3. Kiera

THREE

KIERA

A sudden commotion erupted inside the camper behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, worried Neo might burst out, locked in a fit of rage. He would have been justified, given that the mind games the vampire played with him were likely non-consensual.

Miranda had asked me to step outside with her once Joe made his way into the camper, and she'd filled me in on some of the details about what was going on. I'd listened, because I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued to learn why they'd hired a vampire to do anything.

Not that I had issues with vampires. Vampires were fine. I was simply curious to learn what the Ashen Tribe had hired one to do to their alpha.

According to Miranda, Neo had gotten himself into trouble with a clan of bears in town and the only reason he was alive right now was because she and Daxton had worked out a deal with them. The deal involved the vampire's gift of compulsion. They needed him to compel Neo to forget about a woman and the bear clan so they could have the fresh start they needed, since going home was no longer an option.

While I understood the necessity of what they'd hired Joe to do, it still felt wrong.

I thought Neo deserved a say. He should have been told everything up front. I understood that they were trying to save him from himself, but it still didn't mean the way they had decided to go about it was right.

The door to the camper swung open, and a disturbed and disoriented looking Neo emerged. His gaze scanned over each of us, and I noticed how unsettled he seemed. I wondered whether Joe's compulsion had taken effect. If not, I imagined the fury rippling from Neo was directed at him for what he'd attempted.

As Neo stepped out of the camper, he wobbled to the side, nearly missing the cinderblock step below. Something was happening to him. He didn't look well. As his bones moved and bent beneath his skin, I realized he was shifting. When his eyes locked with mine, they weren't the same color as before. Instead, they were an eerie shade of yellow, a shade so bright they nearly glowed. Within seconds, sleek black fur erupted across his body, and then a massive panther burst from inside him.

The Ashen Tribe were panther shifters.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at Neo's panther. He was beautiful.

"Neo," Daxton called to him, his voice cutting through the tense air.

The panther glanced his way and released a cat-like roar that rattled my skull before bolting for the thick woods behind us.

"Shit," Miranda spat. "Do you think it worked? Should we go after him?" Her gaze bounced between Daxton and Lorenzo.

Daxton shook his head. His eyes locked on the area where Neo's massive panther had disappeared. "It worked." He folded his arms over his solid chest. "Joe doesn't strike me as the type who enjoys trouble, which means he wouldn't create it for himself by not doing as we paid him to. Neo's panther is probably feeling pent up and in need of a release. After all, he's been sleeping for a month, unable to shift."

"Makes sense," Lorenzo chimed in, nodding.

Miranda appeared to relax, comforted by the guys' words. Her relief was short-lived though, because a second later the area between her brows bunched again. "Okay, but did he look pissed at me?"

"If he's pissed at anyone, it'll be me," Daxton reassured her.

All right. There was definitely a shitstorm brewing here. One that had absolutely nothing to do with me. I'd done my part—Neo was awake—and now it was time for me to leave. But a feeling I couldn't shake insinuated I had some sort of stake in this mess, in Neo somehow. It had to be because I'd used my blood to undo the last thread of Miranda's spell.

I mean, what else could it be?

"I think my job here is done," I said, garnering everyone's attention.

"Thank you." Daxton's gaze held more gratitude than I was prepared to see.

"No problem." I started toward the camper. "I'm going to grab my things and then I'll get out of your hair." They had a lot to deal with, and a bottle of red wine and a crappy reality TV show waited for me at Crescent Creek Inn.

I stepped inside the camper and made my way to the bedroom. After I snuffed the candle out and gathered my things, I shoved them all into my bag and hoisted the strap over my shoulder before heading out the door.

"Hey," Miranda said when I emerged from the camper. She walked toward me. "Here's what we agreed on for payment. Thank you. Seriously." She held a wad of cash out to me.

I took it, surprised I'd almost forgotten about needing to be paid. As I crammed the money into my bag, I swayed slightly on my feet. Exhaustion was setting in.

"Are you okay?" Miranda asked, concern filling her eyes.

I nodded. "Just tired."

"Spell work always takes it out of me, too," she said. "Well, I guess I'll let you head back to the inn and enjoy the rest of your stay. Thanks, again."

Guilt prickled through me. The thought of lounging around at the inn for the next few days didn't sit well with me anymore. From the look of their campers, it was clear the Ashen Tribe weren't rolling in cash. I'd already solved their problem, which had me feeling like I should be on my way soon instead of making them pay for a mini-vacation for me.

"About that, I'll stay there tonight, but I'm heading out in the morning. I only had you guys book four days because I wasn't sure how long it would take me to reverse the spell. Since it didn't take long, I don't want you paying for the extra days."

She waved my words away. "It's already paid in full, so don't worry about it. Besides, you saved our tribe. Paying for you to relax at the inn for a few days is the least we can do."

"She's right," Daxton agreed, while Lorenzo nodded.

Even though it still felt wrong, I knew going home tomorrow might not be the best idea. I needed to let the mess I'd left behind settle before I returned.

"All right, thanks." I headed to my car but paused to glance back at them. "Good luck with everything."

While I might not be a shifter, I knew a little about how they worked. If their alpha didn't get his act together soon, their tribe might not be able to bounce back. Another group of shifters could take them out, or a sickness of the mind could overtake Neo and spread to them all.

Climbing into my car, I tossed my bag in the passenger seat and cranked the engine to life. My gaze swept over the trio in front of me as they congregated at the picnic table. Their backs were already turned to me while they watched the woods, waiting for Neo or his panther to return. I hoped he came back soon, and that when he did, Neo would be better for them and better for himself. They all seemed nice, and I hated when bad things happened to nice people.

I turned my car around and headed down the gravel road toward town. When I reached the second corner, my headlights caught sight of an enormous panther in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes, my tires skidding in the gravel. My gaze locked on its luminous yellow eyes through my windshield, and somehow, I knew it was Neo.

I could feel it in my bones.

"Hello, Neo," I whispered. "I wish you luck with everything."

As though he heard my words, and was trying to respond, the panther raised its head toward the night sky and released a roar before disappearing into the woods. My skin erupted in goose bumps as the same unshakable certainty I'd felt before filled me again. This time it was because I was certain I would see Neo again—and a part of me was excited by it.