The Hunted

by C.J. Hart

  “Sure, okay.” He manages a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Uh-huh.” I yank open the door and slip in.

  I skip the supermarket—we have everything I need to make butter chicken at home—and head for Rocky Roads.

  Eve greets me with her usual saccharine smile. “Cass! Come to continue our conversation? Tell me everything Marcus said!”

  “Actually, I came for the ice cream.” I slide onto a barstool.

  Her eyes assess my face. “You look like you need a triple scoop. Chocolate fudge?”

  “Hit me.”

  While she scoops ice cream into a bucket, I tell her about my day.

  “That’s fab!” She adds sprinkles and caramel sauce.

  I feel my face scrunch. “No, it’s not. He has Tori. It’s creepy.”

  “I guess.” Handing me her creation, she rests her forearms on the counter. “But a hot guy talking to you is something, you have to admit.”

  I’d rather it be a single hot guy.

  “Soda?” she says.

  I nod.

  “What do you know about Kerouac?”

  “Why?” I say, scooping ice cream onto a spoon and bringing it to my mouth.

  “Didn’t you see the essay question on the board in English?”

  So, I was right—there is an essay.

  I shake my head. “You know Mrs. Browne—she leaves things up for ten seconds and then wipes it off.”

  “True.” She passes me a pink-and-white striped paper cup. “I’ll let you copy it out of my book if we can research it together…” She flashes me a hopeful grin.

  I already know his life back to front, as I read his biography last summer. “Sure.” I sip my drink. Cola.

  “He was a writer, right?”

  “Yes, from the fifties,” I say around a mouthful of dessert.

  “Grandad says all they did was drink, party, and smoke weed back then.”

  “Among other things.”

  A young couple enters the shop.

  “What can I get you?” Eve says to them.

  “A scoop of mocha,” says the man, “another of tiramisu, and two hot chocolates.”

  “Sure thing.” Eve busies herself with their order as the couple moves to the table in the corner.

  My cell phone chirrups. Retrieving it from my pocket, I swipe the screen.

  Dad: Emergency at the hospital. Be home late. Take money from the tin for dinner.

  Dinner for one again. A sigh escapes my lips. Nothing unusual. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.

  Eve delivers the ice cream and beverages to the customers. “Have a great night!” she says to them before swiveling to me. “Why the sour face?”

  “What’re you doing tonight?” I say.

  She thinks for a beat. “Nothing much.”

  “Wanna work on that essay? Includes dinner of your choice.”

  “Sure!”

  “What time do you finish?”

  She peeks at the clock. “At four-thirty. I’m not closing tonight.”

  “Cool. Is five okay?”

  “Five sounds great.”

  Standing, I hand her five one-dollar notes. “Keep the change. I better go. See you then?”

  “Yep. Bye!”

  ***

  At 5:09, Eve raps on the screen door. “Sorry I’m late,” she says through the wire. “Riley was having a meltdown.”

  I unlock the door. “That’s okay.”

  She slips inside. “Mom wouldn’t let me go until he calmed down.”

  “Evie, it’s fine.”

  Dumping her bag on the hall table, she falls into an armchair.

  “What do you feel like for dinner?”

  She shrugs. “What’s on offer?”

  “Pizza? Chinese? Burgers? Aeston is our oyster.”

  Her lips twitch into a smile. “I never got that saying. What do oysters have to do with anything?”

  “I can defrost some lasagna.”

  She nods. “That sounds good.”

  “Okay, cool. I’ll do that; you grab your English books and get started.” I pretty much had the essay written—in my head at least. But that was something. Strolling into the kitchen, I pull out two containers, along with a bag of frozen fries. I’m assembling them on a tray when there’s another knock on the door. “I’ll get it,” I say. I shove the tray into the warming oven and sprint past Eve to the door.

  Uncle Scott grins at me. “Hey Cass. Your dad home?” His hair glistens with fine droplets.

  I let him in. “There was an emergency at the hospital.”

  “Ah.” His hands go to his hips, a flash of Sheriff Scott. Then he notices there’s another person in the room. “Hey, how’re you doing, Eve?”

