“So is a blood-thirsty wolf.”
“I see your point.” She downs the rest of her water and carefully approaches me. Her steps are slow, tentative, and she eyes the chain like it’s a snake coiled to strike. I know she’s scared. Heck, I’m scared too, but this is the only way to make sure the wolf doesn’t hurt anybody else.
I heave the collar up and over her head. She’s so small, it slips right over her shoulders. “You better lie down, I think. It’s too big.”
She considers me for a moment, then lies on the ground and positions her head inside the ring, holding it in place with her hands. “I’m supposed to lie here until I turn into the wolf? And the chains will hold?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s what you do.”
“And the chains will hold?”
I shove my hands in my pockets and clear my throat. “Except for that last time, they’ve always held.” I smile at her, but I think she can tell it’s forced. She has a wary look on her face, like she doesn’t trust me yet. Funny thing is, I trust her completely.
I sit on the ground next to her. I’ve got about five minutes before she turns into Makkapitew, so if I’m going to ask the burning question, it has to be now. “Back when you got in all that trouble . . . with the fire and all . . .”
Her expression hardens, and she gazes off into the distance.
“Well, I’ve always wondered why you didn’t turn me in. I mean, you coulda had me put in a cage right along with you if you’d told them the truth.”
She looks at me now, pressing her lips together like she has something to say but doesn’t want to say it. Her eyes search mine, and I try to give her all the reassurance I can. I need her to trust me. I want her to.
“Why’d you go through it alone?” I say.
She shrugs and pretends to examine the collar around her neck. “What good would it have done to make you suffer too?”
She stares intently into my eyes for what seems like forever but is probably only half a second. Her dark eyes draw me in, tiny windows to her kind, compassionate soul. My gaze travels to her lips, and I’ve got this incredible urge to kiss her, but I don’t think seconds before she turns into a man-eating wolf is good timing. Instead, I hop to my feet and climb to the lowest branch of a nearby tree. I’m sure the chain will hold, but just in case.
She eyes me warily. “Why are you up a tree?”
I give her my best reassuring smile. “Just a precaution.”
“So you aren’t sure the chain will hold?”
“No worries. It’s . . . better safe than sorry, you know?”
“You’re not sure, are you?” She tries to sit up, but the collar is too heavy. She ends up on her knees, bending down to fit her head through the ring.
“I . . .” I glance up at the sky. The sun has almost disappeared behind the horizon. She’s going to transform any second now. “I . . .”
“Liam, I need you to be sure.” She slips her head out and sits up fully, resting one hand on the collar to keep it from falling over. The last rays of light dissolve into night.
“I’m sure. I’m positive.” I jump down and run toward her. I heave the collar up to put it on her. “Please put the collar back on before—” But it’s too late. Her body stiffens, shimmering with magic as the wolf seizes control. The transformation is quick. The collar thuds as it falls to the ground, and I’m face-to-face with Makkapitew.
“Well, the chains would’ve held if you’d have kept them on.”
His lips peel back to reveal his daggerlike teeth, and a low growl rumbles from his chest. I’m frozen to the spot, staring into his deep-red eyes. I focus on Wren’s soul, and there it is, at the base of the wolf’s skull, glowing, not silver like Todd’s did, but gold. A golden soul is fully connected to the body, fully able to function.
“Wren, I know you’re in there.” My hands are shaking, and all I can hear is my pulse thrumming in my ears. “Take control. Please don’t let him eat me.”
He lunges forward, snapping his jaws, his teeth clamping down inches from my face. Warm saliva splatters my skin. His breath smells like death and sausage. I don’t know whether she stopped him from taking my head off or whether he just missed, but I’m not sticking around to find out. If animals can have facial expressions, I’d say he looks confused, so I take the chance. One step backward. Two steps back. Then I turn around and hightail it to the truck. Open the door. Dive in and slam it behind me. Lock it. Wolves can’t open doors, but this one is magical, so who knows?
