Mirror Lake Veterinary Clinic was on the edge of town. It was a small building, and from the outside it looked like a house. I was sure it had been a residence once.

“We’re here, little buddy,” Gracie said as she hooked Winston up to his leash before opening the passenger door.

Winston had done better than I thought he would during the car ride. He hadn’t gotten sick once. Maybe he wasn’t the type to get carsick. That would be a miracle. It seemed like every animal Gracie ever owned was carsick. Then again, Gracie would argue it was because of my driving.

It wasn’t.

“I feel so bad for him,” Gracie muttered as she led Winston toward the front door of the clinic.

“Why?” I glanced at a row of vehicles I assumed belonged to the staff. There was no way the clinic could be so busy this early in the morning.

“Because he has no idea why we’re here. He’s happy he got to go for a car ride but doesn’t realize the ride led him to a place that’s going to hurt him.”

“Maybe he’ll like it,” I said without paying enough attention to our conversation. There was a beautiful blue muscle car among the staff vehicles. It was older. If I had to guess, I’d say it was from the sixties or maybe the early seventies. It stuck out like a sore thumb, and I knew it had to be the vampire vet’s.

“What’s wrong with you? Nobody likes shots,” Gracie insisted. Her sharp tone pulled me from my thoughts.

“All I meant is maybe it won’t hurt him as bad as you’re thinking. You’re a big baby when it comes to shots. He might not be.”

“I am not.”

“Says the girl who excused herself to the bathroom the last time Gran took her for a booster shot and never came back.” I rolled my eyes.

Gracie’s cheeks turned pink. “I did come back.”

“After Gran had to pick the lock and drag you out. Literally.” I tried to suppress the smile the image brought to my face but couldn’t.

To this day I wished I’d been at that doctor’s appointment.

“See, I told you I came back.” Gracie laughed.

“Not of your own free will,” I said as I held open the door to the clinic for her and Winston.

The little guy pranced past me. He seemed excited to be in a place with new smells. A pang of guilt twisted through my gut. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into by stepping through that door.

We moved to the receptionist desk. The lady behind it flashed me a wide smile and held up a finger as she continued talking on the phone.

“I’m sorry, but like I said yesterday, Dr. Hopkins isn’t here.” She sighed. “I know that, Shane. I didn’t mean to sound so formal. I’m only trying to tell you your brother isn’t here again today. He called in sick this week, which is what I told you yesterday. I hope you have a good day, honey,” she said before she hung up.

“I can’t believe he called in again,” another employee said from where she stood behind the receptionist, flipping through papers in a chart. “Did he not believe you this time either?”

“I think he believed me. He just seems suspicious.”

The woman stopped flipping through the chart and glanced at the receptionist, arching a brow. “Aren’t you? I mean who gets sick in the middle of summer?”

“Someone whose brother passed away recently, that’s who,” the receptionist said with more bite to her words than was necessary. “I’m not saying he’s sick. I’m saying he’s most likely taking time to heal after the death of his brother. I think it’s needed. Besides, he works too hard.”

“You would know. Seeing how you’re always watching him.” The woman grinned. She grabbed a paper out of the folder she’d been searching through and stepped to the door opposite Gracie and me.

“Sorry about that,” the receptionist said. Her cheeks grew red. “This must be Winston.”

“Yes,” Gracie said.

I crossed to sit in one of the chairs lining the walls of the main waiting room while Gracie gathered the paperwork needed for the vampire vet to see Winston.

My mind returned to the conversation I’d heard the receptionist having with Shane as I sat. Why hadn’t I thought about him? Why hadn’t Eli? Naturally, Shane would wonder how Peter was doing. After all, they had both lost a brother. Why Shane would call Peter’s office was beyond me, though. Wouldn’t he try to reach him on his cell instead?

Maybe he had, but since he didn’t get an answer he decided to contact him at work.

My stomach somersaulted. What if Shane decided to swing by Peter’s house? The last thing we needed was for him to see his oldest brother locked in a cage with Tate or Dorian guarding him. I chewed my bottom lip.

“I think he needs to go to the bathroom,” Gracie said from beside me, pulling my attention back to the present. I noticed she didn’t look up from the clipboard of papers she was filling out. “Think you can take him out for me?”

