My Wolf's Bane

  “It was over a year ago. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.” Maya’s eyes lit up. “You’re single again. What about Zack?”

  “Oh, no.” I shook my head, imagining the wheels turning in her head. “Don’t even think about matchmaking. Zack is so not my type. Besides, he can’t stand me.”

  “I don’t think that’s true.”

  “Trust me,” I said. “He doesn’t like me at all.”

  “If you say so.” She rolled her eyes. “I found out from Trevor why Zack had to switch schools so late in the year.”

  “Do tell.” I leaned forward, elbows on the table and rested my chin on my palms.

  “Their moms are sisters. Zack’s mom has been sick most of her life. An immune system disorder or something like that. Anyway, between school and work, he couldn’t be there all the time to take care of her. So she and Zack moved in with Trevor’s family where there’s almost always someone home.”

  “Where’s his dad?”

  “Died when he was a little boy.”

  “That’s awful.” My heart ached for him. “How sick is his mom?”

  “She gets better, then gets worse. She’s on medication that helps but...” Maya shook her head. “It doesn’t look good. I guess she’s got a few weeks, months at the most. Which is the biggest reason she and Zack moved here. She wanted to spend her last days with family.”

  My throat constricted. I couldn’t imagine losing one parent, much less both. “I’m so sorry for Zack.”

  “Yeah, so you should try to be nice to him. Get your tray and eat with us. Then we can firm up our plans.”

  I shook my head, unwilling to press my luck. I would get enough of Zack on Friday. “You go ahead. I’ll see you after school.”

  Maya took off. I was about to relocate to John’s table when the bench moved and someone claimed the spot next to me. I knew by his scent it was Daniel.

  “Hi, babe.” Daniel wrapped his arms around me. What the hell?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Don’t touch me,” I hissed, wiggling from Daniel’s embrace.

  He scooted closer. “Just forgive me already so we can kiss and make up.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I pushed on his chest. He didn’t budge, but my butt slid across the bench.

  “What’s wrong?” Daniel frowned.

  “What happened to Gina? I thought you were with her now.” I scooted further away.

  “No need to be jealous. I told her you were the one I wanted.” He smiled patronizingly, like he was doing me a huge favor.

  “You cheated on me.” My eyes narrowed to slits. “And I’m supposed to act like it was no big deal?”

  “We were drinking at the party and she came on to me. I didn’t know what I was doing.” He swept a hand through the air as if to wave it all away.

  “Were you drunk yesterday too, Daniel, when you were making out on a toilet?”

  Daniel sighed. “I’m sorry. It was a huge mistake. But you could be a little more understanding about a man’s needs. If you were taking care of me like you shoulda been, it would’ve never happened. We’re in the real world and,” he shrugged, “things happen. But I still love you.”

  I stared at him. “Well, I don’t love you.”

  “Aw, grow up, Autumn.”

  “Oh. Getting so drunk that you do stupid things is really grown up.” I flattened my hands on my lap to steady them, on the verge of making a big, fat scene in front of the whole school. The bell rang and I rose to put my tray away, hoping he wouldn’t follow, so I didn’t have to smack him.

  “You’re being ridiculous,” he said. “I’m trying to give you a chance to make this right.”

  I ignored him and kept going.

  “This isn’t over, Autumn,” he called after me.

  Forcing himself on me had been disturbing. Cheating on me was vile. But acting like it was my fault, then stalking me? Psycho.

  “I said I was sorry!” he shouted.

  Hoping Daniel would give up on me if I ignored him, I continued at a brisk pace without looking back. At my next class, I slapped my backpack on the surface of my desk and rooted through it for my English book.

  A shadow loomed over me. I could tell it was Zack by the warm scent of fresh rain that seemed to be his calling card. “It sounded like he was threatening you,” he said.

  I spared him a glance over my shoulder and resumed my search. “Just expecting me to blow off the whole incident.” When the shadow didn’t move, I straightened and turned to meet Zack’s gaze. Our arms brushed and I realized how close he stood.

