Chapter 3

"What's wrong? I'm not yours!" I pushed him, heading for the door. "Now please go, my parents are not long in coming."

"Kayler and Carolina? They are very busy dating on some hill near here. Don't worry about them"

"What are you talking about?"I opened the door for him. And then he seems to understand something.

"What?" I want to know.

"Forget this. I'm hungry so I think I'll go get something to eat" He approaches the door, but before he stops in front of me "you smell so good, "he says," it's a nice smell. See you tomorrow, Cristine."

And he leaves my house.

I see him walk away without understanding anything of what just happened. Why is Liam acting so weird? He couldn't understand it. I see him go into the forest and that seemed much more strange to me, but I did not care, however, when I was about to close the door I heard a howl that reached my heart.

Wolves?

As far as I know there were no wolves in Lewiston. If so, I'm in trouble. I closed the door and locked it. I worried about Liam, I mean, there were wolves out there in the woods and he left alone. Has something happened to him? What if that wolf finds him? Anyway, he's not my problem, he's not my friend, and I don't know him. But it is a human life and a human life is worth it.

Oh my God! I do not know what to do. I am debating whether to go find him or let the wolves eat him. I took my cell phone and went out. I don't know what I'm doing but I'm crazy. When I entered the forest I turned on the flashlight on my cell phone. I had been with my parents touring this forest many times so I knew it by heart.

"Liam? Are you around here?" I whispered. I heard an owl ring. There was a full moon so I could see well in the forest. Clarity helped me. This is a bad idea. Surely Liam is already at home and I am stupid here. I sighed, stopping. "I don't understand why I did this," I told myself. I was about to turn around to return to the comfort of my home but grunting made me stop in my tracks and look around. "Hello?" They were strange growls. Like an animal or like a... wolf.

God! He sure found Liam and he's eating him. What I do? I followed the growls behind a tree. Alum. What I saw: a huge black wolf with a bloody snout eating a poor deer.

I screamed.

Which was a mistake because the wolf looked at me and growled at me. I kept yelling but then reacted and ran. Shit, shit, shit! My heart was pounding a thousand an hour, my breathing was heavy and my body was shaking. It's a wolf! A huge wolf! I heard a howl. That made me lose control and fall. I looked for my cell phone that had fallen somewhere but could not find it. But I stopped short when I saw something in front of me, close. I felt drops of blood fall on my hand which meant that the wolf's mouth was right above me. I remained static, without moving, with a terrible fear. The wolf growled.

I raised my head slowly, getting to my knees as best I could. It was my end, it was obvious that this would be my last night. A tear trickled down my cheek. I was half sobbing but I was afraid that at the slightest movement or sound the wolf would attack me. I closed my eyes for a second. The wolf was awesome, it was so terrifying. I looked into his eyes, so dark, black as night. And I don't know why they seemed familiar to me.

What crazy things I think. The wolf came closer to me, sniffing me. I couldn't even move. I closed my eyes expecting the worst. However I heard voices nearby. Lots of voices, like kids joking and yelling. Maybe they were building a bonfire in the woods. Then hopes came back to me.

I opened my eyes and noticed that the wolf moved away, gave me one last growl and then ran away from me, getting lost in the forest. I let out the air that I had content and I stood up, I couldn't stay to find out if he was coming back or not. I found my cell phone on the ground, took it and ran without looking back.

•

I closed the doors, windows and I hid in my room. What had happened to me had left me in a state of shock. It was midnight and my parents still hadn't come. I needed them. The wolf's dark gaze was kept in my mind, but also Liam's dark gaze. They were both terrifying. I needed someone.

At that point I received a message on my cell phone.

Unknown:

I was passing by, do you want me to come up?

I frowned.

Cristine:

Who are you?

I sent the message while sniffing.

Unknown:

Come on, Cristine, you were finding out my name, I wouldn't be surprised if you also found out my number 😏

And then it hit me.

Cristine:

Liam.

Unknown:

Exact. Do you want me to go up?

Not really, I didn't want him to come, why? For what? And why is he after me if he hardly knows me today? However, I thought about what happened to me: the wolf and how I was about to die and I felt afraid. I didn't want to be alone.

Cristine:

Only until my parents come.

At that I heard a noise at the window. The first thing I thought of was the wolf but I discarded that idea because I doubt that wolves can climb windows. I swallowed thickly and waited. It was Liam. He went into my room. He was dressed in black and his hair was very disheveled. It gave him a much sexier air that way.

"Uh, I hadn't climbed in years," he says playfully. He looks at me. "Crying? Don't tell me it's because of that idiot Kaleb"

I stepped forward to him and hugged him. Do not judge me. I needed emotional support right now and Liam had something to do with me.

"I knew you couldn't resist me," he says, patting my shoulder.

"Don't say stupid things," I whispered, "I just need a shoulder to cry on."

He huffed. "Do you believe me your tear cloth?" he jokes.

"Right now, yes."

"Well, tell me, what's wrong with you? Tell me"

I wasn't sure whether to tell him that a huge wolf was about to kill me. He will think me crazy.

"You will not believe me" I separated.

"What thing? —Now his face is more serious— did something happen to you when I left?" He seemed very interested. I thought so. Do I tell him or don't I tell him?

"It's just... I felt so lonely," I lied. He narrowed his eyes, scanning me.

"Sure? Or did you want to be alone with me?" He is dangerously close.

"You're crazy." I went to my bed and hugged a stuffed animal. Had it since I was a child. Ironically the stuffed animal was a black wolf. It was a gift from dad.

"Oh, Cristine, why don't you just accept that you're dying for me?" He sits on my bed.

"You're crazy, I would never notice you. Don't take it the wrong way, but you're not my type" I think I hurt his ego because in one quick movement he took my hands, made me lie down on the bed and he climbed on top of me. "Get off!" What's wrong?

"Accept it, Cristine, you like me even a little bit. We can both feel it" And kisses me, just like that. His kiss is so warm. His lips are so soft... so... even though this is my first kiss, I am reciprocating it as if my lips have known his for a long time. It was a strange and strange feeling. But I didn't dislike it. It's what puzzled me the most. He pulled away from me, now his lips dropped to my neck. Hot. I felt that.

"I want to eat you," he whispered close to my ear. A whisper that made me shiver. "Yeah, as you heard, I'd eat you all right now." He bites my earlobe.

"Liam," I whispered breathlessly. What we were doing?

"Cristina, we're here!"

I parted with him immediately. "Go away, my parents came back, go away."

"No, I'm having a great time."

"My father will come at any moment, you don't know what he's capable of" I don't know how, but I took him off my back and dragged him to the window "you'll come out here without being seen"

"I can come later if you want and we continue what we were doing."

"No, I'll see you tomorrow in class but please go."

"Good," he agreed reluctantly.

"Cristine?" I heard Mom's voice from the other side of the door.

Liam crossed the window and threw himself on the floor just like that. I was scared for him, but he'll be fine.

What I kept thinking about was how I could fall for Liam's charms like that. I just know that I will regret it later.