Whispers at Moonrise

belonged with his pack, his people.
    And so did she.
    He reached for her. She stepped back. She couldn’t let him touch her. It would hurt too much. She held out her hand. “No.”
    He shook his head. “Please, don’t do this. Damn it!” He swung his fist, closed his eyes and when he opened them, he looked at her. Right at her. “I love you.”
    Now he told her. Now! She lifted her chin. “I think you vowed your love and soul to Monique tonight.”
    She darted around him, entered the cabin, and shut him out. Then, leaning against the cold door, she wrapped her arms around herself. Her heart felt swollen, inflamed.
    Don’t ever fall in love, princess. It hurts too much. Her stepfather’s words whispered through her broken heart. He’d been so damn right.
    When she heard Lucas leaving, her breath caught.
    “He’s a piece of wolf shit,” Della roared. Kylie looked up. Miranda stood beside Della in the kitchen. Had they heard everything? More tears filled her eyes.
    “Sit down.” Miranda pulled a chair out. “I’ll get you some ice cream.”
    “No … not now.” Kylie didn’t have any strength to explain or to even talk.
    “Tomorrow.” She went into her room. Socks looked out at her from under the bed, and then disappeared. Even her cat betrayed her. It was the last straw. Kylie dropped on the bed and cried herself to sleep.
    *   *   *
    Not that she stayed asleep for long. At four in the morning, Kylie knocked on Miranda’s door. “I need to talk to you.”
    Della had already gotten up and stood by the kitchen table, staring sleepy-eyed and suspicious at Kylie.
    When Miranda came out, wearing her duck slippers, she pushed a curtain of hair from her face. “What time is it?”
    “Early,” Kylie said. “I’m sorry, but … I have to talk to both of you.” Make it short and sweet. Short and sweet. She’d told herself all morning.
    She’d tried talking herself out of this, but she couldn’t. Leaving Shadow Falls was the right thing to do. But the right thing didn’t always feel right. Coming to Shadow Falls had felt wrong, yet it had turned out to be a step toward finding the truth. This was just another step—a needed step.
    Someday, Kylie hoped her choices could be made by what she wanted, and not by what she needed. But that time hadn’t arrived yet.
    “No,” Della said.
    “No, what?” Miranda asked.
    “She’s going to tell us she’s leaving.” Della’s eyes filled with emotion.
    “No, she’s not,” Miranda smarted back.
    Short and sweet, Kylie thought again. “Della’s right. I need to go live with my grandfather for a while. Not forever. I’ll be back.” God, she hoped so.
    Miranda stared, her expression one of disbelief. “You can’t do that. What will your mother say?”
    “I haven’t figured that out. But I will. I just need you guys to understand, and not be mad. And…” Tears filled her eyes. “And take care of Socks because he doesn’t want to … go with me.”
    “You’re leaving us,” Miranda said. “You can’t leave us. We’re roommates, we’re best friends.”
    Della stood there, stoic, tears glistening in her dark eyes, and she swiped away every drip of moisture that slipped from her lashes.
    Kylie went to hug Miranda first. The witch started crying and Kylie’s heart hurt so much she couldn’t breathe. When Kylie turned to Della, the girl held up one hand. Anger flashed in her eyes.
    “Oh, hell no,” Della screamed. “You’re freaking leaving us. I don’t hug people who walk out on me.” The vamp stormed back into her bedroom. Kylie felt the door slam all the way to her soul and it hurt so damn bad.
    She walked into her room, picked up her suitcase, and left, before it got harder. Inside, Kylie felt raw. Sooner or later, it would stop hurting, she told herself.
    Derek stood outside her cabin. He looked as if he’d woken up, pulled clothes on without thinking, and came running. His jeans weren’t snapped, his shirt unbuttoned.
    She wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did. She saw it in his green eyes.
    “Why?” he asked when she walked up to him.
    “Because I have to figure things out.”
    “But you’ve already figured a lot out while you’ve been here.”
    “I know,” Kylie said. “But it’s time to take the next step.”
    He didn’t try to talk her out of it. He didn’t speak on the walk to the office. But she felt him reading her every emotion. When they arrived at the office, she looked back at him. For some