Page 66 of Season of the Wolf

And that’s when I heard it. Or ratherfeltit, her heart pulsing through the air.

“She’s still inside,” I blurted, taking off toward the theater as soon as I was positive.

The others followed, but not without their doubts.

“How can you be sure?” Tobias questioned.

Knowing I couldn’t exactly explain that, I turned and said the only thing I could.

“I just know.”

There were stares, some only curious, but most distrusting.

We burst through the heavy, brass-framed doors of the entrance. The place was a dead zone. Bags of popcorn had been dropped right where patrons stood when news about the dam reached them. There were things all over—a jacket on the ground near a poster, a cell phone on the counter.

“We’re wasting time,” Tobias grumbled, staring me down with fury swimming in his eyes. The look reminded me of the one Liam often gave. And, like Liam, this guy gave off the air of being feral … a savage.

“She’s clearly not here,” he added. “We need to move on.”

However, the rapid thump of a frantic heart said otherwise.

Again, I didn’t bother explaining how I knew we needed to venture further in, I simply went. Their steps were hesitant behind me, but they followed.

“Evie!”

I called out and then listened, going down the wide, dark corridor lined with theaters, most of which still had movies blaring inside them. In other words, there was no way she’d hear over the noise.

“We’ll have to split up,” I sighed, knowing that was about the worst possible idea, but it would increase our odds of finding her. I got us to the general area, but we needed to search.

We scattered and I started in the screening room on the right. Pushing the door open, I rushed inside, did a quick scan, and then came out to head into the next.

This felt like déjà vu, reminiscent of another time I set out to find her amidst a disaster. Only, then, I’d been searching for the girl I loved. Now, I was desperate to find the friend who’d saved my life little more than a month ago when the Council would have preferred to end me.

“Evie!” I tried calling out again.

Still no answer.

I pushed through another door, set to yell her name once more, but didn’t have to—the buzzing, an electric hum I now associated with being near her …

A set of bewildered eyes found mine. Beside her was another familiar face, that of the mother who no longer remembered her, and lying on the ground … her father.

I rushed over, assessing the situation as I went to them.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Evie pushed fresh tears from her eyes, saying things I was sure her mother found strange considering she had no idea who we were, no idea that the girl who’d just put herself in harm’s way to find them was in fact her daughter.

“I got here about a minute ago, as soon as word reached them about the dam. Everyone was rushing out in a stampede,” she choked out. “Some guy panicked and … he pushed him down,” she added, staring at the deep gash on her father’s head.

She was in shock. Otherwise, she would’ve been thinking clearer and made quick work of getting her folks out of here.

“Evie, listen to me,” I said gently, feeling the sense of urgency creeping further up my spine as the door opened behind me—one of the guys, I guessed. He called out to the others to come this way.

“We have to get out of here. We’ll get him help,” I promised. “But we have to go.”

She swiped a tear, racked with so much emotion as her mother did her best to wake her husband.

Taking Evie’s hand, I pulled her to her feet. I offered her mom the other.

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