In the end (after Wes stopped laughing), I had no choice but agree to him serving as my babysitter. I could’ve said no, but he would’ve done it anyway. It was going to take a few hours for him to help Jack switch the patrol schedule around, given that they were short-handed as it was. But Jack said they’d make it work and Wes promised to be at my house after school. Whether I liked it or not.
The next morning, I stood in my kitchen eating a muffin while the car warmed, and the windshield defrosted. Every night, I’d tell myself to get up early and start the car so it would be warm and clear by the time I needed to leave. And every morning, I’d forget until it was too late and then I’d end up running late. Vicious cycle.
Luckily, the roads were clear. No precipitation to go with the cold. It snowed in Frederick Falls only about three or four times a winter; usually the last good covering happened at the end of February or beginning of March. Just when you thought spring might have sprung, a snowstorm would blow through and crush that dream underneath six inches of powdery white. I figured we were due for that anytime.
I took the back roads to avoid traffic, and police, and sped my way to school. Screeching into a space, I slammed my car door and hurried toward the side entrance before the final bell made me officially late. Once inside, I skipped my locker and began weaving in and out of bodies. There was still time to avoid the tardy bell—and hopefully George.
He’d texted me last night, more than once, to remind me that he wasn’t giving up on “us.” The last one had come at one in the morning. And even though sleep eluded me, it had nothing to do with our breakup. I didn’t respond to any of his attempts, and I had a feeling there’d be even more today. I felt kind of guilty that I’d given so little thought to the relationship ending. The truth was I really did care about George. We’d known each other forever and had a lot of shared history and what you might call growing pains, but none of that made up for his behavior these past few months, or the way he’d become totally engrossed in himself.
And none of that was enough to hold my attention when you compared it with the double life I was now leading.
Or the kiss.
Dang that had been a good kiss. I’d never felt like that when George kissed me, not once. I’d never even known it existed, that kind of heat. Now that I did, I wasn’t sure if I could go back to “comfortable” and “nice.” Because what I felt for Wes couldn’t be described as either of those things.
I dodged a group of kids huddled outside my English classroom waiting until the very last second to dart into their assigned classes, and managed to slide into my seat with a total of three seconds to spare. I peeled off my jacket and shook out my still damp hair.
“Seriously?” came a shrill voice from directly beside me.
I glanced over and then away again in disgust. “Cindy,” I muttered.
“Keep your slimy hair in your own space,” she snarled.
I rolled my eyes and did my best to ignore her. It helped that I was now very aware that with one punch, I could probably knock her nose a few inches further into her face. It helped a lot.
Mr. Knowles walked in and launched right into his lecture, so any further comments were halted. It was probably a good thing, too. I’d never been prone to fighting but the more I thought about it—and the longer Cindy glared at me—the more tempting it was to shut her up once and for all. The idea must’ve plastered a pretty smug grin on my face because Cindy’s look of disdain turned into a heated glare.
“What are you looking at, troll?” she hissed, when Mr. Knowles turned his back to write on the white board.
My smile turned hard around the edges and I pulled my lips back, baring my teeth at her in a way that reminded me of my argument with Wes, and the way he’d basically snarled at me. I wondered if it made me look as wolfish as it had him. “Cindy, I’m getting seriously irritated with your snarky little comments. If I were you, I’d shut it. Now. Before I ruin that slutty, charcoaled eye shadow of yours with my fist.”
Cindy stared at me open-mouthed for a few seconds, clearly in shock that I’d actually stood up to her. Up until now, I’d mumbled retorts and exchanged dirty look for dirty look but nothing like this. I watched her glance around, for witnesses, no doubt. Plenty of people were staring. Okay, pretty much the whole class was staring, but no one was willing to admit they were listening; in other words, none of them came to Cindy’s aid.
Cindy looked back at me and snapped her jaw closed. Her glare leveled into a wary stare but she didn’t offer a retort of her own and finally turned back to the front of the room. I could practically see her wheels turning as she thought of new and twisted ways to get back at me for telling her off.
