CHAPTER 2

Sommy was the bold one in their group, always taking charge, though they never let her have the final say on everything. So while Jessica had booked the RV, she'd given Sommy the wheel. Zain had snagged shotgun, leaving Jessica and Elena to sprawl out in the back. Honestly, they got the better end of the deal-sinking into plush couches while the scenery blurred past. They were far enough south of Lago Creek that the rhododendrons were in full bloom, bursts of magenta flashing by the windows.

Their first stop was for supplies-food for the week, plenty of alcohol. A soda hissed as Jessica cracked it open, the fizz tingling on her tongue.

"I hope they get my luggage to me tonight," Elena grumbled, her fingers drumming on her knee. While she'd snatched the essentials that morning, a nagging anxiety of being so unprepared whittled at her nerves.

Jessica nudged her. "You know we've got you. Borrow anything you need."

Elena exhaled loudly and forced a smile. "Yeah, yeah, I know. it's just-"

"Want a beer?" Jessica inserted, cutting her overthinking short.

Zain twisted in her seat, dark eyes gleaming with amusement. "That's it. Get her drunk so she stops caring." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Speaking of, pass me one."

"No open containers, ladies," Sommy warned, eyes on the road.

Elena snorted. "Oh, please. Put it in a plastic cup, and no one will know."

"Fine," Sommy relented, guiding the RV smoothly off the highway. "But I know nothing.

"Never did, never will," Zain joked, and Sommy flipped her off, making the others laugh.

Metal caps clinked on the counter as Jessica cracked open a couple of bottles. Handing one to Zain, she grinned. "So, tell me more about the firefighters."

"They're hot. Claim to be single. Definitely trouble. What else do you need to know?"

"You don't trust them." Zain took a sip, studying Jessica. "Why?"

Jessica shrugged. "It's just not that. I don't know them, and I like being certain that we're safe."

Elena took her drink with a smirk. "We'll grill, have some drinks, and nothing more. Nobody goes off into the woods with any random guy. Agreed?"

"What's the fun in that?" Sommy chuckled.

"Oh," Elena said, "one of the guys? Romeo. Brooding. Glasses. Killer smile. So Jessica's type.

Buchi," Jessica corrected. And he was way more into Elena.

Elena flung herself to her knees with a dramatic flourish, flinging her arms up like some kind of tragic lover. "Jessica, call me but love!"

Laughter exploded, but Jessica raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think he was trying to make me jealous?"

Elena smirked. "You growled when he checked you out. So he went for me instead."

Jessica snorted, but a rock had formed in her stomach. "I doubt that.

"Trust me," Elena sing-songed. "I know what I saw."

"Boys are stupid," Zain muttered.

Elena grinned. "Not all of them. Just my favorite kind."

Sommy caught their conversation in the rearview mirror. "One day, you're gonna settle down with a guy like Buchi instead of playing with them."

Elena tilted her beer. "Maybe. Maybe not. But he is a perfect mix of hotness and brains."

Jessica's chest clenched before she masked it with a smirk. "How do you know he's smart?"

"He was reading a menu without pictures," Elena replied. Laughter erupted in the RV, but Jessica's thoughts looped to Buchi's smirk. Long tug of beer. No frickin way. If that were her mate, she would have known.

They pulled into the RV park. As Jessica checked them in, the others browsed the gift shop. The clerk—a werewolf—squinted at her. "Here for the jamboree?"

Jessica's pulse spiked. "Just a trip with friends." Lowering her voice, she added, "Human."

He nodded. "Stay away from Walkers Peak."

Her stomach twisted. Jamboree. That explained everything. Her pack stayed isolated, but down here? This was matchmaking season. Buchi and his friends had come looking for mates.

Jessica swallowed the lump in her throat and rejoined her friends. They had firewood, tiny string lights, and matching T-shirts. Sommy drove them to their campsite, right near a wooded trail.

"Look at that!" Elena pressed against the window.

A brightly painted wagon stood at a nearby site, colorful clothes swaying on a line.

"Fortune-teller," Zain announced.

"Oh, we're going," Elena declared.

"Not me," Sommy muttered. "Those women freak me out."

Zain put on a dramatic voice. "I see a fire. Best friends talking. And suddenly—" she gasped, eyes widening. "Firemen appear with big… hoses."

Elena choked on her beer. Jessica groaned.

"So are fortune-tellers," Zain quipped. "I'll pass."

Jessica hesitated, then rose. "I'll go along with you."

Their footsteps crunched over the dirt. "What do you want to know?" Jessica asked.

Elena grinned. "When I'll find love. You?"

"Winning lottery numbers."

Elena smacked her arm. "Nope. You're asking about love."

As they approached the wagon, a woman stood waiting for them, her hair falling to her waist. Her peasant skirt and blouse looked like they hadn't seen a wash in weeks. The scent nearly made Jessica gag. Real witches had… different hygiene standards.

"Come," the woman beckoned.

Elena peered into a bubbling pot. "Oh my god! Bones!"

Jessica sniffed the air and smirked. "It's chicken soup."

The witch scowled. "You here for supper?"

Elena laughed nervously. "No, we—

"Love lives," the woman cut in.

She seized Elena's hand first. Her eyes rolled back, then popped open. "He's good. Get a calculator."

Elena went rigid. "Logan?"

The woman let out a sigh—like duh—and turned to Jessica. She took both of her hands and squeezed—hard.

"Sommy." The witch cackled. "Henry, you were right."

Jessica's stomach flipped.

"You have a Romeo." The woman thrust a little glass bottle into her hand. "Take this."

Jessica flipped it over. Amber liquid. Brown residue clung to the sides.

"Am I supposed to drink this?"

The woman snorted. "It will save him."

"Who?"

She rolled her eyes, dismissing them with a wave. "Free time is over."

As they walked back, Elena whispered, "She knew your name. And she said 'save him.' She meant Buchi."

Jessica snorted. "Right.

But the bottle burned against her palm, and something in her gut told her she'd regret ignoring it.