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FORTY-TWO | RUMOURS
Kathrena’s eyes nearly fell out of her head as she gawped at the giant pumpkin in my arms. I was more than a little smug that I was able to carry it with the same ease that Skye had, and he’d laughed along with me, putting a hand on my shoulder and suggesting that I do the heavy lifting in the relationship from now on.
Then we’d kissed goodbye, the pumpkin quickly forgotten, and the kiss had lingered on my lips, and in my thoughts, as I’d watched him slip away. The crowd had died down, now, and there were only a few dog walkers out, picking their way through the fallen leaves as their pets scurried along beside them, their noses to the ground.
“It’s great that you’re getting in the Halloween spirit, El, but did you need to buy such a big one?” Kathrena grinned. Her friend, it seemed, had put her in a jovial mood.
I wiggled my eyebrows at her. “My friend picke
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She Runs with Wolves FORTY-THREE | CLOUDED
“What is he, then?” I’d felt as though I’d been slammed against the wall as Skye had spoken, his voice distorted by the poor signal in the woods. “A human.”I ran the conversation back through my head as I got ready for the Pumpkin Fayre. My truce with Kathrena had become uneasy as of late, ever since Skye had passed on what Susie had said about her date in the coffee shop. Though I felt that I could trust her not to tell anyone about our trysts in the library and coffee shop, respectively, I felt as though she’d broken our fragile trust by meeting up with a human, rather than a werewolf.Even though it was my own fault. If I hadn’t gone digging, I wouldn’t have found something that I didn’t like. My brush caught in a knot in my hair, and I yanked it through, grimacing at my reflection in the mirror. I met my eyes, warm brown, almost gold in the candlelight, and my lips tugged up into a smile. In the week that had passed, I had to admit that everything else in my life had been good.
She Runs with Wolves FORTY-FOUR | THE PUMPKIN FAYRE (PART 1)
The Pumpkin Fayre took place in a small meadow that edged the high street, and it stretched all the way from the pedestrianised section of the town to the back hedges of the meadow. Kathrena and I had to park further afield than usual, as the nearby lanes were littered with parked cars. Some were slung across verges, and others were left at crooked angles, half on the kerb and half in the road.“So,” she said, half leaning out of the truck door, “need to know?”“Need to know,” I nodded, with a tight-lipped smile. “We should probably stay close-ish, though.”“I agree.” Kathrena jumped down, and smoothed down the lapels of her checked blazer. “Just – don’t look too closely, okay? I – I will tell you when I’m ready. I’m just scared,” she admitted, her voice hollow-sounding as she dropped her eyes to the pavement.I averted my own gaze as I replied. “It is scary, Kath. But this would be easier if we could be honest with each other.”“And we will be.” Then the words spilled out of her, floo
She Runs with Wolves FORTY-FIVE | THE PUMPKIN FAYRE (PART 2)
“Okay,” I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. “This is incredible.”The dusky purple twilight, masked by a few thin, grey clouds, shone above the meadow. But the field below was cast into darkness, save for the flickering of a few dim solar lamps stuck into the ground. There were no children up here, and the meadow felt still in the comparative silence.The sounds of the Fayre carried – we hadn’t walked far – but the atmosphere was starkly different up here. The meadow was teeming with pumpkins, many of which had been carved into, forcing gory, threatening grins and narrowed slits for eyes into their rounded faces. Above, there was a brief buzzing sound, followed by a sudden shock of light. There were great bulbs strung across the meadow, too, it seemed, but as quickly as they’d come on, they shut off again.The sheer volume of pumpkins was what made the display
She Runs with Wolves FORTY-SIX | THE PUMPKIN FAYRE (PART 3)
