Branches reached for Alice as she followed the stream. It was a trickle of water, hardly enough to cover the smooth pebbles of its bed, and yet it was the only sure path through the looming pines and drifting fog. A silver arrow pointing a way out of the suffocatingly thick forest.

She dreamed. She knew she dreamed because the sky looked black as pitch even as the whippy branches on either side gleamed like knives. Her feet took step after step, steady and numb even as her gaze remained fixed on a spark of light hidden deep within the trees.

Something cried in the distance, a high-pitched shriek that could have been human or animal. The voice cut off just as Alice reached where the stream dwindled into a muddy path, and a chill ran down her spine while she listened for any other noise. All was silent. Still. Only the hints of wood smoke warned how she would meet someone if she took this new trail.

There was no way to go back; she knew that bone-deep. And whatever waited beside that pinprick of a fire felt heavy with malice, poisoning the forest with its very presence, thickening the air into a raw, throbbing heartbeat. Yet Alice stepped onto the path without shivering, and when thorns caught at her hair, she didn't flinch. Instead, her lips curled back to reveal her fangs, and her hands snapped the branches trying to scratch and sting. She was nothing to be toyed with.

The trees opened into a clearing as quickly as a gasp, and Alice stumbled to a stop, bloody and hot-eyed and shaking. A bonfire burned in the very center, the logs at its heart long and curved like bones. As it crackled, a sound that seemed very much like laughter, the cages around it grew clear.

They were built from branches and mud, squat and filthy and marked with fingernail scratches. The lingering smells of blood and terror choked Alice with each breath even as the flames brightened, revealing the cages weren't empty. Hunched things convulsed with breath, ruined as roadkill but somehow still alive. Firelight flickered on exposed bone and missing muscle, on mouths opened in silent screams because their voices were gone, taken along with everything else.

Alice flinched back, her own voice catching in her throat as a gasp. Then a figure rose behind the bonfire, the uncertain flames hiding its face even as they picked out long, ragged hair and skin streaked with blood. The things in the cages grew frenzied, filling the clearing with wet, ripping sounds as their ravaged flesh tore under the strain of their struggles, but it was the weight of the figure's gaze that finally broke through Alice's shock. When several shadows slipped over to flank it, hardening into silhouettes that all beckoned at her, she snarled and dropped into a crouch, limbs shaking with the first spasms of her shift.

Agony wracked every inch of her, bone and sinew twisting in protest of their raw rebirth, but within a heartbeat she lurched upright again, already steady on the long, lean limbs of a predator, already snapping at the air with jaws that could shatter bone. The dim figures watched with cocked heads, their bodies flickering with the fire even as hers found its fearsome form.

Wolf-Alice shook away the last of the tremors, fur bristling as she growled at them. Come closer if you dare, she said with a snap of her teeth. Just try turning me into your prey.

A rush of laughter in response. Then the fire roared, flames swelling out to catch her. She ducked away unharmed, but when the smoke and sparks cleared from her sight, everything had vanished. The cages, the figures... Even the fire itself. Only a smoldering pit of ash and a few bloodstains remained.

Wary, cautious, she circled around the clearing, sniffing over the ground for any clue as to where they'd fled. Magic always smelled horrible to her, sharp as fear and acrid as smoke. Thick enough to overwhelm everything else. Even so, she caught traces of sweat, hair, and skin. The forest had hidden the figures but couldn't strip away their scents—all female, all entwined with magic. All of them ravenous.

A nearby branch suddenly jabbed at her with a life of its own. So did another. She stepped back with a growl as the trees all leaned closer, bark creaking while they choked off the clearing. They weren't going to let her leave. As they continued to tighten like a knot, the first thorns raking against her fur, she realized they weren't even going to let her live. She snapped at the branches closest to her jaws, ignoring the sting of scratches, but soon found herself crouching low as they closed in.

Then the trees behind her shivered. She turned toward them with defiant jaws, ready for a fresh attack, but the branches only shrank back, bark rubbing against itself with a sound like frantic whispers. A dark shape lunged out from their midst, eyes as bright as the moon, teeth ready to tear, and Wolf-Alice's growl rose into a yelp at the sight of the black wolf. He pressed close, responding to her frantic nuzzle with a few tender licks at the scratches on her nose, but his slanted ears warned of further danger even as the trees withered around them.

