The Girl Who Cried War

by Heather Hildenbrand

  “Let’s see what your fans have to say,” Talia says, handing me my phone from where it fell on the floor.

  I pull up my phone and click on my notifications. I’m only up thirty thousand from my original number of subscribers, but it’s enough to secure my final grade if I can keep it there.

  I click on my Jason Momoa post and start reading some of the comments.

  staceymariebrown: YES! Give me #MaROAR

  jcir0817: FINALLY! Someone says it

  livinthatbooklife: No lies detected!

  seeamberread: PREACH!

  I grin as I take the time to reply to a few of my regular commenters and some of the new followers, then I start tapping the comments to heart all of them.

  The smile falls off my face as I get to a familiar account.

  bdog69x: You’re so pathetic. And so are the “werewolves” you keep trying to out. Why don’t we tell everyone what you really are? #DEAD.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?” Anna asks.

  Her question draws the attention of not only Talia and Justice, who both look up from their own phones, but also from the other people in the room.

  I paste on a fake smile.

  “Oh, nothing. You guys wanna grab some ice cream and go celebrate my victory by watching chick flicks at my place?”

  “Chick flicks and ice cream?” Justice asks dreamily. “Best. Alpha. Ever.”

  Anna giggles as we all clamber after Justice, who’s making his way to the kitchen. When we each have a spoon and two quarts of ice cream, we shuffle our way out the door and down the path to the cabin I share with Kash.

  “So why are we really here?” Talia whispers the second I close the bedroom door.

  My phone dings, and I pull it out of my pocket, smiling when I see a text from Kash.

  FutureBabyDaddy: Mom said you are having some girl time in our room. Lynch and I are taking Girlfriend outside for a bit. Mind if we join you after?

  Me: Maybe. What did Lynch really call it?

  The three dots pop up indicating he’s typing, and I bite my lip as I wait to see if he’ll pretend like he doesn’t know what I’m talking about.

  FutureBabyDaddy: Tinkle Time.

  I laugh aloud and fire off a quick reply.

  Me: LMAO. Have fun taking Girlfriend out for tinkle time. See you in a bit!

  FutureBabyDaddy: Love you, Pepper.

  Me: Love you, Potty Patrol.

  I’m still smiling as I tuck my phone back into my pocket.

  “Now that you and Kash are done sexting, wanna tell us why you plied us with false promises of chick flicks and ice cream?” Talia tries again.

  “You’re literally eating ice cream right now,” I point out. “And we are doing chick flicks. I just need to show you guys something first.”

  I motion for everyone to climb into the bed, and I pull out my phone, showing them the comment Brody left on my post.

  “He’s threatenin’ you, Romy,” Anna says with a gasp. “What on earth are ya gonna do?”

  “Kick his ass. Obviously,” Talia says.

  “Tell Kash,” Justice says, looking at Talia like she’s deranged.

  “I’m going to do both. But first, I’m gonna give him a taste of his own medicine,” I say, determination lining my voice. “He wants to start an Instawar with me? Fine. He has no clue who he’s messing with. This is my turf.”

  My fingers fly over the screen as I type out my reply and show it to them.

  TheGirlWhoCriedWerewolf: Really? I would’ve thought you would have learned by now that the only people who care about your opinion are those forced to be in your company. Go away with your tiny penis syndrome.

  Talia and Justice cackle while Anna blushes.

  I grin maliciously and click send before quickly setting up my next post. It’s a picture of Tom Hardy as his iconic antihero.

  The only #venom in this man’s system is of the #werewolf variety. There’s no way @tomhardy’s alpha attitude doesn’t have the help of a little werewolf DNA. You know what I’m sayin’? #TheGirlWhoCriedWerewolf #BookBoyfriendMaterial #DEFaWolf

  “Tom Hardy is a werewolf?” Anna asks, her eyes wide.

  “That’s what Lina said,” I say with a shrug as I scroll through my feed.

  Justice walks to my closet, pulling out a sparkly red gown that Lynch brought back with the last load of things from my apartment.

