The Hollowing (COYWOLF Series Book 2)

by Abby Tyson

  Savi went back to the bathroom to get a wet cloth and tossed it onto the table. She winced at the bright red stripe running down Baxter's side and his pained attempts to see it clearly enough to clean it.

  "Oh, give me that," she said, pulling up a chair and snatching the cloth from his hand. "This looks bad. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

  "Nah. It doesn't feel deep. That albino amazon got a slice in before I knocked the knife from her hand."

  The wolf remained in the kitchen, watching them intently.

  "Why are you even here?" asked Savi.

  "Glenny boy came and got me, told me I should keep keepin' an eye on you. Ah!" he gasped, sucking in air through his teeth. "Take it easy -- you're not scrubbin' scum off a tub ya know. I got sensitive Irish skin."

  Savi rolled her eyes and continued wiping the dried blood off from around his wound. Even though he was injured, she kept imagining him grabbing her and trying to bring her back to Marcia. Every time he moved his hand when talking, she flinched.

  "Why do you think that's Glenn?" she asked. Having a wolf so close to her -- an animal that was usually wild -- sitting in her kitchen, was a very strange sensation.

  "I was there when he altered at the barn. His coloring isn't something you see every day. So I knew it was him right away."

  "And he told you to come back here?" She put the cloth down and picked up the Neosporin. "Can he talk?"

  The wolf shook its head.

  "I was at my Ma's house checkin' on her and my baby sister," said Baxter, watching Savi squeeze the ointment up his side, "and when I went back out to my car, old Glenny here crawled outta the hedges and made me jump about a mile."

  He started to laugh, but cut himself off with a pained grimace. "After I figured out he wasn't lookin' for revenge, and that he has his wits about him, I let him hop in. We parked outta the way and played twenty questions til I worked out what he wanted. Even though you were less than hospitable last night --" He squinted at her and pouted before continuing. "-- I figured I owe him too. He smelled the troublemakers when they showed up, and here we are."

  Savi picked up the gauze, but turned to the wolf. "You're Glenn?"

  The wolf nodded.

  She tried to think of something only Glenn would know. Any of the Alters might have known her dad, so questions about him wouldn't prove --

  Turning back to Baxter, she asked, "Did you ever meet my dad? Montgomery Drake?"

  He shook his head. "I only joined up with Marcia five years ago."

  "That's when he was there. He died at the barn five years ago."

  "I musta missed him. I've only seen five people die there; four of them were when you were there, and the other one I knew."

  She thought about the carnage she had witnessed at the barn. "Top and Gabe," she said, ticking them off with her fingers. Holding out a third and fourth finger, she looked at Baxter. "Who are the other two?"

  Staring at Savi's fingers, Baxter said, "Gabe shot both of the saviors standing by Mama's door. Neither of them made it. How the hell did you guys get them to sit like that anyway? It took months of training for Mama to get Jameson to sit, let alone bite on command."

  At Jameson's name, Savi flashed back to the basement lab and her nightmares. She quickly looked up at the kitchen light, forcing herself to stay in the present.

  Instead of answering Baxter's question -- she still wasn't convinced he was acting independent of Marcia's will -- Savi started wrapping him in gauze. Looking back at the wolf, she asked, "What does Mrs. Rust always get when she comes to the Beanie Beanie? One: a dozen doughnuts, two: six pounds of ground coffee, or three: a small orange juice?"

  The wolf barked once. Savi's heart dropped.

  "That's not so strange, gettin' a box of doughnuts," Baxter said.

  Staring at the wolf, she said, "She sits at a table and eats them all right there."

  The wolf nodded his head. Savi asked the wolf a few more work-related questions. Her fingers were trembling by the time she secured Baxter's wrap.

  "How is this possible? It's not the full moon cycle, and werewolves don't keep their human awareness." She turned to Baxter. "Right?"

  "It's new to me," he said, gingerly lowering his shirt. "Mama Marcia would be bubbling over if she knew this happened." At Savi's sharp look, he added, "I'm not sayin' I'm gonna tell her."

