by Cynthia Eden
A fresh start, with a dead body thrown in.
Somehow, that didn’t seem so different from my life in the city.
Back home, Dad had made a career out of bringing down killers. The more vicious they were, the harder he hunted them.
Most kids were told bedtime stories about fairytales and castles when they were little. That hadn’t been my life. At night, I’d overheard my dad talking about crime scenes and profiles.
So maybe I’d had more than my share of nightmares because of that cop talk.
No one’s life was perfect, least of all mine.
“We’ll send dogs out into the woods,” my dad said and his hand patted my back. “We’ll find what’s…hell, we’ll find him.”
It didn’t seem like there was much of him to be found.
He pulled back and stared down at me. “Until we figure out what’s happening, I want you staying out of those woods.”
His fingers rested just below my bandage. The wound still ached, and I was pretty sure the blood might be close to leaking through the gauze I’d put on it. “S-sure thing.” My immediate plans didn’t include another hike through the forest.
I pulled away from him before he could find evidence of my earlier slip-away into the woods. No sense worrying him now.
“A bear could’ve done it,” he said, and I saw his gaze dart to the line of trees just behind our house.
I nodded, but I don’t think he even saw the movement. “Maybe—maybe it was a wolf.” Yeah, I blurted again.
His head snapped toward me. He hadn’t missed that mutter.
I forced a shrug. “I heard some howls earlier. It sounded like a few wolves might be running close by.”
“Wolves?” He repeated like I’d spoken Greek. “In Haven?”
“I heard them.” And had almost been eaten by one. My, what big teeth you have…I already knew who—what—would be starring in my nightmares tonight.
“If you see any wolves, you run as fast and as far from them as you can.” A muscle jerked in my Dad’s jaw. “You understand?”
I nodded. “Trust me, if I see a wolf coming at me—” I’m hauling ass. “I’m out of there.”
He exhaled and some of the tension finally seemed to drain from his body. “Good. Wolves are vicious. They’ll turn on you in an instant.”
Just like people. We both knew just how deadly humans could be. After all, mom was barely cold in her grave.
Dad went inside and started cooking dinner. I stayed on the porch, and my gaze turned back to the dark wall of trees.
It might have been crazy, probably was, but I could have sworn as I looked…
Something looked back at me.
I could almost see the eyes, bright yellow, locked on me.
“Anna?”
I jumped and glanced over my shoulder.
My dad frowned at me. “You okay, baby?”
I nodded. What else was I going to do? I’d learned six months ago that there were some things my dad couldn’t fix, no matter how hard he tried.
So I turned away from those woods, I pushed aside the gnawing in my gut, and I went inside.
Whatever was out there…it could just wait.
Chapter Two
The first day of school. Is there a day more dreaded? Doubtful, for a teenager.
But here I was, getting dropped off in the sheriff’s car of all things. Right, way to score points as the new kid. But at least I wasn't starting in the middle of the year. This was Day One fun for everyone.
“Come by the station when you’re done,” my dad said, leaning toward me.
I nodded. After school care at the cop shop—what else did I know?
I turned away and my eyes swept over the school. Much, much smaller than my old school had been. Haven High looked like it had seen better days. Like, a lot of better days. A line of orangish-yellow school buses waited on the side, and students piled out of them. I knew the kids were bused in from a few close-by towns to attend the school.
“Anna…” I heard the sigh that was my name, and I glanced back. “Try to have fun this year, okay? Things can be different,” my dad said.
No, I’m different. But I didn’t say the words. What was the point? I threw him a smile. “Dad, I’m wearing my fun clothes, how could I not have a party?” I was half-serious. I’d actually dressed to impress. Semi-short skirt. Not too short cause I didn’t want my dad to freak, but short enough to show off the fact that I had pretty good legs. I wore a top to match my eyes—a few guys had talked about how pretty my eyes were, um, when my dad had let the guys in question get close enough to talk to me.
Over-protective much? Yeah, that was my dad. But with the things he’d seen, he had reason to be that way.
