Page 4 of Dead Wolf Walking (Bad Moon Academy 1)
I grind my teeth and glance away. It doesn’t feel right to be angry when Aunt Lou looks so sad. Then again, she remembers Mom before Dad died. Before she withdrew and forgot about me. Before she… I clench my eyes shut, trying to erase the ghost of her in the corner of the room, drenched in blood. My chest pangs, and I rub at it, soothing the pain of not being enough for her.
“Have you called the sheriff?” I ask, checking to see if she’s still crying.
Aunt Lou wipes her tears on the sleeve of her shirt. “It’s a wild animal, and unless he witnesses the wolf being aggressive or attacking someone, he can’t do anything. It doesn’t help that the wolf doesn’t visit on a regular schedule. They’re not going to go hunting for a wolf in this forest. It’s too big.”
I nod. Deckerville, Washington is about fifty miles from Olympic National Forest, and our woods aren’t quite as dense as the actual forest. Still, the town is surrounded by trees, and venturing in to search for one wolf would be a waste of time. He’s probably miles away by now.
“Go on, go get cleaned up and rest. You’re bar backing for Adler.”
The clock shows it’s nearly eight in the morning. I have seven hours before I have to get ready for my weekend shift at the bar.
Scrubbing my hand over my face, I nod and stand. “I promise I wasn’t drinking.”
She gives me a hard look, eyes searching me over. With a sigh, she stops rocking. “I’d like to believe that, Raven.”
But she doesn’t.
I turn, check the corner, and let out a relieved breath when I don’t see anything but the old lamp Aunt Lou’s had for at least eighteen years. No wavering images from the afterlife. No ghosts. Mom is gone.
For now.
Sometimes it sucks to have the sight. Aunt Lou doesn’t have the medium gene, so she doesn’t understand why it’s so crappy. I’ve never told her how Mom haunts me, and she’s never asked. Aunt Lou knew my mom could also see ghosts, but she mostly pretended like we were normal. Like we couldn’t see spirits or speak with the dead. I guess when you aren’t able to see or hear them, the dead coming to visit is a scary concept.
Rushing up the stairs, I quietly close my door and lean against it. I fight off a scream of frustration. Curling my fingers into fists, I race to the bed and punch a pillow three times before throwing it against the wall. It’s not her fault she doesn’t believe me. I caused the damage between us.
Fuck.
Going to the small bathroom attached to my room, I rip my shirt off and run my fingers over my shoulder. Nothing. No bite marks. Not even tooth impressions.
Did I hallucinate the entire thing?
Had one of the creeps at the bar slipped a drug in my water?
No, that’s stupid. If they had, I wouldn’t have made it home and gotten ready for my run. I stare into the mirror. The light green eyes peering back at me make me uncomfortable. Those eyes are filled with weakness. Narrowing my gaze, I straighten my shoulders and tip my head to the side, tucking away all my vulnerabilities.
There. Much better.
Sweeping my attention back to my shoulder, I frown. I pinch the skin, hissing when I have a flash back to the wolf hovering over me, its teeth dripping with saliva.
The pain of razor-sharp teeth tearing through my flesh.
Picking up the tank top, I run my fingers over the specks of red against the brown color of the fabric. Barely discernible. The only reason I notice it is because I’m looking for it. Aunt Lou hadn’t noticed. Threads of the torn section brush against my skin, and I curl my fingers into fists.
I know what I saw. I felt the bite.
* * *
Draco
The aunt lingers downstairs, occasionally coming to the window and checking for any sign of a wolf. She won’t see one, not if I don’t want her to. The woman has tried to shoot me several times. Lucky for me, I have heightened hearing and moved before she fully pulled the trigger.
I lurk within the safety of shadows, tipping my head to the side. I’m being called back to the academy. I can ignore the call for another day before I’ll be forced to return. Forced back inside the confines of the wards for an entire month. The waning moon takes away my power to break through the wards. The thought alone is enough to make me growl. I get two or three days at most outside of those damned walls.
There’s a commotion from inside the house. I quiet myself and listen. The girl, Raven, is pacing in her room, mumbling to herself. Her curtains don’t budge. Her heartbeat is quickening with every step.
She’s afraid.
Good.