They fled together, the black wolf leading her through a forest as stark as charcoal until the sky deepened and the land opened wide. As soon as the moon appeared, large and luminous and just rising over the horizon, the black wolf urged her toward it, his presence grounding her even as the unflinching light filled her senses and then her very being.

It was a smell that came back to her first—the rich, bitter warmth of coffee. Her eyes opened and then she realized she was awake, curled up in bed while Colton leaned over her. His gaze was intent, furious, and she knew without a word passed between them that the dream had been something more, something real. "Where was I?"

His words came out as a growl. "The shadow world."

Her skin prickled. She hadn't been there since... Well, since Magdalene had lured her to it. She still didn't truly understand what that strange land was or where it existed. Only that she could be called there in her dreams and would bear the marks of her visit once she woke up. "Did you see them? Did you hear their laughter?"

"No. Just saw you there by the firepit." Then he stopped her hand as she unthinkingly tried to rub at the areas of her face that still stung.

"How bad is it?" she asked, now remembering how the branches had slashed at her.

"It's already healing." Despite the the curt words, his thumb gently stroked over her palm.

She nodded and pushed herself upright, wincing from the hot tenderness in her bones that always came after she ran as a wolf. As Colton caught her waist, steadying her, she realized he was fully dressed and that a styrofoam cup of coffee waited on the bedside table. So did a takeout box.

Even as lingering shivers wracked her body, she looked up at him with a faint smile. "You brought me breakfast."

"Figured the food would be as weird as the rest of this fucking place."

"Quail egg with wild mushroom mousse. I checked the menu plan yesterday." Then she dropped her head against his shoulder, realizing she needed to explain what had happened in her dream. It didn't take long, and she soon finished with, "There's something happening here, isn't there? Something nasty."

The brightening sunlight only intensified the feral look on his face. "We're on someone's hunting ground."

"I wonder if the handyman is involved," she murmured. "The figures in my dream all seemed female, but... He gave me the creeps."

"Handyman?"

"He came up to me while I was walking around after dinner and offered to show me around the resort. The way he said it felt very practiced and smooth, and I got the feeling he'd been watching me for awhile. He seemed like one of those types used to getting laid on the job." Then she grew aware of how Colton's shoulders had bunched beneath her fingers. "You're really tense."

"He either wants to fuck you or kill you. You think I'd take that well?" Despite his flat tone, the green in his eyes seethed bright and vicious. In that moment, they didn't look human at all.

She stroked the side of his jaw without fear. "I thought it was laughable. He didn't seem dangerous at the time... And no one could pull me away from you."

"Willingly." His pupils had narrowed to pinpoints.

The implication left her quiet, all words slipping away as she considered how her fears had suddenly hardened into reality. She was being hunted again. Whatever they were, they thought they could catch her. Use her. Did she still seem so vulnerable in the eyes of others? So tempting a morsel, so sweet a sacrifice? It galled her, that this hidden danger believed she was something to pluck away and feed on.

She found herself looking up at Colton as a savage edge slipped into her voice. "We're the hunters. I'm no one's prey."

He tilted his head at her, eyes still hot, still feral, but a new light had entered them. "Then you want to stay."

"Whatever this is, I won't leave my family to face it alone. And I..."

When she faltered, suddenly embarrassed to reveal what had scratched and howled against her ribcage from the moment those figures had jeered at her and fled, he raised his eyebrows. "Don't be embarrassed. Not with me. We've seen each other good and bad."

"I know. But I'm feeling different than I would have before. I'm not relieved we found out in time. Instead, I'm mad that it's happening at all." She hesitated again, falling quiet until his fingers traced the curve of her jaw. The touch drew her closer, coaxing at words that felt dangerous to reveal to anyone, even him, because they were words that mapped out a part of her that had changed, a part she didn't quite understand. Exposing herself still felt stunningly vulnerable, an offer of trust that might lead to a new scar.

But it was him who listened to her now—this wolf hiding as a man, this beast that had shown her the delight of teeth—and her next words came out as a snarl. "I don't want hide. I want to hunt."

