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