Chapter 6

• I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed towards the car, sitting in the passenger seat, while Kayler sat next to me, starting the car.
• "First and last time I'm going to school with you," I snapped.
• He started to accelerate.
• "If you say so..." he murmured.
• I looked at him.
• "I only agreed to go with you because I didn't want to come alone, I'm afraid that the... might come out again," I stopped abruptly.
• I can't tell him that yesterday four wolves almost killed me and that one let me go. Yes, it sounds crazy. He'll think I'm crazy.
• He looked at me again with a furrowed brow.
• "The what?" he questioned.
• I shook my head.
• "Never mind. Forget it."
• I looked ahead, but I could feel Kayler's gaze on me. Then he stopped the car and turned it off.
• I gave him a dirty look.
• "Hey, what...?"
• "Tell me. There's something you've seen... You can trust me," he looked at me with those honey-colored eyes.
• I realized he had leaned towards me and we were very close. I could feel his breath on my face. And damn! It felt good.
• "I almost died yesterday," I confessed. At first, he clenched his jaw tightly as if angry, but then he calmed down.
• "What are you talking about?" he inquired with a furrowed brow.
• Kayler has lived here all his life and I don't believe he hasn't seen a single wolf. Not even a howl if anything.
• "There are wolves in this forest and yesterday four almost killed me, if it wasn't for another wolf I would be dead. I can't say I'm grateful because I don't know if it was just sparing me and will come for me later," I said all at once.
• Kayler just remained pensive and... angry? He looked at me with pity?
• I crossed my arms in frustration. He didn't respond, but then he laughed in my face.
• "What are you laughing at?"
• I know Kayler is arrogant, a bit superficial, but come on! I don't think he would be happy about someone else's misfortune.
• His smile faded a bit.
• "I'm sorry... But wolves? And one let you go?" he mocked. "Stop watching so many movies, will you?"
• He started the car and drove off.
• "By the way, we're having a party at my house tomorrow. You're invited."
• I looked at him questioningly, did he invite me to his party? If so, I'm not going. I prefer to stay at home and watch movies, after what happened last night I don't plan on leaving my house... For a long time.
• "Oh my God, the great Kayler Brown invited me to his party," I teased playfully. Then I laughed and he just looked at me with boredom. "I don't think I can go," I finally said.
• I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw him looking at me again.
• "Of course you'll go," he murmured confidently.
• Who does he think he is.
• "And what's the reason for your party? Any special occasion?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
• "No. We have a party almost every weekend," he winked. "Just for fun."
• I rolled my eyes. How could I not have guessed.
• Minutes later we were arriving at the town, we were close to the school. I need to get out before we get there.
• "Let me out before we get there. I want to arrive alone," I emphasized.
• He gave me a quick look.
• "No way. You're coming with me, end of story," he snapped.
• "Kayler!"
• He shook his head.
• Damn it.
• "Why are you doing this?" I asked.
• He stopped the car, again, and got out leaving his door open. He opened mine and made me look into his eyes, very close. His touch on my cheeks was warm, very warm but I liked it.
• "Because you're mine."
• I must admit that I was very surprised by what Kayler told me. Am I his? This is too much. Kayler looks at me confidently, it seems like he's not lying or playing a joke. But hey! I'm not a damn piece of furniture for him to claim as his.
• "I'm not yours!" I pushed him, but as expected, it didn't work. He's stronger than me.
• He held my chin with a bit of force but without hurting me, so I would look at him. Damn, his eyes are always so deep, it's easy to get lost in them, I feel calm.
• "You're mine. Period. It's not up for discussion."
• I glared at him, I'm not going to be weak in front of his gaze, no. But apparently my brain isn't processing the information because unintentionally I looked down at his lips.
• I wonder what they taste like?
• Oh my God!
• I shook my head and pulled away from his grip. He smiled playfully and walked around the truck to get back to his seat and start the engine. I think we'll be late for school.
• "From now on, I will take you home. Every day," he emphasized the last part.
• I immediately turned to look at him. Who does he think he is? My father?
• "Hey, don't push it either," I said bewildered. "I'll go back alone, I don't need your company."
