Broken

 

Prologue

 

My hands trembled as I picked up a shard of glass off the floor. It slipped in my palm, slicing through my skin. I yelped and dropped it again, sucking on the cut. Then, I clapped my other hand over my mouth for fear of being heard.

 

 

Footsteps sounded through the house, echoing on the slick floorboards, vibrating my hiding place. Behind me, the basement door creaked on its rusted hinges. My breathing was shallow and cautious, as if a single breath would betray my position.

 

 

 

I shuffled my feet to keep them warm, zipped up my navy blue jacket, and slid a small dagger out of my boot. I clenched it in my shivering fist, my eyes glued to the stairwell before me. Any minute now the soldiers would discover that there was no one left to kill upstairs, and surely they would come for me. Me . . . and my siblings as well.

 

 

 

I glanced behind me at the group of children in the dusty corner, huddled together to conserve body heat. My heart thumped harder as I made up my mind, knowing what I needed to do to protect them. As the footsteps drew nearer, I turned and my eyes met the fear-filled gaze of my brother. Although scared, he straightened his back and held my gaze without quailing. We passed a moment of silence, then I reached over and tousled his hair. In that instant, I knew; I would die for any of them.

 

 

 

“Hey,” a man called from upstairs, “there’s a cellar we haven’t checked yet. The kids could be hiding down there.” A steel-toed boot became visible in the air vent above my head, and dust rained down from between the floorboards.

 

 

 

“All right,” another man called back. “Just be careful; I heard one of them’s pretty handy with a knife.” He walked across the ceiling above me, and I bared my teeth at the stench of whisky emanating from him.

 

 

 

“Please,” the first man laughed, “a knife? Look at this.” He cocked a gun, and my brother whimpered. “Do you really think that a knife could stand up to me?”

 

 

 

The second man chuckled. “Whatever. Just make sure that they don’t leave this house alive. We need them for the last experiment.” He stomped across the room again and slammed the door behind him as he left.

 

 

 

“My pleasure.” The first man turned and stepped down into the doorway of the cellar. “Come out, come out, little children. Come out, come out, wherever you are.” He aimed his gun into the darkness and shot blindly at the wall near my younger sister.

 

 

 

Then, my brother screamed.

 

 

Chapter One

 

 

 

I shivered and wrapped my thin jacket around my shoulders, rubbing my hands together to get warm. I adjusted my woven wool cap on my head, careful to cover my ears, and shifted in the tree.

 

 

 

Any moment now,

I thought, gritting my teeth and hefting my short blade by my shoulder. My heart pounded with anxiety, and I nearly fell off my perch as I balanced my weight equally over the branch I sat on.

 

 

Suddenly, a stag erupted from the bushes, followed by two boys on coal black horses. They brandished long spears made of oak shafts and fashioned metal spearheads. One, a muscular, black-haired boy, yelled a war cry as he stabbed the stag in the haunch.

 

 

 

I positioned myself carefully over the stag as the boys circled it to keep it from leaving, dodging its sharp antlers and pointed hooves. As the black-haired boy drove the deer back under the tree, I jumped and landed on the stag’s back.

 

 

 

Before it could react to my sudden appearance, I sliced the deer’s throat and leapt off as it collapsed. My knees shook, and I sat down hard on the spongy black earth. I popped the lid off my water bottle that hung from my belt and guzzled half the container before coming up for air.

 

 

 

The boys reined in their horses and the black-haired one trotted over. “Hey,” he said, “that was pretty awesome. Ready to do it again?” His icy blue, x-ray-like eyes pulled me to my feet.

 

 

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I laughed, and swung up onto his stallion behind him. Then, I saw that the sun was setting. My heart skipped a beat; I needed to be home before dark to get my younger siblings out of the Care Center. My grin turned into a frown. “Let’s go home first and drop this deer off,” I said.

 

 

 

The second boy, taller and with sandy-colored hair, dismounted and lifted the stag with ease onto his horse on the front of his saddle. He swung back on, then glanced at me, and I nodded. He spurred his mare forward, and we dashed off through the woods.

 

 

 

By the time we reached the camp, it was pitch black outside. I shrugged apologetically at the boys. “Sorry,” I said innocently, “but it’s too dark to go back out hunting. I need to get my brothers and sisters out of Day Care.”

 

 

 

The black-haired boy, Caine, grinned. “So, that’s why you wanted to come back,” he laughed. “Oh, well. See you tomorrow.” He turned his horse and trotted away, toward his own cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

I smiled, watching him leave, then whipped around and walked inside my own house. The second boy, Luke, tied his mare to the hitching post outside and followed me in.

 

 

 

“You like him, don’t you?” he asked, seating himself on a stump and laying his head on the table. His light green eyes glistened with hidden secrets.

 

 

 

I raised an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips. “Who, Caine? No! What made you think that?” I asked, tapping my foot as a warning to shut up.

 

 

 

Luke shrugged and traced a swirl in the wood. “Oh, nothing really. Just that you get starry-eyed every time he lets you ride his horse. Oh, and that you’re always riding his horse, not mine.”

 

 

 

I grunted. “So? I do everything else with you. You follow me around practically everywhere, so I never get to do anything I want to do. And let me remind you, if you’ve forgotten, but you are my brother. I’m allowed to go hang out with other males if I want to.”

 

 

 

Luke sat up straighter and replied, “Yes, I’m your brother, so that means I need to watch over you so you don’t get hurt. And let me remind you, if you’ve forgotten, that I’m a month older than you, so don’t push it.”

 

 

 

I growled and turned away, making myself busy with widening a scratch in my arm, ripping it until it bled. “Would you quit rubbing that in my face?” I snapped, wincing as my wound began to sting.

 

 

 

Luke got up and walked over to me. He reached around me and grabbed a fresh bandage off the counter, then wrapped it lightly around my arm. “Fine,” he said quietly, “but something’s not right about Caine. I don’t want you to have anything to do with him.”

 

 

 

My eyes closed and I said slowly, “Have you noticed what era we’re living in, brother? You can’t keep me safe from everything. Go outside and to the border fence, see what waits for me and you and Caine, take a look and see our future. Can you deny me one thing that will make me happy, for once?”

 

 

 

Luke sighed and stepped away. “You know what, whatever. Go gallivanting off with Caine, being ‘happy’, and I’ll hang around here and fight zombies and protect your sorry butt.” He turned and walked outside, and a moment later, I heard hoofbeats as he trotted away on Holly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I buried my face in my hands and slumped into a chair in a corner. My mind raced as the full extent of what I’d said kicked in, blinding me to anything but thoughts of what did await me beyond the fence, beyond the safe haven. Out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

Chapter Two

 

 

 

In the morning, Luke still wasn’t back. I woke up early and made some hot chocolate, then went to wake up my other siblings. They were tucked away, safe in their beds, peacefully sleeping.

 

 

 

I gently shook the youngest one, Max, awake. He yawned and stretched, then asked, “Today do I get to help work with the horses?” in his little 9-year-old voice.

 

 

 

I shrugged and replied, “We’ll see. As soon as Luke gets back.” A pang of guilt washed through me, then I shook my head and added, “Maybe he’ll take you to the stables.”

 

 

 

The next youngest, Myra, was a little harder to wake up. Finally, in desperation, I dumped a cupful of cold water on her head. She jumped to her feet, screaming. I grabbed her arm and seated her back on the bed, wrapped her in a blanket, then slipped out before she could yell at me some more.

 

 

 

Everyone else was already up, considering Myra had pretty much woken the whole house with her raging. I entered my younger brother’s room to see him already dressed and ready to go patrol.

 

 

 

“Be careful,” I said, and he turned to face me. His face still held traces of baby fat, but the hardships we’d endured together had aged him. Him and every other teenager in this forsaken camp.

 

 

 

“I’ll be fine,” Leo promised, giving me a hug. “I’m only going to the border fence with messages today, I’m not fighting.” He shot me a grin that said ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be okay’.

 

 

 

I smiled and tousled his hair. “Be careful,” I managed to say, and handed him a prepared water bottle. He took it gratefully, gave me another hug, and eased around me and out the door.

 

 

 

I proceeded to my sister’s room. She, too, was ready to go, decked out in cargo pants filled with food and black sneakers. Her white tank top had to be dirty by now, but she wore it anyway.

 

 

 

“Bye,” she yipped, and hopped out before I could even say ‘Good morning’. I watched her through the bedroom window as she slid her short blade from its sheath and bounded off toward the border fence.

 

 

 

　

 

“She’ll be okay,” Myra said from behind me. Max stood beside her, still half asleep, with his pants on backwards. I grinned and hugged them both, then helped Max sort out his pants issue.

 

 

 

After I dropped Max and Myra off at the Care Center, I made a beeline for the stables. I breathed in the crisp scent of pine trees and freshly cut grass. Once there, I headed for my horse’s stall, the last one in the row.

