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  "You. You make this go away, you hear me? Make this whole thing disappear."

  "I…I can't…" Ben said.

  "Of course, you can. Pull some strings," Mom continued.

  "All right…I can try," Ben said.

  Claire shook her head. "And risk losing his job?"

  "It's okay, Claire," Ben said. "I can do this."

  "And what about next time, huh? What are we going to do then?" Claire asked.

  "If there is a next time, then we will deal with it ourselves," my mom said.

  "If you don't, then we will," Claire said.

  "You stay away from my son," Camille snorted as she grabbed her husband by the shoulder and dragged him toward the stairs. Before she reached the stairs, she turned and looked at Claire, then said:

  "You tell that bastard son of yours that I will personally skin him alive and make a rug of him if he does it again."

  "You stay far away from my boys!" Claire yelled after her.

  My eyes met Jayden's and we didn't have to say a word to agree to get moving. Knowing how fast my mother could move if she wanted to, and especially when she was angry, we rushed up the stairs, through the big hall, and ran into the yard where we scattered into the street, each of us running home to our own house, quickly crawling into our beds, breathing heavily under the covers in fear.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I barely slept. I got up the next morning and went downstairs for breakfast, fearing that my mother had somehow seen me the night before or somehow knew anyway, maybe because she could read it on my face or maybe she could actually read my mind, like it felt like from time to time.

  Both my parents were already there, Dad sipping coffee at the breakfast counter, Mom asking him to stop slurping and drink with good manners and respect for others. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  "Good morning," I said, my voice breaking.

  Mom turned around on her heel and stared at me with those big emerald eyes that had been blazing the night before when she was fighting with Jayden's mother. The look in them made me uncomfortable—more than usual—and I looked away.

  "Good morning, sweet pea," my mother chimed. "Sleep well?"

  I swallowed hard, then nodded. "Yeah."

  My mother handed me a spinach and cucumber smoothie accompanied by a smile.

  "To get your day started right."

  I forced myself to return the smile. "Thanks, Mom."

  My mother looked at my dad, then signaled for him to speak. He cleared his throat.

  "Sweetheart?"

  Uh-oh. This isn't good.

  "Yes?"

  "Your mom and I have been talking and…well, we don't like that you’ve been seeing that boy against our wishes."

  "Jayden? I haven't been seeing him at all," I lied. Could they tell? Did they know?

  "That's not entirely true," my mother took over, pointing her finger at me. "Is it?"

  I felt my knees go soft underneath me and prayed they wouldn't give out.

  "W-what do you mean?"

  Dad sighed. "Well, first of all, you were with him that day by the lake when you found…that girl. Now, we didn't want to give you a hard time about it since it must have been quite a trauma for you, but…well, last night we saw him. He was running across the street toward his house after midnight and we saw that the big ladder was leaned against your window."

  "He was here, wasn't he?" my mother said, smiling the way she did when trying to get me to tell the truth, pretending like it didn't matter, that she wouldn't get angry and then as soon as I had revealed it, all hell would break loose. "I tell you, if I catch you with that boy again, I’m sending you off to boarding school, you hear me?"

  I shook my head, tears forming in my eyes. "He doesn’t even like me," I said, angrily and slightly desperate. "He’s dating Jazmine. He's in love with her, so why would he want to hang out with me, huh?"

  Leaving my parents startled at my outburst, I grabbed my backpack and stormed out the front door, grabbed my bike, and rushed to school.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Melanie Peterson had been defending her Taekwondo championship at the local club and now she was walking through the park to get home. She knew walking in the park after midnight wasn't the smartest of ideas, but then again, there wasn't really a lot in this life that frightened Melanie, especially not since she had just won the championship for the third year in a row.

  It had gotten late since they all went out for milkshakes at Sophie's Diner afterward to celebrate her victory. When they were done and had said goodbye, she went to grab her bike, but the front tire turned out to be flat. The others had already left, so they couldn't help her, and that was why she had ended up dragging the bike through the park, making the trip home that much longer. Melanie could have called for her mother to come and pick her up, but at this hour of the day or night—especially on a Saturday, Melanie's mother was usually pretty wasted and in no condition to drive. She would be heavily asleep on the couch by now, reeking of vodka and beer. Melanie's mother had been drinking a little heavier than usual lately, mostly because she didn't have a boyfriend right now, which always made her sink into depression and self-pity, which Melanie didn't get at all. When she did have a boyfriend, the guy usually beat her or treated her like dirt. But, apparently, a kiss with a fist was better than none to Melanie's mother. It was because of growing up and seeing her mother like this that Melanie had decided to always be able to defend herself. She had been no more than six years old when she had biked down to the Taekwondo studio by herself and told them to teach her how to defend herself against bad guys. The trainer down there, Mike, had told her she needed to pay for his training and she had given him all she had ever saved up, which probably wasn't more than five or six dollars. But Mike had liked her right away, liked the spark in her, and he had taken her under his wing. For ten years, he had trained her himself and now he had created a monster, as he liked to put it. He had made sure Melanie never felt afraid of her mother's boyfriends again or of any other man.

