Clay had been no more than five or six when he’d been bitten. When other kids were heading off to kindergarten, he’d been living as a child werewolf in the Louisiana bayou. Jeremy had rescued him, brought him to Stonehaven and raised him, and this was where Clay would stay.

Now it was my home too, really had been since the day Clay had bitten me. It’s no sacrifice. I’m happy here, with my family. Besides, without Jeremy to mediate, Clay and I would have killed each other years ago.

Jeremy watched as Clay bounded back to me. As he glanced my way, relief sparked in his eyes. If Clay was in such a good mood, my Change must have gone well. I knew they’d both been worried, though they’d tried to hide it, knowing I’d been panicked enough and that the alternative-not Changing-would be even more dangerous.

I handed Clay his shoes. Jeremy’s gaze slid down to Clay’s bare feet. He sighed.

“I’ll find the socks next time,” Clay said. “And look, Elena found her top.”

I held up a sweater I’d “misplaced” in the woods a few months ago. Jeremy’s nose wrinkled as the smell wafted his way.

“Toss it out,” he said.

“It’s a little funky,” I said. “But I’m sure a good washing, maybe some bleach…”

“In the garbage. The outside garbage. Please.”

“We’re going into town for ice cream,” Clay said. “Wanna come?”

Jeremy shook his head. “You two go. You can pick up steaks at the butcher. I thought we’d have a barbecue, take advantage of the warm day. It may still be early in the season, but since you seem so energetic, perhaps I can persuade you to cart out the lawn furniture and we’ll eat outside tonight.”

“Let’s do that now,” I said, swinging toward the shed. “Build up an appetite for those banana splits.”