 

 

 

“Hey, boy,” I cooed, opening the stall door. The stallion within whinnied and trotted up to me, nuzzling my face and licking my neck.

 

 

 

I stroked his nose and clipped a halter on him, leading him out into the aisle where other people were getting ready to go on a border ride. Ignoring them, I slipped a thin leather pad onto my horse’s back, secured it, and tied a rope to his halter so I could steer him.

 

 

 

When I finished getting him ready, I stepped back and viewed my handiwork. His lustrous black coat shone, and his dark eyes gleamed with excitement. I fastened two saddlebags onto the leather pad, then led my prepared stallion outside.

 

 

 

“Where’re you going?” Caine asked from behind me. He sounded eager, and when I turned to look at him, he held the reins of his jet black horse in his left hand. In the other he held a small dagger, which he slipped into its sheath when he saw me looking.

 

 

 

I turned my horse, Ebony, around to face Caine. “I’m going to visit my brother. He lives up by Hunter’s Creek. I’ll be gone about a day.” I mounted Ebony and gathered the steering rope in my hands, which had balled into fists after remembering my argument about Caine with Luke the previous night.

 

 

 

Caine grinned and swung up onto Blackstream, his stallion. “Need a spotter?” he asked, slinging his spear down off his back. “Never leave the camp without one.”

 

 

 

I sighed. “Sure, why not? Besides, there’s a stable at my brother’s place; we can bed our horses down there for the night.”

 

 

 

Caine nodded in agreement. “How about your siblings? Do they know you’re leaving?”

 

 

 

I shook my head. “Not yet. I left a note with the Care Center people to give to Luke when he gets back from patrol.” Mentally, I added, If he ever gets back, for a strong premonition was slipping through my brain.

 

 

 

　

 

“All right,” Caine said eagerly, “let’s get this show on the road!” He spurred Blackstream out of the stable courtyard and onto the trail that led out of camp. I lightly kicked Ebony’s sides, and he jumped after the other horse.

 

 

 

　

 

　

 

“So,” I said, as we trotted down the trail. “What do you do for entertainment, other than hunting?” My body had slowly adapted to riding the trails on my own horse, not Caine’s, like I usually did after a day of hunting deer.

 

 

 

Caine shrugged and slowed his horse to match my speed. “I carve,” he said, staring off along the path. “It’s nothing special, really. Useless, actually.”

 

 

 

Hearing the pain in his voice, I urged Ebony to walk as close to Blackstream as possible. I nudged Caine’s leg with my boot. “What do you carve?” I asked, glancing at his face as we rode.

 

 

 

“I carve statues,” he replied, “of the zombies.” His expression had gotten stony, and his horse shifted anxiously underneath him. I could tell he was holding the reins too tight, and I reached over and gently loosened his hands. He didn’t seem to notice.

 

 

 

“Of the zombies?” I asked, desperate to keep him talking. “How?” His body was rigid and he didn’t reply for a moment.

 

 

 

“Yes,” Caine said finally. “I carve them hunting, eating, chasing humans. I carve them dead, or impaled.” He paused. “I don’t just carve statues of zombies,” he said quietly. “They’re too gruesome to carve by themselves.”

 

 

 

I raised an eyebrow, and he said, “I also carve statues of you.”

 

 

 

My heart would have stopped, had I not seen the small cabin coming around the bend. “Oh, look,” I said, “there’s my brother’s house. Let’s hurry up.” I spurred Ebony on, who apparently was just as eager as me to get away from Caine.

 

 

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

Chapter Three

 

 

 

I slowed Ebony to a walk as we neared the house. “That’s funny,” I muttered, my fingers creeping toward my blade. “There’s usually smoke coming from the chimney. And there’s no wood stacked outside.”

 

 

 

Caine halted Blackstream and jumped down, tying his reins up over the horse’s neck so he wouldn’t twist his ankle if the horse had to run. Then, he offered me his hand. I took it, and he helped me dismount.

 

 

 

Once our horses were free of riders, they began to act up. Ebony reared, his eyes wide and white with fear. Blackstream kept pawing the ground and lashing his tail, bumping Caine with his head.

 

 

 

Caine raised an eyebrow, and I shrugged. Suddenly, something I’d learned in zombie training a while ago came back to me. “Caine,” I said quietly, “there’s a zombie here.” As soon as I said it, someone screamed from inside the house.

 

 

 

Automatically, he drew his spear and dagger, and I slid my blade out of its sheath. My heart began to pound, and my blood moved as fast as a bullet train through my veins.

 

 

 

Caine crept toward the house, spear raised, and disappeared inside. I held my breath, then released it and began counting to 10; zombie hunters only scout inside a house with a zom in it for ten seconds, for that’s how long it takes for it to notice you.

 

 

 

“One . . . two . . . three . . .” I chanted under my breath, my fingers turning white from the intense hold I had on my dagger. There was another scream from the house. “Four . . . five . . . six . . . seven . . .” I began to count faster, my mind racing. “Eight . . . nine . . . ten . . .”

 

 

 

And Caine didn’t reappear.

 

 

 

Panicking now, I continued counting. My breath was coming in raspy jolts. “Eleven . . . twelve . . . thirteen . . . fourteen . . .” I lingered on the last number, knowing that zom hunters usually didn’t last for more than ten seconds in a tightly enclosed space with a zombie. “Fifteen,” I whispered, and the screams fell silent.

 

 

 

　

 

I dropped my head and blinked, trying to clear my mind. Caine wasn’t stupid enough to stay in the house longer than necessary, right? Right. . . I shook a drop of blood from my arm- wait, blood?

 

 

 

I glanced up into the tree above me, and screamed at the sight of a zombie perched in the uppermost branches. The blood had dripped from its mouth, which was opening and closing like a fish stranded out of water.

 

 

 

I took a step back, lifted my spear, and crouched among the tall grass. The zom clenched its fists tightly on the tree trunk, holding on with blackened nails. It howled and dropped from the tree, landing about two feet from me. I jumped up and stabbed it through the neck, and it fell like a rock.

 

 

 

My hands shook as I yanked my spear out of the zom and turned around, then I froze; there were at least ten more zombies standing in a loose half circle behind me. Their eyes were blank, dead, but they thirsted for blood. I could see it in the way they shuffled forward, one small step at a time, but slowly, very slowly.

 

 

 

“Raven! Get out of there!” Caine screamed as he emerged from the house. He was drenched in sweat, and over one shoulder he supported my brother, Aspen. He deposited Aspen onto a pile of hay, using it to staunch the bleeding in his upper leg, and shifted his spear to his left hand.

 

 

 

Panicked, I made a dash toward the trees, but a zom erupted from the shadows in front of me, driving me back. My mind raced as I scanned the perimeter for an escape route, but finding none, straightened my back and whistled.

 

 

 

Confused, the zombies halted for a moment, then the one who’d surprised me spat something in a guttural tone, and they lurched forward faster than before. I jumped up into the air and landed on the back of a zom, driving my knife up to its hilt in its skull.

 

 

 

“I said get out of here,” Caine yelled, appearing at my side and stabbing an approaching zom. “Do you ever listen to me?”

 

 

 

I smirked and kicked a zombie in the gut, sending it stumbling in another direction. “I listen to no one,” I laughed, and jumped over another undead man. “Except maybe Aspen, of course.”

 

 

 

“Of course,” Caine said crossly, twisting to avoid a zom’s curved nails. “You listen to no one, and I listen to you. What a perfect relationship.” He ducked as I swung my fist at him.

 

 

 

I grabbed Caine’s arm and dragged him out of the way of a charging zom, then spun him around and into Blackstream’s side. “Come on, we need to warn the camp!” I yelled as he hesitated. “We can’t destroy them all by ourselves.”

 

 

 

Caine nodded, then his eyes widened. “Aspen,” he exclaimed, looking behind me.

 

 

 

I turned and saw my brother hacking his way through the zoms, holding a battered spear in one hand and a long blade in the other. I swung myself up onto my horse and kicked him, dashed over to Aspen through the ever-growing horde, and snatched his arm. He jumped on behind me, dropped his weapons, and clung to my back.

 

 

 

Caine swore and leaped onto Blackstream, then spurred him into the woods, disappearing onto the trail hidden from view. The zombies groaned behind me, so I urged Ebony away and out into the shadows of the trees.

 

 

 

“Come on, Aspen, stay with me,” I yelled as my brother’s hands slipped off of my shoulders. “We’re almost there, okay? Aspen?” I glanced back at him, and my head reeled in shock as he wiped blood out of a deep bite on his neck.

 

 

 

“Just . . . keep riding. Don’t worry . . .about me.” My brother sagged in the saddle, and I begged Ebony to go faster. Behind us, the groans of the zoms grew louder and louder as more of them poured through the breach in the border fence.

 

 

 

Caine reined in Blackstream as we entered the stable courtyard. As kids emerged from the buildings questioningly, he leaped off and raced over to me. Caine lifted Aspen from my horse’s back with ease, then carried him off into the infirmary.