My rifle is behind the seat. Too hard to get. Fumbling through Wren’s backpack, I find her pistol and pull it out. I don’t want to shoot her, but if I have to, I will. I can always heal her when she becomes human again.
The wolf prowls around the truck. He knows I’m inside. My breath fogs up the glass, so I wipe the condensation with my hand. He leaps at the door, teeth clanking on glass, and I scream like a little girl. His nails squeal down the side of the truck as he slides to the ground. That’s going to leave a mark.
I can’t see anything through the foggy windows, and my hand does nothing to clear away the steam. Maybe Wren has a T-shirt or something in her backpack I can use to wipe it away. I know he’s still out there, I just can’t see him.
Digging in her pack, I find a shirt to wipe the window, but something else catches my attention. A beautiful coral stone set in silver hangs from a delicate chain. I wonder why she’s never worn this. The stone is warm in my hand, pulsing with energy. What power does it have? And why has she kept it hidden? She seems so afraid of the Sense, I’m surprised she carries an enchanted necklace.
A loud crash sounds as the front of the truck bounces under the wolf’s weight. Frantically, I wipe the windshield to find myself face-to-face with him again, a mere quarter inch of glass separating us. He could shatter the window easily if he wanted.
One paw is on the windshield. Then the other paw. The glass groans, cracking under his weight. My back is pressed against the seat, my boots digging into the floorboard. Every muscle is tensed as I raise the gun, pointing its shaking barrel toward the animal. I aim for the leg, hoping to avoid hitting the creature in the heart or head. I don’t want to kill him . . . just immobilize him.
The necklace in my other hand pulses, heating in response to . . . what? My fear? The threat? Please, Wren. Please don’t let it kill me. The coral glows bright red, the pulsing energy trying to send me a signal. Lacing the chain through my fingers, I hold the necklace out toward the wolf and close my eyes, half expecting a laser or some sort of energy pulse to shoot from the stone and fry the beast.
But that doesn’t happen. The amulet glows and pulses, and Makkapitew stops growling. He stares through the windshield like he’s searching for something he can’t find. A moment later, he slides off the hood and sniffs around the truck. I wipe a tiny patch of fog from the window and watch him. He’s definitely searching for me, but it’s like I’ve disappeared. The amulet has made me invisible.
A laugh escapes my throat, and I slap my hand over my mouth. He really can’t see me. With brazen confidence, I wipe the entire window clear of fog and press my forehead to the glass. Makkapitew walks in a circle and stops to scratch his ear. He stretches like he’s doing doggie yoga and sits on his haunches. I’d be willing to say he was a beautiful creature if his teeth weren’t so big.
“Take that, Makka,” I shout from the safety of the truck. “You can’t get me if you can’t see me.”
His enormous muzzle smashes into the window, and I fly back onto the passenger side, scrambling to hold out the medallion so he can’t see me. His nostrils flare, his hot breath fogging the glass from the outside as he peers in. I try to control my breathing and recover from the heart attack I’ve just had. He can’t see me, but he sure can hear me all right.
I clasp the necklace around my neck and decide to keep my mouth shut until morning.
Chapter Eighteen
Wren
“I think I’ll berate you for going through my st
uff after you fix this headache. It’s killing me.” I let myself fall onto the tailgate next to Liam and lie back into the bed of the truck. My head feels like a bowling ball that’s been smashed with a sledgehammer.
He kneels over me, resting his hands on either side of my head, and I close my eyes and let him work his magic. My skin tingles, and warmth spreads through my body. I’m not sure whether his healing powers are making me feel this way or whether it’s my body reacting to his touch. His hands are calloused, but they’re so gentle and warm I want to snuggle into his arms and let him hug the pain away. The way his gaze lingered on my lips last night right before I transformed, I could’ve sworn he was going to kiss me. I almost wish he did.
No. No, I don’t. I do not have feelings for Liam. He’s just an incredibly cute, nice guy who’s risking his life to help save mine. I’ve got to stop thinking about him like this.
