‘No, your instructions were spot on, thank you.’
He gave a short nod of his head.
‘So, what do you need to know?’ he asked.
His question surprised me. He had been so elusive and cold before that I assumed it would be difficult to get any information out of him tonight. Either I’d misread the signs of his earlier inner struggle at the coffee shop, or he didn’t have the answers I wanted.
‘You told me that Hood Academy was a bad place. What did you mean?’
He gestured for us to sit on the boulders that looked out over the valley. I dropped down and swung my legs over the ledge as Cody did the same. His thigh brushed up against me, but he didn’t flinch away this time. Instead, he remained that way with his leg touching mine. My mouth went dry. I tried to concentrate on anything other than the sensation of how close he was to me. If I could have slapped myself without looking like a total fool, I would have.
I cleared my throat and tried again. ‘I know I’ve only been at the school for a couple of days, but I don’t see any evidence that it’s a bad place.’
I hoped he wouldn’t notice the quiver in my voice as I lied. The screams from the store room certainly pointed towards something very bad happening within the walls, and then there was the list with my mum’s name on it, but did he know any more than I did? I didn’t want to blurt out everything I’d discovered until I was sure I could trust him to be honest with me.
‘It’s mostly myth and legend that surrounds Hood Academy, but something bad seems to happen to people who come into contact with the students,’ he said. ‘According to my brothers, the superstitions surrounding the school have been passed down over many generations. Did you know Queen Victoria is supposed to have opened it?’
I smiled, remembering the small book Sebastian had given me with the reference to Dr Neale, the master werewolf hunter for the realm.
‘Yeah, I heard that the original owner worked for royalty.’
‘Well, Byron told me the old queen believed in the supernatural, and so she founded the school to protect the town.’
‘Supernatural? You mean like vampires and stuff?’
Cody nodded, his blonde hair falling across his face. He swept it back in one fluid motion and continued with his story.
‘Yes, but I don’t think it was vampires that she was worried about.’
He was clearly gearing up to break the news that werewolves were real, and I felt a bubble of panic rise up my spine. Was I supposed to act shocked when he announced it? Should I scream like a girl and run or should I express disbelief? He saved me from doing anything.
‘Of course, it’s all a load of rubbish. Theory has it that a big dog bit someone and the townsfolk got all hysterical. The reports were twisted and by the time they reached the queen she believed that huge beasts were roaming the forests. Everyone knows that it’s not true.’
He looked out over the valley, and I took the opportunity to study his profile. Any girl would kill for his cheekbones. He had the most handsome face, with a strong jaw, but I couldn’t help settling my gaze on the fullness of his lips. I had a brief desire to see if they tasted as good as they looked. He sensed me staring and swung round to look at me. I was thankful for the darkness so he couldn’t see me blushing.
‘So, according to the town’s history, my school was created to scare away big dogs?’
Cody chuckled. ‘Told you it was rubbish. The stories have escalated over the years and now the entire town believes the academy, and its students, are cursed.’
I wasn’t buying it. When he had helped me out of the tree, he was visibly shaken when I’d mentioned Hood Academy, and earlier at the coffee shop he hadn’t been pleased to see me. He didn’t seem the sort of guy who believed in curses. So why was he feeding me a useless story? Unless he did know the truth but couldn’t tell me and was fobbing me off. It was time to call his bluff.
‘Well, that’s a shame,’ I said. ‘I was hoping you would be able to tell me more about the werewolf pack and why my fellow students are training to kill them.’
The silence stretched out between us as I watched every kind of emotion flash across his pale face. Eventually, he settled on a deep sigh and a defeated slump of his shoulders.
‘I think you need to start from the beginning,’ I said, folding my arms like a disgruntled teacher. ‘There’s no curse. The school is a training centre for wannabe werewolf hunters, and we both know it.’
In the fading light of the moon, I noticed the anguish in Cody’s expression. The breath caught in my throat and I grabbed his hand, squeezing his fingers.
‘I’m sorry, Cody. I never meant to be so blunt about it.’
Damn! Maybe he did believe in the curse story, after all.
He rubbed at his face with his free hand but kept the fingers of his other hand wrapped tightly around mine. I felt a warmth spread down my limbs.
‘It’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘I guess I’m actually relieved that you know.’
My quizzical expression urged him on.
‘All my life my dad told me to keep the town’s wolf secrets to myself. Byron said it’s all hush-hush for a reason and if we start talking about the werewolves, then it’ll attract bad luck. When you told me you’d just arrived at the academy, I was worried that you either didn’t know about the place, or you were going to go all ninja on me.’
‘You think the hunters are a danger to the town?’
‘Yes, I’ve seen some of the students in action, and when they get started it doesn’t end well.’
‘You’ve seen them kill a werewolf?’
‘No, I’ve seen them attack a boy because they suspected he was a werewolf. I wasn’t sure if you were the same as them.’
I squeezed his fingers. ‘I’m not.’
He smiled down at me and held my gaze. It was like he could read my thoughts, see into my soul. I suddenly felt exposed—naked. I averted my eyes and looked out over the sleeping town.
