Carter had called me unexpectedly. The call had come just an hour before I found myself standing in the front yard, if you could call it that, of the safehouse. I waited amongst the overgrown brush as Carter came to pick me up.

  I wasn’t sure what Carter wanted when he called, or what he knew, but I was surprisingly uneasy at his approach. I worried that he might know about Autumn and me meeting up. Maybe she’d said something.

  After only twenty minutes of pacing through the leaves and greenery, Carter's black Suburban pulled down the street. I could hear the crunching of his tires as he turned down the road about three-quarters of a mile away. The suburban got louder and louder until he came into view beneath the tunnel-like canopy of shade trees. He stopped on the road right in front of me. I opened the passenger door to the rumbling vehicle. It was only Carter inside. I figured it’d be just him, but I still eyed the back seats for others. Hopefully this wasn’t going to be an ass chewing, if he knew about my time with his daughter.

  “Sam,” Carter greeted enthusiastically.

  Thank God.

  “What’s going on, Carter?” I asked, stepping into the enclosed cabin. I tried to play it cool, mentally grimacing.

  It felt good to be back with him… all of them. It reminded me of simpler times with the family. He seemed to be in a good mood, so my stress level eased to match his. I’d worry about the other shit later.

  As soon as my door clicked shut, Carter was pulling away from my home. We accelerated through the tunnel of trees back towards the highway.

  “I feel like every time I see you, I have to thank you, Sam,” Carter smirked through his peripheral vision. “Clara wouldn’t have made it without your intervention the other night.”

  “I’m glad I made it. I hope she wasn’t too hurt,” I said.

  “She’ll be okay, but really, Sam,” he reiterated, “thank you.” His tone was grave.

  I nodded in the car, not saying anything to ruin the moment he was creating.

  He had spilled out too many emotions with me that it seemed like this time he was trying to maintain his composure. I understood better than he realized. He didn’t need to spill his guts for me to grasp the magnitude of how grateful they were, again.

  “I have a proposition for you,” he said as I cruised within the cool enclosure of the Suburban. “Everyone knows about you now. There isn’t any point in…” he searched for the nice way to put it. “Obscuring you anymore, and with everything that is going on, we figured you should just come over… openly. Zeke and Arthur know everything now.” Carter explained it all. “But don’t worry, we haven’t told them about your family.”

  I eased a breath out at his words. He almost scared me.

  “Annabelle and Bartley talk to you?” I asked.

  “Yep,” he answered quickly with a nod. “Shelta came too. We all know what she saw when you went with them. If it’s true, and any of the Grimwoods are behind all this shit lately, then we’ll need you, Sam.”

  “How do they know it was him?” I asked, still uncertain about the effectiveness of their abilities.

  “Their ways are hard for even me to understand. In my years, I’ve learned just to trust them. They protect everyone in their own way, and sometimes it’s better to just believe in what they understand,” he explained. “I’ve doubted so many times and then seen it all play out like they said, anyway. I just listen now.”

  “Even Annabelle seemed pretty sure that it was Peter behind everything,” I told him.

  “Yeah, she told us the same,” Carter informed. “They can feel something that reminds them of their times with the Grimwood family. But Peter was different, apparently. They say his presence is specific, and she says they can feel glimpses of his presence.”

  “Did they say anything else about how he was still alive? Do they still think that he lived through what I did to him?” I asked.

  Carter nodded, “They know it was him there at the brewery… and at the cave.”

  “The cave? So, it was him…” I said, pretty sure of myself.

  “It was,” Carter assured. “There was this moment, when we were running away, that I saw something. It was a person down at the cave entrance. They were standing beneath the Olitiau, almost like telling it what to do. They were in the woods that night, talking to us somehow as we ran. I could hear laughing. The one standing with the creature had the eyes… they were like… glowing green. It was… weird…” Carter trailed off in thought. “But his current status is still unknown.”.

  I sighed with worry. I killed evil in the world without hesitation. I always had since I became a monster. But I had never come across someone who wouldn’t stay dead. I was a beast formed and fed by the deaths of others; how was I supposed to fight something that didn’t stay dead? What power did I really have against someone like that?