  Melanie whistled loudly as she dragged her bike through the trees, but stopped when she heard a rustle coming from the bushes behind her. She turned to look, but couldn't see anything, then turned back and continued, whistling as she walked. She had put her trophy in the basket on the bike. It was going up on her shelf in her bedroom next to the many others. Next year, she was going for regionals. Mike thought she was ready for it. She had almost made it this year, but a bad cold had made her weak on the final day of the qualifying rounds. She wasn't going to let that happen next year. No, this would be her time to shine.

  Melanie chuckled to herself, then she heard the rustle again, this time louder than before and turned to look. There was nothing but darkness behind her.

  It's probably just some bird or a rabbit, she thought to herself.

  She kept on walking a few more steps when she thought she heard something creep up behind her on the trail. She turned and looked with a gasp. The sight coming at her made her frightened for the first time since her mother's third boyfriend Johnny had come after her with a beer bottle. Coach Mike had taught her not to fear men. He had taught her how to fight any man, but this was no such thing.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  She was all over the news the next morning. On every channel that I zapped through as I drank my morning smoothie and ate my spelt and barley bread. I listened to the girl talking to the reporters from her hospital bed.

  "It came at me…I was walking through the park and then…then I heard a rustle and then I turned and then…"

  "And it had claws?" the reporter asked.

  "It was hard to tell…it was dark and everything, but yes, I saw claws, and teeth, very pointy teeth!"

  With her fingers, the girl showed on her own teeth how long the teeth were, then showed the camera her wounds, pointing at the deep scratches on her arm. "It ripped me open here, and here."

  "So, you think it wanted to eat you?"

  Th
e girl nodded. "Are you kidding me? I looked into those eyes and I knew that was all it wanted. To eat me alive."

  "So, what do you think it was?" another reporter asked. "An animal of some sort?"

  "I think it was a wolf," she said.

  "Are you sure? Could it have been a bear? Or a mountain lion?" a third reporter asked.

  "It was a wolf," the girl replied.

  "Did it bite you?" the first reporter asked, sounding like he hoped it had.

  The girl nodded. "Yes, here on my shoulder. It bit down here, see?" She pulled down the hospital gown, so they could better see the wound. Blood had seeped through the bandage. The reporters gasped. The girl seemed to enjoy seeing their shocked faces.

  "This beast wanted me dead; I saw it in its eyes. Mark my words, it was out to kill, and it is still out there."

  "How did you survive?" one reporter asked.

  The question made the girl smile widely. "That thing had me down on the ground, pinned by its claws. It bit down on my shoulder, but I fought back," she said. "Balbucheo. Facing foot. Skip-kick. To get him away from me. Then my famous Doolgae. Spinning kick. Then a three-sixty Tornado kick. Pam. Bam. SLAM!" she almost jumped out of her bed, trying to show how she had done it, then continued, eyes sparkling above the deep scratches on her cheeks. "I did a seven-twenty Tornado kick once, but not this time. Next thing, the beast let go of me and I jumped on my bike—even though the tire was flat—and rode it, spinning those pedals so fast, with blood running down from the wound on my shoulder and all. I rode into the street and waved down a car, and the people who stopped brought me to the hospital."

  "What would you say to anyone who encounters this beast?" the first reporter said.

  The girl squinted her eyes and looked into the camera while she spoke. "I pity the fool who does. This creature is no joke. It wants to kill and will crave its next victim soon."

  "Thank you so much."

  Then they returned to the studio, where the anchor ended by stating that the police couldn't yet confirm whether they believed it could be the same beast that had also killed Natalie Jamieson, but they were looking into a possible connection.

  I turned off the TV and went back to my room, glancing at Jayden's house across the street, wondering if he had seen the news too. It had been more than a week since we last spoke. I had avoided him since the night in the abandoned house. It felt like a part of me was missing, but I simply didn't dare to disobey my mother again and risk being sent to boarding school.

  Chapter Thirty

  "I need to talk to you."

  I was standing by my locker when I heard his voice. My blood froze. It was Monday morning and I had just finished European History when Jayden approached me in the hallway.

  I didn't turn to look at him but continued to look for something inside my locker.

  "We can't," I said.

  "We have to. Somewhere private."

  I slammed my locker shut. "Are you insane? You know my mom has eyes everywhere."

  "Please," he said. "I need your help."

  Go and ask Jazmine to help you instead.

  I shook my head and started to walk. "Leave me alone. We can't be seen together. My mom says this is my last chance. I don't dare to get caught. I simply don't."

  "Meet me at the lake as usual," he said, clearly not listening to what I had just said.

  "I can't," I said clutching my books.

  He grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. His eyes were begging. "Please," he said.

  I turned and looked into his eyes. It almost made me smile. "I can't," I said. "I don't dare to. It's too dangerous."

  "Then come with me now," he said. "We'll find somewhere here in the school, somewhere we can talk without anyone seeing or hearing us."

  "Jayden. I’m telling you I can't. Leave me alone," I said and turned around to walk away.

  "Then I’m just going to talk about it here, where everyone can hear me, where everyone will know your big brother's secret."