 

 

 

All of a sudden, my mind began to feel fuzzy, like someone had covered my mouth with gauze and cotton and was preventing me from breathing. I grabbed for the reins, but fell from the saddle and collapsed onto the dusty earth.

The Black Swan Effect

 

Chapter One

 

 

It was a dark and stormy night. Within the abandoned house, two children cringed beneath a bed. The shutters banged and the shingles rattled and the floorboards creaked with age. The sagging rafters swayed as the raging wind tormented the pointed roof and moss-covered walls. Outside, the front gate swung wide open, battered by the storm. The winds and rain together barraged the old, dead trees growing in wild abundance in the front yard. Their gnarled branches scratched the windows, which were grimy and streaked with dirt. The dark sky was roiling with storm clouds, within which lightning cracked and thunder boomed. Not a single star was visible throughout the turmoil. Cold breezes swept through the house, chilling the two teenagers to the bone.

 

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all,” the girl yelled over the racket. Her long, black hair whipped around her face, getting into her eyes and mouth. “I think we should go back to the barn,” she added, as an afterthought.

 

The boy shielded his sister as a beam crashed onto the floor before them, sending splinters exploding into the air. “What? Are you crazy?! Going out into that storm is suicide,” the boy said, flinching as a tree branch thumped into the window across the room.

 

As the night wore on, the girl grew more and more nervous. She huddled close to her brother, head resting on his shoulder, and a worn red blanket draped across her shoulders. When thunder rumbled, both siblings jumped and drew farther back into the closet, where they had relocated a half hour before.

 

The boy shivered and pressed himself into a corner, behind a box full of old clothes. His long, uncut blond hair, as unruly as a lion’s mane, fell into his face and he brushed it away almost leisurely, as if he was used to it.

 

Both teenagers wore faded Levi’s and long, midnight black t-shirts caked with dirt. Their feet were clad in worn-out, shoelace-missing sneakers. They had matching camouflage backpacks, which stood propped up against the closet wall. Their faces were dirty, unwashed, and the girl’s hair looked like a bird’s nest.

 

The girl scooted over to her brother and lay, curled up into a ball, at his feet. Her teeth chattered as another breeze blew through the dusty old house.

 

“You’re right,” the boy said quietly, as the storm began to die down. “We should’ve stayed in the barn, not this creaky old piece of-” He stopped talking abruptly and closed his eyes.

 

The girl looked up, amused. “What’s the matter, Luke? Can’t curse, now that we have a reason to?” She laughed and sat up, squeezing herself between her brother and the wall to keep warm.

 

Luke grimaced and shoved his sister. “Shut up, Raven,” he growled, crossing his arms. “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.” He stopped and his eyes widened in sudden realization. “Oh, Raven, I’m sorry,” he began.

 

Raven sat up angrily, her face already wet with tears, and got to her feet. “Who cares, Luke? So what if it’s my fault that we’re sleeping in barns and eating rats and getting sick because of hay fleas? So what?” She glared at him. “You could at least forgive me,” she finished somewhat sadly.

 

Luke stood up and wrapped his sister in a hug to calm her down. “I forgive you, little sis. I would do anything for you to be safe.” Then, he frowned. “It’s not just your fault, anyway. It’s half his fault.” His eyes darkened with anger.

 

Raven froze, and she stared at the wall without saying anything. Her navy blue eyes were full of despair.

 

Suddenly, as the storm began to die away, a door somewhere in the house slammed. Luke’s head snapped toward the entrance to the closet, and Raven could feel his heartbeat quicken through his shirt. Then, as a streak of leftover lightning illuminated the room, Luke’s eyes fixed upon a dark silhouette that had formed in the entrance.

 

Raven yelped in delight and fled the closet, throwing herself into the arms of the boy who had appeared there. She shrank against him like he was a security blanket.

 

“How did you find us?” Raven asked happily, gazing up at Aaron wonderingly.

 

Aaron shrugged and glanced at Luke, who had slipped his pocketknife out of his backpack and was clenching it so tightly his knuckles were white. “You weren’t too hard to follow,” Aaron said with a fading smile. “I just went to the least suspicious room to wait.”

 

“Let me guess,” Luke hissed through bared teeth. “You hid in the bathroom, right?” His whole body was rigid, and his focus was rapidly changing from Aaron to Raven.

 

Aaron managed a grin. “Yeah, I did. How did you guess?’ His thick black hair was as snarled as Raven’s, and his eyes were far from submissive.

 

Luke shrugged stiffly and gestured with his knife to Raven. “C’mon, Raven, let’s go.”

 

The girl turned to face her brother in shock. “I’m not leaving Aaron,” she said quietly, baring her teeth.

 

There was silence for a few heartbeats, and the only noise was the water in the gutters pouring off of the roof. Then, Aaron spoke.

 

“I understand why you came with her, Luke, but we all know that it’s just me and Raven who should be running,” Aaron said slowly, as if easing himself into cold water.

 

Raven looked at her brother, then at Aaron, then said, “Why don’t we just travel together? Aaron, you’re in as much danger as me, and Luke, you came this far already, so . . .”

 

The two boys exchanged a glance, and Luke sighed. “You know I don’t want you to travel with your almost murderer,” he said, drawing out and emphasizing the last two words.

 

“You know that wasn’t on purpose!” Raven exploded, letting go of Aaron and stepping closer to her brother.

 

“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Aaron said in agreement, adjusting his black backpack and narrowing his eyes.

 

“How does someone almost kill his girlfriend on accident?!” Luke hollered, eyes flaming with anger. His knife was trembling in his fist.

 

Aaron snarled and stepped up so close that they were face-to-face. “How does someone trust his sister so much that he’d let her run off with some random dude he’d never met, believing that she’d be a-okay? Huh? Maybe you should’ve been more responsible.”

 

“Responsible?” Luke spat, raising the knife at his side. “I’m not the one who engraved his name into an innocent girl’s side just to show that he loved her!”

 

“I did not carve my name,” Aaron hissed. “I only cut the first letter of my name.”

 

“I don’t care what letter or number you sliced into her skin, all I care about is that you pinned down my sister on a concrete dam, used her shoulder as a whittling block, and left her there to die!” Luke yelled, so loud that dust rained down from the rafters.

 

The silence that followed was so quiet that Raven could hear Luke breathing, and her own heartbeat sounded loud and obnoxious. Then, Aaron spoke up.

 

“I didn’t leave her there to die, Luke. I left because the bloodlust was upon me, and if anyone came near to me while I was still lobo, I would’ve undoubtedly killed them. As it was, I don’t even know what I did to her,” Aaron whispered, looking at the floor.

 

Luke snarled and glanced at Raven. “Raven, come here and turn around,” he ordered, slipping the knife into its sheath at his side.

 

Raven swallowed and walked over obediently, then faced away from her brother and Aaron, knowing what was coming. She breathed and closed her eyes.

 

Luke picked up the very bottom of Raven’s shirt, and since she was wearing an army tank top underneath, he had her take the shirt off without fear. “See?” Luke said, turning Raven so that Aaron could get a good look at her shoulder. “See what you did to her now?”

 

Aaron looked up, and he jumped back in horror; Raven’s shoulder was a mess of inflamed scars, red and puckered, some not even healed yet, and amidst the chaotic swirls of slashes, just barely visible beneath the other wounds, was a slanted letter A.

 

“Now do you see why I’m trying to take her away from you?” Luke asked quietly, letting go of Raven and facing Aaron. “Your kind is violent and cruel, and this is just an example of what you do for fun.”

 

Raven’s eyes flickered with anger, and Aaron saw this and gained some strength. “My kind? Don’t forget, bloodsucker, that my kind is also her kind, and she is just as violent as I am when she is under the influence of a fresh kill,” he growled.

 

Luke twitched in surprise at what Aaron had called him, then his face hardened. “So . . . Raven brought you into the circle of trust, huh,” he said slowly, eyes flaming. “I assume you know what I am, then, and that even though you are very strong, I am stronger, no matter what?”

 

Raven flinched and stepped up to Luke. “Luke, please . . . let’s go. Don’t hurt him. You want me to get away from him, fine, but showing your fangs was never part of the bargain.”

 

The boy drew away from Aaron, for indeed, his fangs had been slowly emerging from his canines. “Raven, come,” Luke said quietly, and snatched up his backpack off the floor.

 

Raven grabbed hers, then grabbed her pocketknife out of her pocket. She then turned to Luke and leaped at him suddenly, pressing the knife to his throat. “I’m your sister, and you respect me. I know all of your secrets, what your weaknesses are, how you think.” She paused. “You need not be reminded that, even though you are a vampyre, I am just as worthy as you, being a female lobo.”

 

Luke nodded slowly, staring into his sister’s eyes. As Raven began to free him, his eyes began to glow a vibrant silver. He grabbed her forearms, pinning her in his grasp.

