Bear Valley, New York, January, 2021

I pushed my body against the cliff face, sweat dripping down my back. One wrong move, and it was all over.

"Come on, just grab that rock!" Logan reached to me from the top, pushing me upwards. I tried to do like he asked, and wrap my right hand on a protruding rock that lay a few feet about me. I can do this. I stretch out my body, cursing my short arm span for the hundredth time. Finally my fingers graze the edge, both of us holding our breath, and I-

"Ugh" I grunt as my hand slips from the rock, I fall downwards, and force my harness to catch my full weight. Climbing walls are not my choice of afternoon fun before school starts next week.

After losing the race to Logan, him having ringed that idiotic bell that sounded every time someone makes it to the top, we decided to grab some pizza at the attached food court.

"So," I said as we set out plates down on one of the plastic cafeteria tables, " are you ready to start the new high school next week?"

"Don't remind me. It seems like winter break just started, and we already have to go back. I mean, last week we were in New York with Uncle Nick, and next week. . . Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for different classes, more spares, and me and the guys might start playing some shows." Logan sings. Mostly he plays the guitar, and sometimes I grace him with the pleasure of my voice.

"Hmm," I take a lady like-read, gigantic- bite out of my cheese slice.

"What about you? I know you aren't too excited about this new private school. But it's gonna be better, I feel that." Better than what? That hellhole we graduated eighth grade from? He worries about me; I hate it. Logan has always had an easier time fitting in. His personality isn't as . . . abrasive, as mine is. I don't care if I make friends, honestly. I don't have anything in common with the girls at school. And from the feel of my body, pretty soon we will have even less in common. I just hope I don't Change for the first time before Logan.

"Sure, sure. You know Mom promised me a laptop if I stay out of detention for the first month."

"Did you set up a condolence prize?"

"Ha-ha."

"Maybe you could try out all those moves you learned from training this summer. You know, if you want to start a cat fight in the girls locker room." Laughing at me now, are we?

"Laugh it up, wolf boy."

"Oh, I'm serious. What if a girl steals your cherry flavored lip gloss then gets all up in your grill?" I throw a piece of cheese at him, staining his new shirt.

"I'm just glad Mom and Dad are letting us go to the same school. I know I had to switch, with the problems I was having, but you... It was pretty touch and go there for a while." Jeremy had thought that the reason I wasn't interacting with humans could be that I never had to. As long as Logan was around, I never felt the need to talk to girls-or boys- outside of the classroom.

"Yeah, I think he was hoping you might make some of those, dare I say it, friends?"

"Yeah. And what? Invite them to a slumber party at Stonehaven? Take them out for a late night walk, past the," I lowered my voice to a whisper," mutt graveyard?! Real realistic thinking."

"Hey, you could always send them back to my room," Logan joked.

"Yeah, right, Fabio." Just then my cell rang. Or, actually, the communal cell phone Logan and I took out when we went off for a bit of fun in town. I answered it with a "Yeah," on the first ring.

"Sweetheart? It's me."

"Hey," I answered as I mouthed 'mom' to Logan. To be fair, he could hear the conversation clearly on his own. Although his wolf hearing wasn't strong enough to hear across the room, it was good enough to hear the muffled phone.

"Logan's swim practice starts soon, remember, so I sent Dad to pick you up. Tell Logan I will pick him up later, when he's done. Did you two have fun climbing?" I could tell by her tone of the last, what she was really asking.

"No, Mom. No bodies on the floor yet. Though, if this pizza doesn't do the trick, I might have to start nibbling on Logan."

"Katherine."

"Elena."

"I'm hanging up now. I just wanted to make sure you were having fun, honest. Worrying about my kids is my job. Speaking of which," there was a crash on her end of the line, " it sounds like your Dad spilled something in the Garage. Gotta go. Love you."

"Love you." As I hung up the phone, Logan came back from dropping off our trays.

"Mom says Hi, and that Dad is picking me up so I don't have to hang around here for an extra hour and watch you embarrass the Danvers name." That earned me a grunt and a swift kick to the shins under the table.

"So… did Dad say anything to you?"

"About what?"

"The.." he looked around the cafeteria, "trip they took a few months back? Did he say whether it was…" another look, " successful"

"As far as I know."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"That's all? Nothing else? No specifics?"

"Specifics?"

"I don't know, he doesn't tell me this kind of stuff."

"Only 'cause you are a kid. Us grown ups talk about these kinds of things in private, so be don't offend your delicate sensibilities."

"I'm serious, Kate."

"So am I."

"Fine. I'm just glad you think it went well."

"Why wouldn't it?"

"Because."

"My, aren't we being coy this afternoon."

"It's just that I read in the paper-"

"You read? My,my. That is a cause for concern."

"There was a murder. Another one. In New York. As in New York City. I think that's why we had to leave Uncle Nick's early. I think that's why Mom and Dad are chauffeuring us everywhere, while they have 'adult talks'."

"So, what you're saying is— "

"The phone calls, the worrying? I don't think it was a success at all. I think that they may have gotten one of them, sure, but I think there is at least one left."

"Well, be glad you have a big strong sister to watch out for you."

"You want to make jokes? Fine. I'm just saying."

"And I'm just saying they'll take care of it. Always do."

"I.." He stood up; I followed. "You're right. I know you're right."

We walked out of the cafeteria and closer to the front doors, where I could see the jeep parked out front. It stood out against the snow falling, it looked like it was going to blizzard. I gave him a quick wink as I tuned to leave, only turning around once to see him walk off in the direction of the pool.

"I am right. Dad'll take care of it." I whispered to him, too far away for Logan to hear.