Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)(78)

The moment the interview was over and Kylie stepped out of Burnett's office, Lucas met her at the door and pulled her into another room. He didn't say a word; he just pulled her against his warm-so warm-chest and held her.

"I was running errands for Burnett." His cheek pressed against the top of her head. "I just got back."

After a good long hug, he set her back and asked, "What happened this time?"

It was the last two words that hinted at Lucas's true feelings. Kylie frowned. "You sound like you think this was all my fault."

He shook his head. "I don't think that. But damn it, I'd like to go at least a couple of days where I didn't think I almost lost you."

She smiled. "You didn't almost lose me." And then she gave him the quick version about the sinkhole opening up and their mad tumble down it.

He stared into her eyes. "Were there spirits involved?"

"No. Well, one was there, but..."

"But what?" he snapped. He shook his head and growled. "You've got to stop letting them hurt you, Kylie."

"They don't hurt me."

"Bullshit!" His blue eyes turned an anger-filled orange. "I saw part of your vision, remember? I had to stand there and feel completely helpless while those people dragged you away. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

Kylie knew Lucas's emotion stemmed partly from his werewolf instincts. Weres were known to have an intense need to protect those they cared about. And she liked knowing he cared about her.

But she had to make him understand that dealing with ghosts was as important to her as shifting into a wolf was to him. It was her destiny, her path.

Kylie put her hand on his chest. "The spirit didn't do this," she said. "It was probably Mario and his grandson again and their shape-shifter buddy. If anything, the spirit probably saved my life."

Okay, so she was guessing that was what had happened. But it made more sense to her than it did that Jane was somehow evil.

He inhaled. "Damn it. What's with that guy? Doesn't he know when to quit?"

"Obviously not."

Lucas pulled her against him again. "The timing of this sucks."

"What timing?" Kylie asked.

"I have to go away for a few days." He touched her face. "If it wasn't an emergency, I wouldn't go."

"What happened?" Even as she asked the question, Kylie worried he wouldn't tell her. Werewolves were also known to keep things to themselves.

"I told you about my half-sister. She was supposed to come here for school when the summer camp ended."

"Yeah?" Kylie said, thrilled he trusted her enough to share.

"Well, now my dad has her with his pack and is refusing to let her come. I'm going to have to go there and change his mind."

"I thought you didn't get along with your dad."

"I don't. But I don't have a choice. I shouldn't be gone more than a few days at most, though. I'm going to have Will keep an eye on you."

Kylie remembered Lucas introducing her to Will, another werewolf, a while back. But as with most of the weres, she hardly knew him and didn't particularly like the idea of having a stranger "keep an eye on her."

"I'll be fine," she told him. "Burnett has assigned me shadows. I don't need-"

"It'll make me feel better. Knowing one of my own kind has your back."

Kylie didn't like being reminded that Lucas trusted his own kind more than he did the others. But she had too much stuff to worry about without taking on another problem to chew on her sanity.

"When are you leaving?" she asked.

"Now. I should be back by Saturday, or Sunday at the latest." He kissed her again. The kiss went on longer than a typical good-bye kiss, and it involved a lot of passion.

When he pulled away, she heard the slight humming sound rumbling from his chest.

She grinned with a hint of warning. "You're humming again."

He arched a brow. "You bring out the wolf in me." Leaning down, he gave her another quick kiss.

Seconds after he'd left, Kylie realized he hadn't said anything about asking her out this morning.

Was he having second thoughts? Closing her eyes, she pushed that worry into the mental closet with all her other worries.

Holiday walked into the room and hugged her. "I think we need a trip to the falls, don't you? How about I set it up with Burnett and tomorrow we make it a date?"

"That would be good," Kylie said. "Really good."

* * *

The next day, Kylie and Holiday ran through the cascading water of the falls and dropped down on the rocky bank. Tiny pinpoints of water spilled over from the rush of the falls and splattered against Kylie's face. Her hair, already soaked from the walk through the sheet of water, hung around her shoulders and dripped down onto her legs.

She didn't care. The serene atmosphere seeped into her pores, and for the first time in over a week, she felt at peace. She knew this didn't mean her problems were solved. They were far from it. But for right now, for this moment in time, she felt everything in her world was going to be okay.

Burnett, unhappy about their being here, stood guard outside. He'd been extra concerned about them coming out here because of yesterday's incident. That's how they were referring to the giant hole that nearly swallowed up Perry, Kylie, and Ellie: as the "incident."