  “You’re not thinking of forgiving him, are you?” he asked.

  “No way.” Students brushed past Zack as they filed into the classroom and he shifted toward me to get out of their way. I inched back until my butt hit the edge of the desk. We were still almost touching.

  “Good.” Zack’s face softened. “He’s not ready for a relationship.”

  “He’s not ready to mix with people at all.” I grimaced.

  Zack seemed pensive as his eyes roamed my face. Heat radiated through me as I held his gaze. It was as if Zack emitted an energy which reacted against my own, turning my brain to mush. What were we talking about?

  Zack shifted his weight, bringing him closer. “I don’t think Daniel’s balanced. You should probably avoid him.”

  Uh-huh. Like I didn’t already know that. And if Zack hated me so much, why would he take the time to talk philosophy regarding the guy who’d just cheated on me?

  I made myself ignore the sexy dimple in his chin and glared at him. “Make up your mind, Zack.”

  He gave me a blank face. “About what?”

  “About me. Either be all judgy without ever allowing me to defend myself — in which case you don’t get to be my friend. Or be nice to me. You can’t have both.”

  His eyes narrowed, then the bell rang and he slipped behind his desk.

  I didn’t want to give him or Daniel any more thought. They’d already wasted enough of my time. Instead, I concentrated on what I’d do once I dropped my parents off at the airport, just hours away.

  Freedom.

  With them gone, I could scrap the Internet research and go straight to experimenting. I couldn’t wait to see what else I was capable of.

  † † †

  When my mom drove me home at the end of the day, I didn’t see the Taurus anywhere. “Where’s my car?” I asked as she pulled into the driveway.

  “We had it towed to the mechanic. You need something to drive since we won’t be around to chauffer you.” My mom closed the car door and hit the clicker.

  “I thought I could use yours while you’re gone,” I said hopefully.

  “Not likely.” She laughed. “Yours will be ready later today. We’ll pick it up, so you can do your homework and still have time to drive us to the airport later.”

  “Fine,” I said half-heartedly.

  True to their word, my parents retrieved my junk-heap just before dinner. They did their run early and when I came downstairs from wrapping up my homework, their luggage met me at the door.

  “Oh, good. You’re ready.” My mom grinned as she bustled and threw things into her suitcase. “I wouldn’t want to miss our flight.”

  She seemed a little too excited about it. “Really? Or are you joking?”

  My dad chuckled. “As crazy as it sounds, we’re looking forward to it. Ever crazier, we’re not afraid to leave you.”

  “Oh.” I blinked. Wow, what a one-eighty.

  Mom shrugged. “You’ve shown some real maturity lately. You’ll be eighteen in a few days and legally, well, you’ll be an adult. It’s time we got used to you not being our little girl anymore.”

  “Oh,” I echoed, too stunned to say more.

  “Let’s go.” My dad nudged me lightly with his elbow.

  On the way to the airport, my mom reminded me to do my homework every day, warned me not to throw any parties at the house, then took a moment to stress that they wer
e trusting me and not to let them down. She just had to go one step further by reminding me that the school principal still had her cell number.

  They hadn’t changed as much as I’d hoped.

  While Dad parked at the airport and went in search of a cart, Mom trapped me in a bear hug. Slowly, she released me, then handed me her keys. “Drive home and put these away. Use the Taurus the entire time we’re gone unless it’s an emergency. Okay?”

  Dad collected a cart and began stacking their luggage. “Not having gas money does not constitute an emergency.”

  “Got it,” I said, following them into the building.

  Once at the security stop, Dad hugged me fiercely, kissing the top of my head. “We’ll miss you, sweetheart. Check your email often, huh?”

  “I will.”

  “Just because we’ve grown as parents these past twenty-four hours doesn’t mean we’ll never worry again.” Mom hugged me, this time even harder. “We love you more than anything. You know that, right?”

  I nodded, my throat tightening.

  “Time to go.” My dad wrapped his hand around Mom’s and walked away, glancing back at me periodically, until I couldn’t see them anymore.

