Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)(12)

Kylie ignored the look of disapproval and went in to collect her hug.

Burnett's embrace, even cold because of his vampire core body temperature, sent a warm feeling right to her chest. Knowing that tomorrow she would go home made letting go easier, but knowing that she would be forced to be in Lucas's presence made thoughts of her homecoming bittersweet.

* * *Kylie started back to the house, but as she drew closer she grew leery of the conversation that would no doubt take place inside. Needing a few minutes to come up with a way to help her grandfather and aunt understand, she passed the house and started toward the gazebo. The sky glowed a hot pink and the setting sun bathed the scene before her in a golden hue. As she moved between the live oak trees, her gaze caught on the Spanish moss swaying ever so gently in the breeze.

She wondered if her grandfather would feel compelled to move now that Burnett had explained how easy it had been to find him. She hoped not. As discontent as she'd felt here this week, the beauty of the property hadn't gone unnoticed. The echoes of nature seemed to announce the coming of nightfall-a bird, a few crickets.

Then the pre-night seemed to hold its breath and the peacefulness of the moment shattered at the sound of a snapping twig. Kylie's heart skipped a beat as her gaze shifted toward the line of trees. Why the slight noise felt intrusive, she didn't know. It could have been just an innocent creature making its way back home before dark.

Yet it didn't sound innocent.

Suddenly a shadow appeared and then disappeared between the trees. Kylie couldn't explain it, but instead of running from the figure, she felt compelled to go to it.

Starting for the trees, she saw the figure again, a feminine silhouette, darting in and out of the shadows.

For a flash of a second, Kylie thought she recognized her.

Kylie came to an abrupt stop.

How could that be? How could she be here? What was she doing here?

She'd followed him. She had to have followed Lucas. Why else would his fiancee be here?

Unsure if she wanted to confront this girl, she turned to leave. She got only a few steps before she heard someone's feet hitting the soft earth even with Kylie's own steps.

"What do you want?" Kylie bit out, without looking at the person who now moved beside her.

"To talk," the person answered, but the voice wasn't right. It wasn't the light flowery tone she'd heard promise her soul to the person Kylie loved. It wasn't Monique.

Kylie stopped and looked at Jenny, the seventeen-year-old chameleon from the compound. She had dark hair, and was the right height. Had Kylie mistaken her for...?

"Was that you?"

"Was what me?" Jenny asked.

Kylie looked again at Jenny's features, a straight nose, square chin, and light grayish green eyes, and remembered the vague feeling that she looked familiar. Not like she knew her, but just that she looked like someone she knew. "You ... were in the woods?"

"I ... guess. I was coming from our house."

Kylie envisioned a quick glimpse of the person she thought was Monique. It hadn't been Jenny-or had it? "Did you see anyone else?"

"No. Why? Was there someone else out there?"

Kylie looked back at the woods. "Probably not," she said, but she wasn't completely convinced. Being werewolf, Monique could be very quiet if she willed it. Or very fast getting away. Kylie returned to walking, her mind racing faster than her pace.

"So ... do you mind?" Jenny asked.Lost in her thoughts, Kylie glanced up. "Mind what?"

"If we talk," Jenny said, and she gripped her hands together as if worried about something.

"I..." Kylie looked back up at the house. "I need to speak with my grandfather and aunt now, but why don't you stop by in a bit." Kylie noted again Jenny's worried expression and she found it odd that she was even asking to speak with her. Jenny hadn't been rude to Kylie during her time here, but she hadn't been friendly, either. "Is something wrong?"

"The rumor is that you're leaving. Are you?"

Kylie nodded. "Yes. Why?"

Jenny nipped at her bottom lip as if nervous. "When?"

"Tomorrow," Kylie answered.

Voices came from her grandfather's house. Kylie looked toward the door.

"I ... gotta go." Jenny darted off in a hurry. Kylie turned back to the house and noticed that on her grandfather's porch stood the four other elders, as if they'd just stepped out to leave.

Kylie looked back and tried again to convince herself it was Jenny and not Monique she'd seen. But she wasn't completely buying it.

As she headed to the house, the elders passed her. All nodded a quick hello and kept walking, but just in passing Kylie felt the tension radiating from them. Somehow Kylie sensed that they had been at her grandfather's discussing her. While she'd been relieved that her grandfather had made at least some level of peace with Burnett, it didn't mean the other elders had. And that, Kylie realized, could mean trouble. If not for her, for her grandfather.

* * *

Kylie hesitated as she stepped into the house. Having been here thirteen days, she still felt as if she should knock. Not that her aunt or grandfather made her feel unwelcome, but she just didn't have the sense of belonging. Maybe because, deep down, she knew she didn't fit in here. She belonged at Shadow Falls.