It was smoldering hot, only enhancing Sarah’s already foul mood. She parked the car and scowled at the sea of green assaulting her eyes.

This is ridiculous. It’s July. It’s offensive, she silently grumbled, but she willed herself to get out of the vehicle. She also stifled the urge to fly out of the parking lot and run for the hills. This should be illegal until after Thanksgiving

“Sarah!” Justine cried, and Sarah cringed internally. She had not even made it inside the building without being recognized.

Why did I agree to this? she wondered, even though she knew the answer; beggars could not be choosers. She needed the job, and in the town of Cashmere, the pickings were slim.

Sarah plastered a smile on her serenely pretty face and waved at the manager, who seemed unreasonably pleased to see her.

“You’re early!” Justine called, closing the short space between them.

“Better early than late,” Sarah chirped, trying not to show her utter disdain for the situation. After all, it wasn’t Justine’s fault.

“Come on inside! I’ll introduce you to Ever and Lexa. They’re going to be relieved you’re here.”

Sarah nodded, taking a deep breath as Justine turned to lead the way into the brightly-lit cottage that served as the shop. Everywhere she looked, her eyes were met with reds and greens, elves and Santa in various stages of work or play. The Christmas store was dream come true for anyone who loved the holiday. The store consisted of eight different rooms—each decorated with a specific Christmas theme. After Thanksgiving, Justine had told her that is was the go-to place for everyone within a hundred miles to get their Christmas trees.

Sarah had always despised garish Christmas decorations. In her mind, it was not a religious holiday, but rather a commercial event filled with forced cheer and insane people.

And here I am, Sarah thought, working at a Christmas tree farm in the middle of the summer. I am an enabler.

She walked inside the wooden cottage, the scent of cedar and pine wafting up to meet her nostrils, and for a fleeting second, Sarah did not feel so grumpy. It was almost impossible to be in a bad mood with the fresh aroma of coniferous trees in the air.

I’ll find a way, she vowed to herself.

“Ever! Lex! Sarah’s here!” Justine called, her voice reaching a nasal pitch, which sent Sarah back into her dark place.

Sarah removed her mirrored sunglasses and looked around the small store, wondering how such a business survived in the summer.

Not only is it sustaining itself, she thought incredulously. It’s actually in need of extra employees. Unbelievable.

Sarah didn’t have time to ponder on the strangeness of a Christmas business thriving during the summer—she was distracted by a handsome man who wandered out from the shop’s back room, a slightly sardonic smile on his face.

Someone who exuded that aura of arrogance—someone with such a cocky profile—would usually repel Sarah, but she was surprisingly transfixed by his swarthy complexion and glimmering black eyes.

“Ah! Another glutton for punishment,” he declared, sauntering toward her. “Let me guess, you’re one of those impossibly happy people who thinks working on a Christmas tree farm will put you on the good list and off the naughty?”

Sarah blushed under his scrutiny and shook her blonde curls, lowering her blue eyes.

“No,” she mumbled. “I just need the job.”

The man whooped and glanced at Justine. “At least she’s honest,” he said. “I guess you didn’t tell her who I am.”

Sarah wondered what that had to do with anything. She looked up at the manager, who shook her head ruefully.

“No, I did not,” Justine admitted. “Sarah, Ever is the heir to this place. His father is the owner.”

Oh, you have got to be kidding me, Sarah thought, her eyes widening in panic.

“I-I mean, of course I like Christmas!” she stuttered, and Ever chortled.

“Don’t worry. No one likes Christmas so much that they want it in their face 365 days a year,” he quipped. “We’re known around the world for the unique holiday décor we carry. We stay busy in the summer months because it’s when professional tree decorators and interior designers who specialize in Christmas place their orders for their busy season.”

“Professional tree decorators? Who would want to do that?” Sarah inwardly chastised herself again for talking down the holiday.

Ever laughed again. “You’d be surprised. It’s a big business for hotels, corporate buildings, and people with mansions who can’t be bothered with the arduous task of decorating.”

