Chapter Seventy-Three

I woke with a start, jolted up from my bed, and clutched my heaving chest. What the heck was that? I searched my room, sure that I would find the black wolf with bright blue eyes there, but I was alone.

“What was that?” I dropped back to my bed and huffed out a laugh. Just remembering his voice had my skin breaking out in goosebumps. I closed my eyes and his eyes flashed in my mind. “Who are you?”

There was a knock at the door and I sat up again, pushing the mysterious wolf out of my brain. I got up and looked down at my ruined sheets. “The blood.” Ugh. I shuffled to the door, wiping my eyes. I cracked it open and Cass pushed in. “Wake up.”

“Cass?” I wiped my face as I turned to face the irate Cass sitting at the end of my tossed and ruined bed. “What are you doing here?” I looked at the clock on the bedside table. “It’s six in the morning.”

“Exactly.” She pointed to the bathroom. “Go shower and get ready. We are leaving here in two hours.”

“For what?”

Cass pushed me toward the bathroom door, but I was still so confused.

“Go shower.” She slammed the door in my face and I shook my head as I leaned my forehead against the door. I was exhausted, but apparently, Cass had a plan.

“Fine.” I pushed off the door and turned the shower on. I needed to get the blood off my body, anyway. It had turned itchy. I undressed and looked at the clothes in my hand. Instead of tossing them into the hamper, I threw them directly into the trash can. There was no saving them.

I stepped under the spray of the water and sighed. The hot water loosened tension I didn’t even realize I had. The last few days had caught up with me. The water was a dirt rust color, and I waited for it to run clear before I grabbed the soap and cleaned my itchy skin. I washed my hair a few times before the water was finally clear.

Once I was finished, I stepped out to see a very impatient Cass. I was a little more awake to deal with her now. "You want to tell me what is going on now?”

“I don’t know when the next time I will get to see you. I want to use the next,” she looked at the clock, “Seven and a half hours to spend quality time together before you leave.” She sat heavily on the end of my bed again. “I feel like we barely got to spend time together this summer. You were always training, and so was I.”

I nodded as I walked over in my robe. “I know.” I sat next to her. “I feel like I should apologize, but I know we were where we needed to be this summer.”

Cass nodded and looked over at me with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“I know. I don’t want to leave either.”

“Promise me you won’t become best friends with Lynn. I don’t think I could take it.” I laughed and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Amy, I’m serious.”

“I know. But I would never replace you, Cass. No one would ever measure up.” I laid my head on her shoulder. “You are always going to be my best friend.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” I stood and headed to my closet to finish getting ready. “I’ll be ready by seven. By the time we eat and head to the mall, it should be open.”

Chapter Seventy-Three

“The mall?” Cass followed me with her eyes. “Why are we going to the mall?”

“I have an idea, but I will have to call ahead.” I closed myself in my closet with her yelling after me.

“This was supposed to be my idea.”

“Yeah, well, it still can be, but I want to do one thing.” I called back before I made a call. I waited for the person to answer.

“Hello?” The groggy voice made me feel a little bad.

“Hey. It’s Amy. I need your help. Can you be at your store at eight?”

The voice woke up a little more. “I guess. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just need to get that thing we were talking about.”

“Shit, really?” The voice was fully awake now.

“Yeah.” I smiled. “Make sure Neil is with you. Cass is coming with, and I want something to match her too.”

“You think she would go for it?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” I laughed when I heard a thump. “I’ll see you at eight?”

“Yeah. We will be there.” The line went dead, and I finally got dressed.