CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I follow Ben all the way to a church at the edge of town. It’s the oldest building for a hundred miles, built in the eighteenth century and, according to local lore, it’s haunted with creepy ghosts.

I’ve never been in there before, and I didn’t think Ben had, either. We don’t believe in ghosts, but we’re also not big on religion, so we’ve never had much reason to visit. But he walks into it like he’s familiar with this place. Which means he’s either started believing in God without me knowing it, or he’s here for something else.

Something illicit.

I hear his laugh a moment later, and the sound of muted, mostly male chatter. Creeping closer, I make my way around the back of the building and settle under one of the church’s windows, which someone has helpfully left open just enough that I can hear perfectly thanks to wolf senses.

“Okay, thanks for coming, everyone. I know it’s a weird time to meet, but we have to do it while everyone else is asleep, so we don’t raise any eyebrows o