Bye-bye fifteen-year plan.
But maybe, just maybe, this is real, she told herself, part of her clinging to the hope. There was only one way to find out.
Mary Ann inched forward and stopped before she bumped into the creatures nose. Theres a difference between a wolf and a werewolf? she babbled to break the silence. Do it. Just do it. Gulping, she lifted her arm.
Of course there is. One is merely an animal, the other is capable of being a man. Now, what are you doing?
Though shed expected him to speak this time, she was still surprised and jerked away with a yelp. If she was wrong, if he was more than a hallucination, he could bite her. Maim her. Kill her. Dont chicken out now.
Dont you already know what Im doing? Cant you read my mind? I mean, you can talk inside it. A figment of her imagination would be able to read her mind, right?
No, I cant read thoughts. But I can see auras, the colors around you. Those colors tell me what you are feeling, making it easy to guess what youre thinking. But right now your colors are so jumbled I cant see anything.
Well, I plan on touching you. If youll just hold still, please. Great, now she was issuing orders, expecting him to understand. Could this be a joke? Was someone filming this, intending to laugh about her gullibility later? Surely not. No way could someone fake projecting a voice into her head. If you bite me, IllIll
He actually rolled his eyes. Youll what? Bite me back? With those puny teeth?
There wasnt a reply that would intimidate so irreverent a beast, so she remained quiet. And he remained in place, not even blinking as she reached out again, her index finger ready to poke. She was trembling and hesitant. Finally, skin met fur. Soft, silky fur.
Youre real, she gasped out. This was no hallucination. He was real, and he was freaking talking inside her mind, reading her aura. How were those things possible? Even more unbelievable, he claimed he was a werewolf, capable of changing into a human. That wasthat wasDear Lord.
A moan escaped him. Scratch behind my ear.
Still too dazed to process what was going on, she automatically pressed deeper, harder, massaging him.
He uttered another moan, snapping her back to her senses.
Hello. Anyone home? she thought. Youre willingly prolonging contact.
Her arm fell to her side, suddenly too heavy to hold up. Youre real, she said again. Which meant she wasnt crazy. She should have jumped for joy, but couldnt force her body into motion. She was talking to a werewolf, person, thing, the ordinary world shed woken up to no longer the world she inhabited. That wasnt exactly cause for celebration.
For a moment, he gave no response. Just closed his eyes, seeming to enjoy the lingering effects of her touch. Then his eyelids popped open, the green fierce and glittering, and he snarled at her. Lets get down to business, shall we? What do you know of the boy?
He. Was. Real. Boy? What boy? I dont know why youre following me, but you can stop. Youve got the wrong girl. Were there others out there, watching her? Had they always been here, able to communicate, and she just hadnt known? Wildly she looked left and right, panic building. When she saw no one, nothing, she backed away until she was pressed against the jagged bark of a tree trunk. Seriously, you can go now.
Last time Ill ask nicely, little girl, and then Ill start demanding. You do not want that to happen, Mary Ann. Trust me.
First, he knew her name. The knowledge jolted her. Second, the words themselves were threatening. But the way he said them, so matter-of-factly, lent them a truth that all the shouting in the world couldnt have provided. If she didnt answer, he would force her. With claws, with teeth. Whatever was required.
He stalked toward her, slow and sure, closing the distance between them. What do you know of the boy?
He reached her and rose up, placing his front paws beside her temples, boxing her in.
The blood rushed from her head and pooled in her legs, making her head dizzy and her limbs all the heavier. What boy? she managed to gasp out.
I believe his name is Aden.
This was about Aden? Why do you want to know about him?
He ignored the question. You spoke to him. What did you talk about?
Nothing personal, I swear. All I know is that hes a new student at my school. Youre not going to hurt him, are you?
Again, he ignored her. What about the other boy? The one you escorted to the stadium.
Thats Tucker. Im dating him. Kind of. Maybe. It might be over. I think. Are you planning on hurting him?
