Blood Rule (Book 4, Dirty Blood series) by Heather Hildenbrand Page B

always be a town close enough for them to hurt
someone.”
    Angela’s words were gentle, but the
stark truth of them still stung. She was right. There was nowhere I
could take them that would protect the rest of the world, not
completely. And what about protecting them from themselves? If one
of them lost it, I felt the pain like it was my own. Even now, with
my mind engaged in conversation with Angela and the worry for Vera
and Alex that lay under that, I could still hear the hum of voices
and feel the emotions of the pack as they settled in for the night.
There was no escaping the bond.
    Or the almost subconscious hunger they
all struggled with, for something they kept telling themselves they
couldn’t have. What happened when one of them stopped believing
that?
    “ You’re right, but I … I
can’t let them hurt others. Or themselves. I feel it all,
Ang.”
    “ That must be exhausting,”
she said. “Is that Chris guy still helping?”
    “ Yes. They listen to him.
And George. He’s a big help.”
    “ George, a big help. Who
would’ve guessed? How’s he doing?”
    “ George is great. Better
than great. He loves being a Werewolf and now that he’s got his
shifting under control, he’s back home with his
parents.”
    “ They didn’t wonder where
he’d been?”
    “ Sports camp, remember,” I
said wryly.
    “ They bought
it?”
    “ Wes may have helped sell
it,” I said cryptically, but Angela chuckled. We both knew what
that meant. “Things are good for him now. He even has a few wolfy
admirers.”
    “ George is being
responsible and moving on from Tara Godfrey? We’ve officially entered the
Twilight Zone.”
    “ I don’t think he’s
noticed his admirers.”
    “ Maybe someone should
point them out.”
    “ One thing at a time.
Let’s be happy the moving on part is happening.”
    Angela laughed. “Agreed. And the bond
between you?”
    “ Crystal clear. Always
on.”
    “ How’s Wes doing with
that?”
    “ How do you
think?”
    “ Struggling.”
    “ Good guess,” I said and
she laughed. “No, really, he’s good, he’s—”
    A hand closed over my shoulder and I
jumped and whirled around. It was Wes. With Grandma behind him—and
something about Grandma’s expression made me nervous.
    “ He’s here, actually. Let
me call you back.”
    “ Okay. Is it all right if
I come by the hospital tomorrow? Can you get me in to see
Alex?”
    “ Um, I can try.” I had no
idea how I’d get a human into the Hunter wing, but that was
something I could figure out later. “Call me when you’re heading
over and I’ll meet you.”
    “ Sounds good.”
    As soon as I disconnected, Grandma
pulled my face close and planted a kiss on my cheek. That, more
than anything else, let me know something was up. Grandma wasn’t
the type to display affection unless there was a reason.
    I slid my hand into Wes’s. “What’s
up?” I asked.
    “ Your momma said you need
to eat,” Grandma said.
    “ I was on my way when
Angela called. What’s going on? I know you didn’t come all the way
out here to lecture me on missing a meal.”
    She stared at something over my
shoulder, as if considering her next words carefully. I glanced at
Wes for some clue. From the glow of the white lights lining the
landscape beside us, his eyes sparkled with things
unspoken.
    Grandma looked back at me. “Let’s go
eat.”
    I knew better than to
argue.
    We wound up in the hospital cafeteria.
I wasn’t hungry enough to care how bad the food might be here and I
didn’t want to waste any more time. It was clear Grandma had
something to say and that she wasn’t going to say it until we were
settled at a table with a plate in front of us.
    I ordered a cold-cut sandwich. It
looked the safest. The hot food, a turkey and gravy entrée that
looked as if it’d been sitting for longer than Alex had been here,
made my stomach recoil. Wes bought himself a soda, no food. Grandma
didn’t seem to care whether he ate. I gave him a dirty
look.
    We