"I'm serious. He saw Ivy, Abby, and me at the mall. When we ducked into a store, he followed us in there. He even followed us into the girls' changing area."
Brandon was visibly disturbed by this. He immediately changed his tone. "That is weird. I wonder why he's doing that. I don't want you out of my sight," he said protectively.
"Then you'll have to stay at my house and accompany me everywhere?" I asked coyly.
"I can do that," he said.
"You can have a bed right next to mine."
"I'll watch you all night."
"Would you?"
"I would be glad to," he said. I leaned against his chest, comfortably engulfed by his protective arms. "If he comes near you again, I'm going to release the wolves."
I felt relieved that Brandon was here with me. Without him I would be even more nervous. However, thinking about Ryder following us into the changing room area really made me anxious.
I looked up at my handsome boyfriend. "He wants something, Brandon," I said. "And I think it's me."
"Well, he can't have you," he said, stroking my cheek. "Someone already does."
He leaned into me and kissed my fearful thoughts away.
When I got home, I still couldn't completely shake off the odd behavior of Ryder and his crew. I knew he wasn't from around here-and it was unusual for three students to transfer to a new school together. And since they hadn't shown up at school, it made them all the more intriguing.
I decided to take Champ for a walk and calm my nerves. As we headed down my street, Champ began to bark. I saw someone standing by the wooded area about fifty yards away. It was hard to make out who it was from my vantage point. I was hoping it was Brandon.
Champ continued to bark. "It's okay, boy," I said.
I knew Nash was acting squirrely, so I assumed it was him.
But as I drew closer, I didn't see Nash's blond hair or even someone unfamiliar. It wasn't Nash. And it wasn't even Dr. Meadows. Or a stranger. It was just someone strange. I gasped and held on tightly to Champ's leash. I couldn't believe my eyes. Fear ran through my flesh, and my heart began to pound out of my chest.
"Ryder?" I said, startled.
"You remembered my name," he said with a churlish smile.
"Why are you following me?"
"I wasn't."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Walking. Same as you."
"I was going-" But then I realized I didn't want to tell him where I was going. I didn't want him to know where I lived, in case he was stalking me. "Where are you going?" I asked.
"You are the curious one. Most girls would have ignored me by this point. But you … you're inquisitive. I like that." He eyed me closely, his gaze sending chills down my spine.
"I'd like to know why you are here. That's all."
"What if I said I was trying to talk to you?" He was coy and quizzical.
I was stunned that now he was so candid. That he admitted to it, and that my gut was right. "Why?" I asked as I inched away.
"Uh … I thought you were cute the other day." He grinned a sheepish grin. Ryder didn't budge; his confidence was as intriguing to me as much as it made me anxious.
"Thank you, but I'm not interested." I tried to say it politely-enough to let him know where I stood but not too coarse to upset him.
I snuck my cell phone out of my purse and pressed the button to speed dial Brandon.
I waited for a moment, then said loudly, "Well, I gotta go. It's probably best that you go on your way, too. Legend's Run can be sort of dangerous at this time of day."
"Are you serious?" he said. "This is the sunny suburbs. Nothing happens here."
"Well, let's keep it that way." I said again in a loud voice.
Ryder stepped closer. He locked his gaze with mine; I felt as if he would kiss me if he could. "I'm looking for someone. Someone like you."
Just then I heard a car approaching. I was hoping it was someone I knew-one of our neighbors. If so, they might stop and notice I was talking to a stranger. I felt as awkward in the open with Ryder as I did alone in the woods that snowy day with the wolves. But they passed by.
I clenched my fist.
Suddenly I heard another car coming down the street. I was so relieved as this one was familiar.
Ivy was driving her SUV and stopped alongside of me, where I was standing on the sidewalk. "What's going on?" she asked as she and Abby hopped out.
I thought I'd dialed Brandon-but instead I had dialed my best friend. Thank goodness she got the message and lived so close.
"What are you doing here?" Ivy asked Ryder.
"I came to town to see the Legend's Run Werewolf Festival. Is that a crime?"
"No, I mean, what are you doing here?" she reiterated.
Two figures emerged from the same woods Ryder had come out of.
"Again, I'm here for the fest," he said with a grin.