At that, he almost smiled. "Then we will."

Could it be that simple? The possibility left her breathless. "Even if it means I've become less sweet? More savage?"

"Alice." The growl didn't leave his voice, but the undertone to it changed as he leaned in close. "I like your teeth as much as the rest of you."

His mouth felt hot against hers as she began shivering again, this time in excitement, but just as she felt the first hint of his tongue, a knock came at the front door. Then the sound of a key scraping in its lock. "Ms. Corrigan? We're here with breakfast."

She muffled a groan. "Thank you. Could you leave it in the library?"

"Of course, ma'am." There was nothing but politeness in the voice, and yet even after the villa fell quiet again, she remained tense, her exhilaration soured by the intrusion until Colton's hands squeezed at her hips.

"They're gone," he said, nipping at the curve of her ear.

"For now, but it must already be seven o'clock if breakfast is here. Which means Denise and Fleur will arrive in a few hours. That's not enough time to find these bastards, is it? I'll have to put on a pleasant smile and pretend everything's all right."

"It's probably better to watch over your family during the day. Humans are oblivious."

She nodded, clinging to him as her heart churned. She wanted to bite, not to smile. She wanted to rip and claw and scream. Her tension was mirrored in him; she could feel it in the way his muscles tightened whenever her body shifted against his, in how he never once looked away from her. The air between them felt hot and thick.

"Colton?" She turned her face into his neck, breathing in the hints of blood, musk, and pine sap that were always there against the clean warmth of his skin. "I really want to fuck. But I..."

"Want it rough."

She laughed. "You know. You always know."

His response was a growl, a deep, brief one promising the delicious burn of teeth against skin. He was still too on edge to smile, but the charge in the air took on a new intensity as his fingers tangled in her hair while she reached for the fly of his jeans. He let her pull his hardening cock free before jerking her head back hard enough to make her gasp against his mouth.

His kiss was slow yet unrelenting, tasting every inch of her, keeping her to his rhythm as her nails dug into his shoulders. Then he pulled her head back even further, until her neck arched, until the vulnerable length of her throat was fully exposed. She panted against his first bite, her voice rising as he then sucked against her skin to take away the sting. It was his strength that always undid her—teeth scraping against her pulse, mouth intent and patient even as she threw away all control. His erection pushed against her stomach, thick and hard, but he continued to taste at her skin as if savoring her.

Then his mouth found the heavy flesh of her breast, sucking hard enough to draw a yelp out of her. When he found her nipple, he bit instead, teasing with his teeth, with the hot press of his tongue, with the rasp of his stubble. She clutched at his hair as he drew her further into the delicious torment, drawing her gasps out into moans until she dimly wondered whether they'd be overheard.

As if sensing her thoughts, he moved enough to kiss her once more, muffling her voice. The wet heat from his mouth lingered on her nipples, leaving them flushed and aching as he pinned her down, teasing her by rubbing his cock along her hips and stomach. She arched in response, eager to feel him push inside her.

Instead, he straightened up again, humor glinting in his eyes. "No. I'll decide when."

"How are you so patient?" she groaned, letting her head fall back against the bed. She was always the frantic one, feverish for the thoughtless bliss within reach, her need as sharp and forceful as a flash of lightning.

His only answer was to push her legs open until she felt the seam of her cunt part. The rush of air against her swollen folds had her panting even before the velvet heat of his tongue found them. That dangerous mouth was just as unrelenting as before, magnified by the hard rasp of his chin. He found her clit, teasing until she was beyond desperate, fingernails tearing at the sheets as she begged him with each moan. A pinch from his teeth and she thrashed into a white-hot climax, only his weight and strength keeping her still as he moved from teasing to sucking, stoking her into wave after wave of release. Only once she was too limp to do anything but shiver did his attention soften into gentle licks, cleaning her up.

When his cock finally pushed in, sheer exhaustion kept her from climaxing on the spot. He stretched over her, their mouths nearly brushing as she managed to say, "You always outlast me."

He seemed amused at that, licking her parted lips as she continued to pant. "I'll draw this one out."

And he did, moving slow, hard, and deep, each thrust feeling like it would split her in two even as he nipped at her breasts and sucked the sweat from her neck. He was sweating, too, his body slick against hers as the bed shuddered to their rhythm.

