With both of us alone, I can finally talk to Sam about the things I’ve been meaning to tell for a while, but seeing her like this, it’s really hard to comprehend.
“Who did this to you?” I whisper.
She obviously can’t hear what I’m saying, but I wish she knew that I was here, talking to her right now.
“Why would someone want to hurt you?”
Sam’s the type of person that gets along with everybody. She’s popular, pretty and kind to people. Well, sometimes.
She just didn’t deserve this, nobody deserves to be attacked without reason, let alone getting murdered for nothing. Like Terry and mum.
What would I have done, if Sam had died too?
Everything just gets to me in that moment, and I start to cry.
“Why am I losing so much, Sam? What have I done to deserve this?” I wipe a tear from my face and laugh in ridicule. “I came here because I need to tell you a few things. You’ll never guess what’s happened to me over the last few days. You’re going to find it really hard to believe, but it’s all true.”
I take a deep break and exhale. “Terry’s dead. Yeah, he died Saturday afternoon. I found him, lying on the ground, dead. His throat slashed, body in complete
mess, blood everywhere. I hope it was a quick death, because leaving a human to suffer like that would’ve been cruel.” I wipe away another tear. “I didn’t tell you at school because I didn’t think it was the right time to say anything to anybody, but I should’ve told someone. I should’ve told you, Sam.” I frown. “What did he do to anyone? Nothing, and you know Terry. He’s the type of person who wouldn’t hurt a fly let alone hurting a human being, but I guess this is what society’s come to.” I scoff.
Why can’t I rewind back to the time when Sam stole the plate of fries from the kitchen? Life was good then.
“Would you believe me if I told you that Mr. Edmund’s a wolf too? All this time, he’s been hiding the fact that he was the one that bit me, and I had no idea. Can you imagine going to school every day and think he’s just a regular teacher, but really he’s a shapeshifter? A shapeshifter who likes to kill innocent people, like my mother.” My voice cracks while more tears fall. “She’s dead Sam. Dead and never coming back.” I sob. “I held her in my arms for hours, but she didn’t wake up once, and what hurts me the most was that I didn’t get to say goodbye to her. Can you believe that? Not being able to say goodbye to your own mother. She was taken away from me. Taken from my arms too soon, and there was nothing I could do to keep her there. Why
couldn’t we be left alone?”
Please wake up!
“What am I supposed to do now, Sam?” My voice quivers. “I can’t ask anybody else because they don’t know me as well as you do.”
I sit in the chair for a few minutes in silence, the only sound in the room is the machines attached to Sam, and it makes me think how long I’ve been sitting in this chair, holding her hand.
“I hope you wake up soon. I have so much more to tell you, things that I can’t say to Ryder and the wolves. I’m staying with them until things get a little better, but I don’t know how long that’ll be. So, you make sure that you wake up, because the moment you do, I’ll be here.” I stand out of the chair and lean over her. “I miss you so much Sam. I just wanted you to know that before I go.” I kiss her on the forehead and quietly leave the room.
Chapter 6
Seeing Sam was exactly what I needed today. We hadn’t exchanged words with each other, but at least I had the chance to see her even though she isn’t awake yet.
I feel a little more reassured now to know that she’s still alive and breathing, but anything can happen when you least expect it to, and that’s something I know very well.
All I have to do now is wait until she regains consciousness.
When will that be? I don’t know.
When I arrive back at the wolves’ house by noon, I’m greeted by a very annoyed looking wolf. Standing barefoot on the porch, with his hair messed up and dressed only in a pair of grey sweats, is Ryder.
Oh?
As I get nearer to the house, he puts his hands in his pockets and tilts his head in question.
He’s really not happy.
When I stop the car and reach for the door handle,
Ryder’s already there opening the door for me. I look up at him to try and read his expression but with Ryder, you never know what he’s thinking.
Without saying a word, he grabs me around the wrist, pulls me out of my seat and places me against the frame of the car. He continues to stare at me.
“Ryder?”
Again, he just stares.
“What’s wrong?” I raise my brow in question, but he remains silent.
If he’s not going to say anything, then he’s just wasting my time.
From my position, I turn to move away from the door but just as I go to move past him, his hand slams on top of the doorframe; stopping me from moving any further away from him.
I turn to face him with a pissed off look of my own. “Ryder, what’s your problem?”
“Where were you?” He asks. I frown. “What?”
“I said where the hell have you been?” That’s the reason he’s acting like this? “Does it matter where I’ve been?”
He scoffs. “Of course it matters! I’ve been losing my mind!”
“Over what? I can look after myself.”
“I’ve been waiting for you all morning! You can't just wander off like that?”
“For what reason, Ryder did you wait? You didn’t need to wait for me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me where you were going!?” “Why should I!?”
He looks like I’ve slapped him across the face. “Alice?”
“I told you, I can look after myself.”
He shakes his head at me. “No that’s my job, to look after you, but how can I when I don’t know where you are.”
