The anger dissipated a little, and I felt like I could think clearly. I took a deep


    breath as Megan ran the rest of the way to the cabin and we shifted right as the back door opened. My mother stepped out with a frown. "Where have you been?" She growled softly. "I woke up, and you were gone."


    I snorted. "I went for a run." I tried to slip past her, but her hand snapped out.


    "That''s all?" Her eyes tightened, but I just kissed her.


    "Let''s sit down for breakfast and I''ll go over what happened." She watched me for another second and then nodded. We walked into the cabin and Wendy was serving the two girls breakfast.


    "Hey." She turned to me and lifted a brow. "You went out early." I nodded.


    I turned to the two girls. "Once you two eat breakfast, can you guys do me a favor?" I walked over to Carly and kissed her head.


    "Of course." Carly bounced as she smiled up at me.


    "Yes." Abby smiled.


    I looked her over and rubbed her head. "How are you feeling today?"


    Abby''s smile got bigger. "Great." She did a little shimmy in her chair. "Better than any of my best days." She looked up at me with wide, happy eyes. "Am I really cured?"


    "You tell me." Iughed. "You just said that you feel better than you have felt, even on your best days."


    She nodded. "I''m not tired and there is no pain."


    Rick and Shelly came to the doorway for the dining room. I winked at them over Abby''s head. "Any symptoms at all?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.


    She really thought about it before she shook her head. "I feel good."


    "Then I think we have our answer." I looked up at the duo in the doorway. "How do you both feel?"


    1.n


    They looked at each other, then Rick stepped into the room. "Amy, I don''t know how I am ever going to thank you. You saved my family." He grabbed my hand. "You saved my pup, and that would have been enough for me. But then you saved Shelly, and I knew Abby was going to be safe. I never expected you to save me. Not after everything I did to you."


    "Rick." Shelly grabbed his other hand, but Rick shook his hand.


    "You saved me even when I didn''t deserve it." He dropped to his knees. "Wraith told me what you did." He dropped his head. "I hadn''t heard from my wolf in almost two years, and didn''t know why." He looked up with tears. "He was busy saving me, and I was too stupid to realize it. But now, he has been catching me up on everything. Starting with what you did."


    "Rick." I pulled him up to his feet, and Shelly wrapped her arms around his back. "You don''t have to thank me nudged him and he finally met my eyes. "You might think you are not worthy of being saved. But I don''t agree with you. And I paused as he shook his head "Neither does the goddess." I patted his shoulder. "Can you get the others? We need to talk, and the girls have agreed to y upstairs while we do it."


    I looked back at the two girls who met my eyes and started to shovel the food into their mouths. "Be done in a minute." Abby talked around her full mouth, making meugh.


    "It''s okay, sweet girl. I''m going to have a quick shower, and then we can reconvene here." I patted both of the girls as I headed up the stairs. I met Lynn on the upstairsnding. She looked a little antsy. "How are you doing?"


    She took a breath and straightened her shoulders. "Honest answer?" She asked, and I nodded. "I still hear his breathing when I''m in the dark, but I''m better than I was." I nodded and raised a hand to touch her on the shoulder. I waited until she nodded before I pushed thatst inch to rub her arm.


    "Bright side?" She looked at me. "We are leaving today." I watched her tense. "He will be dead within the week."


    She shuddered. "I don''t know if I''m that ready." Her voice was a whisper.


    "You are." My mother''s voice rang out behind us. We both turned to see hering up the rest of the stairs. "And if you aren''t, then Amy can help you take out the threat. But,” she came over and grabbed Lynn''s hand. "You are stronger than you think you are. And you can do this."


    Lynn took a deep breath and then nodded. "I can do this."


    My mom nodded. "You hold the power to your own destiny. And you can take back your life."


    Lynn nodded, then turned to me. "I''ll be ready."


    "Good." Then I left them to shower.