‘Do you and your family know where the wolves are?’ I asked, filling the silence.
‘They keep to themselves and if people don’t bother them, they don’t stray near to town. The folk here keep the peace with the wolves but that’s at risk if your school keeps churning out Barbie-sized hunters.’
I burst out laughing at his comment and made him jump.
‘I’m sorry, but now you mention it, it’s kind of true. There’s a particular student who fits the plastic doll stereotype perfectly.’
Looking down at my hand, I examined our entwined fingers. Cody wasn’t in any rush to let go, so I relished the feel of his rough hand in mine and the warmth that continued to vibrate through our connection.
‘So, that’s why you said Hood Academy is a bad place, because it threatens the truce between Ravenshood and the wolves.’
He dropped his gaze to study our interwoven hands, rotating them so that his was on top of mine. It felt strangely comforting.
‘There’s a rumour in town that the students at Hood Academy capture the wolves and do experiments on them in class.’
I flinched involuntarily. Sebastian hadn’t mentioned any kind of warped biology lesson to me, but that didn’t mean that Cody wasn’t right. I’d only been at the school a few days and didn’t know enough about the curriculum to confirm or deny Cody’s rumour.
A memory of the late-night screams rumbled through my mind. Was it true? Did the student body catch the wolves and keep them locked up until it was time for a macabre show-and-tell?
I quickly steered the conversation around to basic werewolf legend, eager to find out more about this mythological species. ‘Is it true that the werewolves only stay in their wolf form on the night of a full moon?’
Cody lifted his head and looked over at me, his bright blue eyes filling my vision.
‘They always turn on a full moon but can also change at will in case they need to defend themselves…according to Byron.’
‘So if your rumour was true, the school wou
ld be full of extra people and not animals.’
‘I guess so, unless they stayed in their animal form as a method of defence.’
The very human-sounding scream that had come from the underground lab told me the captive wasn’t in wolf form.
‘What if they couldn’t remain in their wolf mode?’ I whispered.
Cody’s eyes shone in the soft moonlight as his gaze trailed over my face. He lingered a moment on my lips.
‘If they couldn’t stay in wolf form, I dread to think what your classmates might do to them.’
‘You sound like it’s a bad thing that the school experiments on them. Not that I’m condoning animal testing or anything, but surely if the students kill the werewolves, your town is safe.’
‘It’s not that simple, Mia. Ninety-nine per cent of the time they are as human as you or me, and they don’t deserve to be harmed. Not for any reason. Whether there are good intentions at the bottom of it or not.’
I looked out over the valley as I digested Cody’s words. He was right of course. No creature deserved to be in pain, and the screams I’d heard the other night proved that someone was indeed getting hurt. Could I trust Cody with what I knew? I’d trusted Elizabeth and Adam and they hadn’t let me down so far. Perhaps my luck would continue.
‘I can find out if the rumours are true,’ I said softly, studying his face for any spark of mistrust.
‘You’d put yourself in danger for the werewolves? Aren’t you going to be training to hunt them down?’
‘Yes, on both counts. At the moment, I’ve had light lessons but my full training starts tomorrow. I’m going to learn what they have to teach me, Cody, but I have no intention of using those skills to harm anyone…or anything.’
He smiled at me and this time it reached his eyes. The tight smile from yesterday had vanished and he appeared calmer and more relaxed. I was still very conscious of our hands tightly clasped and our legs touching. My stomach did a strange lurch as my neck and cheeks flamed. I was grateful for the cool early morning air.
We sat in comfortable silence for a long time, watching the slumbering town and listening to the nocturnal activity surrounding us. I felt peaceful and dare I say it, safe. I never wanted to leave the calming influence of the forest. Being in Cody’s company was enjoyable as he felt like a kindred spirit, but I knew Elizabeth and Adam would worry if I didn’t return soon.
‘I better get back before anyone misses me.’
Cody got to his feet and pulled me up so I was standing beside him. His scent was intoxicating, and I vowed to remember that smell so I could recall it whenever I wanted to reminisce about this night—this moment.
‘Promise me you’ll be careful, Mia.’ He ran his thumb down my cheek, and I swear I felt an explosion go off in my head. ‘Your uncle won’t want you snooping around, so be on your guard.’
I couldn’t answer as he leant in and pressed his lips to mine, softly at first but then applying light pressure.
His hands cupped my face as he pulled away and smiled down at me.
‘I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, Mia. For the first time since my parents’ death, I feel like I’ve found someone I can talk to properly. Someone who understands me.’
A glow spread through me at his touch and his words. I knew exactly what he meant. I’m not sure that Zak would have approved of me snogging in the middle of the woods at midnight, but I believed that he would have liked Cody and that filled my heart with hope. An emotion I thought I’d never experience again.
‘You’ve got my number. Message me when you know more and we’ll meet back here,’ he said, brushing my hair behind my ear.
I nodded and leant into his hand, kissing his palm as it swept down my face.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll find out as much as I can.’
He kissed me again, full on the lips, taking my breath away, before turning and disappearing into the treeline. I stood for a while in silence, willing my heart to stop thumping so loud. It wasn’t my first kiss, that prize had gone to Tom Nook in the last year of junior school, but this was like nothing I’d ever experienced. I touched my fingertips to my lips and smiled. Life had taken a turn for the better.
