Long Shadows: The Lycanthropy Files, Book 2 Read Online Free Page B

think about it when I was driving or another time when I wasn’t near my computer or couldn’t use my phone, but I never remembered when I had the means to do so.”
    A chill went down my spine. Apparently I had attracted some unwanted attention, but I still had no idea from whom, only that they were powerful enough to manipulate memories.
    We talked about mundane things as we ate the rest of our sandwiches, but when he walked me to my car, he put his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes.
    “Be careful,” he said. “I didn’t want to say this inside where I could be overheard, but there have been strange smells in the woods, and none of us hunt alone anymore.”
    With those disturbing words, he closed my car door for me and waved to me as I pulled away.

Chapter Three
    I had been so freaked out by someone being after me, perhaps more than one, that I hadn’t noticed the scenery on the drive up to Crystal Pines. Now, brain on overload, I took a deep breath to focus and tried to orient myself.
    The buds had just started appearing on the trees in Little Rock when I left. Here it was still winter with a few bulbs poking their green shoots out of the ground, and a few crocuses opened their faces to the dim sunlight. Yes, the clouds had cleared, but the air had a damp chill that went straight to my bones. I hummed a happy tune, but then I remembered I’d never called Joanie to tell her I was on my way. The thought of seeing her again human face to human face without the limitations and barriers imposed by our spirit forms made my stomach clench, and I regretted eating all my fries.
    At least my not calling her was all my own avoidance. I pondered what I had just discovered from Matthew, and the air grew colder, or maybe my arms just decided to kick out goose bumps for the heck of it. His disturbing revelations were easier to focus on than what I would say to Joanie.
    What do you say to someone you’ve been a complete bitch to? I decided to throw myself on her mercy and the hope that there was something left of our friendship, which had been close since college. If the amount of dirt we had on each other was a gauge of friendship, ours should be strong enough to survive anything.
    The address had seemed familiar when I plugged it into my GPS, and I almost turned around when I arrived at the house she lived in now. It was Peter’s old place, the Tudor-style four bedroom, three and a half bath he’d shared with Marguerite and their son Lance. The address hadn’t computed, but the panic sure did. I sat in the driveway in my car, my palms sweating and my heart racing. My inner wolf was quiet for once, although her excitement about seeing her pack-mates again and confusion about my reaction whispered in the emotional part of my brain.
    The last time I had been here, the damage had already been done, my transformation complete, and all of us dealing with the consequences of having been kidnapped by the men who had contaminated the vaccines. That explained what happened to everyone else. I was the mystery.
    “Well, sitting out here is only going to look weird,” I mumbled and got out of the car, my purse slung over my shoulder.
    The front door opened before I got halfway up the sidewalk. Joanie leaned against the frame, her arms crossed, and an expression of polite interest on her pixie-like face. She had gained weight since I last saw her in person and looked healthier than she had in years. She even had a little bit of a tummy, which had never happened before. I forced a smile and blinked back the tears of anger and jealousy.
    Why does she get to be so obviously healthy and in love, and I have to run from my demons and who knows what else?
    “You should have called. I was just on my way out,” she said.
    “I’m sorry, I got caught up with…” Again words failed me, but that’s because when I got closer, I smelled something different about her. She moved her arms to put her hands in her pockets, and I noticed