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that’s what you’re worried about.”
    “I’m worried about you.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “You were bitten, Phoebe. That means a lot of your life is going to change. Soon.”
    She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to squirm under his intense gaze. “It’s okay; I’m leaving Echo Falls. I’ll be out of your way soon.”
    He frowned and then opened his mouth, but she shook her head.
    “I’m only in Echo Falls temporarily. I’ll move as soon as I can pack.”
    “You don’t understand.”
    “I do, really.” She patted his arm, her hand lingering for a few moments and trailing down his bicep. “I do, and it’s not a problem. Maybe I’ll see you before I leave.”
    She stood up, but before she could walk away, he grabbed her hand.
    He smiled. “You need to stop running sometime, so why don’t you stop with me?”
    Her eyes widened and he stood up, drawing her closer. She refused to look him in the eyes, though staring at his broad chest didn’t do much better for her with resisting his presence. She’d never wanted to hug another human being so much in her entire life.
    He tipped her chin up so she would look at him and he smiled. “You need to learn to trust me, Phoebe Martin. Whether you like it or not, I’m in your life now. I’m going to help you through this. I am going to be there the first time you turn. I will protect you from the demons you’re running from.”
    “I don’t think -”
    “And I am going to come to your apartment as often as I like to cook for you to make sure you aren’t wasting away hiding in there.”
    She blushed and, though she tried not to, she smiled.
    “You have a beautiful smile, Phoebe. You should try using it more often.” He released her and offered her his arm. “May I walk you back to your car?”
    She eyed his arm and then looked at him. “Would you listen to me if I said no?”
    He seemed to think about it for all of three seconds before winding her arm around his and saying, “Not likely.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

    Phoebe woke the next morning sitting at her desk. She took her hand off the mouse to pluck the sticky note off her face. She frowned at the less than great taste in her mouth and wrinkles that she’d slept into her blouse. Her eyes hurt from staring at the laptop screen into the early hours, cropping and cleaning up the photos she’d taken of Elle and Charlotte. Looking at the screen, she’d finished editing most of them, too, but she didn’t remember doing it.
    Who knew people actually fell asleep at their desks?
    Looking at the sticky note, she’d written a list of different street addresses down – all in Echo Falls. She brought her laptop back to life and saw that she must have fallen asleep while looking at offices for rent.
    Indulging fantasies. Like she’d ever be able to settle down long enough to establish her business. Sure, when she’d first arrived and been lucky to get an apartment so soon, Echo Falls had represented the possibility that she could finally stop running. But the murder of local werewolves meant that Echo Falls now represented just one more place that wasn’t safe for her. And likely never would be.
    She needed to be grateful that she’d gotten any work and leave it at that. The way things were, she’d have just enough time for Elle to pick out the photos she wanted and to print them off before she left.
    A knock at her door made her jump, sending bolts of pain through her body. She stood up, her muscles protesting, and walked over to her bed to grab the knife from under her pillow.
    “Phoebe?”
    She paused and shoved the knife back under her pillow. Even through the door, she recognized the voice. Taking a few steadying breaths, she walked over to the door and looked through the eyehole.
    Elle.
    She opened the door slowly.
    “Just me,” Elle said, smiling. “Me and presents.”
    She lifted a basket filled with muffins, bottles of orange juice and what looked like