When I wake up the next day, I feel numb. Carved out.Hailey’s yells still echo in my ears.“What the fuck, Alex?! Why are you treating her like this, huh?! Do you know how long she looked for you? She was one of the only people who never stopped thinking you were alive! She even went searching in the forest for you! But this is how you treat her when you come back?! Fuck you!”She’d screamed it at lunchtime, skipping part of her class to help comfort me since her lunch period hadn’t started yet. I was sitting alone at the table Alex and I used

Finding out that Alex is a werewolf makes sense in hindsight. Of course, I wouldn’t have thought of it. I never knew werewolves were real.But they are. And when they fight, it’s vicious.It’s all claws and teeth, taking advantage of their weight and power. If it was against a human, I know for a fact they’d be reduced to a splatter in seconds.The stranger yelps again as Alex slams him into a row of lockers. I wince, curled up as I am, but I don’t make a sound.Alex grabs the other’s head and turns before driving it into the ground. I see blood dribble into the small new crater in the floor.But the other werewolf isn’t out yet. He reaches up and swipes with his claws before twisting his way out of Alex’s hold. He snaps his jaws at Alex’s chin, but Alex turns his head away.Back and forth, the shove and struggle. The stranger even pins Alex, but he kicks him off, quickly returning the favor.His mark doesn’t miss, clamping down on the stranger’s shoulder. Alex’s right hand grabs and

“I swear, this lil shit—”“Wait up!” “Can’t. Either you catch up or you go to class or something!” Despite how sudden the running is, I manage to not pull a muscle as I follow after Rita. I don’t exactly know why we’re rushing, but I have an inkling of an idea. As we approach the front doors to the school, I see security perk up, quickly getting themselves together. I recognize them dimly. Maybe from around the pool months back? “Sss-orry! Family Emerrrgency!” They pause long enough for Rita to get through the doors, with me following closely after. We do a quick right turn, running around to the side of the school. I’m almost certain of what she’s looki

As I start explaining my logic to them, Alex and Rita calm down. Their expressions go from pensive to considering. Then, Alex tells me something shocking. “Actually…after we came back from the movies, that guy… He was there, watching your house.” My mouth gapes in shock. Then, the wolf growling and snarling I heard that night…that was Alex fighting him. And the next day, his eyes were brighter than usual. Even now, his eyes still have bright remnants of gold, and his smell is stronger than normal. Rita’s eyes are also gleaming, the smell of rosehip tea coming from her direction. I’m really not sure how other people don’t notice these things when it seems so obvious to me. “Fuck, okay,” Rita murmurs. “So, that guy was already after her from the jump.” &l

His fur is so soft, and, in spite of my fear, I feel such exhilaration!The wind is blowing in my hair and I feel so free, like I’m in a movie where the protagonist is running away with her werewolf boyfriend so they can be together…forever.Except in reality, I’m running away from another werewolf… a dangerous one … and I’m on my werewolf boyfriend’s back … to some werewolf camp I didn’t know existed.Not super romantic after all.Then there’s the reality that some random, dangerous werewolf could spring up at any moment.Not super reassuring.It isn’t long before the speed of Alex’s athleticism overtakes Rita, and he is leading us through the forest like a bullet train in an action movie.Only, the allure has worn off, and now I’m just cold, tired, and frightened.My eyes start to water, and the wind is starting to growl in my ears. If I could pull my hoodie tighter, I would. But I can’t spare the hand.Both Alex and Rita are running with such determination we seem to be flying thro