Page 105 of Dead End

“I think you should come to the crossroads,” the werewolfsaid. “There are some seriously weird vibes, and I’m not sure what to make of them.”

“You think something is weird and automatically think of me? I’m flattered.”

“Just come before I get snatched up by a giant tortoise monster.”

“Is that what you see?”

“I don’t see anything yet. I told you it’s a vibe.”

Anna Dupree wasn’t one to make a giant tortoise monster out of a turtle. “I’ll be there in ten.”

I raced upstairs to put on my ass-kicking boots and grab a few weapons from the trunk at the foot of my bed. Weird vibes could be anything from The Corporation to a vampire pirate to—a giant snapping tortoise monster. I selected two throwing knives, a longsword, and a crossbow.

Emotions scrunched into a ball in my stomach. It felt strange to suit up without talking to Ray or Nana Pratt or hearing one of them warn me about the dangers of running with sharp objects. Full acceptance of their absence would take time.

I shut the lid of the trunk to see Claude perched on the edge of my bed.

Be careful, the revenant signed.

Tears pushed their way forward, and I let a few escape before I dammed the rest. “I will. Thanks, Claude.”

Kane was the first to spot me as a I hurried downstairs. “Is it time?”

“Anna said there are weird vibes at the crossroads.”

“Then we’ll come with you. That’s what everyone is here for.”

“Stay here and wait for my signal.” For all I knew, this was a trick to draw us to the crossroads, while they invaded Fairhaven from a different access point.

Once outside, I opted for the motorcycle. Betsy was easierto drive when I was laden with weapons, and I could park closer to the crossroads than if I had the truck. Time was very much of the essence.

The helmet made my head sweaty. Instead of focusing on the uncomfortable sensation, I thanked my lucky stars that I still had a head to get sweaty, unlike Lucifer.

The air was unnaturally still as I parked the motorcycle and made my way to the crossroads. The smells seemed normal enough—evergreen, pine, and all the earthy scents associated with Wild Acres. The sounds, though… Even the birds had fallen silent. I scanned the sky for crows, but they were nowhere to be seen.

My skin pricked. Anna was right. Something was amiss.

I arrived at the clearing with my longsword drawn. Anna and West were the only two werewolves in sight.

“I thought we had extra eyes on the crossroads,” I said.

“They’re here,” West said. “I’ve got them on standby, but I wanted to wait for your input.”

Energy crackled in the air.

Anna’s gaze tracked an invisible line in the forest. “You feel it, right?”

I nodded.

“Any ideas?” West asked.

“I vote for the wait-and-see approach.”

“But what if it’s The Corporation?” Anna asked. “Wouldn’t it be better to at least have the wolves hiding behind the trees?”

“If it’s The Corporation, the pack will be defenseless against them.” I hated to be so blunt, but it was the truth. The werewolves weren’t very high on the supernatural chart when deities were involved.

“Should we call Kane?” Anna asked.

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