Bloody Claws (Camren) Book 3

Chapter 18

When it just lay there, frozen with fear, she gave it a push with her nose.

Finally, it reacted, scurrying frantically away. Ally made to start chasing it again and I gave a low, warning growl.

Wolves in the wild probably would've eaten it, but we were not so desperate for food, and the rabbit had experienced enough torment. I headed toward the house, following the same path we'd come. My clothes were in the gazebo.

Normani was still teaching me how to shift and call to the faerie magic in my blood. I'd stripped because I hadn't felt like another lesson when we came out to run.

Now, only two things sounded good: a shower and some food.

Though I wasn't opening a vein for Lauren, as Normani had fed her when I'd gone upstairs to see Dinah, we would all need to eat something when we returned to the house. For a new wolf, Ally was doing surprisingly well and seemed to have gotten the hang of shifting at will. It was impressive.

Evan and Dinah didn't surprise me so much. I'd seen Dinah come close to being able to hold a partial shift, but she couldn't do it for long. I wondered if I was the only one in the group who could call the beast to my eyes and hands without giving over entirely to her every single time. Did that also contribute to the role I was supposed to play, to the mark of being alpha?

We made it to the gazebo and shifted then quietly donned our clothes. When we finished dressing, the only one that wasn't covered in dirt and twigs was Normani. Evan's hands were as covered in dirt as mine and the others. Dinah had a dirt mustache and Ally's hair was a windblown riot.

We made it to the dining room and Dinah slipped into the kitchen, opening the fridge door and returning with what appeared to be about twenty bags of lunchmeat, turkey, beef, ham.

"Chow time," she said, dropping the bags on the table.

We ate in silence, all except for Normani, who'd slipped away as soon as we made it inside the house.

Ally reached for the bag of roast beef when Evan growled at her.

"Split it, you two."

Surprisingly, they listened to me.

I'd completely finished off two large Ziploc bags of meat when I heard Lauren laugh from the doorway.

All of us turned to look at her. Ally quickly shoved the food dangling halfway out of her mouth, in it.

Lauren's hair was still wet from her shower, marking damp spots on the red sweater she wore. A tight pair of black skinny jeans clung to her hips, tucked into knee-high boots.

"Did you have a good run?" Lauren asked, directing the question at Dinah.

Dinah nodded. Lauren affectionately tousled Dinah's already messy hair.

"You had a phone call, Camila."

"Who was it?" I asked.

"Dylan," she said.

I pushed my chair back and stood. "I'll call him back before I get in the shower."