Ten

The kitchen table was rapidly becoming my least favourite place in the house. At least it was right now. We were all sat round it, them staring silently, questioningly, at me.

I breathed deeply. I could feel the cabinet doors begin to rattle in solidarity with my anxiety, but it wasn’t until the glasses flew out of the cupboard and dashed towards the floor that Étoile took my hand in hers.

“You can control this,” she said. Out of the corner of my eye the glasses hovered a foot from the floor seemingly unsure of whether to smash or not. I saw Evan nod at them and they floated back to the cabinet that my magic had pulled them from. I forced myself to, to pull my magic inside where it belonged, and around me the doors began to settle down. It didn’t escape my notice that this was the first time in a long time that I’d been anxious enough for something like this to happen, but as far as accidents caused by me went, this was small fry.

“Tell us what happened,” Étoile urged and I didn’t need her to add: so we can fix this mess.

I forced myself to meet her eyes. “Like I said, Chyler came to see me a week ago and she was afraid. I told her I would look into things and that I would try and help her.” I pulled back from Étoile to spread my hands across the table and leaned forward. “I had no idea you were looking for her then and she was terrified.”

“I didn’t think so.” I shook my head, tired. Witches. “I’ve only seen Chyler a couple of times since you came.”

“Did you put the masking spell on her?” David asked and I nodded. “How did you do it? I didn’t teach you to do that.”

“I just kind of felt it and pushed the magic at her. It was... automatic.”

David’s eyes widened in surprise, and what I thought was a glimmer of admiration. “You didn’t say a spell at all? Interesting.” Whatever I thought I saw faded into a wary expression as he rubbed his thumb against his jaw, lost in thought.

“When did you see her again?” Seren asked.

“When I was out running. I run some mornings and she just appeared when I was taking a breather. That was the day after you came. And I found where she lived so I went to check on her today.”

Seren latched on to the first bit of my confession. “So she could find you?”

I nodded. “She has some sort of book that helps her do stuff. She said it was the family spell book and that’s how she found me. And I can find her; her magic isn’t masked to me.”

Étoile and Seren exchanged a look and I asked, “What is it?”

Étoile pursed her lips and I could feel her thinking before she added. “A family spell book is tied to the family. An imposter shouldn’t be able to access it, unless...”

“Unless, Chyler is still here,” Seren finished, her eyes far away in thought.

“I don’t understand.”

“You can’t use a spell book unless there’s express permission from the keeper of the book, and even then it wouldn’t necessarily work. The keeper would have been Andrea, Chyler’s mom, and she wouldn’t have offered it up to something as dark as that imposter. But with Chyler as the keeper, that’s a different story,” explained Seren, Étoile nodding in agreement at her side. “But what I really mean is, there must be some part of Chyler still there or the book would be no use at all.”

“I’m sure I spoke to Chyler sometimes, but other times she was acting so strangely. That must have been the imposter,” I surmised, trying to think this through logically. “So this witch wants... the book? Why? Doesn’t she have her own?”

David took up the story. “Not all witches have spell books, plus when a witch dies it passes on to her descendents and her power goes with it. Old books like the Anderson’s are stuffed with power that the next generation can tap into. It would be quite attractive to someone dangerous, someone who wanted to come back even more powerful than they had been.”

“She said that other witches wanted it too; her aunts, for example.”

David nodded. “That’s also quite likely. They would be able to use the book but they can’t be the keeper because they aren’t direct descendents of the keeper and that’s where the biggest draw is. Do we know if any of the aunts died recently?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“What has someone dying got to do with anything?” I asked.

“This spirit that’s got Chyler is almost certainly dead. It needs a body and this particular body can access that book,” replied Étoile. “Chyler is the keeper. She’s got the potential for enormous power now. The spirit hit the supernatural jackpot.”

“At the risk of sounding freaky, Chyler said the book helped her out, told her what to do. Why would it do that if she was possessed?”

David didn’t seem that surprised by my question. “It’s probably that the book is helping Chyler. I’ve often thought that the books take on a kind of persona of their own when they got old enough and hold enough power. It’s all to do with the power they’ve absorbed – perhaps something of the ancestors coming through to help their descendents.”

I raised my eyebrows sceptically. “So there is a chance we can still help Chyler?”

