My Best Friend's Werewolf

22 Cursed Wolf

We find the house.

We drag our weary bodies into the car and sit there, staring out the windshield. Hanna powers up the car without a word and backs out of the driveway. The clock on the dashboard reads two a.m.. Her parents are going to kill us.

Neither of us speak as she drives up the mountain. Once she parks in front of her house we take a look at each other and swallow.

The moment we step onto the porch the door opens, Mr. Briar standing before us, his arms crossed and Mrs. Briar behind him. "Where were you?" he demands.

I open my mouth--

"We went to Hunter's to try and find Travis. I wanted to hang out with my brother because I was bored, and I forced Addy to come with me. I tried calling you but my phone wouldn't let me make any calls. The car had some issues but they're fixed now."

They both sigh, still clearly annoyed. Mr. Briar steps to the side. "Come in."

"I'm really sorry," I say.

"Just go to bed." Mrs. Briar rubs her makeup free face. "Hanna, you're doing the dishes for the next month."

"Yes, Mom." She scurries past her parents and up the stairs. I follow at her heels.

******

The next morning Hanna and I eat breakfast on the back porch. Her parents went to breakfast in town.

I look down to stab another piece of a toasted waffle onto my fork. Air rushes by me, the fork clattering to the ground. My back collides with the bench, and I find myself staring at Travis.

His hands dig into my shoulders. His mouth is contorted in a snarl. His chest heaves. "How dare you?" His bottom jaw trembles.

I swallow.  He's going to kill me. Just from seeing the state of his room I know he's a volatile person. Not always in control.

"I told you not let my sister leave the house."

I struggle with him. "Get off me."

"Travis," Hanna yells.

Hunter appears, his face fuming. He lunges toward me but Travis sticks his arm out, keeping him at bay.

"Don't touch her, Hunter. She's mine."

I feel tempted to hit him, but it's clear he's keeping Hunter from hurting me--killing me. What is wrong with these boys?

Hanna wraps her arms around Hunter, unsuccessfully trying to pull him away. He freezes before turning around, locking her in his arms and burying his head in her neck. The image of the kidnapper and Eliza in the same position flashes in my mind.

"How dare you risk my sister's life--"

"Who the hell are you to tell me what I cannot do all the time?"

His lips part revealing his teeth--his canines seem slightly too long. "I told you to watch out for her."

"How do you know what happened?"

"Hanna left us a message about the wolf. He could have killed you."

"You were supposed to be at Hunter's house." My back aches and my shoulders burn. "I was worried Hunter tried to kill you or something after seeing your room."

"Why were you in my room?"

"I don't remember! Why are you on top of me?"

"Because I'm contemplating whether or not I'm going to do something drastic."

My breath catches and I squirm. I try kicking my legs but his knees have me pinned.

"Travis," Hanna yells, "stop or I'm telling Mom."

He rolls his eyes. He's insane--mad. He needs to be chained or something before he kills someone--someone like me. "Why do you care if I die? Haven't you heard of self-preservation?"

"Maybe I didn't want another friend to end up like my best friend. At least I thought they were my friend."

He gets off me, his whole body shaking.

I stand, my body trembling. I stare Travis down. "I'm not sorry."

Wind once again blows around me, and I'm slammed against the wall, this time by Hunter. "Risk her life again, and it will be the last." He uses me to push himself off me. He gives me a disgusted look before slinking into the woods with Travis.

I inhale deeply. They're crazy.

Hanna places her hands on my face searching for any scrapes. "What was that about?"

I shrug. "Promise me you'll stop trying to set us up."

She nods before hugging me. "I'm sorry I forced you to take me with you."

I shrug again. "At least they're okay."

"Okay... They're okay... Why weren't they mad at me?"

"They care about you."

"Hunter though? I've only seen him a few times."

"I don't even know. I'll admit that terrified me."

She nods, her mouth parted. She glances over her shoulder.

What happened to the boy who playfully teased me about my werewolf story? When did he become more of a monster than a cursed wolf?