For a moment, my gaze locked on my reflection in the back seat window. My hair was twig free today and combed into the usual sleek style that I liked to wear—a straight shoulder length bob, parted on the far right side. I’d even gone so far as to put lipstick on today. And a little blush.
Jeez, I was trying. Couldn’t he see that?
“Don’t raise too much hell,” my dad said, pointing a finger at me.
Ah, right. I’d forgotten that part. A girl gets into a few scrapes at her old school and suddenly she’s a hell-raiser.
Maybe not so suddenly. “I can’t make any promises.”
I thought he laughed at that, but I was already turning away. School rule: You can only talk to your dad for so long—in the sheriff’s car—without getting weird looks.
I pushed back my shoulders, clutched the strap of my backpack a little too tightly and headed up the chipped stone steps. A bell rang just as I reached for the door. The warning bell. Five minutes until homeroom started.
I can do this. Everyone else did normal every day. I could manage it, too. At least for a few hours.
I found my locker instantly. Big surprise. I didn’t even look at the lock as I spun the combination. It was that whole not-lost thing again. I can’t get lost, and nothing can be lost from me. So there’s no forgetting a locker combination for me. I just spin and it feels right and bam—the lock snicks and opens.
My gaze darted down the hallway as I shoved some books inside the locker, lightening my bag. Voices rose and fell, laughter followed. Some girls in skirts way shorter than mine sauntered down the hallway. One glanced my way—a girl with curly blond hair—and her eyes narrowed a bit as she assessed me.
I tried a smile. She didn’t really smile back. But then, she didn’t glare at me, either.
Progress? Maybe.
A few jocks ran down the hallway then, pushing other kids out of their way. No, they weren’t wearing giant signs that said “Jock”—but they might as well have been. Big guys, too much I-own-the-world attitude, and they were already talking football. I barely controlled an eye roll. Again, me—not so athletic.
I slammed my locker and turned around—and slammed right into some guy with light coffee skin, close-cropped black hair, glasses, and a voice that cracked when he hurriedly apologized.
“Don’t worry about it,” I murmured because I was the one who’d hit him. Then I took a good look at the guy. He had a green schedule card in his hand—his shaking hand. He had the fresh-faced, scared look that only a high school freshman can be marked with.
Poor guy. Tall, a little too thin. Probably one of those kids who’d hit a growth spurt over the summer. He’d sprouted up tall, but the muscle hadn’t caught up yet, if it ever would.
He offered me a quick smile. “I-I’m trying to find Mrs. Parker’s room.”
A jock stopped right by us then. Over six feet, t-shirt stretched with his muscles, and a goofy hi-there grin on his face. “I can help you with that, kid,” he said as he pushed a hand through his blond hair.
The “kid” blinked. “You can, Troy?”
Troy, huh? I raised a brow and waited.
“Sure.” That smile stretched, showing bright, white teeth. “Here’s what you do, FM. You go back out the main entranc
e, slide around the back of the building and pass the shop room. Mrs. Parker’s class is on the east side of the school yard.”
FM? For Freshman?
The freshman nodded eagerly. “Th-thanks, Troy!”
Troy must be someone important the way the guy was all wide-eyed now.
The freshman turned away, and I heard Troy snicker.
I knew I shouldn’t, but I still had to ask, “FM doesn’t stand for freshman, does it?” Because that would have been too easy.
Troy glanced at me, his brown eyes shining with laughter. “Fresh meat.”
Right.
“That’s what we always call the first crop that gets bussed in.” His gaze slid over me. “And you must be—”
But I was already hurrying away from him. I freaking can’t stand bullying. I grabbed the freshman’s shoulder and yanked him around. Sometimes, I can be a lot stronger than I look.
The guy yelped a bit, but calmed down when he saw me.
“Mrs. Parker’s room…” The location immediately clicked in my mind, and I pointed back behind us. East yard, my ass. “Go back, turn left at the stairs, and it’s the first room you’ll see.”