Then his teeth found his favorite spot on her throat, where her pulse beat fast and hard, where she arched just from feeling a hint of his tongue. He bit down while pushing in hard enough to make her howl, her nails digging into the hard muscles of his back as he growled through his release.

Her body held onto a warm afterglow even after the windows brightened with true daylight and noise could be heard outside. Colton seemed just as unconcerned, letting her curl against him as their sweat dried.

"What will you do while I'm busy with my family?" she said, unwilling to get up and get dressed.

The answer rumbled against her forehead. "Search the surrounding forest for anything trying to hide. Check in on you."

"Kill the handyman?"

"I'm tempted."

"He might be innocent."

"That what your gut says?"

She didn't have to even think about it. "No. But the figures in my dreams felt very different. I couldn't see any of them clearly, but they felt... Inhuman." Then she licked her lips, feeling some of her nervousness return. "Do you think they were witches? And that maybe there's a reason why I've been dreaming about my mother the entire week before coming here?"

His nose nuzzled hers. "Don't know. But we'll find out."

Alice sighed, stroking his hair a final time before rolling for the edge of the bed. "We'll be busy until late tonight. I'll meet you outside the villa."

Despite her reluctance, she couldn't help smiling at him as he also got up, moving with a hunter's silent grace. A final kiss and then he stepped away to shift form.

In the clear light of day, it was like a flickering shadow, a gasp of breath. The wolf that had been a man shook his black fur into place before circling to her, the set of his ears relaxed, even reassuring. Alice ran fingers through his fur, burying her face against his shoulder in a brief hug before he slipped out through the opened window. She watched him disappear into the gloom of the forest, the love bites on her skin still hot and delicious.

She had a smile in place when her stepmother and sister arrived at the villa later that morning. Denise's smile, always bright, now turned brilliant as she hugged Alice with one arm while steadying her suitcase with the other. "I'm so sorry we didn't make it in until today. Were you all right last night? I booked the villa because I didn't want us to feel cramped and all the cabins in this area are tiny, but having a space as big as this to yourself must have been overwhelming."

"I was fine." Alice pulled back enough to give her another smile even as concern trickled through her. Her stepmother always looked like the embodiment of understated luxury in her casual yet tailored clothes, subtle makeup, and simple jewelry, and yet strain now showed through that well-kept appearance.

She looked tired, determined instead carefree, and her voice sounded artificially cheerful as she turned toward the front door, which still waited, open. "What do you think, Fleur? Isn't it breathtaking? I feel like a princess in a fairy tale."

Alice's thirteen-year-old sister stepped inside with only a backpack slung over her shoulder, looking around in obvious disgust. "It's weird here."

Alice blinked in surprise. She hadn't seen Fleur since last fall, and the girl's appearance had drastically changed. She and Denise still looked stamped from the same mold, both willowy in build and heart-shaped in the face, but Fleur had seemingly rejected everything her mother embraced. Her hair fell past her shoulders limp and unstyled, and she made no attempt to mask the angry clusters of acne on her face with makeup. A baggy sweatshirt and beat-up jeans and sneakers completed her appearance, and the metal braces on her teeth flashed with each word as she added, "This whole place is weird. Why couldn't we bring our phones?"

Denise's smile shifted into something desperate. "Because we're here to get away from the frantic pace of our daily lives. This trip is all about enjoying ourselves and making new memories."

Alice tried not to wince, remembering how similar comments had always felt so contrived during her own awkward teenage years. Everything from an adult's mouth had only increased her sense of feeling alone and uncomfortable, and she remembered not wanting advice or lectures but instead to be left the hell alone.

The thought kept her quiet as Fleur shrugged. "Whatever. Which room is mine?"

"The one with twin beds. You'll be sharing it with your sister."

Alice offered her a brief smile, all too aware that she knew some strangers better than this girl, separated by their age gap and Alice's own wish for distance during the time she had lived with her parents.

When Fleur only nodded and walked toward the bedroom, Denise called out after her. "Sweetheart, we'll unpack later. Let's take a nice walk and explore the resort."

"No." The door slamming shut killed any chance at argument.