  I drove their car home and directly into the garage. The house was quiet and dark. Lonely. I decided stuffing my face with sweets might take my mind off the emptiness of the house, so I headed to the fridge where my mom always kept goodies. Prepared meals in plastic containers lined the shelves. She’d been busy.

  Starting off with a fizzy juice, I twisted off the cap, mindful how much pressure I put on the bottle. I took a sip, enjoying the bubbles forming on my tongue.

  Why had I gotten rid of my parents?

  Oh, man, I need to stay focused and push away second thoughts. A mere few days wouldn’t be adequate to explore my potential. And since it wasn’t even nine yet, I could get started on that straight away.

  I sprinted out the back door, dying to learn what else I could do. Turning around and backing up, I studied the roof, wondering how high I could leap. If I missed and fell, any injuries would heal quickly. But what if I miscalculated and couldn’t jump high at all? I’d end up destroying the gutters or taking out a section of the roof. How would I explain that to my parents?

  Jasmine and rose bushes lined the fence around our home. In the middle of the yard stood a giant oak tree. With little light from a sliver of moon, the yard was nearly black. Nobody would see me if I did something impossible.

  I scanned the area to make sure no one was around and sprung straight up as high as I could. I soared and, oh my God, my head was level with the top of the tree! Gravity took over and I groped for a limb, but missed. As I began to descend, I remembered how much it had hurt when the glass had sliced through my hand. Regardless of my ability to heal, I bled and felt pain just like everyone else.

  Oh, crap.

  I crashed into the ground and bit my bottom lip to muffle my scream. It was as if a bomb had exploded in my back. My eyes clouded over in a sea of agony. And then a moment later, I couldn’t feel anything at all. Panic tore through me as lay there, my legs bent in an unnatural position.

  CHAPTER NINE

  What had I been thinking?

  Even as I prayed that I wouldn’t live the rest of my life in a wheelchair, my spine snapped into place. Gradually, the feeling came back into my limbs and I slowly got back on my feet. Moments later, I couldn’t wait to run.

  How freaking cool.

  My parents always lived in rural areas. So long as I’d had my own room, I never cared… until now. In the foothills of Los Angeles County, there were a variety of neighborhoods — from exclusive gated communities to ramshackle little houses. We lived on a quiet cul-de-sac with newer homes and manicured lawns. At the end of the street, a chain link fence formed a barrier between the houses and a field. A little farther, walnut trees beckoned, dwarfed next to giant pine trees stretching as far as the eye could see. Beyond that, a meadow.

  I headed out.

  Under the cover of dense forest, I inhaled the scent of earth and pine. With my improved vision, I could see the individual leaves at the top of the trees and the tiny yellow eyes of an animal staring at me from a lower branch.

  I sprinted, weaving around the raised roots, wayward branches and occasional rock. My legs wanted to carry me faster, but I didn’t feel confident yet with the uneven terrain, so I held back. Taking a moment to inhale the smell of the woods, I sensed… a deer?

  Scanning the woods, I cautiously moved toward a clearing that was several times the size of our back yard. A deer stood at the far side where the woods began again. He would surely bolt as soon as he saw me, but could I outrun him? I focused on a point on the other side and ran as fast as my legs could go. In an instant, I was there and touching the deer’s flank before he scampered off.

  My mind reeled from the sheer speed. I wasn’t even winded.

  Directly in front of me lay a fallen tree. The trunk was probably wider than Zack’s delicious shoulders and likely extremely heavy. Bending down, I clamped both hands around a branch and heaved. The tree rose above the ground, but banged into my shins and I dropped it. But I’d lifted it, which meant I could probably bench-press a bear.

  I stifled hysterical laughter.

  This was just crazy. People didn’t suddenly get superpowers. Well, apparently I did, but why? What changed? As I replayed the last few days in my head, I scaled the tallest tree at the edge of the clearing, careful to avoid the sap. Every day for the last week, extreme stress had hit me in one way or another. Perhaps the heightened emotions brought on the physical changes.

