And so had Viktor.
Was that why he’d been so frosty to me at first? Because he didn’t want to get to know me, to be my friend, when he was really spying on me? It didn’t matter, though. He’d been anything but frosty to me since I’d become a vampire. Since the day he’d taught me how to bite a human a month ago, I’d gone to his room three or four times a week. He’d respected the boundaries I’d set when he kissed me last summer, even when I got carried away and would have let him cross them.
But he never tried. Maybe he knew that I was too lost in the moment to think straight. I appreciated that he never took advantage of my vulnerability in those moments, even when he could have. We never kissed or did anything more than exchange blood, sometimes in his chair and sometimes on the bed. We never talked about what happened the first time—or that it continued to happen every time after that. We never met in my room, where Svana might see us.
And he’d never told me that all along, he’d been spying on me.
When Svana didn’t say a word, I threw off the blankets and stomped into the closet.
“Timberlyn,” she called, but I ignored her, pulling on a pair of jeans and a hoodie along with my combat boots. I had given up my wolf side for her and Viktor, for all the vampires. It made them uncomfortable, so I didn’t even mention it anymore. And now it was the full moon, and I’d been in bed dreaming instead of out running where I should be.
When I emerged from the closet, Svana was sitting on the edge of her bed. “It wasn’t like that,” she said quickly, like I was going to dash out the door without an explanation. But I was done with being in the dark. I wanted to hear her explanation before I walked out.
“Then what’s it like?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at her.
“Okay, yes, he did assign me to show you around school. I was supposed to bring you into our circle—the vampires, as you call them. To protect you. I was supposed to keep you from the wolves, but it was only because he thought they’d hurt you, and he didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Or because he didn’t want me to help them,” I said.
Svana nodded, her eyes solemn. “Maybe that was part of it,” she admitted. “But that’s not why I became friends with you. I became friends with you because I like you, even though you made our job really difficult. We tried to stop you from going into the woods so many times, but we couldn’t really tell you why without exposing supernaturals. You were determined.” She gave me a hopeful smile, as if the fact that I was stubborn made up for the fact that our friendship was orchestrated by her creepy benefactor or whatever he was.
“I’m leaving,” I said. “Thank you for the explanation.”
“I’m your friend,” Svana insisted. “Don’t run off into the woods, Timberlyn.”
“Why?” I asked, planting a hand on my hip and waiting. “Because Mr. Wolf might bite me and turn me into a wolf, and then you couldn’t spy on me as effectively? Oh, wait, that already happened.”
“Okay, I deserve that,” Svana muttered. “But that’s not why. I didn’t have to stay friends with you. I could have just introduced you to our group and stayed an acquaintance. But I liked you from the start. You’re fiery and headstrong and rebellious. You don’t let anyone tell you what to do. You do the right thing no matter what. I wish I was more like you.”
“Your flattery won’t work,” I said, even though I would have loved hearing those things from her only yesterday. I’d always put her on a pedestal, thinking she was everything I wanted to be—breathtakingly beautiful, full of life and laughter, effortlessly drawing people in while not caring what anyone thought of her. But if that meant I had to be a traitor to my own friends, no thanks.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt again,” Svana said.
“By what?” I asked. “Their dad already bit me and turned me into a wolf. Your boss already bit me and turned me into a vampire. Is there some other creature you think is going to bite me now?”
“Timberlyn, please,” Svana said. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. I just, I knew you’d be mad, and you wouldn’t understand. I know I’m your friend because I want to be, even if you don’t know it.”
“And Viktor?”
She shook her head. “He knew about it, but that’s it. That’s why he didn’t want to be your friend at first. He thought I was reckless to make friends with you. But he wasn’t assigned to you. And you’re making it a bigger deal than it was. All I was supposed to do was show you to your classes freshman year and make you feel welcome. No one told me to be your friend—or for Viktor to want to be more than friends.” She gave me a little, hopeful smile, obviously trying to bait me with her gossip. As if her teasing about Viktor could make up for what she did.
“I have to go,” I said. “I’m sorry. I need to clear my head.”
With that, I turned and left our room. Everything felt different in light of this new revelation. Even if Svana was telling the truth, how could I ever trust her after all she’d done?
When I stepped into the woods, a shiver went through me. I had so many strange, eerie memories in these woods. As I walked, my boots silent
