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What. The. Hell?
What should I do? What should I do?
Another sniff, this one lingering, and then it was backing away from her. When she was free of its weight, she gradually rose, careful not to make any sudden movements. Their eyes locked, emotionless green against fearful hazel.
“G-good doggie,” she managed to get out.
It growled.
She clamped her lips together. No speaking, then.
It motioned to the right with its muzzle. A get out of here gesture? When she remained in place, the animal did it again. Gulping, Mary Ann lumbered to her feet, dragging her backpack with her. Her legs were still trembling and she almost toppled over her own feet as she backed away. While she retreated, she unzipped her pack and reached inside for her cell phone.
The wolf shook its head.
She stilled. One heartbeat, two. You can do it. Just need to press 911. Now that she’d recovered her voice, common sense was returning. No way she’d scream for her dad and have him come racing to the rescue. He despised guns and would be helpless against such a large creature.
Move it! Mary Ann inched back into motion, finally latching onto her phone. The wolf growled when she pressed the first button. Again, she stilled. He quieted. Her blood crystallized in her veins, an ice shower that only increased her trembling. Even the sun’s strong morning rays refused to warm her.
Another button.
Another growl. This time, the wolf stepped toward her, front legs bending, placing it in the perfect position to pounce.
It couldn’t know what she was doing. It couldn’t know what would happen if she pressed that final button. No matter how much intelligence seemed to glow from those meadowlike eyes.
Her muscles tensed as she applied pressure to her thumb. In the blink of an eye, the wolf launched at her, snagging the cell between its teeth. Mary Ann gasped, momentarily paralyzed with fear, relief and uncertainty. Those teeth…they’d come so close to ripping into her palm, but they hadn’t even grazed her.
Forcing herself into action, she whipped around, knowing better than to give the creature her back for any length of time. It was waiting at the base of her dad’s favorite plum tree, the black plastic still stuck between its lips, sitting as calmly as if it were picnicking. Once again, it motioned to the side.
Slowly losing her fear, Mary Ann stumbled in that direction. Even though the wolf hadn’t hurt her and seemed to mean her no harm, she arced around it, keeping as much distance between them as she could.
She walked backwards, too, keeping it in her sights.
A weary breath left it. A sigh? And then it was loping forward, in front of her, maintaining a steady pace, the scrape of its nails against the ground ringing in her ears. Every so often, it glanced backward to make sure she followed.
Not knowing what else to do, she did.
Somehow it—he—knew the way to school. Though there were three ways to get there from her house, he took the route she preferred. Had he followed her before? Could he scent where she’d been?
Were my waffles sprinkled with crack? she wondered. This couldn’t be real.
Smart as he clearly was, the wolf remained in the shadows, out of sight from traffic. Mary Ann suddenly wished she knew more about animals. But she didn’t. Her parents hadn’t liked them—or their pooping and peeing and shedding—so she’d never really been around them. Perhaps that dislike had even rubbed off on her. Penny owned a Chihuahua named Dobi, but Mary Ann avoided that barking, growling little crap machine as though her life depended on it.
Finally Crossroads High came into view and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was a new building, large and red, winding into a half circle. Cars meandered through the parking lot, Go Jaguars written on the windshields. Kids milled around outside, basking in the warm summer haze that would soon be replaced by an ice-cold fall. Except…Some of her relief faded. Would the wolf attack them?
Tucker’s truck sped past her, and then his tires were squealing as he jerked to a stop. Thank God! The wolf dropped her phone and backed up. When he was far enough away to ease her mind, she raced forward and grabbed the cell. Her gaze remained locked on him as she backpedaled, throwing open Tucker’s passenger door and flinging herself inside. The wolf disappeared into the thick green trees and bushes that surrounded the school.
That last look he’d shot her had been laced with disappointment. Even anger. She gulped. At least he hadn’t sprung forward and started chomping at the truck.
“This is new,” Tucker said, deep voice drawing her attention.
He had shaggy, sandy hair and gray eyes, coloring that might have been dull on anyone else. On Tucker, with his boyish face, dimples and athletic body, it was heart-stopping.
She’d never understood why he’d chosen to ask her out, much less why he’d wanted to keep dating her, since they so rarely spent time together outside of school. All the cheerleaders adored him, especially their leader, Christy Hayes, the beloved beauty responsible for wet dreams statewide. But Tucker wanted nothing to do with her, was always brushing her off to be with Mary Ann. Which, she hated to admit, did as much for her self-esteem as Tucker’s compliments.