“Possibly. If you’re certain you’ve spoken to her, and not this spirit each time, and the book is helping her, then Chyler is fighting back. We might be able to separate them and banish this thing,” said David.

“It’s simple: Chyler dies, at least, the Chyler everyone knows does and she’ll be taken over completely. Her body will live, but her soul will be gone.”

I, for one, did not like the sound of that.

“How do we find her?” Étoile asked our little assembly. “She’ll be prepared for a summoning spell again. It won’t work.”

David nodded. “She won’t come back here willingly. As soon as she, this spirit, is in control of Chyler again, she’ll be getting the hell away from here...”

“I know how to find her though,” I interrupted brightly. “I might have masked her magic, but I can still trace her. I went to see her at an abandoned house about three miles from here. She’s been staying there.”

“That doesn’t mean we’ll get anywhere near her. She’ll be on the alert for us,” pointed out Seren and my shoulders dropped as she continued, “Plus the chances of Chyler trusting us are slim, that’s if we even speak to her and not the imposter.” So much for my great plan.

“I can get her,” said Evan. He had avoided looking at me so far and instead watched us parry, his arms folded, his face blank. “She wasn’t here long enough to take much notice of me and she’s only expecting witches so I might slip through. Now I know where she is, I can get her and bring her here.”

“Can we help her?” I didn’t know what it would take to get Chyler back to normal, if it could even happen, but I wanted to help. It was my mess and I wanted to fix it before anything bad happened... anything worse, anyway.

“We can but not on our own.” Étoile looked sad and I had a sinking feeling about what she was going to say next. “We just don’t know how strong this spirit is, or who it is. We need to call the council.”

“I don’t want any members of the council here,” I said, but my voice was just a whisper.

“I don’t think we have a choice. Not if we want to help Chyler.” Étoile didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic either. “They asked us to investigate. They will help.”

“Why would they? I don’t see why they’re so interested in Chyler?” I asked, looking between them, trying to read something from their faces.

“We need to go.” David pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. “Chyler’s not going to come back here and we need to get in touch with the council members and see who we can call in. We need a stronger magic and we need to find out exactly who this spirit is before it’s too late.”

“Does it really matter who it is?” I asked.

David nodded. “Yes. A name will help us target the spells better. It will make them more effective.”

“Do you need me to come too?” It was a half-hearted offer but I felt I should make it. Any fear or apprehension I felt, I’d just have to swallow it. A part of me was arguing that it was more important to help Chyler than to keep hiding away. What was the point of my power if I didn’t use it for good?

“No, you stay here,” said David with a surprising firmness as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. I got the distinct impression that he and I were on the outs though he didn’t seem as furious as Evan was. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his posture tight, his fists flexing.

“Just hang tight,” said Étoile, rising to join him and her sister. “We’ll come back soon. We’ll need you.”

“Okay.” I waited until they had left the kitchen, their footsteps echoing through the hallway into the living room, before I turned to Evan who had sat still and silent next to me. I had some apologising to do. Apologising stunk.

“Evan, I...”

“You lied to me, Stella. You knew they were looking for Chyler and you hid her.” Anger rolled off Evan in waves that crashed into me. “Why would you do that? Why didn’t you trust me?”

“Why can’t you trust me now?” I pleaded. “Chyler came to me for help and I said I would help her. She was all alone.”

“You could have turned to any one of us. Anytime, but you didn’t. Even if you didn’t trust them... I get that, I do. I get what you feel about the council, but you didn’t trust me.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I should have come to you. It was stupid not to.”

“How were you planning on helping her anyway? And what if you got heart, Stella? The longer this thing is in Chyler, the stronger it will get and the less there will be of Chyler. What if you were there when that happened and you couldn’t defend yourself?” Evan threw back the chair and paced to the back door before turning back to me, fury spanning his face. “Have you any idea the amount of danger you put yourself in?”

“I know now.” I swivelled to follow him with my eyes as he paced.

“You put all of us in danger today,” Evan continued like he hadn’t heard me. “You heard David. His protection circle wasn’t strong enough to cope with something like that. They thought they were summoning a frightened kid and look what they got instead. If Chyler wasn’t still fighting we might not be here right now.”

“I said I was sorry.” My voice etched upwards towards a whiny pitch.

“I can’t deal with this.” Evan’s jaw shook like he wanted to yell, or thump something, and there was something disturbing in his eyes that bothered me. “I’m going to follow the others into town.”

