Page 40 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

The wolf scratched at the forest floor, snarling more. Was it going to charge me like a bull? Was it sharpening its claws so it could tear me to shreds?

Suddenly, screaming sounded perfectly reasonable. So much so that I entertained doing it myself. In its place, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and turned my head, not wanting to witness my final moments. I waited, expecting to be attacked. When that didn’t happen, I cracked one eye open just enough to peek out. The wolf was gone.

I twisted around to face my sister.

She was staring past me at the spot the wolf had been in. Her mouth was agape.

“Where did it go?” I asked frantically.

Mina blinked several times. “It…it just vanished.”

“You didn’t see which way it went?” I questioned, seriously wondering how it was she thought she’d make a great hunter.

“I’m saying it vanished,” she replied. “Into thin air. It turned into black mist, and poof, it was gone.”

“That isn’t possible,” I said before taking into consideration how big the wolf had been. I tensed. “You don’t think it was a shifter, do you?”

She was still staring at where it had been. “That can become black mist? Have you ever heard of a shifter who could do that?”

“Why didn’t it eat us?” I asked, dumbfounded.

Mina stuck out her lower lip somewhat, looking me up and down. “You’re kind of scrawny, and it apparently isn’t a fan of chocolate.”

I groaned.

She shrugged. “What? I was trying some of that dark humor you seem to love so much.”

I would have questioned it more, but the lightning returned with a violent crack.

The reality of our situation set in. “We’re too far from the inn to get back before the storm hits, and I don’t want to chance running into that wolf again. Plus, it might not be alone. What if there is a pack of them?”

She released my hand, put the end of her flashlight in her mouth, and held it as she swung her backpack around. She pulled out the map and opened it. A second later, she put it back and adjusted the bag again, taking the flashlight from her mouth. “The final circle on the map isn’t far from here. If I’m right, it’s a cave.”

“Oh gee, that sounds smart,” I returned. “A cave in the middle of a forest that may or may not be home to something evil and demonic. Yes. Sign me up. I hope it has spiders and more wolves that can evidently turn into black mist. What a fun way to spend my night.”

She lifted a brow, waiting out my sarcasm.

“Does the map have any portals to hell marked on it? We could seek shelter there and skip right to the good stuff,” I continued before motioning to her, letting her know I was done for the moment.

“All right, now that you got that out of your system,” she said as she faced the direction that she’d said the cave was in. “Let’s get a move on before the storm hits or the wolf that totally can vanish reappears.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a massive growl sounded directly behind us. Lightning timed perfectly with the noise, streaking the sky and illuminating a jagged path through the trees. Thunder vibrated through our bodies. I, for one, didn’t need any more warnings. I was all on board with running.

Mina was too.

She grabbed my hand, smashing the map between us as we darted through the forest in the direction Mina claimed the cave to be, weaving between trees, clutching branches to help us move faster. Low-hanging branches slashed at my skin, catching my exposed arms and my cheek. I winced but kept running, too scared to stop or slow my pace.

Another branch slashed at my face, nearly knocking my glasses off and leaving a sticky residue behind that instantly filled my head with the scent of pine. It was sickeningly sweet-smelling and twisted my stomach, threatening to make me vomit as I continued to run.

The intervals between lightning flashes shortened, and the thunder grew louder, shaking the ground beneath my feet. For a second, I worried the trees would topple on us, and the ground would open and swallow us whole.

When we finally burst from the trees into an open clearing, I saw a cave tucked against the hills and sprinted for it. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, and my legs were heavy with fatigue, but we’d made it just in time as the rain began to pour.

I twisted around, catching the briefest of glimpses of a wolf’s tail. Winded, I patted Mina’s arm, pointing in the direction I’d seen the wolf, unable to get out any words of warning. I doubted she’d have been able to hear them over the sounds of the pouring rain or the pounding of my heart.

Mina crowded closer to me, shaking slightly. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold, adrenaline, or fear. It could have been all of the above.

The storm intensified, and we jumped as lightning illuminated the cave’s entrance, bringing with it a huge clap of thunder.

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