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“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He smiled, a dimple creasing his cheek.

I could feel someone approach us over my shoulder, and Nik’s smile turned to a grimace as he stood and pushed me behind him protectively.

“What are you doing here?” he ground out.

“Checking in on you,Kolya. Making sure you stay on task.”On task? Who was this guy, and what was he talking about? I peered around Nik’s shoulder to see that the man standing before him was none other than the wolf from the other night, the one that had come to my house. Were the two men flanking him on either side the other wolves that had also been there, the ones that had run off?

“You need to mind your own business, Fletcher. I can take care of it.” Take care ofwhat? What were they talking about? Was this the reason Nik had been missing school this last week, whatever business it was he was supposed to be taking care of with this Fletcher? “I don’t want to see you around here again,” Nik said, steel in his voice. “It’s bad enough you and your pack attacked that poor coffee shop owner to get my attention and to let me know you were in town. I get the message loud and clear.” It was Fletcher or one of his cronies that had attacked Mrs. Madden? Was she a witch too, or had she simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time? A casualty of Fletcher’s cruelness?

“You have your orders, and I have mine. We wouldn’t want to involve Zion, now, would we?”Who was Zion? What was he talking about?

“I’m serious, Fletcher. Take your little rat pack and get out of town.”

“Kolya, you seriously think I came here with onlytwowitches in tow? I came here to see itdone,” he spat.

“And you will,” Nik replied, his eyes blazing. “Now leave.”

Fletcher locked eyes with Nik for a long moment and I could feel the tension building between them. What was it that Nik was supposed to do? I thought Nik said he had handled the other wolves, and they wouldn’t be coming back? That clearly wasn’t the case…

“Puck says they can drive us home,” Tess announced, parting the crowd and coming to stand by my side, attempting to defuse the tension.

“You two love birds ready to go?” Puck asked, slinging an arm across Tess’ shoulders and staring back at Fletcher and his pack.

“The same goes for you, Puck. Get it done, or Iwillcall Zion. OrmaybeI will have to do it myself,” he chuckled. “Oh, how I would enjoy that.”

Puck tensed next to us but didn’t satisfy Fletcher with a reply. Fletcher turned on his heel and stalked off through the crowd, his witches following closely behind.

“Nik, what was he talking about?” I asked, a crease of worry between my brows. “He attacked Mrs. Madden?”

“It’s nothing,” he replied, grabbing my jacket off the barstool and draping it over my shoulders. “He wanted to make a statement, let me know I wasn’t the only wolf in town.”

“Is Mrs. Madden a shade too?” I asked.

“No.” Nik shook his head softly. “She was unfortunately a random victim of his. Fletcher has never been particularly discerning when it comes to his victims or the lives of humans. As I said, it’s nothing…and I will handle it.”

“It sure didn’t sound like nothing…” I replied. “What did he mean? Is this the business that kept you out of school this week?”

“Yes,” he answered tightly, a hand on my back. “But it’s nothing you or Tess need to worry yourselves about.” He swallowed hard before meeting my eyes. Why was Fletcher in town, and why had hereallyshown up at my house the other night? Had it been because he had smelled my magic, or had it been something else?

Nik guided me through the packed crowd of bodies on the dance floor with his hand on my back. We made our way out to the parking lot behind the club. I sat shotgun next to Nik, Tess sat in the back with Puck. We made our way to drop Tess off first, and the tension in the car was palpable. What were they not telling us?

When Nik dropped Tess off, she gave Puck a kiss on the cheek, promising to text me first thing in the morning. I was hoping that Nik would drop Puck off next so I could talk to him alone, but we quickly made our way over to my side of town. We pulled up to the curb and I could see the lights still on in the kitchen, Mom must still be up. I got out of the car quickly, not wanting her to see Nik’s car through the window.

“See you Monday?” I asked, unsure if he would be showing up to school or not. Whatever this business was with Fletcher, it seemed serious. He had missed school last week to handle it, and Fletcher was still here, in town.

“See you Monday,” he repeated with a tight smile as Puck got into the passenger seat. As I reached the front door, I turned back and could just make out Nik and Puck having what appeared to be a heated argument as they sped off down the street.

I could hear my mom doing the dishes in the kitchen, so I made my way down the hallway to see her. I kept my leather jacket on for fear that she would have a heart attack if she saw me in Tess’ low-cut top.

“How was Tess’?” she asked as I came around the corner. “You were out late.”

“It was good,” I told her, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl and pulling out a barstool at the island.

“We studied a bit, watched a movie, then a few of her dance friends came over to hang out for a bit,” I lied as I took a bite.

“That sounds fun.” She sighed, clearly exhausted. She hadn’t even noticed the makeup or the outfit. Or she had, and she was simply too tired to get into it with me.

“Did you get called in again today?” I asked, taking a bite of the apple.