How did I know that was coming?

“I guess,” I said.

She passed me his leash. “Thanks.”

I grabbed it and headed for the door, dragging Winston behind me. For someone who had to go to the bathroom, he sure didn’t want to leave the waiting room. All he seemed to want to do was lick the wood floor. Once we stepped outside, my mind jumped back to thoughts of Shane. I really hoped he didn’t decide to go visit his brother.

I had to say something to Eli. He needed to warn Dorian and Tate, just in case. Who knew what Shane was capable of? I reached for my cell in my back pocket, but Winston tugged on the leash and started to bark.

“What the heck are you barking at?” I growled at him.

A fat squirrel made a crazy clicking noise a few feet away. It flicked its tail while gripping tight to the rough bark of a gigantic tree nearby. Winston barked louder. Apparently, squirrels were his arch enemy. I tugged on his leash and hushed him, but it did no good. He continued to go bat shit crazy on the poor thing.

I opened my text messages and sent a text to Eli while struggling to get Winston to calm down.

Hey. Shane might be on his way to check on Peter. You should probably warn Dorian or Tate. Whoever’s guarding him. - Mina

I crammed my cell into the back pocket of my shorts again and gripped Winston’s leash with both hands. I didn’t want to jerk the little guy too hard, but he needed to know barking like he was at a squirrel was not acceptable.

“Hush! No bark!” I said in a firm voice. He didn’t stop his high-pitched barking until the squirrel moved higher up the tree, scared of my voice. “It’s gone. And obviously, you’re not going to do your business now.”

I picked him up and headed back inside.

“What was all that about?” Gracie asked as soon as I entered the clinic.

“He has a problem with squirrels,” I said as I sat him down. Winston resumed licking whatever it was he’d found on the hardwood floors before.

“Oh. Yeah. He hates them,” Gracie said with a wave of her hand.

“A little warning would have been nice. He nearly ruptured my eardrums with his high-pitched bark.”

“Whatever. You’re just mad because he scared you.”

“I am not,” I said as a text came through on my cell. I reached for it to see what Eli had said. Only it wasn’t Eli who’d responded.

It was Alec.

Why would it matter if Shane went to visit Peter? And, who are Dorian and Tate? Also, why are they guarding Peter?

A lump formed in my throat as dread pooled through me. No! Did I really send that text to Alec instead of Eli?

Shit!

I scrolled up to check. Sure enough, I’d been so preoccupied with Winston’s quarrel with a squirrel I’d forgotten my message thread with Alec from earlier was still open. Now not only did he know I was a werewolf, along with the others living in the Mirror Lake Trailer Park, but he also knew we were guarding Peter.

I debated whether I should respond to his text or ignore it like I had the previous one. In the end I decided this wasn’t something I could ignore. I could, however, ask him to ignore it. Not that it would work, but it was at least worth a shot.

Could you please ignore that text? It wasn’t meant for you. - Mina

I sent the text, knowing it made me sound like a bitch. It would no matter how I worded it, though.

No. Shane is my friend and I’ve known Peter forever. What’s going on?

Damn it. I should’ve known he wouldn’t listen. I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t have either.

I can’t tell you that. - Mina

You better tell me something.

Winston’s name was called. Gracie stood to take him back as I sank my teeth into my bottom lip. What was I supposed to tell Alec?

“You coming?” Gracie asked as she paused at the door leading to the back of the clinic.

I stood and followed them through the door. Another text came through from Alec. It was a question mark. He wasn’t going to let this go. I just didn’t know what to tell him. What could I say to make him drop this conversation?

Sweet Jesus, Eli was going to have a fit when he realized what I’d done.

Gracie and I were directed to a tiny waiting room that smelled of bleach with a faint hint of musky dog lingering behind.

“Hi there, Winston,” the nurse said before she turned her attention to Gracie. “Did you bring his stool sample?”

His what sample? Had she really said what I thought she did?

Gracie reached into her purse and pulled out a sandwich bag.

“Here you go,” she said as though she hadn’t pulled a steaming pile shit from her purse.

“Oh, that is so disgusting.” I grimaced as I felt my stomach turn. “I can’t believe you had that in your purse the entire time.”