I tried turning my attention back to Mr. Knowles, but I couldn’t concentrate. The entire lecture went in one ear and out the other. I couldn’t believe it. This was great. I’d never have to deal with Cindy’s crap ever again. Or anyone else’s for that matter. I could feel some of the other kids glancing over from time to time, probably just as shocked as Cindy about what I’d said, but I ignored them and spent the rest of class enjoying the fact that Cindy didn’t so much as look at me after that. This Hunter thing might just have its perks after all.
By the end of my next class, word had obviously spread. Sam was waiting for me at my locker, tapping her foot impatiently. Angela stood next to her, looking just as antsy.
“What the hell?” Sam demanded, as soon as I got close enough in the sea of bodies. “I heard you went ape shit on Cindy this morning.”
I grinned. I couldn’t help it. “Maybe.”
“How are you not suspended or something?” Angela put in.
“Suspended? For what?” My smile disappeared, replaced by confusion.
“You punched her in the face, in the middle of class,” said Sam.
“What? No, I didn’t. I told her to shut her trap or I’d replace her charcoal eye shadow with a black eye.”
“Damn. High school gossip does it again,” Sam muttered. “Still,” she said, grinning, “That’s pretty badass. What happened? Did you finally snap under the strain of her bad haircuts and horrible fashion sense?”
“I guess you could say that.”
The warning bell rang, and we scattered to class. I caught a glimpse of George rounding the far corner as I walked away, and I increased my pace to keep him from catching up to me. I really didn’t want to deal with that right now.
I spent the rest of the day dodging George and enjoying the fifteen minutes of fame that came with telling Cindy off. Everywhere I went, kids kept stopping me to ask me about it. Mostly, though, I was enjoying this new sense of power and confidence. I felt like I could take on anybody or anything and it felt good.
By last period, though, I was itching for the bell. Wes would be waiting when I got home and at some point during my “conquer the world” day, I’d decided it was time to do something about him—and whatever it was that he wasn’t telling me. Which, I was sure, was plenty.
So, when the final bell sounded, I skipped my locker, this time avoiding more than just George, and sprinted for my car. Just as I’d hoped, I was among the first to the lot. I threw my bag over the seat and hopped in, going as fast as I dared through the school-zone flashing lights and then hitting the gas for home. Just like this morning, I took the back roads, which were actually faster than Route 1. I’d learned the curves so well that I barely had to brake as my tires hugged the corners. I cranked the volume on the stereo and sang at the top of my lungs to an old Britney Spears song, my possession and enjoyment of which, I hoped, would remain a secret between me and my car.
When I was about halfway home, I rounded a sharp curve on Ramoth Church Road and gasped. Standing directly in the middle of my lane was a Werewolf. I slammed my foot against the brake pedal and resisted my body’s reflex to swerve. That’s what sent people on a one-way trip over the guardrail. The brakes screeched and screamed as the car slid closer and c
loser to the wolf. I was close enough to see not only the color of its fur, which was storm-cloud gray, but its eyes as well; they were an eerie, glowing yellow and as big as golf balls. As the car slid toward it, the wolf didn’t flinch. He stood his ground and bared pointy teeth in an obviously open display of malice. I barely noticed the tingling on my skin through the panic. I wasn’t going to stop in time.
The crash was more of a giant, echoing thud, as my bumper made contact with the wolf’s flesh. The impact was enough to finally halt my wheels, and my car jerked to a stop, shooting me forward before my seatbelt caught me and hurled me back again. My head hit the headrest with a muted thump. Outside, the wolf bounced off the bumper and slid up onto the hood, before slumping back off again. Everything went silent and sort of froze for a minute. I stared out the windshield, which was somehow still in one piece, at the pile of gray fur on the road in front of me. It didn’t move.
My skin still tingled, so I knew it wasn’t dead, but it didn’t seem to be in a position to do any damage. I clicked the seatbelt’s release and climbed out, still eyeing the pile of fur. Blood matted the fur in a couple places, and still it didn’t move. I was just about to step forward, see if it was conscious, when its head lifted and two yellow eyes focused on me. Before I could react, it was up, standing firmly on all fours, a low growl emanating from deep within its throat.