“Wait. You’re leaving?” I stood up like I could possibly stop him when in my bare feet I barely reached his shoulders. More than that, his power was phenomenal compared to mine. He even showed that through the control he exercised in keeping his anger checked, though barely.

“I can’t stay here right now. I’m so... mad at you.” His voice was low and laced with disappointment.

Before I could ask him if he was coming back, he was gone. He didn’t walk out, he didn’t slam the doors or knock anything over in a fit of pique. Instead he simply vanished, taking a rush of air with him. A moment later I heard the engine of a car starting up and I rushed through the house in time to see his car peel out of my driveway while I stood and just watched him leave, knowing there was nothing I could do.

After the red flash of his tail lights were gone, I finally turned around. The salt was still there, strewn across the room like a breeze had whipped through a sand dune but all Evan’s things – his jacket, the ever present book he was currently reading were all gone. I went back through to the kitchen. Yes, his laptop, too. Everything was gone. I stomped back to the living room and rested against the wall looking at the mess. With a flick of my head I made it all disappear, using my magic to set the candles in a row on the mantelpiece. I channelled my anger into physically pushing the furniture back to where it should be.

The resentment inside me threatened to bubble over into acute pain as I shoved the sofa into place. I didn’t want Evan to leave and here he was, walking away without listening to me. He hadn’t even said if he was coming back. I couldn’t help feeling like something had shifted and things would never be quite right again, never as uncomplicated as the days when our relationship had begun. I couldn’t help scoff at myself. It was funny to think of those days as uncomplicated when they were really anything but, but now, well, it felt like the whole game had changed and I wasn’t sure if Evan was on my team, which flew right in the face of finally feeling at peace with myself.

I put my head in my hands and cried, alone again.

 

~

 

There was an unpleasant sense of déjà vu in the waiting but wait I did. I sat and waited, and pottered around the house, but they didn’t come back and after a while I felt the fury creep up on me. I could either be the girl who sat at home and cried and felt sorry for herself, or, even if my heart felt like it was breaking, I could pull my proverbial socks up and get on with things, because the world wasn’t going to wait for me. Sitting at home wailing wasn’t going to bring Evan back.

I did the next best thing I could do. I went across the street, dragging my feet like they were concrete weights, to see if Annalise was home.

“Well don’t you have a face like a wet weekend,” said Annalise, taking in my red-rimmed eyes, beckoning me to come in and take a seat amidst a pile of yarn. I’d introduced her to the idiom ‘wet weekend’ a few weeks ago and she thought it was hilarious.

“What are you doing with all this?” I held up a clutch of brightly coloured balls and resisted the urge to sniffle.

“Making knitting kits for the Christmas fair and you can help me. You look like you need to keep occupied.” Annalise passed me a heap of plastic bags which were already stickered with her logo and showed me how to pull a pattern leaflet from the heap on the coffee table, then add needles and a selection of yarn. I’d packed a few kits quietly and held them up for her approval before Annalise asked me, “So, what’s going on with you? I’ve been watching you guys coming and going all week.”

“Well, they’re staying in town so they’re in and out, and right now they’re out,” I said sullenly.

“I saw Evan leave in a hurry,” Annalise said slowly. I looked up in alarm. I wondered if she’d seen him appear out of nowhere on the drive or if he’d just appeared in the driver’s seat, but if she saw anything out of the ordinary, she didn’t say.

“That he did.” I agreed, looking around. “Is Gage here?”

Annalise shook her head, no. “Just us two so if you need some girl talk... well, he won’t be butting in.”

“I feel like I’m messing up,” I confessed after a moment of silence while I gathered my thoughts. “I never thought I’d see Evan again and then he was back and now he’s mad at me and he just walked out.”

I blushed the same shade of raspberry pink yarn I was about to package. “No, and for the record, nothing else happened between us.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm, nothing,” I said emphatically. “Gage fell asleep at my house, that was all. Honestly, Annalise. I feel really bad about it because I know he likes me, but there’s Evan and... I just feel bad about it, okay.” I choked back a tear and took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

Annalise opened her mouth like she was about to say something then closed it again and stuffed a few more yarn balls into packets. Finally, she said. “He really likes you, you know.”

