Toby looked at the map Joshua pulled up on the laptop. “The Miller Pack isn’t too far from there, either. And don’t discount the Bowens. They might be all the way over in Utah, but they’re the biggest and most Dominant Pack in America.”

Talley’s gaze flicked from one face to another. “I don’t understand…”

“She’s building an army,” I said. “She’s going to try to take us out before I can issue a Challenge.” I closed my eyes, an attempt to focus through the panic. “Someone give me a number.”

“Twenty-five, conservatively,” Liam’s voice answered.

“Talley,” I said.

“Scout,” she answered.

“I want you on the next plane out of here.” I turned to Joshua. “Can you handle that? Get her back to Kentucky, but not to Timber. Send her to the Matthews Pack. If they decide to go after her, they won’t immediately look there.”

“No, I’m staying here.”

“Tal…”

“I’m staying.”

“You’re going.”

“No.”

“Talley, you’re not a fighter. You’re a Seer. This is could get painful and messy. You don’t need to be here.”

Instead of arguing, Talley stood up, pulled a Baby Glock from underneath her bulky cardigan, and aimed it at my head. I dove as she squeezed off two shots.

The guys in the room uttered a chorus of profanities as I came out from under the table in a rage. “What the heck is wrong with you? Are you crazy? Were you trying to kill me?”

Charlie pointed to the window beside me, which Talley had shattered. “You’re not the only one who has been keeping up with training,” he said. “Talley goes to the range almost every single day. She’s become quite the legend.”

Rachel was one of those old ladies with a penchant for ugly yard decorations. There were metal owls nailed to trees, a variety of wind chimes making a racket, and ceramic creatures littering the lawn. Now there were two less, since Talley killed a ceramic squirrel and stained glass frog.

“You’re like Samuel L. Jackson! What the crap?”

Talley slipped the gun back in its holster. “I need to stand up for what I believe in. I won’t be in the direct line of combat, but if I need to, I can protect myself and those I love. Wasn’t that the whole point of making me learn self defense? I mean, it was your idea, Scout.”

Fine, if I couldn’t talk Talley into leaving, maybe I could make our injured list see logic.

“I don’t suppose there is any way I could talk you into leaving,” I said to Charlie.

“Not a chance.” I started to make my argument, but he cut me off. “I’m not planning on fighting, but I’m not leaving either.”

Not a complete victory, but it was better than nothing.

“You’ll stay with Talley?”

“And protect her with my life.”

Of course he would. Protecting his friends, no matter what it cost him personally, is what Charlie does.

Within minutes the dining room became a war room. The guys talked defenses and perimeters, most of their plans sounding like video game strategies. While they talked, I Googled bloodless coups. The results weren’t what I would call optimistic, but I still held on to hope.

The next night was the full moon. At Toby’s request, Marie and Michelle moved into the Safe House. The Hagans were keeping watch over them while Liam and I went to guard over Rachel, who refused to be “bullied by a little girl with delusions of grandeur.” Luckily, her apartment complex was on the edge of town, which meant there was a nice big field less than half a mile away where Liam and I could stand sentury.

“One of these days, I would like to wander up on a spot where I know something fantastically wonderful is going to happen,” I said. “Like, ‘Oh, look at this dirt path. This is where someone is going to give me a new car and a lifetime supply of ice cream.’”

Liam dropped his bag. “Talley’s vision?”

“Talley’s vision,” I confirmed. “If you want a front row seat, I think the big showdown is going to happen right over there.” I pointed back towards the little stream cutting through the field.

Liam turned in a slow circle, finally stopping once he faced the direction of the town. “We’ll go that direction once we Change instead of sticking around here.”

“No. We’ll stay. No use in trying to run away from it.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in fate.”

I dropped my bag beside his, then knelt down to dig out our food. “I don't, but I do believe in Talley.”

We continued to get our things in order in silence. I was heading towards a patch of trees where I could Change in privacy, when Liam said, “It was when they were holding you captive.” I stopped walking, but didn’t turn around. “It was perfect. They were cautious the first few days, but once the Hagans started falling in line, they let up, thinking they were free of threats. I had everything I needed. I could have rigged it up and gotten Jase, Talley, and Charlie out of the way before it actually blew, but I knew there was no way to save you. I told myself it was because of Alex, that I couldn’t let you die because he would never forgive me, but it was a lie. It had nothing to do with Alex, and everything to do with me.” He was behind me then. I turned to meet his gaze. “Sometime, and I don’t know when it was, you ceased to be Alex’s obsession and became mine. The way you reacted to everything happening around you… It was strange and unsettling. But the stranger and more unsettling you got, the more intrigued I was. I wanted to know why you were like that. What made you so… Scout. And I knew if I did what I was supposed to do, if I blew up that cabin with you inside it, I would never get to know you.” His hand trailed over my cheek, resting at the crook of my neck. “That was when I chose you, Scout. And even knowing what’s to come, I would have done it again.” And then, he kissed me.

There is something to be said for being kissed on purpose. Sure, out-of-control passionate kisses are all sorts of breathtakingly sexy, but knowing someone has actively made a decision to put their lips against yours is even better, especially when that person is as focused and thorough about the whole matter as Liam. He didn’t pull back until my knees were weak from it.