“Interesting,” was all Sarah said, wanting to keep her response short so she didn’t risk saying anything else she’d regret.

Sarah hoped he would not relay her words to his father. Otherwise, she might lose her job before it even began

The front door opened, and Sarah whirled, grateful for the distraction.

A stunningly beautiful brunette walked inside, work gloves covering her hands. She was wearing khaki shorts, and her legs seemed to be impossibly long beneath them.

“I need help,” the girl announced, bushing her hands against her sultry hips. Her eyebrows rose when she noticed the other three occupants of the room all staring at her. Her eyes rested on Sarah for a moment; then she turned to Ever and Justine. “What are you both doing in here?”

“Lexa, this is Sarah,” Justine offered. “She’s starting today.”

Lexa glanced at Sarah and grinned disarmingly, a brilliant display of ivory teeth.

“Hey! That’s great!” she declared, ripping off a glove to extend her hand. “We could definitely do with some help!”

Sarah quickly accepted the outstretched palm before pulling back, sure that her own hand was slick wet with sweat. She was suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“Come on, Sarah,” Justine instructed. “I’ll give you the layout and put you to work. Will one of you mind the front while we’re gone?”

It was more of an order than a request, since Justine didn’t bother to wait for a reply, gesturing for Sarah to follow her.

“Is he going to tell his dad what I said?” Sarah asked worriedly when they were out of earshot.

Justine chuckled loudly. “I wouldn’t worry about that. I like Carlos more than Ever does,” she replied, and Sarah caught the sly note in her voice.

She couldn’t suppress a groan from escaping her lips, but to her relief, Justine only laughed. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Anyway, you might find this place growing on you. It has all the magic of Christmas, you know.”

Sarah clamped down on her lip to keep from responding.

If that isn’t a terrible foreshadow, nothing is. I should run while I have the chance.

But of course, that wasn’t an option. She had started looking for a summer job even before she left school, sending out resumes online to every job she had the ability to do. Every year, Sarah tried to get a job for the summer, and every year, she faced the exact same problem: the job market in Cashmere simply didn’t seem to need someone like her.

After months of futile searching and job-hunting, her father had finally managed to get her this job, and so Sarah tried to reassure herself that she could do it.

It was only a couple of months before she left the beauty of Washington and traded it in for Colorado. Even so, she was already dreading what lay ahead.

Justine chirped away in her ear, explaining her job, and Sarah did her best to listen. The more the manager spoke to her, though, the tauter Sarah’s nerves became.

She found her mind drifting toward Ever, and she wondered if he had a girlfriend.

As if you would have a chance with Lexa around, she thought wryly. Hell, maybe Lexa’s already his girlfriend.

Still, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from traveling toward his smirking mouth. There was something about him she could not help being drawn toward, but try as she might, Sarah couldn’t pinpoint was it was exactly.

“And that’s basically it,” Justine finished. “Any questions?”

Sarah shook her head, even though she hadn’t really been paying attention.

It’s not exactly brain surgery, she reasoned. I’ll figure it out.

She just wasn’t sure if she was going to survive it.

* * *

Sarah slipped quietly into her house, dropping her purse on the hall table.

“Hey, hon!” called her dad, Jack, from the kitchen. “How was your first day?”

Sarah closed her eyes, willing forth a happy face before she met with him. It’s bad enough that you had to get him to get you a job. He doesn’t need to know you’re miserable there.

“Hey, Dad,” she replied, entering the tiny galley and giving him a kiss on the cheek. She glanced around to see if Bernice, their Maine Coon, was in the kitchen as well, but the house pet was nowhere to be seen. “It was fine.”

Jack looked up from his coffee mug and studied her fair face. “That bad, huh?” he asked.

“No!” Sarah protested. “It was great!”