  “Nobody knows anything for sure, but we’re keeping our eyes open. If we hear of any more missing people, then we’ll have Shelta and Annabelle reach out. They’ll be able to see if Peter’s back. Until then… we can’t really do anything?” Carter admitted.

  “So… what are we doing?” I asked, curious where he was taking me.

  “Our family is leaving the area for a little while. It was kind of last minute, but we wanted to all get out and blow off some steam,” Carter explained. “Also… others in our family want to meet. Word has spread throughout the family we still have that’s scattered across the country. They know about Allen, and they know something happened with Eleanor. They don’t know about you yet, not like Zeke and Arthur, but it’s only a matter of time.”

  “How did they take it?” I asked about his cousins.

  “Zeke was pissed once he found out the full story. It’s just the fact that I kept the truth from them. Also, it’s hard for him to understand how I tolerate having “monsters” like you and Martin around. They don’t know everything… not like I do. Arthur… well, Arthur doesn’t speak his opinions often, so he’s hard to read. I think he’s just observing, waiting to see what happens with you and Martin.” Carter added, “They’re confused. They don’t know what to make of you, so that makes things harder for them, considering our occupation.”

  Carter seemed stressed as he explained. His heart beat harder as the words were spoken.

  “Where are you all going?” I asked eagerly, ready to go wherever they wanted me, but unsure if I should get too comfortable. After all, I was still a monster that needed one thing… death.

  “We’re going to the Lake of the Ozarks. We have a house right on the lake that we don’t get to enjoy enough. We figured now is the time to just take the time off and go. We haven’t had a family reunion like this since Allen and Autumn were kids, and the lake house is big enough for everyone. Plus, Annabelle thinks it would be best if we left the area for a while. Not knowing if Peter is here or not… he could lash out at any moment, and we’d never know. We’re unsure if our barriers would work on him, so if he found out where we live… he could walk right in.”

  He was right. Peter could take them at any moment. He could wipe them from my life, and I’d never see them again. Eleanor, Autumn, and even Carter would all be taken from my life forever. In that moment… I wanted them to leave. Then… I could hunt!

  “How long will you be gone?” I asked with worry in my heart.

  “That just depends on the rest of our family. They’re going to have questions, and we’ll have to navigate how to answer them so we can keep your secrets,” Carter said as he made a turn at a random stop sign. “That won’t be a problem. However, Zeke and Arthur are the only issues I can foresee. I’m not sure how much they’ll keep a secret for me.”

  “Who’s this other family? Why haven’t I ever heard you speak about them before?” I asked curiously.

  “Well, without getting too deep into our family tree, I’ll tell you a little about our family you haven’t heard yet. I am one of three siblings, just as my father was one of three siblings. His name was Andrew. Zeke and Arthur had a brother, James. They were the three sons of my Uncle, Art. Arthur is the oldest of the three and his father’s namesake. It‘s my second uncle’s side of our family that wants to meet. There are quite a few of them, unlike Art’s side. My other Uncle’s name is Christopher. Those three were the pinnacle of our family when we were all kids. Frank, Clara, and I looked up to Dad, Uncle Art, and Uncle Chris like they were made of steel. They were so strong, so untouchable. They taught us how to fight, how to hunt, and how to survive in this world of monsters. When I was a kid, I thought that they’d live forever.”

  Carter seemed to be lost in his mind as he spoke. There was this look in his eyes like he was back in time as a kid again. Then there was a faint hint of sadness. He missed them.

  “Are you happy you’ll get to see your Uncle again?” I genuinely asked.

  “Yes,” he answered, snapping out of his daze. “Things are different now, unfortunately. Zeke and I are the leaders of our families. Uncle Chris is much older and not physically hunting as much as he used to. He’s more of a tactician now. He also had three kids, three daughters. He’s married to Raven Wicklow… now Raven Chasse.

  “Wicklow…” I asked, obviously noting the name.

