Page 22 of Teeth To Rip & Tear

“Mallory! I know you’re in there!” My ex-husband's voice sounded dangerously close to the front door. He was on my porch.

“I told some other members of the HAOB, and they agreed that we need to put the abominationdown.”

When all else failed, bravado and insults were my go-to defense.

“You’re the abomination, Joel,” I shouted back. “You’re the pussy that couldn’t kill me right the first time. Now you’re making up stories.”

The wolf whined and put his paw over his face.

I gave him a grimacing smile. Yeah, I knew mouthing back wasn’t the best plan, but I needed the other police officers to have doubt about Joel’s story. At least enough doubt to leave, even if they came back another day.

“You’ve been right under our noses.” Another voice called out, accompanied by the sound of a gun safety switched off. “We’re here to keep the streets pure. We don’t want any monsters in Locket.”

“Well, that’s just stupid.” I put my hand over my eyes. Did they really believe I was the only Other in Locket?

I didn’t have a chance to ask before a bullet pierced the front door at head height.

I yelped, freezing as the sound escaped. My hands pressed against my lips, and I ducked to the floor and walked with bent knees until I reached my couch. Another bullet ripped through the siding of the house.

“Kaleb!” I whisper-yelled, gesturing for the wolf to take cover with me.

The wolf scaled the couch in one graceful leap, falling into the dust by my side.

“Ha! Dean Hart and his whole spiel about Joel not being dangerous,” I whispered, barking a sardonic laugh. “I knew it! I fucking knew he’d do something like this. No man watches their ex-wife for several days unless they’re scoping out their new routines.”

Kaleb’s ear flicked.

The wind thoroughly gone from my sails, I exhaled a shaking breath. “You’re right,” I mouthed the words. I wasn’t about to ask how Kaleb could speak without human vocal chords. Magic was strange, and it made sense that Wolfkin needed a way to communicate with others while in their four-legged form.

“Come out, Mallory!” My husband shouted. His voice moved as he walked from the front of the house to the back. “Face your sins with dignity!”

I started to shake. Instead of the dusty back of the couch in front of my eyes, it was Joel’s red, angry face as he gripped my throat and held it. A flashback. I reached up and clawed his face, unable to draw breath. Not even to scream.

We’d been in love once.

After I’d lost the baby, he’d blamed me, and we were two strangers in a single house.

I closed my eyes, struggling to corral my tangling thoughts—my brain was a snarling mess of fear accompanied by several inner voices screaming about what I should do.

My grandmother Eva’s voice came to me, clear as a bell.

Kaleb froze as if he heard it too.

I reached into my pocket, feeling the rough edge of the wooden coin.

Weaving had to be subtle, and nothing about my ex-husband shooting up my house was subtle.

Several more bullets broke through the siding, and I grabbed a lock of hair at the back of my head and started to braid, whispering my intentions through shaking lips.

I pressed my bare arm against Kaleb’s silver fur and continued to chant.

You can’t see me. I’m not here.

You can’t see me. I’m not here.

I continued until the braid was finished. The magic was a colored sheen over us rather than the garish sparkles of gold that wolves usually sported.

“They shouldn’t be able to see us now.” I kept my voice as low as I could. “You can run. There’s a dog door around the back. Run and get help.”

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