Howling For You: A Chicagoland Vampires Novella (A Penguin Special from New American Library) Read Online Free PDF

House. Much like her grandfather, she spent a lot of time solving supernatural problems.
    “In-house,” Gabe said. “We don’t need the attention.” His tone dropped, deepened, and was rough by worry. “Is there a chance he knows how to use the crown?”
    Silently, Eli glanced at Jeff.
    “Jeff knows,” Gabriel said. “I told him.”
    “Security,” Jeff said.
    “In that case,” Eli said, “I don’t know how he would. The information would be hard to come by, and Yorks have been out of the loop for a very long time. I doubt they’re even friendly with anybody who knows. Did he mention anything to you, Fallon?”
    When I was sure my face was dry, I turned back, looked at my brothers. “No. Not a word.”
    “This is a disaster,” Ben said.
    I knew he meant the theft, but I still felt responsible. All of this trouble, the drama, because of tradition. Danger to the Pack, Jeff pissed, my brothers worried. Our role in the Pack at risk. All of that because tradition had put a thief right under our nose. And because a man we’d trusted with that tradition had betrayed us all.
    Humiliation began to give way to anger. And there was only one healthy way to deal with anger.
    “I’ll go,” I said, moving back to the group. “I’ll find him, I’ll kick his ass, and I’ll bring back the coronet.”
    “I’ll go with you,” Ben said, but Gabe shook his head.
    “People will wonder why we’re sending half the family on a crusade hours before the initiation.”
    “I’ll go with her.” We all looked at Jeff. “They won’t suspect us going together.”
    Because we were always together. And that said volumes.
    Gabriel looked between us, considered. “Do it. I’ll call Richard in the meantime.”
    “Is that wise?” Eli asked. “If he’s in on it . . .”
    “Patrick said his father was sick. I don’t know if he’s up for plotting to take over the Pack.”
    “Or maybe this is his last effort to become Apex,” Ben said.
    “I’m calling him,” Gabe said. “If he’s involved, there’s no point in denying it now. If he has the crown because he wants the Pack, I doubt he’ll hold that in.”
    “Patrick’s staying at the Hotel Meridian,” I said. “That’s the first place to go.”
    Gabe checked the grandfather clocked that ticked in one corner of the room. “The initiation’s at six o’clock. Find the coronet, bring it home. Or we hand the Pack over to someone else.”

4
    I dressed and met Jeff downstairs, where he waited by the front door.
    “I’ll drive,” I said, and he didn’t argue. My car was small—a coupe that could be easily parked in Chicago, but had enough horsepower to zip around traffic. Or mow down a potential with a traitorous agenda. Not that I had violence on my mind.
    Jeff didn’t respond or say anything else until we were in the car and ten minutes into the drive. And then he surprised me.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was an ass. You don’t deserve that. Not when you’re trying to do the right thing by your family. It’s just . . . you don’t know what it’s like for me.”
    I goggled. I knew exactly what it was like—because I was the one living under the weight of it. “I know exactly what it’s like for you. You don’t know what it’s like for me.”
    “Then tell me. Don’t pull away.”
    “I don’t pull away.”
    “You do pull away. You hide behind your family.”
    “I do not.”
    “You do.” His voice softened. “You do, Fal.”
    I sighed, feeling suddenly tired. “We’re adults, not children. Sometimes adults don’t get what they want. Even if it hurts,” I added after a moment.
    His voice was quiet. Hopeful. “And what is it that you want?”
    I knew what he wanted me to say. What he needed me to say. But I couldn’t. Because if I admitted it to him, to myself, that I wanted him, that I cared for him and needed him, then I’d be admitting that everything else had been a lie. That every date with every potential had been a farce,