  Carter nodded. “My cousins Raine, River, and Rose.” Carter rolled his eyes a little. “They really went full pledge to the R’s and the nature vibe, but that’s Aunt Raven.”

  “Are they all like…”

  “Our Wicklows here… yeah,” Carter answered quickly. “They’re trained hunters, just like us. But they have their mother's side in them, too. Trained by her in all their ways. So, as much as I hate to admit it, they’re pretty fucking powerful. Uncle Chris is a planner, like Dad was. The girls… they fight in ways you wouldn’t believe. They can see things mid-fight, anticipate movements in a borderline precognitive way. Fighting with them feels like fighting alongside an unstoppable and untouchable force of nature.”

  I was silent for a moment as I thought about that. They sounded badass if I was being honest with myself.

  “He’s harder on us now… Uncle Chris. Nothing like when we were kids. Ever since my father died, and Zeke’s, Uncle Chris has been different. I honestly don’t know how he’d react to Martin, let alone someone we still haven’t identified…” Carter looked over at me, “you.”

  There was a moment of silence in the car as I processed the information Carter had just told me. I wanted to know more about his mysterious cousins and if they’d be able to sense me already, but I held back. There would be time for it later. Plus, I could tell he was a little stressed about their meeting. I changed the subject.

  “Lake house, huh?” I forced a chuckle. “I never knew you guys had anything like that,” I said.

  “Well, we haven’t been able to get away to it. We’ve got a boat, a pool, there’s golf… all sorts of things to do. We used to go quite often. To try and reset when hunting was a little heavier. It hasn’t been like that these last few years, so we haven’t been much,” he explained.

  “A pool at the lake?” I actually laughed.

  Carter laughed at my question, “Well, sometimes you’ve gotta have a pool, too. Especially a heated pool in the colder months.”

  The car was filled with laughter. It was nice being lighthearted and cheery with Carter again. I hadn’t felt this with him in a while.

  As our laughter eased to silence, Carter prepared another question. “Let me ask you something else.”

  I nodded to him, prepared for his more serious tone.

  “I’ve asked you this before, but what do you want from our family?” he asked.

  I was taken by surprise, and honestly, not sure how to answer. I thought we were on the same page.

  “I don’t want anything… I told you that before…” I was unsure where this was coming from.

  “How do you feel about our family?” he adjusted his request.

  I took a second to adjust myself in my seat. I wanted to be honest, but I couldn’t say anything that would drive a wedge between me and them.

  “I just feel… I feel like,” I struggled to speak what I really felt deep down. “I miss my family,” I admitted slowly. “The ones that still live on back home. I had to leave instantly… as soon as I knew. I felt the urges of this… thing,” I motioned towards myself, “to hurt them. I cut myself off and never looked back. I was too scared of what I’d do. Every time I felt like I could go back, I pictured myself killing one of them… all of them. I’ve stayed away because I wanted to protect them. But it’s made me lonely, Carter.” I was unapologetically honest. “I’m tired… and I feel alone in a very dark world I’m still getting used to. I felt alone,” I corrected. “Once I met all of you… I don’t feel that way anymore.”

  He nodded throughout my slow, thoughtful explanation.

  “What about Autumn?” he asked.

  I prick of fear shot through my spine. I wasn’t sure if he knew something about our meet-up alone. She had said she wasn’t going to let the cat out of the bag, but maybe it slipped, maybe he caught wind of something. Maybe Annabelle told him… fucking bitch.

  “I won’t lie to you… I care about her.” I paused. “Just saying that out loud feels wrong for me to say. I never thought I’d feel anything like that for someone again, not after I had to abandon my wife. I thought I’d be alone until the day I finally died. Sometimes I don’t think something like me is supposed to have that kind of life anymore… that kind of connection. But now… I think about Autumn all the time. I think about all of you constantly.” I tried to rein myself back in, “I want to protect her… and all of you, as much as I can.”

  Carter was utterly straight-faced as we rolled towards his property.

  “What is the difference between your family and us?” he asked.

  “What do you mean exactly?” I asked.

  “Why did you abandon them, but you’re sticking around with us?” he clarified.

