Gaze (✔)

Chapter Five: Apostasy

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Chapter Five: Apostasy

It was difficult to get up the next morning. After only two nights, she had become comfortable in her bed, and wasn’t keen to leave its warmth.

However, the world had other plans. She could hear muffled grunts coming from outside her window and the occasional thump, almost like someone was fighting…

Hope surged through her – was Garrett coming back for her? It certainly seemed unlike him to leave her to die. She shook the thought away quickly.

With her mind now awake, she rolled lazily out of the bed, reaching for the shopping bags that she had yet to unpack. Filling the room with her clothes was something she wasn’t looking forward to. It seemed like too much of a commitment, like she was giving up and staying here.

Once she was dressed in some loose-fitting jeans and a white T-shirt, she hastily brushed her unruly blonde hair into a ponytail and walked over to the window to identify the source of the noises. To her surprise, she quickly spotted Wyatt and Dylan fighting. They were still human, but throwing punches in a whirlwind of movement. Neither of them seemed to catch a blow, however.

Curious, she watched for a moment longer. Dylan took a step back, holding his hands up in mock surrender with a grin. He said something that Clara didn’t catch, and Wyatt laughed along with him. They’re practising, she realised.

She pulled away from the window and grabbed a hoodie from one of the bags before heading downstairs through the silent house, not caring about the noise she made. It didn’t matter, anyway: the house was empty. Their hearing was probably good enough that they could “watch” her just fine from outside.

A growl from her stomach pointed her towards the kitchen, where she began her hunt for cereal. She was sick of the small sandwiches she’d been quietly devouring, and was craving some Fruit Loops.

As always, the kitchen was mysteriously clean and organised. To her delight, she found what she was looking for quickly, neatly slotted in beside the other breakfast cereals. She helped herself.

After a quick and probably bad mental decision, she headed towards the back door with her bowl, where she could see Wyatt and Dylan fighting outside. She pulled open the sliding glass door, immediately chilled by the frosty air. Winter was fast approaching, and she knew it would be a brutal one in Maine. She pulled her grey hoodie tighter around her shoulders, settling to sit on the steps of the wooden porch, facing the fighting young men.

Noticing her presence, Wyatt turned to glance at her – earning him a hard blow to the stomach. He staggered back a step, glaring at Dylan, who was laughing uncontrollably.

“That wasn’t fair.” Wyatt wheezed, recovering quickly.

“Of course it was.” Dylan disagreed, giving Clara a thumbs up. “Thanks!”

She couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at her lips. She stood up, leaving her bowl on the step. “Can I have try?” she asked. They both looked a little shocked, but Wyatt was quick to agree.

“Have a swing at Dylan.” He suggested, giving his friend a sour look. “He deserves it.” With a laugh, said werewolf nodded and stepped back, allowing Clara to approach.

“Give it your best shot.” He challenged playfully. Her whole body was itching with the urge to fight him, but she held it back. Dylan was a good person, not someone for her to hunt. Just practising, she told herself.