Suddenly the wolf growled, another of those low and menacing rumbles that danced over her nerve endings as delicately as a flutter of wings yet still managed to cut her up and leave her bare. Then she heard why he was suddenly ready to slaughter. Footsteps pounded through the grass, crunching against leaves and acorns. He stiffened and swung around, ready to face the threat.
Aden suddenly burst from the trees, sweat glistening over his face and causing the shirt Tucker had taunted him about to stick to his chest.
Mary Ann, he gasped out. Whats wrong? Then he spotted the wolf and stilled, ready to defend and protect. Move around the tree. Slowly. Gaze never leaving his foe, he bent and withdrew two daggers from his boots.
Her jaw dropped. He carried daggers?
The wolf reared back on its haunches, preparing to attack.
No, please no, she cried out. Dont fight. Not once, in all her life, had she ever pictured herself in the middle of something like this.
Go home, Mary Ann, Aden demanded. He crouched, determined. Now.
Tell him to leave us, the wolf snarled at her without removing his focus from Aden. Why wouldnt he tell Aden himself? Could he not talk to two people at once? Or did he not want Aden to know what he was? And why was she asking herself all these questions? A battle was about to take place!
A-Aden, she began, attempting to move between them. The wolf twisted, blocking her path. Dont fight him, she couldnt help but plead, suddenly unsure of whom she was speaking to. All she knew was that there would be a bloodbath if one of them didnt walk away. Please, dont fight him. Im fine. Were all fine. Lets just go our separate ways. Okay? Please.
Neither boywolf, whateverlistened to her. They circled each other, intent, panting viciously.
Stop it, Eve, Aden snapped, his harsh voice like a boom amidst the silence. I need quiet.
Eve?
Then Aden froze, blinked as if confused. He glanced at Mary Ann to ensure she was there, and frowned. I can hear them.
She, too, blinked in confusion. Who?
Enough! the wolf roared. Tell. Him. To. Go.
He wants you to go, she told Aden on a trembling breath. Please go. Ill be fine, I swear.
You can talk to it? Thankfully, he didnt sound horrified. Didnt gaze at her as if she were insane.
I
Do not say another word to him or Ill tear out his throat. Understand?
She pressed her lips together, a small whimper escaping. Never had she felt more helpless or scared. She had no idea what to do.
Is he threatening you? Aden asked, soft but fierce. Not waiting for her reply, he raised his blades, the silver tips gleaming menacingly in the sunlight. Cmere, big boy, and well see if you like playing with someone more your size.
My pleasure.
No! she shouted as the wolf leapt forward. Aden met him midair. Only, they didnt collide. Aden disappeared. Actually disappeared. There one moment, gone the next.
The wolf fell to the ground, twitching, moaning. Both blades thumped uselessly beside him. Mary Ann rushed to his side, unsure of what had happened or how to react. Maybe she was in shock. There was no blood, so he hadnt been cut.
With a shaky arm, she reached out and brushed her palm against his muzzle. Why are you touching him? common sense shouted. Run! She stayed put, her concern greater than her sense of survival. Are you okay?
His eyes popped open, no longer green but laced with all the colors Adens eyes sometimes possessed. He jolted to his feet, unsteady, swaying. Slowly he backed away from her.
When he passed the line of trees, he swung around and ran.
CHAPTER 7
I saw her. Saw the girl.
Me, too.
Did you recognize her? I know Ive seen her before.
Sorry, Eve, but I didnt.
Aden wanted to scream. There was too much noise in his head, so much he could barely process it. The glide of wind against the trees, the high-pitched chirps of nearby birds. The buzz of locusts, the song of the crickets. The croaks of the frogs.
Grunting, he forced the wolfs big body into motion. It was hard, moving his front legs in sync with his back legs, but he managed it, only stumbling a few times. Hed never overtaken the form of an animal before and wasnt sure he was doing it right. But there was no time to stop and ponder how to go about it. If he didnt hurry, he would be late. And if he was late, Dan would not allow him to attend school tomorrow.
How did you do that? the wolf snarled, his voice joining the clamor of the others. Get out of my head! Out of my body!
The creature knew he was there. Could feel him. That had never happened before, either. He would have thought the animals more primitive mind unable to process the human language. For the most part, at least.