"Well, it doesn't start for a few more days, and it still doesn't explain why you are bothering our friend." Ivy was forceful and protective.
"Yes," Abby said in her toughest voice.
"I'm sorry if that's the way it appeared," Ryder said, softening. "I was just hoping to make some new friends while I was in town."
"Well, we have enough friends," Ivy said.
Now Ryder's two friends were close behind him.
Champ continued to bark even louder.
"Well, perhaps you can squeeze in a few more," Ryder said.
Champ began to growl.
Ryder stared at Champ, his gaze fixed with intensity. Champ stopped growling and sat down quietly.
I was shocked. Brandon was able to do this all the time, and Nash had done the same thing only a few days ago to a barking Apollo. It wasn't normal. There could be only one reason Ryder had the power to do that.
I held on to Champ's leash and moved back a few inches.
Ivy and Abby seemed puzzled.
"What are you, a dog whisperer?" Abby asked.
"Of sorts," he said cryptically.
I didn't let on that I knew who-or what-he was. I couldn't say it in front of my friends.
"What were you doing in the woods?" Ivy said.
"Hunting," the blond said with a laugh.
"You can't hunt here!" Abby scolded.
"We don't use guns," the redhead chimed in.
I felt creeped out by their insinuations, and I knew what they were talking about.
"I don't care what you use," Abby said. "You need to go back where you came from."
"We're planning on being here for a bite longer … I mean bit," the blond said. The gang laughed at his joke.
"You guys are juvies," Ivy said. "We have better things to do than talk to you. C'mon, girls, let's go."
"Wait-" Ryder said. "We got off on the wrong foot." He held out his hand.
"I'm Ryder and this is Leopold," he said, referring to the scraggly blond. "And this is Hunter," he said, gesturing toward the fiery redhead.
The two guys waved and smiled.
"Hunter?" Abby said with a laugh. "Seems appropriate."
"Nice to meet you," Ivy said, polite enough. "But we have to be going." She pulled me and Abby away from the guys and toward the SUV.
But Ryder jogged after us.
"We wanted to know if you ladies would like to go out sometime," Ryder said, catching up to us at the car.
Abby turned and gazed up at him. It wasn't the first time guys had ever flirted with us, and she always seemed to get a rise out of it. "Our calendar is filled," she said to him coyly.
"Well, maybe you can cancel a few things," he insisted.
"Uh … I think not," Ivy said. "We really have to go."
Then Ryder stepped toward me. "What about you?" he asked, staring straight at me.
"She has a boyfriend," Abby said for me. "And he's really big and strong."
"Can't she speak for herself?" Ryder asked.
"Listen," Ivy began. "You leave her alone. Leave us alone."
"I don't know what tricks you put on to her dog. You must have one of those whistles that only dogs hear," Abby said.
Ryder just smiled.
"And wolves, too," Leopold said.
I could tell that Abby liked the attention slightly and couldn't help but flirt back with the guys. But I didn't want to give them any passes to hang out with us now or in the future.
"I'm sure you can find three single girls in town who would love to hang out with you guys," Ivy finally said.
"You think so?" Hunter said.
"Absolutely."
"I'm not so sure," Abby challenged with a mischievous smile. Everything was a game to her, and this was no exception.
"Yes, there will be some," Ivy said. "We've got to go."
"Are you so sure?" Hunter asked.
"Come on, Ivy," I said. "It's been lovely talking but we have to get home and study. We have school, you know."
"We hope to see you again," Ryder said.
"In your dreams," Ivy muttered.
Ryder's comment left a feeling of uneasiness inside me. They hung back as we got into the SUV.
When we were safely inside, we turned around. The guys were gone.
I petted Champ, who growled as he stared toward the woods.
"Those guys were creepy!" Ivy said as she drove off.
"I know. I wonder what they want," I said. The idea that Ryder could possibly be a werewolf frightened me. The full moon was only a week away.
"Yes, total stalkers," Ivy said. "Like they have nothing to do but hang out in malls-and now the woods-accosting girls?"
"I think that Ryder guy was hot. They all were," said Abby. She leaned against her seat, dreaming. "If I wasn't going out with Dylan, I might like Ryder. Or maybe Hunter. Or maybe Leopold. Which one would you like?" she said to Ivy.