  I really thought hard about why I had done it. I wasn’t sure if I had ever really put it into words before this point.

  “Ignorance is bliss, right? They know nothing of the real world we live in. You already know everything. It felt easier to stay with you guys since you were already so wrapped up in this world. You guys step into it… Fight it. My family doesn’t have a clue about any of this. If I were to go back to them… I wouldn’t just be coming alone. I’d be bringing the entire supernatural world with me. I don’t know how to do that… or if I should.” I admitted defeatedly.

  I hung my head as we slowly pulled into the driveway of his sprawling home.

  “Well… I think you don’t give yourself enough credit,” Carter took me by surprise. “You are you, Sam. That thing you turn into is still you. If it wasn’t, then I don’t think we’d still be here.” He looked like he was thinking about his words. “That part of you still makes me worry at times, but knowing you’re around keeps me calmer. I know you’ll protect everyone better than anyone else. We’ll help you in any way we can.”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Carter sounded like Frank.

  We pulled onto the property, and the Chasse house came into view. The sun glanced off all the windows on the front of the familiar house. A few cars littered the driveway that wrapped around the side. We rolled into the garage quietly and out of sight of any other family members.

  Carter turned the key to kill the engine. Then he surprised me.

  “Come here, son.” He opened his arms and pulled me into an unexpected hug inside the Suburban. I leaned into him, thinking of my own father and missing him greatly. “We want you with us… You’re important to this family. Don’t forget that. We know what you’ve lost, and we won’t forget what you’ve done for us.”

  We pulled away, and I had trouble maintaining my emotions as we exited the vehicle. I stepped out into the garage.

  “There is something I need from you, Sam,” Carter added as he rounded the back of the Suburban. “It’s the main reason I brought you here today.”

  “Name it,” I said without hesitation. What could I refuse from him after his acceptance?

  “I have an idea, but it is a very delicate matter that must be handled strategically. Eleanor, Autumn, and the rest want you to come with us and just face the rest of the family. They think we can keep your family back in Texas a secret while sharing you with the rest of our family,” Carter explained.

  “But you don’t see it that way,” I assumed.

  “No. Eleanor and Autumn are blinded by their connection with you, Eleanor specifically. She won’t back down when it comes to you, and she thinks she can make my Uncle and everyone else see what she sees in you,” Carter said.

  I felt something inside my chest when he spoke about Autumn’s connection with me. What had she said? How did she act when it came to me?

  “That won’t happen, will it?” I asked.

  “I think there will be too many people, and too many questions being asked to maintain your secret and the situation. I think it will all just deteriorate quickly, and then they’ll regret bringing you into it. They’re optimistic… but I know my family… and how they’ll react. Especially Uncle Chris. They are going to ask you to come… but I need you to tell us you can’t. I need you to make an excuse so I can work things out my own way. They won’t push you on it if you refuse. Then, they’ll go with my plan.”

  “I understand. I already planned on searching the city for any signs of Peter, or anything else that may be lingering. I was going to do that anyway, so I’ll make it seem like it’s urgent to me… if you think this is best. But why did you bring me here? We could have done this over the phone, especially since anyone could walk around the corner at any moment and hear us talking.”

  “That’s another thing. Besides the fact that I wanted to see you before we left, I wanted Zeke and Arthur to see you one last time before we meet with the rest of our family. They barely remember the short time they had with you at our dinner the other night. The most prominent memory they have of you is the moment they saw your other half in the brewery. I don’t want them to meet with the rest of our family, with that being the last thing they remember about you. I think if they can see you in human form again, they may be easier to sway. If we give you an open invitation, and you refuse to stay back and continue the hunt for threats in the city… it just might be what we need. Especially if you’re tracking Peter. It may be the beginning of trust for them.”

  Everything he said made sense. I wanted to help him, if only to gain more trust and a deeper relationship with the family as a whole. I felt a duty to him now. I felt like I was more in the family than ever before, even though most of them weren’t in the loop on this. I owed him this so he could make things right again, and I could continue to protect their family the way I had. I didn’t know how long they’d be gone, or what I’d do until they got back, but I’d do it. I’d miss them all… especially Autumn, and the time I still wanted to have with her. But if this would help my situation with everyone… I’d do it.

