* * *

Kylie stepped out of the office, not sure how to go about finding Helen the healer. Her phone buzzed again and she pul ed it from her jeans. It was a text from Sara. One word appeared on the screen.

"Negative," Kylie said aloud, and smiled in relief for Sara. She started punching in Sara's number when someone moved beside her. A tal and wide frame cast a tal and wide shadow.

Before Kylie looked up, she somehow knew the owner of that shadow would have jet black hair and light blue eyes. Taking a deep breath, she slowly looked up.

Damn, she hated being right.

Chapter Twenty-two

"Can we talk?"

Lucas Parker's voice sent almost as many chil s through her as the slight pressure of his hand against her back. Almost. But not quite. She fought against the urge to shiver as he nudged her away from the group of kids standing about fifty feet to their left. While his words lent itself to a question, the fact that he was moving, and taking her with him, implied she didn't have a choice. The warm feel of his hand on the smal of her back took her back to last night's dream-the one where they were swimming together. That thought reminded her that she'd interrupted Lucas and his girlfriend earlier today. Kylie blinked, praying she wouldn't break out in a ful -blown blush.

"What do you want to talk about?" she managed to ask, but she guessed he meant Derek and her. He'd seemed plenty angry when he'd caught them on the rock-she just didn't know why. She tried to stop walking, but he kept moving her along. Unless she wanted to trip and land on her face, she had no option but to put one foot in front of the other.

Kylie's Reeboks rushed to meet his pace. Then she saw the line of thick trees in front of her and no way was she going in the woods with him. Nope.

"Stop!" She jerked away from his hand and tripped, losing her grip on her phone. It landed with a thud on the grass. And Kylie almost joined it. He caught her by her forearm and lifted her with complete ease. Catching her breath, she realized the back of his hand rested against her breast. She stared at his hand, against the swel of tingling flesh, her heart racing-racing from fear and from something else. That something else having everything to do with the dream she'd had last night and where his hand was now. "Let me go," she seethed. He released her and held his palms out. "I wouldn't hurt you, Kylie."

"How would I know that?" She took a step back and waited to see if he'd say something about knowing her before. Maybe even remind her that he'd saved her from a bunch of bul ies. At which time she'd have to remind him that he'd stil kil ed her cat. But he said nothing. He just stared at her and the expression in his eyes appeared hurt. Like he had that right. God, did he even remember her? Or Socks?

He passed a hand over his face and asked, "What was that al about?"

What was what all about? Then she thought she knew. "Derek drew my name. We were just talking." Unlike what you and your sidekick were doing. And not that it was any of your business, anyway.

In the bright sunlight, Kylie noticed Lucas's beard stubble, something most seventeen-year-olds didn't have. Then she recal ed he was a werewolf and wondered if that explained it. Or was he just one of those guys who matured early, who had a ful beard by the time they graduated high school?

"I saw how you two were talking, but that's not what I'm asking about."

"In that case, I'm sorry I interrupted you and that girl." She reached down and picked up her phone. When she stood back up, he was frowning, but to his credit he didn't try to claim she hadn't interrupted anything. She couldn't explain why that almost upset her. But damn it. What was wrong with her? An hour ago, she'd wanted Derek to kiss her and now she was having the hots for the guy who kil ed her cat?

Stress, she decided. Stress obviously brought on the hook-up hormones. Or did a brain tumor do that?

Lucas let out a sigh. "I didn't mean that, either. I meant what did the FRU want with you?"

Kylie pressed a hand to her left temple to assuage the ache and tried to think how to explain it. Then she wasn't even sure she should explain it.

"I don't know." She didn't know enough about what the FRU suspected to make sense of it herself, let alone to explain it to anyone else. His eyes tightened. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I mean, I don't know. Nothing is making sense to me these days."

Skepticism fil ed his expression and insisted she give him more. But why was he asking? Could he be behind whatever it was the FRU

suspected her of doing? Her own suspicion started to build.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"They've been hanging around and I can tel Holiday is upset. I asked her about it, but she said I didn't have to worry. If something's going on, I want to help her."

Kylie remembered Holiday had brought Lucas with her last night when she'd had the dream. Maybe the two of them were friends, but if Holiday chose not to tel him anything, far be it from Kylie to interfere.

"They wanted to talk to me because they think I'm an anomaly. They're trying to figure me out like everyone else is."

The disbelief in his gaze lessened. "Did they do it? Figure you out?"

She shook her head. "Apparently I'm a real puzzler."

"Girls general y are," he said, and smiled. And holy crap, if his smile wasn't one of those that made a girl's heart fal over on itself. She caught herself from being lured into his smile and mental y slammed on the brakes. Then, because she didn't want to stand there while her heart did somersaults, because she needed to find Helen and see if she could detect a tumor in Kylie's brain, Kylie held up her phone. "I have to make a cal ."