this,” Misty told Zach, much to my humiliation. “I have to prompt her every once in a while. The dance is next weekend. Did you even tell Sam about it?”

  I had a ready answer for that one. “He won’t go. You know that, Misty. Since he left school, he’s already gotten his diploma, so technically he graduated.” After Mr. Emmett bullied the school board to let him finish out his senior year by homeschooling. He zipped through the required coursework, and got his diploma last week. Sam was my built-in excuse for not going to a dance, dressed up like a girly girl—

  “Alex didn’t tell me.” Sam’s voice had me spinning around. He stood behind me, arms crossed, those grey-blue eyes on me. Crap. “Is this the annual spring dance, Misty? I’d love to take Alex, show her off.” Double crap. That meant I’d have to wear a dress.

  Mom would be thrilled.

  “Cool!” Misty did a single arm fist pump. “We’ll have so much fun looking for a dress. We’ll go this weekend—and we can make a day of it!”

  Oh, good lord. An entire day? I may not survive.

  Sam obviously understood. He moved in, slipped an arm around my waist, and kissed my forehead. “You fought off a Devil and Mrs. Hyatt. You can definitely take on a day at the mall.”

  I let out a sigh, leaned my head on his should
er. “Only for you,” I muttered.

  With a smile, he kissed me, and I forgot about everything but the feel of his lips on mine. His arm tightened, and he pulled me forward, until I was plastered against his chest. I wrapped my arms around him and held on, my head spinning. By the time we broke apart we were both gasping for breath—and we had an audience.

  They stared, some smiling, some embarrassed, depending on their comfort level with public affection. We lived in close quarters, and I tried not to make any of the residents uncomfortable. Sam had no such issues. His philosophy was if they wanted to be part of the human world someday, they’d have to get used to human behavior.

  Nothing like being his guinea pig. But hey, I didn’t always object—especially when the experiment involved his lips.

  “Show is over, people,” I said. They started to disperse, a motley group of monsters who would make the extras in any horror movie look like amateurs. Sam kept his arm around me as we walked back to the office.

  Yeah, my life is strange, but I love it.

  4

  I hate my life.

  The mall is my own version of Hell. Store after store, filled with clothes I would never wear, and giggling teenage girls I could never even begin to identify with.

  Misty dragged me from one store to the next, squealing every time she saw a friend, squealing more over the dresses. We’d been at it for over three hours, and my head pounded.

  “Alex! You have to see this dress—oh, this is the one. I know it!”

  Since she said that about the last ten dresses she shoved at me, I didn’t hold out much hope. I told her I wanted a dress that would cover the scar on my left forearm. She considered the request a challenge. I wished I’d kept my mouth shut.

  She yanked the hanger off the rack, and I stopped in my tracks.

  The dress was—medieval was the first word that popped into my mind. Dark blue velvet, long sleeves, a deep scooped neckline and flared skirt. It reminded me of my favorite dance dresses—the ones that just flowed around the dancer as she pirouetted across the stage. It was so not appropriate for a spring dance, but I didn’t care.

  “I got it, didn’t I?” She sounded smug. All I could do was nod, and reach for it.

  Please let it fit. The words ran through my mind like a mantra as I headed for the dressing room for the hundredth time. Misty didn’t tell me I’d be taking my clothes off—repeatedly—all day long, or I would have worn something easier to get out of than a button down blouse, a sweater, and my jeans.

  I undressed, again, and carefully removed the dress from the hanger. It laced up the back, so I wouldn’t be able to do that on my own, but I stepped into it, slid my arms into the knuckle length sleeves. I was afraid to look in the mirror, so I lifted the skirt so I didn’t embarrass myself by tripping over it. As a dancer, I rarely trip over anything, but I was nervous, I figured better safe than—well, you know the rest.

  Misty waited for me just outside the dressing room, hunting the accessory rack. Oh, hell no. We were going to have a talk about that. I cleared my throat, and she turned around.

  When her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide, I started to back away, ready to run to the safety of the dressing room.

  “No—Alex, it’s stunning. Turn around, let me lace it up for you. Give you the full effect before you look.”

  I pulled my hair over my shoulder and let her cinch the dress—much too tight for my comfort level. Yes, I wore body hugging leotards for dance class, but that was class. I didn’t walk around in them in public.

  Misty eased my hair out of my hand, and I felt some tugging as she did—something with it. I also felt some kind of—accessory slide into whatever something she created. We were definitely going to talk about that.

  “Okay,” she said. “Turn around.”

  I swallowed, ready to be disappointed again, and faced the mirror.

  “Oh,” I whispered.

  The dress brought out the color of my eyes, and they looked huge, framed by hair I only wore up in dance class. Misty had taken the unruly length and created a messy updo that was so not me I couldn’t believe I liked it. The velvet hugged every curve I actually had, leaving nothing to the imagination.

  There was no way I could wear this dress in public.