Adam was still awake when I tiptoed into the bedroom. He was leaning against the wall with Elizabeth’s head resting on his chest. She was out cold and oblivious to my stealthy return. Adam smiled as I closed the door behind me.
‘You’re alive,’ he whispered with a wide grin.
I snorted as I untied my shoes and kicked them into the corner.
‘So how did it go?’
‘It went better than I thought. Cody was…very helpful.’
Adam bent his head to the side and watched me carefully. I felt every inch the naughty schoolgirl.
‘That good, eh?’ He winked and I felt my face grow hot.
I ignored his knowing smirk.
‘Cody told me about the werewolves and a pact between them and the town. From the sound of it, Hood Academy is the threat, not the wolves. The townsfolk believe that we’re experimenting on the werewolves as part of our science classes.’
Adam’s eyes widened and I had a moment of panic when I thought he was going to say that Werewolf Dissection 101 was at nine o’clock the next morning.
‘That explains the noises,’ he mumbled.
‘What noises? Do you know something?’
‘When I started working here, I was given a bunch of master keys. I can access every classroom, office and door in this place. The other day, I unlocked the store room in the foyer.’
‘You went inside?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, but just for a second. I heard this faint grumbling and moaning sound coming from behind the shelves. Your uncle arrived and ushered me out, so I couldn’t investigate.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He told me I was imagining the sounds and said it was only a stationery store. Then he took my key off me.’
‘I saw Felicity go inside the other night,’ I confessed. ‘She took one of her heavies in with her and I managed to follow for a bit. The store room opens up to a long corridor with stairs leading down to a basement room.’
I paused as I let Adam digest everything I was saying. He knew this school better than I did, and I was pretty sure he trusted his employer. Was I about to shatter all his misconceptions? Would this knowledge put his career at risk?
‘I didn’t see what they were doing down there,’ I continued, ‘but I heard someone screaming. It sounded like a man or a boy; definitely human.’
We sat in silence for a moment listening to the soft snores from Elizabeth, neither one of us wanting to admit that whatever we thought we knew was not as bad as the reality could be.
‘I can try and get my hands on that key again,’ he said, stroking his hand down Elizabeth’s golden hair. ‘The three of us will work out what’s going on.’
‘The three of us?’
‘Yes. Elizabeth and I were talking about it while you were gone and we want to help. You can’t do this on your own, Mia. You need extra eyes and ears and we can provide that. Your uncle will be checking on you and that puts you in full view of the one person we’re trying to avoid.’
‘So, if he’s watching me, he won’t be watching you.’
‘Exactly!’
I flopped back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. In such a short time I’d gone from a beaten and broken girl to werewolf hunter and spy. I wondered what Zak would think if he knew.
Adam slid out from under Elizabeth and lowered her head to the pillow. He bent over and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. I smiled to myself, recalling my first kiss with Cody earlier this evening. I was still reeling from it and if I hadn’t been so exhausted, I might have sat up all night reliving it.
‘Take care of yourself, Mia.’ Adam said, climbing up on the desk and throwing his leg out of the window to descend the waiting ladder.
‘I will. Promise me you’ll be careful too.’ I didn’t want him risking
anything for me.
He nodded and then disappeared from view, his dark skin blending in with the darkness.
Elizabeth stirred and opened her eyes.
‘You’re alive,’ she said, her voice croaky from sleep.
I chuckled as she mimicked Adam’s exact reaction on seeing me again.
‘I’m alive. It went well. Cody was helpful but I think I can find out more here at the school. Do you remember the file I mentioned, the one with my mum’s name on it?’
Elizabeth nodded.
‘Well, it also had a number; prototype 0118. I need to find out what experiments they did on her and why.’
Elizabeth yawned and I noticed how late it was.
‘Go back to sleep and we’ll talk more in the morning.’
Her lips twitched in a half-asleep smile and she was steadily snoring again before I could turn off the light.
Starting tomorrow I was going to embrace everything Hood Academy could teach me. I was going to take that hunter oath, and then I was going to use it all to discover the truth about my mum’s death, the werewolves and the part my mysterious uncle had to play in it all.
Breakfast at Hood Academy was a messy affair. I sat next to Elizabeth at the far side of the room, keeping a wary eye out for Felicity. I still owed her for getting me lost in the woods, but, without her assistance, however ill-intentioned, I might never have met Cody. Maybe I should be thanking her instead of thumping her.
Miss Ross appeared in the doorway and waved me over.
‘I guess my training is about to begin,’ I murmured to Elizabeth as I cleared my plate and dropped it in the used crock bucket.
‘Good luck!’ Elizabeth’s sing-song voice followed me as I weaved in and out of the breakfast tables.
Sebastian had decided to pull me from certain classes so I could have one-on-one sessions with Miss Ross. He wanted me to catch up so I could integrate fully into class activities as soon as possible. I should have been glad that I was getting out of double maths, but looking at the glint in Miss Ross’s eye I doubted I was getting off lightly.
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