Whispers at Moonrise

they belonged to the Wiccan species? She didn’t think shape-shifters could change into fog, could they? Doubt pulled at her mind.
    “Kylie isn’t your normal witch.” Burnett came to her defense.
    Lucas glanced at Clara, to Burnett, then back at Kylie. An apology replaced the stunned disbelief in his eyes.
    He continued to gaze at her, but spoke to his half sister. “If Kylie says she didn’t do it, she didn’t do it.”
    “You take her word over mine? Now I see our father’s concern.” Clara’s tone rang heavy with accusation. “How can you call yourself a leader of our people when you stand up for a witch over your own kind, own blood?”
    Lucas’s jaw tightened. “My belief does not come from her words. I know the facts. Kylie has sensitive hearing. She could hear your screams from miles away.”
    “Witches don’t have—”
    “As Burnett pointed out, I’m not a normal witch.” Kylie gazed at Lucas. Why couldn’t he have simply declared he believed her? Was a were’s loyalty to his pack so restrictive that his faith in her held no credibility?
    Feeling Clara’s stare, Kylie continued. “Apparently, my brain has a bad habit of showing different patterns.”
    “Then there’s something seriously wrong with your brain.” Clara’s tone made her words even more of an insult.
    Kylie waited for Lucas to correct Clara. When his gaze found hers, she could swear she saw an apology flash in his eyes, but he remained silent.
    And just like that, she knew why. Because to do so would be putting her before Clara. Because Kylie wasn’t a werewolf, she wasn’t supposed to matter to Lucas. Or at least not matter as much as one of his own. The realization brought with it a wave of pain that caused her chest to clutch. She told herself she didn’t need him to defend her, that she knew he cared, so what did it matter that he remained silent?
    “My mind is fine.” Kylie met Clara’s eyes and then briefly glanced at Lucas. Yup. Kylie’s mind would be okay; it was her heart she worried about right now. Because while it shouldn’t have mattered, it did.
    A lot.
    “Why weren’t you scared of what you saw?” Clara asked.
    Unsure what Clara meant, Kylie paused. Had the girl seen more than Kylie knew? “Who says I wasn’t scared?”
    “Kylie’s a protector,” Burnett intervened.
    Clara’s eyes widened. “No shit?”
    Uncomfortable at the girl’s stare, Kylie suddenly wanted to escape. “I should go.” She turned to leave.
    Burnett gently caught her by the arm and, as crazy as it seemed, she felt empathy in his cold touch. He leaned in and whispered, “Not until you have a shadow.”
    “I’m here.” Holiday stepped through the door. “I took a short walk to give Lucas and his sister a few minutes to talk.” Her green eyes went to Kylie as if she sensed the emotional storm brewing inside her. Holiday motioned for Kylie to follow her out.
    Burnett looked at Holiday. “Stay close. There could still be danger around.”
    “Exactly what happened?” Worry filled Holiday’s green eyes.
    “We’ll talk later,” he said. “I need to chat with Clara while everything is fresh in her mind.”
    Kylie walked out, her heart breaking at Lucas’s behavior and her gut worrying about what Clara remembered. Yet one glance at Holiday and Kylie remembered her vision and Holiday’s possible demise. Heck, maybe Clara was right. Maybe something was wrong with her mind. Perhaps the stress of everything had finally driven her loony.
    Was becoming a witch the first sign of insanity? Or was it just part of being a chameleon?
    *   *   *
    Kylie followed Holiday to the dining hall to grab a sandwich. Lunch had come and gone and so they had the place to themselves. They barely talked and the awkwardness didn’t feel right. When they walked out of the dining hall, Kylie’s gaze went to the woods to see if the feeling had left, or if she sensed her grandfather and great-aunt calling her. But she felt nothing.
    Holiday reached over and touched Kylie’s shoulders. “Talk to me.”
    Kylie absorbed the calm that Holiday offered and faced her. “I hate prejudices,” Kylie said, knowing that only one of the problems at hand, Lucas, could be discussed with the camp leader. If she told Holiday who was in the woods earlier, she’d tell Burnett. And both of them would refuse to let Kylie go to them if they returned. But she had to, didn’t she?
    “I hate them, too,” Holiday said, as if she knew exactly what