7 Chapter Seven

It had been four days since the pack had left for their expedition in Canada. I had taken to calling it that, because it sounded less scary than a 'hunt for a crazed man eating werewolf'.

Dad had checked in a couple of times a day, as promised. They hadn't found anything yet. Mostly, the phone calls were to try to convince me to go and stay with the Barton's. I continued to refuse. He had clearly been calling Sierra a lot too, because she kept calling and texting, also inviting me to stay with them. I had agreed, finally, to at least go for dinner with them tonight, in the hope that it would appease them both enough to leave me in peace.

I had also been keeping up with the news on the killings. The authorities were still following the animal attack route, and I only hoped that the pack could get the situation under control before the police started looking for another line of enquiry. Animal attacks were a tragic event, but if they started to consider a human murderer? That could only lead to trouble for the supernatural world.

A knock at the door drew me from my thoughts, and I jumped up from my spot on the sofa, heading to the front door. I looked through the peep hole before unlocking it, and smiled at the sight of who was on the other side.

"I owe you an apology." Carter said when I opened the door.

I gave him a look of confusion, before stepping back to allow him to come inside. "What for?"

He pulled his signature beanie off, shaking his brown curls out where they had stuck to his head. "For being a jerk at school."

"When were you a jerk?" I asked.

"On Monday, when I saw you with Henry..." He trailed off and sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I got jealous. I know you like him, you told me yourself but... I guess I was hoping I could change your mind. And that's not fair to you, considering we have only been hanging out again for a couple of days... and we haven't spoken much at school this week, so I figured you must be mad at me." He looked straight at me then, a shy smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "And I am sorry."

I stood silent for a couple of seconds. Carter was jealous of me hanging out with Henry? Why would he.... Oh. He had told me he had a crush on me in middle school, was this him telling me still had a crush on me?

I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

"And now I have made it awkward..." He said, making to pull his beanie back on. "So I am gonna go." He reached for the door handle, and I instinctively reached out, placing my hand on top of his to stop him. He looked at me, and the look in his eyes... it was different to anything I had ever felt with Henry, but I did not know what it was. My stomach flipped.

"Stay, please." I said, quietly. I cleared my throat then, drawing my hand back and taking a step away from him. "My Dad is out of town right now and I could use the company."

I swear, his entire face lit up with the grin that spread across it. I flushed again, but hid it by turning around and leading the way back to the den. "Besides, I think we need a rematch on Mario Kart."

*

The hours passed by quickly, as they always seemed to do with Carter. Before long, it was almost five. I turned the TV off and turned to Carter, who was sat on the other end of the sofa, and I giggled when I noticed that he was snoring softly.

I felt bad waking him, but Sierra was expecting me. "Carter?" I said gently. When he didn't respond, I shook his arm and called his name again, louder this time. His brown eyes fluttered open, and he glanced around the room in confusion for a moment, before he seemed to remember where he was. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes as he did so.

"Shit, what time is it?" He asked, glancing around, looking for a clock.

"Almost five." I responded. "But the Barton's invited me over for dinner, and they are expecting me soon."

He nodded, standing up from his spot on the sofa, and grabbing his coat and beanie from the floor as he did so. "No worries."

He headed towards the front door, pulling it open and stepping out, and I followed him out to the porch. It was dark now, and snow had started to fall again, leaving a light dusting on the ground. I shivered, suddenly realising that I was only wearing a pair of sweats and a thin t-shirt. Werewolves generally could withstand the colder weather much better than humans, but it didn't mean we didn't feel it. Especially when we had spent all day warm and toasty in a comfortable, centrally heated house.

Carter noticed me shiver. "Get yourself back inside, it's freezing out here."

I smiled. "Thank you for hanging out with me, Carter. I really enjoyed it."

He grinned again at that; one of those full grins, that lit up his entire face. "Me too, thanks for having me." Then he stepped forward, arms held out. I jumped back and he gave a puzzled look. "Oh... sorry. I was just going to give you a hug." He mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. Redness spread across his cheeks, which could have been from embarrassment or the cold, but I assumed it was the former and immediately felt guilty.

"Sorry." I laughed, "I guess I am just a bit jumpy without my Dad around." Then I stepped forward towards him, and wrapped my arms around his waist in a hug, my chin on his shoulder.

My eyes caught on something then, across the road. It looked out of place, and I studied it for a few seconds, before I gasped. It was a person, watching us. I couldn't make out any features; they were set back, behind the streetlamp, the light casting a shadow that concealed their face. But their body was angled to directly face my house.

