Chapter 36
The call came three weeks into the semester.
Jake was studying when his phone buzzed.
Sofia.
He answered.
“Please tell me Marcus did not buy another tarot deck.”
“Worse.”
Jake sat up.
Noah, across the library table, noticed.
Sofia continued.
“Someone crossed the boundary at the oak.”
Jake’s stomach tightened.
“Thomas?”
“No.”
“Circle?”
“I don’t think so.”
Noah mouthed, What?
Jake put the phone on speaker.
Sofia said, “There’s a boy in the woods.”
Jake and Noah looked at each other.
Sofia added, “Maybe nineteen. Barefoot. No shirt. Very confused.”
Jake closed his eyes.
Noah started laughing.
Not because it was funny.
Because apparently the universe had developed a sense of branding.
Jake packed his books.
“Does he have pants?”
Sofia paused.
“Yes.”
“Progress.”
Noah stood.
Jake looked at him.
“Run with me?”
Noah smiled.
“Always.”
***
Three weeks into the fall semester, Jake went back to the fallen oak.
Noah came with him.
Of course he did.
Summer had transformed the woods.
Green everywhere.
Insects buzzing.
Sunlight reaching the ground in broken pieces.
Jake stood where he had first seen the bare foot sticking out from behind the tree.
“You were right there.”
Noah leaned against the oak.
“I remember.”
“You looked dead.”
“I felt dead.”
“You stole my hoodie.”
“You gave me the hoodie.”
“Debatable.”
Noah smiled.
Jake walked closer.
“No hunters today.”
“Don’t say that.”
“No tarot cards.”
“Jake.”
“No creepy voices.”
“Seriously.”
Jake kissed him.
Noah stopped complaining.
They uncovered the threshold stone together.
The carvings remained.
Daniel.
Ana.
Mara.
Noah.
Jake.
But the date had changed.
December 21 was gone.
In its place:
OPENED ONCE.
CLOSED TWICE.
Jake frowned.
“That wasn’t there.”
“No.”
“Who changed it?”
Noah crouched.
He touched the edge of the stone.
His eyes flashed.
Memory took him.
Jake grabbed his shoulder.
Noah gasped.
Then came back.
“What?”
Noah stared into the trees.
“There was someone here.”
“Thomas?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“I couldn’t see his face.”
Jake waited.
Noah swallowed.
“He smelled like you.”
Jake’s blood chilled.
“My family?”
“Maybe.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Heartbeat.”
Jake looked at the stone.
Someone else.
Another Warden.
Another wolf.
Or something in between.
A branch cracked.
Both boys turned.
Nothing.
Then a voice came from deeper in the woods.
Not imitation.
Not Daniel.
A young man.
“Jake Miller?”
Noah stepped in front of him.
Jake touched his shoulder.
“Together.”
Noah nodded.
The stranger emerged slowly.
Maybe nineteen.
Dirty jeans.
Bare feet.
No shirt.
Jake stared.
The boy looked exhausted.
Terrified.
And extremely annoyed.
“Please,” he said, “tell me one of you has clothes.”
Jake looked at Noah.
Noah looked at Jake.
Jake started laughing.
He could not stop.
The stranger frowned.
“What?”
Jake wiped his eyes.
“No. Sorry. You have no idea.”
Noah groaned.
Jake pulled off his hoodie.
He held it out.
The stranger took it.
Jake looked at Noah.
“Apparently this is just my life now.”
Noah’s growl turned into laughter.
And somewhere beneath their feet, too deep for ordinary ears, something knocked once.