Page 327 of Secret Shifters Next Door

The next morning, Ava and I were awoken by my phone ringing. Groggily, I groped for the nightstand. The phone slid to the floor, and I had to sit up to get it. My sleepiness vanished when I saw that it wasn’t even seven in the morning, and Tate was calling.

“Yo,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“It’s happening.” The tension in Tate’s voice was unmistakable.

My heart skipped a beat. I turned to look at Ava, who mouthed the words,what’s wrong?

“What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“Luis called me this morning. Some of his guys were patrolling the area during the night. They saw a bunch of trucks and vans moving into town. They're pretty sure it’s Antonio’s hunters. There was a limo following behind. Blayne, I think Antonio is here. I have a feeling this is all coming to a head.”

“Okay. I’ll be there in ten.”

I turned to look at Ava. Worry clouded her eyes, matching the terror that had suddenly burst into flames in my mind. Itwas finally happening. My fear palpated in my chest and sent my panther into fits of anxiety.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“Tate. He says Antonio and his men are moving into Lilly Valley.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

AVA

Blayne was pulling on his pants while I watched him. I’d known this moment was coming. We all had. Antonio had made it clear that he wanted all shifters dead. He was coming to finish the job.

Still, it was surreal to think that it was actually happening. Today. I was sure Blayne would be gone with the guys for the next several days. The worry in his eyes were palpable as he dressed. Part of what made this scary was that we had no clue what Antonio had planned. He could attack today in force, or it could be a slowly building fire over a few days. There was no way to know. That unknown was terrifying.

“I don’t want you to worry,” Blayne said as he buckled his belt.

“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked, desperately trying not to bite my nails.

He smiled at me. “You’re my reason for coming home. I have to come back in one piece. Otherwise, you’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t still worry.”

He cupped my cheek. “Stay positive. We’ve done everything we can, and have as much help as we possibly could. It’s gonna be all right.”

“I guess.” I didn’t sound assured.

“One thing I want you to do.”

“What?”

Blayne sighed. “Stay locked up in the main house. I don’t want you anywhere else while this is going on. Not even here.”

I remembered the men who had tried to grab me at the cemetery, and a knot of fear twisted in my stomach. “You think he might try to take me again?”

Blayne huffed. “I don’t know. I’ve seen them try to kidnap our mates before. After what that did to my friends, I don’t know what I’d do. And I don’t even want to think about what your dad would do in retaliation. If I had to guess, he’d level the whole fucking town. I want you safe.”

Lifting my hands, I dug my fingers into his hair and pulled him toward me to kiss him. He relaxed, and I did all I could to put every emotion I was feeling into that kiss. It had the terrifying finality of a goodbye. I clung to him, desperate for one more second with him, but he pulled away.

“I’ve gotta go.” He looked pained. Leaning in again, he pressed his forehead to mine. “Ava, I love you, and Iwillcome home.”

Elation fluttered through me. I looked at him with what I hoped was awe, but probably looked more like abject shock. “You love me?”

He grinned. “You heard me.”

He turned and was gone before I could respond. I stared at the open bedroom door for several seconds. “I love you,” I whispered.

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