When the Wolves Howl

3. "Is that a threat?" "It's a well-intended warning."

Chapter III: "Is that a threat?" "It's a well-intended warning."

•••

The cabin was bigger than Alyssa had imagined. It sat embraced by tall pine trees behind it, with only a small clearing in front of it before the forest swallowed the space again. The road to the cabin had been surprisingly smooth and the drive not as long as she had expected. Alyssa could hear the sound of water steadily flowing close by and she was sure a river or stream of water was nearby.

She stepped out of Caitlyn's car parked next to Dylan's truck that everyone else sat in—Alyssa noticed that they always came together to school every morning, minus Caleb. Alyssa had first thought he and Caitlyn drove together, but that didn't seem to be true either. She didn't bother to ask Caitlyn about it, deciding she didn't need to know anything more about the weirdo.

"Come on," Caitlyn said and Alyssa followed her up to the patio. It was big with two stories and an attic she could see through large bay windows. The wood was a heavy oak that she remembered her father using long ago to build her a treehouse. At least, Alyssa thought she remembered... her memory sometimes fell to pieces when she tried to think about her childhood too long. There was a treehouse, though. She had played with her father there every Friday night, though sometimes his face blurred when she thought of him too much.

She shook it off and climbed up the wooden steps. A porch swing was pushed up against the wall with mismatched cushions on it. On the table in front of it were odd tea cups and mugs in various colours.

"Sorry about the mess," Natalie said with a wince. "No one cleans up when they're supposed to."

Alyssa waved her off with a small smile. "You should see what my room looks like. This is nothing."

They walked in and Logan threw an arm around her shoulders. "Well, Miss Alyssa. Welcome to our humble hideout. Allow me to give you the grand tour."

The space in front of her was large. A small kitchen island was on the left side with a door that led out to the back where Alyssa could make out a fire pit, some garden swing sets and chairs. There was even a huge umbrella that swayed a little to the left too much. The rest of the living room had sofas around the fireplace on the right with random blankets and cushions strewn about.

Logan led her upstairs where a large TV was mounted on the wall and a few mattresses covered the floor with even more pillows and various wool blankets.

He pointed to a ladder in the corner and said, "That leads up to the attic but we rarely go up there. It's sort of Caleb's studio, and only Cait and Asher are really allowed up there."

"Studio?"

Logan nodded as they returned downstairs. "Yeah, he makes like these huge architectural models and plans and whatnot. Asher's bookshelves are there too and he's only allowed up there because he doesn't make a lot of noise like the rest of us. And Caitlyn does her paintings there."

Alyssa's brows raised and she turned to Caitlyn who looked a little sheepish. "You paint?"

Caitlyn nodded and scratched the back of her neck. "Uh, yeah. I do. Just some landscapes and stuff."

"The Stone Twins are artistically gifted," Abigail said as she threw both arms around Caitlyn from behind. "You should ask her to show you her stuff sometime."

Caitlyn shoved her off with a playful glare and shook her head. "They're not that good, please don't make your expectations too high."

Alyssa shrugged and sat down on the only free couch left after everyone else took their usual seats. They eyed her a little mischievously but she ignored the look. "I'm sure they're beautiful, Caitlyn."