His heart ached with resolve. He’d go further into the mountains, further than he’d ever been during his explorations. Ryan didn’t worry about survival. He was wolf, a hunter. He would travel until he reached some kind of sanctuary. Once he found it, he could start anew.
Chloe drifted through his mind again. He’d have to chance going back to Hunde. He had to see her one last time. If possible, he died just a little inside at the thought of being without her. But what choice did he have? He would not, could not endanger her further by selfishly keeping her to himself. He would break her heart, if necessary. She might never forgive him, but she had to forget him for her own good.
Before long, he made it to the outskirts of town. Keeping to the wooded areas and back alleys, he kept a lookout for danger. He’d just rounded the corner of a house and darted behind the fence when he heard familiar voices.
“I don’t understand why he’d do something like this,” Jenna said. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Ryan’s ears shifted forward and he craned his neck to peek around the corner of the house. Chloe walked between the two older girls as they moved along the sidewalk. They moved with a sense of purpose as Amy pointed toward the end of the street. Since when did Chloe and Jenna hang out with Amy?
He followed them, quiet as a shadow, as they moved past two more homes. Finally, the alley ended and opened onto a cross street. He fretted for a moment, wondering if he should chance being seen, then remembered that Chloe could read his thoughts.
“Chloe!”
Her head whipped around and she stumbled. Had Jenna not grabbed her arm, she would have fallen.
“What is it?” Jenna asked then turned to gaze in the same direction. “Did you hear something?”
Amy continued moving onward with purpose. The way she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes indicated that she found a trail to follow.
“Chloe, come to the alley across the street. I need to talk to you.” Ryan waited for her and hoped she’d come alone.
Within moments, Chloe’s shadow fell across the side of the house. Her eyes were huge when she spotted him. She stumbled toward him then fell to her knees beside him.
“Ryan,” she whispered in relief against his fur. Her arms wound around him, squeezing tightly. “I was so scared I’d never see you again.”
Ryan’s heart sank. Still, he knew he had to say the words that would break both their hearts. “I only came to say goodbye.”
“No.” She drew back to stare at him. Tears shimmied down her cheeks then were absorbed by his fur. “You can’t.”
“I have to leave Hunde. It’s not safe here. You’re not safe if I stay.” Ryan nuzzled his nose against her throat. “I’m so sorry that you got dragged into this mess.”
She drew back to stare at him. “Please don’t go. What you said before, about me being your beloved … doesn’t that matter to you?”
“Of course it does.” Ryan was glad he was in wolf form for this because wolves don’t cry. “It’s killing me to do this, but I have to. I have to protect you.”
“Ryan?” Quick footsteps announced Jenna’s discovery. Like Chloe, she fell to her knees on the other side and hugged him. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Chloe lowered her gaze from his. She said, “He’s leaving Hunde. He came to say goodbye.”
He nipped at her hand, daring her to look at him. “It’s not like I want to leave you.”
“Then stay,” Chloe said in a shuddery voice that hinted at more tears.
“You know I can’t. Not yet.” He nuzzled her beneath the chin. “Not until they find Travis and clear my name.”
“Help us find him,” she said as she stroked fingers through his fur. “Everyone’s out looking for him. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Does anyone have a lead?” Ryan asked.
“Yes.” Chloe pointed at the charm hanging around Jenna’s neck. “She’s made a location charm and Amy caught his scent earlier.”
His ears perked at that. There might be hope.
Jenna threw her hands up in frustration. “It’s so weird listening to you and Chloe carry on a conversation, especially when I can only hear Chloe’s end. It’s like she’s got some kind of weird mind-meld thing going on.”
“Yeah, care to explain how that works?” Amy asked from the mouth of the alley. Strangely enough, he hadn’t heard her approach.
Jenna whirled around then breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Amy standing there. Just as quickly, her features were swallowed in worry.
Ryan was on his feet, ready to bolt. Chloe’s hands fell away from him and she simply stared at the ground.