Im not an animal, curse you.
What are you? he thought.
Wolf. Man. Werewolf. Now get out of me!
Ashape-shifter?
Aden hadnt known such things existed. Not in reality. Considering what he himself could do, he probably should have. Made him wonder what else was out there. Legends told of vampires, dragons, monsters and all kinds of other creatures.
Out! Now!
Even with those infuriated snarls, the run soon proved to be invigorating. Strengthening. Air danced through his fur, caressing all the way to the hair shaft. His gaze plowed the distance as though it were insignificant, taking in every detail, nothing missed. Colors were more vivid, and dust moteswow. They were like snowflakes, glittering all around him.
Ill rip out your throat for this.
Still he kept moving, warm air sawing in and out of his nose. His lungs expanded, holding more oxygen than he was used to. It spurred him into a faster sprint, nails clawing at the ground. Scents were strong, nearly overpowering. Pine and dirt, a dead animal a few yards away. A deer, he somehow knew. He could hear the flies buzzing around the carcass.
Ill bathe in your blood, human. That is not a threat but a promise.
Again, the wolfs threatspromisesblended with that of his still-chattering companions. Caleb was apologizing for flinging him inside the body, Eve was asking about Mary Ann, concerned for her, and Julian and Elijah were begging him to be careful. Why hadnt Mary Ann sent them into that black hole this time? Aden had approached her, yet hed still heard them. And hed known thanks to Elijahthe souls power had to be increasing as hed suspectedthat if he failed to stop the wolf, the creature would stalk her through this very forest one day, racing after her as she cried.
Mary Ann
What would she think of him now? She knew he was different, that he could do things others could not. There was no denying it after what had happened. Maybe she would understand. She had spoken to the wolf, after all. Maybe, like Aden, she knew things that others did not. That would also explain how she wassometimesable to quiet the voices.
vision is changing. Hes going to hurt you the moment you exit his body, Elijah was saying. Kill you.
Yeah, Aden knew that. He also knew hed be too weak to defend himself. There was only one thing he could do to save himself. Hed done it before, when hed entered the body of a kid attacking him. He hated to do it, but there was no other way.
When the ranch came into view, he finally slowed, then stopped at the edge of the trees.
You cant stay in here forever. The wolf snarled, and Aden couldnt stop the sound from emerging. Can you? Can you! Much more, and they would be foaming at the mouth.
Aden glanced around the area, but didnt see anything that would help him do what needed to be done.
There was another way, he thought with a sigh. He sat on his haunches and extended one back leg. He peered down at it. The muscles were bunched, the fur glistening like black diamonds.
No, Eve said, realizing what was about to happen. Dont do it.
I have to, Aden thought. His stomach churned with nausea. There was no time to steel himself against the pain he was about to inflict. Forever wouldnt have been long enough to prepare. He simply bared the wolfs teeth and, with another vicious snarl, lunged at the leg. Those sharp fangs sank past that muscle and hit bone.
There was a scream inside his head, a grunt, several moans. Everyone felt the bite, the agonizing pain spreading like wildfire, affecting every organ it touched.
What the hell are you doing? the wolf shouted. Stop. Stop!
Maintaining that razored grip, firming his jaw, he jerked back. Warm, metallic-flavored liquid poured into his mouth, down his throat, and wet his fur. He gagged.
More screams, more moans.
Aden panted as the wolfs body sagged to the grass. The pain was immobilizing, just as hed intended. Now when he left, he would not be followed or attacked.
It took every ounce of his mental strength to reach out of the animals body, insubstantial hand solidifying and gripping the nearest tree root. The grip, though weak, held and he was able to tug himself out.
Aden lay there for a moment, stunned, trying to catch his breath. Move. Move! His human body refused to obey. He was no longer inside that mangled form, but his mindor his companionsdidnt care. They all knew what had been done and could feel the residual effects. His muscles were clamped down on his bones, holding him immobile.
The silver lining: adrenaline began crashing through him, trying to combat the pain, giving him strength. Finally he was able to roll to his side. The wolf, he saw, lay exactly as hed left him, leg extended, blood coating the wound, his mouth.
