still warm when I back

e gouged chest, the look of frozen horror in his eyes. It was the fact that I hadn't done it. I coul

did this

t made

't me... it meant

rewolf. In

d kind. This one didn't chain itself up during full moons. I

eavy for a bear. The paw pads had claw points that cut deep and uneven. Four-toe

ro

Those kinds didn't live long. Either a hunter got them, or their own pack tore them dow

at Tom and c

uld break a wrench in half with one hand and pull an engine block like it weighed

is... they'd c

nes me

damp with sweat. I tried not to track too much mud through the door, but I didn't really care. I locked the door behin

wa

co

strong kind

ced, and braced my h

ok like

sp

s crossed, the same damn stormcloud

d, slower tha

one?" she asked, n

ou always sneak int

e blood and fire this

n't a

She didn't even look tired. I must've looked like a walking corpse-sweat-

d?" she asked

sita

new it wouldn't matter. She already knew I wasn'

hot and slid it

I said. "Tom Fiske. Mailman.

dded,

s de

ow

Chest opened up like

an eyebro

gaze. "N

Knocked it back.

" she said, j

N

e to kill you this ear

ld've

idn

s truck was parked at

summer. No birdsong. No wind. Just the occasional crackle o

eriff Maddox didn't like me much. Never had. Too many questions, not enough

sked, boots crunchin

for a wal

on your boot

lood in t

ou hear anythi

N

ays this

he eye. "You alwa

like coffee and bitterness. "Don't te

do y

ed off, barking ord

at, but I could still see the edges. No human would've left those. No norma

ind I was

the town w

ee and pie. They talked about accidents. Wild dogs. Ma

oth, nursing black c

en Eira w

ffect-like someone opened a window and let in a th

cross from me like we'd d

in town?" she asked,

it neve

wn coffee, didn't

odd

o it'll lay low now. Feed of

ou sound like you kn

said. "I've hunt

link. "You

d dangerous. "No. B

alked into Hollow's Edge, I fe

rward. "Wha

dy. "Same thing you a

k, breath

getting o

dows. Took the shotgun from the backroom and set it next to my bed. It

n't s

.m., I hea

mi

Low. M

come from

om the edg

cl

e with a kno

there with a black eye and dried

asked, pulli

muttered.

he

n a dog. Big one. Fully shifted. Didn'

ked. "

pulled out a knife. Silver. Et

stabb

d its s

ou got

't run

uises were bad. She'd been toss

ath. "We nee

like this. Not during the da

ght t

no

since I was cursed, I