Don’t panic! We’re outside your apartment. Yes I’m texting him right now is it still recording I hate this thing how do I make it
EMERGENCY ALERT—Sturbridge [1 text]
Crime alert—Sturbridge University Police Department responded to an off-campus incident involving two students and an animalattack. Park services and animal control have been contacted and SUPD is investigating the situation. Stay on campus paths and out of the woods until SUPD gives the all-clear notice.
The street outside Brennan’s apartment was blanketed with the first snow of the season, everything camouflaged white, more snow flurrying around him. Nellie and Sunny stood in front of his building, Nellie in a fluffy puffer jacket, Sunny in a long wool coat. He could have used therapy with Nellie right around then, what with Mari’s threats and Cole’s silent departure fresh in his mind, but he shoved it down in the face of their urgent texts and grave expressions.
“Hey,” Brennan greeted them, taking the steps down to the sidewalk to get on equal footing.
“Are you okay? Is everything alright?” Nellie’s hands fluttered around him, searching for some hidden injury.
“Yeah, of course, I’m fine—”
“We worried when you weren’t responding.”
“I’m fine. I’m good. What’s going on?”
Sunny piped up without looking from her phone, “Oh, they definitely hooked up. He has a hickey.”
Brennan slapped a hand over his neck, face warming.
“Oh my god, Brennan, good for you!” Nellie squealed.
“No! Stop! This is not the topic! What happened?”
Nellie and Sunny exchanged uneasy glances.
“You saw about the ‘animal attack’?” Sunny said. “A vampire’s involved. Two people died. Students here.”
“Whoa,what? They died?” The alert called it anincident,not a fucking murder. But fear quickly replaced surprise. “Who—who was it?”
“Two frat guys. We’re working on it,” Sunny said, and Brennan felt a weight lifted that it wasn’t Cole. But Sunny was so matter-of-fact that it only made Brennan angrier. Two people were dead, Mari knew about him, and Dom—
Oh no.
“Dom was here last night,” Brennan said, realization making him sick. “Talking about doing whatever she wants and not wanting to pretend anymore. It has to be her.”
Nellie and Sunny had another wordless conversation with frowns and narrowed eyes.
“What?” Brennan demanded.
“That just…” Nellie said, “it checks out. We were at the, uh, crime scene?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Gross, we’re like Vampire CSI. But Sunny picked up her scent, and there were prints that match those vintage size nine Doc Martens she’s been rocking.”
“And you’re surethat— Whydo you know what shoes she wears?”
“I’d ask why youdon’t,but your Target-brand Vans knockoffs speak for themselves.” Sunny sniffed and pointedly glanced toward Brennan’s feet.
Brennan brushed off the remark. “Well, do you know where she is?”
“We’re working on it,” Nellie said.
“What if she does it again? What if she comes after me, or other students?” He pictured Cole, Mari, Tony, any of the kids in his classes facing down a murderous Dom, and shivered.
“That’s what we’re trying to do. Stop things like this from happening again.”
“Are you sure? Or are you trying to cover them up?”
“Oh, come on,” Sunny spat, stalking away from the conversation. “We don’t have time for this.”