  "The artificial lupa compound that Marcia made must have done this."

  "It's probably better this way," he said. "He's older than we're supposed to alter. Top always said the younger the better, as long as they're at least high school age. Sixteen to mid-twenties is the best time. After that, I guess it gets harder and takes its toll faster."

  Baxter turned his gaze sharply from Glenn to Savi. "How about you have him bite you? That might change him back, right?"

  Glenn barked. The sound echoed noisily off the walls, making both Baxter and Savi wince, then he shook his head from left to right.

  "Why not?" Baxter asked.

  "It's okay... Glenn," Savi said, tentatively sitting on the floor in front of him and holding out her arm. "I'm veru malar, remember? I won't alter. You don't have to bite hard, just enough to break the skin."

  Glenn backed away, his paws slipping on the smooth floor, and shook his head again.

  "You want to stay a wolf?" Baxter demanded, with a frustration that surprised Savi.

  "Maybe he doesn't want to hurt me," she said. "I can handle it, as long as you do it quick." She moved her arm closer to his mouth.

  He got up and darted past her, running into the living room.

  "That would be a no," Baxter said.

  Savi shrugged and began putting the first aid kit back together. "Why did he go to you?" she asked.

  A blotch of red bloomed on his forehead as he considered her question. "Alls I can guess is he heard me yellin' at Mama about talking so harsh about you. She was sayin' all kinds of things about how you're a danger, and you knew all along that you're a hollow one, and you killed both her sons, and you shoulda..." His eyes were heavy with shame. "She said you shoulda died instead of Top. I never heard her talk like that. It's not right. When I tried to talk her down, she said maybe I was in league with you all along."

  His usually carefree face was lined with disgust, and one of his eyes was slightly swollen from the fight outside. "And me and him, we were friends before," he added.

  From the living room, Glenn barked. Baxter gave a short chuckle before putting a hand on his wounded side. "Maybe we're still friends," he muttered.

  Savi brought the kit back to the bathroom, and returned to find Baxter lying on the couch, adjusting the blanket she had been using before. Glenn lay where the edge of the carpet met the linoleum of the entryway.

  "What are you doing?" asked Savi.

  "Gettin' comfy." He kicked at the blanket with his socked feet.

  "You're not staying here."

  Glenn barked.

  "Exactly," Baxter said, with a nod to the wolf. "What if the hooligans come back?"

  "I'll call the police."

  "Bah. They take too long."

  "Then sleep in your car."

  "I believe I already pointed out how cold it is out there," he said, tucking himself in. "You gonna pay my bills when I get frostbit?"

  "You're the one wearing a t-shirt and shorts," she said. "And it can't be less than fifty outside."

  She stood in the doorway, staring at the two of them. Baxter peeked over the covers.

  "You still there? Go to bed. You look beat. And are you guys secretly rich or something with all these lights on?"

  Reluctantly, Savi turned off the living room and kitchen lights and headed down the hallway to do the same in her mom's room and the bathroom. Glenn followed her, sniffing each room, then sat outside her bedroom door with his chest puffed out.

  "What?" asked Savi, feeling ridiculous talking to an animal.

  He barked, then paced a circle and sat down again, his back to her door.

/>   "You'll stand guard?" she interpreted.

  Glenn nodded, his eyes hopeful.

  "You're the one who brought him here in the first place," she said, pointing to the living room. He nodded again.

  "Fine," she sighed, and went to get her bat and phone from the dining room. Even though intellectually she knew it was Glenn and not a wild animal, she had to fight the urge to run when she saw a wolf sitting in front of her bedroom. Skirting past him, she didn't realize how tightly she'd been holding the bat until she closed the door and pried her aching fingers from its handle. His sharp, low bark made her jump.

  Laughing at herself, she said, "Good night to you too."

  She created a makeshift lock by dragging her full hamper in front of the door, along with her duffle bag full of her mom's old clothes.

  Pulling an extra blanket down from her closet, she left her light on and settled into bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, a heavy fatigue fell over her. It was past one, and she was supposed to be at work for ten tomorrow. After double-checking that the bat was easy to reach even when she was in bed, Savi tried to go to sleep.

