Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(110)

She typed in. Thank you. And hit send. Then remembering, she sent one more message. Call your girlfriend. I might have upset her.

* * *

Her grandfather answered the next number she dialed. And he didn't bother with formalities. Hayden had obviously told him to expect her call.

"I sent him because I was concerned for your safety," her grandfather said, his voice just an octave lower than her father's.

"I'm not upset," Kylie said. "Although I wish someone would have told me."

"You need to come with us, Kylie. It's not safe. You were right about the underground rogue. I don't trust the FRU not to harm you. How can I trust them to keep you safe from others?"

"Please," Kylie said. "You don't understand what you're asking." Tears filled her eyes. "I ... This is home to me. Burnett's not like the FRU you remember. And Holiday ... she took me in. Both of them have protected me." Her throat grew tight. "People have died here saving my life. These people you don't trust are my family." Her voice shook and she swiped the tears from her cheeks.

"We are your family."

"I can't leave," Kylie said.

There was a long pause. "I will send Hayden back if you offer your word that you have not told the others."

"I haven't told anyone." Silence fell again, then she blurted out, "I'm glowing. How do I stop it?"

"Glowing?" he asked, and paused as if in thought. "You have the gift of healing?"

"Yes," she answered.

"I'm assuming you used it."

"I ... brought someone back to life."

He didn't speak for a few seconds. "Your gifts are indeed amazing."

"But how do I stop it?" She hadn't been fishing for compliments.

"You must release the energy you drew inside you to complete the healing."

"How?" Kylie asked.

"Meditate."

"I'm not good at meditation." She bit down on her lip.

"Then you'd better learn. And fast." He exhaled. "Kylie, if other gangs learn just how gifted you really are, you'll be a commodity. They will either want you working for them, or they'll want you dead. It won't be just one gang coming after you."

His warning rang in her ears. Great. That's all she needed.

"I will send Hayden back," he went on, "but think carefully on this, my child. I deserve to get to know my only grandchild."

* * *

Monday morning Kylie sat in the dining hall while everyone stared. She wasn't glowing anymore. Her internal bulb had blown sometime during the night.

She'd stayed in her room all weekend and meditated, and slept. Obviously, bringing someone back to life took it out of you. Holiday and Burnett had dropped by with food, TLC, and news that all the bodies of the girls has been turned over to their families. Both Burnett and Holiday were now glowing, but it was a natural glow. They were in love.

That only made Kylie miss Lucas even more.

Derek had called twice just to say he was thinking about her. Lucas hadn't. She didn't even know if he was aware of what had happened. Still, his silence was hard to take.

Helen and Jonathon had dropped by. And Miranda, Perry, and Della had checked on her almost every hour. Even during the night, they'd crack open the door and peer at her. Of course, that could be because she looked really cool glowing in the dark. Hell, they could have sold tickets to the other campers for a dollar a peek. Not that they would. They were her friends.

Kylie stared down at her runny eggs and frowned as she felt all eyes in the dining hall on her.

Nope, right now, glowing wasn't the problem. It was her pattern. She'd changed again. She was finally a werewolf and Lucas wasn't around to enjoy it. And neither was Socks. Her cat hadn't come out from under the bed all morning. He made his prejudices known. Just as clear as the other werewolves here at the camp. Not one of them had come to say hello, or go to hell.

"You hanging in there?" Della asked.

"Like a pro," Kylie answered, and looked up to see Hayden Yates walk into the dining hall. Her heart did a little dance. He was back. Relief at knowing she wasn't completely alone washed over her.

We are your family. Her grandfather's words sliced through her.

"You still can't lie worth a damn," Della said.

Kylie looked away from Hayden before anyone guessed they shared secrets.

Della was right. She'd lied. She wasn't hanging in there like a pro. More like by a thread. She was confused, scared, and worried. She might have stopped glowing, but what was next? What freaky thing would she be calling her grandfather or running to Hayden to help her fix? And if she really belonged at Shadow Falls, why did Hayden's presence bring her so much comfort?

* * *

"Let's get this show on the road," Chris, the Meet Your Campmate leader, announced after breakfast. Kylie stood outside beside Della. She fought the need to fan herself. Her sudden increase in her body temperature would take getting used to.

"And first on our list of names is none other than our brand-new were." Chris's gaze shot to Kylie.

Kylie's breath caught. The first people announced were generally the ones someone had paid in blood for Chris to arrange. Swallowing, her gaze shot to Derek. But he stared at Chris in concern.