My blood ran cold. The howl was unmistakable—at least for me.
Charlie.
I shoved bodies aside, ignored their well-wishes, and ran for the stage. The sound had come from Charlie’s room backstage. I couldn’t explain how I knew it had been her. I just did.
“What was that?” Another set of feet pounded at my heels. Carter.
“Charlie,” was all I had time for before I hit the door. I knocked it aside with my shoulder and it swung hard. I had to shove forward to keep it from slamming shut again. Charlie was backed against the far corner, her wolf eyes wild. The set of her shoulders, the way she huddled instead of crouched, made her look manic, caged.
“What is it?” I asked.
Her gaze flickered upward.
I followed it as a drop of some dark liquid fell from the ceiling and hit the dirt floor at my feet. “What the…?” I couldn’t finish. Carter crowded in next to me, wedging himself between my hip and the doorframe. The contact barely registered.
“What the hell is that?” he asked.
Charlie whimpered. I stared.
“Shit. I think it’s a … a heart,” Carter said when I didn’t answer.
I tried to swallow but it got stuck. Another drip hit the floor.
“Huh,” Carter grunted. He seemed to be considering it, examining the red blob stuck to the ceiling by what looked like a fancy hunting knife.
“It’s a heart,” I confirmed. I forced a swallow even though it was dry. Then I looked at Charlie. “A deer’s heart,” I murmured, thinking of our hunting day a couple of weeks back.
Outside in the arena, the crowd was still celebrating at full volume.
I moved quickly.
If I slowed down for even a second, the reality would hit me. The vampire from earlier—he’d clearly been telling the truth about my kind being out to get us. No way a vampire had gotten back here unnoticed—which only left one of my own people. Doubt threatened to overtake me. I couldn’t let that happen. Not with everyone’s eyes on me. Not with Charlie falling apart like this.
“Carter, go get my dad. And any other council members still here.”
“Are you sure it’s a—”
“Now, Carter!”
He slid out. I took a deep breath.
“Charlie?” She was still staring at the ceiling, at the heart. Another drip fell. I averted my eyes. “Charlie,” I repeated, this time more firm. “Look at me.”
Slowly, she dragged her gaze downward. Her eyes met mine. I drew on what little mental energy I could muster. There wasn’t much left after the long day. “Come outside and talk to me,” I said. I kept my voice gentle. Partly for Charlie’s benefit, partly because it was all I had in me. I needed out of this room.
She whimpered again.
“Come on. I’m right here.”
She shook her head. Her eyes had gone glassy. Shit. I couldn’t let her go into shock. Not with Dad on his way over. She couldn’t afford to look any weaker.
“Look, you’re going to shift back. Then you can take my hand and we’ll go outside. Backstage, not into the arena. We’ll take a walk. Sound good?”
She didn’t respond.
Another drop fell.
I considered walking over and dragging her out with my hands. Or shifting back to my wolf and using my teeth to do it. Before I could do either, her ribs expanded with a heavy breath and she closed her eyes. The air rippled and shook then settled again. Her form lengthened and she straightened, shooting up from the ground like Alice in Wonderland after the cake. Her hair blocked her face, but even in this form I could smell the fear.
“Come on,” I said. I held out my hand. She hesitated. Her eyes flitted toward the floor as another drop fell. “Don’t.” I hardened my voice, willing her to obey. Dad would be here any minute. “Don’t look. Come with me now.”
She reached for my hand and I led her out. Carter and Dad appeared at the door behind us. Al and Sylvia were close on their heels.
“We’re going to take a walk,” I said. I gave Carter a pointed look. He nodded. Dad and the others were already staring at the ceiling in confusion.
“Don’t go far,” Dad said, still staring upward. I pulled Charlie out and headed away from the room. As soon as we were clear, Dad cursed loudly. Charlie shivered.
I led us farther away, into the backstage area before more specifics could reach Charlie’s ears. We found a space where the wall arched, creating a pocket where we could huddle without being trampled. More and more people were flooding toward Charlie’s room. Sheridan’s shrill voice could be heard above the hum of male voices, demanding someone fetch a plastic bag and gloves.
“Who do you think left it?” Charlie asked. “The heart, I mean.” Her voice sounded small, barely above a whisper.
“I don’t know.”
“They left it for me on purpose. It means something.” I ignored the look in her eyes that suggested we both already knew what that something was. Our hunting trip—the deer I’d pretended Charlie had killed—had been found out.
“It means someone’s crazy,” I said.
She didn’t say anything. We both knew it meant more than that. Carter appeared from the stage door. I waved at him from our shadowy alcove. He switched his gaze from me to Charlie as he approached. She stared up at him, nervous energy rolling off her in waves.
“Do they know who it was?” she asked.
“Not yet. It’ll take some time to figure out who had access to this area,” he said. He shot me a look and I knew what we were both thinking. Everyone had access—everyone from our pack, at least. The only ones who didn’t were the vampires. Which made every single werewolf here a suspect. I wondered if Dad thought that too, or if he knew the stuff my vampire visitor had told me this morning. “How are you?” Carter asked Charlie, leaning toward her.
Her eyes flitted right and left. “I’m … all right, I guess.”
He frowned. “Good, because your dad wants to talk to you.”
“Give her five minutes,” I said.
“He said now,” Carter replied apologetically.
“It’s all right,” Charlie said to me, straightening.
“Are you sure? Dad’s not going to go easy on you.”
“I’ll go with her.” Carter offered her his arm.
Something twisted in my gut.