The forced note of cheer in her voice was enough to make her cringe, and her father picked up on it right away.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he sighed. “I know how you feel about Christmas. Ever since your mother left, we all find the holiday stressful…”

He trailed off, and Sarah was immediately overwhelmed with guilt.

“No!” she repeated, this time more firmly than before. “It’s fine, it really is! It’s actually growing on me!”

She wondered if she was trying to convince her dad or herself, but the day had been unbearably long. There really was no escaping reminders of yuletide cheer in any direction.

Sarah had hoped to find herself lost in the pine forest, but Justine wanted her manning the store on her first day. Not only was she trapped among the Christmas explosion inside the shop, but she was also left to deal with too-happy customers all day long. It seemed to Sarah that everyone in Cashmere had come to the tree farm that day, and she could not fathom why anyone would want to be reminded of December in the blazing heat of July.

“I promise I will keep my ears open for another job,” Jack assured her, and Sarah nodded.

“I have no reason to complain,” she insisted. “Everyone is super nice.”

Sickeningly nice, she added to herself, but her father did not need to know her innermost thoughts.

When she volunteered to make dinner, Jack shook his head.

“No, it’s poker night,” he told her. “I’m going over to Eddie’s, so don’t fix anything on my account.”

Sarah was slightly disappointed to learn that she was going to be alone that night. She had been looking forward to spending the evening with her dad.

It was strange being back home, almost as if she had been reverted to her childhood, to the place where she was cut off from the world. Of course, she wasn’t actually cut off from the world. Sarah had lots of friends, but most of them had plans for the summer or had remained at their respective colleges. Moreover, she could only handle crowds in small doses. She much preferred the quiet to parties.

“Are you going to be okay tonight?” her dad asked. “I can cancel—”

“You will not do such thing!” Sarah laughed, shoving him playfully. “I don’t need to be babysat by an old man.”

Jack chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to kiss the top of her forehead.

“I’m glad you’re home, Sarah.”

She turned and looked up at him with wistful blue eyes. “I’m sorry you’re home by yourself all school year,” she sighed. “But soon I’ll be home for good.”

Jack smiled tightly. “And then you’ll be off and married before I can blink,” he sighed.

Sarah knew he did not mean to sound self-pitying, but as she returned his embrace, she was once more consumed by shame.

“You have nothing to worry about there,” she replied lightly. “No one is going to marry me.”

Jack snorted and lovingly peered into her face.

“You don’t know how wonderful you are,” he told her gruffly. “Don’t you settle for just anyone, all right? And you make him work for your affections.”

Sarah laughed and squeezed him again. It was a conversation she’d had many times with him.

He’s my dad and I’m all he has left, she reminded herself. It’s his job to boost my ego. But really, he doesn’t have to worry about me—I’m not interested in getting married anytime soon.

* * *

After Jack left for his poker game, Sarah sat in the den trying to read a book, but her mind kept floating from the words on the page. Bernice, the Main Coon, was taking a nap in the middle of the den, keeping her some company.

Although she was hungry, she didn’t want to cook for just herself.

I should have thrown something in the crock pot before I left for work, she mused.

As she put the book down and stared into the picturesque landscape out the backyard, she realized that she was wasting away inside on a beautiful summer night.

I’m going to go back to school and everyone is going to regale me with tales about their amazing summers of parties and friends, Sarah thought. And I’m going to tell them I worked at a Christmas tree farm and hid from the sun.

Thinking about her friends and classmates made her remember the meeting in MJ’s room on the last day of exams, when she and the rest of her sorority sisters had heard the craziest story about “shifters” and other such mythological creatures.

Sarah giggled to herself at the silliness of it all.

I don’t care what magic tricks Sylvie did, there’s no such thing as werewolves and vampires. Then she let out a soft sigh. But imagine if there were…

She stood abruptly, tossing her book aside and shaking out her shoulder length tresses.

“You are losing your mind,” she told herself aloud. “You need to get out of the house and be around other people.”

Bernice woke up and stretched with a soft growl, as if Sarah had interrupted her nap. Then the cat shifted her lumpy body to deliberately block out Sarah, facing away from her.