Amy’s eyebrows rose to meet her hairline when she spotted Ryan. “What the hell are you doing here? I didn’t let you go just so you could come back and get caught again.”
“He’s saying goodbye,” Jenna said then patted him on the head. She stood then picked up the tote bag she’d dropped while hugging him. She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, “Don’t break her heart, Ryan.”
He glanced at Chloe. Her shoulders were slumped and her head was bowed. A tear dripped from her cheek and splattered the dusty concrete. Maybe saying goodbye was the coward’s way out. He loved Chloe with all his being. Perhaps he should stay and fight…
“Yes, you should,” Chloe said in answer to his thoughts.
Amy crossed her arms over her chest and looked from Ryan to Chloe. “How are you doing that?”
Appearing a bit flustered, Jenna laughed and said, “She’s not doing anything, just talking to him.”
Amy didn’t look convinced. “I heard her. It was like she was reading his mind or something. It sounded like she was holding a real conversation with him.”
Chloe stood then wiped the knees of her jeans off. Her cheeks were wet and she didn’t bother looking at Ryan. “Don’t be silly, Amy.”
A short burst of laughter exploded from the blonde’s throat. “I’m a wolf, she’s supposedly a witch. For all I know, you could be some kind of psychic mind reader. Besides, who knows what other kinds of freaks are out there.”
Chloe glanced at Jenna, worry and fear danced in her eyes.
Ryan growled at Amy in warning. Taking the hint, she turned to peer out at the street.
“Remember what we were doing before this sad little reunion?” Amy asked with a sneer. “Well, if anyone’s interested, I think I know where Coach went.”
“You picked up his scent?” Jenna asked.
“No, I just saw his car.” Amy turned to dash out of the alley.
“Where? I didn’t see it.” Jenna ran after her. “Hey, wait up!”
Chloe started to follow, but stopped once she reached the street. She turned to look at him with miserable, hopeful eyes. “Are you coming?”
The tip of his tail twitched and sent dirt devils spiraling across the ground. When he didn’t immediately get up, Chloe said, “Fine. Run away and hide.”
With that cutting remark, she turned to follow her friends.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Quick, this way,” Amy said then turned down a dirt road at the end of the street.
A mailbox with the mismatched letters, M. Lewis, sat on a pole that tilted a bit too far to the left. Chloe’s heart raced as she hurried behind her friends. “Do we have a plan? We can’t just march up to him and ask if he has your brother tied up in the guest room.”
Jenna hopped over a pothole filled with muddy water then grabbed Amy’s arm. “We’re just going to look around, right?”
Amy jerked her arm away then practically marched up the gravel road. “If Travis is here, I’m gonna find him. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
“Why would he be here?” Jenna asked with a glance at Chloe. “He’s not in sports. Do they even know each other?”
Amy continued walking. “Coach has been in contact with Travis recently. If he doesn’t cooperate, I’ll tear him apart until he tells me where my brother is.”
Chloe gripped her arm and forced
her to stop. “We need to think this through.”
Jenna pointed at the sun that just peeked over the treetops. “It’s almost dark now. Maybe we should go back to town and talk to your dad about this.”
“Not a chance,” Amy’s low whisper sounded a lot like a growl. “He’s acting dodgy and if he has Travis, he might try to get rid of him.”
“We’ll wait until its darker then sneak up to the house.” Chloe said as she pulled Amy toward the trees lining the drive. “We don’t want him to see us.”
“Then what?” Jenna asked as she followed. “We’re just going to peek in the windows and see if Travis is there? What if he is?”
“I don’t know, but it’s a start.” Chloe lowered herself to the ground to a sitting position.
Jenna pursed her lips. “What are you gonna do if he is?”
“I’ll tear Coach to pieces,” Amy said with an angry huff.
Chloe pulled them both to the ground beside her. “We’ll watch and see what he does, where he goes. Maybe that’ll give a clue as to whether he knows where Travis is or not.”
