Page 2 of Wolf

Her vibrant red hair is tucked under a hat, where she tends to hide it when we’re in public. Although she chastises us for our vanity, she’s also made no secret that she hates her hair. A shame because the hue is beautiful, but to her, the brilliance is too loud. Only women of the night have bright hair.

Unfortunately, Mercy, the youngest, has the same shade and she’s had to wear a hat since she turned thirteen. Although I wouldn’t want the hat, I envy Mercy because my own hair is caught somewhere between dirty blonde and copper.

Mama raises a brow, and I plaster the obligatory half-smile onto my face before smoothing my hair back once more and joining her at the door.

“Mrs. Carlyle. Mr. Kinlen. Mrs. Kinlen. Sheriff Montrose.” And on it goes until my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth and my lips sting.

Would it hurt for these people to know we’re human under these drab clothes? That Mama and Daddy fight just like the Conley’s? Or that my sister, Miriam sneaks liquor into her room and cries herself to sleep?

I guess so.

After the greetings, we take our seats in the front row next to Mama in order of our age. Miriam. Myself. Rachel. Mercy.

Daddy stands at the lectern, his stern gaze glaring out over the parishioners. I look away when his fingers clench around the worn wood. Here it comes.

He’s about to let loose on his favorite subject.

Miriam bows her head and Mama pinches her leg. She grimaces, meeting my eyes when she raises her chin and inhales.

I flash her a small smile, hoping to infuse her with a little life, but it falls flat when her lips wobble.

She doesn’t know that I know, but Miriam has a secret and it’s going to rock our world in about nine months. I don’t know what she’s going to do, but my heart aches for the fear she can’t hide.

Who’s the lucky father? That’s a mystery to be sure because Miriam isn’t supposed to have a boyfriend. Whoever he is, they’ve been meeting on the sly.

Chapter 1

Lilli

On Saturday night, I flip over in my bed and cover my head with my pillow. I’m quite sure hearing your parents have sex is akin to the fourth circle of hell.

If I wasn’t so disgusted, I might ponder Mama’s words about inside voices but yeah…

Beside me, Miriam shifts and I poke my head out to find her creeping through the room. Miriam and I have shared a room since Mercy was born, after which she and Rachel were put together, and I moved in here.

Miriam pauses at the window. The moonlight shining through reveals her fully dressed and sitting up, I whisper, “What are you doing?”

Pressing her hand to her chest, she spins around and says, “You scared me.”

Cocking my head, I study her in the darkness before I say, “I’m going with you.”

“What? I’m not. You can’t…”

Throwing back the blankets, I step from the bed and grab my dress, shucking my long pajama shirt in one go.

“Lilli, no,” she says but I ignore her.

With my shoes on, I pat my hair, still in my sleep braid, and approach where she’s still standing frozen by the window.

“Let’s go,” I say, and she stares at me with her wide blue eyes.

“You can’t,” she says, and I step past her, pushing up the window and crawling through. She pauses, sticking her head out and meeting my expectant stare before she follows.

“Lilli—“

“Mir, I’m going unless you want me to wake up Daddy.” I ignore the pulse of guilt at the threat, but I’m determined to find out what she’s hiding other than a baby.

Besides, I’d like to see something outside the four walls of the prison we were born in, too.

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