  “I’ll do it,” I said with confidence.

  Carter nodded with a smile, “I knew you would. Still, thank you.”

  I nodded.

  Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming into the garage. I turned my head in the direction of the invaders, warning Carter of the intrusion on our privacy. He looked on with me, aware that our conversation had to end.

  Allen and Eloise walked into the garage from the front yard. They were holding hands as they paced quickly into the open enclosure. They looked unburdened. They were happy… until they connected eyes with me. I don’t think they expected to see me standing there with Carter. As soon as they saw me, they both stopped in their tracks.

  “Sam,” Allen stumbled over his words at the sight of me. His face was shaved, but he had kept his hair long and tied back in a ponytail. For some reason, I didn’t think he looked like an asshole like Patrick. I guess that was because I knew Allen wasn’t going for some kind of style.

  “Allen, how’s everything at Jane’s?” I asked, honestly curious about how they were adapting.

  He looked hesitant to answer, “It’s good. She’s made us feel at home out there. She says that soon we’ll be able to have our own place. Once she thinks we’re ready, then we’ll only have to go back for the full moons. That way she can maintain everyone when the beast takes over…” he trailed off, looking to Eloise, who was stepping forward to me.

  “Hello, Sam,” Eloise stuttered in her English from beside Allen. She was still scared of what she remembered of the night I saved them. It was in her eyes. The beast still haunted her mind. Yet, she looked happier than I remembered her to be as we returned from France. Her dark hair was pulled back to flow down the white shirt she was wearing.

  “Hey, Eloise,” I greeted her.

  I could tell it was still hard for them to be around me. They were trying, but they still remembered things.

  Carter waved me forward inside the house as Allen and Eloise packed some items into the back of the Suburban. They both lifted coolers that were slammed full of ice and drinks. For their size and stature, I could tell that it was their own beasts inside that gave them their strength, especially Eloise. They were going to the lake as well. They had time until the next full moon came, and Jane must have been comfortable with this trip if they were here. I was curious how the rest of the family, this Uncle Chris, would take Allen and Eloise as werewolves. I was curious about this uncle.

  I stepped inside the house, behind Carter, who led me to the kitchen. We came upon Eleanor, who was packing another cooler full of snacks for the getaway. Her long-darkened hair flowed down to the bottom of her shirt, putting off scents similar to Autumn. She was wearing flip-flops and beach clothes over a purple swimsuit. I think they were all dressed and ready to hit the water as soon as they arrived at the lake. It reminded me of trips my family would take to the beach every summer when I was a kid.

  “Sam,” she said excitedly as she tossed the items in her hands to the counter and came to hug my neck. “I’m glad you made it. Are you going to come with us?” she asked hopefully.

  “I honestly don’t know,” I admitted. “Carter just told me about it, so I haven’t had much time to think about whether it is a good idea for me.”

  “Well, if you are comfortable with the idea, you are more than welcome. It will only be our family. I’m sure Carter’s told you about the rest of our family that we’ll be meeting. The Talbots and Wicklows won’t be joining us for this… but it might get a little awkward for a little while, if I’m being honest,” she said. “We all want you there… even Zeke. Though I don’t think he’d admit it to you. Even he’s thankful for what you did at the brewery. He’s really come around these last few days. He’ll need more time to understand, though.”

  I nodded, not wanting to give her any false hope. Even if I wanted to, I don’t know if I could tame the monster within to take him on a lake trip. I honestly didn’t know if I could pull that off. I doubt the creature inside would allow me to have fun without dreaming of death.

  Then, as I talked with Eleanor and Carter, Autumn made her way down to the kitchen. She had on a yellow two-piece suit that was barely hidden behind her cutoff shorts. Her hair was twisted around into a dark brown stream that flowed over her right shoulder. The whole upper half of her body was almost completely exposed down in the kitchen. Her dark eyes connected with mine as we saw each other again after just a few hours apart. At that moment, I wanted to go to the lake with them. I wanted to abandon my plans with Carter and join them on the spot. Then, as soon as she saw me with her parents, she continued on in silence.

