The Moonlit Heiress

yet something in it sounded hauntingly close. She heard her heart beating faster as she

with you, Alex?"

o the dark line of trees beyond the cliffs.. A

ispered low and urgent

ut

loser and catching her arm li

s. It wasn't fear-at least, it wasn't of

explained in her brain as she nodded an

crashing loudly somewhere in the neighborhood. And within Clara, a storm indeed continued–a proper

Jennie was gone, her lights off but the glow over the counter still on. Clara pulled out her keys and

Alex had briskly locked the door behind them before she began chec

?" Clara asked, crossing her arms over he

d been long-warned. In a flash it would become dark. The other way became him turni

fe, out there

is out there? Why act all of the time

and through his dark hair. "You w

y m

moment. Then he seemed to make a d

voice low and deliberate, "things most people don't

ded painfully

ke

. "Not the kind you're thinking of. These wolves. They w

her mind struggling t

d finally, though there

, didn't leave hers. "There's a reason

mach twist. "Wha

," Alex said, voice low. "An

d back. "This is crazy," she mu

he said closer.

essed, her voice risin

ing like regret in his expression. "They want you,"

oice cracked. "Wha

s voice hard. "You're Isabella Hayes. And your bloodl

tened to buckle ou

ered. "This can

ng a tone. "And the sooner you accep

booth, dropping her head into her ha

in front of her, his hand

e special than you know. And though it may be hard for you to

n, try to convince herself it wasn't real. Yet deep inside, a small voice was sure he was speaking the tru

sharp crash. Clara jerked her head, and her heart seemed

that?" she

e," he sa

le

again ordered, leavin

; Clara watched her breath catch. For one brief moment, his hands seemed to

n, immediately followed by a deep rumbling

he called

owled. "And don't open

er him. Clara came to the window, shivering, peering out. There was no o

the darkness; her breath hitched in the back of her throat as one sha

s walking r