“It was inside a bag. Chill out,” Gracie insisted, clearly not seeing the situation the same way I did.

“Still,” I said, fighting the urge to gag.

“Thank you. I’ll take this and little Winston into the back where we’ll perform his heart worm test and check this stool sample for parasites,” the nurse said as she gathered up Winston while gripping the bag of crap. “It will only take a second.”

“How do you think they test for heart worms?” Gracie asked me once the nurse left the room. “You don’t think they shove a needle in his heart and draw blood from it, do you?”

“No. I’m sure they pick a vein in his leg or something and take it from there,” I said, hoping I was right.

My cell alerted me of a new text. I knew who it was without having to look. Alec wasn’t going to let up until I gave him an answer.

He’d sent me another question mark. Why did that seem so aggressive to me? It should be laughable, but instead it had me feeling as though I should rush to answer him.

I frowned as I stared at it. Another text came through before I could reply.

I get you might not be able to tell me a whole lot. I’ve read books. I know there’s some sort of pack code or pack law you have to abide by, but at least answer me this: Is Peter okay?

I had to give him credit because he knew more about werewolves than I’d thought he did. Maybe it was a good thing. At least in this situation.

A yelp echoed through the vet clinic.

“That was Winston. I know it was.” Gracie winced. “He’s going to hate me after this.”

I flipped my cell facedown and set it in my lap. Alec could wait. “No, he’s not. He probably won’t even remember this in an hour,” I said, trying to comfort her.

“He will remember. They just jabbed him in the heart with a needle. Wouldn’t you remember that?”

I suppressed the chuckle that wanted to slip free, knowing Gracie was about to go into full on panic mode and laughing would only make it worse. “I told you, I don’t think they stab him in the heart. I’m sure they picked a vein in his leg and drew blood from there. They aren’t monsters.”

At the mention of monsters, I remembered a vampire worked here now. What if he’d gotten hungry? Winston was probably the perfect size for a snack.

“The poor baby,” Gracie muttered. “I wish they’d hurry and bring him back to me.”

“Me too.” I was slightly nervous for the little guy.

A few minutes later, the same nurse who’d taken Winston came back with him. There was a piece of blue tape wrapped around his tiny stick leg. I expected him to look pitiful and sad, but at the sight of Gracie, he wagged his stub for a tail while struggling to get free from the nurse’s grip.

It was clear he loved my sister as much as she loved him.

“I’m sure you heard him yelp,” the nurse said. Amusement flickered through her eyes. “I just want you to know it wasn’t from drawing his blood. He yelped after-the-fact, when we were taping his leg.”

“Aww, that’s so cute,” Gracie said as she reached out and took Winston from her. “He’s afraid of tape.”

“Or maybe they pulled the hair on his leg,” I offered, while thinking the vet who’d most likely performed the test probably freaked him out too. I doubted Winston had come across a vampire in his few months of life before now.

I kept my thoughts to myself, though.

“The vet will be in shortly to look him over thoroughly and give him his shots,” the nurse said while she flashed me a bemused glance. Her gaze drifted back to Gracie. “Oh. I forgot to ask if you wanted him to get a kennel cough shot today as well.”

“What’s that for?” Gracie asked as she stroked Winston’s soft fur, soothing him even though he didn’t need to be.

“It’s for when/if you ever have to board him anywhere, or if you take him to a groomer. It helps keep him healthy if he has to be in a kennel where other dogs have been.”

“Sure. Add it in,” Gracie insisted.

How was she paying for all of this today?

“Okay, I’ll let Dr. Montevallo know,” the nurse said before she left the room.

“Montevallo?” Gracie swallowed hard.

While Gracie was only thirteen, she still knew the makings of the supernatural world inside Mirror Lake. That meant she also knew the Montevallo family were the only vampires allowed in town.

“Eli mentioned they’d come back to town about a week ago,” I said.

“And one of them happens to work here?” Gracie shivered and then shifted her attention to Winston curled up in her lap. “No wonder the poor guy yelped. He was probably scared of the vampire.”

Even though I had the same thought, I pretended otherwise. “I doubt it. I think your dog is just scared of tape,” I teased her.