  "Where's the can if I need it?" Baxter shouted.

  Is this really happening? Is Baxter really sleeping in my house?

  "Kid!" he shouted again. "Where's the can?"

  "It's not a huge house!" she shouted back. Then after a moment she yelled, "First door on the left," and pulled the covers over her head.

  Chapter Seven

  A loud banging woke Savi up with a start. Disoriented, she fumbled for the bat, knocking it over before jumping out of bed and standing at the ready. The sun filtered through the curtains into her bedroom, but her alarm hadn't gone off, which meant it had to be before nine. She heard the banging again, and this time someone was shouting from outside -- a male voice, but there were too many walls between for her to recognize it. A dog in the hallway barked in response.

  Not a dog. A wolf. Glenn.

  My life has gotten really bizarre.

  "I'm goin', Glenny, I'm goin'," she heard Baxter say. "Coming!" he shouted.

  Who would be knocking on my door this early?

  Instantly the answer struck her. She looked back at the window, then at the clock: just after eight, about an hour and a half after sunrise.

  Oh crap.

  She threw the bat down and dragged the duffle bag out of the way of the door. "Don't get it, Baxter!" she cried, but Glenn was barking over her.

  Wrenching her door open, she fell victim to her own defenses, accidentally knocking her hamper over and creating a doorstop between her door and the wall. The opening was too small for her to get through.

  "Baxter! Leave it!"

  She heaved the hamper out of the way, but it was too late. The front door opened and she heard Baxter's voice.

  "Hey, I remember --"

  Savi made it into the hall just in time to see Marley shove the door open and pin Baxter to the wall with one hand.

  "Where's Savi?" he shouted.

  Baxter gurgled in response.

  "Marley, put him down!" Savi cried, tripping over Glenn as she ran down the hall.

  Marley eyed Baxter's reddening face with suspicion, but let go, leaving him to crumple to the floor.

  "What is he doing here?" Marley asked. "And what is that?" He pointed at the wolf trotting up behind her.

  "It was a weird night," she said. "Give me a minute and I'll tell you everything -- I just woke up." She turned to Baxter. "Are you okay?"

  Sitting against the wall, Baxter was wheezing and staring in shock at something behind her. She followed his gaze to a fist-sized dent in her metal front door.

  With a hand pressed against his wound from last night, Baxter carefully lifted himself off the floor, keeping a wary eye on Marley. "So what are you?" he asked. "Origin?"

  "What is going on?" Marley demanded, ignoring Baxter. "You don't return my calls, you never come home. I thought you were in trouble, but instead you're cozying up with an Alter?"

  "I'm no Alter," Baxter said, “not anymore."

  "You can't seriously believe that," said Marley.

  His patronizing tone was irritating, especially this early in the morning. "What do you mean I never came home?" she asked. "Were you camped out in front of my house all day? I told you I had to work."

  "You said you were off at five. I waited until six. I nearly didn't make it back in time." Realizing he'd said too much, he flashed a rancorous look at Baxter, who was now sitting at the kitchen table. Marley took her by the arm and pulled her into her bedroom, closing the door.

  "Did he threaten you?" he asked, searching her eyes. "I can tell you're scared. Did something happen with your mom?"

  Savi was scared, but not of Baxter. After what she'd seen yesterday, being alone with Marley was not where she wanted to be.

  Jerking out of his grip, she went straight to the door. "I already said I'd tell you," she snapped. "Wait in the kitchen."

  Without waiting to see if he obeyed, she went in the bathroom. She tried to calm herself down as she combed her hair, but her stomach roiled every time she pictured the notebook in Marley's trunk. Had he been obsessed with her ever since they met on the playground? Had he been searching for her? Or worse -- watching her in secret?

  She knew some girls would be flattered that a guy -- a really hot guy -- had been thinking about her so much for twelve years. But to Savi, it was just another part of her life that had been hidden. Her whole life had been turned upside down, with one secret after another shattering her understanding of herself and her place in the world. She'd thought Marley told her his biggest secret, but now she wasn't so sure.

