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"Why sunset?" David asked "It’s hours from now"

"Because Jenks can’t be in the ever-after until sundown, and Bis won’t be awake until then," I said, heart pounding, and the pixy glowed a happy silver "We can do this We’ve done it before And who knows? Maybe Al has a way to get them out of me" One that didn’t involve a lot of pain, maybe--but I doubted it

"Rachel" Trent protested, leaning toward the screen, and ticked, I s Ivy jerk

"Meeting adjourned," I said, heart pounding Ivy was staring at an ide-eyed and silent

"What?" I said, wondering why the one "Edden, if you can find Landon and Ayer before sundown, I’"

Mass that interprets sound waves, a h the rest, starting a fla conversation that I was more than ears, and was this insanity or a joke? I felt a hysterical laugh bubbling up, and I choked it off

I’ as that made it all worse

"You heard the lady!" Jenks said, dust shifting to an annoyed bronze "Get going! Find the bastards It takes et ever-after stink out of er to use the deet back to nor a hand to escort Megan out "Good Edden, if all you need are eyes on the street, I can help If we find these SOBs, Rachel won’t have to talk to the de your people down to the arena and we’ll give therid Rose can tell you where I a, and Ivy’s eyebrows rose after glancing at the caller ID I shook ot no say We could handle this the e did everything else Together Butandin hts

David had his hand on Megan’s shoulder, the two of the for the door with a pile of clothes in their hands Seeing their casual, comfortable contact, I realized I couldn’t procrastinate any longer "David?" I called, waving h Jenks’s dust "Hold up Can I talk to you for a second?" They both cah ht

"You sure you can handle the de we haven’t done before" Minus the deep-seated hatred "We’ll be fine David, I’ve been thinking"

Immediately his face darkened, and I pulled him aside so Edden and Ivy could slip by us She toucheda buzz of controversy concerning "we" in a fewthis week," I said, raising my hand when he started to interrupt "No, listen," I said, but he wasn’t

"Nothing has changed," he said, and Megan flushed as Jenks left, joining the noise on the way to the front door "I don’t want--"

"You don’t want," I interrupted, searching his eyes until I found the focus in him, so deep and entrenched that I didn’t think it would ever leave him I hoped it never would "It’s too late for what you want," I said, unhappy that this wasn’t working out Seeing hioal"You need You need an alpha who is there, focused on the sa you are Clearly I can’t do it"

"Rachel"

"I’an needs the clout that goes with the job she’s doing" My job, the one I neglected so badly that I hadn’t evenit "Maybe if you were just an ordinary alpha this could work, but you’re not Not anymore"

"Maybe if you were just an ordinary witch," he said ruefully, and an to understand We were both being pulled in different directions It was tiainst the questioning mystics "Don’t think this is easy," I said, and he nodded, takingit a firan caers finding hers, a new, eager look in his eyes Yes, I was doing the right thing "You’re not leaving our pack," he said, and Megan nodded

"No, but I can’t be alpha" But I knew this was the first step out I wasn’t a Were, and to pretend so would only lead to rief I never should have tried in the first place But who kneould lead to all this? I looked at Megan, as alht? I’m really tired"

David ducked his head in a chuckle "A handshake will do it The paperwork is only for the registry"

A handshake Theto figure out why I was both upset and happy as I held out s to you," I said as our hands hed in regret Coulda, shoulda

"I’ll do that Thank you" I let go, and the le voice count le voice can’t have ht in unison

It can if that single voice sees ht my breath as a flood of them leftMegan a hug It was the right thing to do, and David was bea when I rocked back Steps silent, they headed for the front door, their soft words twined and falling over each other It was good I’d finally done soood

"That’s nice," Jenks said as he came back in and landed onto keep Al fro the new quiet of ether can," I said softly, and the dust spilling down my front turned an alarmed red "I just hope they find either Landon or Ayer before sunset Al is going to be pissed, but he won’t turn me in He’d be broke"

Jenks’s dust turned a diset thee I was starved, and the last thing I wanted to do was fight demons on an empty stomach

But as Jenks and I discussed the leftovers in the fridge and the likelihood of food poisoning, I wasn’t sure I wanted Al to get the to becoht to le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>