"Not a lot, but some."
"If I bring something back to life, do I lose a piece of my soul?"
His brow creased deeper. "What happened? Did someone get hurt? Did you have to-"
"Not someone," Kylie answered. "A bird."
"Oh. Holiday told me about that," Burnett answered. He leaned forward. "However, she said you weren't sure it was dead."
"It looked dead," Kylie said. "And I just want to know, did I lose a piece of my soul when I brought it back to life? And what does that mean?"
Burnett folded his arms on the desktop. "I'm not nearly as up on this as I'm sure Holiday is, but she wasn't concerned. So I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Not happy with his answer, Kylie remembered the second thing she wanted to discuss. "I want a library card."
"A what?" he asked.
"I want to be able to read the books that the FRU have in their library."
He frowned. "It's not a library, or not a normal library. Before you are allowed a book, it has to be cleared."
"Why?"
"Because a lot of items in the collection are FRU documents."
"What is the FRU hiding?"
He looked almost annoyed at her question. "We're not hiding anything. But we can't let normals get their hands on the books."
She pressed a finger to her forehead. "Do I look normal to you?"
"We still have to be careful."
"So you're telling me I can't check out the books."
His frown deepened. "I will see about getting you a few books on healing," he added, as if wanting to console her.
"What other kind of books do you have?" she asked.
"It's not a library, Kylie," he said with some firmness, and then settled back and didn't speak. Finally the awkward silence brought Kylie to another question. "Any more news on the elderly couple who pretended to be my grandparents?"
His guarded expression slipped away. "I just got a call. The fingerprints we were able to pull belong to the owners of the car. I'm afraid it's not going to help us. I'm sorry. But I can return these." He handed her the brown envelope that held her father's pictures. "You really resemble your father."
The genuine concern in his eyes and his tone should have made her feel better, but it just validated her suspicions that he hadn't been completely honest about the whole FRU and the library. What was the FRU hiding?
Kylie took the envelope. "Thank you," she said. While she wasn't going to start mistrusting Burnett, she would proceed with caution when dealing with him.
Kylie started to leave when Burnett looked at the door and said, "Come in."
Lucas walked in. He met Burnett's gaze head-on. "I'd like permission to walk Kylie back to her cabin."
"That's up to her," Burnett said.
"Without her shadow," Lucas said.
Kylie could see it cost Lucas a chunk of pride to ask permission. She recalled something Della said about werewolves hating to be submissive. And asking permission was a submissive gesture.
However, from the look on Burnett's face, Lucas's request had won him some respect and hopefully a few minutes to be with her. Burnett looked at Kylie as if to make sure it was okay, and she nodded.
"Just back to the cabin. And stay on the path." Burnett looked toward the window. "Della takes over again when she gets to the cabin. You got that, Della?"
"Yes," came her answer, and Kylie rolled her eyes a bit, wondering if Della was always listening in.
* * *
Della and Miranda were gone when Kylie and Lucas walked out of the office. The afternoon air was warm but tolerable. A few campers hung around the front of the lunchroom. Kylie saw Will, another werewolf, standing to one side, watching them. She also saw Lucas shoot him a frown.
"Come on." Lucas started walking toward the path.
Only after they made the first turn and were out of view did Lucas reach for her hand. Right then, Kylie suspected that Fredericka wasn't just blowing smoke about the pack's disapproval of her.
She started to ask, but Lucas spoke first. "Are you okay?" He stopped and turned to face her. His blue eyes studied her with intensity. "For a second, you were scared of me this morning, and then you just ran off with Perry as if you were mad."
She hesitated to tell him, but she wanted Lucas to be honest with her, so she needed to be honest with him. "It wasn't you I was afraid of. Last night I was pulled into a dreamscape. I wasn't sure what was happening, but you were there."
"No, I wasn't," he said.
"I know it wasn't you now. It was Red, Mario's grandson. He appeared as you in the beginning."
Lucas stood there as if contemplating. "He's vampire. They don't dreamscape."
"Well, he did. I don't know how, but he did."
"Maybe it was a regular dream."
She shook her head. "I know the difference now."
"Did you tell Burnett?"
"No," she said. "I ... handled it myself. I know how to shut it off. If it happens again, I'll tell him. Or I'll tell Holiday."
He frowned. "What did the freak do in the dream? He didn't..."
She understood what he was asking. "He only put his hands on my waist. Then I realized he wasn't hot like you are." For the first time, she wondered why Red hadn't tried to do more. Then again, she should just be happy he hadn't. The thought of kissing him was too much.
Lucas pulled her against him. "I really want to catch that slimy vamp." He wrapped his arms around her. She stood there for a few seconds, her cheek pressed against his chest, absorbing his embrace. Finally, she lifted her face and looked at him.
He pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't the really hot kind of kiss, but it was nice. Nice enough that she let her feelings about how he was always followed by Fredericka slide away.
"So you're not mad at me?" he asked.
"A little," she admitted.
He looked perplexed. "About what?"
She didn't have a clue how to say it but then just blurted it out. "Every time I see you walk up, Fredericka is with you."
He pressed his forehead to hers. "I've told you nothing is happening there."
"I know, and I believe you, but she's so ... smug."
He half grinned. "She's a werewolf; smugness is instinctual."
"I don't care. I don't like it."
His half smile faded. "She's part of my pack. I can't kick her out without just cause and major consequences for her."