We Are Monsters 🌕 Book 1 || gxg

The Return Trip

Sam's chilly feet swung a little with each of Ada's cautious steps. She thought Ada would have put her down by now, but she pushed on, her breaths deep and measured. The end of her ponytail was draped over Sam's left shoulder. It tickled, but she was afraid to let go to scratch it.

"Do you want to take a break?" Sam asked softly.

"I'm all right. How are you holding up?" Ada didn't take her eyes off the treacherous ground.

The trail had disappeared ages ago, and Ada had to contend with plants obscuring fallen branches, stones, roots, and so many other hazards. She felt guilty for making her do this, but as she didn't even have the strength to loop her ankles around Ada's waist, she knew walking was impossible. Ada never complained.

"I'm fine." Her chin came to rest over Ada's shoulder, and she tipped her head against Ada's for a moment. "So, do you regret coming to visit yet?"

"Are you kidding? All I want from any trip is to hike in the dark." She gave her a wide grin. "Of course not, this has been better than any vacation. How many people can say they've seen a wolf turn into a person?"

Sam blushed—she hadn't considered that she had seen the full shift, witnessed the horrifying mutation. That was somehow more embarrassing than being totally naked in the dirt. "You're not freaked out?"

She shook her head. "I might have been if you had tried to eat me, but I knew it was you."

"I could have hurt you," she pointed out, because it needed to be said.

"No, I don't think you could. You may have the means, but not the motive."

She said it so matter-of-factly; Sam hummed softly, unsure how to respond. Ada probably had a point. Hopefully she would never have to find out. If she did anything to hurt her, Sam didn't know how she would live with herself.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked when Sam didn't respond for a while.

She considered this and gathered her main train of thought. "Noah. I thought he was dead when I left him there. How the hell is he still alive?"

Ada waited a few breaths to respond. "What happened out here? Did you kill—well, almost kill him?"

"I'll answer your question with another: if your friend jumped off a bridge and you followed, is your friend guilty?"

"Please tell me this is a metaphor." By her tone, she seemed to know already it wasn't.

"I wish. It was a cliff, by the way, not a bridge." Her bones ached at the thought.

"You jumped off a cliff?"

"Not on purpose. I was running like hell and then ... trees under my feet."

Ada glanced back at her and asked incredulously, "How are you not dead?"

"Honestly? Sheer luck."

"I'm not hurting you at all, am I?" Ada seemed very aware of herself all of a sudden.

"Are you kidding? I should be asking you that. We can take a break whenever you need one, I'll be okay."

Silence extended, her breathing quickened. "Do you know what time it is?"

Sam glanced at her wrist reflexively but found nothing more than a welt. "Unfortunately, no. And I don't smell any of our trails, so we're not close yet. Do you want me to try to get your phone?"

It was wedged in her front pocket just high enough the flashlight shone over the fabric. Sam had dropped it a few times. She just couldn't keep her eyes open.