Page 14 of Hunted By Wolves and Shadow
I was going to die before ever truly living. I’d never get to see more of Anterra, or meet people who didn’t judge me and call me witch-spawn and refuse to meet my eye. The only person who might have missed me was dead.
My death wouldn’t matter.
No one would be left to avenge Grandma Ruby.
No one would care enough to find either one of us.
Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision as I twisted free. To my surprise, Wolf didn’t stop me. He let me retreat across the kitchen with the knife held aloft in my fist.
Wild thoughts raced through my head. I could throw the knife, but if I failed to kill him I’d have lost my only protection. Could I dart for the door? I doubted this kitchen knife would be enough to get me past the monster prowling the woods. The clearing was small, but…could I hide? Then I could wait out the danger and escape.
If I made it back to Baines, I’d find a hunter. We’d come back and find Wolf. Then he would pay for what he’d done. I just had to get away first. The problem was I hadn't the sunniest idea how. My first attack had been full of wild anger and no plan whatsoever. Now, I could hardly see through my tears, let alone gain an advantage. He was fixed on me, impossibly alert. All those muscles I’d admired at the woodpile tensed to form an unbeatable barrier between me and freedom.
“Why did you kill her? What did she ever do to you? Is this who you are, a murderer of sweet old ladies? I can’t believe I sat at a table with you. I can’t believe I almost—”
No. I wasn't thinking about how I almost kissed him last night. I was definitely not thinking about how I imagined his arms around me as I went to sleep on the couch. Sunbeams, what sort of man claimed the only bed without discussion? That should have been enough for me to see the terrible person he was.
“Sweet?!” Wolf shouted. Then again, quieter, “Ruby was no sweet old anything. Are you insane? You're obviously addled by whatever magic poisons your blood. That's the only explanation. Or you're a very good liar."
“I’m a liar? You're the one assassinating old women. You're the monster here.”
“Never claimed otherwise. But I'm not the only one,witch."
“I am not a witch! Neither was my grandmother. Why does everyone always say that?"
He gripped the countertop separating us, his knuckles turning white. I was heaving from adrenaline—first the terror in the woods and now him.
Faster than lightning, he vaulted the counter to land at my feet. In one sweeping motion, his hand flicked out from his rising body and snatched the knife from me. I didn’t even have time to scream.
A heartbeat later, he was two paces away again, and I couldn’t remember how to breathe. He held the knife casually, and it annoyed me to no end how he looked so much more at ease with it. A shiver crawled up my spine, and I backed away. He followed, prowling forward to keep the arm-span distance between us.
“Maybe, little witch, if everyone said it, that's because it was true. Hmm? Do you expect me to believe you didn't know? You don’t need to keep lying. She's dead.”
“Yes, you made sure of that, didn't you?” I refused to let my voice tremble even as Wolf backed me all the way up against the pantry door. There was nowhere to run. With a gulp, my eyes tracked the tip of the knife raised in his hand. “Go on. Get it over with.”
He hesitated.
His eyes bore into mine, then followed my gaze when I couldn't help it flicking to the knife again. Immediately, hedropped his hand and backed away. “Why haven't you attacked me yet?”
Me? He was the one holding the knife. Besides, I’d tried. What more did he think I could do?
I gave a pointed look toward the knife, my breaths coming in quick pants again now that it didn't seem like he was seconds from stabbing me.
Danger radiated from him, but his expression grew less murderous and something closer to wary. Curious? Maybe that was it. It obviously couldn’t be fear. There was no possible reason for him to be afraid of me. I was the one in mortal peril in this situation, not him, no matter how much I hated that truth.
“I did,” I gritted out. “You took my weapon.”
He gave the knife another considering appraisal and then set it down on the counter beside him, keeping his eyes trained on me all the while. “Go on. Take it.”
This had to be a trick.
He was tense. Alert. Watching to see what I'd do.
“No.”
“No? You don't want to kill me for ridding the world of that evil witch?”
Oh, I wanted to. I wanted to smack him again, too. “You deserve to die.”
