It came clearer now, accompanied by running footsteps and I recognized those steps, just as I recognized the scent. My heart gave a little thud. A good thud. A relieved thud. Until Daniel stepped onto the path and everything Rafe said flooded back.
"I thought I saw you. Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be resting, but Ash snores even louder than you." He grinned. "I had to take a walk."
I looked at that grin and I heard Rafe's words. He's in love with you. But I didn't see love. Not the kind Rafe meant. I just saw Daniel with his open, infectious, happy-to-see-you grin. Nothing else. Not in his smile. Not in his face. Not in his eyes.
That was good. Corey was mistaken. Maybe there'd been a time when Daniel thought we could be more than friends, but then he got together with Serena and that changed. He might not have fallen in love with her, but he'd realized he didn't feel that way about me, either.
Relief. That's what I should feel, looking into Daniel's face and seeing nothing more than friendship. So why didn't I?
My stomach clenched. I turned to leap into the forest.
"Hey!" Daniel said, jogging toward me. "What's up?" He paused, then scanned the woods. "You're playing with Rafe? Is that it? I'm interfering."
He tried for a smile, but there was something about--No. There wasn't. It was just a smile.
He stopped about a meter away. "You guys out blowing off steam?"
I shook my head.
The grin returned. Brighter? God, stop analyzing.
But that's how it was going to be now, wasn't it? Analyzing. His feelings. My reactions.
"Maya?" He hunkered down. "Is everything okay?"
The scent wafted past again and I seized on that. I made a show of lifting my nose and sniffing.
"You smell something?" He pushed to his feet, shoulders tightening as he scanned the forest. "Someone's out there. Okay, let's deal with this. You lead . . ."
He said something more, but all I caught was that scent, wafting around me now, filling my head.
"Maya? What's--"
I bolted.
As I raced through the forest, I told myself I was just following the scent. But the fact that it happened to lead me away from Daniel helped. Focus on this. This is real. This is important.
The scent grew stronger. Dog? Human? No, it wasn't dog and it wasn't human. It was something in between--
The answer hit me as the scent did, a full blast of it, as if my target was right in front. . . .
But all I saw was darkness. I'd plunged into a thick copse and I could make out the faint glow of a birch tree, but that was it. The rest was black--
Two eyes swung my way. Bright green eyes. Peering at me from the darkness. Then that darkness erupted. A massive form flew at me, black as midnight, green eyes glowing. And fangs. Huge white fangs, bearing down on me.
I turned to run, but the beast was too close. It hit me in the side and knocked me down. Before I could scramble up, before I could even see what it was, the beast sprang. Teeth clenched my throat and pinned me to the ground.
"Derek!"
A girl's voice. The beast stiffened. Not a beast. A werewolf.
He kept me pinned. He didn't clamp down harder, though--just held me there.
"What is that?" the girl asked.
Those green eyes shifted to her, his grip on my throat relaxing a fraction. I unsheathed my claws and swatted at his chest. It wasn't a hard swipe. Just enough to scratch him and just enough to startle him. He let go. I flew to my feet and twisted, backing up, showing him a hissing mouthful of my own sharp teeth.
"T-that's--" the girl stammered. "I guess they aren't extinct around here after all."