I made a lunge for my open car door, but the wolf was quicker and already anticipating that move. It shot forward, and hurled itself at the door, slamming it shut with the force of its shoulder. Now, nothing but open space separated us. It growled again and stepped forward. Reflexively I stepped back.
“Isn’t this a treat? I hadn’t expected you to come along this road, or to find me so soon,” he said, in a silky-smooth voice. It sounded almost funny coming from his weathered wolf form. Almost. Because, hidden in the words was definitely a threat.
“Who are you?” I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew. It was him, the one leaving me bloody messages.
“That’s right. I know you, but you don’t know me. Well, not personally, anyway. My name is Leonardo DeLuca. You can call me Leo. Liliana did.”
I clenched my jaw, more angry than afraid, at his egotistical attitude. A part of me knew I should be running or calling for help, but the new me, the one who’d told Cindy off, insisted I could handle this. Then again, it would help if my plunger handles weren’t in my backpack, which was in the car. “And I’m Tara, but you can call me ‘the girl who knocked you out with her car,’” I said, with way more confidence than I felt.
You know how in books or movies, the killer always leaves himself open for that extra few seconds, giving the heroine time to counter? Well, this wasn’t like that at all. Without warning, Leo sprang at me, and I threw my hands up, going on instinct, like I had with Liliana. I managed to block him and throw him to the side at the last second, but not before I felt his nails rake my arms. I ignored the burning and stepped out of reach, lowering into a crouch.
Leo came at me again, this time grabbing my sleeve with his teeth. I heard fabric tear and rammed my fist into the side of his head. The blow drove him back, and he released his hold. His teeth snapped forward again and caught on my skin, tearing a gash into my arm where the nails had already drawn a thin line of blood. Without meaning to, I screamed at the burning it left behind.
My body seemed to go on autopilot after that, maybe from the pain. No longer did I have to tell my brain what to do with my limbs, or any other part of my body. It just sort of knew. We circled each other for a while and I could feel myself tiring out. My hair had come loose from the bun held in place by a pencil. The pencil! I reached up and pulled it loose, taking a few strands of hair with it in my haste. I gripped the pencil, pointy side up, and fell back into a crouch.
This time, Leo came at me in a leap, his paws and teeth arcing down from above. At the last second, I twisted my shoulders and angled my body away from the impact and awkwardly shoved the pencil into his left shoulder. I felt it give against flesh and muscle, and shoved harder, one more time, before jumping clear. I dropped and rolled to the side, rising quickly and struggling to stay alert against the searing pain where Leo had bitten me.
Leo was advancing on me again, a little slower this time. I could see the pencil protruding from underneath his fur, and the look in his eyes every time he stepped on his front paw said it wasn’t a comfortable feeling. A small stain of red was just beginning to show around the edge of the “2” on the pencil shaft. Leo ignored it and lunged at me, but it was sloppy and I managed to dodge him easily enough by stepping back. When he turned, I saw that his front paw was held slightly off the ground, and he leaned a little to the right, shifting his weight. I must’ve hit a muscle or something. Despite the damage I’d caused him, there was no sign of giving up.
I tensed, ready for another attack, knowing I was moving slower each time. I was still doing my best to ignore the burning in my arm, though the fire had already intensified by several degrees; it was getting harder and harder to block out. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I lunged, feinting to the left and then going right. Leo blocked me and we went back to circling each other.
“You’re the one I keep feeling nearby,” I said, through labored breaths.
“Just testing your reflexes. Your instincts aren’t bad, for someone so new at this.”
“Why? I never did anything to you. I don’t even know you.”
“Therein lies the tragedy. You should’ve known me, though I guess it’s not your fault that you don’t. Nonetheless, I cannot allow you to become a Hunter.”