 

Raven was completely still as Luke began to speak. “You are my sister, and I love you. We go to the city tonight, and you may do what you please. But remember, yes, I am vampyre-“

 

Suddenly, Aaron dove at Luke, knocking him away from Raven, who stirred momentarily with fire in her eyes.

 

“How dare you?” Aaron snapped, his canines and ears lengthening. “You dare glamour your own sister.” He punched Luke in the stomach, making the boy double over.

 

Raven stormed over and grabbed Aaron, making him freeze and draw back quickly. Then, she turned to Luke, who was staring up at her. “Aaron is going with us, whether you like it or not, and you will not bite him in his sleep,” she growled at Luke, and for a second her brother could see the sleek, proud she-wolf lying under the surface.

 

　

　

　

　

 

Chapter Two

 

 

 

 

 

“So . . . where’re we going?” Aaron asked, adjusting his bag higher onto his shoulder and glancing at Raven, who was examining a map just ahead of him.

“Hmm, it looks as though we’re heading in the right direction, at least,” Raven said slowly, turning the road map a little and furrowing her brow. “But we’re still ten miles from Houston, and then there’s at least four miles after that until we get to the safe house.” She cast a look at her brother, who’d been silent most of the trip. He was fiddling with a portable phone, and he looked like he wasn’t concentrating very hard. “Do you think we should make camp now?” she asked him.

 

Luke shrugged and continued to fool around with the cell phone. “I guess we could. Oh, Aaron has his own tent,” he added quickly, “so he doesn’t need to share ours.”

 

Aaron laughed and stopped walking, slinging his bag down off his shoulder. “Haha, like I’d want to share a tent with you,” he said scornfully.

 

Luke’s head snapped up and he shot back, “Not with me, maybe, but with Raven?” Aaron was silent, and Luke chuckled. “You have your own tent, buddy,” he said with a shake of the head.

 

Raven glanced back, amused. “Oh, boys,” she sang, pointing to a low hill on their right. “There’s a good campsite, so if you’d please stop arguing and get out the tents, we could actually get some sleep before morning.”

 

The next three hours were spent attempting to put the tents together, but to no avail. Soon, the three teens surrendered to sleeping on the ground. They spread out their sleeping bags and curled up next to each other for warmth. However, Luke had managed to position himself between Aaron and Raven, ‘just by chance’.

 

Raven soon heard the snoring of the two boys, but her mind would not shut off. So, when light footsteps sounded in the undergrowth, she was the only one to hear them. And, of course, being the only one awake, she was the only person dragged from her sleeping bag by the hooded stranger.

 

 

 

“Raven!” Luke called, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound. “Raven, where the heck are you? This isn’t time for a nature walk!” He introduced the sarcasm into his sentence to hide his fear.

 

“I don’t think she walked,” Aaron said quietly, from where he knelt beside Raven’s sleeping bag. “It looks like she was dragged, by someone else.”

 

Luke raced over, and the two examined the clue thoughtfully. Then, Aaron jumped to his feet, stuffed all the sleeping bags into their backpacks, grabbed his and Raven’s packs, and began to follow the drag trail.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa . . . where are you going?” Luke asked, grabbing his bag and rushing up to Aaron.

 

“Where does it look like I’m going?” Aaron snapped, not looking at the other boy. “I’m gonna go get Raven, that’s where I’m going. Are you coming or not?”

 

Luke growled and fell in behind Aaron, who had his face aimed directly at the trail like a bloodhound. Suddenly, Aaron stopped, and Luke ran into his back.

 

“Holy . . .” Aaron whispered, staring straight ahead.

 

“What?!” Luke hissed, edging around the other boy. Then, he too froze; in the dirt, the tracks had stopped, but there, clearly imprinted in the sand, was two sets of wolf tracks. “Another lobo?” he guessed, and Aaron’s expression confirmed his fear.

 

“The tracks are those of a purebred Alpha,” Aaron snarled, poking at the edges of the prints. “Alpha’s have a. . . way of controlling she-wolves, particularly female lobos. It’s a gift only the Alpha males possess.”

 

Luke frowned. “So you can’t do. . . whatever it is that other wolf can?” he asked.

 

Aaron shook his head. “No, I’m not an Alpha; I’m a Beta. I can’t control female lobos’ thoughts like this one can. I’m afraid that he-” He broke off, his gaze fixed on something else in the sand.

 

Luke knelt beside Aaron, and together they read the message in the dirt; Three years- come back for me. -R

 

Aaron stood up. “The tracks disappear in a couple yards,” he said quietly. There was a light drizzle of rain last night. We’re lucky we got this far.” His eyes slowly closed. “Three years . . . what happens in three years?” he asked Luke.

 

Luke didn’t answer for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was veiled with hurt and sadness. “In three years, Raven will have been able to legally run away.”

 

They were both quiet for a good minute or two, then Aaron gasped and his face paled. “Oh, no,” he said under his breath.

 

 

 

“What now?” Luke asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Aaron fell to his knees in the dirt, and his hands rose to cover his eyes. “How old is Raven?” he asked hesitantly.

 

Luke thought. “Sixteen, like me,” he replied slowly. “Why?”

 

Aaron ignored him. “Sixteen years in lobo is twenty-five years in wolf. She’s old enough to have pups.” He yanked his hair in anguish and added, for Luke’s benefit, “That’s what the Alpha wants her for; puppies. Raven’s an Alpha female- it all adds up.”

 

“Wait, wait, hold up.” Luke held up a hand. “This . . . Alpha kidnaps my sister, and it turns out that she’s old enough to have puppies, and this guy can make her do whatever he tells her to?” His face became as pale as a sheet. “He’s going to force her to have his puppies?” he practically breathed.

 

Aaron looked up at Luke, tears in his eyes. “It appears we won’t find out for three years,” he said sadly, lowering his hands. “And by then she could have completely forgotten us- and the Alpha could have claimed her by then, and forced her to claim him as well. I claimed Raven, but she hasn’t marked me back yet.”

 

Luke frowned. “You claimed her?”

 

Aaron nodded. “The A on her shoulder- I claimed her as mine. She hasn’t marked me yet, which means that someone else can scar out my claim and make their own mark, then make her mark them.”

 

Luke sagged visibly and sat down hard. “So this guy is gonna force her to marry him, pretty much?”

 

“Yep,” said Aaron. “You’d better prepare to be an uncle, ‘cause pups grow fast in a lobo’s womb.”

 

 

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

　

 

 

 

Golden Wolf

The forest was silent. Not a creature stirred in the still morning air, the sunlight gleaming a pretty orange and flaming yellow. The sun rose above the treetops, creeping along like a sleepy spider climbing onto its web. Newly fallen snow glistened on charred branches and covered the blackened grass in a nearly impenetrable layering of fluffy white powder and beautiful silver ice.

Below the sparkling, admirable sunrise, a line of bedraggled and travel-worn animals trudged across the forest floor. Their company was made up entirely of wolves, almost fifteen of them, with sleek, shining coats and intelligent, neon eyes.

Their leader, a huge male wolf with fur as black as pitch, lifted his muzzle and scented the morning air. He snorted and lowered his nose to the ground again, angered that he couldn’t pick up the trail, after losing it in the snows the previous night.

Being the alpha, the large male was muscular and well groomed. His eyes glinted with intelligence and wisdom, and the hairs on his muzzle were graying with age. But despite the exhaustion haunting his limbs, and the heaviness of his cracked and tired paws, he inhaled the snow in another attempt to locate the pregnant doe the pack had been trailing for over three days.

Another alpha wolf, a pretty female, trotted up next to her mate and nosed his flank nervously. Her heart ached for the older male, but she could not distract him from his task at hand; Finding food for their remaining pack members. The female laid back her ears as the male shoved her away, and loped back to the rest of the pack, who were waiting underneath a particularly burnt tree.

“I’m hungry,” one adolescent male complained, licking a paw and swiping it over his ears to clean them. “When are we actually going to hunt?” He shook his thick fur coat, a magnificent red color, with a black tipped tail and black paws.

Beside the whining teen, a young female lounged on her side, breathing hard, puffs of white being blown up off the ground with each breath. The she-wolf snapped half-heartedly at her friend, but just waved her tail in agreement. She was half-starved, and not faring as well as Flame; her ribs jutted out an inch from her body, and her usually brilliant white fur was lying limp and unkempt.

An older wolf, a senior female, padded over and seated herself across from Flame. She licked her chest nervously, but growled, “You should respect King’s decision. If he chooses to continue to follow this doe, so be it. At the end of the race, at least you will have food in your stomach.” The elder allowed herself a moment to rest, stretching out on the bitterly cold snow and yawning.

Flame snorted and turned his muzzle toward the older she-wolf, his gaze resting briefly on her graying muzzle and tired eyes. “Alia, you know better than to act all superior,” he snarled, curling his upper lip in disgust. “You’re not the beta; I am.”