  No, that couldn’t be it. Everyone had stress. Compared to other people’s problems, mine were minor. I hadn’t been exposed to DNA-altering chemicals and I hadn’t been experimented on by some mad scientist. So what was happening to me?

  At the very top of the tree, I distributed my weight between two branches, but the tree still swayed beneath me. I gazed at the lights of the city, cars driving in the streets, logs burning in a fireplace through a window of a house.

  The world had never been this breathtaking.

  Holding very still, I listened. Somewhere behind me a twig snapped and a cricket chirped. Beyond the trees a horn honked and about a half-mile away, a jogger pattered softly along the road.

  After inhaling the forest air one more time, I descended. When I landed on solid ground, leaves crunching beneath my feet, I stiffened and sniffed the air. It wasn’t a dog… but similar. Coyote?

  A moment later, a large black wolf entered the clearing. I could smell him. Male. Somehow I knew that scent was definitely male.

  He skirted the edges, but stayed close to the trees, his dark green eyes watching me. A coyote probably wouldn’t have fazed me, not with what I could do. But this thing — he was enormous. If he caught me, would I be able to fight him off? Either way, I didn’t want to get hurt if I could avoid it.

  My body tensed for flight mode, but the wolf stopped several yards away and sat on his haunches, his tongue lolling. Keeping me in his line of vision, the beast yawned and lowered until his belly touched the ground. He didn’t look threatening. He was still a wild animal though and it would be foolish to let my guard down. Which took the thrill out of being in the woods. Time to go.

  I backed away and wove through the thick trees until I hit the open field leading to the houses. While listening for signs of activity, I glanced back occasionally, but didn’t see him following.

  Wolves in California weren’t much of a stretch. But so close to humans? And why was he so damn big?

  † † †

  Driving into the school parking lot Thursday morning, I tightened my grip on the steering wheel when I saw Daniel sitting in front of the school building where he used to wait for me on the low wall. He spotted my car and jumped off, his eyes following me. Crap. What did he want now? Anxious to get it over with, I looped my backpack strap around my hand and climbed out of my car.

  He gave me a
charming smile, the same one he used whenever he wanted something. “I thought we could talk,” he said as I approached.

  “I remember when I wanted to talk. Instead, we parked and you tried to molest me.”

  He pretended to clutch at his heart. “Ouch.”

  “I need to get to class. Say what you have to say.” I tapped my foot.

  Daniel sighed, his face pained. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I screwed up bad, but… I love you, Autumn. I can’t lose you.”

  He sounded like he meant it, but none of that mattered, because I didn’t feel that way about him anymore. “Daniel, I can forgive you, but we’re not getting back together.”

  The lines on his face hardened, his eyes darkening. “It’s Zack, isn’t it? You’re with him now.”

  “No. It’s you. I have zero interest in a relationship with you.” Where the hell did Daniel get the idea it had to do with another guy? “I’ve barely spoken to Zack and I don’t even like him.”

  “You two are always staring at each other.”

  “Only out of mutual loathing. Trust me.” I gave him a quick laugh. “He hates me.”

  “Don’t mess with me.” His hand shot out to capture my wrist. “You’re playing us against each other.”

  “You’re twisted.” He needed to cool off before I accidentally hurt him. “Let me go.”

  His other hand circled my waist and pulled me against him. “Okay, fine. You win. You cheated on me with him and now we’re even.”

  I stared at Daniel in disbelief, my palms against his chest, ready to shove him into the next century. “I never cheated on you. Now let go.” I sensed Zack before he spoke.

  “Is there a problem?” Wisps of hair fell around Zack’s face, making him look like something out of a magazine. Perfection. My stomach fluttered.

  “Stay out of this.” Daniel held me tighter.

  “Let’s ask Autumn what she wants.” Zack shifted to me. “Are you enjoying this interaction with Daniel?”

  I saw Maya among the forming crowd. Daniel was about to be humiliated beyond belief, but I was done protecting him. I met his eyes and made sure Zack heard me. “No, not at all.”