Hunted
8

I've never ditched a class before, let alone the entire school day. My conscience has convinced me three times already to stop, turn around, and go back to school. Each time, I reminded myself why I was leaving and ended up continuing home.

I pulled into my driveway, thankful both my parents were at work, and hopped out of my car. I raced up to the front door, fumbling with the key for longer than I'd wanted, and burst inside.

I slammed the door closed and made my way to my room as fast as I could. I rounded the corner to the hallway and smacked right into someone.

"Lexi?"

Calvin?

I didn't stop to talk to him, or even to wonder what he was doing home. I shrugged out of his grip and dashed to my room, ignoring his confused calls.

I shut my bedroom door behind me and dropped my backpack at my bed. "This cannot be real!" I whispered to myself as I sat down at my desk. I opened my computer and typed in the keyword. Werewolf.

My heart was pounding as I scrolled through the links. I clicked on a couple, but they didn't give me the information I wanted. Most of them were telling the ancient myths and the full moon shifting. If I was right, and the wolves I encountered were shifters, the full moon theory wouldn't make any sense.

I was out in those woods in the middle of the afternoon. And based on the calendar, that night wasn't the full moon.

I clicked back out and scrolled through more options. But every single one was the same thing. Myths, myths, and more myths. There were some little parts, though, that I recognized with the wolves that attacked and protected me. Like I could tell they were part of a pack. I could tell the red-eyed attackers weren't as organized as the protectors, but they were still a pack.

I leaned back in my chair, staring mindlessly at the computer screen as I thought back to the experience.

The auburn-red wolf that saved me gave me the same look Austin always gives me. Could that have actually been Austin? My mind was spinning, I didn't know what to think of that.

Oddly enough, it made me feel better about Austin. Yes, he was a jerk. Yes, I hated his guts right then. But the way he protected me that day — if it really was him — showed me a whole new side of him.

I sighed and shut my computer. I needed to go back out there, to where the battle went down.

I jumped up and ran to my closet, slipping on my cowboy boots. I quickly threw my hair up into a ponytail and swung my door open. The house was silent; I didn't know where Calvin went.

I shrugged and made my way out to the barn. I strode past it, though, going to the fence that surrounded our pasture. I could see both horses grazing.

"Aysha!" I called, slapping the fence a little. "C'mere girl!" The appaloosa swished her tail and trotted her way over to the fence. I smiled and stroked her nose. She blew out of her nostrils, a horse sign of greeting. I giggled, "Hello to you too."

I climbed up onto the middle rung of the fence and my horse stepped to the side, knowing what I was doing. I swung my legs over the top rung and then lifted my right leg onto Aysha's back. I grabbed a fistful of her mane and pulled myself all the way on.

I was going bareback, she trusted me more this way. Plus, she was less likely to act up without a saddle bothering her.

Using pressure from my feet, I steered her towards the middle of the pasture, where Raven was watching us with curious eyes.

"Wanna jump?" I asked. She nickered back in response and I smiled, pointing her towards the woods. I gave her a sharp kick to the ribs and she took off towards the fence. I crouched low against her, holding on as tight as I could.

She leaped big, and we soared over the barricade, having done this countless times. She barely paused as we landed, and I sat up to steer her in the direction I'd walked last week.

I knew she smelled the old traces of the wolves when she stiffened up as we reached the area I vividly remember the fight.

I slowed her down and steered her in circles through the area as I thought things through. I remembered there being white wolves, their fur sticking out against the earthly colors of the rest of their pack. One of them crouched on top of me, protecting me by covering my entire body with theirs. That wolf also felt familiar, but not in the way Austin's did.

I remembered the feeling I got when I met eyes with the auburn wolf. And the sparks I got when I touch Austin's skin. That's gotta mean something, right?

"Let's go farther." I tell Aysha, gently steering her deeper into the woods. She whinnies and we head off in the direction I saw the good wolves leave.

I urged Aysha into a trot and after about fifteen minutes, I noticed more sunlight was filtering through the trees. They were thinning out.

A few minutes later, and we reached the edge of the forest. But that's not the only thing I noticed.

In front of me, across a few acres of land and what looked like garden, stood a magnificent castle. I felt like I was in a fairytale.

I shook my head to clear it as I tried to think logically. "Who has a freaking castle these days?" We're not in Europe! I add in my head.

"You shouldn't be here."