Dreamwalkers by Kate Spofford

a
secret from her. because then I’ll have something she doesn’t have.
because then she’ll find a way to make me hate it.)
    “As you know, I’ve been training with Kayla,
and we work well together,” Remy says finally. “We’ve developed
something like a pack bond that I haven’t been able to develop with
either of you. I think it’s much safer to go on this mission with
someone I can communicate with in an emergency.”
    The fire crackles.
    “You’ve… developed a bond?” Mom asks
quietly.
    Asks me, not Remy.
    I can’t look at her. I was all worried about
her finding out about my dreamwalking, while this secret is
possibly worse. Much worse.
    “It just happened,” I say, like that’s going
to make it any better that it was accidental. “During the hunt. I
don’t know how.”
    Mom studies me. Testing our bond. To see if
I’m lying.
    Thing is, I’m not.
    Finally she looks at Remy. Glares at him.
    I know exactly what she’s thinking, too: You
did this. You have corrupted my daughter. You knew what you were
doing even if she didn’t.
    It isn’t Mom who breaks the silence, though.
It’s Aunt Jenny.
    “So it’s true. You didn’t bond with
Daniel.”
    I can’t say it. I can’t tell anyone, not now.
Even though tears are now brimming in her eyes, and she’s leaving
the room, sniffling, and Mom is saying, “Oh, Jenny.”
    I definitely can’t tell Remy.
     
     

 
     
-14-
     
    The day is unseasonably warm, and I roll my
window down despite the breeze that is a little too sharply cold.
The sunshine just feels so good.
    Remy and I left before the sun rose this
morning. Mom made sure she was awake and sipping her coffee in the
dark kitchen when we went out the door. It’s been two days since
the argument and she’s still nursing a grudge.
    Her bond with me has been closed off tight. I
think it’s jealousy, and it’s strange for me to think about my
mother being jealous of me. She already had her time–already was
married and had a child. She shouldn’t be so concerned about my
love life. She shouldn’t have been thinking about pursuing someone
so much younger that he would be interested in her daughter.
    I wish she could have said something before
we left. Something. Anything. She barely spoke to me as Remy and I
made preparations. “I love you,” I told her before we left. Her
coldness prevented me from even thinking about trying to hug her
good-bye.
    And forget Aunt Jenny. She’s been holed up in
the bedroom since the other night.
    can’t tell her about Daniel no matter
what.
    Getting out of that cabin is like removing a
heavy set of chains. Finally, I’m free. I’m alone with Remy.
Although that scares me a little, I can at least talk to him
without having to constantly worry about my mom listening in or
watching us.
    We stopped at a gas station two hours into
the trip. I bought a coffee for Remy (black, one sugar) and an iced
coffee (extra cream, extra sugar) for myself while he filled the
tank. Up to this point, we haven’t really been awake enough to talk
much.
    “I’m beginning to get the sense that your Mom
doesn’t like me very much,” Remy says now that the caffeine has
perked us up.
    “I don’t think she likes me very much right
now, either,” I say, rolling up the window.
    My hand rests in Remy’s across the center
console of the Jeep. It feels so natural and right.
    like Daniel is a distant memory
    I wish my wolf would stop reminding me about
Daniel every time I think about Remy.
    “And your Aunt Jenny…”
    He stops. I know what he wants to talk about
now. Not my mom.
    Daniel.
    “Your mom tried to bond you with Daniel?”
    “Yeah.”
    Have to close off our bond. I don’t want him
to know. I want this to be a good trip.
    “Kayla.”
    I can’t tell him.
    Can’t tell him that I can still feel Daniel.
Feel his pain.
    The past two nights, Daniel has been running.
Running and running and running. My legs feel tired. I’ve actually
tried to reach him in his