“I’m glad you made it back. I was thinking I was gonna have to go looking for you. Figured you headed back to New Portland.”
“I did.” Sitting up, I stretch my neck and test out my head. Only a dull ache. His powers are amazing. “Well, he did. It took a lot of convincing, but he finally agreed to stay close by.”
“You guys are buddies now?”
“If we were buddies, I could have stopped him from attacking you. He hates you, by the way.”
“I couldn’t tell.”
“He’s full of hate for all humans, but you have a special place in his heart.” I pat my hand over my own heart.
“Now why would he hate me more than anybody else? I’m trying to help him.”
“Because you lock him up. All he wants is freedom.”
“That’s what we all want, ain’t it?” He tosses me a peanut butter sandwich, and we eat in silence.
I finish my sandwich and shove the wrapper in a bag. “Where’d you get peanut butter?”
“From the store. Where else?” He looks at me like I’m crazy for asking.
“What store? You live in a cave in the side of a mountain.”
“Oh, we have people on the inside who help us.”
“Inside the city?”
“Yeah. Some family members help us out. Some people in the city who have the Sense but haven’t been caught, or some who just sympathize. They give us supplies we can’t get ourselves and information and stuff.” Sadness sets in his eyes as he stares at his hands and fidgets with his sandwich wrapper . . . a look I haven’t seen on his face since I told him I killed Todd. He shakes his head and takes a bite of his sandwich, and the sadness disappears as quickly as it came.
It makes sense others would know about their camp. My mom knew they were there. Just because I’m clueless about the Sense and the people who have it doesn’t mean everyone else is. I’ve chosen to stay in the dark about it. I thought I could keep myself and my mom safe if I ignored it. If I pretended it didn’t exist. That plan failed miserably.
After we’ve finished eating, he unclasps my necklace from his neck and holds it toward me. “Interesting amulet. Did you enchant it?”
“My mom did.” I want to snatch my mother’s last gift from him, but I fold my hands in my lap instead. “I can’t touch it. It burns.”
He peers at the amulet, turning it over in his hands. “Want me to put it in your bag?”
I shake my head. “Keep it. You need it more than I do right now. Once we find my dad and get the cure, I’ll take it back.”
His brow knits as he stares at the necklace. “It’s kinda girlie, but I suppose that’s okay.” He puts it on. “What’s it do exactly? It seemed like it made me invisible.”
“It did. To the wolf. I could see you, though, which was strange because I see through his eyes. But I could sense in his mind you weren’t visible as soon as you touched the necklace. He could hear you and smell you, and it was driving him crazy not being able to find you. I was so relieved when he finally gave up.”
“You and me both. Did he, uh . . . take you on any adventures?”
“He tried to. After losing you, his first instinct was to run to New Portland, to his territory. But that would’ve set us back an entire day, so I convinced him to stay close by.”
“How’d you manage that?”
I look at my hands folded in my lap, and heat flushes my cheeks. “I reminded him you were here, not in New Portland. That if he stayed close by, maybe tomorrow night he could—”
“You offered me up?” He jumps off the tailgate and turns to face me, fisting his hands on his hips.
“It was all I could think to do. He really hates you, so . . .”
He winks, a sly grin turning up the corners of his mouth. “Well, it’s a good thing I’ve got your magic necklace then, ain’t it?”
“Yeah.”
We load everything into the truck and head out onto the highway. It’s still early. There aren’t many cars on the road, and no one sees us pull out from the woods, so we’re safe for now. The truck was already beat up, so the scratches Makka made last night don’t stand out too much. Hopefully, we won’t draw any attention to ourselves.
Liam hasn’t said anything in the past half hour, which is unlike him. I can’t stand the silence anymore. “I’m sorry I used you as bait to keep Makkapitew around. He was intent on going to New Portland, and I had to do something. Are you mad?”
He keeps his eyes on the road. “I’m not mad.”
“Then why are you so quiet?”
