CLAIRE.I was stumbling through the woods, racing home like something is after me. What I saw shouldn't have frightened me because I've seen a lot of fights in my whole life, but the brutality with which wolf man -who I now realized was called Alex- had delivered the blows, punch after hard punch cause the blood to drain out of my face, so much so that I became dizzy just rethinking about what had happened. I'd never wanted a fight to end like the way I needed that particular one to. At first, I'd been worried for him because his opponent wasn't easy on him and had won the first round. But then, Alex had switched up and shown the man who really owned the fight. I shivered and pulled my sweater tighter around me, speed walking through the path. The lights at home were still on and it told me that the time wasn't as late as I'd thought. I quietly pushed open the door, wincing when it squeaked a little. I was just about to climb the stairs when Becky stepped into the hallway, her gaze
CLAIRE.Becky turned to me in exasperation. "Like your mother. She couldn't be controlled, didn't want any form of discipline. Look where that got her." She spread her arms wide and my eyes shifted down to my father at her movement, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, his eyes fixed on his hands, I scoffed, turning around in disbelief. Father had never been quiet about how much my mother meant to him, even after he'd married Becky. Once, Becky had asked if my mother didn't teach me manners, this was during her early days, and father had gotten so mad, he'd almost hit her. So to see him here, quiet as Becky bad mouthed my mother, shocked me. "See what I'm saying, zero manners. Dirty habits you'd picked up from your mom but they were never beaten out of you. My husband has tried so much to love you the way you demand, but you're never grateful. You go around the house sulking like everyone here hates you, but you don't even care about my husband or any of us. If you did,
CLAIRE.I was still screaming when the figure stepped forward. I scrambled back, edging further into the cave and realizing my mistake when the person followed. I was about to die. I looked to the side of the person where he stood at the mouth of the cave, trying to determine my best bet at escaping my soon to be gruesome murder. I'd barely thought up anything when the figure lumbered forward, hands outstretched. I screamed and tried to dash around him, only to be pulled by my hands and jerked into the hard chest of the person. Before I could scream again, his hand came up and sealed my mouth shut, the smell of sweat strong. I struggled against the hold as my assailant moved me back into the cave, pressing me into the walls. I looked up at him, ready to plead for my life, to promise anything when I finally made out the features of the man. Alex. I relaxed a bit, until I remembered what I'd seen him do in the fighting den and that spurred my need for escape. I knew now that he was d
ALEXAKIS.Her throat bobbed as she tried to swallow. Her head turned to my right and then my left as she tried to come up with what I knew would be a lie. I moved further away from her incase I couldn't control my urges to pull her into my arms once more. The feeling of her in my arms earlier was like nothing I've ever encountered and although I was still getting used to human emotion, I was pretty sure wolves shared the emotion I felt with her just then -Peace. Strange that a human girl would elicit such a strong emotion from me. I frowned at her, deep in thought. She probably took this the wrong way because her hands came to her front and she squeezed her fingers tight. "I saw you fight." I squinted my eyes at her, wondering if she thought I didn't know that. She cleared her throat when she saw that I had actually been referring to that when I'd asked why she was there -there being the Den. My eyebrows caved down when I realized that Angelo would be pissed that I'd left and had n
ALEXAKIS. I watched her till she stepped into her house, a room at the top of the house being illuminated a short while after, which told me that her room was situated up there, far away from the rest of her family. I stayed for another while, not really knowing what I was staying for or doing really, but it wasn't until the sun came up that I trotted wearily back to my motel room, glad that Angelo didn't require for his employees to be at the till afternoon. The human body was weak and although I still retained some of my wolf's abilities, things like going without sleep for a while wasn't second nature to me anymore and I found that I had to get a good rest or I'd be unproductive all day. And I can't have that. I immediately went to sleep once my head hit the bed and woke up to the sun streaming in from my open window and directly hitting me in the eyes. Ah yes, humans also had a very poor sight and although I could still see things from great distances, it was not like how my sig
ALEXAKIS.I think I'd figured out what Angelo had wanted me to use this device for. But what I didn't understand was how he knew I'd been searching for information. Did he have knowledge on my problem? Did he know someone who did? Did this Google of a person I was chatting with really have all the information it claimed to have? My brows were scrunched together as I read through what Google had said and then Motty came to sit next to me, his eyes going to my phone and peering closer. He did a double take, shifting closer to me till his chest was pressed into my side and his head directly in front of my screen. Irritated, I pulled it away from him and closer to myself. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. I'm always so interested in myths and legends. The stories are so amazing. I'd just never seen that one before, the one you were looking at. About wolves that are cursed to remain as humans. That's like... A twisted version of the werewolf story." He kept rambling on, telling the story o
CLAIRE.I hurried down the hallway, heading to the Janitor's closet. It was the third period and Scott had sent me a text that he needed to see me. Urgently. With three exclamation marks. The urgency couldn't be stressed and so, I'd taken a pass from my Woodwork teacher and was half sprinting, half walking to the closet. The door was closed tight and I paused when I got to it, wondering if the janitor was in there. I glanced down at my phone, wondering if I should call Scott because he hadn't said anything about getting into the closet. He might've meant that we'd meet in front of it. I'd just pulled up his contact and was about to dial his number when the Janitor's closet's door pulled open. I jumped away from the door and whirled round, relaxing when I saw that it was Scott. With my hand on my chest, I smacked his arm hard with my free hand. "Jesus, don't do that, Scott. You scared me." My pulse was erratic and I didn't know why I was as scared as I was but I guess I thought it had
ALEXAKIS.Angelo had been acting strangely around me. Around everyone really because I wasn't the only one who commented on it. He came into the den early this morning, warily watching everyone as he strolled into his office. Marcus had stepped on after him and they'd been in there for hours, till Angelo had stepped out, a gun gripped tightly in his hand. A couple of guys gave each other a lot and turned to Marcus who nodded at them. And then they were on their way after him, taking off their gloves and unwrapping their hands. I'd watched silently, sitting beside Motty as we stared at the entourage. Or I stared rather, Motty barely glanced at them. They came back in less than an hour's time, looking dishevelled and tired. It was Angelo who caught my eyes because he was splattered with blood and it seemed that he didn't even notice, or he didn't care. I stood slowly, feeling Motty's gaze on me as I stared at Angelo's approach. He'd gotten to his door now and took the wet towel Marcus