Wolf Blood (Book 1)

Chapter 6- Donovan

(^^Andy)
I waited on the carpark until the bell went for Arlee's ute but it never came. When I walked into class she wasn't there either.

I asked Lea where she was but she said she had no idea, and that she might just be sick. I was worried because Arlee never misses a day a school especially if she has Media Arts.

Halfway through second period, there was a knock on the classroom door. The teacher, Mr Latham, answered it and I saw Andy leaning against the frame.

He handed Sir a late note and whispered something to him. Andy then looked around the classroom at Lea and I.

He turned behind him and his mouth moved. Carefully, Arlee walked into the class with a black cap pushed over her hair, that was wrapped around the sides of her face.

She was angling her head away from the class as she made her way to the back of the class. Lea watched her friend pass the empty seat beside her and frowned. Arlee always sat next to her, something was wrong.

Mr Latham continued the class and everyone brought their attention from Arlee. Everyone but me.

A bit of Arlees hair had pushed aside as she was walking and I saw that the side of her face was darker than the other. Before I could get a better look, she buried her head in her arms.

Mr Latham tried to get Arlee to join in on the class by asking her questions but she never replied. I had never seen Arlee like this before, so quiet and distant.

When the class finished, all the students filed out. I knew that I should just leave Arlee alone like Lea had and that she might want to be alone but my curiosity won the best of me.

I dawdled while I was packing up to catch up with Arlee on her way out. She shoved her booked in her bag and followed the other students out to lunch, keeping her head down as she had the whole lesson.

Instead of going to where we usually sit, Arlee walked the other way.

"Arlee. Wait up." I said running to catch up with her fast pace. "Arlee." I reached out, my fingers brushing her wrist just as she jerked away, her auburn hair swaying away from her face, giving me a full view.

Her left cheek was purple and blue, she had dry blood in her nostril, where she wouldn't have been able to clean off. I covered my mouth as my jaw dropped.

"Arlee, your face..." She pushed her eyes shut, pushing her hair back around her face.

"You think I didn't notice that I have black face." She snapped and looked up at me, the full force of her gaze pushing down on my shoulders. "Follow me." She turned away and continued her fast walk down the hall.

I did as she said without hesitation until we arrived at the corner of school, close to the edge of the woods. Arlee stopped and faced me again, eyes shining.

"Was it Cole?" I asked before I could stop myself. Her filled with shock as she shook her head and I released a sigh. Before I could ask who hit her in the face she started talking.

"You need to stay out of the forest, please promise me you will stay away from the woods." She rushed, eyeing the trees, as if looking for something.

How did she know I went into the woods? Did Mali tell her? Before I could ask she took my hand in her own and I sucked in a shaky breath at the contact.

"Please just promise me." Arlee begged as she snapped her head to the forest, sniffing the air. Weird. I thought.

"Why?" I questioned as she held her finger up to my lips, to quieten me. I looked into the woods and saw what seemed to be a hunched figure. The longer I stared I noticed it was a shaggy grey wolf.

It had dry blood caked on its jaw and paws. I felt my stomach roll as I thought of what or who's blood it was.

I had never seem this wolf before, and it was staring at Arlee. As if she was its next meal.

Next it eyed me with hunger as it licked at the blood on its muzzle. The pack in Gustavas weren't dangerous at all, they were reasonably docile for wild animals, but this wolf wasn't from around here.

Arlee bared her teeth and pushed me behind her. I have never seen a person in my entire life do something that seemed so animal as to bare their teeth.

The wolf snarled and took a step closer. "You don't scare me." Arlee growled also taking a step forward, clenching her fists.

The grey wolf glared her down for what seemed like ages, before it tipped its head back and let out I howl. Arlee's whole body went tense as if she was filled with restraint.

A few wolves joined in but stopped quickly. The grey wolf's croaky howl stopped and it huffed, threw another glance at me and trotted away. Back into the safety of the woods.

Arlee waited a long time before she finally faced me.

"That is why," She stated, worry replacing the anger in her eyes. "You need to stay out of the forest."

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