Nothing like a grueling exam to take your thoughts off the fact that your childhood friend and ex-mate might be taking his dying breath at any moment. Except it wasn't, not really. She realized she was just staring at the paper again. Ten more questions. Five more minutes. Calm, be calm. Thank goodness they were multiple-choice.

"Pencils down! Collect your things and bring your exams to the front."

So this was what happened when you were one of the last people in the room.

"How'd you do?" Kobe asked way too enthusiastically the moment she stepped in the hall.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Nate pushed away from the wall on the other side of the hall, his eyes full of concern. She looked away instead of falling into his arms like she wanted to. Kobe had already claimed a spot by her side and either didn't notice or didn't care that Nate was behind them as they moved down the hall toward the door. "So what are you doing tonight? You're all done with exams too, right? We should celebrate. We're now officially vet students!"

"I just want to lay down and sleep." And cry, she thought. Two weeks ago she was well on her way to a 4.0 and had reconciled herself to being single the rest of her life. Now she may very well have flunked two exams, had a crazy man trying to kill her, and a potential mate she really liked who probably wasn't her mate at all.

"I know what you mean," Kobe sighed. "I feel like I haven't slept in a week. Maybe we can do something tomorrow."

"Maybe. I'm too tired to think about it right now."

He peered up into her face with a concerned frown. "You do look tired. How about I escort you to your dorm? Can't be too careful now-a-days."

"That won't be necessary," Nate said behind them. "We've got a ride coming."

"Oh? Where are you going?" He tried to make it sound like he was just curious, but she detected jealously in Kobe's tone. Great. By hanging out with Nate and Cliff she was probably alienating her only wolf friend in the vet program. She looked up and down the hall, then said in a low voice, "Cliff was attacked last night. Someone injected silver into his neck. We think it was the same person who killed Nate's cousin and attacked me."

"Cliff - the dark-haired wolf who was guarding you yesterday."

"Yes."

"He's still alive?"

"I don't know. We're going to find out."

"Text me when you do. He seemed like a nice guy."

Really? Cliff had been surly to everyone she'd introduced him to. Kobe must have him mixed up with someone else. "Sure."

"Mom's outside," Nate said, sliding the new phone his mother had handed him yesterday into his pocket.

"See you later, Kobe."

"I'll be waiting for that text, Aiyana. Don't forget."

Nate opened the front door of the SUV for her, but Aiyana shook her head and opened the back door for herself. "Your legs are longer than mine."

He didn't argue, but he looked sad. She didn't like seeing him down, but he was much bigger than her and he had a mate, a real mate. It was better if they treated each other like friends.

"How were your exams, dear?" Nate's mom glanced over her shoulder. Her smile seemed to stretch as her eyes dropped to the wolf head Aiyana had been wearing since Tuesday.

"I'm glad they're over."

The blond woman nodded as she turned her attention back to the road. "I remember those days. I hear you're going to stay in town this summer and work for Doc Brown."

"Yes. How is Cliff?"

"About the same. It's admirable you are so concerned for him after what he did."

"We were good friends when we were kids."

"Ah. Well, I asked the Doc when you would be starting and he said next week. You're not even going to take a little vacation?"

"It will be a vacation without classes."

"I'm sure it will, but I was thinking that since you and Nate are mates, you should come back with us to Yellowstone and visit for a week. I already talked to Doc about it. He agreed you needed a little break."

"Mom," Nate interrupted, "I wasn't planning on going back, not for a while. I'm going to find a job and stay down here with Aiyana."

Her heart leapt then fell. She had no control over what he did, but it was going to be hard to stay away from him.

"Well of course you are, but don't you want to show her where we live and introduce her to the rest of the family?"

"What about Sophia?" she asked.

"What about her," Alpha Salma said dismissively.

"She clearly has a link to Nate. She didn't know where the farm was, but she followed him there last night."

"Or she just tried all the likely places."

Nate had told Aiyanna about his mother's theory, but it seemed outlandish that someone would murder her just so their daughter could have a mate.

"I thought we could leave on Saturday," his mom continued.

"I can't," Aiyana said with relief. "I'm planning to move on Saturday. My aunt is coming up to help me."

"Nate and I can help you. I hear you already have almost everything packed."

"But my apartment won't be available until Saturday."

"I'm sure Alpha Miguel will let you store your things at the farm for a week. He has plenty of sheds."

Did the woman not take a hint? "I'll think about it. I'm too tired to make any decisions right now," Aiyana said.

"Of course."

Sophia pounced on Nate the moment he walked in the yard, and either didn't see or ignored the grimace that flashed across his face. When she put her hand in the center of Nate's chest and looked up at him with adoring eyes, it was as if someone punched Aiyana in the same spot on her chest. "How was guarding? See any bad guys?" Sophia purred.

"No," Nate said tersely.

Aiyana turned her back on them and headed inside the house where Cliff was being cared for.

"Wait Aiyana, I'll come with you," Nate called.

"He's still alive," she heard Sophia say. "Come for a walk with me. There is a beautiful orchard behind the house."

"I don't want to walk with you. For the last time, Sophia, you are not my mate.

"Nate's mom said something, but Aiyana couldn't hear her over the buzzing in her ears as she paced rapidly through the house. There were a couple of other wolves there, and they might have spoke to her, but by the time she reached Cliff's room, she'd forgotten what they'd said and what she'd said in reply. Cliff lay in the same position he'd been before she'd left to take her exams. "Any change?" she asked Mimi. Mimi was Alpha Miguel's wife who also had training as a nurse.

"No. We've washed some of the silver out though. Doc found some people on campus who could test for it in the urine samples we've been collecting. There was a lot there."

"Good."

The kind woman rose from the chair next to the bed where she'd been crocheting something large and colorful and came over to touch Aiyana's shoulder. "You look exhausted dear. Why don't you go lay down for a while."

"Aiyana, how is he?" Nate asked coming into the room. Sophia stopped in the doorway. Considering what Nate had just told her, she looked very perky.

"He's stable. I'm going to rest. Why don't you take Sophia for a walk. It's beautiful outside right now, but I hear there are supposed to be storms this evening."

"Aiyana...""We can talk later, Nate. I'm too tired right now."

Although he looked like he wanted to say more, he stepped aside to let her pass. Sophia, who, she abruptly realized, was several inches shorter than her, gave her a smile as she passed her. It looked sincere. If she was Nate's mate, it probably was. Nate's true mate could be nothing less than sweet.

Aiyana shut the door to the guest bedroom and flopped onto the bed sans shoes but otherwise fully clothed. As tired as she was, she should have fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Instead, not quite random questions started popping up in her mind. How had those Scottish people found her? There were plenty of pictures of her around her aunt's house, and old papers and awards from school, so it wasn't hard to explain how they'd known her name, but how did they know what school she'd gone to or what dorm? Had she left some paperwork behind or had they traced her through her phone number somehow? Maybe she should get a burner phone like people used in the movies. More important, were they still around? If so, what had they been doing since Tuesday? Watching her? Had they broken into her room again? Would they have followed her to Yellowstone? It would have been nice to go. It was one of those places on her list along with the Grand canyon, Niagara falls, Hawaii, and the Amazon forest. What about the silver killer? Where was he? Was he watching the farm even now? What if she just disappeared for a while. Could she? She wished she knew why the Scottish people wanted her dad's letter opener so badly. Had he really stolen it? Maybe she could do a Google search, although she doubted anything about the dagger would be on there, but perhaps she could find out something of the history of the Scottish wolves. Shoot, she'd forgotten to text Kobe. She'd have to roll over and open her eyes. Too much work. She'd do it when she woke.