He slams the door frame repeatedly with his bare hands. “Ryder stop it!”
He ignores me and carries on.
He’s going to hurt himself if he’s not going to stop. “Please!” I beg.
I can't take this anymore.
“Ryder stop. You’re scaring me.” I whimper.
With those words, he stops immediately. His head hangs low as he cages me in with both of his arms while breathing heavily.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
After minutes of intense silence, he pulls me into his solid chest and wraps his arms protectively around me. “I can’t lose you Alice.”
With my arms, I wrap them around his back, holding him tightly to me. “You’re not going to lose me.”
“After Anna, I can’t lose somebody else. I won't be able to cope if I lose somebody else.”
I unlatch myself from him and cup his cheeks in my hands. “I’m not going anywhere.” I feel myself tearing up. “You’re all I have left too. So, you’re stuck with me.”
He looks back into my eyes and stares longingly, then kisses me on the forehead, unwrapping his arms from around me in the process, and takes my hand.
When I think Ryder’s going to lead me into the house, he instead walks all the way to the back of the house and into the clearing of the forest.
Why are we here?
“Where are we going?” I ask in wonder. “Let’s go for a little walk.”
We walk hand in hand, in complete silence through the forest.
Being in this forest is definitely one of my favourite places. I can understand why Ryder’s parents chose to live in such a beautiful place.
I envy Ryder and Anna’s childhood so much.
Can you imagine as a little child, exploring old and new locations of the forest, and played until you couldn't play anymore? You could explore this forest for hours, and you’d never get bored.
“So, where were you?” Ryder breaks the silence.
I don’t respond straight away. “I went to the hospital.”
“
To see your mum?” “No, I went to see Sam.”
He stops and turns to face me completely. “Is she awake yet?”
I shake my head.
“Sam will wake up soon. She’s a tough girl who doesn't give up easily.”
I raise a brow. “Sounds like you know her well.”
“I really don’t, but I will admit this. When she stood up to me outside your house that day, I thought she
was going to kick my ass.”
“She would’ve kicked your ass. She’s done it before to multiple guys who's fucked her over, and she’s pretty good at it.”
Ryder chuckles. “Unlucky for them, but I don’t think she can hurt me more than what you did to me.”
What?
“What are talking about?” I frown.
He rises his brow in question. “You don’t remember that time you slapped me?”
I scoff. “Well that was deserved.”
Ryder lets go of my hand and crosses his hands over his muscular chest. “What was that?”
“You did deserve a slap to the face. You can be a real nasty piece of work sometimes.”
“I’m going to let that slide.” Ryder walks away from me with a smirk on his face.
I run to catch up with Ryder, but with his long legs, I struggle trying to keep up with him.
We walk for what feels like hours, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be stopping anytime soon, but enough is enough,
“Ryder, where are we going?” I pant.
“Almost there.” Ryder says casually, he continues to walk in longer strides in front of me.
The two of us walk for another couple of minutes. I stare down at my own feet watching every step I take, following Ryder’s every footsteps.
From a distance, I can hear what sounds like a stream up ahead, cascading over the rocky outcrops, and as we draw closer, the noise increases steadily until we’re only a few metres away.
When we reach the stream, Ryder finally stops, with me slowly trailing behind.
“This place was so alive once, but it now chills me.” He says in a motionless voice.
His voice halts my movements, I turn to look where Ryder’s looking, and gasp in amazement.
The river drops in close to the hillside and runs deep and blue. The water is probably cool and refreshing at this time of day. The stream is lined with trees, pine, birch, and redwood. I inhale the air that’s rich with the fragrance of leaves and dampness.
As I move next to Ryder, where he stands at the river’s clearing, the powerful rays of the sun strike me, but despite the breeze, it has a pleasant coolness to it. The sound of the running water in the stream has a relaxing, hypnotic feeling to it, and it makes me want to stand still and listen to the water for hours.
“This was Anna’s favourite place.”
I can understand why it would be her favourite place, it’s utterly breath-taking.
“She loved coming here on her own.”
“It’s beautiful. She picked a really nice spot.”
For the first time since my mum's murder, I crack a small smile at the view. “She did, didn’t she?”
I look at Ryder to see him with a faraway look in his eyes. “You really miss her, don’t you?”
He doesn’t answer me straight away, but then he eventually does. “I miss her every day.”
“What was she like? Your sister?”
Ryder smiles to himself. “She always cared about people, and ever since she was small, she’d always put other people first instead of herself. Anna was kind and warm-hearted towards people, even if she only just met them. She’d always treat them with respect, and she always forgave, always. Everywhere she went, she always made friends. Even when we were little, we’d go together to the park, and she’d go up to other kids and start talking to them.” Ryder chuckles. “That’s the kind of girl she was, and it makes me look like a shitty brother because I was nothing like her. I can understand why my parents took off and left me behind. I deserved it.”