Amy hugged herself around the middle. “Maybe if I could get into the house…”
Jenna lifted the necklace and eyed it. “I should probably cast another spell on this. It must have worn off by now.”
Amy rolled her eyes. “That thing doesn’t work.”
Instead of getting angry, Jenna said, “I’ll do it anyway. What can it hurt?”
“Whatever,” Amy watched her with a smirk.
Jenna gathered a pile of leaves then smoothed them out. “Look, I want to find your brother as much as you do. I’m going to prove Ryan is innocent.”
“I know he is,” Amy said beneath her breath.
Chloe said, “It would be nice if everyone thought so.”
Jenna laid the charm on a pile of leaves she’d gathered. She removed the remaining mixture from the vial and dripped it over the wolf’s fang. After chanting the words she’d used before, she replaced it around her neck.
“Told you so,” Amy said when it failed to glow.
“We’re not even near the house yet,” Jenna said in defense. “Give it a chance, Amy. I keep telling you that in order for magic to work, you have to believe in it.”
“Well, I don’t.” Amy stood to peer past the trees.
“That’s funny,” Jenna said quietly. “You turn into a wolf sometimes. Is that not magic?”
“It’s a gift,” Amy huffed.
Chloe stood then dusted the seat of her jeans. “If the two of you are done arguing, we can probably move a little closer now.”
Several minutes later, the girls were hidden in the trees closest to the house. The lights came on inside and Coach passed by the window a few times. Chloe thought he might be in the kitchen, but wasn’t sure.
“What’s he doing?” Jenna asked as she craned her neck to peer around Chloe.
“This is stupid.” Amy stood up. “I’m going to take a look around.”
“Careful,” Jenna whispered then scrambled to catch up.
Chloe carefully stepped over some trash scattered in the yard until she reached the others. “See anything?”
“Not really,” Amy whispered. “He just finished eating a sandwich.”
Inside, Coach stood and picked up his plate. He dumped it into the sink then turned to open the fridge. He peered inside, moved a few things around then withdrew a package of meat. He tore the package open then dug his fingers into the raw mass of ground meat. Chloe clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp when he brought the mess to his mouth. He chewed for a moment, made a face then slammed it onto the table.
“Gross,” Jenna whispered. Chloe nodded in agreement.
“Let’s see where he goes,” Amy said as she duck walked beneath the window.
Chloe heard Coach’s footsteps pounding across the hardwood floor. It sounded like he was going toward the back of the house and he was in a hurry.
The girls followed the sound until they reached what looked like a den. Peeking in through the window, they watched as he moved past the sofa and desk. He seemed agitated and was muttering to himself.
“Can you hear what he’s saying?” Chloe asked.
Amy shook her head. “Not really. I can hear the tone of voice, but not the words. He seems irritated about something.”
“Maybe he didn’t like the hamburger meat,” Jenna whispered.
Coach pulled the t-shirt over his head and slung it to the floor. He examined a series of angry scratches that ran down his midsection and curved toward his back. A deep bite mark looked raw and angry on his right shoulder.
“His puppy didn’t do that,” Chloe whispered. Then she realized she hadn’t seen anything to indicate that he even had a puppy on the premises.
Amy and Jenna looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. Chloe explained, “He had a puppy when we first moved here and brought it to mom’s clinic.”
“So?” Amy said with a smirk. “What’s that have to do with anything?”
“Well,” Chloe peeked over the windowsill again. She didn’t hear or feel any of the pup’s emotions. “Where is it? He blamed the bite on his leg and hand on the puppy. I bet if we asked him about all those scratches and the bite on his shoulder, he’d blame the dog again.”
Amy shook her head. “There’s no dog here. I saw a small mound of dirt over there by the trees. If he had a dog, I’d know it.”
Chloe said, “What if it’s not a dog, but a wolf that’s been biting and scratching him?”
