He’s staring at the woods a short distance away, watching the shadows move. If he sees them, too, that means they’re real. My body goes numb as he grabs my hand, tugging me until we’re pressed against the other side of a large tree, hidden from view.

“What do we do?” I whisper as he peers around it, jaw set.

“Call the police.”

The idea of cops doesn’t reassure me. “But Officer Edwards—”

“They’re already suspicious of her,” he interjects. “We have no other choice.”

I swallow, scanning the forest. It’s easy to hide in here. In the blue light, my vision plays tricks on me, and I listen to the chirping of the crickets, the rustle of the leaves. It feels like one of my nightmares, one that I can’t wake up from. Gripping my phone tightly, I make the call, my pulse loud in my ears.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“I’m being followed,” I say hastily, working to keep my voice down. “My name is Alina Castillo. Two months ago, someone tried to kill me, and now they’re following me. I’m at Boulder Trail—”

A sudden flash of blond hair, silver in the moonlight, paralyzes me, and the phone falls to the ground.

Distantly, I can hear the operator’s voice, but Mason has clapped his hand over my mouth and pulled my back against his chest. She hasn’t spotted us yet. Pine needles and branches crunch beneath her feet as she stalks past our hiding spot, a blade glinting in her hand, and I hold my breath, my thoughts going into a tailspin.

Immediately, an image resurfaces.

I’m in a car that’s just been struck by something, spiraling dangerously before lurching to a halt. It takes a few seconds for me to gather my bearings, brain foggy with confusion, though when I register what just happened, I painstakingly shove my door open, stumbling to the ground.

“Allie!” I hear a panicked voice.

Rage settles in my bones as I storm toward it. “What did you do to me?”

“It was an accident, I swear—”

“Like hell it was! You’re crazy!”

I turn to make for the forest, wiping blood from my forehead. Three figures follow me into the dark.

“Alina!”

Gasping, I come back to the present, latching onto Mason’s voice.

My gaze is blurry and unfocused, and I have to blink rapidly to clear it. His face has paled, hands gripping my arms.

“Are you all right? What the hell is going on?”

I shake my head to get rid of the ghostly sound of tires squealing. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“That wasn’t nothing. It looked like you were losing consciousness—”

“Is she gone?”

Mason’s jaw ticks. “I think so.”

“Then let’s keep moving.”