I place my hand gently on his arm. “Don’t say things like that, Ryder.”
“It’s true. I was an asshole.” He tenses his jaw. “I was a horrible son, and it was only because they adored Anna and hated me. I took it out on them and it destroyed our family. I think the reason why my parents left because they thought that we weren’t a family anymore, and decided to leave without me because there was no reason for them to stay.”
“Ryder, you've got so many people around you that care about you. When your parents left, somebody was out there, looking out for you. You just didn’t know it.”
He shakes his head. “It’s just, I was hurting too, you know? Why wasn’t anyone there for me when I was grieving?”
I wish I had been there for him, but I wasn’t a part of his life then.
I move to stand in front of Ryder and wrap my arms around his neck. He still has that faraway look in his eyes.
I’m here now.
I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him softly on the cheek, and his eyes immediately find mine. When I pull away he looks at me with desire, and I find myself looking away in shyness, but Ryder’s having
none of it.
He puts his hand beneath my chin and pushes it upwards, and straight away I’m met with his seducing gaze, I raise my brow in question.
“You missed a spot,’ he says while staring at my lips.
I frown. “What do you mean I miss…” Before I can respond, his lips slam onto mine and immediately my stomach fills with butterflies. Both of his hands cup my cheeks as he controls the kiss, I don’t have a moment to react before he presses his tongue to the seam of my lips as if to ask permission to delve inside. My arms reach up and tangle in his hair. My back arches into his broad chest, and I can’t help but moan at the contact of his body heat against my own. Unexpectedly, Ryder’s hand drifts down to my hip and settles comfortingly there and pulls me closer into his muscular chest, and that’s when a phone starts ringing.
Ryder groans in frustration as he reaches into his pocket and retrieves his phone.
“Fuck sakes.” He murmurs while walking off to the side of the stream, leaving me standing completely breathless.
I turn to look at Ryder where he talks in a hushed tone with a frown on his face.
I wonder who’s on the phone.
As I watch the scene in front of me and from a split second, Ryder’s face changes from confusion to absolute rage.
“Are you fucking serious!?” Both of his fists were clenched tightly.
Whatever it is he’s heard, he’s not happy about it at all.
What’s happened now?
“Yeah, I’ll tell her.” Ryder grits out.
He ends the call and stares angrily at the floor. “Ryder?”
Silence.
He continues to stare. “Who was on the phone?”
It’s a long pause before he answers me. “Tom.” “What did he want?” I ask.
Another pause.
“He wanted me to let you know that he’s been to see Mr. Edmund.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “I didn’t expect Tom to go and see him so soon.”
Ryder’s eyes slowly meet mine. “He wanted me to let
you know that Mr. Edmund’s not a suspect.” And just like that, I’m filled with rage. “What!?”
“Apparently on the night your mum was murdered, Mr. Edmund had an alibi.” Ryder sighs. “He’s not the killer.”
Chapter 7
After that revelation, I didn’t know what to think anymore.
My whole body was filled with complete and utter rage, and it’s all because nothing’s going my way.
Why is it that I’m not getting anywhere? I mean, I still have no idea who attacked Sam or who the murderer is. I was so convinced that Mr. Edmund was responsible for both.
If it wasn’t him, then who else would it be?
I can’t think of a name as to who might be responsible for what’s happened other than thinking of Mr. Edmund’s name, b
ut how has he managed to get away from both crimes so easily?
I don’t know who else it might be.
It has to be him!
I wanted to be alone after hearing Ryder’s words, and staying in the room given to me is the only place I know that I’ll be left alone. I hope Ryder will understand that I don’t wish to speak to anyone right now, because again I’m back to square one; having no idea what to do next.
The next morning I have one thing on my mind; to go to school and confront Mr. Edmund. Tom might think Mr. Edmund has nothing to do with what’s going on in Small Town, but I know he’s got something to do with the murderers. I can feel it in my body that he’s behind it all, and I’m not going to stop until he answers everything I need to know.
I wake up early, the same time I would normally wake up to go to school, but today I won’t be attending my classes, I’m instead going to see my teacher, also known as the wolf that started this whole mess.
I dress myself in black ripped jeans, a black hoody and black biker boots, and make my way downstairs where I see Kellan in black sweats and a white vest, making himself a cup of tea.
Damn...I was hoping nobody was awake yet.
“Morning.”He says without looking back at me.
Why do I keep forgetting that we can hear absolutely everything?
I’m taken by surprise at his greeting. “Morning.” “You’re up early.”
“Yeah, I know.” I murmur.
“Do you want me to make you tea, coffee, hot chocolate?”
“No thank you, I'm actually not staying.” I stammer.
With that, he turns around and takes in my whole appearance.
He frowns. “Why? Where are you going?”
I half shrug and look anywhere but at him. “I’m going to go to school today. I don’t want to miss out on more work. So, I thought maybe I should start going back.”
Chasing the Beta Page 5