Page 18 of Wild Wolves

I spin on my feet, my body heating up the longer I stare at them. “Whatever you say, doctor. Why don’t the three of you do what you have to do and meet me back at camp?”

“You irresistible tease,” Evander practically purrs. “You’re planning on torturing us until we get off this fucking island, aren’t you?”

I bat my eyelashes at him. “Maybe. Gotta have something to do to pass the time between all the deadly shit.” At least, in the moments when we’re not fighting for our lives. I don’t say the thoughts out loud.

“Onlysomething, little badass? Is that all I am to you? I thought we had a connection up in that tree.” Adam wags his eyebrows at me. “Even the douche fuckhead knew it. He was—”

“Who the hell are you talking about?” Evander asks, his body tensing.

I frown. The three of them distracted me. I hadn’t even thought about telling them about Kellan yet.

“Some bastard helped us. He’s one of them,” Adam responds, not mentioning that Kellan met me first. “There is some weird shit happening on this island, and—”

“Chase! Chase, come quick! It’s Jack!” Tiffany’s voice rings through the air. “Something’s happening.”

Rushing toward me, Chase grabs my hand, yanking me with him. Evander and Adam jog behind us, and I kick up sand. We run the rest of the way to our camp, and I spot something on the ground by the trees. Ew, no. What the fuck?

Not again.

Fuck, please. Not again.

I turn my back on the beastly creature and cover my face. Why is this happening? Who is it now? I scream in anger, swearing at the island. At the situation.

A soft howl groans from a distance. And then I hear a familiar voice swirling through my mind.

“Eliana, I’ll come for you tonight.” It’s Kellan.

But how?

A hand grabs my shoulder, spinning me around. Adam looks into my eyes. “Hey, take a breath. That’s Freddy’s body. They brought him back to bury him with the others. He’s dead, remember? He won’t hurt you.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push Kellan’s voice away along with the image of Freddy in his strange monstrous form.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Kellan’s voice whispers, still tangling with my rushing thoughts, trying to draw my focus from Adam. “Please, trust me. You can’t know yet. It’s not time.”

Time for what? I’m so confused.

“Fuck, restrain him!” Chase yells, dragging my attention back to our group.

I watch in horror as Jack bucks his body in the sand. His bones crunch and snap, the sound grating on my nerves. It’s happening again. He’s changing like Freddy had in the forest. Cocking his head, Jack glowers at me, his mouth contorting.

He snarls.

Chapter seven

Chase

Mercy

I’VENEVERSEENanythinglike this. My mind can’t wrap around the fact that Jack’s body cracks and splits apart as if something inside him tries to break free. Davian and Tristan pin his shoulders, and I use my weight to keep his legs restrained.

Guttural, wet sounds escape his monstrous mouth, and he yells in pain.

“He’s dying.” Eliana’s words hum in my ears, the statement sounding as if she knows for certain. “Adam, it was like this with Freddy.”

“A wolf mauled him and ripped his throat out,” Adam responds, keeping Eliana close within reach.

Their conversation is the only thing keeping me from letting Jack overpower us. He’s strong as hell. More so than before. This is impossible. Physically impossible. It’s as if Jack evolves from the human species to something else altogether.

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