by Holly Hook
"In the distance. He's probably not close enough to listen in. He's been wandering around the woods, stealing food from town when he can and hunting all the times he can't. I've been tracking his trail. But so far, I haven't smelled the wolves he was hanging out with at all."
"That's good. I almost wish he'd come back."
"I do wish he'd come back. I think he's scared to try it," Tyler says. "He's not against us anymore. I think going to that other pack gave him another hard dose of reality that he didn't like."
"And I exploited that," I say.
Tyler turns to me. "It worked. He needed to hear what you told him. Beckah, you are amazing. I knew you could stand up for yourself. But you've gone farther than I ever thought you would. You became a legit werewolf hunter and I think you're actually going to defeat this curse."
We are tearing down the walls. I can't breathe.
"And so are you. That was brave of you to own up to your mistake," I tell him.
He swallows. "You deserved to know it was me who played a big part in bringing you here."
"But you're still cursed?" I haven't seen Tyler shift since the incident with Sarah. Of course, he often vanishes into the woods, but lately he's been showing up to school.
Tyler lets out a long breath. "We are, and we still hunt, but it's more like how it was before things started to get really bad. This could just be a temporary reprieve, but I'll take it." He shuffles closer. "It might be our second chance."
"Yes," I say, doing the same. My chest brushes Tyler's shirt, and electricity explodes as we wrap our arms around each other, embracing at first, and then Tyler kisses my forehead and works his way gently down the bridge of my nose until he meets my lips. I let a moan of pleasure escape my lips as we mold into each other, staving off the cold, and I dig my fingers into Tyler's back, drawing a greater intensity from his roving lips. Time stands still. The cold turns to heat, and I lower my hands down to Tyler's hips, almost to his ass. I pause, waiting for permission, but he leans closer, encouraging me.
But then a growl slowly rises from his throat, and the sound, which I've come to associate with the curse itself, pulls me out of the moment.
"Tyler?" I ask, backing away. Please, not this again. Don't let our passion bring out the beast in him.
He blinks and backs into the railing, then looks over his shoulder. "There's a deer. I smelled it."
But I don't let out a sigh of relief. Of course the wolf in Tyler still wants to hunt. Things are the way they were before I arrived. That doesn't mean that Tyler is in the safe zone.
"But we're getting back together," I say. "The curse should be fading, if anything."
"I want...to hunt," Tyler says, clawing at his shirt. His arm seems to be moving on its own.
"You just ate," I say as the back door creaks open and Valerie steps out.
"Tyler?" she asks.
"I've got to hunt," he says. "Haven't killed in a week. It's coming back."
"No," I gasp. "Tyler. You can control this." I sink my hands into his shoulders as he whirls, making me break my grasp.
"I can't!" He faces the woods, where I see a large brown animal—the deer—wandering between two trees, unaware that its life is drawing to a close. Hair breaks out on the back of his neck. "I've been trying. It's still here."
"Tyler!"
The back door opens again and now Chaz comes out along with Cammie. Chaz joins me in restraining Tyler. Chaz pulls him back, and Tyler growls.
"Hold it back," Chaz shouts in his face.
"If I do I'll attack someone," Tyler shouts in his face, breaking away from Chaz and vaulting over the railing. He lands in the snow on all fours despite still being in human form.
He's losing it again.
And then dark fur sprouts and clothing rips.
I can't move. Valerie grips the railing next to me and shakes her head, and from the side I read the fear in her blue eyes.
A dark wolf crawls out of Tyler's clothes when the sounds of painful shifting die, and Tyler runs after the deer, which is oblivious until Tyler is almost upon it.
"He's hunting without the pack," Chaz says.
The deer whips its head towards Tyler, flinches, and then runs. And Tyler and the animal are gone a moment later, vanished between the trees.
CHAPTER FOUR
"Beckah, stay back. Tyler's not after you but we have to make sure he gets that deer," Valerie says, shoving me back into the cabin.
"What did I do wrong?" I ask, grabbing the door frame.