Denise's shoulders slumped. "Once there's a closed door between her and me, she might as well be dead to the world."

"Maybe she just needs some space to herself after the long drive up here."

"Space is all she has. She never does anything anymore. I just—" Then Denise cut herself off with a sharp shake of her head. "Let's go on that walk. I'll explain more outside."

It was a crisp day, the sunlight bright and colorless as it winked between the towering pines surrounding the trail. The sense of privacy seemed to unleash her stepmother's worries, and Alice found herself nodding along as Denise elaborated on everything that had gone wrong with Fleur in an uninterrupted flow of words.

"I'm so sorry about getting here late. I didn't have a chance to explain what happened, but... Well, we had to go to a teacher's meeting. Fleur failed her English Literature class after not turning in an essay that was 50% of the grade. She's refused to explain why. I know she loves to read, and at the beginning of the school year she was so excited to get in. It was her top pick."

"Will she have to retake the class?" said Alice, trying not to sound distracted as the trail opened up into a view of the resort and the various staff members bustling around it in their stiff uniforms. Who was the hidden predator? Which of them had cackled behind filthy hair while the blood dried on their bared skin?

"The teacher said if she turns in the essay next week and shows she really worked hard, then she'll pass. But I'm not worried about a silly grade—your father looked ready to swallow his tongue at hearing she might be held back a year over it, but to my mind it's much worse that she had a partner with this assignment and still failed on purpose. And it was her best friend, Hayley! Fleur won't talk to her anymore. She doesn't speak to any of her old friends. I just don't understand it."

Alice made a sympathetic noise, glancing over the bulk of the hotel as they passed by. The vast windows of the lobby revealed the receptionist inside, her face tight and unhappy as she leaned over the counter to say something to a woman who stood with her back to the window.

Alice only glimpsed greying hair in an elegant French bun and a flash of gold jewelry before Denise suddenly caught her arm, voice falling urgent. "Alice. Please. Talk to your sister. Not about the failed class. I mean... About anything. All she wants to do is stay in her room and play video games. She won't talk to me or to your father, and we wasted three therapy sessions with her sitting in silence the entire time. We just want to know she's all right. She's so different now, as if something happened."

Life, thought Alice. It left her skeptical about her own chances at breaking a shell that didn't want to crack, but the near panic on her stepmother's face left her nodding in agreement. "I'll try."

"Thank you. You're an angel." Her stepmother let out a final sigh, as if expelling the last bits of stress, and then glanced at her watch. "Oh. We have to hurry back and get her. It's already time for our spa appointment. Did you go to the one I scheduled for last night? The serene bedtime treatment?"

"I did. It was definitely a new experience."

"Oh, good. This one is even more luxurious. It takes three full hours, which will give us lots of time to catch up."

Alice managed a smile, hoping she didn't look as horrified as she felt.

Olga was still there, and her pleasant expression didn't waver an inch as she explained the steps in the "full-body rejuvenation treatment," even when Fleur interrupted her in a flat tone of voice. "I'm not taking my clothes off."

"Sweetheart, it's not quite like that," said Denise, as the esthetician nodded along. "We'll be in towels the entire time."

"Fresh linen scented with lavender for utter relaxation," added Olga.

"I am not taking my clothes off."

Alice glanced at their various expressions and then took a closer look at the pamphlet explaining the spa package they were about to experience, a germ of an idea forming in her mind.

"Well... How about a swimsuit underneath the towel?" said Denise, looking at the esthetician.

Fleur's voice suddenly flared into a shriek. "Why are you making me do this? Because of some stupid body-positive article you read?"

"Fleur, please." Denise's tone finally lost its brightness. "You're too old to make a scene like this."

Before she could do more than scoff, Alice looked up and said, "What if she sits out the herbal bath and body buff? Everything else seems to be for our feet or faces."

There was a brief silence. Fleur looked torn between rage and relief. Denise just looked uncertain. When all gazes jumped to Olga for a final verdict, the esthetician's smile turned serene. "Of course. We'll set something up so that she can still sit nearby and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere."

Fleur muttered an okay. Denise mouthed a thank you at Alice, who nodded back and quietly hoped the next three hours would go better.