  “This is fierce! How come I’ve never seen you wear it?” he asks, holding the dress up in front of his body.

  “It’s not really my color,” I say, shaking my head. “It clashes with my hair.”

  “Oh, Anna!” I say, tapping her on the arm. “You need to try it on! It would look perfect on you!”

  Anna stands woodenly and rips her shirt off.

  My mouth falls open. What the hell is happening?

  “Uh, Anna. Are you okay?” Justice asks.

  Anna doesn’t answer, instead moving her hands to unbutton her pants. I pull my hand away, using it to cover my mouth. The moment my hand leaves her skin, Anna goes still, blinking furiously.

  “I knew there was nakedness at girls’ nights!” Lynch’s voice booms from the door. “Pillow fights are next, and you’re all going down.”

  The room erupts into feathery chaos, but I back into the hall, my mind racing as an idea forms. The perfect way to draw Brody out of whatever hole he’s been hiding in and give Anna what she wants most–a chance to rejoin the human world. The only trick will be getting Kash to agree. But then, I’ve convinced him of crazier ideas before.

  Chapter 11

  I make a gagging sound that brings our trio to a halt while I attempt to avoid a physical reaction to the god-awful smells of campus.

  “It’s easier if you breathe through your mouth,” Kash says through the wireless earbud I’m wearing.

  “He’s right,” Talia says from beside me. I glance over to see her expression is just as strained as Anna’s though probably for different reasons. Anna looks a bit green around the edges where Talia’s usual resting bitch face is amplified by at least a hundred.

  At least, I’m not the only one having a hard time concentrating.

  All around us, other students move in their usual patterns to and from classes. The morning air is crisp and cold, but even the frigid New England temperature can’t mask all the smells my new senses are picking up. Body odor, Axe body spray, marijuana–the scents all mix together in my nostrils, and even though we just arrived, I’m counting down the minutes until we’re done here.

  “Has this place always smelled this bad?” I ask.

  “Humans aren’t the smelliest creatures alive, but you wouldn’t know it from walking through a college campus,” Lynch says as if he’s reciting a fact from National Geographic.

  Justice snorts. “You think this is bad. Try the locker room after football practice.”

  His voice is laced with amusement, and I stop, turning and scowling over my shoulder at where he shadows us from a distance.

  Talia, Anna, and I exchange a look. Our group conference call streams directly into all three of our earbuds, but none of us bothers to contradict Lynch’s or Justice’s statements. From the looks of it, Talia’s wolf senses are just as overwhelmed as mine are. Still, according to Kash and Lynch, we’re doing way better than any other newly-turned wolf they’ve ever seen.

  Ten points to Gryffindor. Actually, make that five to Ravenclaw and five to Slytherin.

  Our seamless transition is one of the main reasons they let us carry out this insane idea without them glued to our hips. Well, that and the fact that Justice is here acting as backup to help boost our numbers if Brody decides to fall for our little trap. Talia and I nearly howled in excitement when the guys agreed to stay out of sight for our plan. Anna, on the other hand, looks like she might have regrets. Despite the fact that she was completely on board with the idea at first, now that we’re here, she looks like she’s ready to throw up.

  “Do you see him?” she asks, hitching her bag highe
r on her shoulder as we make our way toward her first class of the day.

  “No.” I scan the faces scattered across the lawn, using all my senses to determine if any of the people here are secretly a werebro trying to kill us.

  “Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one of his minions close by to spy on us though,” Talia reminds us. “Stay close, Anna-Banana.”

  “I’m gonna stick to y’all like a tick on a hound dog,” Anna assures us.

  I reach for her hand and squeeze it reassuringly before dropping it. “Don’t worry. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “I know.” She attempts a smile that wobbles before it falls away. “I just want to end this once and for all. I’m ready to get back to my life.”

  In our ears, Kash says, “We want that too, Anna. And we’re going to make sure you get that life back very soon.”

  My chest swells with love and gratitude for his willingness to protect my friends.