Valerie softens her glare at me. "Nothing. His aggression wasn't directed at you. He smelled prey and hasn't hunted for a week."
"What's going on?" Gia asks from inside.
"Tyler shifted," I say, my voice sounding empty and dead.
Gia's eyes widen from her spot between the kitchen and living room. I close the door behind me as the sounds of the rest of the pack changing shape break out. I don't look. I don't want to look and have this holiday completely ruined.
"But he just ate," Gia says.
If the situation wasn't so tense I'd laugh at how similar Gia and I are. Outside, footsteps and wolf nails scrape against the deck and vanish as the wolves run into the snow. And as quick as Tyler lost control, silence falls.
Gia and I stare at each other for what feels like minutes. At last, I speak. "I should arm myself, just in case." Horror fills me as the words slip from my mouth.
"Do you think the wolves will come back and attack?" Gia asks.
I hold back tears. "I don't think so, but we'd better be safe. The Rose Pack aren't the only wolves out there."
* * * * *
I help Gia clean up with my crossbow resting on the table. The silver arrows lie beside it, reminding me of what I've done and what I've had to become. They shine under the bare dining room bulb. If Tyler comes back and attacks us, if he doesn't get that deer and still needs to sate his beastly hunger, we need to be ready.
And I could have to use my silver weapons to defend Gia and I.
I could have to kill Tyler. I've shot him once before, and he forgave me, but that was with a regular arrow that couldn't kill him. These arrows? They will end him.
Swallowing down my terror, I wrap up leftovers and keep one eye out the window. But the light fades and the more it does, the more I wonder where the Rose Pack has gone. Their clothes remain on the deck and I've moved Tyler's out of the snow and onto the dry planks as well.
"They'll come back eventually," Gia says, finishing the last of the dishes. "Maybe they'll be out for the night and come back in the morning. They're just after a deer."
"Tyler lost control when he was making out with me. Again," I say.
Gia frowns and turns off the sink. "But it was because of the deer, not you."
I know that, but can't help feeling terrible. "Could the curse be trying to stop him from falling in love with me completely? Maybe the curse even put that deer there to distract him."
That's my fear.
Or it could be worse.
What if there's still something else between us?
Tyler and I are doing well otherwise, but I can't shake the thought.
"Why don't we both go to bed?" Gia asks. "We'll hear the wolves if they come back. When they shift, they're noisy. And I'm sure they went deep into the woods and will stay there until they're sated."
Gia's adjusted to this new reality better than I have. Then again, the alternative—harsh, real life—was worse.
But in the end, we go to bed, exhausted from the day. I eventually fall asleep after listening for the Rose Pack's return for hours and eyeing the darkness outside for any sign of the wolves. Heavy night finally swallows me and on the other side of a blink, I wake the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window. It's another sunny, crisp late fall day, and the smell of heated leftovers fills the cabin. At least we have a long weekend and I don't have school. Tower Market is also closed, so Gia doesn't have to work.
"Hey, Gia," I say, entering the k
itchen. I scratch my wrist, which has refused to stop itching since I woke this morning. Ugh.
"I haven't seen the Rose Pack yet," she says. "Their clothes are still on the deck. I beat them out on the railing to get the snow off them early this morning, since about an inch came down overnight."
"Thanks," I say, not feeling any relief. "You're taking all of this very well."
"I suppose we all react differently," Gia says. "I'm sure they'll be back soon. None of them will want to shift back into human form in this weather. It's barely above freezing outside."
"You're awesome because you make sense," I tell Gia.
The Rose Pack appears a moment later, as if Gia knew that things would turn out okay, and the four wolves, two light wolves and two dark wolves, trot from the woods and to the deck. The first, Tyler, meets my gaze through the window as he climbs calmly up the stairs.
"They look okay, like they normally do," Gia says. "We don't need that bow."
