Julia’s chest.
“Mara, will you go with them?” Damien asked.
“We can handle things ourselves,” Katherine said.
“Traveling with three is safer than two,” Damien said. “And Mara knows the land out here better than any of us.”
“I’d be happy to go,” Mara said.
“What about Julia?” Kyle asked. “Should we take her?”
“I don’t want her traveling unnecessarily,” Damien said. “We need to pack up our things here. Hopefully by the time we’re done you’ll have found something.”
“But if the other packs do decide to attack—” Mara said.
“We have Jordan and Dee here, if anything happens,” Damien said.
“I was wondering when you’d mention me,” Jordan said dryly, cracking the knuckles of his hands together. “Good of you to volunteer me for guard duty.”
“Anytime,” Damien said. Julia sensed the deep love between them. It was true—she’d come to think of Jordan as an extended part of their family. There was no question about his role in their pack.
“If they do come, what will we do?” Dee asked.
“The wind comes out of the valley toward us most of the day," Damien said. “I’d hope we have time to get out before they could come anywhere near. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a sound plan,” Jordan said. “As long as Kyle is far away so I don’t have to stitch up any more of his construction injuries.”
“I only cut myself twice,” Kyle said.
“That’s two more times than your girl,” Jordan retorted. “Maybe you should ask her to show you how to use a circular saw.”
“It’s your pack,” Dee said, her serious tone bringing the laughter down to silence. “As long as I can stay with my granddaughter to protect her.”
Damien drew in a long breath through his nose and nodded once. Grimly.
“Then it’s settled,” he said.
Katherine, Kyle, and Mara left to prepare for their scouting trip. Dee put a kettle on the stove.
“I’m going to make you some tea, child,” Dee said to Julia. “You should relax. Go sit in the comfy chair in the family room. Would you like some tea, Damien?”
“Thank you, but I’m going to go talk to Jordan,” Damien said.
Julia opened the front door for him. As Damien edged his way down the porch steps, Julia gazed past him.
Jordan was standing at the edge of the clearing facing the forest, his head tilted back a little, a tiny figure pleading before a council of slender, looming, many-limbed judges. A high breeze passed through the canopy, rustling the leaves and branches; it was like the judges whispered to each other, discussing his sentence.
“You’re letting the chill in, child,” Dee said.
Julia shut the door.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Damien
Damien heard the fall leaves crunching under his feet as he crossed the clearing.
“You’d be a terrible ninja,” Jordan said up ahead.
“Damn,” Damien said, walking up to the treeline. “My dreams are crushed.”
He came up beside his friend and they stood there in comfortable silence. The smells wafting from the woods were fresh and vibrant…but underneath the firs and the berries Damien could swear he smelled something else. Something sinister. Like flecks of meat rotting in a predator’s teeth.
He knew he was imagining it. But there was something else. Something he hadn’t imagined.
“I began to see,” Damien said.
He heard the miniscule rustle of Jordan’s collar as he whipped his head toward Damien. “See?” Jordan said, incredulous.
“Through Julia’s eyes,” Damien said. “For just a moment. I saw myself. I think it’s happened before, too.”
Silence for a moment.
“Are you sure you’re not simply thinking up the pictures?” Jordan said. “Julia’s thoughts might be so strong that they intrude visually into your mind.”
“What’s the difference?” Damien asked.
“You wouldn’t be seeing the actual world. You’d be seeing it as she sees it.”
“Well, I did look rather more attractive than I thought I
“Mara, will you go with them?” Damien asked.
“We can handle things ourselves,” Katherine said.
“Traveling with three is safer than two,” Damien said. “And Mara knows the land out here better than any of us.”
“I’d be happy to go,” Mara said.
“What about Julia?” Kyle asked. “Should we take her?”
“I don’t want her traveling unnecessarily,” Damien said. “We need to pack up our things here. Hopefully by the time we’re done you’ll have found something.”
“But if the other packs do decide to attack—” Mara said.
“We have Jordan and Dee here, if anything happens,” Damien said.
“I was wondering when you’d mention me,” Jordan said dryly, cracking the knuckles of his hands together. “Good of you to volunteer me for guard duty.”
“Anytime,” Damien said. Julia sensed the deep love between them. It was true—she’d come to think of Jordan as an extended part of their family. There was no question about his role in their pack.
“If they do come, what will we do?” Dee asked.
“The wind comes out of the valley toward us most of the day," Damien said. “I’d hope we have time to get out before they could come anywhere near. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a sound plan,” Jordan said. “As long as Kyle is far away so I don’t have to stitch up any more of his construction injuries.”
“I only cut myself twice,” Kyle said.
“That’s two more times than your girl,” Jordan retorted. “Maybe you should ask her to show you how to use a circular saw.”
“It’s your pack,” Dee said, her serious tone bringing the laughter down to silence. “As long as I can stay with my granddaughter to protect her.”
Damien drew in a long breath through his nose and nodded once. Grimly.
“Then it’s settled,” he said.
Katherine, Kyle, and Mara left to prepare for their scouting trip. Dee put a kettle on the stove.
“I’m going to make you some tea, child,” Dee said to Julia. “You should relax. Go sit in the comfy chair in the family room. Would you like some tea, Damien?”
“Thank you, but I’m going to go talk to Jordan,” Damien said.
Julia opened the front door for him. As Damien edged his way down the porch steps, Julia gazed past him.
Jordan was standing at the edge of the clearing facing the forest, his head tilted back a little, a tiny figure pleading before a council of slender, looming, many-limbed judges. A high breeze passed through the canopy, rustling the leaves and branches; it was like the judges whispered to each other, discussing his sentence.
“You’re letting the chill in, child,” Dee said.
Julia shut the door.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Damien
Damien heard the fall leaves crunching under his feet as he crossed the clearing.
“You’d be a terrible ninja,” Jordan said up ahead.
“Damn,” Damien said, walking up to the treeline. “My dreams are crushed.”
He came up beside his friend and they stood there in comfortable silence. The smells wafting from the woods were fresh and vibrant…but underneath the firs and the berries Damien could swear he smelled something else. Something sinister. Like flecks of meat rotting in a predator’s teeth.
He knew he was imagining it. But there was something else. Something he hadn’t imagined.
“I began to see,” Damien said.
He heard the miniscule rustle of Jordan’s collar as he whipped his head toward Damien. “See?” Jordan said, incredulous.
“Through Julia’s eyes,” Damien said. “For just a moment. I saw myself. I think it’s happened before, too.”
Silence for a moment.
“Are you sure you’re not simply thinking up the pictures?” Jordan said. “Julia’s thoughts might be so strong that they intrude visually into your mind.”
“What’s the difference?” Damien asked.
“You wouldn’t be seeing the actual world. You’d be seeing it as she sees it.”
“Well, I did look rather more attractive than I thought I
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