Once Upon a Wolf

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Alice was quiet during breakfast. She wasn't the same after she came out of the woods with Brett. She insisted everything was fine and shrugged off any questions I asked her. Eventually, I gave up probing. Much of my day was spent alone. I couldn't do much with Alice and the others, but rest in my bedroom or take a short stroll near the main house to get some sun on my face. I could tell Brett was still frustrated with my presence always lingering behind, but I was pissed off too, and at him!

It was best to give Alice and Brett their space. Half of me didn't want to, after the change in my friend. Alice was restless and fidgety. Her tone turned more serious, and it killed me that I wanted to know why. She looked more anxious... but for what?

More bells buzzed in me.

"This blows," I muttered under my breath as I placed the bookmark on chapter 15 from the paranormal romance book I read the entire afternoon.

I watched Lincoln, Brett's Father, roam the grounds talking to a few locals. They seemed to respect him. All of them 'yes' men. It appeared they treated him like a king.

The sunset was beautiful over the horizon above the treetops, casting a golden blushing glow over the forest and grounds. I sat in a chair on the deck with my leg elevated on a side table, watching the striking shaded sky. My eyes turned to the broken-down Ford on the side of the house. Nobody had fixed it yet and our lease was up in eight days. I pulled my cardigan tighter around my waist from a cool breeze wafting by. Music softly caressed my ears as I adjusted the earpiece into my right ear. The songs from Lana Del Rey set me in a tranquil mood.

I exhaled out a restful breath.

A poke on my shoulder made me jerk forward lightly. I turned around, wincing at the ache in my leg from my sudden twist of my body.

"Hey, you." Zack laughed. "I haven't seen you all day."

I rolled my eyes and pulled off my earphones. These guys were way too rough. "I'm resting my ankle."

"You're still injured from your sprain?" he raised a dark brow.

"Yeah, duh." I frowned.

Zack shook his head and studied my brace on my ankle. "So, weird. I don't think I'll ever get it."

No, I don't think I'll ever get you; I grumbled internally.

The door swung behind Zack and Brett exited the main house. His face was stoic, as usual. I narrowed my eyes at him. The dude rubbed me the wrong way. "Where's Alice?" I asked curiously, since she was always stuck to his side.

Brett mumbled, as if it was a heavy load to answer me. "Taking a nap in my room," he said and looked at me. "The top floor that you're not allowed to go to," he warned.

"I'm not going to go up there and check on her, if that's what you mean." I said, even though I wanted to.

I continued to glare at Brett. "Why isn't our car fixed yet?"

Brett continued to look over the grounds, and the people on it, determined to ignore me. He breathed out, flaring his nostrils. Zack snickered as he leaned against the railing, enjoying the amusement. Clearly, I was the butt of the joke around here. And I had enough.

"What about if Alice and I want to leave?!" I blurted.

Brett glowered at me with his left eye twitching while his mouth pulled into a grimace. "Did she say something to you?"

"Oh, now you want me to answer your questions?" I sassed back.

Brett grunted as he approached closer in a stalk like manner. I gulped. "If you want your ankle to stay only sprained... You'll talk." He said in an almost growl.