I've left it on the kitchen table. Quickly, I gather it and the arrows and rush to my room, sliding them under the bed. I'm relieved Gia's seen the Rose Pack in their wolf forms plenty of times from a distance, the way the rest of Tower has. When I return to the kitchen, they're all waiting on the deck. Tyler nods and I know he's heard us. He stands over his clothes, waiting.
"They need privacy," I say, closing the kitchen curtain. The back door is solid wood, so that's a non-issue as the cracks and pops start.
Gia plugs her ears. I frown at her, knowing that there is no getting used to the painful sounds. But they stop, and the sounds of dressing and zippers float through the door. Finally, there's a knock.
And I let Tyler in. He smiles and I know the beast is once again sated.
"Better?" I ask, because that beats asking how the curse is doing.
"For now," Tyler says. "We got the deer. It was a good, long hunt. Took a while, though."
"Great," I say, waving Tyler into the living room while the others ohh and ahh over the aromatic leftovers out on the counter. Gia makes small talk that fades into the background as Tyler and I step onto the old rug and stand between the TV and the old leather couch.
"We got the deer," Tyler repeats.
"Clearly. You look fine right now. Your eyes are clear and you look like yourself," I tell him, giving him a peck on the lips. "But what set you off? I used to temper your curse, and now every time we make out, it gets worse again."
Tyler frowns. I've gotten right to it.
"I'm sorry, but we have to figure this out," I say. "I don't want the curse to consume you. Why isn't it gone yet?"
"I don't want that, either. I'm stumped," Tyler says, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I've been thinking about what Sarah said. We might have to unseat my parents from their throne after all. Or talk to Alan again. He's been around, but keeping his distance. It's possible we'll be able to talk to him in a civilized way and get some more answers."
"We've gotten all the information out of him already," I say as a tense feeling settles in my gut. I don't want to remind Tyler of what Sarah hinted at: that the Roses have to learn compassion and release this town from their terror. That all of the Roses have to do that. She hinted that there might be more to this curse than Tyler simply falling in love.
"I fear the same," Tyler says. "I know Alan better than anyone. He might have sneaked off a lot, but he was never one to seek attention."
Maybe you have to stop your parents from owning this whole town and using everyone in it. But Tyler feels like dirt about that and I fear that'll just make him spiral again. And shift, because strong emotions also set him off. I'm hoping that's not the case.
"I think we should head back out to the vacation house. It should be safe for us to walk together now that you've hunted," I say.
Tyler smiles. "Yeah. We should check on the plant. I think Alan's been putting more plant food on it and watching it when we're gone. He's probably on our side now."
Tyler hopes to see Alan again on good terms. And I'm shocked to know that I want to as well. "It's only right that we mend things with the guy. I believe you when you say he's not really a horrible person."
* * * * *
After feasting on leftovers, I take my crossbow (at Tyler's insistence) and start the walk to the vacation house with the Rose Pack. Luckily the Rose Pack knows the trail through the woods to get there the fastest, and Gia is okay with me heading out on my own without Gavin.
I think I've earned her trust.
But I still keep my bow up while Tyler and the others walk beside me, keeping their eyes and ears on our surroundings.
The silence drags out. I've got to say something, because walking without saying a word is awkward. I know Tyler's worried about whatever's still setting off his curse, and the others going through the same.
"What are you guys going to do once the curse is removed?" I ask. "I know we've got to be close to it."
Valerie sighs. "I don't know yet, but I'm not going back home." She looks to Cammie, her more timid sister, and they both furrow their brows and shake their heads.
"Maybe you can stay with me and Gia?" I ask. "Of course, I'd have to bring that up with her, and we'd be a little cramped, but we'd make it work."
"That might be a good idea," Cammie says. I've gotten that she's the girl who doesn't talk much, that Valerie is the one to stick up for her. If she weren't part of the Rose Pack, then she'd be the timid girl in the back of the room that the teacher always seems to miss calling on.
"So home was that bad?" I ask.
I only bring people into the pack if they need it. Tyler's shoulders rise and I know there's a horrible story there, just as there was with Alan.
"It was our brother," Valerie says. "He used to...well, I don't want to talk about it."
