"Is something wrong, chérie? You look . . . shocked." Marie cocked her head to the side, studying Claire.
"It's . . . I thought there would be a little more time." She bit her lip. "The dance is tomorrow night. I can't . . . there's no way I can miss it. Everyone will talk."
Marie lifted her eyebrows. "This should not be coming as a surprise, Claire. You knew Victoria's baby could be coming at any time. The gathering is not optional. And part of being a werewolf is learning how to make humans believe unbelievable things. This is a very important moment for our pack—a little party with your human friends is no comparison."
Claire leaned against the door frame. Emily's party. Oh god, she was going to miss Emily's after party. Her stomach churned.
"What time is the gathering?" she whispered.
"We will meet just before midnight—the ceremony begins on the stroke of a new day." Marie crossed her arms. "And you will not be late. I am sorry that the timing is bad for you. Truly." Just before midnight. That would give her time to go to the dance, at least. She'd just have to come up with a way to bail on the after party without ruining her relationship with her best friend.
Claire looked up at her mother. Marie's expression was firm, final. There was no point in arguing with her when she looked like that.
"Fine. I'll be there."
"Good. I will be looking forward to seeing you succeed." Her mother padded back down the hall to her room.
Claire walked back into her room and stared out the window at the woods. She sent Matthew a text, telling him to call her as soon as he could. If she was going to have any chance of pulling off the dance and the naming in the same night, she was going to need his help.
Like, a lot of his help.
While she waited for him to call, she thought about Victoria. Wondered if she'd manage to pick a name—if she was still as nervous as Claire was about the gathering. Claire wished she had some sort of special skill for naming, the way Victoria did with the fire lighting. . . .
The puzzle pieces slid together in her mind.
Maybe there was something she could try. If she could somehow hear the baby, maybe she would give her some sort of clue. And this time, at least, she'd be using her extra abilities for the right reasons—to help the pack.
Claire dug up some warm clothes and crept down the stairs. Sneaking out was risky, but she didn't have much choice. There was no way she was transforming in the house again.
Ever. The freezing air slipped inside the collar of her fleece, giving Claire goose bumps. The forest was quiet in the snow. It took forever to get anywhere, since she'd had to cover the footprints she'd made in the powdery white blanket covering the lawn. Halfway to the woods, she realized that she'd left her phone on her bedside table, where she'd plugged it in to charge.
Damn. If she missed Matthew's call—or if her mom heard the phone ringing and got suspicious about Claire not answering . . .
Damn.
She stood for a moment, the icy air pinching her ears with its sharp-nailed fingers, and weighed the risk of going back against her abandoned phone. She had already taken a huge chance by coming out at all—if she went back now, she might not be able to get out here again. She might as well go see what she could find out. That way, she'd at least have something to show for it if she got caught.
She bent her head over the path of her footprints and focused on getting herself into the safety of the forest as fast as she could.
In her practice clearing, she tossed off her clothes and transformed in a rush, trying to get into her wolf form before the cold seized her completely. As soon as she was changed, she focused on getting warm, using the wolf trick of holding the illusion of heat between her two forms. She thought about sunlight and about the hot sand of a white beach burning the soles of her feet. Slowly, her shivering stopped. Claire glanced down at her paws, which were tipped with deep-rose-colored claws. The nail polish had looked fantastic in her human form, but it looked ridiculous now that she was a wolf.
She shook herself. There was no time to waste. The longer she was gone, the bigger the chance that Marie would notice she had left. Claire sat down, her thick fur protecting her from the damp cold of the snow. She shook her head, hard, making her wolf ears flap and fluffing out the fur on her neck.
Feeling more relaxed, she shut her eyes and focused. She listened for Victoria first, since she was sure to be wherever the baby was. Claire tried to picture the little house where Beatrice and Victoria lived—the hospital would have meant too many hard questions, so Victoria had given birth at home. After a few moments, Claire heard a weary voice. It sounded as though it were filling the clearing, but Claire knew it was only in her head.
"She's so perfect," Victoria cooed. "Look at her little eyelashes! They're so curly."
"You're keeping her awake," Beatrice cautioned. "You should both be getting some rest."