“I know but I can’t worry about that right now.” I tried to put a wall between the guilt I felt at liking Gage a little too much, and the other me that had other problems to contend with as I said, “Please understand.”

I gave her the short, condensed, palatable for humans, version. I’d met Étoile in London and gone with her to New York to meet friends of my parents. There, I’d been given the documents about this house. I’d stayed with Étoile at a house where I’d then met Evan but through all that I was hazy about details, intimating there had been an accident and we’d been separated and I hadn’t known where they were. I left out the bits about the Brotherhood, the magic, the destruction. The deaths. When I’d finished my vague account, Annalise looked at me as if she knew there was some other back story I hadn’t mentioned, but she still didn’t ask.

“I really didn’t think I’d ever see them again. I feel like I’ve put roots down here.” I finished, wiggling my toes in my boots like they might shoot tendrils into the ground.

“And your friends arriving put a kink in all of that?”

I sighed. “I’m so thrilled to have them here, but what I want isn’t quite what they want.”

“What do they want?” Annalise sealed another bag and tossed it in the box with a pile of others, before reaching for the next one to start all over again.

“Here’s what I think, and take it or leave it, or whatever. I think you should do what’s best for you. Don’t go because Evan wants you to and don’t stay because Gage wants you to either. If you like it here, stay, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ever leave. You’ve got a car. There are planes and trains. You can go back to London, or go to Texas or wherever you want. You’ve got friends here now and you’ve got friends elsewhere too. True friends will work around what you want. They won’t just ditch you because you aren’t doing what they want. Ya got me?” She sucked in a breath and gave me a lopsided grin, pink highlights dropping around her face.

When I finally threw my last kit bag of yarn in the box, Annalise happily high fived me and picked up the box to stow in a corner of the room.

“You know you could sell this stuff online,” I pointed out, looking at the heap of boxes with Annalise’s latest creations. I didn’t know how she managed it all. It wasn’t just the selling of it, it was the motivation to create such volume of skilled craftwork repetitively that awed me.

“Don’t you start too. Gage has been bugging me to do that ever since I started this business, but I like getting out and meeting people and seeing them pick up my stuff and love it.” Annalise turned to me, waving a finger. “It stops me staying at home at any rate. I may be a homebody but I don’t want to be a hermit. Speaking of which, you need to get out more.”

“Oh, thanks.” I could pretend to be chagrined all I liked but she was right. I was restless. I wasn’t working. I wasn’t in education. Yeah, I had money but I didn’t want to blow through it, especially with a house – not to mention taxes – and a never ending list of things to fix in it. I thought again about Evan’s offer of living with him and getting enrolled in the university there. It was tempting. I thought about enrolling in a local college here. Temptation struck again. I had options and that was a good thing, if only the magic business would butt out.

I ate dinner with Annalise that night and I was helping her clear the dishes as Gage rushed in like a whirlwind, slamming the door behind him. I saw his jacket fly off and hit the couch in a heap then the thud thud of his boots kicked off by the door.

“Annalise, we’ve been called to the Loup. We have to go now. I’ll drive,” he shouted from the front door.

Gage had half unbuttoned his shirt while walking through the living room and was just in the process of pulling it over his head, revealing a tanned swathe of muscle, when he caught sight of me. That didn’t stop him. He just pulled his shirt off and grinned at me while I couldn’t do anything but get an eyeful of his torso. I didn’t know if the universe was telling me that life could be easy, or when I thought about Evan, very hard.

“Evening.” He grinned at me while I bit my lower lip.

“Hi, Gage.” I nodded at him, turning away to dry my hands on a dish towel. I took my time folding it onto the counter, keeping my eyes to myself.

“We have to go now?” Annalise asked, with a slight hint of dismay in her voice as her eyes flicked towards me.

Gage shrugged, sending his muscles up and down in a rather eye catching way. “They’ll wait ten minutes.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, wrenching my gaze away from his abs which I most definitely shouldn’t be looking at, never mind feeling anything close to lust. It was anger I told myself, anger at Evan. Not Gage. Not much.

“Oh, just this thing we have to go to,” Annalise replied dismissively.

“At the Loup?” I asked. “The Loup Garou? That’s the bar down the road?”

Gage nodded. “I’d invite you but it’s not my call.” He didn’t look like he was about to invite me, or that he was even that sorry that he couldn’t.

