ore. Maybe I blacked out, I don't even know. My heart was still punc

yes actua

's stupi

did

rs of sleep? Plus burnt toast doesn't coun

I fled into the locker room a

dn't

electrocuted. "You're fine," I told Mirror Me. "Totally fine. Just saw the school's number-one de

you tal

e sink. Riley was standing there, holding a juic

ying on me?!

ou're pale as death. What happened? Don't say nothing, because I sa

a standoff. It was-uh-he was.

yebrow. "You mean

st... you know... being tall. Very tall. Menacingly tal

l. Are you sure you didn't just drool on his

il

ou trip over flat floors. Wouldn't shock me if you

d her what I really saw, she'd laugh so hard she

wasn't ready fo

rving, stressed, and already dreading the

laughing, and pretending the food didn't taste like cardboard with extra salt. Riley and I squeeze

ed. "Rumor is, he broke som

on my wat

odded solemnly, like that ridiculous source was ironclad. "Said it hap

ler's cousin's friend's

ne. "Another rumor

il

olf

sandwich. "I'

like... a pack of guys. They hang out in the wood

ird flip. Woods. Ho

ting the dots. N

food in my mouth. "Howling in the w

ng. "So you're saying he's definitely no

eed violently. I coughed until my face went red

stinct. And of course-there he was. Bad Boy Alpha himself, stridi

owed him. Girls giggled behind th

look at me

t made my chest

: don't stare, don't think about glowing eyes, don't ima

r: I f

armful of books I didn't even need for class, because apparently I hate myself. K

then

No, not a wall. A pers

exploded

a low voic

up. And of cou

cket back on, dark eyes burni

" I blurted

ifted. "You s

my face had turned tomato-red. "I'm ecstatic," I muttered. "Ru

shed the cover, and for a second I noticed how big his hands were. Strong. Veiny

otebook right away. Jus

ch," he said fin

feedback, Mr. Personality. I'l

ugh that the hallway noise seemed to fa

didn't tell anyone you've got...

ned. Dangerous.

the hall had already moved on. It was just us. Him, me,

notebook out of his hand. "Your sec

entence," he cut in,

And walked off, leaving me on the floor with

I think someone asked me a question, but my brain was still stuck on don't finish that

rs pounding the cracked sidewalk, I just needed to get ho

aple Street, t

ws stretching longer than they should've in the fading light. My neighb

to look. Don't.

rse I

oved betwee

A shape - big, dark, quick as a

went clammy on m

d out of

ed forward, paws silent on the grass. Black fur, thick an

its

e gold I'd se

finitely a wolf, no matter how many times my brain screamed imp

locked. Me, human mess.

d me. Headlights flared

o

s shiver

more. I sprinted home so

thought chased me harde

hell did