Chapter Thirty-Three

Epilogue

The drive to Medford was genial. The radio got turned on and I found a station only Amelia objected to. I returned to the private hangar section of the airport and found the same plane waiting for us. Amelia had called before we left the restaurant.

The Agency was sending us to Atlanta.

That airport handled more traffic than any other in the nation and we’d split up for our next missions there. Nearly six hours in the air, so we still had a lot of time together.

I’d be sad to see the boys go.

It was a shame our numbers were so few, as missions were a lot more enjoyable with other agents—and potentially less dangerous. But we’d only been together here because they wanted an experienced agent to lead us on a werewolf hunt before tackling one with our Guides.

Lev and Five would rendezvous with their Guides in Atlanta.

Thirteen cracked open a bottle of beer once we were settled on the plane, no surprise. It was his preferred way to unwind. Amelia actually went into the bunkroom to lie down.

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The boys and I brought out a board game. The choices had been Monopoly or Clue.

We were hunting a murderer.

Do I need to tell you who won?

The goodbyes in ATL were bittersweet. I hugged the boys and told them to watch their backs. The jet was refueling and Amelia had stayed on board, so now it was only me and Thirteen outside. He rocked on his heels, duffel on his shoulder.

“I have no more to teach you, kid.”

“Aww, don’t sell yourself short.”

He chuckled. “Okay, I have nothing else this year. Maybe in the future. But really—you’re ready to kill this job.”

“I’ll settle for keeping me and Amelia in one piece. Fifteen gettin’ bitten shouldn’t have happened. He screwed up, but I knew he’d screw up.”

A touch on my good arm. “Hey. I was in charge. Not you. I gave the order to freeze. He got anxious and took the shot. If we’d been working with lethal bullets, he wouldn’t have been bit, but we’re not the Shadow Knights. We rehabilitate the wolves whenever possible.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Sometimes that means sacrifice.”

I nodded.

“We all learned from it and no one’s dead. That’s the important thing.”

“Yeah.”

“I gotta go.” He smiled and we hugged on my good side.

“Enjoy that next plum assignment.”

“I will!” Grinning, he backed away to leave.

I turned to the plane.

“Seven.”

“Yeah?”

He closed the distance again. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” His voice was quiet, but forceful. “I thought you were dog chow for a second there.”

Surprised by the emotion in his eyes I couldn’t decipher, I only nodded. His fingers brushed the backs of mine and then he was gone, walking away with long, determined strides.

I released the air in my lungs.

“Seven…” Amelia called from the doorway.

“Coming!”