Howl - Brieanna Boyce (free novel 24 TXT) 📗

and I looked over to Kale expecting him to step in but his face showed no emotion. When I looked back to Derek he was already much closer to me than I’d expected and he scratched me across the face I heard my own yelp. I smelled Derek’s blood now it was a powerful scent too strong in fact for me, spicy somewhat like cinnamon. I shook my head then focused I quickly bit his shoulder and then retreated. He snarled and went to bite me in the neck I dodged and bit him in his hind leg. This went on for maybe an hour we were both panting looking at each other. Then his legs collapsed underneath him, and he changed to a human. His pants had gaping holes in them at the knees, thighs, and shin. His legs were covered in shallow bites and scratches. He wouldn’t look at me he got up and crossed his arms facing the opposite wall. Jason stood by him but said nothing. I changed standing up as well.
Kale walked over to me and smiled smacking my shoulder approvingly.
“Oww…” I whined.
“Oh right sorry,” Kale chuckled “tomorrow you’re facing someone else.”
I looked over to Derek and whispered to Kale “is he going to be okay?”
Kale looked over to Derek “him? Oh yeah he’ll be fine the only thing that’s really hurting is his ego.”
I remembered back to when Derek aimed to bite my throat then punched Kale’s arm.
“Oww,” he frowned, “what was that for?!”
“He tried to bite my neck and you didn’t stop him!”
Kale frowned “I knew you wouldn’t get hurt.”
“I don’t care that isn’t the point,” I frowned placing my hands on my hips.
Suddenly I noticed the rest of the pack gawking apparently hitting your first in command isn’t normal. Then again what the hell would I know about normal?
Kale dropped the subject he stepped closer and reached for my face. I closed my eyes tightly and made my hands fists at my sides. He brushed my cheek with his thumb and I opened my eyes surprised at how close he was.
“That looks like a pretty deep cut, come on let’s go home and clean that up.”
I looked up at him my heart racing a blush creeping up then I stepped away and nodded.
“I’d like to go home,” I said simply. Not sure whether I meant the apartment or my own home.
We walked back I noticed that Kale had become all business again I was walking behind him but I could tell because of his stiff, straight posture. I found myself fascinated by the way his shoulder blades moved like he was stalking prey it seems that was a trait that crossed over into his human life.
It must be hard for Kale always having to be in charge, everyone relying on you I know I couldn’t do it. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Meg slowly creeping closer to me and I knew she wanted to talk to me. Yet she seemed hesitant. The whole walk back was quiet which I didn’t mind too much. It gave me time to think.
When we did get back Kale took my wrist and brought me to the bathroom he sat me down gently on the toilet lid and then got a paper towel with water and soap. He kneeled in front of me holding my chin with one hand and washing out the wound with the other.
I looked closely at Kale, “How’d you become the leader?”
“Why?” Kale smiled sadly “because you’d like to take my place?”
“No.”
“Is it because you don’t think I should be?”
“No,” I took his hand that was washing out my wound. “I think you are very good at leading.”
“Then why do you ask?” Kale said staring into my eyes and I stared back.
“You don’t seem like the kind of person who wants to lead, It’s just you have this happy-go-lucky personality and it’s a little unfortunate you have to stifle that to be a leader.”
Kale blinked and leaned in to me then Meg popped her head into the bathroom making us both jump apart. Meg looked back and forth between us. “Skylar, come on we need to talk.”
Kale huffed but I got up hastily and ran after her into our room. My mind was racing, what just happened? Were we really going to do what I thought? Why did I feel so guilty?
Meg slammed the door behind me and pinned me there. She looked extremely angry like she was going to rip my head off.
“Don’t. Touch. Him. Don’t look at him don’t even bother thinking of him. Kale is mine.” I blinked shocked Kale was about to kiss me not the other way around.
“He isn’t some property. Kale is a person.”
Meg punched the door infuriated. “You don’t know anything about Kale!”
I shook my head “look I don’t want to fight with you. I have no intentions of being in any kind of relationship anytime soon.”
“You’d better hope so,” Meg hissed darkly.
I shook my head and pushed her away, “It’s really sad how insecure you are for a good looking person.” I walked out of the room angrily slamming sandwich ingredients against the counter.
Jason smiled “What did the counter ever do to you?”
