Wolf Blood

Chapter Six: Murder Wolf

I opened my front door and stepped inside. Zander stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked at me. His eyes were red and glossy.

“Zander,” I said as he dashed up the stairs. Before I headed up the stairs, I heard mum call to me. Turning around I headed to the kitchen. “What’s going on?”

“A girl was killed last night by dogs. According to the news they dragged her body into the woods behind her house,” mum said, her hands clasped together. My stomach clenched. “Zander knew the girl. He went out with her yesterday. I think her name was Riley.” Her eyes were glossy as she looked at me.

I gasped and covered my mouth. Reyleigh. They killed Reyleigh. Did I kill Reyleigh? I felt tears begin to well. “Reyleigh,” I breathed. My stomach twisted. I felt vomit rising.

“I’m so sorry, Selene,” mum said. She walked around the bar and walked over to me.

Shaking my head, I ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the bathroom. I’d never thrown up so many times in my life. I collapsed back against the wall, across from the toilet. Reyleigh didn’t live that far from me and I had no control over it. Pulling my phone out I called Kinsley.

“Yo, wolfy,” Kinsley said.

“Kinsley,” I growled. I growled.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

After a long pause I found my voice. “Reyleigh is dead. Dog attack,” I said. The line was silent. “Could I have?” I couldn’t find the words to finish that sentence. I am not a murderer, but could the thing in me be?

“Selene. Breathe,” she said. “I’ve been told by wolves that they don’t naturally hunt people. Even if you did, it’s not your fault.”

“How wouldn’t it be my fault?” I asked, my voice rising. I could feel anger churning my stomach. If I killed her, even in that wolf state, it would still be my fault.

“You had no control. Do not blame yourself. Plus, we don’t even know if it was you to begin with.”

I balled my hand and took a deep breath. Tears slid down my face. “I don’t want to be this thing. This monster.”

“It’s going to be okay Selene. We will find a way to fix it.”

“We need a plan for the next full moon.”

“We will figure something out. Everything is going to be okay,” she said. Though I believed and trusted her, I didn’t feel better. There wasn’t a solution to this wolf disease, at least not yet.

After we hung up my chest tightened. Deep breaths weren’t enough. I felt dizzy, my head hurt, and my chest burned. I headed out the back door and ran toward the woods. The fresh air filled my lungs, lessening the burning sensation in my chest. The woods behind my house stretched for a few miles before the next road. I took the familiar path that lead to the tree house Zander and I made when we were young.

The fort still hung in the tree, though many pieces were missing and rotten. It wasn’t safe anymore and hadn’t been in it for years. I rested my hand on the old oak that served us well over the years. Glancing up I saw the broken ladder that lead to the tree house.

Taking a breath, I froze. Leaves crunched nearby. The sounds grew louder and quicker. My heart thudded in my chest.

“Selene, right?” Ezekiel’s voice silenced my beating heart.

I turned to face him, and half smiled, glad it wasn’t a stranger. “Yeah. Nice to see you again,” I said. He wore basketball shorts and a muscle shirt. Sweat slowly ran down his face as he pulled out his earbuds and stuffed them in his pocket. “Do you run here often?”

“First time actually,” he said glancing up at the tree house. “I wanted new scenery. This yours?” He pointed to the dilapidated house.

“It was. When I was a kid my brother and I played in it all the time.” I chuckled at the memory of us racing each other to the house.

“Do you run?” He asked with a smile.

“Not as often as I’d like,” I said. Truthfully, I hadn’t run in almost a year.

“We should run together sometime.” He raised his brow. His green eyes were so much darker than his brothers.

“That could be fun. You’d have to be kind to me though, it’s been a long time since I last ran,” I said, giving him a half smile. He chuckled and I could have sworn I heard him say, “Not that long.”

He walked over toward me and placed his hand on the tree. “When was the last time you went up?” He asked looking at the tree house.

“It’s been years. We’ve no longer deemed it safe.” He reached toward the broken ladder and I placed my hand on his hard shoulder. His skin was scorching. “Please don’t, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I won’t,” he said looking at my hand. “Your concern is appreciated though.” I pulled my hand back, hoping he didn’t think it was weird how long it rested there. But dang those muscles. He grabbed the ladder and tried to pull himself up, but the ladder snapped, falling backward. The old wood smacked him against the back before he let it fall on the ground.

I chuckled lightly as he stood wide eyed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I said.

“That you did Selene,” he said turning around. “Probably for the best though.”

“Definitely for the best.” I laughed. He was different than I expected. Kinder and softer than when we first met. It seemed that Everette and Ezekiel had more in common than good looks.

“Did you graduate with Everette?” He asked turning to face me.

“Yeah,” I said.

“So, you’re eighteen.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing. How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-four,” he said.

“That’s not such a big gap.” He shrugged his broad shoulders.

“Do you want to go out with me sometime?” He asked, his green eyes staring into mine.

I cleared my throat, trying not to reveal the shock I felt by his question. “Sure,” I said. His dark green eyes softened, releasing me. “When?” I clasped my hands together.

“Now. Ice cream?” He raised his brow and smiled.