His eyes widened.
“And you really might want to stop by the office and grab a school map.” So you don’t get punked every class change.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he nodded quickly. “Th-thank you—”
I offered my hand. “I’m Anna.”
His fingers—cool and stronger than I’d anticipated—closed around mine. “James. James Colter.”
Great. Did this count as making friends? Helping a lost freshman?
James scampered away. I turned back and found Troy glaring at me. Ah…making friends, making enemies…only four minutes of the day down.
I brushed by Troy.
“I was only havin’ some fun,” he muttered.
“So was I.” I didn’t glance back at him. Sometimes, you could just smell a jerk. I hurried forward. My homeroom was just ahead and—
Bright blue eyes met mine. I stumbled a little. There was no mistaking that gaze.
Or him. My “hero” strolled down the hall, a few guys surrounding him. He had a shirt on today, because, well, he’d have to wear one at school…a black shirt and faded jeans. His hair was pushed back, his voice rumbled and—
And yes, he totally walked right past me without saying a word. But one of the guys with him—a guy with truly bleached blond hair, like almost white hair—let out a long, wolf whistle.
Perfect. My day was off to a kick-ass start.
The bell rang just as I slipped inside the classroom.
***
I survived the morning. Figured that I’d have two classes with Troy, and since teachers love to assign seats to students based on alphabetical order, Troy (who is Troy Long, tight end for the Haven Hornets football team, yeah, go Hornets—or something) sat behind me in both classes.
Hello, hell.
I also had a class with my not-so-heroic hero. Turned out that my catcher’s name was Rafe Channing. No, we didn’t sit close to each other, and, yes, he continued his lovely trend of acting like he’d never seen me before in his life.
Some boys were just born charmers.
When lunchtime finally arrived, my stomach had knotted with hunger. I hadn't eaten breakfast—I usually never do—so I was ready to eat.
But I also knew the lunch time drill, and since I hadn’t exactly made a bosom buddy during the day, I had no idea where I was supposed to sit.
The juniors and seniors had the “privilege” of eating behind the school on non-rainy days. There were plenty of picnic-type tables out there, and by the time I came out with my tray of ambiguous goodness, the tables had already started to fill.
So where was I supposed to go?
“Hi,” a soft voice said from behind me.
I glanced back, being sure to put my fake, I’m-happy-to-be-here smile on my face.
Another girl smiled tentatively back at me. That girl—she’d been in my chemistry class. Blonde, with big, light blue eyes, she’d blushed every time Mr. Kennedy called her name.
“You can sit with me, if you want,” she said. “I’m Jenny, Jenny Hollow.”
“Thanks.” My smile felt genuine then. “I’m Anna.”
“I know.” She inclined her head to the right, to the closest, empty table. “You’re the only new girl in the junior class. Most folks here know who you are.”
We sat down at the table. I wanted to scarf my food—disgusting as it looked—but I could pretend to be a lady. So I just took a deep gulp of my soda.
“You’re really from Chicago?” Jenny asked as she scooped up a fry. I thought it was a fry anyway. “That is so cool.”
Parts of it were cool. The killers and the blood-not so much.
I scooped up some food.
“Bet coming here was a major disappointment for you.” Her wide eyes watched me. “I mean, everyone I know wants to get out of Haven.” She shook her head. “Folks don’t want to stay here forever.”
That’s because those folks didn’t know what waited outside the town. And it was a pretty town. Nestled right inside the mountains. Surrounded by all those green—and wolf-filled—woods.
I shrugged. “I didn’t mind the move.”
Troy came out then, but he wasn’t alone. Another guy strolled at his side, one with a rich, golden tan. Mr. Tan glanced my way. His hair was wavy, light blond, and he smiled, flashing dimples.
“OhmyGod.” Jenny’s voice was a high-pitched whisper. How weird was that? I hadn’t even known whispers could get that high note. “Brent Peters just smiled at you.”
She said that the way a preacher might say, “The Lord is with us today.” All excited.