  My eyes grew wide. I stared at the other faces walking by and suddenly felt like they had all heard.

  "Jayden!"

  "I’m serious," he said.

  I sighed, annoyed. What the heck was he playing at? Did he just want to get us into trouble? Or was he really desperate and needed my help? Was he that desperate?

  "Please, I just need five minutes," he said.

  I looked at my watch. My next class was already starting. I was going to be late anyway. I looked at him, our eyes locked. The look in his melted my heart, while the hallway cleared as the students went back their classes. I would give anything to be alone with Jayden for five minutes. My uncle had to be in class by now, right? There were only a few kids left in the hallway. No one would see us if we went now.

  "Please?" he asked again.

  I bit my lip. Then I nodded. "Okay. Five minutes, then."

  He grabbed my hand in his and dragged me down the hallway. "I know just the place where we can talk undisturbed. Come."

  Chapter Thirty-One

  He dragged me into the chemistry lab. Of all places. I hated the smell in there and covered my nose.

  "No one uses this until the afternoon," he said and closed the door.

  "How do you know?" I asked.

  "I used to be tutored by Mr. Summer after school in seventh grade. He told me it was always empty till one o'clock."

  I exhaled and looked at Jayden. "Make it quick. I have to get to class. What do you want?"

  Jayden smiled. "I missed you too."

  My shoulders slumped. "I’m sorry. I've just…it's been really hard lately. My mom is watching my every move. She expects me to come straight home after school and she even tracks my phone to make sure I do."

  "Leave it at home, then," he said.

  "It's just…I…it's not that simple."

  "It's okay," he said. "I know how it is. My parents don't want me seeing you either."

  "I hardly think it’s the same thing," I said. "Your parents are nice. Mine wouldn't hesitate to send me to boarding school if they found out I had been seeing you. I don't want to be sent away."

  Jayden scoffed. "I know your mom is strict, so is mine. She hates your mother. Like really hates her. And those are strong words coming from my mother, who won't even let me or my brother use the word…I hear her talking to my dad about it sometimes. It's bad, Robyn. It's really bad."

  "It's like they're mortal enemies or something," I said.

  "And they won't tell us why. I don't get it."

  I exhaled. "I hate this. I hate having to sneak around. I hate not being able to see you."

  Jayden's face lit up. I wanted to take the sentence back. I didn't want him to think I was walking around moping about him—which I was—no, I wanted to be strong and never have him know how bad I felt.

  "I mean…Not that I…"

  "It's okay," Jayden said. "I miss you too. I can't believe it has to be this hard. Will it never end?"

  "I’m afraid not," I said. I inhaled sharply. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

  Jayden sighed. "It's my brother. I figured since you and I talked about this before, you're the only one I can talk to about it."

  I nodded. "What about him?"

  "You know that girl that was attacked?" he asked.

  I nodded again. "What about her?"

  "My brother snuck out Saturday night. I saw him."

  I bit my lip. "Mine too. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Why do they do it? Where do they go?"

  "I fear what will happen to them if they sneak out again," Jayden said. "I watched the news this morning and they were talking about going out into the park with shotguns and rifles and everything. They're telling everyone to stay away from the park at night because the hunt is on."

  "Because they believe it was a wolf," I said.

  "Yeah, but what if one of our brothers is shot and killed?"

  I looked into Jayden's eyes. I had to admit I hadn't thought about that possibility until
now. And now, it was all I could think of.

  "I hardly think…I mean, what would they be doing in the park at night?" I asked, but I already knew the answer. Drugs. Or drinking. Kids often went there to drink beer when they were too young to drink.

  Jayden had a terrified look on his face. I felt like comforting him and stepped forward and put my arms around his waist. He put his arms around me too and we hugged for a few seconds, while I once again remembered why I loved him so dearly.

  When I let go of him, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye and turned to look. Outside the window stood my Uncle Jeff, staring in at us.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Oh, dear Lord. Oh, dear God.

  After classes were out, I hurried to my bike, jumped on it, and rushed toward my home. I hadn't heard a word anyone said to me—especially not the teachers—after I had laid eyes on my uncle outside that window, peeking in. All I could think about was whether he was going to tell.

  I spun the pedals fast as I rushed toward Shadow Hills. As I reached my house, I threw the bike in the front yard, then stormed inside.

  "I'm home!" I yelled, hoping they weren't home, that for once they had some business out of town or something, or at least that if they were, they hadn't gotten the news yet.

  I received no answer.

  I walked to the kitchen, where I found Adrian sitting on a chair, staring at me with a grin. He looked even more different than he had this morning, I thought. Was he getting younger? And where was all his acne? Adrian used to have so much of it he would tell me that even his pimples had pimples. But they were all gone, and you couldn't even see a trace of them. His eyes had changed too. It was like they were more intense and if you got close to them, it looked like they were burning. Renata was lying on her bed, big brown eyes staring up at me like she needed my help. She too had been acting weird lately. It was like she was avoiding Adrian at all costs and I had even heard her whimper once when he approached her. The two of them used to be inseparable, and now it was like they couldn't even stand to be in the same room. Even Adrian seemed like he couldn't care less about the dog.