  The monster stirred beneath the surface, skimming past my eyes. I could feel it pushing me towards Autumn.

  Autumn’s face blushed as she realized I was right there, seeing her that way. She didn’t know anyone else was around, especially me. She was frozen, unsure if she should stay or turn back with her parents watching.

  “I’m glad you're back with us, Sam.” Eleanor pulled me in for another hug. “I feel like we’re finally back to where we were before everything happened.”

  I agreed, “I know. I never thought it would be this way again. It’s nice to have people in my life again.”

  Frank came trotting around the corner. “I knew I heard your voice.”

  He had on some red shorts with an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and a straw hat. He was also unapologetically holding a beer in his hand this early in the day.

  I smirked at his lightheartedness.

  “Neat trick the other night, man.” Frank joked. He walked up and patted my shoulder like he always did. “It’s good to have you back, Sam.”

  “No Jane?” I asked.

  “No,” Frank replied. “She’s got things to do with the pack. She has things to do after Bran, well… you know. Plus, I’m not sure how Uncle Chris would take her.”

  I nodded in understanding. Bran was a big part of her life and the pack. But he was gone now. However, I didn’t understand one bit when it came to the pack mentality. I wasn’t a part of any pack. I was a loner, and the Talbot dynamic was as foreign to me as Eloise’s primary language.

  “I have to admit,” I said, “a trip to the lake sounds nice. But I don’t think I can make it either. I had planned on going back down into the caves to look for signs of Peter… or anything.” I tried to be like cold stone. Solid and unchanging.

  “You really don’t have to do that, Sam,” Eleanor urged. “Shelta and Annabelle said that they’d feel him if he did somehow come back again. Now that Shelta knows it could be Peter, she’ll be able to tell if he survived, if he pops back up. They’ll tell us the instant they think he survived, but even they had to admit that they thought those odds were improbable… after what you did to him.”

  A grim tone fell over us all in the kitchen. They remembered violent flashes of my monstrous form in the shadows of that crumbling building.

  I nodded, “I know, but I won’t feel comfortable unless I check out everything I can.”

  “You sure?” Autumn asked in a way that enticed me to abandon my plans. To everyone else in the room, it probably seemed normal. Maybe I was just reading into things too hard, but I felt like I could see what she wanted in her eyes. She had so many plans laid out in her mind, ready to get more time alone that we both wanted. We still needed to talk and figure out what our relationship… was.

  “You might like it…” she teased.

  I felt the monster actually pushing me to go. I wanted her alone again… in that swimsuit. I almost thought my mouth was opening to speak on the monster’s behalf, like he was in control again. I had to snap myself out of it.

  Just go numb, go numb.

  “Once I’ve been down all of my paths below, maybe I’ll reach out and see if you’ll still be out there. Maybe you could send me an address,” I said quickly, cutting my eyes to Carter so he’d know I wasn’t serious.

  “Already sent,” Carter answered as he flipped his phone closed. He didn’t send a text.

  Autumn smiled through her hidden sadness. I could tell she never thought of me refusing their offer as a real possibility. However, I was feeling the reality of my surprising her at the lake becoming an actual possibility.

  “This will be perfect, actually,” I said to them. “I can run down every inch of the city in the next week to look for any signs of Peter, or more missing people. I won’t be able to calm down until I put my eyes everywhere above and below the city.”

  “Well, do what you must, Sam.” Eleanor patted the side of my arm, “If you decide to come, just head that way. We’d love to spend time with you at the lake… as family.”

  I nodded. I couldn’t speak to that. I might let what I was feeling for them crack through. I had to control my emotions, because I was feeling a lot after this unexpected invitation. Even though I had to refuse, the thought of the invite weighed heavily on me.

  They all dispersed as they continued to finish up their last-minute packing before they left for their short vacation. As they all veered off, Autumn looked at me and inched her eyes up to her room.