He glances at me now, and the corner of his mouth twitches. “Just sorting some things out in my head. Hey, find us some tunes, will you?”
“If there’s something you need to talk about, I can—”
“I’m fine.” He turns to me and flashes a smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Everything’s all right.”
“Okay.” I turn on the radio and fidget with the dial. We’re so far between cities, it’s hard to pick up a good signal. Static and choppy bits of songs and commercials are all I can find. I finally find a decent station, and it’s a news channel. “This is the best I can do.”
He turns up the volume, and we listen to news about crashing stock prices and all the wonderful things President Martin is doing for our country. Tons of new genetically modified foods, more enforcers to police citizens and make sure everyone’s following his ridiculous rules. It doesn’t sound wonderful to me.
“How long has that guy been in office?” Liam asks.
“Twenty-something years, I think. Longer than we’ve been alive.”
“I heard there used to be a term limit and elections and stuff. No one could be president for more than like ten years or something.”
“It was eight years. We learned about it sophomore year. Don’t you remember?” Then I realize he doesn’t remember, because he wasn’t there. He never got to finish eighth grade. “I’m sorry. I forget . . .”
“That I’m uneducated?” He shrugs. “It’s no big deal. I know enough. There’s more to life than book smarts.”
“I wasn’t trying to say you aren’t smart. I—”
“It’s okay. So eight years, huh? Did you learn why Martin’s stuck around for so long then? How’d he manage to change the rules?”
“A few years after his election . . . with the Burning and the wolf problem . . . he put the country under martial law and hasn’t taken us off. Everyone accepted it because he did it to keep us safe. With everyone in tight quarters, the government’s resources aren’t as spread out, so they can do more for us. They taught us in school that it’s for our own good, but now I know it was to control us. Honestly, I never questioned it before.”
“You just chewed up and swallowed every lie they fed you.”
I shrug. “Pretty much.” I was happy in my ignorance.
“Most people did.”
“You didn’t.”
“I have a healthy dose of skepticism. Always have. It didn’t make sense that something you’re born with could be made illegal. That’s like saying having brown eyes is illegal.”
; “I guess I never thought of it that way.”
He turns up the radio. “Hey listen to this.”
“ . . . escaped from a New Portland prison last week, and is thought to be headed to New Mexico. The fugitive should be considered armed and dangerous, and all citizens should be on the lookout. If she is spotted, do not approach or attempt to apprehend her. Contact local authorities immediately.”
I stare at the radio, half expecting a hand to reach through and grab me. “They’re talking about me.”
“You think?” He chews his lip and grips the steering wheel tighter. “I knew you were being hunted, but how the heck do they know where we’re headed?”
“I don’t know. I . . .” Then it hits me. “Seth.” The weasel. How could someone who supposedly loved me be so intent on ending my life?
“Your boyfriend? But how?”
“He’s not my . . . Because I told him. I told him my father’s name, how my mom said he had a cure. When they couldn’t find any signs of the wolf, he must have assumed I’d go after my dad.”
“I suppose so.”
“How many Michael Cranes could there be in this country? I’m sure once they found the one who works with the wolves, they figured it out easily.”
“Well, that puts a damper on things.” He switches off the radio. “I guess we won’t be waltzing up to dear old Dad and quietly asking if he has a cure, will we? Or . . . what was your plan once we got to Roswell, anyway?”
“I guess I was just planning to ask him. I hadn’t thought it through that far.”
His eyebrows scrunch in concentration as he taps the steering wheel with his thumbs. “All right. Well, he works in a military compound, so we can’t walk in and demand to see the guy, can we? We don’t have clearance.”
“No, I guess not.”
“Especially not since you’re on their radar. If he didn’t know you existed before, he does now, and he’ll be expecting you.”
“Right. And my mom must have had a reason for not telling him about me, so how do we even know if we can trust him?”
“We can’t trust anyone who works for the government, family or not. You and me? We’re exactly the kind of people the government is trying to get rid of. We aren’t safe anywhere.”
Soul Catchers Page 11
