“A haven,” I whispered.
“And for a time, they were safe. But those who knew their secrets, those they’d trusted so foolishly with a truth most can’t handle…they followed them here.”
You can’t trust either of us.
The temperature in the room seemed to dip about ten degrees. “I’m guessing this story doesn’t end happily.”
Her lashes lowered. “Most stories don’t.”
Happily ever afters were just for kids. I knew that. I’d learned that lesson when I saw my mother’s bloody body get zipped up into a black body bag.
“They were followed, hunted, when they should have been safe.” Granny Helen’s voice deepened. “Then the killings started.”
All I could see then was my mother’s body.
“So they cursed their enemies. Those who’d spilled the blood at their haven would be revealed as the monsters they truly were.”
I knew where this was going. My hands slapped onto the table. “You’re saying—”
“If they were going to slaughter like animals, then they would become animals.”
A week ago, I would have laughed at her dramatic announcement. A week ago, I would have jumped up and left.
Now, I could only sit there, with my heart slamming into my chest. “The beasts are still here.” Wolves.
“The curse passed through the bloodlines.” Granny Helen’s gnarled hands fluttered in the air. “Hard to see it at first. They all seem just like everyone else. But beneath the skin, they’re different.” She paused, then said, “Just as you’re different.”
“Who all knows about this?” I demanded, jumping to my feet. Werewolves. Freaking werewolves. And they had been living in Haven for centuries?
“The old families who’ve been here since the beginning. They know. Some fled, hoping to escape, but there’s no escaping. A witch’s curse is forever.”
Wait. There could be dozens of wolves running around? Perfect. Nightmare.
Hell.
“And they’re…evil?” I forced myself to ask this question even as I thought about Rafe and about him kissing me. Don’t be evil, please don’t be—
“No. Not all of them are dark inside.”
My shoulders sagged with relief.
“Many have adapted. It’s their way of life now. All they know. But others…there are always those who feel the call of the beast too strongly. The thirst for blood and death can consume them. Those…” Her gaze took on a far-away stare. “Those are the ones we must fear.”
I already feared them. “Those are the ones killing the hikers? Killing Sissy?” I began to pace around the small room, my body tight with nervous energy. “I have to tell my dad. I mean, he might not believe me, but I have to tell him what he’s up against—”
Don’t tell anyone. Rafe’s voice. In my head. I shoved that voice back even as Granny Helen’s soft laughter filled my ears.
“Oh, child…” The laughter faded and she just seemed sad. “You truly think Ben Lambert doesn’t know? His family has been in this town for centuries. He knows everything.”
My heart stopped slamming into my chest. In fact, it seemed to stop beating entirely.
Granny Helen shook her head. “Who do you think cursed the hunters who came to Haven?”
I turned and ran for the door.
“Be careful, child…” Her voice followed me. “And don’t let any wolves in your door.”
Too late.
I shoved back the curtains. Jenny was at the cash register, a plastic bag gripped tightly in her hands. Cassidy smiled at her like a cat with cream.
I rushed by them both. “We’ve got to go,” I told Jenny as I grabbed her arm and pulled. “I’ve got to find my dad.”
And get the truth from him.
No matter how ugly it was.
***
But my dad wasn’t at the station. Deputy Jon, his sandy hair mussed and his green eyes tired, told me that he’d gone out for a scout in the woods with one of the rangers.
They were still recovering the bodies of the dead wolves.
I dropped Jenny off at her house. She stared at me with worried eyes but didn’t question me.
Then I went home as fast as I could.
I had to find my dad.
Sure, most girls would probably just call their dad on their cell phones. I wasn’t most girls. I had a much faster connection. Besides, I didn’t want to talk to him over the phone. For this little father-daughter chat, I wanted to see him in person.
The better to catch any lies he might try to give me.
I parked my car, stared into the woods, and just thought—
Where are you, dad?
I saw him in my mind, standing by a stream. The water rushed over the pale white bones that had been tossed into that shallow stream.