Free Marked (The Pack) by Suzanne Cox

it’ll be harder for you to get the window open and let my air conditioning out.”
    I leaned past the chair to peer through the window again. “It’s probably a good idea. I’d hate to know I dreamed that
    I climbed through the window and actually tried it.” I paused. “It’s a nasty drop.”
    Louise grinned. “Very nasty. Now get some sleep.”
    I didn’t move away from the window. “Could those be the animals that killed the woman?”
    She stopped halfway through the door and looked back at me. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
    My heart accelerated and when I spoke the words would barely come out. “I…I don’t know.”
    “Don’t worry about it.” She left, closing the door behind her.
    With one last glance out the window, I secured the lock and crawled into bed. It was finally Saturday. I’d survived my first week and the rest of the summer stretched before me like an eternity. When I closed my eyes, I could see Eric’s face frowning at me. Why did he seem friendly yet agitated at the same time? Then I thought of Channing. I guess it made sense that the prettiest girl would think the most handsome guy belonged to her. One thing I didn’t want this summer was a lot of trouble. However, in the very pit of my stomach, I got the feeling it might be unavoidable. 

Chapter Nine
    “So who was the guy at the house this morning?”
    “Just one of the parents from the home schooling group we work with.”
    I watched the trees pass in a blur as Louise drove along. “My mom never mentioned any home school thing.”
    “She probably didn’t think of it.” Louise turned the car onto a small tree lined drive.
    “And we’re going to the Brantons’ house now?”
    “Right, I need to see Myles’ dad, and he asked me to bring you over.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know. You’ll have to see when we get there.”
    I hated waiting.
    “So, did you call anyone about those dogs?”
    “Yep. I notified animal control this morning before you got up. They’ll go see if they belong to the people on the lake.”
    “They won’t kill them, will they?”
    She glanced at me. “No, why?”
    “Just wondering. They didn’t look rabid or anything. I’d hate for them to be killed for nothing.”
    “You didn’t have a nightmare last night?”
    “Nope, no nightmare, no sleepwalking. Too tired I guess. Did the animal control people think those dogs had anything to do with the woman that was killed?”
    Louise became very still. “Why do you ask?”
    I shrugged. “Seems a little odd that the woman got attacked and we’re seeing all these dogs.”
    Dark, gold flecked eyes locked onto me. “Is there something you know about all this that you need to be telling me, Alexis?”
    For a moment I was stunned. Did she think I had information about a woman’s death? Really? How could I know anything? I closed my eyes briefly, and images flashed on the back of my eyelids. I jerked them open. I hadn’t been out of the house that night. I couldn’t have.
    “What could I know?” My voice shook but I hoped she didn’t notice.
    “Nothing I guess.” Then Louise changed the subject. “I’m having paint and scaffolding delivered today.”
    “You’re having what delivered?”
    “Paint.”
    “I know what paint is, but when you say scaffolding do you mean all those pipe things that they put up on the side of a building that’s being worked on?”
    “That’s exactly what I mean.”
    “What are you going to do with that?”
    “WE are going to paint the outside of the house with it. That’s why I had the people come and wash the house down the other day when we were at camp.”
    I frowned, not sure that I liked the sound of this at all. “Why can’t they paint the house too?”
    “It’s expensive, besides, you should learn a new skill while you’re here.”
    “I’ve been to decorative painting classes and I can do craft painting.”
    “House painting and craft painting are very different.”
    “I’ll bet