39. Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Cedric
I blink once, twice, those yellow eyes boring into mine. I could swear there is something curious about them, and I suppose the fact that the growling has ceased is a point in my–our–favor. Unless this beast is in the habit of getting quiet before devouring its prey whole.
When Blaine does the worst possible thing and steps even closer to it, my breathing nearly stops. I know that I’d gladly risk my life for this pup, if only for Delilah’s sake–but does he truly not sense the danger?
And then, when I’m about to grab him and run as fast as the bloody wind in the opposite direction, something odd happens. Odd being a euphemism.
The creature’s muzzle emerges fully from the grass, and it bumps its nose against Blaine’s once. At that, Blaine jumps back, if in fear or surprise, I’m not sure. A huge, clawed paw is also visible as it leaves its imprint on the ground, and my brain finally comes to terms with the fact that this must be some sort of wolf. A rather large one, judging from that paw.
Why is a wolf this size so close to people’s homes? Why has Delilah warned me about potential frogs and not about this? But most of all, if I’m about to die, what the hell will happen to my brother? Is Delilah going to blame herself?
The wolf sniffs, hot breath reaching my leg. It looks up at me, its head cocking, and it might sound bollocks, but I swear, something like recognition flashes in the animal’s eyes. Blaine barks once, and the bigger canine turns and breaks into a run through the tall grass, disappearing toward the forest in a matter of seconds.
“What the hell was that?” I ask, knowing I’m not about to get an answer.
Delilah
I’m getting ready for work when Cedric returns, paler than he’d left.
“Blainey, did you misbehave?” Blaine allows me to take his collar off and rushes to the kitchen, lapping greedily at his water bowl.
Cedric looks troubled as he says, “We had a strange encounter. ”
“Was my neighbor doing yoga in his underwear again?”
“I wish,” Cedric says, and at my laugh he shakes his head. “Not that I’d seen that!”
I nod, biting back a laugh as I step closer and place my hands on his arms. “Who, then?”
“Not a who. An animal. A wolf.” My heart rate instantly picks up.
“W-what?” I sputter, taken aback.
Cedric gives me a concerned look. “Did you know there are wolves roaming freely around here? And it was no regular-sized wolf, either,” he adds as my hands leave him.
“Well, there are a lot of, uh, wild animals, in Fern Port,” I say, willing my voice not to waver.
“The mayor should be better informed, then. Surely there’s something that can be done to keep them from coming this close to the neighborhoods. It didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt me or Blaine, but I might have just gotten lucky,” he says, clearly displeased.
I nod, unsure on what to say.
If this is his reaction to what he thinks he saw–how can I ever tell him about me? I feel like the ground is yawning open beneath me, and I’m struggling not to let it show.
“It didn’t seem interested in you? At all?” I manage to keep my voice steady.
Cedric shakes his head, starting for the living room. “That’s the odd thing,” he says, passing a hand on his jaw. “It looked at me. Properly stared at me. It seemed almost–”
Human , I think to myself.
“I don’t know, but your dog seemed excited,” Cedric continues. I glance at Blaine, who is now napping on his cushion without a care in the world.
“What do you mean? ”
“When I first heard the growling, I tried to take Blaine away, but he wouldn’t budge. It’s going to sound insane, but it was as if he thought he knew whatever was lurking in the grass.”
I blink a few times, biting the inside of my cheek. I don’t know whether I’m on the verge of spilling everything or bursting into tears, but what I do know is I need to stay calm.
“Delilah?”
“Yeah?”
“You look pale,” he says, stepping closer, eyes scanning my face. He places the back of his hand against my forehead, humming when he doesn’t find it hot. “Did I scare you?”
“No, no, I think I just need a glass of water. I’m a little woozy.”
Cedric nods, his jaw set. He walks to the kitchen, and I take advantage of these precious seconds to take a deep breath, slowing my racing heart. I’m trying to tell myself that if I don’t tell him the truth, ultimately, it matters little, because he’s leaving. I’m trying to accept that if he’s so freaked out about what he believed to be a common wolf, he couldn’t so much as believe in werewolves. He must think them nothing more than lore, superstition.
I catch my reflection in the small mirror by the door, avoiding shrieking in horror by pressing a hand to my mouth. I glance toward the kitchen to make sure Cedric isn’t coming back yet, and quickly step closer to the mirror, where a pair of dark yellow, blood-shot eyes looks back at me. Panicking, I look around me, and my gaze lands on Cedric’s fashionable sunglasses, a lifeline of acetate and plastic resting on the small shelf next to the door.
“Here you go–”
“How do I look?” I ask as I grab the glass, the brief contact between our fingers coursing through me like lightning, which doesn’t help with my agitated breathing–or with turning my unnatural irises back to normal, I imagine.
“Great, but–”
“Oh, this is delicious, I’m feeling better already!”
“It’s just water and sugar,” Cedric says, amused and puzzled. I guess I won’t ever have to tell him about the wolf thing if he already thinks I’m insane.
“And I love it,” I add, rising on my toes to press a feather-light kiss to his cheek.
Cedric swallows, taps gently the side of the glasses, and I release a quiet breath when they don’t move. “Keep them. They suit you.”
“Do they really?” I laugh, despite everything.
“Everything does,” he replies simply, and his eyes are full of an adoration I desperately want to deserve.
“What am I going to do, Faye?”
“Get drunk? Get a tattoo of Keanu Reeves’ face? Build a birdhouse?”
I shoot her a look with my back-to-normal eyes, and she slurps her cherry smoothie in response.
“You should have seen his face,” I say, recalling Cedric’s tale of his meeting with what was surely another werewolf. It might have been Mayor Sawyer, or someone else who has been like me for long enough that they can turn whenever they please, because they so choose. Without losing their mind, that is.
“At least you know you’ll always be your dog’s favorite parent, given Blaine thought that wolf was you,” Faye offers as she chucks her now-empty cup into the nearest trash can.
“I’m his only parent,” I point out.
“Right. I’m the cool aunt,” she adds, tucking her fingers in her faux leather shorts’ back pockets. Her expression darkens when she adds, “Lila, if he’s actually leaving, it’s literally now or never.”
“But Faye–what if he hates me? What if he’s disgusted?”
“Hating you is against the principles of science, look it up.”
“You’re biased!”
“I’m honest,” she replies, pointedly not matching my frantic tone. “And if he is disgusted, then he’s not the person you thought he was, and it’ll make everything easier.”
I close up the shop, glancing up at the red and orange sky. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Lose the maybe ,” she says easily. “You coming to the nine pm show? It looks like–”
“Are you going to pretend you didn’t sound extra weird when I called you yesterday?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.
Faye opens her mouth, rolls her eyes, then huffs out a breath. “You want the truth?”
“Yes, please!”
“I was doing secret birthday stuff you couldn’t be privy to.”
I’m torn between laughing and scolding her for telling me, but I don’t do either. “You are terrible at surprises,” I say with a fond smile.
“You know what else I’m terrible at?”
“Crochet?”
“Being on time for work,” she says with a glance at Fern Port square’s clock.
“Faye, your family owns the place. ”
“And I’ll probably sell four tickets at best. Until my parents return from their merry voyages, I can’t let those four people down,” she says, unfazed.
“Is it a horror movie?”
“I wish. It’s some French romantic comedy about a librarian and a firefighter. I get I’m supposed to diversify my offer, or whatever, but that sounds more horrific than an actual horror.”
“Someday you will get over your aversion to relationships.” I tangle her arm through mine. “Just you wait.”
“In your dreams,” she says breezily, a waft of chestnuts reaching me as we walk in the opposite direction.