She lets the words hang between the trees and over our heads. And I swallow a disgusting taste in my mouth, realizing what she might be talking about.
"You don't have to say anything," I say, turning my gaze to Chaz. What horrible situation did he escape? I realize that I don't know the Rose Pack as well as I thought. Each one of them has a story as tragic as Tyler's.
How much horror has happened in this town? How many lives has Tower swallowed?
Chaz frowns at me. "I was homeless before Tyler took me in. And it was winter."
"Oh. That really sucks. I'm sorry."
I wait for Chaz to elaborate but he doesn't. How did he end up homeless? The Roses? I look to Tyler, but he doesn't look away the way he normally does when his parents are mentioned. Maybe there's another factor involved, but no one talks about it, so I leave it be.
We reach the vacation house ten minutes later to find the blue tarp still over the rose bush. But this time, someone is standing there, removing the tarp and preparing a watering can. I recognize the figure in the leather jacket and covered in tattoos, and I know that Alan has returned.
Slowly, he straightens and faces us, expression neutral.
We all stop. And I tighten my grip on my bow, though I keep it lowered.
"Alan," I breathe. I haven't seen him in a few weeks, but he looks the same as he did that day that Gavin and I wandered into his new territory and found him.
"We knew he was here," Tyler whispers. "Hey, Alan!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" I hiss, knowing full well that even from a hundred feet away, he can hear every word we're saying. But Alan doesn't react.
Alan continues to watch us, expressionless as the tattooed tan wolf on the top of his bald head bares its teeth and growls at us in silence.
"Because I don't think he's a threat," Tyler says. "And I didn't want him to smell fear. I think we should go and say hello."
Alan shifts leg to leg as if he wants to leave. He's in no shape to fight all of us. I have weapons that can end him and he's seen what I can do. And even without me, the Rose Pack outnumbers him four to one. Alan does not have the advantage. In fact, his jacket is dusty and his jeans have small holes in the knees. He's been living out h
ere on his own with no support and it's showing in the bags that hang under his eyes. Human or wolf, no one should be out here alone.
"Yes," I say. "We should go and say hello."
CHAPTER FIVE
None of us let our guard down as Tyler waves and we slowly approach Alan. He stands there like a stray cat who isn't sure if you're friend or foe, and equally unsure if he should flee or arch his back and stand his ground.
I killed at least one member of his former pack. I also arrived in Tower in the first place. He'll never forget that.
And as we approach, Alan doesn't take his gaze off me.
Then I wave. Bold, I know.
"You don't have your fellow hunter with you," Alan says, narrowing his eyes at me.
"I can see that," I say.
I'm shocked when Alan grins at my sarcasm. "You'd better watch out. I may be hot, but I also might lose control at any time," he says, stepping away from the rose bush. The tarp, now halfway off, slides off completely and reveals the snow-free plant and the watering can now beside it. The scarlet blossoms are still marred with tan spots of blight and so are the leaves. Is the bush a little worse than it was? Plant food forms a ring around the base, but the stem is still damaged and brown in places where Alan tried to bite it before. He's been busy trying to undo the damage he's caused, but it's not working. Alan's work is just slowing down the rot and buying us a bit more time.
"Glad we're not on bad terms here. Do you know any more about the curse Sarah put on me?" Tyler asks, wasting no valuable time. "If you do, then that would be a big help to all of us. Maybe you won't end up out here in the woods forever, man." He takes on a friendly tone that he must have used with Alan before all this hit the fan.
"I told you all the details I know. You have to fall in love for real, kissy kissy goo goo, and you've got to show some compassion to the people of Tower. What more is there to that? The rest is on you," Alan says. Now he narrows his gaze at Tyler and it's clear he's turning his resentment away from me and to his former pack leader and savior. "Sarah didn't give me any more details. I appreciate you killing her, of course, because she was going to stab me in the back. She was going to stab all of us in the back because you haven't stopped the curse yet. Stop messing around and get with the program."
