"What the hell?" I mutter, turning the necklace over. There''s some dried blood on the chain, and it''s broken.


    The blood, I''m sure, is mine.


    Selene pads over, her ears perked high. This is...


    "My necklace. Yeah. How the fuck did it end up in my suitcase? And even that was packed all the way in Westwood territory, yet I lost this during the fight with Todd."


    Her nose flares as she sniffs at it. It''s a message.


    "A message? From who?"


    That cagey feeling again, as Selene avoids a direct answer. One who can teach you.


    "Selene—we''re not doing this cryptic bullshit again. Who is this a message from, and how? In fact, how did it ever show up in my apartment the first time?"


    Her huff irritates me like nothing else, and I snap, "Selene, this isn''t funny. I''m sick of the secrets. You''re always waiting until too late to tell me things, and it isn''t fair."


    It isn''t always a choice to hide things from you, she mutters. I''m bound by too many things.


    "I swear to the Moon Goddess, if this is one of those things you said about the natural order of the world..." My threatening tone has nothing behind it, but she flinches anyway.


    No. This is a vow given to the Moon Goddess, in exchange for your security. In fact, you can consider the Moon Goddess the messenger in this instance. Her scent is all over that necklace.


    I drop the necklace as though it''s on fire. "What do you mean, her scent?"


    The thought of touching something with a divine scent on it is abhorrent. Like I''m defiling a precious artifact.


    I look around for a tissue.


    Selene snorts. Her presence won''t be erased by your touch. You can hold it. You can even put it in your mouth.


    Disgusting. Why would I do something like that?@@@@


    I''m just saying you could. She noses at it on the ground. The magic within is gone. Depleted. Holding it won''t do anything. You can keep it or get rid of it.


    Don''t be angry with me.


    Her soft mental whisper brings frustrated tears to my eyes. "Selene, I won''t be angry with you. Just come out here and talk to me."


    I''m on my hands and knees, trying to coax her out from beneath the bed, when the guard knocks again and peeks his head in. "Ma''am, it''s been twenty minutes."


    "Oka—ouch."


    The back of my head slams against the frame when I try to get up too fast, and I curse as the pain flares, strong enough to make my belly roll. "Fuck. Shit. God damn it."


    I''m sorry.


    "It''s not your fault. Fuck." Rubbing the back of my head, I scowl in the direction of the guard, even though it isn''t his fault, either. "Come in."


    "Do you need more time...?"


    It''s the first time a human expression has really crossed Marcus'' face since he''s been here. There''s a faint quirk at the corner of his lips, and his brows are furrowed a little too hard, like he''s holding back laughter.


    "It''s fine," I snap, and I swear a snort comes out of him.


    But he closes the door behind him and takes up his position by the window once again, otherwise unfazed by the sight of me trying to coax my wolf/husky out from beneath the bed.


    "Selene, I''m going to let you sulk, but I hope you''re over it by the time Vanessa gets here. We have a lot to do."


    I''ll do what I have to.


    That isn''t much of a promise, but I take it anyway, leaving her beneath the bed to mope with a sigh. I guess this is how everyone else felt when I was bemoaning my fate, too.


    It''s frustrating.


    And embarrassing to look back on.


    Trying to shake off those thoughts, I snatch the necklace off the floor and toss it into a drawer, slamming it shut with finality, even as I wonder...


    Who the hell is this supposed teacher of mine?