Im sorry, Aden said, and it was the truth. I couldnt allow you to attack me.
Green eyes glared over at him, glazed with pain and fury.
Aden lumbered to his feet, swayed as a wave of dizziness swept through him. I have to check in with the head of the house and then Ill come back with bandages.
A low howl promised retribution if he returned. Didnt matter. He was coming back. He stumbled his way to the bunkhouse and climbed through the window to his bedroom. Weak as he was, as little time as he had, he just couldnt deal with the dregs. All windows here were wired to a security system, but it was only switched on at night. Plus, Aden had long since cut and rewired the one in his room so that it never triggered the alarm (but looked like it would, just in case Dan decided to check.)
He had his own bathroom and downed a glass of water, then washed his face. Thankfully, there was no blood on his shirt, just dirt and grass stains. His face was completely devoid of color, his hair disheveled and laced with twigs.
He stuffed several bandages and a tube of antibiotic cream in a bag and chucked it out the window. He followed it, plucking the twigs from his hair. After hed hidden it under rocks, he made his way to the main house.
Dan was sitting on the porch, Sophia sleeping at his feet. The window behind him was open, and through it he could hear the sounds of pots and pans banging together. Meg, Mrs. Reeves, was cooking. A peach pie, from the smell of it. Adens mouth watered. The peanut butter sandwich hed had for lunch was only a fond memory right now.
How could Dan betray that woman? Eve asked on a disgusted sigh. Shes a treasure.
Who cares? Caleb exclaimed. Weve got stuff to do.
Eve huffed. I care. Cheating is wrong.
How bad would it look if he shouted, Shut up! Aden wondered.
The moment Dan spotted Aden, he checked his wristwatch and nodded with satisfaction. Right on time.
Ive been looking for you, Aden said, trying not to pant from fatigue. Wanted to tell you how I did.
I know how you did. The school called.
What? Had they complained about
Said you aced the tests, Dan finished.
Thank God. He nodded, knowing he should have been smiling but unable to manage it. He felt as if he were standing center stage, a spotlight trained on him, highlighting the signs of his run withasthe wolf. Or rather, werewolf. It was weird to think like that, shape-shifter versus animal.
Im proud of you, Aden. I hope you know that.
Throughout his life, hed disappointed people, confused them, embarrassed them and angered them. Dans praise wasnice. Th-thank you. How could Dan be so wonderful and yet, as Eve was still grumbling about, so slimy?
Have you seen Shannon? He hasnt made it back yet.
He hadnt? Where was he? Hed gone ahead of Aden. I havent. Im sorry. We left the school separately.
Dan gave his watch another glance.
Guess Ill go do my chores now, Aden said, though he had no intention of starting them until after he saw to the wolfs care. He managed only one backward step before Dan stopped him.
Not so fast. I was also told you stayed after school to talk to a girl.
Aden gulped. Nodded. Someone had clearly been watching him, and he didnt like it. He only wished hed felt the heat of their stare; a little warning would have been nice. If Dan forbade him to hang with Mary Ann he would
You treated her right?
That was all the man was concerned with? His shoulders slumped with relief. Yeah.
Dans head tilted to the side. Not very talkative today, are you?
Im tired, is all. Nerves kept me up all night.
I can understand that. Go on, then. Do your chores and then make an early night of it. Ill have dinner sent to your room.
Thank you, he found himself saying again. He rushed back to the bunkhouse, but didnt enter. He grabbed the bag hed tossed out his window and headed back into the forest, staying in the shadows so that no one would see what he was doing.
The werewolf was gone.
The only sign that hed been there was the patch of blood, still wet and gleaming in the sunlight. While he didnt see the animal, he did see Shannon, cut up and bleeding and headed toward Dan.
Stomach once again churning, Aden followed and eavesdropped from a distance.
They were w-waiting for me. A group of them. Th-they jumped me.
Who were they? Dan asked, his anger clear. Did you get a good look at them?
N-no.