“And I may be regretting the day I made you beta,” came a voice from behind Flame, who whirled and stared guiltily into the old and haggard alpha male’s face. The alpha towered over the lowly beta, the shortest in the pack, but the quickest with his tongue.

King straightened painfully and faced his whole pack with a sad expression. “I’m afraid I have lost the scent,” he announced the circle of wolves staring expectantly at him. “Now, I know that my nose isn’t as good as it used to be, but I know for a fact that we will not catch up to this doe, after the head start she got last night in the storm.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I have considered a solution to our predicament, and I believe many of you will like it . . . I have decided that perhaps I should resign from the position of alpha, and me and Silva will head off and live our remaining days knowing that I have chosen a good successor.”

 

 

Flame and Crystal, the white she-wolf, exchanged glances. Alia raised her muzzle off the ground in surprise, and her younger friend, Laika, perked up her ears and blinked in understanding. Around the circle, the wolves began to stir. Although some, mostly the females, would miss the old alpha, the males were far more concerned with who would be chosen to take over King’s leadership.

King drew a long breath, and looked to his mate for a moment before growling, “Flame, the beta, is not to be alpha male-”

Flame barked in sudden anger and leapt to his paws, but the ring of wolves immediately snarled at him as one, so his hindquarters automatically sought the ground again, where he sat, fuming. His dark golden eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

King glared at the beta and continued, “Flame will not be the alpha male, but instead, I know who will. . . Cross will be the alpha.” He stopped speaking as the pack began to murmur amongst themselves, their lips lifting in silent snarls and their tails lifting in warning to one another as they searched out the named party.

Then, silently, a tall, lean male wolf emerged from the circle. It seemed as though his paws placed themselves, as he glided slowly across the snow. His muzzle was long, streaked through with black, and his coat was a beautiful russet gold. His thick, soft tail was very red, and his paws were patched with white fur.

Silva nodded approvingly, and locked eyes with Alia, who dipped her muzzle in respect and licked her shoulder self-consciously. The alpha female stepped up and nuzzled Cross’ neck, meeting his steady gaze with her pale, pale blue eyes.

King turned toward the majority of the females with a smile hovering just beyond his expression. “And the alpha female will be . . . Nova.” He scanned the pack, looking for her familiar face, when suddenly her voice rang out across the clearing.

“You have got to be joking!” Nova stepped out of the group, amber eyes smoldering, and stormed up to King. “I am not having puppies with that . . . peppy, ugly, annoying mouse turd!” She glared right into the alpha’s eyes, daring him to force her.

King opened his mouth to respond that, Yes, she would have to have puppies with that annoying mouse turd, but before he could speak, Cross cut in. His voice was smooth, like honey, but he was fuming with anger.

“Peppy? I assure you, I am not peppy,” he snarled, hackles rising. “Ugly . . . I used to think so, but Crystal says I’m not, so there you go on that fact. And, pardon my bluntness, but . . . annoying mouse turd?! Really?” He snapped at the she-wolf angrily, and his claws dug inches into the snow, connecting with the frozen soil underneath.

Nova hissed in contempt and padded sideways away from the young male. Her sleek, black-tipped red fur rose in anger that easily matched her rival’s. “I will not have puppies with you, and that’s final.” She growled at him in warning and raised her tail.

King glanced at Silva, who shrugged. “Let them sort it out,” Silva murmured, nuzzling King’s side and nipping his ears. “We’ve babysat them enough; they need to learn about the real world, and we’re obviously not the right teachers.”

The alphas nodded as one and turned, padding away into the trees unnoticed. Their tails intertwined together, and their paws sounded on the snow like feathers falling from a shedding baby bird.

 

　

Quivering with barely contained laughter, Crystal strode over to Nova and gently grasped her friend’s scruff, leading her away from the enraged new alpha. “Relax, girl,” she soothed, brushing Nova’s fur flat over her spine.

Cross snarled again and turned away, eyes shooting daggers into the earth as he walked over to a nearby tree and paused. He glanced down at his claws, then reared up on his hind legs and raked them through the bark, scoring long scratch marks in the wood.

Behind Cross, another male wolf came padding up. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he faced the new alpha male. “Congratulations,” Talon remarked, dipping his head. “Honestly, I thought the old man would pick Flame, just to save himself some trouble.”

Cross turned to face Talon, his eyes resting on the older male’s well-kept, mousey brown fur and enthusiastic smile. “Thanks, I guess,” Cross replied, his breathing slowing to normal again. “I really thought King would pick you, or Thorn, at least.”

Talon’s eyes darkened at the mention of his twin brother, distinguishable only by a sliver of green in his right eye. “Yes, well, out of the two of us, I’d be the obvious choice. You know, you’re gonna need some help running the pack, right?”

Cross mulled over the question, read the veiled threat easily, and replied, “Yeah, I guess. I’m not very good at leading, only fighting.” He lay some exaggeration on the last word, ensuring that Talon knew what he meant. Then, he shouldered past the older male wolf and addressed the pack.

“Now, obviously, I’m the new alpha male,” he said loudly, blinking hard as Alia lifted her muzzle and smiled at him. “I’m hoping that you will grow to respect me as you respected my uncle, King. He was a brilliant leader, and I want to become as well liked as him.”

Talon growled under his breath and turned away, padding over to a pretty she-wolf lying down underneath a burnt tree. Her eyes were fixed intently on Cross.

“He’s really something, isn’t he?” Coral asked, glancing up at her brother with a half smile on her muzzle. Her navy blue eyes followed Talon as he circled her in agitation and seated himself beside her. His dark brown fur contrasted comically against her cream-colored coat.

“I don’t really think he’s all that awesome,” Talon snarled, hunching his shoulders against the cold and licking his chest fur to make it lie flat.

Coral smiled and nuzzled her brother’s cheek. “I’m sure you two will become as close as close as twins,” she remarked, and nipped his ear playfully.

Talon turned and stared deep into his sister’s eyes. “Or maybe,” he murmured, “Cross will see that he’s completely incompetent and needs my help.”

Coral shrugged and lay back down, growling, “Fine. Ignore me.” She swiped her tongue across her muzzle and added, “It’s too bad Nova didn’t want Cross. Their pups would’ve been the pride of the pack . . .”

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

 

Chapter One

 

 

“Are you sure about this?” Cloud asked, shivering in her thin winter jacket. “That pipe looks kinda . . . I don’t know, dangerous.” She shoved her hands as deep into her pockets as they would go and clenched her fingers into fists.

Sky shrugged and took a step out onto the rusted metal sewage pipe, his feet sliding along on the slippery surface like he was walking on ice. His arms were stretched out straight from his sides, helping him balance over the frozen lake. Below the pipe, three other teenagers stood staring up at him.

“I’m positive that everything will be fine,” Sky said, wobbling a little and holding his breath. His white hair, so long that it fell down past his ears, floated around his face in the chilly December wind. Piercing blue eyes, as pale as newly cut ice, stared defiantly out at the world.

Cloud shuddered as her brother slipped, almost losing his balance, and righted himself again. “You’re crazy!” she hollered, her thick white hair billowing around her like a real cloud. “You’ll get yourself killed!”

Beneath her brother, the rusty pipe creaked indignantly, as if to protest that Sky would be fine. Then, one of the other teenagers spoke.

“You know, maybe she has a point,” yelled Star, a silver haired boy with a dappling of gray freckles across his nose. His sister, Luna, hooked her baby blue hood up over her gleaming ash-grey hair and nodded, her cerulean eyes wide.

Sky laughed and took another step, drawing closer to the gap that separated the pipe and the opposite bank. It was a leap of possibly five feet, six max. He wobbled, then shouted, “Relax, guys. I’ve got this. I’m just gonna cross the gap-”

Cloud’s head snapped toward the portion of ice in-between her brother and the shore, then she said, “You’re crazy, just plain crazy. I’m going home.” But she made no move to leave. Her mind was focused on watching Sky wiggle along the pipe.

Star and Luna exchanged glances, then Star yipped, “You know, maybe you should come down, bro. You could fall and break the ice. What would your mama say then?”

Luna giggled and play-punched her brother in the shoulder. “That’s mean,” she teased him, wagging her finger as a warning; it was common knowledge that the she-wolf who had birthed Sky and Cloud had tried to withhold her pups from the T.P., the Transformation Police. She had been killed for it.

Sky scowled and took another step, but this time he nearly fell off the side of the pipe; a spot of the metal had frozen, and the ice was slick and slippery. Sky’s eyes gleamed as he righted himself, and stepped up to the edge of the gap. He glanced back at his sister, then asked, “Are you gonna watch me do this?”

Cloud grimaced. “Um, only if you want me to,” she replied grouchily, crossing her arms. The wind whipped her hair around her face, giving her the appearance of an angry naiad.

