“So, what’s the plan?” I asked as I sat down at the table not really big enough for two.

Liam grabbed my bag and tossed it onto the table. “First we unpack, and then I expect to see you on your knees.”

After the exchange with Diaz my brain automatically went somewhere very, very bad.

“W-w-what?” I could feel the blush stretching over every inch of my body. Seriously, I think my feet were even embarrassed and angry. “I’m not… I won’t…”

I knew the moment Liam realized what I was thinking because his face also shot up in flames.

“No! Not… That.” He looked as though he was having some sort of episode, like maybe an aneurysm. “You were supposed to get down on your knees and beg me for forgiveness because you were wrong about the pizza guy. I don’t want… I mean, I wasn’t asking you to--”

I held up a hand. “Please don’t say it. I think we’ve both been traumatized enough.”

He gave a quick jerk of the head in agreement before quickly turning away. This would normally be the point where I disappeared into another room and not show my face again until the awkwardness had passed. Unfortunately, we were stuck in a space about half the size of my bedroom back home.

“I was actually talking about more of a long term plan,” I said because the silence just wasn’t doing it for me. “How long are we staying? A couple of weeks? Months? As long as we can?”

Liam tossed a handful of individually wrapped toothbrushes in one of the drawers in the bathroom. “Six weeks, max.”

“And then?”

“And then I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

“Or you could tell me now,” I said, leaving off the “instead of being an arrogant bossy control freak.” Did he appreciate the gesture? Of course not. He actually pretended I hadn’t spoken at all. “Come on,” I said nearly five minutes later. “What is it going to hurt? Maybe I could be helpful if I was actually in on the plan instead of bouncing around like an uninformed idiot.” Which is exactly what I had been doing for the past year. I didn’t know about Shifters until I saw Alex in his wolf form. I hadn’t known Jase and Charlie turned into coyotes during the full moon or my best friend could See people’s thought and emotions just by touching them until I discovered it on my own by accident. Once I became a Shifter myself, I was still kept in the dark. I didn’t know the traditions and customs, yet I was expected to abide by them. I didn’t know what a Thaumaturgic was, yet I was put on trial for being one. And no one ever cared to inform me of the Free Scout plan, which may have worked a bit better if I had been clued in.

I was sick and tired of being kept in the dark.

“It’s need to know information, and you don’t need to know.”

“Why the Hades not? It is my life we’re talking about here, right?”

I’ve developed an immunity for most of Liam’s looks, but the one he shot me made my gut clench. He wasn’t angry or annoyed or even exasperated. He was disgusted. “You think this is all about you?” He balanced his hands on the table and leaned in until we were face to face. “This is so far beyond you that you couldn’t see it with a telescope. It’s about time you stopped with the princess routine and realized you’re nothing more than a pawn.”

Chapter 6

Whatever progress Liam and I had made was immediately undone. Thankfully, we saw each other very little during our tenure as part of the Diaz family. My babysitting gig turned out to be an on-call twenty-four hours a day thing. Trina and Diaz, who were married, had three kids. Sophie was the baby, Eddie was three, and Lili was four. I was also expected to watch Diaz’s nephew, Xavier, who was seven, the same age as my little sister. I spent almost all of my waking hours with the four of them. Babysitting isn’t really one of my strong suits, especially not when there are diapers involved, but after a few weeks I started getting the hang of it. At least, that’s when I stopped feeling like I was going to burst into tears at least once every hour.

Liam worked just as many hours as I did, usually stumbling back to our tin can living quarters in the wee hours of the morning. I had been half joking when I told him I thought the garage was a front for a Mexican gang, but I realized I might have been right. Sure, Liam worked in the garage on cars, but most of those cars came in looking a lot better than when they left. I’m not exactly sure what a Chop Shop is, but I think Diaz runs one.

My salvation from the monotony and loneliness finally came the night before the full moon.

“It’s you.” My grin was so big my cheeks hurt. “You’re back.”

“In the flesh.” Alex bowed. “Or not, as the case may be.”

I launched myself at him, and he caught me in his arms as Nicole, the wolf pup, danced around our feet. They certainly felt like flesh - well, flesh and fur - but I knew it was impossible. I still wasn’t completely convinced these dreams were real, that he was somehow reaching out to me beyond the grave, but I was opening myself to the possibility.

“Where have you been? I’ve missed you.” Nicole yelped. “Both of you,” I amended, reaching down to scratch the top of her adorable little head.

The last time I saw Alex was the night before my trial with the Alphas. I had been convinced they would find me guilty and impose a death sentence that very night. Alex was convinced I would live, that it was my destiny to keep going. In the end we were both basically right.

Alex shrugged, a wry grin on his face. “Turns out dying doesn’t prevent you from getting grounded. My spirit guide status was yanked after I broke a few rules the last time.”

“Don’t tell me they,” whoever “they” might be, “were mad because you finally told me something about Thaumaturgy. Because really, it wasn’t all that helpful.”

“No, I think they took issue with my parting words.”

“This is real, and I didn’t leave you alone. I have always loved you, and I will always love you until the end of time. Now, wake up and live.”

Not that I had it memorized and recited it to myself on a regular basis or anything.

“Which part did they take exception to?”

He raised his eyebrows and batted his lashes. “I’m sorry, but I must answer that in the vaguest and most obtuse manner possible so you continue to question the validity of these dreams you’re having. Because they are just dreams.” He leaned in, a smile spread across his face. “Or are they?”