Page 51 of The Patron Saint of Timber Hollow

"I haven't stopped thinking about it all since the dream," I admit, staring into his eyes.

"When was this?"

Gnawing on my lip, I sigh. "After the forest felt… off and Magnus and the others found Mark."

Jay doesn't speak for a whole minute, and my heartbeat ratchets up in the silence.

When he does, it's a single growled word. My name. "Artemis."

"Hmm?" I hum innocently.

The silence between his words would raise my hackles if anyone but Jay talked to me like this. "Whydid you wait so long to tell me?"

That question, though, sounds more than just a little hurt.

Tilting my face up at the sky, I let the cool air inflate my lungs and debate how to answer. Snowflakes fall on my face, melting with the heat of my skin.

"Because I couldn't tell if I was just… overreacting." That's the simplest of answers. "Either I'm right, and Ethan and the Whites are somehow involved, or I'm panicking because of Hunters and what happened to my Dad." My voice cracks, and I have to close my eyes at the admission. Hot tears well up beneath my eyelids, threatening my control and making my chin wobble.

I feel my wolf in my throat, the clarion call winding in my vocal cords.

"What happened to your Dad was not your fault," Jay assures me, wrapping his thick arms around my shoulders again and drawing me into his frame. His lips are warm against my forehead, and I greedily drink in his warmth as I press myself into him, folding into his embrace. "Your instincts in the forest are probably second to none in this Pack, Artemis. If you think there could be a connection, I'll look into it. Simple as that."

I don't say anything back. I'm glad Jay doesn't think I'm overreacting… But.. the rest of it….Wasmy fault. I ran off. If I hadn't done yet another one of my disappearing acts, Dad wouldn't have had to come find me or gotten shot. He would still be alive. Even twenty years later, that same old guilt lives inside my gut. It's always there, constantly churning.

"Don't worry, Gorgeous. We'll figure it out," Jay repeats into my hair, kneading the muscles on my back.

I merely hum in response, content to lean on Jay. Some people have a rock.

I have amountain.

Listening to his steady heartbeat, time seems to slow, drifting by like the tiny snowflakes falling from the sky. Then, Jay pulls back slightly, keeping me pinned with his mercurial gaze. "Are you ready?"

"Sure. Do I have to tell Magnus, or will you do it?"

Jay's steady gaze turns sly. "What makes you think Magnus will be in charge of your protection?"

I blink at Jay, scrunching my eyebrows. "Myprotection? It's more than just me that needsprotecting, Jay. And, because he's Alpha?"

Jay gives me that wide, free smile that sends my heart racing before he says, "Not for much longer."

I narrow my eyes at him. "What aren't you telling me, Big Guy?"

"Magnus is stepping down after the Full Moon," Jay replies quietly.

"Oh, Alpha for real, hmm?" I smile at him, adding, "Can't help but feel like that seems… sudden, though." I'm happy for Jay, but it does feel abrupt.

"It's my Mom's birthday," Jay answers softly, and a snowflake lands on his eyelash.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I reply, looping my arms around his middle. Aggie had informed me of her passing while I was in Colorado. At the time, I hadn't asked what caused it. I was still too hurt to send flowers or anything to the funeral.

"I think she would have been happy to see you, Artemis." Jay's voice rumbles through his chest.

"She was always nice to me," I agree, remembering all the time I'd spent at his house, his mom making it clear I was welcome there. "What happened to her?"

"Car accident. She'd gone to the city alone and was involved in a twenty-seven-car pileup. A Semi transporting logs rolled over her car."

"Holy fuckingshit,"I tighten my arms around him, and my wolf whines in the back of my head. Indie had the most beautiful coat. Cream with a light dusting of copper at the tips. She almostlooked like a fox, graceful and lithe. She was fast, though, and we had always liked running with her when she wasn't with Magnus.