“Yes.”

“It will be okay,” he told me.

Derek sat down across from us.

“Did you know about Ascanio’s master plan?” I asked.

“No,” Derek said. “But I saw him walk off into the woods while everyone was talking.”

“I don’t know Desandra,” Ascanio said. “I don’t know Robert either.”

“I do know Desandra,” Derek said. “Ascanio’s annoying, but extra backup is always nice.”

Robert chuckled quietly. “You two were planning to fight me?”

“Not planning,” Ascanio said. “Just ready. In case.”

Teenage bodyguards. I closed my eyes. It would be a long night and I needed every drop of sleep I could get. I let myself drift, as Robert’s and Jardin’s soft voices receded into drowsiness.

“Thank you, Jardin. This will help us tremendously.”

“Happy to hhhear it, Alpha.”

“Once we are gone, I need you to return to Rat House.”

“I have ennough food for two weekssh,” Jardin said. “I could be ussheful.”

“No,” Robert said. “You’re too valuable to us and this post is too dangerous. Your life isn’t worth the risk . . .”

Sleep cushioned me, like a blanket wrapped around my body.

• • •

THE SEA WAS smooth, like the surface of a coin. I was lying in the sand next to Curran. My cheek rested on his chest, his skin heated by the sun. My hand was on his stomach, the ridges of hard muscle hot under my fingertips. His right arm was around me and he was playing with a strand of my hair. Lazy waves splashed against our feet, warm and soothing.

“We have to get up, baby,” he said.

“No.”

“We have to get up. Tide is coming in.”

“Let it come,” I murmured. “I just want to have more time. There’s never enough time . . .”

“Kate . . .”

I hugged him to me.

“Kate.”

Something touched me. I moved. My eyes snapped open. I was sitting on top of Jardin, holding my sword to his throat.

It was a dream. It wasn’t real. Curran was still gone. I wanted to howl like an animal.

It wasn’t real.

Losing him hurt like a punch to the gut. I was awake and back to my nightmare.

“Ssshecond time,” Jardin smiled.

“Sorry.” I got off of Jardin.

“Pay up,” Derek said to Jardin.

The wererat rolled to his feet and dropped a dollar into Ascanio’s palm.

“Did the two of you bet him I’d do this?”

Derek’s eyebrows rose. “We can neither confirm nor deny that a bet took place.”

“But we have seen you wake up when you’re stressed out.” Ascanio winked.

“I can’t wait to get back to the Keep,” I growled.

“So the two of them would start bickering again?” Robert asked.

“Exactly.” This united Derek and Ascanio team was getting on my nerves.

Robert rolled to his feet. “Thank you again, Jardin.”

“I could ssshtay,” the wererat offered.