Maybe it was from the adrenaline finally beginning to cool in my system, but suddenly the wound left by Leo’s teeth reared up and screamed in my head. Black dots danced around the edges of my vision, and I swayed slightly. Leo’s keen senses noticed my falter, and his eyes sharpened.
“So, the poison affects you after all,” Leo said. Then he growled, low and deep, and crouched, ready to spring.
I stood there, having no idea of the meaning behind his words but really too exhausted and in too much pain to care. I knew Leo was about to charge, and I also knew I probably didn’t have it in me to stop him.
A howl broke the silence. It came from the woods behind us but it was close. Neither of us looked toward the sound, both unwilling to let our guards down. I tensed, ready for Leo’s spring, even accepting it. A part of me welcomed it if it would stop the flames licking underneath my skin.
The howl came again, and I knew the other wolf was almost upon us. I groaned. Seriously? I couldn’t handle another one right now. No way I’d be able to take on two at once, not with my arm burning like the fires of hell. I backed up and repositioned myself so I could keep my eyes on Leo, but not leave my back exposed to the new wolf.
Dead branches and leaves crunched lightly, signaling the newcomer’s approach. It was almost to the road. Finally, unable to help himself, Leo’s eyes cut toward the newcomer. I allowed a split second of the same, and saw a wolf, bigger than Leo, with reddish-brown fur, hurtling toward us. I cut my eyes back to Leo, but he continued to watch the new wolf, instead of me. They didn’t look happy to see each other.
I watched in confusion as Leo tensed. His yellow eyes cut back and forth between the new wolf and me before settling back on the wolf again. His lips were pulled back over his teeth in a silent snarl, and I knew then that this new wolf was not a friend of his. The red wolf howled again, the wail morphing into a growl as he took the final leap and surprised me by landing directly in between Leo and me—eyes on Leo.
“You’re not needed here, Dirty Blood,” growled Leo.
“You’ve got it backwards. You’re the one not needed,” growled the red wolf.
I recognized him as soon as he spoke. Wes.
As if I’d called his name out loud, he turned. Two seconds. That was it, but it was enough for me to fully see him, in his changed form. He was magnificent. His fur was a zillion diffe
rent shades of brown and red, all mixed together, and it glinted in the sunlight, shiny and sleek. Even the coarse hairs that ran down his back looked soft and beautiful, especially next to Leo’s mangy coat. And his eyes. They were the same tawny brown as those of his human form. When they flashed to me, the sharpness dulled to gentle, and then steel and power flashed through them again as he turned back to Leo. Even as a wolf, his moods were infinite and ever-changing.
“She brought it upon herself,” Leo hissed, “when she decided to step back into our world.”
“Forget her. It’s me and you.” Wes leaned toward Leo, baring his teeth in a guttural snarl.
“You’re a traitor, a disgrace to your kind. Stay out of this, or there’ll be consequences. I’ll do more than just take her life. I think I’ve already made that clear.” Despite the threat, Leo backed up a step. Blood seeped from his shoulder, leaving a dotted trail on the pavement.
Wes didn’t answer. Instead, he rushed at Leo, launching himself into the air, and taking Leo to the ground in a blur of fur and fangs. I stood there, a little dazed by the speed with which Wes had moved. I’d never seen anything like it. Liliana hadn’t moved like that; neither had Leo, for that matter.
Pain licked its way through my body. I faltered, torn between searching for cover and wanting to give in and sink to my knees right here, let the darkness take me under. I blinked, but it did no good. Blackness encroached. I swayed.
Grunts and snarls sounded, but I couldn’t tell which of them it came from. Then, Wes reared his head back, pulling away from where the two were still tangled together on the ground, and sunk his teeth into Leo’s shoulder, just below where the pencil still protruded. Leo let out a howl and managed to break free but he hadn’t gone more than two steps before Wes was on him, using his teeth to grab Leo’s ankle and pull him back.