I ignored this attempt at a joke because I couldn’t even express why I was so angry; I could’ve blamed it on Meg but in truth I think I was angry at myself. I almost let Kale kiss me but I loved Tristan. Didn’t I? He was still the same I mean sure he drinks blood and lives forever but he was the boy I grew to love over the span of 10 or so odd years. Maybe. Suddenly Gerard handed me a letter from Tristan. I grinned happily like an idiot and hugged it I eagerly (and sloppily) ripped open the envelope and unfolded the card.
Dear Skylar,
I have contacted you to let you know that your family is safe. However, they are distraught to say the least over your unfortunate “death.” On a positive note your father and brother are much closer because of it. Ailey is also terribly upset she’s now depressed a majority of the time but she is getting better by each day. A whole bunch of kids went to a funeral thing for you and it was amazing to see how loved you are. At any rate I am moving in with your father and brother to watch them closer. I hope you come back because a lot of people miss you. Be careful. Take care of yourself and do not worry about your family I will be your eyes and your ears.
Sincerely,
Tristan
I hugged it reading it over several times, it wasn’t fancy or overly wordy or detailed, and yet it gave me so much relief especially to hear that Daddy and Adoni were getting along better. Although it was upsetting to hear that Ailey was sad but she would find a new best friend. Life would move on and sadness would recede and happiness would take its place. Just hearing of my loved ones made me feel much stronger and reminded me that I’d given up far too much to back down now.
I remembered a flash of the dream of the night before were Tristan was wearing a crown and his mouth was covered in blood while he looked blankly and beckoned me. I hoped Tristan wasn’t really like that, I wonder if there was any truth in anything I’d ever learned of him when he was “human.”
Kale walked over, “What is that?”
“Nothing,” I hid it behind my back then shoved it into my backpack.
I knew how much Kale hated Tristan and vice versa. Kale frowned, “show me what it is.”
“It’s a letter from Tristan,” I said sheepishly.
“You told him where we are?!” Kale looked murderous he was visibly shaking. Kale was no longer like a smoldering camp fire but rather a raging inferno.
“No of course not I don’t know how he found out I swear.”
“Well write a letter back asking him how he found out. Then after you get the letter back we are leaving.”
“Leaving?” I asked, “Why?”
“If he can manage to figure out where we are then so can others.”
I pondered that for awhile and supposed that Kale was right. Kale left the room irritated and I searched our room for paper I looked into a nightstand next to Meg’s bed and found a journal. I looked around and ripped out a paper then put the journal back grabbing one of her pens. I tried to focus on the letter I knew it was of extreme importance however, I couldn’t manage to push Meg’s journal out of my head. I looked into the hallway and found no one so I quickly took Meg’s journal and jumped onto her bed excited. I read the first page:
March 5, 2008
I finally feel okay, but I still have no idea how to describe my ordeal to you. I suppose I’ll start with two nights previous. Mom asked me to throw out the garbage and although I really didn’t want to I eventually agreed. I went outside to the edge of our yard and threw the trash into the garbage. I heard rustling in the bushes and thought it was my white, furry, beautiful cat sassy, I walked over calling to her and got tackled by a man who I guess had been hiding in the bushes. He was wearing a black ski mask and holding a bag. So I guess he was a looter. He whispered in my ear smiling cruelly, “Come on sweetheart you are coming with me.”
I tried to scream but he covered my mouth and he held me within his surprisingly strong arms that caged me in like iron bars he walked me over to the car as I struggled hopelessly in his grip when he tried to shove me into the backseat I resisted and then I felt a pain in my head then black.
I woke up the next morning in severe pain I sat up in the bed my whole body aching, I looked around and was confused as to where this was. The room was beautifully designed gold and blue the furniture was all the latest fashions I then looked down and realized I was naked covered in bruises and some form of knife wounds. I began to cry horrified, what had happened to me? Where was I? Why couldn’t I remember anything? I looked around frightened shaking like a leaf. I wrapped the blanket around my body and quietly got up. I went out into the hallway but was very nervous because every time I took a step my clumsy feet betrayed me. I heard several voices in the living room so I sneaked out and eaves dropped leaning against the wall.
“Where is she?” I heard a voice growl.
“The girl,” a voice said followed by a series of sickening, bone crashing snaps.
I heard a voice howl in pain. Suddenly all at once the night before came to me and before I thought about it I ran into the room seeing the guy on the ground and remembering his eyes from the night before I ran over and slapped him several times. I called him a coward a creep a loser. Suddenly someone pulled me gently away and turned me so that I was facing a pair of golden eyes. I blinked in shock. “Come on,” the voice said smiling “let’s get you dressed.” I don’t remember much after that I was in another house fully clothed and healed. The boy with