  By the time she returned to the kitchen, Baxter was eating a bowl of cereal, with Glenn on the floor beside him, eating sliced ham off a plate. Marley was standing in the corner by the back door, watching them both, his fury unabated. He turned his glare on her, but Savi ignored him, waiting until after she'd poured herself some cereal to begin recounting the events of the previous night. She didn't want to, but Marley asked enough questions that she eventually had to reveal that Glenn was also previously an Alter, and Marcia's son.

  When she was done, he asked, "How do we know they didn't bring Amber and Pearl here?"

  "Ebony and Marcia want different things," she said, bringing her empty bowl to the dishwasher. "They're not working together."

  Locking his eyes on Baxter, he said, "And what proof do we have that you're not working for Marcia and just trying to get close to Savi to kidnap her again?" He pointed to Glenn. "You've got her son right there!"

  "Marcia wants Savi dead," Baxter said, with no hint of his characteristic jocularity. "I don't."

  "And Marcia disowned Glenn," said Savi. "She relegated him to test subject after he defied her to protect me."

  Fuming silently, Marley went to the kitchen to stand in front of her, his back to Baxter and Glenn. "I don't believe it," he whispered.

  She couldn't be so close to him. All she could picture were the drawings in his notebook. He'd literally stalked her yesterday, sitting outside her house for hours.

  "You don't need to," she said.

  "Savi --" Instead of finishing his thought, he grabbed her arm yet again and began leading her away, this time towards the front door.

  Like an angry father with his petulant daughter, Savi couldn't help thinking.

  Glenn barked and blocked their way to the door.

  "Everything alright, kid?" Baxter asked, still at the table.

  "She's none of your concern," Marley said, glaring at the snarling wolf.

  Savi tried to pull her arm out of his hand, but his grip only tightened. "Let go!" she cried. "You're hurting me!"

  He thrust her arm away from him. "I didn't mean to," he said, worry flooding his face. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes," she said, rubbing her arm. "Just stop leading me around like a child. I can walk and talk all by myself." Addressing Glenn, she said, "I'll be okay. We'll be right outside."

  T
he wolf growled once more, but stepped aside as they went out. Savi eyed the dent in the door as she passed, grateful that her arm had fared better.

  As soon as the door closed behind them, Marley wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry. I'll never do that again."

  "I'm fine," she said, patting him on the back and trying to pull away as quickly as possible without being noticeable.

  "I was so worried." He kissed her hair and kept her close. "The whole drive home last night, and all morning, I was so afraid I'd lost you."

  "I'm fine," she repeated, her heart racing.

  Bringing her to arm's length, he studied her face. Savi was sure he was going to comment on her obvious -- at least to her -- fear of being near him, but all he said was, "I stopped in this morning to check on you, and say goodbye, but there's no way I'm leaving your side again. You're coming with us to Tallahassee."

  Her heart rate shot up at the suggestion, and his head jerked back. His nostrils flared as he relaxed his hold on her shoulders.

  "No," she said, hoping to distract him. She took advantage of his lightened grip and went down the front steps, putting some space between them. "I can't do that."

  Marley watched her, but didn't follow. "Why not?" he asked. His voice was flat, as if his thoughts were elsewhere.

  "Gee, I don't know, because you guys are going down there to steal Berto's torra? This guy is holding my mom and her boyfriend hostage. If I do anything that could be interpreted as hostile, who knows what he'll do to them?"

  Keeping a steady gaze on her, Marley walked down the steps and didn't stop until he was mere inches away. She started to walk past him toward the house, but he seized her wrist. Savi's heart jumped. His eyes widened and he let her go, raising his hands as if she were pointing a gun at him.

  "Why are you so frightened?"

  "I've got plenty of reasons to be frightened," she said, "not the least of which is my mom is in mortal danger."

  "No, that's not it." This time he grabbed both her wrists. Jerking her against him, he trapped her arms against his chest.

  "Let go!" she cried, pulling in vain.