Seeing me shivering, he stretched a front leg toward the sweatshirt, pawing the edge and snarling when he realized he couldn't grab it. "The lack of opposable thumbs is going to take some getting used to, huh?"

“So what’s it tonight?” she asked. “Tag? Hide and seek? Fetch?” I gave a soft growl at the last one and she laughed. “Someday, I’m going to teach you to fetch,” she said.

I made it two steps before he snorted. I turned to see him lying on his belly ready to jump up. He jerked his muzzle, telling me to come back. "I thought you'd want to be—" He cut me off with a snort. It was hard for a wolf to scowl, but he managed a good glower.I took the switchblade from my jacket pocket. "I'll be fine. I'm armed." A snort. I don't care. A head jerk. Get back here.

I stopped short and sighed as Derek stepped up behind me, arms sliding around my waist. I leaned back against him and relaxed. “Thought I told you to come home,” he said, bending to my ear. There was no trace of anger in his voice now. “Did you really expect me to listen?” Now it was his turn to sigh. “Always worth a shot.”

(Tori) "In the real world, if we’re attacked by some Cabal goon, we’re going to use our fighting powers.” (Simon) “But Chloe doesn’t have fighting powers.” (Tori) “Sure she does. She has a poltergeist. Well, when Liz is around. And when she’s not, Chloe has the awesome power of zombies at her fingertips.” Tori waved at the woods behind our rented house. “Raise a dead bunny. It can nip my ankles while I’m throwing you down.”

"It's me," whispered a familiar voice. "Der—" Thwack. He stumbled, Liz behind him, a sturdy branch raised. "Liz, it's—" She hit him again, a home-run swing between the shoulders, and he went down with an oomph and an oath. She recognized the voice—or the curse—and leaned over, getting a look at him.(Liz) "Whoops." (Simon) "I'd say he deserved that, always sneaking up on people."

A soft poke at my shoulder blade startled me. "Still jumpy, I see." I spun to see Simon, Derek hanging back behind him.Simon grinned, the sight as familiar as Derek's scowl. "Got my note, I hear," he said.I pulled it out and waved it.He plucked it from my fingers and tucked it into my jacket pocket.

"I'm really glad you found me," my voice cracking.Simon squeezed my hand. His lips lowering to my ear, whispering, "I—" He went rigid, head lifting. "Hey, Simon," Tori said behind me. "What is she doing here?"Derek jabbed his thumb at me. "Ask her. I'm not getting any answers."

"I must have been sound asleep if I missed all that shouting," SImon said. "What shouting?" Derek said. "You mean that Chloe just told you that she followed a ghost onto a roof, and you didn't blast her all the way to Canada?"