  I almost thought I imagined it. I looked around my immediate area, then back to her. She urged me again, motioning back to the stairs. She was serious.

  I nodded calmly and then followed silently behind her to the upper level of the house. We made it inside her room, and she clicked the door closed as quietly as she could. That was it. We were finally alone.

  She turned back to me slowly, unsure of what to say now that we were in the situation.

  “I really wish you’d come. I don’t know if I can wait to see you again,” Autumn huffed. “I want to talk to you again… in person… I have so much to say. So much I need to ask. I thought that, if you came with us, maybe we could find time alone at the lake.”

  I tried to speak when she pulled away, “I know. I want to talk to you, too. I just won’t feel like it’s safe for you all to come back until I check things out more.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “But you really don’t have to worry. We’ve been living like this our whole lives. Sometimes you have to just stop and smell the roses,” she urged, pushing herself off the door towards me.

  My heart started pounding, beating like it was in overdrive. I tried to remain calm, but the closer she got, the more I felt my blood pressure rise.

  She stepped up to me slowly, almost like she was testing the waters every few inches, making sure it was safe. I could feel everything about her from across the short distance. I could see her pulse beating against her skin, the blood flowing with each beat, her lungs rising and falling. Her dark brown eyes stared into me in the low lighting of her room. It was overwhelming to be in that close of quarters with her, especially since she was in only shorts and a bikini top. When she was face to face with me, she reached her lips up to mine and kissed me lightly. It felt like she was seeing how things felt again… careful with every movement. When we connected, it was jarring for me. Such a powerful reaction from such a small interaction. My insides were in a chaotic array again, just like on the couch in her dorm.

  “I’m going to miss… this. You… I feel like we just got back to this… and now we have to leave. I just have so much more I feel like we need to talk about… about before, and now. All of it.”

  The blood pulsing in my veins barely slowed. We both held back in her dorm. We didn’t dive too deep into things, but after a small bit of time apart, we both needed to have more time together to talk.

  “I know,” I agreed.

  Autumn nodded, looking strained in her mind.

  I eyed her intently. It was hard not to look at her half-naked body. I found myself looking too much, so I tried not to look directly at her. She noticed.

  Autumn looked down and smirked, “Sorry. This probably isn’t making things easier for you.” She walked over to her bed and picked up a yellow V-neck shirt. She slid it over herself before returning to me. “As soon as we get back, if you can’t make it out there, let’s make the time.”

  I nodded, “Okay.”

  Autumn stepped back up to me, slowly running her hands over my arms and wrapping them around me. She squeezed me tightly, again examining what she felt around me.

  I could feel every contour of her entire body pressing into me with my acute, hyper senses. I didn’t want it to end. I just wanted to stand there forever. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose, taking in her scent as much as I could. It was a little token of her I could hang onto until I saw her again. My heart was pounding again. I didn’t want her to leave.

  “I’ll try to hurry. Maybe I really can meet you all out there,” I offered, hoping Carter could work his magic and call me unannounced.

  She smiled, “I hope.” She pulled away from me, unfortunately, and walked around to grab a few small bags that she’d need for the week. I took the bags from her and followed her out of her room.

  I was sad to leave the very short moment in her room, but we had no time. They were literally about to leave, and every second I was out of sight was another that they knew I might be off somewhere with Autumn. We couldn’t hide in her room for long. Only long enough to get her stuff.

  I took her bags to the garage, where I packed them behind Eloise and Allen’s stuff.

  Everyone had met up at the house and was ready to head to the Lake of the Ozarks in a convoy of vehicles. Wayland and Clara walked into the garage with little Delilah, who had on goggles and floaties already slid up her tiny arms.

  “Auti-Auti,” Delilah squealed as she saw Autumn standing in the garage. “Are you going to go swimming with me?”

  She was adorable.

  “Yes,” Autumn laughed, hugging her cousin. She tickled her neck as she ran up to her.

  “Is Mr. Sam coming, too?” Delilah asked as she looked straight at me.

  It hurt to interact with her. I thought of Caydee… what she’d look like in a few years, and how she’d sound. Delilah still brought out the pain and loss that I tried to keep buried.

