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FOUR
The buildings were a completelydifferent style than the new, modern builds of the college town I lived in.
I passed by a wind chime with at least fifty shells and bits of sea glass hanging from it. It looked homemade, which was odd considering we were surrounded by the forest and mountains, and nowhere near the beach. The wind chime hung over the porch of an old building covered in what looked like newly-painted, sky-blue siding. The building was small and old, but charming and looked well-taken-care-of.
Stopping out in front of the porch, I looked at the wolf beside me.
"You knew I wasn't walking back toward my school," I said, my voice flat.
He batted his eyes at me. I think he was trying to look innocent, but he was a wolf. He could definitely see better in the dark than I could.
Which meant that he'd played me.
The damn wolf had played me.
Abduction not averted.
I looked back at the door, weighing my options.
I could knock and hope there was someone sympathetic inside, who could give me some water, and maybe some bandages to wrap my poor, sad feet in. Maybe they'd give me a ride back to my dorm, too.
Or... maybe the wolf would kill them.
Yeah, not worth the risk to those poor, probably-nice people.
I resolved to keep walking until I found a police station. Or maybe an animal shelter. One or another of those places would have a way to get rid of my wolfy stalker.
And hopefully, a ride home.
I kept walking. My shoes were soaked on the inside, and I hoped they’d been soaked by pus from broken blisters, or maybe sweat. The alternative was blood, and that idea made me want to puke. The shoes were at least six years old, but the worn-down soles and holes in them hadn't done a thing to help prevent blisters while I was walking.
My phone was back in my locker at the sandwich shop, so I had no idea exactly what time it was, but it had to be pretty early in the morning. Yet, the town was surprisingly active.
That was also completely opposite of my college town. The university and its students didn't seem to fully wake up until noon, even though there were early classes offered too.
The further I walked into the city, the more I found it strange that no one commented on the wolf following me.
Seriously, who wouldn't be afraid of a wolf walking freely around town?
I guessed maybe he could pass for a dog, but he wasn't on a leash or anything.
We stopped at a gas station so I could ask directions, and I walked up to a woman filling up her car with gas. I selected her thinking she looked like she wasn't a murderer, and looked nice enough that she wouldn't be pissed by me distracting her from her task and asking where the police station was.
I forced a smile. "Hi, do you have a second?"
"Of course." She smiled back, glancing at Jesse. Like the others we'd passed, she didn't look alarmed to see him.
"Do you happen to know where the police station is?"
"Oh, you mean the main alpha's house? Sure, if you keep going down this street, you'll run into a logged mansion. The main alpha lives there, along with his pack."
Main alpha? What the hell?
"Are you a werewolf?" I asked bluntly.
It seemed like the only logical answer, given her weird acceptance of the wolf beside me and her strange answers to my questions. And yeah, there was no tact behind my words, but I was exhausted and in pain and confused.
She laughed. "Of course. Everyone in this town is a werewolf. Welcome to Moon Ridge, honey." She gave a big smile, and I took a step back. When I stepped back, I bumped into Jesse, who licked my leg again.