The scream echoed in my ears, long after the sound had stopped ringing through the meadow. The jovial chatter had silenced, and the coil of sirens was burning through the cold night air.My breath came in short, quick gasps as I ran. I could feel Skye behind me, could feel his footsteps ricocheting off the pavement as we thundered down the high street. I needed to know where Kathrena was. I needed to know that she was safe. If she wasn’t – if she was hurt – it would be my fault, all over again.I’d underestimated the attacker. I hadn’t thought that they’d risk an assault here, not somewhere so public. But, as I scanned through the crowd, pushing against the tide of people, I realised that somewhere public was the perfect place to commit such a crime. They could blend in, merge with the tide like a pebble being dragged across the shore, falling, seamlessly, back into the sea.There was a huddle of people just past the coffee shop, and I pressed myself to run faster, just a little furth
She Runs with Wolves FORTY-SEVEN | LANDSLIDE
“Hey.” I swallowed, my tongue suddenly feeling too big for my mouth. I could see Kathrena, out of the corner of my eye, still beside me, and she cocked her head, watching us with a deep, simmering curiosity in her dark eyes.“Hi,” Skye murmured. He swallowed, too, and then said it again. “Hi, El.”“Skye,” I smiled, trying to force down the awkwardness, and the residual fear, and the uncertainty that was rising rapidly within me. “Are you okay?”“I was so worried about you,” he breathed. He took a lurching step towards me, and then faltered, his golden eyes flickering to Kathrena.“Skye, this is my sister, Kathrena – for all intents and purposes, anyway. Kath, this is Skye. My… nightmate.”Kathrena’s eyes were so wide that I could see white all around her dark irises. “So that’s why I kept smelling werewolf in your truck.” Then she shook herself, and, keeping her eyes on me, her expression quizzical but trusting, she stuck her hand out towards Skye. “It’s nice to meet you.”“And you,” r
She Runs with Wolves FORTY-EIGHT | BIRCH AND OAK
The site of the attack was deserted. Even the last of the curious onlookers had tired of staring, and there was nothing there but half-dried blood and billowing police tape. The wind had picked up, rustling the nearby fir trees and blowing orange and burgundy leaves to the ground.Skye stilled beside me, dropping my hand as he crept around the bloodied imprint. “I’ve smelt this before.”I raised one eyebrow. “Not a vampire?”He shook his head. “No, it’s the same smell that lingered after Pera was attacked. Not a vampire… I’m not sure what it is.”Kathrena frowned, stepping closer. I was scared to move more than an inch towards the blood: it was less appealing to us once it had congealed, its life force diminished, but the scent of it was still thick and heady in the night air. The sky had darkened fully now, and the glow of the streetlamps
She Runs with Wolves FORTY-NINE | UNNAMED
“Are you sure you don’t mind waiting?”“Of course not.” I smiled at Kathrena. She was dithering, stood outside the truck but still hanging onto the edge of the door. She tucked her other hand into her pocket; I knew her well enough to know that, whilst she was aiming for nonchalant, her position meant that she was feigning it.“Thank you, El. Will you be okay out here?”“Yes,” I laughed, though it sounded empty, hollow. I was feigning, too – pretending that the attack, and the blood, hadn’t affected me as much as they had.“I won’t be long,” she promised, yet still she hovered by the door.“Kath,” I said, raising my eyebrows and levelling my gaze at her. “Go.”She huffed out a breath. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’m just… toni
She Runs with Wolves FIFTY | A BLACK ROSE
My phone felt like lead in my pocket as we recounted Toby’s attack to Aradia and Ezrand. They listened intently, wearing identical, worried expressions that pulled their mouths into grim lines and narrowed their eyes. I’d replied to Skye’s message before we’d come inside, but we’d not had a chance to talk properly yet. He was with Pera, and I had responsibilities of my own. As such, we’d agreed to meet on Monday afternoon, straight after school, in the Hawthorn Central Library. It gave us a safe place to discuss Pera’s attack – and Toby’s – and also provided the perfect opportunity for us to approach Herb.Ezrand heaved out a sigh, leaning forwards and pressing his elbows against the kitchen table. He held his chin in his upturned hands, and slumped his shoulders dramatically. His patterned shirt was too bright for the conversation, dotted with pink palm trees and neon green seagulls. “It’s getting worse, Ar,” he muttered, the top of his head moving up and down in a freakish, comedic
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