You’re so beautiful, he was fond of saying. I’m so lucky to be with you.
She would smile for hours afterward.
Tucker chuckled, pulling her from her thoughts. “Now this is what I’m used to. ”
“What do you mean?” The longer they sat there, the more her trembling faded.
“You’re ignoring me, lost in your thoughts. ”
“Oh. I’m sorry. ” Did she do that a lot? She hadn’t realized. Would have to make more of an effort to stay focused. So what had they been talking about, anyway? Oh, yeah. “What is new?” she asked.
The truck eased forward. “You’re pale as a ghost and eager for a ride. Why?”
To tell him about the wolf or not? Not, she decided without any deliberation. Didn’t take a genius to know she would be laughed at and ridiculed. A wolf had escorted her to school? Please. Who would believe it? It wasn’t something she truly believed.
“Just, uh, nervous about my chem test tomorrow. ” Lying wasn’t something she usually did and guilt quickly began to eat at her.
He shuddered. “Chemistry sucks. I still don’t understand why you signed up for advanced studies with Mr. Klein. Guy makes a doorknob look fun. ” Before she could reply, he added, “You look smokin’ today, by the way. ”
See? Who else would even think of saying something like that to her? She grinned. “Thank you. ”
“You’re welcome, but I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true. ” Tucker parked.
And this is why I stay with him, she thought, smile growing all the wider.
They emerged, and she immediately searched the side of the school, peering into the trees. No sign of her wolf. That didn’t lessen the sudden feeling of being watched, though, and she lost her grin. Note to self: research wolves. Maybe fear made prey taste better and this was some sort of new stalk, terrify into stupidity and then kill technique. If so, there was no better prey than Mary Ann.
“Come on. ” Tucker wound an arm around her waist and led her forward. He didn’t seem to notice her renewed trembling.
There, resting on the bike rails, was Tucker’s group. Crew. Whatever. Mary Ann knew them, of course, but she rarely hung out with them. They didn’t approve of her, something they made clear by ignoring her every time she approached. Each of them played football, though she couldn’t have named their positions to save her life.
The boys slapped each other’s hands in greeting. And yes, they pretended that she wasn’t there. Tucker never seemed to notice the disrespect and she never said anything. She wasn’t sure how he’d react—whether he’d side with her or his friends—and it simply wasn’t worth her time to worry about it.
“Did you hear?” Shane Weston, the school’s r
esident prankster, grinned and hopped to his feet, fairly bursting with the need to share.
Nate Dowling rubbed his hands together. “It’s our lucky day. ”
“Let me tell, Dow,” Shane growled.
Nate held his hands up, palms out, brow raised impatiently.
Shane’s grin returned. “Fresh meat,” he said. “Two witnesses, Michelle and Shonna, saw Principal White greet them. ”
Huh? Mary Ann gazed up at Tucker.
He gave a grin of his own as he and Shane nodded at each other in understanding.
“New kids,” Nate elaborated. “Two of ’em. ”
While they laughed about all the ways to initiate the newcomers properly, the poor kids, Mary Ann wandered to her first class. Mr. Klien lectured on all the things that would be in their test, but for the first time that year, she had trouble forcing herself to concentrate. She’d caught several whispered conversations on her trek through the halls.
Both new kids were juniors, like her, and both were male. One was tall with dark hair and black eyes, but no one had spoken to him. He’d holed up in the guidance offices. Was it…could it be…Aden? Those eyes…
The other was black, gorgeous, with green eyes—like her wolf?—and a hard but quiet demeanor.
Wait. Had she really just compared a human’s eyes to a wolf’s? The thought made her laugh.
“Ms. Gray?” the teacher said reprovingly.
Everyone in the classroom turned to peer at her.
Heat flooded her cheeks. “Sorry, Mr. Klien. You may continue. ”
That earned several chuckles from the students and a glare from the head of the class.
Throughout the rest of the day, she watched for new faces. It wasn’t until after lunch that she found one. Shannon Ross was in her history class; she spotted him from the door. He was as beautiful as everyone had said, tall with eyes of light green—yep, just like the wolf—and just as quiet.
Mary Ann had lived in Crossroads for a long time now, but could sympathize with being new, knowing no one. He’d taken a desk in back and she slid into the one next to him. Wouldn’t hurt to warn him about Tucker and crew, either.
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