Chapter 55

I can feel Rorie’s gaze on me, and I don’t know what she sees there, but she sighs quietly and leans on the counter. “It’s alright.” I look at her, still deep in the darkness of my thoughts, and Rorie tries to smile at me, reaching out to hold my arm. “Gray knows these woods very well, he’d never get lost there.”

“Ah, I know, but it’s just…” I curl my hands into fists, staring down at the counter. God, how can I explain it? “I feel like he’s in trouble, and it’s

—it’s not just a feeling. I have to know he’s alright right now.”

I look up at Rorie, and she holds my gaze, studying my face with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t explain it, but I know something happened to him, I know.”

I put everything into my words, doing all I can to show that I know what I’m talking about. At the sound of it, Abel and Carter finally turn back to me as well. They don’t say anything though, and Rorie studies me for a moment before looking at Abel.

“Maybe we should call him.”

“Really?” He holds her gaze with a clear look of doubt, but Rorie tilts her head.

“Yeah. It would take what, a minute?”

Abel shrugs but picks up his phone lying on the counter, searching through the contacts. I fiddle with the office keys in my hands and as soon as I hear faint beeps from Abel’s phone, I hold my breath. Pick up, please. Come on, Gray, pick up. Rorie goes away to talk to a customer, but we wait quietly for Gray to pick up. He doesn’t, neither then nor when Abel calls him again. It’s all quiet. I feel sick.

“He probably left it in his room,” Carter says carelessly, but the panic in me only grows, and my eyes immediately search for Rorie. She lingers behind the counter again and frowns, looking between us.

“What, nothing?”

“No.”

Rorie hums and touches Abel’s shoulder. “Can you call Owen?”

For a moment, it looks like he’s going to talk her out of it—but Rorie meets his gaze and holds it with intention. Abel frowns, as if there’s some kind of silent conversation between them, glances at me, and obediently unlocks his phone again. Owen picks up after the second call, and I perk up, listening to the weak echo of his voice muffled by Abel’s greeting.

“Hey, is Gray with you?...Ah, okay, good…No, it’s just Paula. She’s asking about him…Okay, I’ll tell her.” I watch Abel with wide, worried eyes as he hangs up and turns to me with a calm look. “Owen saw him an hour ago, he’s alright.”

“An hour ago?” I repeat, and the diner spins slightly around me. Dizziness hits me as I think about it. An hour is long—an hour is dangerous. It’s bad, it’s really bad. “Where is Gray now?”

“Owen said he’s in the woods.”

“Where?” I curl my hand into a fist on the counter, pushing away my nerves for the only option that is left for me. They aren’t going to help me, huh? Well, then, all that is left… “I have to find him.”

I don’t know what Abel hears in my voice, but he finally looks at me properly and frowns. “I can’t tell you where he is.”

“Okay, I’ll find him myself.” I turn to the door, ignoring the growing cold of fear as I think about a good way to find a giant, injured wolf in the woods. It may not be a good idea, but…losing Gray would be so much worse than anything else I’d have to endure.

“Wait, wait, Paula, calm down.” Rorie suddenly runs around the counter to catch my arm and pull me back. I pause in my tracks and turn to look at her, even though I know there’s nothing she can tell me that would keep me from leaving. “He’s fine. He’s stronger than you think.”

“Maybe he is—but don’t you see that only makes it worse? I don’t care if he’s human or not, he needs help,” I blurt out in the rush of my distress, and only then realize what I just said. Shit.

I glance at Abel and Carter, unsure if it was okay to talk about his abilities. If they’re Gray’s brothers, they should know what I’m talking about, but Rorie…Well, actually, she doesn’t look too thrown off by the revelation. She doesn’t even look surprised and only glances at Abel before turning to me with a more serious look.

“Why do you think so?”

“Because I saw it.”

Well, if I’ve already talked about Gray, there’s nothing to hide about myself. I sigh and gesture vaguely in the direction of the dark woods behind the window. “Call me weird, but I saw him lying out there, I heard his voice, and he was in pain.”

“How did you see it?”

“That’s my thing, okay? Witchcraft or whatever,” I mutter to myself, scratching the back of my neck. I’ve known Rorie since high school— would she be able to accept that I’ve never been like her? I take a deep breath and explain, fidgeting restlessly as the seconds go by. “I can see it when bad things are about to happen—and with all the time we’re wasting, something bad has already happened to Gray.”

They say nothing, just stare at me with wide eyes. I wave my hand and turn away. “Don’t believe me if you don’t want to, but I can’t leave him like that.”

My heart pulls tighter at the words as I go to the door, my thoughts revolving not only around my vision but around Gray and the time we spent together. When did he become so important to me? Why does it hurt so much to think that he’s on his own somewhere and I can’t even help him?

I can’t put the answer into words, but I feel it deep inside my heart —and it’s those answers that push me forward as I open the door of Till

Dawn and take a deep breath of fresh air. Alright, so where should I start?

“Wait, Paula.” Carter’s voice seizes me all of a sudden, and I turn around while he rushes to my side. It’s so rare to see him grim and serious, but even Carter’s voice is low as he asks with a frown, “Are you sure it was

Gray in your vision?”

I watch Abel and Rorie follow Carter and gather behind his back, waiting for my answer. But I’ve already said it, haven’t I?

I quirk an eyebrow and turn to them fully. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Carter hums and, after a second, turns to look Abel in the eyes. “I think we should go to the settlement.”