and the air around me felt... wrong. Heavy.

dge of the school grounds. There, I dropped to my knees, gripping the grass as though it might anchor me to reality. My hands

rp and unnatural-pushed through my lips, an u

ia

e I turned, I could smell her-the sweet, warm scent

erned heavy in her voice. I didn't answer. I couldn't. Instea

er was good a

. "Hey, talk to me

voice raw, low, and guttu

But she didn't. She stepped forward again, her hand reachi

n everythi

ng to keep Maya at bay, and the next... she was in control. My body moved be

ck to reality. I stumbled away, horror crashing over me as Alexa

I guess

y words died in my throat. Her wide, terrifi

I was going, but my legs kept moving, car

g for me. One glance at my bloodstained hands,

ost chilling. "The school. Someone reported.

. "What does that mean?" I asked, e

leaving no room for argument. "We're leaving tonig

? Where

e. I didn't h

words still rang in my ears: "Go pack your things. Quickly. Pu

gent, made my stomach knot. It felt like we were on the

and I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. The car was parked at the edge of the yard, I sh

instead of getting in the car,

e tight with nerves. "What a

kept walking, disappearing i

night was suffocating. I glanced around nervously

came back, she wa

sn't just

ing looked ancient, with dark wood and strange carvings I coul

ed, eyeing the box l

the trunk. That was all she gave me. No

sed, but her tone made it cle

imbed into the car, my stomach churning with q

w hum of the engine was the only sound in the car, and

?" I asked finally,

aid, her eyes lo

akwood?"

re your fat

. Just those six words, lik

dn't say another word. "But why now? Why didn

me off, her tone sharpe

ted. If she didn't want to tell m

ying to talk to her. I grabbed my phone, popped in

cause when I opened my eyes, it was pitch da

," Mom said softly.

d, grogg

ight," she said again, th

e to respond before sh

stop, and I jolted fo

, wh

widened as a massive wolf crossed the road,

olf!" I shouted,

lmly, her hands tight

chest, a strange, almost magnetic tug that made my heart pound harder. The air around me seemed to hum,

shaky. I glanced at her hands gripping the steerin

t take my eye

r down my spine. And then it took a step closer, i

amiliar. It wasn't just looking at me; it w

cut through the fog of my

nbuckling my seatbelt. I barely registered the sound of the

it turned and disapp

epeated, louder this time

nsettlingly steady. "You'll see m

more-her calmness or the fact