He was asking for her help now, rather than trying to leave her behind to keep her safe. Powerful stuff. He had to know how much that affected her. “Can’t. I’ve got a Chem test, and I can’t miss.” Not that a perfect grade point average mattered in the afterlife, but part of her wanted to pretend this was a normal week.

“All right, I’ll—”

Victoria suddenly appeared in the center of the room, and Mary Ann yelped, hand fluttering over her heart. The vampire princess was paler than usual, her features tight with concern.

“You have to come with me,” she said to Mary Ann. “Aden’s trapped inside Shannon’s body and can’t get out.”

Mary Ann had seen Aden possess a body before—Riley’s wolf form, actually—and the sight had shocked her to her soul. Now he’d possessed Shannon? “I’ll dress and meet you at the ranch.”

“No. That will take too long. I’ll teleport you.”

She stifled a groan. “All right. I have to get past my dad, though, and convince him I’m headed to school.” No Chem test, after all. “I’ll meet you at the gate to my neighborhood.”

“I’m going with,” Riley said, standing.

Victoria shook her head, adamant. “You can’t. You prevent Mary Ann from using her muting ability. You have to stay behind.”

Stubborn, he said, “I’ll walk her to the gate, then, and you can leave me there.”

After a harried nod, Victoria vanished.

Mary Ann was silent as she tugged a sweater and jeans from her closet; she was silent as she dressed in the bathroom. When she finished, she gathered her books and backpack. Still silent. Riley had already removed his jeans—where had he stored them?—and transformed into a wolf.

Together, they raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. The scent of eggs and bacon wafted through the air. Her mouth didn’t water, but her stomach didn’t threaten to revolt again, either. An improvement.

“Dad,” she said in greeting.

He turned, spied Riley and froze, his expression both disgusted and terrified. There were lines of tension around his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept after he’d left her room. “Dear Lord. I didn’t realize how big that thing really was.”

“Sorry, Dad, but I don’t have time for breakfast. I forgot I wanted to get to school early and study for my Chem test.”

He frowned. “You’ve barely even picked at your food lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. At least take a piece of bacon with you. It’s brain food.”

She didn’t want to argue, so she claimed the piece he held out for her. “Thanks.”

“Want a ride?”

“Nah.” Too casual? “Oxygen to the brain, and all that.”

“Good luck, honey.”

“Thanks. Love you.” With that, she was out the door and running for the gate, Riley keeping pace at her side.

Funny thing. On the way there, she could have sworn she spotted Tucker, running with them, but Riley didn’t seem to notice him, and Riley noticed everything, so she convinced herself she was seeing things.

Besides, even if Tucker was here, even if he was following her, she didn’t have time to stop and question him. Aden needed her. She just prayed she could help him—rather than hurt him further.

SEVENTEEN

TWO VOICES CALLED TO ADEN. Both female. Both alarmed.

“Try something else.”

“Like what? I’ve tried everything! Screaming at him, shaking him, slapping him.”

“He’s inside that body. Get. Him. Out!”

“What do you want me to do? Reach inside his chest?”

“Yes!”

“You are such a pain! How does Aden stand you? But fine, I’ll do it. I’ll try.”

One second Aden was inside Shannon’s body, drifting through his friend’s mind and memories, reliving a past as painful and lonely as his own, and the next he was standing beside Mary Ann, his hand resting in hers.

She was panting, sheened with perspiration, gaze glazed with shock and fatigue. “Did you see that?” she gasped out. “Did you? I can’t believe I just did that. Tell me you saw that!”

“What happened?” he croaked. God, he ached. Every inch of him ached as if he’d been in a hit-and-run—hit with a baseball bat and run over by a truck.

Victoria moved to his other side, her mouth hanging open with an equal measure of shock. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay now.”

Was she trying to convince him? Or herself? “What happened?” he asked again.

“She—she reached inside. Jerked you out. You were like a ghost at first, not truly solid, then you were here. I’ve—I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Any collateral damage? Aden took stock. His knee hurt the most, and he was shaking, but he wasn’t puking and wasn’t paralyzed. The poison had passed through him. Thank God. He almost collapsed in relief.

Elijah, Caleb and Julian were no longer moaning, babbling and incoherent. They were quiet. There, Aden could tell, but quiet, as if they were exhausted from their ordeal and needed rest.

Despite Mary Ann’s nearness, Mr. Thomas was also present. A mere outline of himself, but Aden could still see him. He sat at the desk, arms folded over his middle, expression mulish. He couldn’t hide the interest in his eyes, though. He was watching and cataloging every detail.

Odd. Riley wasn’t here. Mary Ann should have muted all of Aden’s abilities completely. Why hadn’t she?

“Uh, A-Aden.” Shannon slowly sat up and looked around the bedroom. He scrubbed his face with trembling fingers. “W-what just happened? I was standing in f-front of you. Wasn’t I? How’d I g-get on the bed?”

He didn’t know that Aden had been inside his mind, then. Thank God for that, too. “You passed out.” It was the only thing his fogged brain could come up with so spur of the moment.

“P-passed out? Why?” Shannon looked at the clock and shook his head, rubbed his eyes. “It’s n-nine-fifteen. How is it nine-fifteen? I tried to wake you up at six-thirty. I should be at school. C-crap! I’m late. D-Dan’s gonna freak. He—”

“He thinks you’re sick.” Aden remembered Dan’s visit, and what he’d said. “And you were. For a little while.”

Shannon calmed, focused on the girls and frowned. “What are you guys d-doing here? And when did you get here? God, this is w-weird. I’ve never passed out before. Never lost t-time like that.”

“Shannon,” Victoria said, her voice suddenly thick, layered…powerful.

The voice. Aden reached out and grabbed her wrist. When she focused on him, he shook his head. “Don’t do it.” Shannon had felt defenseless and out of control all his life, and Aden wouldn’t add to that—whether his friend realized what was going on or not.

Though she was clearly confused, Victoria nodded.

“Shannon, do you feel up to going to school?” Aden asked.

“Yeah. I—I feel fine. Except for that loss of time.”

“You can still make it, if you want.”

One dark brow rose. “You going?”

Aden shook his head. “Yeah, but not just yet.” At this rate, he wasn’t going to get any kind of education anytime soon. “I’m still not feeling one hundred percent.”

“O-okay. I dig.” His friend’s head tilted to the side. “But maybe o-one day, you’ll trust me with your s-secrets. See you later,” he added before Aden could reply. Motions slow, Shannon stood, bent down and grabbed his backpack, then headed out of the room, out of the bunkhouse, the door beating shut behind him.

So. Shannon suspected something was going on.

Worry about that later. Aden glanced down at himself. He wore boxers and sweat, and that was it. His knee was caked with dried blood, the skin still shredded. His skin was pale with a grayish tint. Nice. “Can you guys stay while I shower?”

“Of course,” Victoria said.

“Yeah,” Mary Ann agreed. She was peering at her hands, turning them in the light. “But will you tell us a little about what happened first? Just a small detail to tide us over before we grill you.”