“What?” Sarah demanded. “You’re too good for me?”

Bernice did not acknowledge her.

I have resorted to conversing with a house pet.

“Yep. Cat lady,” Sarah muttered. “That’s me.” She grabbed her handbag and hurried out the door.

* * *

Joe Dawg John’s was packed, and as Sarah entered, she wished she had remembered it was a Friday.

I’m not even going to get a table, she thought, turning to leave before the hostess even caught sight of her. Before she could take a step, someone grabbed her arm, and Sarah turned to see Ever standing at her side.

“Are you following me?” he asked, a teasing smirk on his face, and she shook her head, eyes wide with protest.

“I—no!” she replied. “I was—I mean, I’m leaving.”

Ever laughed. “I’m just kidding, Sarah. You ate already?” he questioned, gazing about the overpopulated restaurant.

“No,” she faltered. “But I don’t want to wait for a table.”

Ever flashed her a dazzling grin. “Lucky for you, we already have one,” he said, grabbing her by the hand.

Sarah felt a quick sweat break out over her body as she allowed herself to be guided toward the rear of the establishment, weaving through the already occupied tables.

Ever seemed to smile at everyone while Sarah felt like a shadow at his side.

“I don’t really…” she tried to call out, but he didn’t seem to hear her. They finally came to a halt at a booth near the back.

Sarah’s face turned crimson when she saw Lexa and another couple sitting there. Her eyes widened, and she barely managed to bite back a groan of embarrassment.

Oh, my God! I’m crashing a double date!

“Shove in there, you guys,” Ever said. He then turned to the other couple. “Chris, Lena, this is Sarah. She works at the tree farm,” Ever introduced, gently pushing her along the red vinyl seats.

“Hi, Sarah!” Lexa cried, and Sarah could see she was slightly drunk, her eyes slightly hazy.

“Hey, Sarah,” the couple chorused.

“Hi,” she almost whispered, biting down on her lower lip. This was humiliating—she had to get out of there. “Listen, I really have to go,” she muttered, her blue eyes darting from friendly face to friendly face, her heart sinking.

She could tell they would have made great friends, but she would be damned if she was going to be the fifth wheel.

“What do you mean?” Ever asked, his dark brows raised in confusion. “You just got here.”

Sarah swallowed, not wanting to lie.

“We haven’t eaten, either, so don’t worry,” Lexa piped up, and Sarah stared at her in slight disbelief.

How can she be so nonchalant about me being here? she wondered. If my boyfriend brought another girl to our table when we were on a date…

Sarah reasoned that Lexa had no cause to feel insecure. Still, she seemed to be handling her presence with too much grace.

It only served to make Sarah more nervous.

“Are you from Cashmere, Sarah?” Lena asked politely, seeming to detect Sarah’s discomfort.

She cleared her throat and nodded. “Uh, yes,” she answered, nervously licking her lips. “I go to college in Colorado.”

Is it dry in here?

As if reading her thoughts, Ever waved a server over to their table.

“Sasha, we have a newcomer,” he told the smiling blonde waitress. “What will it be, Sarah?”

“Oh… uh, just a Diet Coke,” she mumbled.

The others seemed taken aback by her order, and when the waitress turned to fulfill her order, Chris leaned forward, smiling.

“They won’t card you here. They can’t afford the loss,” he told her jokingly, but Sarah shook her head.

“I’m not much of a drinker,” she replied.

She was rewarded by shocked and impressed glances from the other occupants of the booth.

“Good for you!” Ever cried, and at first, Sarah wondered if he was making fun of her, but his eyes were sincere instead of mocking.

Why is he looking at me like that? she thought, anxiety lining her stomach. She cast a sidelong look at Lexa to see if she noticed, but the beautiful brunette was reading through the menu.

“It’s not often you meet girls your age who aren’t about drinking and partying,” Ever continued, and Sarah was sure her face was purple with embarrassment.