“Oh, I wasn’t asking myself along,” I backtracked. “I need to be heading home anyway.”

“It’s not a very nice place anyway, Stella. You won’t be missing anything,” Annalise added, then to Gage. “Stop posturing and get changed already.”

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” said Annalise, steering me towards the door. I wondered what was so important that they had been called there, something so important that they didn’t even seem to want to tell me.

“Sure. Let me know if you want a hand with any more stuff.” I said to Annalise as I picked up my jacket and zipped it up. “Have a lovely evening.”

“Oh, we will,” said Annalise but her cheery smile didn’t quite reach her eyes and I thought I heard the hushed start of an argument form just as I closed the door.

As it turned out I didn’t see anyone for two entire days. Gage’s motorbike was long gone by the time I got up in the morning – and it wasn’t like I was a late riser – and I didn’t hear him return in the evenings. When I called by on the second day Annalise didn’t answer the door but her car was sat where it always was while she was at home so I didn’t know if she was out with someone else, or if she was avoiding me. I hoped for the former.

I didn’t see Étoile, Seren or David and I wondered what they were doing and whether it involved Chyler and if she was okay.

Evan didn’t come back.

The fury I’d felt when Evan had walked out simmered into frustration before bubbling over to anger the longer I thought about it. Evan knew how terrified I’d been when they’d left me alone in those days after Eleanor Bartholomew’s attack and how afraid I’d been and I couldn’t imagine why he would leave me alone now unless... the thought was an unpleasant one. Maybe he wasn’t coming back at all.

I could have driven into town to confront Evan, but I wasn’t big on confrontations and as I’d never had relationship niggles, I didn’t know if this kind of behaviour was normal or not. I was veering towards not okay. Besides it wasn’t like I knew where he was and even if I scryed, it wouldn’t be specific enough to give me an address, just the general area.

Instead I stomped around the house like a stroppy teenager, wondering if I felt sick with sadness, with anxiety, or with the grief of the potential end of a relationship that really hadn’t been given a decent chance to thrive. On top of that I was mad that Evan hadn’t tried to understand where I was coming from at all. I just wanted him to have my back.

Above all that I worried about Chyler and how she was faring. She had come to me for help and so far all I’d done was keep secrets from my friends, hurt my boyfriend and irritate the spirit that was jostling for space inside her. At least I’d discovered one thing: there was a good chance Chyler was innocent of killing her mother. Unfortunately that probably meant she was sharing body space with the real killer.

I wished I had a computer so I could do my own research and eventually I decided that that was what I would do so I grabbed my bag and coat, added scarf and gloves, and drove away from Wilding so I could do some shopping. First I parked in a small strip mall that held a chain electronic goods shop. After an hour I had bought a small laptop and a little device that I could plug in to connect me to the internet. Then I bought a cell phone because I was tired of having no way to contact anyone. After depositing my bundles in the trunk, I went into the gift shop a few shops down and bought Christmas presents, which was such a rare treat for me to do that I spent over an hour browsing candles and photo frames and knick knacks. Eventually I bought some earrings for Annalise and a little trinket box with roses painted on the lid and a photo frame for Gage so he could frame one of his father’s pictures. I hesitated wondering if I should get gifts for anyone else then decided I’d done enough for one day, paid, and went home to play with my new toys.

With the rest of the day to my lonely self, I assembled my shiny new phone and set it to charge. Then I set up my laptop, fumbled with installing the software and checked out the lengthy instructions for the internet gadget. I wondered if I could have used magic to create a wireless connection, or if utilities was out of my capabilities. I wondered if I would ever be able to answer my own questions or if I’d always be a novice witch who stumbled her way through magic, hopeful but never one hundred percent sure. Eventually I packed everything up and curled up alone in my bed too tired to think anymore.

 

~

 

When I was woken at midnight by a howl, high and long, I just cursed under my breath, shoved a pillow over my head and went back to sleep. In the morning I put my lethargy down to skipping a few days of running while I alternated between being cross, trying to think of ways to help Chyler, and, frankly, sulking. Back in London, I’d walked all over the city, not just to save money but for the health benefits too and I was out of my dingy flat almost every single day. By contrast, since I’d been in Wilding I’d been very static. I lounged around the house and when I needed to go into town I drove since it was too far to walk. The effects were going to very evident on my hips if I didn’t break the pattern.

