Secrets In The Bones: The Curse of Blood Bay

Twenty

Scratching him off the list felt smart. After watching Amos effortlessly dispatch that guy's head, my grand plans seemed too ambitious. Unsure if I could take him on, running away wasn't appealing.

Back at the cliffs that night, I spooked the vamps, and Amos had a front-row seat to my big reveal. I wondered why, amid this messed-up show-and-tell, Amos didn't spill the beans about knowing another werewolf—yours truly. He hadn't revealed if he knew I was watching or if my scent was his GPS.

Maybe Amos kept his cards close, saving them even more to ruffle David's feathers. Or, if David had werewolf-hunting experience, would I be next on his to-do list? Amos could set David loose on me and free up Ellena. Tonight, my mind spun with countless scenarios, none leaning towards a happy ending for me or the other caged-up werewolf.

Now, who had its claws deep into the decapitated body? The wolf seemed ready to sink its teeth into the flesh, but hesitated. Fangs dripping saliva, eyes locked with mine. It was a he underneath. My presence triggered something, awakening a hint of humanity. Or maybe it's just a wolf's version of it.

Instead of going for the bite, she started clawing at the floor, shaking her head to loosen the collar. Classic me, stumbling into a forest, trailing a vampire and low-life criminal, only to discover a chained-up werewolf. Now, here I was, inhaling mud and bark, wondering what the heck was going to happen next.

David looked confused. Amos was scuffing through the mud, and the wolf wasn't devouring the body as quickly as David expected. Tension built, and I lay there, contemplating whether to scare them off or give the wolf a breather. Rome wasn't built in a day, and if I couldn't break them free tonight, at least I knew where they were. David seemed stuck, hidden away. Another task for my growing to-do list.

A minute ticked by, and the wolf gave in to its instincts. The first bite was brutal, blood spraying across its menacing muzzle. Every tear, every crunch, made me cringe. Repulsed, yet strangely drawn to it—maybe the metallic scent of blood, the ripping flesh, or surrendering to the wolf within. I couldn't figure it out, but something was changing.

David's pet stirred something in me, a nudge to fully embrace the wolf within. It had nearly happened at the warehouse on the blood moon, but Ellena had intervened. It felt like the need was resurfacing, triggered by this trapped werewolf. They weren't an alpha, so was this even possible? Were eyes different once fully formed?

Some fog rolled in, giving me cover. I tried my best to keep off Amos's radar until he suddenly stopped, cigarette poised, and sniffed the air. Those flared nostrils could have caught a scent from a mile away. I buried my head in the dirt, pretending to be dead. Amos kept sniffing, and the other werewolf noticed, breaking its primal trance. Temporarily, at least. Its eyes blazed brighter, thrashing against the chains, metal thumping on stone. David stepped back, and the fog clung to him.

Amos moved in my direction, still sniffing. Thank goodness for deodorant, I thought, nervously checking for sweat patches as I played the dead man. Then, I heard a voice. Faint, at first, like one of David McNally's minions. But the pain—her pain—reached me. The wolf communicated with me, sharing a thought.

'Run,' he urges.

To make things wilder, Amos wore a look that meant business. He zeroed in on my direction, and the wolf growled, chains rattling. The idea of speaking back to the wolf in my mind was crazy, even for me.

'I can't leave you like that.'

'He will collect you.'

'Why can't you change?'

'I ... I've forgotten how. No moon and the changes are coated in a powerful strand of wolfsbane. Every struggle pierces my flesh and poisons me.'

'I want to help you.'