I took another sip of soda. “Uh, okay.”
Her hands slapped on the table, and she leaned toward me. “Don’t you know who he is?”
I shook my head.
“He’s quarterback! Hottest guy ever!”
Well, he was pretty cute and all but—
“And he smiled at you!” She bit into another fry. How come her meal actually looked like a meal and mine looked like slop? “Valerie is going to freak if she catches him flirting with you.”
I glanced back toward Brent’s way. The chick I’d seen in the hallway that morning, the one with the blond hair and the not-smile, not-glare had just come up and wrapped her arms around Brent. “I’m guessing that’s Valerie?”
“Um…Valerie Tyler’s a senior, but he’s so totally date worthy that she went lower classman.”
My head started to ache. I wasn’t so much into the whole gossip and dating scene. But a girl had to make friends when the sheriff ordered her to do it.
I put down my drink. “Let me take a stab in the dark here. I’m betting Valerie’s a cheerleader, right?” I knew this game. Cheerleaders always dated the quarterbacks. I figured that was some kind of rule.
Jenny nodded eagerly. “I think she’s captain.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The smile was still on my face when I glanced up and saw Rafe. His eyes locked with mine, and my heart did a fast gallop in my chest.
Down girl.
He had his buddies around him again. What was with the guys in this school? Did they all move in packs or what? Whistling, bleached blondie was on his left and another boy with jet-black hair and what looked like nearly black eyes stood on his right.
I expected Rafe to turn away again. Because I expected it, I looked away first and said something I can’t even remember to Jenny. But whatever I said, it made her laugh and her laugh—kind of like a jingle of sound—distracted me.
That was why I didn’t realize Rafe was headed toward me. No, I didn’t make that big realization until he actually reached my table and asked, “Climb any trees lately, Chicago?”
And, wow, was it my imagination or did everyone seem to stop talking as they glanced at my table?
I finished chewing because, of course, he’d caugh
t me mid-chew. Then I looked up at him. The sun was behind him, and his shadow fell over me. Since I blurt, I fired back, “Catch any girls lately?”
He smiled. A half-smile that lifted that perfect mouth of his.
I turned a bit more toward him. “So you do remember me,” I said, not about to let him off the hook. “I’d started to wonder.”
He shrugged. Blondie snickered. I didn’t look away from Rafe. The view was too good.
But then, the guy on his right said, “I heard the new sheriff found a body last night.”
I was sure everyone was listening then. Jenny made a weird strangling sound. I looked over to make sure she wasn’t choking. She was flushed dark red, but she seemed to be breathing okay. Good for her.
“Is it true?” He pressed.
“Jake…” Rafe began, and I heard the edge of warning in his voice.
I turned my attention to Jake and nodded. My dad had scheduled a press conference for 8 a.m., so I knew it was okay to talk about the body now. Sometimes, I had to keep secrets for dad. This wasn’t one of those times. “He found Sheriff Brantley.” What was left of him.
“Animals got him?” Jake pressed, and his eyes narrowed on me.
Behind me, I was sure I heard someone mutter, “That’s gross. We’re eating!”
I cleared my throat and tried not to think about Brantley’s body. “I don’t know for certain. My dad’s still investigating.”
“Bet he told you to stay out of the woods, huh?” Rafe asked in that rumbling voice that I was sure all of the girls loved.
My dad had, but I shrugged. “He knows that I can take care of myself.” He’d taught me to be able to defend myself against an attack, but the defensive moves I knew would only work against another actual person. He hadn’t prepared me for wolves.
Rafe tossed me another smile, but then he nodded to his buddies. “Come on.”
And just like that, he left.
Um, okay.
“Well, it was nice to see you, too!” I called to his back. Whoops. Blurting problem again. Or maybe my “attitude”-sometimes, it was hard to tell for sure what was the deal with me.
But my words made Rafe glance back. He stared at me with a kind of confused look on his face. Like he wasn’t sure what to make of me.