Aden frowned. Shannon had green eyes; the wolf had green eyes. Shannon was hurt; the wolf had been hurt. Shannon was here now; the wolf was gone. Had he really been jumped or was that a lie to cover something else? An ability most people wouldnt understand? Shannon hadnt limped, though, and that leg wound wouldnt have had time to heal. Would it?
Later, in the barn while they shoveled horse manure, he tried to question Shannon about what had happened, gently trying to steer the conversation toward Mary Ann and wolves to gauge the boys reaction. All he received was silence.
ADEN TOSSED AND TURNED for hours, resigned to another sleepless night. His mind was simply too wired. The souls were asleep, finally, so his thoughts were his ownbut they werent welcome thoughts. All he could hear was the gasp of shock from Mary Ann when hed inhabited the werewolfs body. All he could picture was the werewolf, bleedingdying? Or was Shannon the werewolf, as he suspected? Had he raced into the woods after school, transformed and sprinted back to Mary Ann before Aden could reach him?
If Shannon was the wolf, Shannon now wanted to kill him. Had promised to kill him, actually. Hed have to watch, study and wait. If he could. By now, Mary Ann could have told someone what shed seen. Most likely she wouldnt be believed, but with his pastthe accusation would ruin him.
He could pack up, he supposed. Head out on his own. Hed done it before, three years ago. Living on the streets had been hard. Hed had no shelter, no food, water or money. Hed tried to steal a guys wallet and, unskilled as hed been, had been caught and hauled back to juvie.
He was smarter now, he told himself. Older. He could survive. For the first time in his life, though, he had something to look forward to, something to anticipate. School, friendspeace. Running away would destroy even the chance of such happiness.
He sighed, closed his eyes.
Awaken.
The word whispered through his mind, sultry yet commanding. His eyelids popped open. The girl from the forest stood over him, dark hair falling like a curtain over her shoulders. She hadnt been there a moment ago, but she was a welcome and beautiful sight.
Was this a replay of a vision? Because hed seen this before. Her, standing in front of him. Soon she would motion him outside. He would follow.
He inhaled deeply, breathing in her honeysuckle and roses scent. No, no vision. This was real.
He smiled slowly and tried to recall the rest of the details to this particular scene. They would walk to the woods and she would close the distance between them. She would reach up, trace her fingertips down his neck. Would her skin be as hot as he remembered or as cold as it now appeared?
He couldnt wait to get started. Where have you been? What
Shh. We do not want to wake the others.
He pressed his lips together, but couldnt stop the sudden pounding of his heart. The same black robe draped her, revealing one pale, slender arm. A large opal ring glinted from her left index finger. In the visions, she was always careful not to let that ring touch him.
Im glad youre here, he whispered.
Her eyes narrowed, but he could still see the crystalline glow of them. She doesnt know you the way you know her, he reminded himself. He had to be careful with his praise.
Come. She beckoned him with the crook of a finger and walkedno, floatedto the window. Then, without moving another inch, she seemed to disappear. A breeze brushed over him.
He was standing a second later, his body compelled to obey on a level he didnt understand. And hadnt expected. Hed walked in his vision, yes, but he hadnt realized he would not be the one in control. His feet moved of their own accord, maneuvering him in front of the opened window. Could she possess other bodies? He didnt sense her inside him, butmaybe.
Not even when he climbed through, his bare feet pressed against the dewy grass, was he able to grasp the reins of control. He didnt panic, though. He was with Vision Girl. That was all that mattered.
He scanned the area, finally spotting her a few yards ahead, in the line of trees. She hadnt possessed him, then. But what was she doing to him?
Come. Again, she beckoned him with a finger. Again, she seemed to disappearbut not before her gaze raked him from head to toe.
He fought a wave of embarrassment. The only piece of clothing he wore was a pair of boxers. At least they were plain black rather than the red-and-white pair that were covered in Valentine hearts.
What did she think of him?
Part of him felt as though he already knew her, and that part of him was already comfortable with her, already half in love with her. After all, that part of him knew the taste of her lips, had heard the way she sighed his name and felt the way she melted in his arms.