They did, with Denise's chatter filling the gaps in conversation left by Alice's natural reserve and Fleur's stubborn silence. As Olga's explanations of the health benefits of seaweed washed over Alice, she idly wondered whether the esthetician was involved with that strange ritual from her dream. Some part of her marveled at herself for being so willing to hunt down those shadowy figures, to face their threats with teeth rather than run for safety. In truth, she liked the idea of seeking out their true faces, of seeing their shocked realization that she wasn't helpless prey right before she bit into the first throat. She'd always known she was a little depraved. She hadn't known she was bloodthirsty.

The thought drew a small smile out of her while she and Denise went through the massage treatment. Fleur sat in a corner of the small room, ignoring the marble cherub behind her left shoulder as she stared out the window, fingers twitching as if she longed for her phone.

The sound of the front door reached them all, as did a woman's voice gently calling Olga's name. Despite the friendly tone, a shiver ran through Alice, and she immediately looked up when its owner brushed the curtains aside to enter the room. It was the same woman she had glimpsed in the lobby earlier that day. "There you are, my dear. How are the new guests enjoying their spa day?"

The esthetician murmured something appropriate while working over Denise's back, preventing her from looking up to say hello. Fleur ignored her entirely. But Alice... Alice fought to breathe as something vicious writhed in her chest, snarling even as the woman smiled at them all with the same warmth that shimmered in her next words. "I'm Portia Valcott, the proprietress here. I just wanted to welcome you to Wonderwood and make sure you've settled in comfortably."

"Oh, yes!" Denise exclaimed, able to look up as Olga moved to her legs. "It's wonderful here."

Alice just stared, knowing bone-deep that this had been one of the figures at the ritual. If she had been asked for reasons, she couldn't have given any. All she knew was that a glance into the other woman's eyes took her back to the bloodstained cages and frantic fire.

When their eyes met, Portia kept her smile. In fact, it even broadened. "I'm so glad to hear it. I do hope you enjoy dinner tonight, especially... Fleur, isn't it? As a special welcome, I've had the chef at the restaurant prepare a full multi-course meal to accommodate your dietary needs as a vegan."

Fleur blinked and then turned beet red. Denise gasped. "I can't believe it. That is so kind of you."

The proprietress held up a hand. "Please. We just wish to make our guests feel fully welcome and looked after. If there's anything else, just let me know."

Alice forced herself to smile as the other woman said her goodbyes, but the final, all-too-knowing glance from Portia left her fingers curling into claws. Olga tsked as she started to work on Alice's back. "You're very tense."

Denise didn't even notice, still bubbly over the gesture. "Can you believe that? They really do treat you like royalty here. I've never felt so pampered in my life."

Not pampered; fattened, thought Alice, but before she could think of a more neutral response, Fleur spoke up from her corner.

"I can't believe you told them I was vegan."

"To be honest, I don't remember doing that, but then the receptionist asked so many questions when I made the reservations." Then Denise glanced at Alice, perhaps realizing how long her silence had stretched on. When Alice just chewed on her knuckles, the ghost of laughter lingering in her mind, her stepmother added, "Anyway, I'm sure it will be much more delicious than my sad attempts at cooking. I can't wait to see."

Hours later, as they walked back from the restaurant amidst the silence of the trees, Fleur said, "It wasn't delicious. It was weird."

"Just because something is new doesn't make it weird, sweetheart. It's good to have new experiences." Despite her optimistic words, Denise looked tired, and Alice wasn't surprised when she told them both she was going to bed as soon as they stepped inside the villa.

"It's the food," said Fleur, once she and Alice were alone in the bedroom they shared. "I can't believe she ate it. Half of what was on our plates looked like cat puke."

Alice couldn't disagree. As she unpacked her suitcase, noting the maids had once again opened it up to fold her clothes, she said, "So, I'm guessing you didn't like yours."

Fleur climbed onto her bed and hugged her knees to her chest, looking as tired as her mother. "No. I'm not really a vegan. Mom just read that it can help clear up acne. I'd rather keep the bad skin if it means getting real pizza back."

"Then maybe tomorrow you and I can go into town and get some."

Fleur's eyes almost lit up at that. Then her face fell back into its usual wariness. "Did Mom suggest that? Us having bonding time so I can have more positive influences in my life?"