  “In the meantime, Anna, your ass looks great in those jeans,” Justice says, and Anna’s blush is the distraction we all needed.

  “It really does,” I tell her.

  “Come on. We better hurry if we want to get seats together,” Talia says, but I pause beside a bulletin board just outside the building.

  “Do you see this?” I ask.

  Talia and Anna gather around me and we all read over the Missing Person flyer stapled to the board.

  “Is that Brent Kenner?” Talia asks.

  “You know him?” I ask.

  “I think so. He seems familiar, but I can’t place where I know him from,” Talia says, frowning as we all read the bio on the flyer.

  “Oh, I remember hearin’ about him,” Anna says. “He’s supposedly a shoo-in for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for track. I catered the party his frat house threw for him.”

  “Not to mention, he’s a stone-cold hottie,” Justice says through our linked call.

  “It says he’s been missing for a week,” I say, ignoring Justice’s lust.

  “Here’s another one.” Talia rips another flyer out of the way, and we all switch our focus to another photo and headline much like the first.

  A pit forms in my stomach as I scan the information. Two athletes at the top of their game have disappeared from campus in the past week.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” I say.

  “What is it?” Kash asks in my ear.

  In a low voice, Talia reads off the information on the flyers.

  “It’s like the missin’ girls all over again,” Anna says, clearly disturbed. “But it can’t be Brody. Why would he start abductin’ guys? I mean, I thought he wanted the girls to make babies.” Anna’s brows pucker in confusion.

  My eyes dart to Talia’s, and I can tell we’re thinking the same thing. We just cost Brody almost twenty pack members, more if you count the babies about to be born. Brody needs to replace them, but since we already know about his baby-making plan, turning the strongest men on campus seems like the next logical step. Well, if I were insane like Brody clearly is…

  “I think I’m the one who’s going to be sick now,” Justice says, and I know he’s thinking about how Brody forced the alpha mark on him when he first changed.

  “These guys are stars in their sport,” I say. “They must have friends. Family. People who know their routines. Why would Brody be so brazen? It doesn’t make any sense. The risk is too high.”

  “We could be wrong,” Talia says though the look on her face is doubtful. “Maybe Kash can send some guys to track them down.”

  “Bring the flyers,” I tell her, and Talia yanks them down and stuffs them into her bag.

  “Ugh. Brody is such a monsta’. I can’t believe he’s still hurtin’ people,” Anna says, her face flushing red now.

  “Believe me, we’re going to put a stop to it,” I tell her.

  “Hell yeah, we are,” Talia says. “But first, I vote we let Romy compel him to–”

  “Lick his own balls,” Lynch says in our ears, and we all three flinch.

  “Uh, that’s not what she was going to say,” I tell him.

  “It’s a good idea,” Lynch says, and Kash gives a muffled laugh.

  “Why don’t we save all these great ideas for later,” Talia says.

  I nod, and Anna looks mildly relieved. Despite her reassurances that my accidentally compelling her the other night wasn’t terrible, I know she’s rattled by losing control of her own body. I can’t blame her. If anything, it makes her idea to come here today even braver.

  “We need to get going,” I say, the back of my neck prickling as I realize how long we’ve been standing here exposed like this.

  We hurry to Anna’s class and manage to snag three seats in the back row just as the professor begins his lecture on motivating a team in the workplace.

  Talia and I share a look of mutual misery. Then I watch as she slides out her phone and pulls up a game to pass the time. Anna opens a fresh notebook and sits with her pen poised. I can see her excitement in the set of her shoulders and alert expression. She’s thrilled to be back even if it is all a trap to lure Brody out of hiding.

  She wants nothing more than to return to her old life. To graduate, move home, and make something of herself and her dessert business.

  I want nothing more than to get started on my new life. Not just as a werewolf but as Kash’s mate.

  Unfortunately, until we stop Brody, none of us can move forward.

  I suspect that’s why Kash let us out of his sight today. We’re all desperate to end this. And for the first time, with my new superpower of compulsion to protect myself and my friends, we stand a good chance of doing that sooner rather than later.