I jumped away from Carter, stepping around him to get a better look. He turned with me, following my gaze to look for himself. "Maddie, what's wrong?" He asked.

There was nobody there.

"I thought I saw someone watching..." I started, then shook my head. It was clearly just a trick of the light. "Never mind. I just imagined it."

Carter looked back again at where I had been staring, and then turned a concerned look on me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah... like I said, I think I am just on edge with my Dad being out of town." I forced a fake smile on my face for his benefit, and then added, "Thanks again for hanging out."

I waited until he was in his car, then I hurried back into the house, locking the door behind me.

*

"Thanks for dinner Sierra, it was gorgeous." I said, standing up from the dinner table. Henry was sitting next to me, and I took his plate, piling it on top of my own, before reaching over for Sierra's.

"You're very welcome." She smiled as she handed her plate across the table to me. "Henry, would you help Madison with the dishes, while I see to Cady?"

He nodded, and Sierra left the room. Henry took the pile of plates from my hand and headed into the kitchen, and I gathered up the remaining dishes from the table and followed him. He already had the dishwasher open and was loading it up when I got there.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, handing over the glasses in my hand.

He shrugged, but said nothing else for a few seconds. I began to assume that the conversation was over, but then he stood and leaned against the worktop, arms crossed. "I just feel so useless." He sighed.

"If you had gone with them, Henry, your Dad would have been more concerned with keeping you safe than anything else. If they actually come up against this person, or group, or whoever it is... and you were there? He wouldn't have cared about himself." He didn't respond, so I didn't push the matter. He knew I was right; he would have argued with me if he disagreed. But the truth was, his Dad would never in a million years have let Henry go while he stayed at home, and if they were both there? Dan would always protect Henry first. He was his father. If that meant putting himself in the line of fire? Then so be it.

It was safer for them both exactly the way that it was... it just didn't make Henry feel any less guilty.

"Anyway, what is going on with you and Sophia?" I asked, changing the subject. Honestly, I didn't want to know, but I needed to take his mind off the Canada expedition. "Did you manage to win her back with your charm and wit on Friday night?"

He chuckled at that, and returned to loading the dishwasher. "Nah. Sophia and I were never really right for each other. It was just the normal thing, you know? Star of the basketball team dating the captain of the cheerleading squad. It made me feel normal. But we aren't normal, are we Mads? We will never be normal... so why pretend." He shrugged then, "I will miss the sex though."

"Oh my god, too much information!" I exclaimed, grabbing the nearest tea towel and swatting him with it. It's not like I was a prude. I was a werewolf... but Henry with Sophia was not an image I relished.

He laughed then, the tension in the room easing. "Sorry. So what's going on with you and Johnson?" He asked. I shot a look his way, but he was focused on the dishwasher, not meeting my gaze.

My fingers started mindlessly fiddling with the tea towel in my hand. "Nothing. We are just friends."

Henry scoffed then. "Maddie, you are so clueless. Johnson does not just want to be your friend. I've seen the way he looks at you. He absolutely wants to fu-"

I slapped my hand over Henry's mouth. "Do not finish that sentence." I growled, and he looked at me, mock innocence flooding his eyes. "Carter is not like that."

When I removed my hand, he laughed. "All guys are like that. I don't blame him."

What did he just say?

"Wh-what?"

"I said, I don't blame him." He repeated, as he closed the dishwasher and set it away, then stood up straight and faced me. "You're smart, funny, interesting... and you're pretty."

"You think I am pretty?" I asked, my voice quiet as I glanced up at him.

"Yeah. A couple of the guys on the team have said they are interested in you, but I warned them to leave you alone." He laughed, but stopped as soon as he saw my expression. "What?"

"Why would you do that?"

He shrugged. "Because you're like my sister. And the guys... they're assholes. You can do better." He paused then, before adding. "And I can see that I have pissed you off, and I know I have no right to meddle in your dating life... But you never even seemed interested in any guys, and you're a little reclusive, honestly, so I thought I was doing you a favour. Are you angry?"

"What? No... not at all. I'm fine." I lied.

"You don't seem fine."

I didn't have time to reply, because Sierra's voice came from the dining room, calling for us to come in. We glanced at each other in confusion, and then headed back in to the room. Sierra sat at the dining table, her cell phone in front of her.