So, when I stretched on the front porch just as the first light was breaking I was feeling good, positive even, that I was continuing in my resolve to get some exercise and keep myself fit. It was good for my soul, not to mention my thighs. Dressed in comfy sweat pants and a zip up top that fit like a second skin, I was already itching to get outside for my run to burn off the nervous energy building up inside me. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror I twisted my hair into a ponytail high on my crown and fastened it with a band. I was feeling pumped. My anticipation of a run was setting my adrenaline flowing and I felt like I could run for hours. Realistically I just hoped I could make it a few miles without passing out or straining a muscle.

I stepped off the porch, swinging my arms in circles to limber up my shoulders then stretched my legs. Across the road my neighbours’ house was dark and I guessed they hadn’t gotten up yet. Judging from the quiet I was the only awake thing in the whole area. The silence sometimes struck me as eerie but I brushed the feeling to one side and jogged out onto the road, turning away from town. As per usual I had the whole road to myself. This way led out to back roads that eventually connected to the interstate and wasn’t well used. There was a more direct route that led out of town that the locals preferred for the obvious time and gas-saving reasons. I could only assume that my parents had bought this house for the solitude because it certainly wasn’t for the swinging social life.

Starting off slowly, I eased my body into a rhythm so I could jog along the road at an even pace. Eventually I started putting distance, and speed, between me and my house, the cold morning air fighting with the heat I was generating. My muscles felt warm and willing though I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t feel the after effects for the rest of the day.

It was pretty out here, now that fall was turning to winter as fast as the leaves could slip from the trees and the quiet was so breathtakingly different from my city life that, though it had taken some time, I was learning to love it, to find it refreshing.

A mile in, I’d only just started to regret not bringing my music player when I heard a noise off in the woods to my left. I glanced over, saw nothing, and pounded on. The rustling stayed with me even when I increased my pace. Stray dog said my brain. When have you ever seen a dog around Wilding, said the rational part of my brain. Maybe it was bears? Oh, God. Bears attacked people. Did bears even live out here? I felt my chest constrict in panic as the rustling seemed to fan out. I was sure Annalise or Gage would have said something about big scary animals. I remembered when months ago I had been walking home and the world seemed to freeze around me, making me listen intently for whoever followed me. As it turned out the Brotherhood had caught up to me that night, but I’d been saved just in time.

The rational part of my mind told me they shouldn’t have found me here. Even so I started edging into the middle of the road just as I could see the tree line start to thin out slightly, putting space between me and the dense undergrowth and whatever it concealed. Not much further ahead were the broad open grassy plains that stretched on and on with not a house in sight for miles. What was I doing? I should be turning back to my house, not carrying on into the nothingness, but I was too freaked to stop entirely so I paused and jogged on the spot for a moment, then bent forward, hands on knees to catch my breath, tensing, ready to sprint.

Behind me I heard a growl, a plaintive rumbling noise that sent a shiver of fear down my spine, seeping through me. Slowly, I turned around and stared in surprise at my audience, my jaw threatening to drop open as I sucked in the fear.

A pack of wolves looked back at me. Half or dozen or so milled about in the road and I could see more edging from the woods, sniffing at the grass verges and the asphalt, watching me all the time. The biggest of the pack stepped forward. Thick black fur covered its head and its ears flicked forwards and backwards, a mantle of grey fur framed its chest and spread down its front legs. It seemed unfeasibly large for a wild animal. It raised its nose to sniff the air then focused its eyes firmly on me, a low growl erupting in its throat as its lips rolled back over gleaming teeth. I didn’t know whether to step back or stand my ground.

One of the wolves prowling by the tree line stepped tentatively onto the road and thrust its head to the sky, emitting a long, loud howl which stirred up the others, rumbling growls sounding from chests to throats. The big wolf in front of me, the alpha male I guessed, took another step forwards, barked once and silence settled over the wolves as they shuffled into a pack that milled across the road, cutting off my route home. There was simply no way I could get past them and I couldn’t keep running in the opposite direction. There was nowhere to go. Running wasn’t even an option – there was no way I could outrun any member of the pack.

