Wolfish Affection (UNDERGOING HUGE AMOUNTS OF EDITING)

Wolfish Affection - Chapter 21 - 22

Twenty-One – Frances

As I watched Ali scream and convulse on the deck, I couldn’t help but wonder if I looked like that when I changed. My phone buzzed in my pocket, reminding me that I needed to leave if I wanted to get home by curfew. But I couldn’t leave Ali here. I looked at Taylor and he read my expression instantly.

“I need to leave or my mom’s gonna kill me.” I whispered.

“Now?” Taylor hissed back.

“Now.” I confirmed. “But I don’t know the way back.”

There was a tearing sound as Ali’s clothes ripped. Only then did I realise what she was wearing: factory ripped jeans and a white vest. There weren’t any shredded shoes, so I guessed that she had arrived in barefoot. In the place of Ali stood a very hungry, very angry, blonde wolf.

We all tensed, expecting to change if we needed to. The Ali-wolf stalked towards us, her ears flat against her head. I looked at Taylor, whose face was chalk white. I tugged at the bottom of his shirt, the way that Sapphire did to me. He looked at me and nodded, twisting out of Nick’s grasp. He took my hand and we slowly backed away.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Nick growled.

“I have to get her back.” Taylor hissed, not taking his eyes off Ali.

“Go.” Jack said, also watching Ali. “I’ll deal with this.” He pulled off his jumper and T-shirt and began to unbutton his jeans.

Taylor reached into a pocket and pulled out a packet of mints. He threw them to Jack. “These might help; it’s human food.” He suggested.

Jack laughed and popped a mint into his mouth. He shuddered for a second and leapt forward, landing lightly next to Ali as a chocolate brown wolf. Together, Taylor and I kept backing towards the kitchen.

We slowly walked out of the kitchen, my breathing heavy. Our hands were gripping each other tightly, sending each other the same message: I’ll never let you go. Still holding onto each other, we left the house and headed for my car.

Twenty-Two – Taylor

I led Fran out to her car, unable to control my racing heart. Fran unlocked the car and handed me the keys. I took them and we both climbed in. Neither of us had broken the silence, and I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I started the engine.

I pulled out of the driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tyres. I heard Fran’s breath catch and she grabbed my hand.

“What’s wrong, is everything OK?” I asked, braking sharply.

Fran’s breath was ragged and I glanced at her quickly. Her face was chalk white and her hands were shaking so badly that I could feel my own tremble. “No.” She whispered. “But keep driving.”

I didn’t reply to that, but I did as she said. I managed to maneuverer the car through the lanes, driving as fast as I dared.

I pulled the car into Fran’s driveway at ten to twelve, ten minutes before her curfew. I shut off the engine and took her hands in mine. They were cold and I could feel them trembling in mine, so I held her hands so tightly that she winced.

“Are you going to tell me what the hell happened?” I demanded.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me.” She whispered, her voice breaking with emotion as a single tear traced its way along the contours of her cheek.

I would’ve hugged her, but the gearstick and the handbrake got in the way. We both climbed out and I pulled her close. I feel her tears wet my shirt, but I didn’t protest. The cool night air bit into my arms and face, but I shook off the cold.

“Let’s go inside.” She breathed in my ear, standing on her tiptoes to reach it.

She led me to the front door, which she unlocked and pushed open. She pulled me through the doorway and up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, she pushed open the door and tugged me through into the room. I looked around and realised that I’d been taken to a bathroom.

“Hot tap. Cold tap.” Fran said, pointing to each one in turn. “I’ll be back.” She turned on her heel and left the room.

I ran the sink full of warm water and pulled off my shirt. I splashed the water all over my chest and face, letting it trickle down the back of neck, tickling slightly. As I was washing my face for the second time, I heard Fran re-enter the room.

“Am I interrupting?” She joked, offering me a hand towel.

“No.” I answered. “Thanks.” I said, taking the towel and rubbing my face dry. I pulled the plug out of the sink and watched the water drain away. She also offered me some clothes. I could feel my eyebrows knit together, but I took the clothes anyway.

“They’re Jack’s. And they might fight you.” She suggested, turning away so I could change.

The T-Shirt was a good fit; it was the trousers that were the problem. They were too long: they drooped over my toes and trailed along the floor. Jack’s legs were at least an inch longer than mine, despite him being younger than me. I then realised I was wearing some old, ratty pyjamas.

“Fran.” I said in a serious tone.

She answered in a giggle. “I thought, seeing that it’s late and you haven’t got your own car, you could stay here. You’ve done it before.”

I felt my face stretch into a smile. We left the bathroom and headed upstairs to her loft.

The loft was illuminated only by the dim light of the moon. The one thing that was completely covered in the silver light was the acoustic guitar that was propped in the corner of the room, next to the desk. Frances walked over to it and picked it up. Twanging the strings, she sang softly:

“And when the summer ends

Colours fade and shimmer away

Promise me our love will never wither and die

The worst way to say goodbye.”

“Did you write that?” I asked, grinning.

Fran nodded and set the guitar down. “Jack’s loads better than I am. But something weird’s happening.”

“Go on.” I encouraged.

“First, Ali and I hear you and Jack fighting when Nick didn’t hear anything. When we were in the car, there was a slight dip in the road – I felt the car drive in and out of it. Just now, I could hear that the B string was ever so slightly out of tune. I can suddenly see everything in sharper detail. It’s as if… my senses have been somehow heightened.” She explained slowly.

“Heightened?” I said sarcastically, suppressing a snigger.

Fran shot me a look that was so serious, I knew I shouldn’t have questioned her.

“I’m sorry. If you think that’s what’s happening to you, then you’re probably right.” I murmured, looking up to see her reaction. She looked oddly pleased with herself.

I turned around and laid down face-first on her bed, my face buried in her pillow so she could change in private. I breathed in her sweet scent of pine trees, sea minerals and thyme. I felt the mattress sink as Frances laid down next to me. Her arms coiled around my stomach and my shoulders and her breath warm my neck. I rolled over to face her, pulling her close. I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent, again. I just couldn’t get enough of it. She wriggled out of my arms and started fiddling with the duvet. She pulled it over our heads and snuggled into my arms.

“Promise me you’ll be here when I wake up.” She whispered.

“I promise.”