  She glances up from her textbook. “Hi, Sheriff Spencer. I’m good.” She offers him a smile before returning to her assignment.

  He rests against the doorframe. “What time you expecting him?”

  I shrug. “He just said ‘late’.”

  He nods, and his brow furrows. “Insightful,” he teases.

  “Stay for dinner? I can put on another slice of lasagna.”

  “Nah. Robyn and the kids are expecting me.” He pushes off from the frame. “Just tell your dad there’s been high animal activity of late. And to be careful.”

  My eyebrow quirks upwards. “What kind of animals?”

  “Wolves, big cats, bears.” He opens the door and pauses. “You be careful, too, Cass.”

  I sense a double entendre to his words. “Always am.”

  “Rain check on the dinner,” he says as he steps out onto the porch.

  I follow. Sheets of a fine drizzle blow into our faces.

  “Take care.” Uncle Scott melds into the downpour.

  I click the deadbolt into place.

  “More wolf talk.” Eve’s eyes roll skywards.

  “What can I say? We Spencers are crazy for wolves.”

  ***

  The next afternoon, as the sun sinks lower in the sky, I sit on the porch and read City of Mayhem. I hadn’t seen the wolf since Saturday night. I’m beginning to believe he isn’t real. I’d made him up.

  I so want him to exist because then I am not crazy. And Dad won’t lock me up.

  Gulping some coffee, I bookmark my page. My skin prickles. I can feel eyes searing into my temple. I peer over my shoulder and shield my eyes against the glowing sun. Is someone there?

  I’m here, I think. Turn around. How can one little human girl have me twisted and tied in knots inside?

  She stiffens, swiveling to look over her shoulder, her blonde tendrils flickering in the afternoon sun.

  At the same time, I sink deeper into the bushes. What am I doing? There’s no hope of even being friends with her. I’m a monster. A creature of her nightmares.

  But I can’t tear myself away. My paws are frozen amongst the fallen branches and earth. My ears bent forwards, listening.

  She’s inside now, and she’s humming. What song? My wolf brain fails to recall its name. I want to go in there and show her who I really am, badly. The boy inside. I want to shed my claws and fur, but I can’t. Why? Scared she’ll hate me and call animal control?

  The door closes.

  And I am lost.

  Cassie

  I lay awake tonight, waiting. I want to see him again, a wolf I only glimpsed once. Though every inch of my brain is telling me to run, questioning why, my heart says to give him a chance. He’s not like the others that people fear. It’s something I feel deeply, etched into my ribs. I know he’s different—that and the fact that he hasn’t tried to eat me yet.

  And so I wait. Every creak of a floorboard, every movement, has me jumping out of my skin. Did I scare him away? Or is he watching from a distance?

  But he is a no-show.

  Maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks. A figment of my overactive imagination. Someone’s sadistic joke.

  The sound of dry leaves crunching under paws jolts me awake. I’m still outside her
house, hidden by branches and logs. My head pivots to see a puma sprinting towards me.

  “Seb, what the hell?” says Kat, his yellow-gold eyes fierce. “The whole pack has been looking for you, dumb ass. Let’s leave the pretty girl alone, and you can circle back and snack on her later, ’kay?”

  I growl, deep in my chest.

  “Hey, chill,” he says. “You know the rules, bro.” He jostles my shoulder. “It’s forbidden to fall in love with a human, yadda yadda yadda.”

  Snapping at him, my dagger-like teeth bared, I lunge for his jugular. I pin him to the forest floor. “You do not tell anyone about her, are we clear?” I know very well that they will be ordered to kill her if I don’t. And I wouldn’t be able to live with that.

  He nods before shaking me off him. “Fine, I got it. Clear as crystal.” He bumps my shoulder again. “So. Is she hot?”

  I shove him, hard. “Jerk.”

  He jostles me back. “Hey, I’m just askin’.”

  “You keep your filthy paws off her.”

  “Ooh, Sebby’s in love!” He thrusts out his lips and makes kissing noises.

  My ears prick up at soft footfalls. “Shut up!”

  Cassie

  I search for my car keys in the bowl by the door. They aren’t there. I can call Eve, have her pick me up on the way, but she may already be at school. This leaves one other option.