Amy sprung to her feet, but Chloe grabbed her arm and jerked her back down. Amy twisted away from her and said, “Travis might be here. I’ve got to get into the house.”
Chloe and Jenna exchanged a worried glance. Her friend held up the necklace to check for a glow. Chloe’s insides squirmed when there was none. Her breath hitched in her lungs. It killed her inside, but she had to say it, “Amy, Travis might not be in good shape when and if we find him.”
Amy’s eyes shimmered with tears as she glanced at Jenna. “Is that why your necklace isn’t working?”
“I- I don’t know.” Jenna dropped it beneath her shirt so it was hidden away.
“I’ve got an idea,” Chloe said. “Jenna can go to the door and tell him that we’re looking for Travis in this area.”
“What?” Jenna asked, her brows pulled down and she looked scared. “Why do I have to go to the door? He’s your coach.”
“Amy and I will go around back and see if we can get into the house. She has the wolfy nose and might be able to tell if her brother’s been here or not,” Chloe explained calmly.
“What if he hears the two of you?” Jenna asked. Fear made her voice tremble.
“Just make up something like we’re in the area and don’t want him to be alarmed. Or ask if he’d help you look around. I don’t know, just think of something.”
Amy gripped the windowsill. “What the hell is he doing now?”
Chloe peered over the sill as a shockwave of disbelief trickled down her spine. She squeezed her eyes shut in hopes she was imagining things, but when she opened them again, the same scene played out.
Coach Lewis removed a dusty old wolf pelt from the trunk sitting by the fireplace. He shook it out then wrapped the legs around his shoulders. The animal’s head flopped back like a macabre hood. Its teeth shone dully in the firelight. Its eyes looked like pieces of glazed glass. Coach reached back to grasp the head and pulled it over the top of his scalp. He bared his teeth then said, “I have become the wolf.”
“Oh my god. This is so much worse than I thought.” Chloe clutched at her friend’s hands. “He’s a raving lunatic.”
Jenna picked up the charm hanging around her neck then frowned. It still wasn’t glowing.
“Change of plans,” a familiar voice sounded in Chloe’s head.
The black wolf nudged himself beneath Chloe’s arm. Next to her, Jenna breathed a sigh of relief.
“What do you mean change of plans?” Chloe whi
spered.
Amy kept an eye on Coach Lewis as he stalked around the room. He snarled and growled. He even hooked his fingers like claws.
Ryan said, “Tell Jenna to go bang on the door and pretend that she’s scared. Have her tell him that a wolf is chasing her.”
Chloe relayed his message. Jenna nodded then glanced at Ryan. “What if he tries to hurt you?”
Ryan’s tongue flicked Jenna’s hand. “Tell her not to be scared, but I’m going to act like I’m going to eat her up.”
“He’s gonna act like the big bad wolf,” Chloe explained. “But it’s just an act, okay? He’ll be there to protect you should anything go wrong.”
Jenna nodded then swallowed nervously. “I’ve always wanted to be an actress.”
“When this is all over,” Amy whispered, “You’re going to have to teach me how to read minds.”
Instead of answering her, she said, “Ready?”
Ryan and Jenna moved toward the front of the house. Chloe and Amy snuck to the back. Amy carefully opened the back door and eased inside. Chloe followed and listened for any indication that Travis was there.
The only thing she could hear was Jenna screaming. Her fists beat on the front door as she yelled for Coach to open the door. Just below the screaming, she heard Ryan’s ferocious growls. He was very convincing and if she hadn’t known better, she’d really believe that he was about to tear Jenna’s throat out.
Coach’s thundering footsteps carried him toward the front door and Jenna’s banging. “What’s going on?” he demanded.
Jenna’s voice carried through the small house. “Help! It’s going to kill me.”
Chloe and Amy tiptoed through the house and took slow, calculated steps to keep the wooden floor from creaking. When they reached the den, they discovered the pelt that Coach had thrown off at Jenna’s interruption. Amy crouched down and picked it up.
The Bad Wolf Page 22