“I’m sure there are many girls our age who aren’t about drinking and partying,” she said, thinking of some of her own friends in Boulder.

“Not around here,” he said. His eyes bored into her face with such intensity that Sarah had to press her lips together to hold back a gasp.

She felt like he was literally looking inside her head, as if he could read her like a book, and it both fascinated and terrified her.

Sasha appeared with her drink, notepad poised to take their orders, and Ever was forced to look away and address the server. However, Sarah could not shake away the feeling that he had reached into her soul and squeezed it with a mere look.

* * *

The following morning, Sarah arrived at work before even Justine. She wanted to prepare herself for seeing both Lexa and Ever.

I should not have stayed there last night, she scolded herself. I owe them and the other couple an apology.

Despite the knowledge that she had been doing the wrong thing by remaining there, especially when the attraction she had toward Ever was so strong, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to leave.

Oddly, Lexa had been completely at ease with her presence, adding her to the conversation as if they had been friends forever. By the end of the night, Sarah had been wracked with shame. How could she be genuinely nice to her when all she wanted to do was to rip off her boyfriend’s clothes with her teeth?

A car pulled up to the store, and Sarah turned to see Justine through the windshield. Her usual sunny disposition seemed clouded over as she exited the car with a scowl on her face.

“Good morning,” Sarah offered tentatively, but Justine shook her head.

“It’s not,” she replied shortly. “Both Ever and Lexa called in sick today. It looks like we’re on our own, Sarah.”

Sarah gazed after the manager, her mouth parting slightly. Did they call in sick because of me? Both of them? Are they fighting because of me?

She had no way of knowing if they were truly sick—which she doubted—or if they had just wanted to avoid seeing her, but the knot growing in her stomach told her that something was amiss.

What did I get myself in the middle of?

* * *

If her first day had gone excruciatingly slow, the second day was a thousand times worse. If possible, it seemed the customers were more cheerful, and Justine was out in the arbor, tending to the firs themselves.

Sarah could do little else but overthink the meaning behind Ever and Lexa’s absence that day.

Maybe they are just hung over, she thought, or maybe they eloped.

Dozens of terrible possibilities flowed through her mind, and by the time closing time came around, Sarah was a nervous wreck.

“I hate to do this to you on your second day,” Justine said, shaking her head in regret. “But I have to pick up the kids from their dad’s house, and he’s being unreasonable. Ever and Lexa were supposed to close tonight, but you’re going to have to do it.”

Sarah gaped at her. “Me?” she echoed. “I have no idea how to close!”

“I know,” Justine sighed. “Look, just… just do your best. Please? There’s a list of duties in the stock room, and you don’t need to do the till—I’ll bring it home with me and do it tonight. Obviously, inventory will have to wait until morning. Mostly it’s just cleaning and locking up. I’m leaving my key for you on the counter, and I will come by your house in the morning to get it, since we’re closed on Sundays.”

Sarah gulped back her protests and nodded meekly. There was no point in arguing. The circumstances were beyond her control; Justine wasn’t doing it as a punishment, no matter how much it felt like it.

“Okay,” she said. “That’s fine.”

Justine cast her a pitiful look.

“It will be fine,” she said confidently. “If I thought you were unable to do it, I wouldn’t have hired you.”

She flashed Sarah a smile, and Sarah resisted the urge to remind her that she had only given her the job because her father had probably begged her to do so.

The front door closed with the jingle of a hanging bell after Justine walked out of the store, and Sarah looked around the finally quiet shop. She released a soft breath, realizing that it was quite peaceful when it was only her: the decorations did not seem as offensive without the blinking lights and the accompanying holiday music piping through the speakers.

For a moment, Sarah felt relatively comfortable.

The feeling dissipated when her eyes fell on the closing list.

Are you kidding me? I’m going to be here all night! she thought mournfully, gazing at the chores. As Justine had said, it was only half of what needed to be done, but for one person, it was still a feat.