  “This is the one, Alex.” Misty appeared behind me. I must have been staring for a while, because she now wore a white dress that clung to every curve she had. Trust me, she has more curves than I do, and looked incredible. “Sam will have to pick his jaw up off the floor when he sees you in it—”

  “I can’t wear this, Misty.”

  “Oh, yes, you can. Now go take it off.” She loosened the ties in back, then pushed me toward the dressing room. “You are going to buy the dress, some fabulous shoes, and something we girls like to call jewelry.”

  “Ha ha.”

  “Shoo.” She smiled when I looked back at her. “You’re going to knock them all off their feet, Alex. Trust me.”

  I really wanted to, because for the first time in, well, ever, I cared about making an impression at a school function. I didn’t want to embarrass my friends—and I especially didn’t want to embarrass Sam. He was the most popular of the populars, when he was still in school. That wouldn’t change just because he left. All his friends were still there, finishing their senior year.

  I wanted Sam to be proud of me. Of us.

  With a sigh, I made my way back to the dressing room and slipped out of the dress. By the time I got redressed—again—and gathered everything up, I figured Misty would have half the bling in the store ready to try on me. Ugh.

  I braced myself and stepped out.

  Misty waited for me, the long counter behind her covered with accessories. Just kill me now. It would be less painful than what I was about to endure.

  “Sam is worth it,” I whispered, as Misty bounded toward me. I kept running those words through my head, like a mantra, when she dragged me over to my own personal nightmare.

  ~ ~ ~

  I survived the accessories war—but just barely.

  Inside the bag holding my dress was a smaller bag, with items I knew I’d never wear. I bought them to get Misty off my back. Some of them would make a nice birthday present for Mom.

  “Oh, no.” Misty stared at her watch. “Is that the time? We have to go.”

  Thank God.

  She grabbed me, and we started power walking through the mall. My ankle complained. Loudly.

  “Misty—”

  “What?” she glanced down at my ankle. “Oh, sorry. I’ll get the car and meet you at the entrance.”

  “Thanks.”

  She flashed me a smile and took off.

  I moved as fast as I could, my ankle unhappy with me. I was okay trolling through the mall at an easy pace, but a power walk on the hard floors was enough to give my ankle fits. I ignored it and moved faster.

  Like she promised, Misty waited just outside the entrance, the engine of her Mercedes Benz purring. I hopped in, threw my bag in the back seat, and hustled to strap myself in when she gunned it. Misty has a lead foot in the worst way. Add in a responsive car that could meet her need for speed, and it was like an amusement park ride—without the amusement.

  “What’s the rush?” I tried to keep my voice even, like I wasn’t waiting to die any second.

  Misty glanced over at me, while changing lanes. I shoved my heart back into my chest, and just managed to not scream when she missed the car in front of us by about an inch.

  “It’s Kenny’s first visit today. I promised to take him down myself.”

  Right—her little brother, Kenny.

  After months of arguing, Jake finally agreed to allow him to visit the haven. I pointed out that he and Hern were close to the same age, and Hern needed another kid around. His mother was driving us all to distraction with her spewing emotions.

  “You can drop me off at home,” I said. “I’ll meet you down there.”

  “That would be amazing—if you have ti
me.” She sounded grateful.

  “No problem. It’s going to be more than a little overwhelming for him.”

  We made it to my house in one piece. I wanted to kiss the ground as soon as I climbed out of the car, but I restrained myself. Misty backed out and screamed down the street.

  When I turned around, Mom was standing on the porch.

  “That girl has quite a lead foot.”

  Mom had no idea. “Misty’s a safe driver.” She’s never been in an accident. “I trust her.” Mostly—and only because she knew she’d never drive again if she so much as scratched one of her dad’s cars.

  “How was the shopping trip?” I tried not to grimace. Mom’s laugh told me I failed. “After the torture, did you find something?”

  I held up my bag. “And I actually like it.”

  Mom was off the porch and grabbing my bag before I could take a step.

  She pulled the dress out. In the afternoon sunlight, the dark blue velvet looked rich, and I was losing the last of my doubt about it.

  “This is lovely, sweetheart.” She hugged me, hard. “Please tell me you’ll let me help you get ready for the dance.”

  “I—sure.”

  All I had to do was put on the dress and do something with my hair. How hard could it be?

  ~ ~ ~

  I met Misty and Kenny at the town sign, and held out my hand to Kenny. For an eleven year old he was tall—almost taller than my five foot two.

  “Hey, Kenny. Did Misty tell you about—”

  “The demons? Yeah.” He waved the handful of comic books. “I think I can deal . . .”

  His voice faded as he stared past me. I turned around, and saw Hern, standing in the middle of the street. Hope radiated off him, as much as he tried to control it.

  “Kenny?” Misty draped her arm over his shoulders. “Still okay?”

  “Um, yeah. Wow—he’s got spikes. That is so cool.”

  Misty grinned at me. “He’s going to be fine.”