The Crying Wolf Chronicles: Forbidden (Book 1)

First Clue

First Clue

JT and I were driving through Joliet, looking for any signs of Lily. The night was getting lighter. Dawn was coming.

"JT, look." I said pointing through the windshield at the sky.

He cursed silently to himself, nearly having a mental breakdown. "Steph, we need to find her quick before the sun rises."

I looked at the clock on the radio. It said four sixteen.

"It doesn't hit dawn until about fix or six. We don't have a lot of time."

He sighed and looked out the window at the passing trees. His back stiffened.

"Steph, stop." he whispered.

"What is it? What did you see?" I slowed the car to a stop.

"I don't know, but it might be connected to Lily." he got out. I turned the car off and followed. He was leaning over someone. I got closer to get a better look. It was female. She was sitting against a wall, scared and confused. Her blood was trailing through the air. Her dark hair was covering her face and her nails were filled with dirt. JT reached out a hand to touch her. She scowled closer to the wall.

"It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. It's okay." JT said quickly.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" I said softly.

The girl looked up at us through her hair and wept. Her breathing was quivering, uneven. I could hear her heart. It was slowing.

"JT, hurry." I said.

He put his head down and listened too.

"No." he whispered. "Please, we can help you. Tell us who did this to you."

The girl took a deep breath and swallowed. "A girl."

"What girl? What did she look like?"

Her heart was growing weaker by the second. She was losing a lot of blood. My body shook with hunger.

"JT." I said.

"She was pale. Her eyes. They were black. Black as death." she whimpered.

"Save her." I said.

He moved her hair away from her face. Her eyes were dilated, turning blank. Her face was flushed.

"She's not dying. She's turning. She was only bitten."

"Pick her up. We're taking her home. She might know where we could find Lily."

He picked up the girl in his big arms and carried her to the car. He laid her on the backseat and covered her with his jacket. Dawn was coming closer. We had to get out of there.

Colleen and her parents were gone, leaving the sofa available. He laid the girl down while I picked out some fresh clothes. He ran to get water and a towel to wash the blood from her. The blood colored the towel bright red. He choked down the smell and continued wiping.

"That's it. You're trying." I said.

He chuckled. "Yeah, well it's harder than you think."

"I know it is. Trust me."

His eyes widened as he stared at her wound. "The bites are gone."

We stared at each other.

I reached over to open her closed eyes. They were indigo. I sat back with my hand on my mouth.

"What is it?"

"Her eyes are like yours. Indigo."

"She's alive." he said.