The big wolf moved another step closer to me and I braced myself. Rooted to the spot, I couldn’t move backwards, I couldn’t move forwards, but I could drop my eyes submissively. I didn’t want them to think I was challenging them, especially when there was a good chance that they would... eat me. It wasn’t the cold that made me shiver this time; it was out and out fear. The wolf thrust its head forwards and sniffed again, its nose quivering as it locked onto my scent. Another wolf, a smaller one, stepped up alongside the black and grey wolf’s flank, its movements elegant and fluid. It took a long look at me before sitting back on its haunches on the cold road in a manner that made me feel slightly less terrified. Its coat was a lustrous grey and... was that flecks of pink edging its coat? Odd.

Forgetting that I didn’t want to give off any challenging signals I darted looks at the smaller wolf and its strange fur. It simply looked back at me, its tongue lolling over its lower jaw, panting. I couldn’t help the feeling that there was something awfully familiar about it. I felt my heart thud with anxiety and my muscles tightened as a familiar feeling started teasing my veins as I summoned my magic.

The big wolf sniffed the air again and took a step towards me. It growled and the smaller wolf nipped at its flank with a glint of large, white, super-sharp teeth. With another step forward the black and grey wolf closed in, leaving only a few paces between us. If I knelt down and stretched I could probably touch the tip of its nose. I didn’t, of course, because I wasn’t stupid. The pack were making no moves to leave; instead, more were stepping forwards and the road was teaming with wolves, some black and grey like the alpha, but some with solid coats and some much paler with glittering black eyes that calmly assessed me. I was so close to the alpha that I could see my reflection in his eyes.

There was no telling what they might do. If they attacked now, I’d never survive. I’d be shredded and my death would be slow and painful.

Around me I felt like the air was losing oxygen, leaving me dizzy as I tried not to hyperventilate with fear. Without thinking I stepped backwards and the wolf moved forwards again, his movements so graceful, like he knew he owned the road. It strained its head towards me and curled back its mouth to reveal a set of teeth that were brutal. I felt my magic tickle my skin as it reached the surface, then flow readily throughout me and finally dance on my skin. The wolf growled a low sound that rumbled through him and squared its shoulders, its legs tense, like it was poised to launch itself at me.

I took a deep, dizzying breath and got the hell out of there with a great surge of willpower and an even bigger surge of magic that cracked like a whip in the space I left behind.

As soon as I materialised in my living room I lurched to the front door and tested the handle. Still locked and the keys were in my pocket. I leant against the door, rasping breath back into my lungs. What the hell had I seen out there? No one had ever mentioned a pack of wolves roaming in the woods outside my house. It struck me that the pack weren’t afraid of humans; instead they seemed to be making it very clear that they were marking control of their territory as if I was the invader. I guessed it explained why there weren’t any animals out here; they’d be dinner. At least I wasn’t dinner, or breakfast as the case may be. Relief swept through me that I had been able to use my magic to get out of there and even though it was something I’d avoided using on such a scale over the past few months, it had come to me swiftly and easy. At least I hadn’t lost the knack of it. Perhaps it was time to fully embrace what I could do.

I breathed slowly – in and out in even breaths – while I tried to organise my thoughts. I’d had the strangest thought while I was facing them. I thought, no, I felt, that I knew the wolves and that wasn’t possible at all. It simply couldn’t be possible that my senses seemed to register them on some level.

I was just shrugging off my pants and top and folding them on to the chair in my bedroom, clinging to my relief that I was home safe and unhurt, the thought percolating in my brain when several knocks, quick and sharp in succession, sounded at the front door. It was rather too early for visitors. I pulled on my jeans and a check shirt, buttoning it quickly and padded barefoot to the door as I came to a very strange conclusion. There was no way I could describe what I felt, what I was sure was true and it was so far out of my frame of reference that I almost laughed at myself.

When I looked through the peephole, my thoughts edging into what couldn’t be real, I realised I wasn’t all that surprised by who my early morning visitor was. I flipped the lock and opened the door.

Gage stood in front of me, his hair dishevelled and with his usual few days of stubble covering his jaw. He had apparently dressed in a hurry in jeans, an untucked tee, work boots and a padded vest, unzipped. He looked wild and unpredictable. I looked at him for a long moment while he coolly glanced over me from head to foot like he was making a new and not altogether pleasant assessment of me.

“What are you?” I said at last, suspending all that I knew for all that I didn’t.

I hadn’t expected him to answer my question with a question, but I should have seen it coming.

“What exactly are you?” he growled.