Page 1 of Pack Obsession

Prologue

CASEY

Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Don’t make a sound.

Mommy’s words bounce around in my head as I press myself deeper into the corner of my closet. The purple blanket that my grandfather, Tutu, made for me is wrapped so tight around my shoulders, it almost hurts, but I don’t loosen it. Can’t loosen it. It’s the only thing keeping me from shaking apart.

My heart’s beating so fast, it feels like it might explode. Do hearts explode? I want to ask Mommy, but Mommy’s downstairs with the bad men. The men with voices like broken glass.

I wish Kai was here, but my brother’s camping with his friends this weekend.

"Sign the papers, Anderson," the meanest-sounding man yells, making me flinch. I didn’t see them when they arrived at our house, but Mommy whispered that I had to hurry and hide from the bad men.

I pull my knees tighter to my chest.Small. Gotta stay small. That’s what Mommy always says when we play hide and seek. "Make yourself small as a mouse, little wave." But this isn’t hide and seek. This is different. This is scary different.

Glass crashes downstairs. The sound makes me jump and my elbow hits the wall of the cupboard, and the sound is huge in the dark. I freeze. Did they hear? Are they coming?

"Your daughter’s upstairs, isn’t she?"

My whole body goes cold. Like that time I fell off my surfboard, and the winter waves pulled me under. But Daddy was there then. Daddy pulled me out.

"Pretty little thing. Takes after her mother."

No, no, no. Don’t think about me. Please don’t think about me. I squeeze my eyes shut so tight I see sparkles.

More crashes. Mommy screams, telling them I’m not home. The sound makes my chest hurt.

Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Don’t make a sound.

Heavy footsteps on the stairs. Creaking wood. Getting closer. Each step makes my heart beat harder. Can they hear it? It sounds so loud in my ears.

Something tickles my nose. Dust from the blanket. No. Not now. I can’t sneeze. Can’t make a sound. I press my face into my knees, trying to make the tickle go away.

The footsteps are in the hallway now. Right outside. Heavy boots on carpet.

"Check everywhere. No witnesses."

My hands clamp over my mouth so hard, my teeth dig into my palms. Tears burn hot down my cheeks, but I don’t make a sound. Not one.

The closet doorknob turns. Slow. So slow. Light slices through darkness like a knife, cutting across my feet. I pull them back, deeper into the shadows. The purple blanket covers my head where I’m crouched in the corner, but I can see boots through a tiny gap. Big boots. Black boots. Right there.

Something drips from them. Dark drops on the carpet.

Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Please don’t look up.

"Nothing in here." The voice is so close. Right there. A hand pushes hangers aside. Clothes swing back and forth, back and forth. Shadows dance. "Just kid stuff."

The door shuts with a thud. Darkness again. Safe in the dark. Always safe in the dark.

More footsteps. Fading. Front door slams.

I don’t move. Can’t move. Mommy’s rules play over and over in my head.

Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Don’t make a sound.

Minutes pass. Or hours. Time feels strange, like when I have fever dreams, and everything’s mixed up.

The house is silent now. No voices. No footsteps. No Mommy calling my name. No Daddy’s laugh.

---