The twins, Star and Luna, gazed up fearfully as Sky readied himself for the leap. He hesitated for a second, then launched himself off the pipe and across the gap. He would’ve made it, but he hadn’t seen the patch of ice coating the bank where he had wanted to land. Something in his leg snapped as he hit the ground, and he cried out in pain, falling back onto a thin layer of ice that covered a shallower section of the lake. He shattered the ice and tripped into the freezing water, instantly soaking his thick woolen clothes and turning his once pink lips to blue.

 

 

Cloud shrieked and raced down to the edge of the lake, then tottered out onto the ice, but not going any closer, for cracks were spreading in the frost. Her heart beat faster and faster, and she searched for a way to get to her brother, but there was none.

Meanwhile, Star had jumped to the line of trees cupping that end of the water and was hastily looking for any vines he could use to pull Sky across the lake. But, as he glanced back at the situation out on the ice, he realized that he wouldn’t have a way to get the vine to his friend. So, he solemnly walked back to his sister, tapped her shoulder, and whispered his predicament into her ear.

But they’d all overlooked the fifth party, who wasn’t just standing there with his hands in his pockets. Tornado shed his outer coat, snowpants, gloves, and hat, then stood there, not shivering yet, in an undershirt and jeans.

Cloud glanced back at the group, and she saw Tornado. Her eyes widened, and she said slowly, “It’s not going to work, Torn. You can’t possibly slip across the ice, not even as a-”

There was a flash of black clouds that cloaked the lake in shadows, then in the place of the black-haired boy was a magnificent, broad-shouldered, golden-eyed wolf. Tornado shook his thick midnight colored fur coat and cocked his head at the frowning girl as if to say, You wanna try and stop me?

Star shook his head and hugged his sister. “Swiftfoot, dude, even you can’t get across the . . . ice.” He stopped speaking as the lean alpha edged his way out onto the ice toward the injured boy, ignoring the spreading cracks.

Across the lake, Sky groaned and dragged himself out of the freezing water. He attempted to stand, but he yelped in pain and tripped, landing on his butt on the frozen bank. He dug his left heel into the ice to stop from sliding in again. He tried again to stand, even to limp along, but it was obvious to the other teenagers that his leg was broken to the knee, and he needed help, fast.

Cloud bit her lip so hard that it bled, and her blood had gone from pumping so quickly her head hurt to practically frozen in fear. She was fully aware that her brother could die from the chill, and his leg didn’t make things any better.

The other two glanced at their friend, then Luna strode over and put her delicate arm around Cloud. The two girls exchanged a hug, then Star broke in.

“Look!” he shouted, pointing out at the black wolf. “Swiftfoot’s nearly there! Maybe he can get there!” Then, disaster struck; Tornado inched out a little bit farther, not seeing the large crack in the ice before him, then the lake disappeared under his paws and he vanished into the fast-moving water, bashing his head on the edge of the ice before becoming invisible altogether, leaving a streak of blood on the frosty surface.

Luna lunged forward, but Star caught her and hauled her back. “Oh, no, you don’t,” he hissed, and added, “You’re the fastest runner here, besides Tornado. Get help. Obtener assistente, Luna. Vaminos, amigo. May your paws move you rapido, mio similar.“

Luna’s eyes grew vacant and she replied, already transforming, “Bendicir me, hermano.”

Star nodded and growled, “God’s speed, mio cachorro.“

Luna looked at Cloud, her silver fur already rippling over her spine, and howled, then turned and vanished amongst the trees.

Cloud stared after her friend, then faced the lake again with a fearful expression; if both of the boys out in the water died, then there would no longer be the five of them. Besides, one of the boys was her brother, and the other . . . well, there was him.

Suddenly, a black shape exploded from the water downriver, by the waterfall that cascaded down over the earth at the bottom of the cliff.

 

Tornado hauled himself up onto a rock in the middle of the water and his body slumped against the cold surface as he panted. The wound on his head hurt badly, and he was losing blood fast. He growled and considered transforming back into a human, but then knew better; if he did, he thought, he would undoubtedly freeze out here.

Back on shore, Cloud peeled off her fur coat and snowpants, then edged down next to the ice. But Star grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from going out to her friend.

“You could fall in also,” he said sensibly, shaking his head. “No matter how light you are, that ice is death at this time of the winter. It’s getting thinner, and patches are already gone.” Star looked down at Cloud’s arms, where goose bumps were raising on her skin. “And you’re the most likely to freeze of all of us,” he added.

The girl glared at him, but she bent and scooped up her coat, putting it back on as a resistance against the cold. Then, Cloud heard something in the trees behind her.

“Where are they?” came a voice, and the two friends turned to see a huge, dark-furred male wolf racing as fast as lightning out of the forest, a tall woman running beside him, and Luna following them both, panting hard.

Star immediately pointed out at Sky, who was lying limp on the opposite shore, and Tornado, who was barely moving. The only indicator the black wolf was alive was the feeble wagging of his tail. “There and there,” Star said quickly, glancing back at the woman.

The male wolf growled and launched himself down the bank, alongside the ice, which was almost completely broken up, and howled across the water. From downstream, on the other side of the lake, came an answering howl.

Tornado lifted his head and scented the air, then whimpered in relief as a party of seven teens on horses came galloping down the path to the water, four wolves racing at their heels. All were dressed in black and their horses decked in white. The wolves were lean and delicately built.

The male wolf let out a series of yips and barks, which were copied from another wolf, then the people on the horses jumped down and began tying together long strips of thick rope. When they’d made a suitable length of rope, they gave one end to a slim female wolf, who took it in her mouth and edged out onto the ice.

As Cloud and Star looked on, the she-wolf crept out all the way to the gap in the ice, and barked to Tornado. The black wolf didn’t reply, and his tail lay still. The female looked worried, and she yelped a sharp note to him, and finally, Tornado lifted his muzzle weakly and howled back. The she-wolf threw the end of the rope out into the water next to Tornado, who gazed at it sadly.

In what seemed like hours, Tornado finally took the end of the rope in his mouth, then jumped into the water, and the people on the bank pulled the rope tight and began hauling in the black wolf.

Cloud bit her lip, glancing between Tornado and Sky, who seemed to not be breathing. Then, unable to stand it anymore, she jumped out onto the remaining ice, coat and all, and transformed, throwing herself into the freezing water.

Once she was in the water, Cloud began to paddle hard for the opposite shore, her heart pounding. Star yelled in surprise from behind her, but she ignored him and surged out into the middle of the large stream. She heard a loud bark of fear, and then a splash, and a broad muzzle broke the water beside her. Shivering, but content to make sure his friend made it across, Star growled in reassurance and struck out at the water powerfully.

The woman stared after the swimming wolves proudly, for it had been she who’d taught them how to swim so well, but her heart skipped a beat as the she-wolf’s head disappeared under the water.

Cloud couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, and her paws felt as heavy as concrete blocks. She paddled hard, but the things holding her leg would not let her go. She tried to bite it, but water flooded her mouth and made her mind fuzzy. In a last ditch effort, she launched herself at the surface, and she exploded into the air in a splash of droplets.

“Are you okay?” Star barked, panting, for he had circled above the place where Cloud had disappeared, treading water. His heartbeat was steadily slowing.

Cloud nodded her silky white muzzle and tried to take a breath, but pain flared up in her lungs and she coughed, briefly going underwater. “Something grabbed me and pulled me under,” she growled, snorting.

Star’s brow furrowed in concern, and he nuzzled her shoulder, disturbing the water that was slowly freezing around them. “Come on, we need to get out of here somehow.”

Cloud’s head shot up and she glanced around quickly, seeing that ice had expanded while they had stopped, and the edges were sharp and cruel. “We don’t have a way out,” she murmured, her heart skipping a beat.

All of a sudden, Star plunged underwater, bubbles bursting on the surface as he disappeared into the depths. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, his muzzle broke the surface, and he emerged, coughing out water.

“Something just grabbed me,” he yelped, paddling in a circle somewhat dazedly. Then, Cloud saw the blood spreading in the water around them.

“You’re hurt,” she exclaimed, bumping him with her muzzle and pawing at the water. “What happened down there?”

Star’s eyes were bare of emotion, and he swam confusedly toward her. “What do you mean, bleeding?” he asked. “I’m fine.”

Cloud nipped his shoulder, and Star jumped, his muzzle submerging for a moment. “Whoa, what happened?” he said, stopping and treading water.

The two wolves then noticed the fin circling them in the water. It was slick and scaly, but spines stuck out of its tips at irregular angles. Then, a fish-like head broke the surface, and Cloud howled in fear at the sight; it had a wolf’s head, with eyes that were so sad and afraid that it looked somewhat . . . dead.

Star slashed out at the beast, and it disappeared beneath the surface. “What the heck was that?!” he barked, paddling in place.

“I don’t know, but we need to get out of the water,” Cloud growled, and struck out for the ice at the other end of the lake. Behind her, Star began to swim, then he yelped in pain and faltered, new blood seeping from his chest.

