Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(64)

However, she'd heard rumors that someone was constantly breaking the rules. Perry, who never liked being limited when he transformed himself into some other creature. Then, Lucas and his pack constantly being called to visit their elders, who didn't respect Shadow Falls's rules.

Maybe, just maybe, Burnett wouldn't guess that the person slipping out of the property was Kylie.

The fence became visible. It loomed in front of her, a good eight feet in height. Kylie's breath hitched. She pushed to move faster, praying she could leap over the metal barrier.

Her body felt weightless as she moved into the air, higher. Higher. Her feet cleared the fence and she came down on the other side, avoiding a bad landing-and serious injuries. She hit hard and rolled a good seven feet.

She picked herself up and brushed her hand over her elbow that had found earth before the rest of her. The pain dulled, coming in second to her sense of success. She was doing it. She was going to make it.

The stickiness of blood met her palm. The berry scent filled her nose. Who knew her own blood could smell this good? She continued moving, fast, then faster, putting distance between her and the fence.

The sounds of the night continued to sing around her. No vampires making the night go silent. She was alone.

She crossed the road and moved into the trees lining the road as she continued onward. If she estimated correctly, she was only a few miles from the cemetery.

She was finally going to meet her grandfather and learn the truth. The mystery of just what she was-of what being a chameleon meant-was about to be solved. A smile widened her mouth.

The sensation of victory filled her chest and gave her speed, agility, and courage.

Or it did until a male voice called out, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Blood throbbed in her ears and she didn't recognize the voice at first-except that she knew it wasn't Burnett. It didn't matter. She didn't care who it was, because no one was welcome right now. She had a mission and didn't want company. And that was exactly what she planned on telling the intruder, too.

She came to a sudden stop-or as sudden as she could when traveling at a manic, inhuman speed. Her knees buckled. She wrapped her arms around a tree, catching herself from a bad fall.

Still unsure of the identity of the intruder behind her, still clinging to the tree for dear life, another voice, a different one from the first, spoke up. "I was about to ask the same question."

Chapter Twenty-one

Disappointment shot through her limbs. She had two intruders instead of just one. She wanted to scream, but air locked in her lungs and not one sound came out. Angry, she swung around and confronted the owners of the two voices. She could be proud of one thing: she'd been right. There were no vampires in the woods.

Just a smart-mouthed shape-shifter, in bird form, and a very pissed-off werewolf.

She gulped down a mouthful of air. Still unable to catch her breath, she bent at the waist and with her hands on her knees she waited for her lungs to open up. When oxygen finally flowed to her brain, her thoughts came clearer.

And one thought stood out. She wasn't going to let them stop her.

Straightening, she met Perry's gaze with sheer determination. Then she shifted the same glare to Lucas. "I'm following my quest. Leave and let me do what I have to do."

"Have you lost your frigging mind?" Perry asked.

"What's going on, Kylie?" Lucas demanded.

Kylie stared at the were. "Just what I said. I'm following my quest. I need for you to leave. It's important and I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Leave me alone!"

She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. Any minute now she waited for the night to go silent and Burnett to show up. For some reason, she felt capable of standing up to Lucas and Perry, but bucking authority never came easy for her. And Burnett was authority with a badass attitude.

Before she considered how it would sound, she asked, "Does Burnett know?"

Lucas ground his mouth shut and continued to stare at her with anger, and perhaps shock, at her behavior.

"How did you find me?" she asked the shape-shifter as tiny bubbles of electricity started forming around him.

A second later, Perry appeared in human form. "I was flying around after I left Miranda and saw you jump the property fence."

She glared back at Lucas. "And you?"

His eyes brightened with anger, his frown increased, but he started talking. "Burnett thought I was the one who'd set off the alarm. He called me, and I had a strong feeling that I needed to make sure everything was okay. Then I saw Big Bird here flying-"

"Big Bird?" Perry's voice deepened with frustration.

"Whatever," Lucas continued. "I saw him and thought I'd check and see what he was up to."

"You're checking on me?" Perry's eyes turned the same orange as Lucas's.

"Not like that." Lucas's posture became less defensive. "I thought you might have spotted someone breaking in." His gaze shot back to Kylie. "To hurt the very person who broke out." His scowl deepened; his focus and his frustration were now directed at Kylie. "But that's not important. What's important is why you're putting yourself at risk. You know better. So let's get back before Burnett figures it out."

That was exactly why Kylie had to stop yakking with them and get a move on. If Burnett discovered she was missing, there would be hell to pay.