"Are you sure about that?" Corey muttered once the were gone. "Chloe is nice enough, but that Derek? Real charmer. If anyone busts through that door, he's liable to throw us to them as cannon fodder." I wasn't sure I disagreed.

He's having a vision," I said. "That's what happens." (Maya)"Attractive, I know," Corey said between gritted teeth. "And now I get new witnesses to my humiliation. Wonderful.""We're used to it," Chloe said. "Derek used to do that when he Changed. Only worse.""Thank you for sharing," Derek muttered.She grinned. "You're welcome.

"Hey, I skinned my palm," Tori said. "Ground it up pretty bad.""You need to check Chloe's stitches, too," Derek said. "She got cut with glass a few days ago. They fixed her up, but it should be looked at." Tori waved her injured palm. "Anyone? Anyone?" She rolled her eyes. "Guess not.""It looks sore," I said. "We should get some iodine on it." She gave me a wan smile. "I can always count on you, can't I? Guess I know who sent the cavalry back t rescue me."

He pivoted, gaze following me as I crossed to the shower and turned on the cold water, so it would drown out our conversation without steaming up the room.Great," he muttered."Now they're going to think we're showering together. Maybe we can just tell them we were washing off the crawl space dirt and trying to conserve water.

I'm behind you." I spun to see Derek. "I can't win," he said. "You're as skittish as a kitten.

If there's anything I can do- I know there probably isn't, but..."Just be here

He had a newspaper rolled in his hand, bearing down on me like a puppy that had piddled on the carpet. "Bad Chloe,” I muttered. "What?”I’d forgotten his bionic hearing. “Bad Chloe.” I gestured at the rolled-up paper and putout my hand. “Get it over with.

He balled up my discardedsweatshirt and put it against his shoulder.“Go on,” he said. “I don’t bite.”“And from what I hear, that’s a good thing.”He gave a rumbling chuckle. “Yeah, it is.”I leaned against his shoulder.

He wore sweatpants and a T-shirt and had stopped in the middle of the hall, furiously scratching one bare forearm. "Fleas?" I said.