I better get to work, she decided, silently cursing Ever and Lexa for dragging her into whatever mess they had between them and leaving her alone to deal with this on her own.

* * *

Sarah had broken a sweat by the time she opened the front door to sweep the debris of the floor outside onto the dirt yard. Night had just fallen, the sky a light bluish-pink as the stars poked out to accent the moon.

Sarah paused and wiped back the hair on her face with her fingers, staring up at the sky. The moon was intensely bright and hanging low.

Ah, yes, she remembered. The super moon is coming. It’s a full moon tonight.

As if on cue, a low howl emanated from the arbor, and Sarah tensed instinctively.

Even though she knew she was in no real danger, the… coyote, wolf, or whatever animals had let that howl, sounded much closer than she would have liked.

Sarah pivoted, broom in hand, her eyes carefully scanning the treeline to ensure she was not being stalked by a hungry scavenger.

There had been rumors, urban legends that had withstood the test of time about creatures roaming about in Wenatchee National Forest, but Sarah had never paid them any mind.

Not really.

A glimmer of light caught her attention as a flurry of movement rustled the pines. Her heart hammered dangerously in her chest, and Sarah swallowed, rushing back into the shop and slamming the door behind her.

She fell up against the door and steadied her nerves, waiting for the irrational panic to pass.

“What are you doing?”

A figure suddenly appeared in the doorway to the stock room, and Sarah let out a scream.

It was only until the figure ambled toward her that Sarah recognized him.

“Ever,” she gasped, shaking her head. “When in the world did you get here?”

“Jumpy?” Ever asked with a laugh, drawing close to her.

Sarah flushed at his nearness, wishing that she could regain control of her emotions, but she felt hot and dizzy, like she was about to faint.

“When did you get here?” she repeated. “I didn’t see you come in.”

“You were staring up at the moon,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “I didn’t want to distract you.”

“What are you doing here?” Sarah asked him. “I thought you were sick.”

Ever ran his tongue over his teeth and peered at her with burning eyes.

“Justine called to give me an earful,” he said. “She told me you were here alone, so I thought I would come by and see how you’re doing.”

Sarah’s cheeks were stained pink as he stepped even closer to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked tenderly, and Sarah shook her head. She knew this was wrong, she was fully aware she shouldn’t be allowing this to happen, but her body felt like it was on fire.

He’s with Lexa, she tried to remind herself. I have no right to feel this way about him.

Ever’s face seemed to be closer to her own with each passing second, and her attraction to him was so strong that if he kissed her right now, she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back any longer.

Before she could realize it, Sarah asked him, “What about Lexa?”

Ever seemed taken aback by the question, as if he hadn’t heard her. “What about her?”

Sarah forced herself to take a step back, confusion and anger flooding through her at the same time. Lexa had been incredibly nice to her, and she did not deserve this.

“What do you mean, what about her? Aren’t you worried she’ll find out about this?”

“Why should that worry me?” Ever responded, and Sarah felt her anger turning into fury. Was he used to being with more than one girl at once? Was it something he enjoyed?

“Well, aren’t you guys together?” she demanded, knowing that she wouldn’t like his answer.

To her utter surprise, though, Ever’s expression became perplexed, and then realization seemed to hit him. He let out a small chuckle and shook his head.

“Lexa is my cousin,” he told her, and Sarah suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “She’s the closest thing to a sister I’ll ever have.”

“Oh, my God,” she breathed out, exhaling in relief as a fit of giggles overtook her. “Oh, my God, I thought you were—”

Ever laughed as well, closing the distance Sarah had put between them. Sarah raised her head to look at him with hopeful eyes, and when he started to lean forward again, she closed her lids, anticipating his kiss.

Ever tasted as delicious as Sarah had imagined, and she moaned lightly, her fingers softly grasping Ever’s waist as he guided her towards the closed door of the store, pushing her against it. His palms reached out to touch her heaving breasts, and Sarah sighed into his mouth.

