Page 28 of Echo Of A Wolf

“Was it her?” Sienna asked. She flipped her red hair over her shoulder and gave me a venomous look. “Was she the one following you?”

“Technically, no,” Dean said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Waylen demanded. “Either she was or she wasn’t. There’s no in between.”

“I was following my brother Xander, and he was following Dean,” I chimed in.

“Why was Xander following him?” Ellis asked.

“Because he’s not well,” I answered. “He’s been different since Lucius.”

“Haven’t we all?” Sienna scoffed.

“Not like this,” Dean countered, taking another swig of his beer.

His words caught their attention.

“I think he’s possessed,” I blurted. “Possessed by Lucius’s spirit.”

Waylen laughed as though I’d told a wild joke and the others chuckled along with him. When Dean and I didn’t join in, or show any signs that we were teasing, they stopped.

Sienna leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and locked eyes with me. “You’re not joking, are you?”

I shook my head. “I wish I was.”

“I can vouch for it myself,” Dean said, leaning back in his chair and draping an arm over the back of mine. “I believe there’s a chance he could be possessed by Lucius, too.”

Ellis cocked his head to the side, his gaze shifting between Dean and me. “Which means what, exactly?”

“You can’t be buying this,” Waylen said. “I’m gonna need more info to believe you.”

“Wait a minute,” Sienna demanded, her intense gaze fixed on Dean. “Something’s different about you.”

“Different?” Dean questioned.

Her eyes widened as though a lightbulb had gone off in her head. “Oh my God! You’re mates, aren’t you?”

Excitement spilled into her eyes as her face lit up with a smile. She was genuinely happy for us, which was surprising considering how skeptical she’d been of me seconds before.

“We are.” Dean nodded, and my raven fluttered her wings, happy as could be.

Warmth filled my chest.

“Holy shit!” Waylen shouted. “This calls for a celebration!”

Ellis slapped Dean on the back. “Congratulations, man.”

The warmth I’d felt in my chest spread. These were loyal friends.

Dean shifted to lock eyes with me, and an adorable grin graced his face. His hand found my thigh beneath the table and he gave it a squeeze. I knew it was his way of saying,see I knew they’d be okay with you and me.We’ve got this. We’re good.

“Thanks,” Dean said, shifting his attention back to everyone seated around the table. His face turned serious again. “Back to Xander. We need to figure out how to stop him before things get out of hand.”

“Right. Why do you guys think he’s possessed by Lucius’s spirit?” Sienna asked. That skeptical look was back in her eyes, and they were fixed on me. “What made you come to that conclusion?”

“He got into my head,” I said, dropping my gaze to a water ring on the tabletop. “It felt exactly like when Lucius did.”

“What the hell?” Ellis muttered. “How is that even possible?”

---