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“Because Hadley’s life may depend on it.” I chose the truth even though it might’ve backfired, yielding even more questions.

Again, I watched Colton battle internally. I almost felt sorry for the poor bastard—he’d been on the back foot since we arrived, desperate to find out information that he wouldn’t be able to handle. Desperate to save Hadley when she didn’t need saving.

Then there was the little nugget that he was actually a murderous werewolf cursed by a witch—except he didn’t know that yet.

And he wanted Hadley. Intensely. Yet he’d never be the one to have her. Not while I was drawing breath.

Yeah, I felt sorry for him.

“Shay?” He ran his hand through his hair. “I mean, we went to high school with her, both Hadley and I.”

“They’re friends.” I should’ve tried to ask Hadley more about her past. She was the best source of knowledge to tap into for this job; she grew up here. But short of tying her up and cursing her with a truth spell, she’d never talk. Not to me. She was clammed up tight, determined to keep the past dead and buried.

“Friends?” Colton spluttered. “No, they weren’t friends. Shay was … tormented by Hadley’s friends in high school. Hadley wasn’t part of it, but she didn’t stop it either. Neither did I.”

There was a hefty amount of guilt in Colton’s voice, telling me he carried that with him, a failure of character—a reminder that he was not the good, honorable man he strived to be. Fuck, I did not want to be around when he found out what he truly was. Nor did I want to be around while Hadley decided whether she’d kill him or not.

But I would be. There. For her. Always.

“Shay was tormented in high school.” I tugged on my bottom lip, musing over this. “Yet she and Hadley are friends now.”

“What?” Colton looked appropriately shocked. He still had Hadley pegged as the bitchy cheerleader she once was. Little did he know, now she was a bitchy monster hunter. “They’re friends?”

I nodded. “They get brunch and shit.”

Colton stared at me, fury practically seeping from him, presumably mostly angry that I knew more about Hadley than he did.

“Makes sense,” he muttered, understanding clouding his face. “Hadley doesn’t exactly fit in with her old friends anymore.”

“And Shay?” Bile crept up my throat as my unease grew. I might not have had my mother’s magic, but I had the same sense all witches did. “What has she been like this past decade? Anything odd about her?”

When Colton cocked his head, I wondered if he’d ask more questions instead of answering mine. “I mean, she’s kind of an odd person. Not in a bad way. Just quiet. Keeps to herself. Kind. Has lived a sad and lonely life.”

I sucked my teeth, staring at the phone. I called Hadley.

“You need to tell me what is going on, right now,” Colton demanded.

I held my finger up.

It went straight to voicemail.

Could’ve been that Hadley didn’t want to talk to me. That was the most likely scenario. But I wouldn’t deny my instincts.

“I’ve got to go. Nice talking to you, Chief.”

As I expected, he stopped me, clutching my bicep. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck is going on and if Hadley is in danger.”

I forced myself to keep my composure, even as my heart rate quickened and I shook him off. “Hadley is breathing—hopefully—therefore she is in danger. Right now, I’m going to place a bet that Shay Finkley isn’t who any of you think she is. Gonna go and test that theory and offer Hadley backup that she’ll likely refuse.” I let my gaze quickly rake over Colton, taking in his body language, his frustration. If I was right, this had everything to do with him, since Shay might be the witch cursing him.

What an insidious web small towns were. I didn’t hate it. It would be straight up amusing if Hadley weren’t smack dab in the middle of a very fucking dangerous situation.

I ignored the cold chill over my skin at the thought of something happening to her.

She was strong. She could handle it.

Maybe. Maybe she could handle a demon-blessed witch who she thought was her friend. If she wasn’t reeling from the blow—both emotional and physical— of discovering that everyone she trusted was a supernatural monster.

Then there was the case of the demon prince.