It figures, doesn’t it? Finally get to kiss the guy, and before you can find out if he really means it, you’re whisked away. Thrown in jail. Escape jail. Escape a hell-beast. See your mother resurrected from the dead. Escape demon-possessed children. Terrorize an informant. Have drinks with a hooker. Rush off to infiltrate enemy ranks before they skip town. It’s like the universe is conspiring to keep us apart, even if it had only been—I checked my watch—less than ten hours.

I thought of calling him instead of Lucas. But this was work and Lucas was in charge, and passing along a message through Adam wasn’t just cowardly—it was unfair, asking him to make a decision about my safety.

So I just texted him back: Will call as soon as I can.

As soon as I hit send, I realized that wasn’t enough. So I sent a second one: Can’t wait to see you.

I hit the button. My fingers were trembling, heart thumping, as if I’d just texted a declaration of undying love. I flexed my fingers and swallowed, and stared at that damned screen, waiting for the bleep of a return message, telling myself he probably wouldn’t even get it until he had a spare minute and—

The phone blipped. The message appeared: Ditto.

“Ditto?” I whispered, a laugh caught in my throat. “Seriously? Ditto?”

A second blip. A smiley face.

I muttered under my breath, calling him a few names, even as I couldn’t wipe the smile from my own face.

“Adam?”

I nodded as my cheeks flamed. Mom smiled at me, then steered us into the parking lot.

I called Lucas. While he wasn’t thrilled with me staying, he understood that this operation had a better chance of success if one of the infiltrators actually knew the parties involved.

Proceed with caution, but proceed.

We were in another coffee shop, sitting in the window, watching a couple approach. They weren’t walking hand-in-hand. He didn’t have his arm around her waist. No outward sign that they were indeed a couple, unless you looked closer and noticed their hands brushing as they walked.

Mom leaned over the table. “Gotta admit, as good as Clayton Danvers looks from the other side, he looks even better in person.” She paused. “Just don’t tell Elena I said that.” Another pause. “Or your father.”

I smiled. “Nothing wrong with window shopping when you aren’t looking to buy. Elena’s used to it. Clay’s the one you don’t want noticing you checking him out. He does not take that well. Just ask Cassandra.”

Mom made a face. “Vampires.”

Clay and Elena walked in. Both are blond with blue eyes. Both were dressed in jeans, sneakers, and T-shirts, none of it less than five years old. It didn’t matter. They still looked like they stepped out of a magazine spread for Outdoor Living, fresh-scrubbed, athletic, and attractive. Both were on the far side of forty, but blessed with a werewolf’s slow aging and fast metabolism.

I stood and waved. Clay noticed first. He gave me a blank look. When I smiled and beckoned him over, he scowled and looked away and I had a moment of consternation before I remembered we were still in disguise.

Across the table, Mom chuckled. “You’re so right. There’s a man who does not appreciate attention, even from cute girls.”

Elena looked over at us, and after only a moment’s pause, smiled and whispered to Clay. His scowl vanished. I moved over beside Mom and let them take the booth seat across from us.

“Good disguises,” Elena said.

“Thank you,” I said. “And, as a bonus, I got to see how Clay acts toward the rest of the population. That scowl? Really not attractive.”

Elena laughed. “I think that’s the point.”

Clay snorted and took the biscotti from my plate.

“Hey,” I said. “Can we go back to being rude and dismissive? At least I get to eat my food, then.”

He broke off half. I reached for it. He handed it to Elena.

“I’ll go get us more,” Mom said, waving me out. “Coffee for you guys?”

“Yes, but let Savannah grab it,” Elena said. “She knows what we like.”

Elena handed me a twenty, but that was the extent of her “asking.” I didn’t take offense. I’m pleased that she treats me as part of the Pack. I’d grown up spending summers at Stonehaven with the Pack and I understood the mentality. Children are pampered and cosseted, which is wonderfully safe and cozy, until you hit the age where you balk at that coddling. That’s when you begin the transition to an adult Pack member, which means—since it’s a hierarchical structure—you start at the bottom. As Alpha-elect, Elena could order anyone except Jeremy to get her coffee.

As I left for the counter, I heard Elena introducing herself and Clay, and I kicked myself for forgetting that they’d never met my mom. Mom must have said hi through Jaime before, but that wasn’t the same thing.

When I came back, Elena’s face was grave, her eyes troubled. Even Clay—sitting back, taking the beta position—looked concerned. Mom’s voice held an odd note of uncertainty.

“What’s up?” I said.

They looked up, as if startled. I set the coffee and biscotti down.

“Seemed like an intense conversation.” I looked at Elena. “You didn’t just send me away to get coffee, did you?”

She met my gaze. “No. I wanted to get your mother’s opinion of this mission.”

“Elena doesn’t like it,” Clay said. “I agree. This psycho de Rais wants you for his collection, Savannah. You’ve already escaped him once. Now you’re going back?”

“So you think Giles really is de Rais?”

“Does it matter? Even if it’s not the guy who slaughtered children a few hundred years ago, it’s still the guy who’s been slaughtering supernaturals today—”

Elena cut in. “I’ve told Benicio and Lucas my concerns, and they’ve assured me that the risk is minimal. They trust that your glamour spell will hold, and if anything goes wrong, we’ll be ready to go in. You’ll also have Eve there, with her sword. I’m still not happy, but your mother has explained why you need to be there.”

She took a sip of her coffee, then set the mug down. “I’m going to ask that you keep this mission brief, though. We’ll find the building. You’ll infiltrate it. You’ll get a few details. And then you’ll exit, pronto.”