I stood there, paralyzed despite the pain, as I watched them rip at each other. Every nerve ending itched to jump in, to help Wes. He was fast, but Leo was agile and experienced, and what if something happened? I wanted to do something, anything, to end it. But I couldn’t think much past the burn in my arm. It was getting unbearable, and I had to bite back a groan. If I’d been able to make my mind and body work right, I’d have rushed Leo by now, or better yet, ran for my car. As it was, I was having a hard time staying on my feet, without swaying.
The burn traveled up my arm, into my shoulder. I couldn’t feel my fingers in my left hand anymore. I gritted my teeth against the pain but some sound escaped my lips. It reminded me of a wolf’s snarl.
Both wolves glanced in my direction, and Wes seemed to realize for the first time that I wasn’t at the top of my game. Leo huffed out a breath, sounding satisfied.
“She’s hurt,” I heard him say.
Wes just glared down at Leo, who he had pinned against the asphalt.
“She needs you. I guess I’ll have to take a rain check,” Leo said.
Reluctantly, Wes removed his paws from Leo’s chest, and stepped back. “This isn’t over.”
Leo stared intently at me before backing away. “If she insists on living in our world, I have no choice but to deal with her. With both of you.”
“The campers were your work, then?”
“Yes. And Liliana was hers.”
“You should consider it even.”
“For this round, I do. But not for what she’ll be if she continues. Or what you already are. I can’t let that happen.”
“Is that what this is about? What I am?” Wes demanded.
“What you are is lazy, and unfocused. Content to settle. Neither of you deserve the power in your blood.”
“What do you mean in our blood?”
Leo didn’t answer. He cast a final, longing look at me and then turned and bolted into the trees.
Wes watched him go until he’d disappeared and then padded over to me. I had backed up and was leaning on my car now in an effort to stay on my feet.
“Tara?” he said, his eyes going from my face to the bloody mess that was my forearm.
The realization that Wes was safe made giving in to the pain a lot harder to resist. Black dots danced around my vision, this time closing in. My left shoulder slumped heavily and my knees began to buckle. I desperately just wanted to sit. “Yeah?” I managed.
Wes didn’t answer. He backed up a few steps and then the air around us seemed to quiver and I blinked against what felt like a breeze. My blurred vision revealed nothing but empty space and I felt myself begin to panic as I realized Wes was gone. I blinked back the tears that burned my eyes. When I refocused, Wes was standing in front of me—human again. The last of my strength slipped away. My knees gave out. Wes shot an arm out and grabbed me firmly around the waist, keeping me upright. With his other hand, he grabbed my wounded arm, and held it up for a closer look.
“What the hell? You’re bit. Why didn’t you say something? I thought it was just a scratch.”
“Um, I’m bit. I’m saying something,” I said, in a near whisper.
He looked at me and released my arm. It fell limply back to my side. “Give me your keys,” he demanded.
“They’re in the ignition,” I mumbled. I felt the heat traveling again, this time across my chest and down my back. When it hit my heart, I could feel the rhythm increase. I gasped. “It … burns,” I managed to choke out. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Wes cursed. Wasting no more time, he scooped me up and carried me around to the passenger side of the car. Some aware part of my brain noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt and the delirium in me relished in how cool his skin felt against my burning body. And that the smooth skin of his chest was a stark contrast to the sleek coat of fur he’d worn moments ago. I pressed my palms to his skin until I felt myself being lowered away from him.
He set me in the passenger seat and belted me in. Then he came around and slid into the driver’s seat, revving the car’s engine. I heard him mutter something that sounded like “piece of crap” and then we were racing down the empty road.
The pain only got worse as Wes drove. Every little pothole and bump was like an extra sting. I wanted to yell about that, but when I tried, my voice only came out in a whisper, so I gave up. I watched the scenery pass with bleary eyes. I wondered vaguely where we were going, but the pain was bad enough that I didn’t care. Wherever it was, they’d better have a way to make it stop. Wes pulled the car up in front of Jack’s in a flurry of dust and rocks. He wrenched the door open and all but flew around to my side. Somewhere between the car and the front door, I blacked out.
~ 15 ~