“Are you sure?”
“I’m not taking the easy way out,” he said. “I do want to be home. It’s just that the full moon starts tomorrow. I can already feel its pull.” He squeezed the moonstone pendant we’d given him in his fist. “I just don’t feel comfortable sleeping in the house with the family yet. I think it’s best if I spend the next few nights locked up. Just as an extra precaution.”
“Okay,” I said hesitantly. It had been such a big step to get him to want to leave his cage, I worried that locking him up again would be a step backward in his progress. But then again, his wanting to be locked up for the safety of the family seemed like a reasonable request. I just hoped he wouldn’t stop fighting the good fight.
I walked with him down to the basement. I pulled the gate closed behind him and turned the lock.
“Take the key,” he said.
I tucked it into my pocket for safekeeping.
“See you in the morning,” I said before heading up the stairs.
Jude didn’t answer.
ALMOST MIDNIGHT
Daniel and I decided that it wouldn’t be safe for the lost boys to go back to the Duke house, so when I got back home, I wasn’t surprised to find just about every soft surface in the house occupied by a teenage werewolf. Brent was already asleep on the living room couch; Ryan had made a bed for himself under the dining room table with stacks of pink accent pillows—that must have been donated by Charity because they came from the window seat in her room. Zach snored from Dad’s easy chair, and Slade was staked out on the family room sofa, flipping through channels on the TV. Talbot sat on the floor in front him, sharpening a stake with one of my mother’s kitchen knives.
I was glad they were here—not that the house was any safer, as far as Caleb’s knowledge of it was concerned, but I guess I just felt comfort knowing where they were if something bad happened.
“Grace,” Mom called as she came up from the basement. “I just found a few more blankets with the camping gear. You mind running these back over to the church?”
“Sure.” I sighed heavily, picking up my keys again.
“I’ll do it,” Talbot said. “I should be getting home anyway.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, realizing that I had no idea where home was for Talbot. “You can stay here. Strength in numbers, and all that.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, lifting his newly sharpened stake.
Mom handed him the bundle of blankets. “You really are welcome to stay, though,” she said.
“Thank you, but it’s getting a bit crowded around here.” Talbot’s gaze locked on something beyond my mother’s head. I followed his line of sight and saw that Daniel had just come through the front door. I’d wondered if I’d get to see him again tonight. Jarem, the tall, dark-skinned pack Elder—had insisted on introducing Daniel personally, and individually, to each member of the Etlu Clan.
I locked eyes with Daniel, and he smiled at me. My heartbeat kicked up a notch, and I barely even noticed Talbot say his good-byes and duck out the front door past Daniel.
“That Talbot is a nice boy,” Mom said. She must have liked his farm-boy charm.
“Huh,” I said. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Daniel.
Something about him had changed. In the way he stood, the way he smiled, even the look in his eyes. He’d finally, fully accepted himself as a true alpha—and Lisa had been right: he wore it well.
Daniel’s smile grew wider as he came down the hall toward to me. My legs ached with each inch he got closer.
“Well, I guess Daniel can take Jude’s room in the basement since your brother isn’t coming back home tonight,” Mom said. “The bed is small but comfortable. Much better than the couch.”
“Yeah, a comfortable bed would be good,” I said. My face grew very hot, very quickly, realizing I’d said that out loud.