But the rational side of his brain was growing a bit wary. Last time shed truly spoken to him, shed wanted to know things he had no answers for. Last time hed seen her, shed been with another boy.
The night was cool, the sky painted with clouds. Crickets chirped, and in the distance a dog barked. Both soon quieted, leaving only silence. Utter silence, thick and dark.
Until his companions began to wake up, yawning inside his mind.
Outside? Julian asked sleepily.
Yes, he whispered.
Ugh. Were not running away again, are we? Caleb demanded.
No.
Eve sighed with relief. Thank God.
Want to tell us whats going on, then? Elijah asked.
Were living a vision. Finally, he reached a clearing, foliage surrounding him, hiding him from prying eyes. But where was Vision Girl? Again, there was no longer any sign of her.
Stop, she said. Her voice came from behind him and he spun around. And there she was, his beauty. Hiskiller? She held a dagger in each hand. His daggers. The ones hed dropped earlier when hed slipped inside the wolfs body.
He frowned.
A beam of moonlight peeked through the clouds and swathed her, illuminating the thick blue streaks in her hairnot an illusion caused by the sun, then, as hed supposed last time hed seen heras well as the daggers. Surely she wouldnt stab him. She looked too innocent in the haze of shadows and gold, dainty, harmless.
Wheres the boy? he asked. Now there was someone who wouldnt mind cutting him up. He hadnt forgotten the anger that had radiated from the male. The one I saw you with?
She remained in place, head tilting to the side. Had he come tonight, he would have killed you.
Points to Aden for having figured that out already. Why?
Hes jealous of you. Besides, Im not supposed to be here and had he known where I was headed, he would have stopped me. I had to come alone.
A thousand questions seemed to rush through his mind at once. Someone was jealous? Of Aden? Why? And why wasnt she supposed to be here? In the end, he asked the one he felt had the greatest chance of being answered. How did you get me here? You spoke and I was forced to obey.
She lifted a delicate shoulder in a shrug. A little gift of mine, you could say. These are yours, I believe. Steps measured, she approached. When she reached him, she stopped and extended the daggers.
Aden was proud of himself. He didnt flinch or even crouch to attack.
Who is she? Eve asked.
I have another bad feeling, Aden. Elijah sounded panicked all of a sudden. I think you should leave.
Quiet, he mumbled.
Dont tell me what to do, the girl snapped. The more she spoke, the more he detected an accent. Not English, but close.
I wasnt talking to you.
Confusion washed over her lovely features. She gazed around the forest. Who, then? We are alone.
Myself. In a roundabout way.
I see, she said, but it was clear she didnt. Here. Take these. She placed the weapons in his hands before he could take themtouch her. Im sure you will need them in the coming days.
Nope, she had never meant to hurt him. He looked down at the sharp metal, fingers curling around the hilts. You arent afraid Ill use them on you?
A laugh escaped her, the sound like bells tinkling. It wouldnt matter if you did. They cannot hurt me.
Oh, really? Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but no one can withstand a blade.
I can. I cannot be cut. Absolute confidence radiated from her.
His arms fell to his sides. Who are you? What are you? He quashed the second question before it could escape, not wanting to offend her. Again.
Besides, the answer really didnt matter, he supposed. He was glad she was here, whatever she was.
My name is Victoria.
Victoria. He rolled the name through his mind. Soft, lovely. Like her. Im Aden.
I know, she said, voice now hard.
How?
Again using those slow, measured steps, she circled him. Ive been following you for days.
Days? No way. Hed only seen her that once. Youre not always the most observant of people, he reminded himself. Why?
In front of him again, closer than before, almost brushing against him, she said, You know why. Her breath was a lick of heat against his skin, like a bonfire on a winter day.
He liked it. A lot. But he would have given anything for actual contact. I dont.
Her gaze met his, as hard as her tone had been. You called us.
On the phone? I couldnt have. I dont even have your number.
Are you trying to provoke me?
No. I honestly didnt call you.
She pushed out a frustrated breath. A week ago, you somehow overwhelmed my people with energy. Energy that was so strong, it left us writhing in pain for hours. Energy that latched onto us and tugged us to you as if we were tethered with rope.