  At the very least, between my ability to compel and my new inner wolf, I’m not afraid of facing Brody head-on if he does decide to show up.

  Besides, I want to see the look on his face when I tell him what happened to Derek.

  While Anna takes notes on the lecture, I scroll through my newest notifications. There are a ton of likes and comments on the Tom Hardy post, and since most are from new followers, I make sure to engage with as many of them as possible.

  It’s imperative that I keep my numbers up now with my deadline approaching. Professor Higgins made me promise that in exchange for granting me and Talia permission to shadow Anna to her classes, instead of attending our own, I’d give him an update on my numbers by the end of the week.

  So far, my numbers are still going up, and I’m looking forward to proving to him that I can fight a werewolf war, become a werewolf myself, and ace his final assignment with flying colors.

  Hermione Granger, eat your heart out!

  I stop when I see a new reply from bdog69x.

  For a girl who claims she doesn’t want me as her ‘team captain’, you spend an awful lot of time thinking about my junk. I knew you liked the athletic types. And don’t worry. There’s a hell of a lot more than just me to choose from. #seeyousoon

  I shudder as I realize he’s referring to his army of werebros. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s behind the athletes’ disappearances. Those poor jocks probably never even knew what hit them, but if my suspicions are correct, they’re all part of his pack now. A queasy feeling starts in the pit of my stomach. This is why Brody hasn’t attacked yet. He’s rebuilding his army, and he’s using some of the strongest, fastest, most capable guys on campus to do it. I bite my lip and pray that our ragtag crew will be ready when the time comes.

  For the next three days, we escort Anna from one class to the next, even stopping for lunch with Justice every afternoon in the campus cafe. While Anna gets caught up on classwork, Talia sets a new high score in Mafia Wars. I use the time to reread one of my favorite books, Inescapable by Amy Bartol, but the war they’re fighting hits too close to home. Instead of finishing the series, I switch over to Disobedience by Jane Washington. I laugh out loud, causing death glares from some of the people seated near us, but I power through, thankful for the insan
ity that is Jane’s method of storytelling. As the days wear on, there’s no sign of Brody or any other werebro. Not even a whiff of a scent.

  By the end of the day on Friday, two junior varsity soccer players have also vanished without a trace even though we haven’t spotted a single werebro on campus. I’m irritated by the lack of action, and even more irritated that Brody is still somehow managing to continue his plans right under our noses.

  I’m also hangry.

  “Anna, I am willing to give you my firstborn if you’ll make those chocolate fudge brownies you made for my birthday last year,” I say as we head for the parking lot where Kash and Lynch have been staked out all day.

  “Really, Pepper?” Kash’s amused voice comes through the speaker.

  Anna shakes her head, smiling wistfully. “I think that recipe will have to wait until I can restock my supplies. Kash’s kitchen is lovely, but he doesn’t have the right utensils for some of my fancier desserts.”

  I wince as I remember her utensils were used as ammo during our getaway from the clinic. Justice walks up, his expression mirroring my own.

  “Speaking of which,” Talia says as we reach Kash’s car and climb inside. “I have a surprise.”

  Chapter 12

  “Oh, my stars! She’s prettier than a speckled pup!”

  Anna’s excited screech has us all laughing as we pull up to the compound where the new and improved Just Desserts truck sits right in front of the house with a giant white bow on top.

  As soon as Kash pulls to a stop, Anna rushes out, determined to see her new baby up close.

  The new food truck looks like a retro VW bus. Somehow looking both vintage and brand new at the same time. Anna’s Just Desserts logo is written on the extra tire on the back and again, bigger, along the sides. Its teal and white paint job sparkles in the afternoon sun as Anna runs her hands along the side of it.

  Talia and I grin at each other. Even though Talia was the one to front the bill, we both stayed up late each night since the truck was destroyed, working out all the tiny details–determined to make the replacement Bessy perfect for Anna. She deserves it after everything she’s been through.