  Walk. In the rain.

  I slip my arms into my jacket, grab my bag, and lock up. I’m across the yard when I notice them. Muddy paw prints, bigger than my fist. They lead me around the house and into the trees. Something silver and shiny snags my attention. I creep forwards, through the fallen branches and over a log. A chill fires down my spine. My keys. How the heck did they get out here? I hook a finger into the ring, and then I hear rumbling. The ground is shaking beneath me. I steady myself and squint through the trees. My wolf and a puma wrestle, rolling over and over until the wolf is on top. He growls, teeth exposed, menacing. My heart threatens to dive out of my chest. I step back. My foot catches on a fallen branch, and I trip. They look up. My hands fly out to cushion my fall. But it’s too late. My skull cracks against a log, and my head swims.

  Gray paws move into my line of sight. Something soft brushes against my face. “Cassie?” His muzzle nudges my cheek.

  “Dude, you know her name?” says the puma. “You’re such a stalker.”

  “Cassie?”

  I heard the wolf say my name. Am I dreaming? “Mmm.”

  “I’ll get you help,” he says.

  “She’s gonna need it,” the puma teases.

  Animals are talking. I’m delusional, that’s it. Driven mad by my inane curiosity and too much math homework. The smell of copper and salt tickles my nose. My vision distorts, the green leaves above blurring together. I hear a growl and something rips.

  A moment later, I’m floating in the air, soaring higher. By what? Not paws. Hands. I squint at the face. I can just make out the eyes—spearmint green.

  The trees and his face disappear. Darkness consumes me.

  I feel a hand brush against my wrist. A breath against my ear. A whisper. “Cass.”

  My wolf-boy? I will my eyes to open.

  “Cass, wake up.”

  Wake up! Wake up! My fingers twitch, and then my toes. “Urrgh.” My skull is splitting, a migraine jolting through my brain.

  “Good girl, Cass,” Dad says.

  My eyes fly open. I’m in the freakin’ hospital. Damn him. I try to sit up, thoughts skating in my head.

  “Oh, no, sweetheart.” He pushes me back down. “Stay still. You have a concussion.”

  “Where is he?” I say.

  Dad pours water into a cup, looking confused. “Where’s who?”

  “The boy, the—” I’m about to say wolf, but I think better of it. “The one who brought me in.” I accept the cup.

  Dad eyes me, concerned. “Cass, no one brought you in. Kelley found you in the corridor.”

  The clear liquid sprays from my mouth. “What?”

  He perches on the edge of the bed, brow creased. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, totally.” My voice squeaks, revealing the lie.

  “Are you sure? I mean, you just appeared; none of the staff saw anyone come in with you.” He watches me carefully for a moment before saying, “What do you remember last?”

  Two animals shifting into boys. “I must’ve hit my head, and Eve brought me in.”

  “Why didn’t she stay?”

  Sick of him prying into my unusual morning, I let acid wash into my tone. “I don’t know, Dad! I was unconscious, apparently.”

  “Okay.” He smiles, lopsided. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready?”

  I clear my throat. “Yep.” If I’m not in the mental ward before then.

  “Hey, Cass!” Kelley shuffles into the room. “How’re ya doin’, love?”

  I bob my head twice. “Okay, I think.”

  “I’ll leave you girls to it.” Winking at me, he touches his lips to my temple.

  She waits for him to leave before taking his place on the bed. “How you really doin’?”

  I look at her wide nose, dark skin, and amber eyes. “Tell me more about the skinwalkers?” Her people have legends about them.

  She freezes, analyzing my face. For a while, I think she isn’t going to answer. Then she says, “The Navajo tribe don’t talk about it.”

  “Oh.” I drop my eyes to my hands. Tons of questions buzz through my brain.

  “You’ve seen one,” she says, her eyes widening to the size of crêpes.

  “I—I shouldn’t have said anything, sorry.” I reach for my backpack under the table.

  “I’ll get it,” she says and hands it to me.

  “Thanks.” I need answers, but I am not sure if I can pressure her for them.