“That thing bit me,” Star snarled, more from fear than from pain. “It looked like a wolf too; why is it hurting me?” His eyes were filled with fear.

When they reached the other side, both wolves were so exhausted that they could barely paddle. Their tails trailed in the water, no longer helping them to steer. The wolf-fish had not bothered them the whole rest of the way, and the water was clearer here, so they would be able to see it if it came near them.

Cloud gripped the ice in her teeth, but it tore into her gums, and she let go quietly, without complaint. Star attempted to launch himself out of the water and onto the ice, but it sliced his stomach when he came down, and he slipped into the freezing water again.

 

　

　

“We c-c-c-can’t get-t o-o-out,” Cloud hissed, her teeth chattering. “I k-k-knew that this was a s-s-s-stupid idea.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she flailed against the water, the cold was so unbearable.

Star growled, “We can’t g-g-give u-u-up, Cloud. We’re n-n-n-not q-q-quitters, r-r-right?” His paws felt like lumps of rock, and he rested his head on a flat area of the ice.

Both wolves allowed themselves to drift away from the edge a little, their limbs protesting any movement. The thick fur that was plastered to their bodies was frozen and weighed them down even more.

Then, just as Cloud was about to take a breath and sink under the water, a huge black shape launched itself into the lake, making a large splash, and showering the two smaller wolves with shimmering drops.

Star’s eyes widened at the sight of Tornado, who swam over to Cloud and bit her shoulder, hard. She howled in pain and lashed out at him, pursuing him through the water. Star instantly saw the plan and nipped his friend’s ear.

Cloud, overwhelmed, threw herself at Tornado, who swam to the edge of the ice and smiled broadly at her. She followed him, still mad, when she saw the people coming out onto the thicker ice, carrying a floating platform.

The leader of the humans, a small blond-haired teenager with piercing blue eyes, ordered the people to drop the platform into the water, connected to the horses with a thick rope. Then, he gestured to the wolves, then the platform.

Tornado barked at Star and hauled himself onto the platform, and the humans pulled him up out of the water. He crawled off and leaped over to the edge, yelping the whole way.

Star swam slowly over to the platform, which had been lowered again. But once he got there, he found that he was too weak to clamber aboard. His frozen, cracked paws stung in the crisp air and he couldn’t use his back legs.

Tornado, seeing his friend’s plight, jumped back into the water and shoved Star from behind up onto the platform, then barked at the humans. They hauled up the bedraggled wolf and wrapped him in blankets, encouraging him to transform back into a human.

Then, once Star was safely human and growing warmer, they lowered the platform once more. This time, Tornado crawled on, and they pulled him up. He crouched beside the frothing water, yipping encouragement to Cloud. His paws already stung; he couldn’t see how those two had stayed in the water so long without drowning.

Cloud swam slowly over to the platform, and wiggled her head, chest, and front legs onto it. All of a sudden, as she was inching onto the platform, something sharp embedded itself in her back legs, and yanked her backwards off the lifesaving device into the water. She fought for a moment, gulping as much air as possible, before being tugged underneath the surface.

Tornado howled in surprise and turned to Star, whose head had shot up. “The wolf-fish!” Star yelled, trying to get up and transform, but the drugs being put into his body kept him from moving. He settled for informing Tornado, “If she stays under there, it’ll kill her.” He glanced down at his own chest and leg wounds.

Tornado turned back to the water and hesitated, just for a moment, then leaped into the freezing current, submerging immediately.

There was dead silence for at least thirty seconds, then Cloud’s head broke the surface, bloodied and cut up. Just behind her was Tornado, clenching the mauled body of the wolf-fish. It looked just as gruesome out of the water.

 

Nobody spoke as Tornado helped Cloud up onto the platform, then he himself climbed on, along with his catch. It was still quiet as the medic who had arrived to treat both Sky and Star bustled over and busied herself with Cloud. And it was completely silent as Tornado transformed back into a human and began messing with the wolf-fish.

Then, “What the heck is that thing?!”

Tornado raised his eyes to the sky and turned to face a thin, delicately built girl with bleach-blond hair and eyes as pale as the ice. “That, my friend, is a . . . wolf-fish,” Tornado said matter-of-factly, not looking at the girl, but instead gazing past her at his injured friends.

“A wolf-fish? One heck of an ugly beast,” the girl yipped in a shrill voice, making Tornado wince. “You know, it looked a whole lot cooler in the water.”

Tornado felt within him the wolf’s hackles rising. “Looked a lot cooler? Look at what it did to Cloud and Star!” He gestured to his friends angrily.

The girl glanced at the wolf-teens, then back at Tornado. “Well, they were the idiots for jumping in the water in the first place.”

Tornado howled and launched himself at the girl, knocking her backwards, and they tussled together on the frozen ground, until someone kicked them multiple times, breaking them up. The girl, Mala, had a black eye, and Tornado had blood gushing from his ear, which was torn in half.

“Stop rolling around like a fool, Swiftfoot, and get yourself to the Caves; we have a lot to discuss about your future.” A tall, muscular man of about thirty-eight with a military buzz cut and a camouflage green shirt on glared down at the ashamed and confused boy.

“My future?” Tornado asked, raising an eyebrow.

The man nodded and extended a hand to the teen. “Yes. After the things you did today, I’m considering making you an Alpha.”

Tornado grinned and took the hand.

 

　

　

 

 

　

Scars

My heart beats quickly as I slide into my seat. All around me, faces run together, just swirls of pale peach skin, powder blue hats and purple scarves. Their voices twirl and dance, entwining amongst each other like dancers on a ballroom floor. I clench my fingers into fists and brace myself against my desk.

“Hey, are you okay?”

 

I look up into the warm hazel eyes of my boyfriend, Adam, and my heartbeat begins to slow down. “Hi, Adam,” I say quietly, releasing the tension in my arms. “I’m fine.”

 

Adam slips over to stand beside me and takes my hand in his. “You seem a little detached today. Did you sleep all right last night?”

 

I reach up and run a hand through his curly brown hair, wanting to reassure myself that he was still there. “I slept fine, so stop worrying.” I shoot him a half-hearted smile, and he frowns in concern.

 

“Where’s Luke?” he asks seriously, glancing around the classroom.

 

I stand quickly and point to a tall, muscular boy laughing with a group of friends on the other side of the room. “There he is. Hey, Luke!” I call out, and he whips around to see who said his name. When he sees me, he says goodbye to his friends and hurries over.

 

“What’s up, Ally?” he asks, standing close beside me.

 

I look up at him, and he reads the silent plea in my eyes. He pulls me into a hug, and I bend into his warmth gratefully.

 

“Adam wanted you,” I say.

 

Luke raises an eyebrow and turns to face Adam, still holding me tightly. “You wanted me?” he asks.

 

“Yeah, I did. Um, I was wondering . . . Did Ally get enough sleep last night?”

 

“As far as I know. Why, do you need to know her bedtime, too?”

 

“No, thank you. As I said, I was just wondering.”

 

“You’d better be just wondering. Why do you worry about her so much anyway?”

 

“She’s my girlfriend, why wouldn’t I?”

 

Luke grimaces and lets go of me, shooting Adam a glare. “You just seem a little preoccupied most of the time, and I won’t have you breaking my sister’s heart,” he says icily, and strides away to his seat.

 

I glance at Adam, who just shakes his head in confusion and sits back down. “Your brother drives me insane,” he says.

 

I shrug and sit in my own seat, pull out a piece of notebook paper and a pencil, and begin to draw. “He confuses everyone,” I say with a quiet laugh.

 

Adam just sighs and leans back in his chair.

 

As soon as the bell rings, I launch my body from the seat and scoot out the door, propelling myself out of the school. Luke emerges from the double doors behind me and, after we socialize for as long as we dare, we turn and head down the street toward home. It’s a small, three-bedroom ranch, with modern appliances and spotless rooms. The yard is impeccable and the flowers in the garden by the mailbox are pretty and healthy. As we near the front door, a shadow moves across the window, and I flinch involuntarily.

 

Luke glances over at me, and I shift so that our arms brush every second step. Just as we reach the porch, the door swings open and my father storms out onto the stoop.

 

“Inside. Now,” he snarls, and I speed up to get into the house.

 

If you’ve never seen my father, the first time you get a good look at him you’ll probably either dig a hole or want to hide beneath a rock. He’s at least six foot seven, with a military haircut that left him nearly bald, wide shoulders, and a broad chest. His muscles bulge just beneath his skin, so large that they threaten to explode, and his eyes feel as though they’re boring right into your very soul.

 

I make it to the door of my bedroom before my father catches me. He seizes the collar of my jacket and jerks me back, hard. Before I can scream, he smashes his fist into my windpipe, knocking the breath out of me and sending my hopes crashing through the floor.

 

Luke stands awkwardly at the doorway to his room, his eyes moist with unshed tears, but he knows he cannot say or do anything in my defense; my father would kill him. So instead he just watches, and sometimes cries silently behind our father’s back.