Alice pulled out some pajamas before looking over. "No. I just don't like the food here, either."

Fleur looked unconvinced, fingers picking at the ratty sleeves of her sweatshirt. "But she has told you that I turned into a loser who fails her classes and is about to fall behind by a year, right?"

"She used nicer words." Then Alice sat on her own bed to face her sister, seeing no reason to lie. "Look, I know how Dad is when it comes to grades, so I'm happy to help you with the essay. It's for English Lit, right? What's the topic?"

"Hamlet."

Alice kept her expression confident despite the fact that trying to understand Shakespeare had always been her most hated homework. "I won't write the paper for you, but if you want, I'll help you pick apart and analyze the play."

Before her sister could answer, someone knocked at the front door. Alice glanced at the nearest clock and then at Fleur, who looked as startled as she felt.

"Stay here," she told her sister, trying to sound calm even as the skin at the back of her neck prickled.

She stepped into Denise's bedroom long enough to hear the shower running, and decided not to interrupt her stepmother. The knock came again just as she reached the front door. Fleur appeared in the corner of her eye as she called through the thick wood. "Who's there?"

"Is this Alice Corrigan?"

She already recognized the voice, and let an edge slip into her own. "I asked who's there."

"It's Jake the handyman. From yesterday, remember?"

"Is there a problem?"

"I just found out there's a leak in the plumbing that wasn't fixed before your party arrived. Thought I'd get to it tonight before it gets any worse. Or before Ms. Valcott fires me for incompetence."

The words sounded innocent enough, even disarming, but she didn't trust them for a second. A glance back at Fleur's frightened face only reinforced her decision. "We're about to go to bed, so please come back in the morning. We'll avoid using any water until then."

If he was disappointed, he was good enough to hide it from his voice. "Sure. I'll be back at around nine tomorrow. Have a good night."

The clear crunch of footsteps moving away over gravel drifted through the door, and yet Alice remained leaning against it, muscles tensed and ready to brace the wood in case he suddenly returned and tried kicking it in.

"You didn't believe him."

The sound of Fleur's voice startled her into looking over her shoulder. Her sister's face was pale, shaken.

"No. What place would fix a pipe this late at night?"

"Are you going to say anything?"

"To Denise? I don't see the point."

"I meant to your boyfriend."

For a moment, Alice could only look at her. Then she relaxed and laughed. "Sure, if he didn't already see it for himself."

Fleur frowned a little. "Does that mean he's hanging out by our window like a perv?"

"No." Then Alice returned to the bedroom, surprised by how serene she felt. Amazing, how bare honesty felt lighter on the tongue than a practiced lie.

"Aren't you going to swear me to secrecy? Beg me not to tell?" Something in her sister's expression told her that the words were bitter with experience, heavy with anticipation.

"Say whatever you want, Fleur. I stopped hiding awhile ago."

The response left her sister quiet. Alice let the silence stretch on while Denise poked her head in to wish them both goodnight, and then while Fleur took her own shower and crawled into bed. Instead, she simply watched through the window, alert, shivering, and excited while waiting for a chance to go out and meet Colton. It was a strange echo of those liminal days spent at the cabin with Magdalene and those secret nights spent in the forest with him. How differently she now felt, as though she would no longer fit in her own outline in those memories.

When the villa slipped into true silence, Alice went to the window. Again that dizzying sense of the past swept through her as she peered out, the glass frosting against her breath just like the first time she had seen him, a mere shadow at the edge of the forest. But tonight it was exhilaration that left her shivering, not desperation, and tonight she would go out to meet him.

The window was as well-polished as the rest of the villa, opening without so much as a creak. Alice dropped to the ground just as quietly, enjoying the chilly bite to the air. She'd barely taken a step when Colton was suddenly there beside her, the heat of his mouth against her ear. "I saw the fucker knock to be let in. Anything else happen?"

The words came out of her in a rush. "I met one of the figures from my dream. I can't prove it, but I swear it's her. She's the owner of this resort. Portia Valcott. What about you? Did you find anyone who might be one of them?"

The glitter in his eyes was strange, both grim and amused. "Better than that. I found some bodies."