  The room is quiet for a minute. Then she shuffles over to the window, rests against the sill, and gazes out of the glass. “They’re nasty, dangerous creatures. Born from witchcraft and raised as pure evil. They’ll stalk you and taunt you. Then, when you’re alone, they’ll rip you to shreds.”

  She turns away from the window, still avoiding my eyes. “I’m only telling you this because I know you’ll go searching for information elsewhere.” Her lips curl into a small smile. “Cass, The Explorer.” Her eyes narrow. “Don’t do anything stupid. Because then I’ll have to tell your dad about this conversation.”

  “Me, do something stupid?” I jest, and then draw a cross over my heart. “I’ll watch my back, I promise.”

  “Good girl.” She strokes my leg. “Now, get some sleep.”

  I nod.

  She brushes back my fringe. “And forget about this nonsense.” When she leaves, she closes the door behind her.

  I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises. My wolf doesn’t seem threatening. Could he be as evil as Kelley describes?

  I close my eyes and try to recall that night. Gray, matted fur. His breath on my window. His curious green irises. Why should I be scared?

  Maybe he is a good wolf. Maybe the legends are wrong.

  I hear the door creak. My eyes snap open.

  Eve pushes the door open further. “Oh, thank God!” she says. “I was so worried!”

  “What are you doing out of school?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Duh. It’s after four.”

  “It is?” My eyes dart around the painfully white room for a clock.

  Eve whips out her smartphone. “See?”

  I’ll be damned. 4:15 pm.

  “I dropped by your house, and your neighbor, Mr.…”

  “Walden?”

  “Yeah. He said you were in the hospital. So I hurried over but they wouldn’t let me see you ’til now.”

  “Sorry you had to wait.”

  She shrugs. “You’re my best friend. What else would you have preferred me to do?”

  I’m shocked and delighted at the same time by her concern. “Thanks.”

  Scooting a chair clo
ser, she flops onto it. “Don’t mention it,” she says as she offers me a magazine.

  I don’t feel like reading fictitious stories about celebrities, but I take it and stare at the pictures.

  Eve clicks her tongue. “Poor Ange.”

  “Who?”

  “Jolie. Where’ve you been, hiding under a rock?”

  More likely, away with the faeries.

  I decide I’ve been staring at page six far too long and flip the page.

  “Are you gonna be back at school tomorrow?” she says.

  “I dunno, Eve. Depends on what Dad says.”

  Rolling her eyes, she returns her attention to the magazine. “I’m super glad my father’s not a doctor.” She concentrates on an article, but then her head snaps up. “What’s this about them finding you unconscious in Emergency?”

  “I must’ve passed out or something,” I mumble, “on my way to see Dad.”

  “Seems a bit iffy,” she says. “Just think—you could’ve been kidnapped!”

  I snicker at the probability. “Everyone in this town knows who my uncle is. They’d never get away with it.”

  “True.” She returns to her magazine. “But it’s still possible. You don’t know what deranged animals people can be.”

  No, I don’t. And I’d prefer it to stay that way. “Did you finish the Kerouac essay?” I say to switch the topic.

  Nodding, she says, “I think so. I hope so.” She gnaws on her bottom lip.

  “It’s due Friday, right? I can have a look over it, if you want.”

  “Thanks!” Her eyes brightening, she shoves papers into my lap.

  I’m glad to have something else to read other than about celebrity lives and dramas. My eyes drift over the page, soaking in every word.

  Dad sticks his head through the partly open door. “You kids want something to eat? I’m heading for the cafeteria.”

  “Coffee?” says Eve. “Two sugars. And something fattening.”

  “Nothing for me.” The thought of food churns my stomach.

  “You sure?” he says.

  “Yeah.”

  Ten minutes later, he returns with Eve’s coffee, a small pizza box, a muffin, and a paperback novel. The latter two, he presents to me. “In case you do get hungry. And bored.”

  A smile blooms on my features. “Thanks.”

  “Yeah, thanks, Doctor Spencer!”

  He returns our grins, and then pivots to go.

  “Dad?” I say.

  “Yeah?”

  “Has anyone been asking for me?”

  He shrugs, yawns, and rubs his brow. “Not that I know of.”