  “No, not this time,” Autumn answered her as I just smiled at the little girl.

  “That’s okay, Mr. Sam. Sometimes we don’t always get to go swimming,” she informed me. “But maybe if you’re a good girl like me, then you can go next time.”

  The entirety of the Chasse family looked at me after Delilah’s comment and burst into laughter. I joined them all instantly. The irony of her words and just the tone of what she said was hilarious, considering who she was talking to.

  Wayland stepped up to me as soon as the laughter cleared, “You’re looking into Peter?” Wayland was smart.

  I nodded, “Yeah. I’ll see what I can find out while you guys are gone.”

  Wayland nodded in agreement, “I think that’s a good idea.” He looked at Carter and Frank as he spoke to me.

  They all agreed with his statements. We needed to be certain of his whereabouts, just in case we were dealing with someone who could actually return from death.

  “We would love it if you found the chance to come, however,” Wayland added. He had come a long way in his opinion of me.

  “We’ll see,” I said. “But I appreciate the offer.”

  He nodded, accepting my thanks.

  Just then, Zeke, Arthur, and Kayla stepped out into the open garage with the rest of us. Zeke and Kayla walked into the lightly chuckling group, unaware of my presence. Arthur seemed aware of me as soon as he walked into the area. Then, Zeke and his daughter realized what was going on as soon as they were fully down in the garage.

  “Zeke, Arthur, Kayla,” Carter waved them over. “I want to fully introduce you to Sam.”

  They all walked over, slightly hesitant but calm at the state of everyone else.

  “I know you’ve all met before, but… obviously, things are a little more out in the open now. Apologies,” Carter didn’t like having to keep his family in the dark, but I could I knew they had already spoken about me before.

  “Thanks, Carter. We appreciate it,” Zeke warmly accepted Carter’s initiative to tell the truth. “Hello, Sam. It’s nice to actually meet you, knowing the full truth.”

  “Sam,” Arthur spoke, actually stepping up and acknowledging me, unlike our first interaction. I shook his hand quickly, but I could tell he was gripping harder than usual, trying to gauge my strength. “Good to see you again.”

  “It’s strange to know that was you,” Kayla slowly reached out with a quivering hand, “the other night.”

  I shook her hand gently, seeing the fear in her blue eyes, and a slight shake in her blonde hair as she made contact with my hand.

  “So, you’re not just a monster… are you, Sam?” Zeke asked.

  “No,” I returned. “It’s complicated.”

  “That may be true, as are my thoughts on you, Martin, Jane, and this new Alex character,” Zeke said out loud. “But I’m starting to see things… differently,” Zeke admitted. “If Carter trusts you, then I am keener to keep an open mind.”

  “Silver doesn’t affect you, huh?” Arthur asked me.

  I shook my head, “No.”

  Arthur nodded with steady eyes.

  “In any case,” the tall Zeke cut in, “you’ve done a lot for our cousins, and we thank you for it. I think we still have a lot to understand first, but I hope we can develop a relationship with you as they have.” Zeke actually seemed sincere in his words; Arthur seemed calmly observing and calculating, and Kayla was fearful of what she saw the other night in the brewery.

  “Well,” I said to them all, “don’t let me hold you up. You guys get out of here. I can head back on foot,” I offered.

  “Oh no, Sam,” Eleanor choked out, “we can take you back.”

  “No, really, it's okay. I’ll start my own hunt down in the caves. Don’t worry about me,” I assured them.

  After they all said their goodbyes to me, they piled into their vehicles and buckled up. Autumn looked over to me one more time before she got into the Suburban. Then, she joined her mother, father, and uncle inside the vehicle. I paced towards the woods as the Chasse convoy sped away from the sprawling hunter's home. I could see Autumn and Eleanor waving to me as their car passed me right at the tree line where I’d disappear into the growth.

  In a quick moment, they were all gone, and I was sprinting through the solitary greenery at breakneck speeds. The Chasse family had left the city, and I was all alone again. I needed to hunt for any sign of Peter.