“You are beautiful,” he breathed, his words short and punctuated by kisses that worked their way down the curve of her throat, toward the vee of her t-shirt.

Sarah wrenched off her top and bra, allowing him to explore the tight skin of her chest, tongue lolling about her flesh slowly but hotly. She bit on her lip, her fingers threading through his dark mane of hair as he slid lower across her belly.

Ever yanked down on her shorts, and she stepped out of them and pulled down her underwear as his face nuzzled the skin between her thighs.

Suddenly, Ever pulled her legs up over his shoulders, and Sarah gasped as her back slid up against the wood door, Ever’s face firmly in her core, his mouth wrapped around her nub of nerves. His kisses were urgent and hard, luring her to the brink of climax with teasing, pointed movements.

Sarah’s legs clenched against his ears, squeezing his head as her body began to quiver with delight. A low, feral cry escaped her, and gushes of warmth flowed fast and furiously through her.

Ever reached up, delicately balancing her waist to bring her back to his eye level, but Sarah locked her legs around his hips, rubbing her wet nakedness against him with longing. Ever undid his pants to let his shaft free, sliding it against her core before thrusting into her with one smooth, swift motion.

Sarah clenched around him, driving her hips forward to meet his thrusts. She relished his groans of pleasure, each noise he emitted driving her closer to the brink again. Her nails dug into his broad back, clinging for balance and posterity, because she never wanted him to stop.

Ever’s motions grew rougher, piercing through her with precision, and Sarah squealed as she released again.

Inside her, his rigid member grew harder, and she could sense he was close to his own climax. In seconds, Ever sighed, his fingers bruising her buttocks as he drove himself home, burying his face in her neck and filling her with his orgasm.

They were shaking, even though they were spent, and Sarah gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

Ever gently dropped her legs to the ground, and then they both immediately collapsed to the ground, Ever’s arms around her and Sarah’s hands resting on his chest.

Sarah remembered how anxious she had been, thinking that Ever and Lexa were together and that she was getting between them. She would’ve saved herself so much suffering if she had only thought of asking rather than jumping to conclusions, and she couldn’t help laughing at her own stupidity.

“I feel like an idiot,” she mumbled, but Ever grabbed her hand and tipped her face upward to look at him.

“Don’t,” he told her, knowing what she was referring to. “Because there is something you should know before we let this go any further.”

Sarah’s heart fluttered at the ominous words, but she could not deny that she was tickled he was considering a future with her.

So, he does feel the connection between us, too, she thought, relieved.

“You can tell me,” she assured him. “I can handle it. I would prefer if we were truthful with each other, rather than me running around making up things in my head.”

Ever stared at her for a long moment before slowly rising to his feet, his hand still around hers. Without a word, he helped her up, guiding her toward the front door, and Sarah glanced back at her discarded outfit.

“My clothes—” she started to say, but Ever shook his head, smiling.

“You won’t need them where we’re going,” he told her, and a combination of fear and excitement hit Sarah as he looked into her eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked.

Sarah nodded, although she was not sure she was.

He opened the door, and she cried out, taking a step back.

The yard was filled with wolves in various colors and sizes, their eyes glowing like hot coals against the night.

“Would you like to come with us?” Ever asked, and when Sarah turned to him to ask him what he meant, she watched in awe as he transformed into a wolf like the ones before her, his black fur gleaming against the pale light of the moon.

A grey and black lupine stepped forward from the pack, slightly bowing its head. With only a glance, Sarah realized that she was staring at Lexa, and she was no longer afraid of what awaited her if she went with them.

It is true, she thought, her mind going back to the words Sylvie had spoken in MJ’s room. They do exist.

Come with us, Sarah, Lexa called out, but her voice was only inside Sarah’s head. We will bring you back.

Sarah glanced back at Ever and slowly nodded her head.

It looked like she would have a story to tell her sisters at Kappa Mu Pi, after all.

* * *