Page 76 of Stalked

As Riley released me, she held out her hand for me to shake. “Nice to finally meet you, Mercy.”

I only looked at her. “Nice to meet you, too.”

I knew I was acting rude, but it was weird timing—her suddenly coming into our lives amidst all the crazy events going on these last few weeks. Why would Riley bring her here? I punched Riley hard on the arm, and he barely flinched.

“Mercy? What the hell?”

“I’ve been worried, Riley. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to call you for hours.” My voice echoed against the walls, and Riley backed away slightly from how loud my voice was, like his hearing was too sensitive. “And then I have to tell you we’re in trouble by leaving a voicemail! Not to mention, you contacted Shannon and not me! If that wasn’t bad enough, you bring a stranger, whom we don’t know, to our safe house.” I turned to her. “No offense, Amber, but a lot is going on right now, and we don’t know anything about you.” I expected her to get upset, but she stayed silent. At least she had some sense in her.

A low growl came from Abigail, who had entered the main room, causing Amber to tense from the sound.

“Abigail, what is it?” I asked, watching her fangs appear. “What are you doing? Stop!” I ordered as if I was chastising an untrained dog.

Amber sighed. “It’s okay, Mercy. It’s her nature to want me dead.”

“No, Amber. She doesn’t kill humans.” I looked back at Abigail and gave her a stern look. “Stop. They’re friends.”

Abigail looked at me fiercely. “You didn’t mention you were friends with werewolves.”

“Wait, what?” I looked back at Amber. “You’re a werewolf?”

Amber stepped in my direction. “I was the one you almost hit with your car when you crashed that morning. I spotted Kylan in the forest ahead, and I didn’t want to lose him. Trust me, Mercy, I felt like shit after you crashed.”

“It’s fine,” I said, now feeling uneasy that Kylan was so close to me this entire time.

Amber took another step toward me. “I wanted to morph into my human form that day and help you, but I couldn’t risk it. Kylan, though, was too fast. I lost him.

I bit down on my lower lip, and a proud smile formed. “I killed Kylan tonight.” A feeling of gratification hit me. I knew that in my past life, I was a vampire hunter. However, it was a new feeling to have the satisfaction of killing one with my own hands, not just watching a memory about it.

Amber had the same proud look on her face. “We saw. We arrived at the cove right as he turned to dust.”

“You were there?” I asked.

She lowered her head as if she were ashamed of something. “Yes, and that’s why I’m here, too, Mercy.”

She looked over at Riley, who moved to lean against the wall sometime during our conversation. It was strange. I hadn’t seen or heard him move away from Amber and me. I was usually so aware when Riley was in the room.

Amber scratched at the back of her neck. “I needed help. My pack has been missing for months, and it was my duty to continue to watch you with or without them—trying to protect you from Kylan and others like him. That monster sometimes dawdled right outside your own backyard.”

While we suspected it was Kylan who had been following me, we couldn’t be sure, not then, at least. My hands shook as I took inher words.

How long had he watched me?

“We’re about to face some very dangerous enemies. They’re coming after you, Mercy,” she said. “Some had planned to take you the night of the Salem trials. They aren’t going to give up now. You’ve been a target since the seventeenth century. The vampires will never stop hunting you. Kylan, he was only the first.”

That wasn’t news to me.

“Werewolves have always been aware of the prophecy that the Chosen Ones would come to Earth and protect us,” she continued. “We want to win this fight just as much as you do. Without a pack, I’m nothing. Ineededhelp.”

The way she emphasized the wordneeded, sent an unsettling feeling in my gut. Like she was desperate, obligatory—willing to do almost anything.

“What are you getting at, Amber?” I had a bad feeling as I looked over at Riley again. “Amber, what the hell did you do?” Panic rose in my voice. There was a moment of silence before Shannon walked toward Riley and looked deep into his eyes.

“Abigail,” Shannon called to Caleb’s aunt, but her eyes stayed on Riley’s. “Why did you say werewolves and notwerewolf?”

Abigail sighed deeply. “Your friend Riley is one of them.”

I was stunned and silent for a moment, then walked over to Riley and looked at his face. The expression he gave sent my heart thundering.

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