 

I wriggle, trying to get free, but my dad grabs my arms and pins them to my sides. He twists one around behind my back, and I scream in pain.

 

“You’re late,” my dad hisses into my ear, flecks of spit clinging to his straggly mustache. “Why didn’t you come straight home?”

 

“I was talking to friends,” I pant, tugging my left arm free of his grip. “That’s not a crime, Dad.”

 

He makes a guttural animal noise and shoves me up against the wall. “I don’t care about your stupid little friends. You’re supposed to come right home every day, no matter what’s going on at school. You come home, you do your homework, you eat, you sleep. That’s the routine, that’s the deal. Otherwise, you know what happens.”

 

I work up enough courage to snap back, “Yeah, I know what happens. I get shipped off to a children’s home where no one will adopt a seventeen-year-old, and then you’ll just start abusing Luke, is that right? ‘Cause as long as I’m here, Luke isn’t hurt, is that right?”

 

My dad snatches my shoulder and throws me across the hall and into the opposite wall, where I crumple onto the floor. “Why, you insolent little brat,” he bellows, kicking me in the side. “Your mother and I give you everything your snotty little heart could desire, and you’re so ungrateful as to talk to me like that?!” He aims another kick at my head, and I howl in pain as a thousand stars erupt behind my eyes.

 

“Mark, stop it,” comes my mother’s voice from behind me. “She’s done for the night. Let’s go have dinner; I warmed up some leftover pasta from yesterday.”

 

My father glares down at me once, then turns on his heel and storms away into the kitchen.

 

I groan and roll to my knees, bending over on the carpeted floor. Luke dashes over to me with a cold water bottle and a washcloth. He pours some of the water onto the cloth and dabs at my wounds and bleeding nose.

 

“I hate him,” I whisper fiercely, shivers racking my limbs. “I hate him with all my heart. He’s evil, and so is Marissa. I wish they’d get killed or get in a car crash or something like that.”

 

Luke pulls me into another hug, and for a while we cry silently together. Then, Luke leans back so I can see his face.

 

“Let’s run away, somewhere they’ll never find us.”

 

“Luke, that’s crazy talk!”

 

“I’m serious. The longer we stay here, the worse he gets. You have all the scars to prove it. Tomorrow, we bring anything we want to take with us to school, and as soon as that last bell rings, we’re out of this crazy town.”

 

“He’ll never let us go; he’d die first. We know too much.”

 

“Exactly. We know everything. I’ve taken pictures, videos, even voice recordings of when he’s-”

 

“-beaten me? I wouldn’t put it past you.” I sigh and look away.

 

Luke scans my face closely. “I’m going, and whether you want to or not, you’re going, too.”

 

I glance up at him, and he holds my gaze. “Fine, tomorrow then.”

 

 

 

 

 

As I change out of my gym clothes, the tittering of the other girls begins to get to me. They all seem so wrapped up in their own lives; how could anyone possibly pay any attention to mine?

 

I reach down to tie my shoe, when suddenly one girl screeches, “Alicia! What’s wrong with your back? What happened?!”

 

My heart stops as I realize that my shirt has come untucked in the back, exposing ten years’ worth of scars and bruises. I jerk upright and tuck it back in, but not before everyone in the locker room is staring at me.

 

I follow the other girls out into the gym, and, as is expected, they immediately go to their boy friends and begin blabbing to them about my scars. Within moments, Adam is at my side. I see Luke approaching from the other end of the gym, fear in his eyes, but I know he will be too late.

 

“What are they talking about, Ally?” Adam asks quietly, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

 

“Nothing, everything’s fine,” I say under my breath.

 

“What?”

 

“I said, everything’s fine!” I shout in his face, and he takes a step back in surprise.

 

“Really?” Adam moves back up next to me, so close that I can feel the heat rolling off of him in waves. “Everything’s okay?” In one quick movement, so fast that I couldn’t have anticipated it, he spins me around and yanks up the back of my shirt.

 

Instinctively, I try to pull it back down, and he lets me. When I turn back around, his face is contorted with pain.

 

“Who did that to you?” Adam whispers, his arms trembling.

 

I open my mouth to speak, but in that instant Luke is at my side, holding me, keeping me standing here.

 

“Go away, Adam,” Luke says forcefully, pulling me back into his chest. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

 

Adam moves forward, and Luke takes a step back. “Who did that to her?” he asks again, a chill taking control within his eyes.

 

I take a deep breath and, before Luke can stop me, reply, “My father.”

 

There is silence throughout the gym. Only Adam’s heavy breathing and Luke’s heartbeat sound now.

 

Suddenly, Adam turns on his heel, scoops up his jeans, and rifles through the pockets. He steps away with a black-bladed knife.

 

“Take this,” he says icily, handing Luke the switchblade and backing away. “Protect your sister, or I may be forced to.”

 

Luke’s hand wavers as he lowers the knife and puts it into his pocket, but I know that he will use it; he’s strong enough for that. Isn’t he?

 

Adam turns away, hesitates for a moment, then leaves the gym. Luke looks down at me, and I turn and bury my face into his chest.

 

 

 

 

 

My shoes go thump- thump on the pavement as I run toward my house. Luke yells something behind me, but I cannot hear what he is saying. My heart pounds, and I veer off onto the grass to avoid being hit by a passing car; there aren’t sidewalks in our town.

 

“Ally, stop! It’s a bad idea!” Luke yells, and this time I can hear him. Although it hurts me, I race on, the knife clenched tightly in my fist.

 

Reaching the front door of my house, I hesitate for a fraction of a second before going inside. Once within the house, the true impact of my decision hits me, and I almost collapse with the sorrow; I am too afraid to run away. Why can’t I stay here? So what if my father hits me?

 

“Ally, where are you?” Adam’s voice echoes in the gloom beyond the windows, and I flinch back against the wall, pressing myself almost flat to the plaster.

 

“Alicia, who is outside?” my father asks from behind me, and I whip around with a gasp; he is cradling in his arms a double-barreled shotgun.

 

“Luke and- Adam,” I whisper.

 

“Good girl.” My father lifts the gun and moves over to a window, opening it silently and poking the gun through a hole in the screen. He squints to try and pierce the darkness with his sharp eyes.

 

My blood freezes as Adam calls out again. “Ally, come on! Where are you?”

 

Luke yells something, but I can’t understand him.

 

Suddenly, my father aims the gun into the yard and fires. The shot cracks like my old beebe gun used to, but it makes a sickening thock as it embeds itself into someone’s flesh.

 

Adam screams, and my heart ceases to beat.

 

“Adam!” Luke yells, and he explodes into the house from behind us.

 

My father swivels around to face his son, holding the gun up to his shoulder, but Luke immediately turns and dashes out again. My dad gives chase, and I’m left alone in the house.

 

A flashing blue light catches my attention, and I step over to the coffee table. On it lays a pretty, navy blue cell phone. I reach down and pick it up, turning it over in my hands. Just as my father opens the front door, I have entered three numbers- 9.1.1. He makes a move to raise the gun. I press send, and the gunshot echoes through the phone lines, making its way to the receiver on the other end. . .

 

　

 

“The boy will live; the bullet only grazed his shin. The girl, though- what a pity. She’ll be sorely missed.”

 

“Look at her poor brother. He’ll remember this day for the rest of his life.”

 

“Yes. That boy, what was his name?”

 

“Her brother? Luke.”

 

“No, the other one. The one who got shot.”

 

“Oh, that one. His name is Adam; he’s been Alicia’s boyfriend since fifth grade.”

 

“So sad. Have you gotten a chance to examine the girl’s body yet? Have you seen all her scars? There must have been at least ten years’ worth, just on her back.”

 

“No, I haven’t. Wow, her father was some lunatic. You should’ve seen his file; he’s been arrested four times, for assault, breaking and entering, and child harassment. His daughter was lucky. She only got the minimum of what he can do.”

 

“It’s ironic, though.”

 

“What is?”

 

“He only hurt the girl. I wonder why. Luke -his son- wasn’t touched in the slightest.”

 

“Well, you see, the girl was the mother’s by some other man. Her husband found out when the girl was only six years old.”

 

“That would explain a lot.”

 

“Yep. And the boy, Luke- let’s just say that he was the son Mark always wanted. He’d rather die before he hurt that kid.”

 

“Hey, ladies, we’re on air in three minutes.”

 

“All right, thank you, Ernest. That’s my cue. Thank you for talking with me, Ma’am.”

 

“Anytime. I should go get my camera.”

 

“This case is just so sad. I can’t get over how quickly it happened.”

 

“I know. I heard an interesting theory from Luke just a few minutes ago.”

 

“What was it?”

 

“He says that he thought his sister was going to attack their father. Lord knows why.”

 

“Hah, so do we, come to think of it.”

 

“You know what else?”

 

“What?”

 

“He found a letter to the girl from their father. Said he loved her, always had. Too bad nobody believes it. What a shame.”