"That was your father, Henry." She explained, gesturing towards the phone. "Hikers have found another body, just south of Quebec City. Whoever this killer is... they're getting closer."

*

Sierra had tried to get me to stay that night, but I refused again and quickly excused myself. I couldn't bare to be around Henry any longer than I had to. I had wondered for so long whether he reciprocated my feelings, and I guess now I had my answer. He thought of me as a sister, and nothing more.

That hurt.

I drove home in auto pilot, and was parked on the driveway before I even realised it. The snow had stopped falling now, but it was even colder than it had been earlier, and I could see my breath in the air even whilst I was still sat in the car. I checked my phone before climbing out, seeing I had a text from Henry.

Hey... you ran out quick. Sorry if I upset you. Do you want a ride to school on Monday?

Henry never offered me a ride, so the fact that he was doing it now just made me feel even more embarrassed. He was being nice to me just to soften the blow of the fact he just tried to politely tell me he wasn't interested. Then my phone buzzed again.

I can tell the guys you are available if that helps? Ha ha

I rolled my eyes, shoving my phone into my pocket without replying, before climbing out of the car. I pulled my keys from my pocket as I did so, but lost my grip and they slipped from my hand. I cursed as they hit the floor, and crouched down to retrieve them. Then I froze as I saw it, out of the corner of my eye. Across the road, in the same spot as earlier... the figure.

I grabbed my keys, and stood up slowly, turning to look at them head on. They just stood, watching me. They didn't try to hide or run away this time... they just stood still, hands in their pockets, in the same place under the street lamp, their gaze trained directly on me.

I quickly turned and thrust my key into the lock, but it wouldn't turn. It took me a few seconds to realise that, in my panic, I had used the wrong key. I cursed again, and fumbled with the keychain, my fingers trembling. Finally I found the right one, and managed to get the door open. I rushed through, slamming it behind me, and quickly locked it again. Then I fell back against it, catching my breath.

After a few moments, I turned to look through the peep hole.

The figure was gone.

Before I could think about it, my phone was out of my pocket and ringing.

"Hey. I really am sorry about-"

I cut him off. "Can you come over? Someone is outside."

"What do you mean? Who is outside?"

"I don't know... I saw them earlier and now they are back. They're watching the house. Please, can you just come over?"

"Maddie... it was probably just one of your neighbours. Just lock the doors and go to sleep. I'll come by in the morning." I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding. "Okay?"

"Yeah... okay. Sorry. I'll speak to you tomorrow."

And with that I hung up. I ran to the backdoor, checking that it was locked. Then I drew the curtains in the den, before finally sitting, poised, on one of the armchairs.

I don't know how long I sat there. It seemed like hours, but in reality it was probably about fifteen minutes. I just stared at the doorway, until a sound came at the window, like someone tapping on the glass. I clamped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming, and then bolted up from the chair, looking frantically around the room for something to use as a weapon.

There wasn't anything.

Silence fell again, and I crept from the den and into the hallway, and then across to my dads room. The door was ajar, and I pushed it open. My eyes immediately landed on his hunting rifle, which was propped up against his dresser. His curtains were open, and I cast a quick look that way. When I was sure nobody was there, I dashed across the room, grabbing the gun, before heading back into the hallway.

I stood still for a moment, trying to calm down my breathing enough to stop the pounding in my ears. I focused then, tuning in my wolf hearing.

Footsteps. I could hear footsteps on the porch. I gulped as I heard them stop at the front door, and then a jingling sound, like a set of keys. I positioned the rifle, aiming it at the doorway.

The lock released and I watched, holding my breath, as the handle depressed. I gripped the rifle tighter, my finger hovering over the trigger. I had never fired a gun in my life. I didn't even know if this one was loaded... but it was all I had.

The door swung open, and a familiar head of shaggy black hair walked into the hallway. He stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the sight of me stood with the barrel of a gun pointed at him.

Henry raised his arms up, and then shook a set of keys like a white flag. "Your dad gave my mom a set of keys." He announced. "You sounded really scared, so I-"

I didn't let him finish. Instead, I tossed the gun on the floor, and ran down the hall towards him, throwing myself into his arms before I realised what I was doing. He didn't react for a moment, but then I felt his arms go around me, strong and sturdy, holding me. All of the tension of our earlier exchange melted away, and all I felt was safe.

When I finally let go, he stepped back. His cheeks were flushed, and he ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. "Erm... I guess I'll sleep in your dads room tonight, okay?"