• He parked in the school parking lot and turned off the car. He was still waiting for a response from me. I'm not going to allow him to keep me under surveillance or always take me to and from school. I know he's irresistible but he has a girlfriend, and it's weird, I feel like he and his group are hiding something. And something very serious.
• "I'm sorry, Carolina, but I found you and now I'm not going to let anyone harm you. You're in danger," he confessed, but then I saw how tense he got when he said the last part.
• In danger?
• "What do you mean?" I questioned, furrowing my brow. "What do you mean you found me and that I'm in danger?"
• He fell silent. Then he looked at me and in his eyes I only saw concern.
• Concern?
• "I see that the time hasn't come yet," he muttered to himself.
• I furrowed my brow.
• The time? What time?
• Oh no. This is very confusing.
• "You know what? I'm leaving. Keep your weird thoughts to yourself," I snapped as I got out of the car and closed the door.
• As I walked out, several boys and girls were staring at me, I knew it wasn't a good idea to come with Kayler. I ignored them and walked quickly to my classroom. When I arrived, I noticed that Anne was sitting next to my seat.
• I couldn't talk to her yesterday.
• I walked to my seat and sat down. Anne looked up and smiled at me.
• "Hello, Carolina."
• "Hi, Anne. Sorry about yesterday," I hurried to say.
• She shook her head, laughing.
• "It's okay. You did what no one has done in this school. Confronted Paige."
• No one?
• Now I remember what Anne told me yesterday before we got into a fight, she said something about Paige being dangerous.
• "Anne, why did you say Paige was dangerous?" I asked. "It wasn't literal, was it?"
• At least I should know what I was up against.
• She hesitated.
• "Tell me," I smiled.
• She sighed and leaned closer to me.
• "There are rumors that they are 'weird'," she made quotes at the end. "They say that the last person who disobeyed them... Didn't live to tell the tale," she swallowed hard. "It was a guy who broke up with Paige in front of the whole school and she, as expected, got very angry. The next morning the guy was found dead in the forest."
• Oh, God. That's terrible. Very terrible.
• "The weird thing is that the guy had animal marks. Scratches, bites, a disfigured face among other things," she explained.
• I grimaced. Poor guy.
• "And what killed him?" I asked.
• She shrugged.
• "It was never known. That was three years ago, before I had anything with Kayler," she said. "The weirdest thing was that the next day Paige appeared as if nothing had happened, smiling."
• I raised my eyebrows. Everything is very mysterious. Anne returned to her previous position because the teacher and the other students were coming in.
• I confess, I was scared to know this story. The poor boy. Anne said it was an animal, could it be a wolf? But of course, the same ones who wanted to kill me, could Kayler be right? Am I in danger? Does the house I'm living in have something? Besides being in the middle of the forest.
• I leaned towards Anne's seat to ask her a question. She leaned a little closer when she noticed me.
• "Anne, do you know where that boy lived?"
• She tried to remember and then nodded.
• "Yes, in the same house you live in now."
• I opened my eyes in astonishment and settled back in my seat.
• He lived in that house. Oh, God. I'm food for wolves, I know it.
• ***
• I sat with Anne at a table in the back to eat our lunches. I couldn't pay attention in class because of everything Anne told me. Something tells me I did step into the wolf's den. And that wolf will come back, supposedly Kayler will protect me, how can he fight against four wolves? It's impossible. But he looked very confident, maybe I'll ask him some questions later. Something tells me he knows much more than he says.
• I took a sip of my juice.
• "There's Paige..." Anne murmured, looking behind me.
• I followed her gaze. Yes, there she was sitting next to Kayler. I rolled my eyes seeing her so close to him. But something caught my attention. Paige's shoulder, it's injured apparently because she has a bandage on it.
• "What happened to her shoulder?" Anne asked behind me. The same question I'm asking myself.
• The same.
• Kayler looks at me as if making sure I'm okay... I think. I hold his gaze, he knows I have questions and many doubts that he will have to answer sooner or later. But he no longer looks at me with those penetrating and furious eyes, but with pity?
• I looked away and turned to where Anne was still eating. I'm not even hungry. Too much information for today. First Kayler tells me I'm in danger, then about the dead boy who lived in my house, then Paige's injured shoulder, very suspicious indeed, considering that I stabbed a stake into the wolf that tried to kill me in that same place, and finally Kayler's pity-filled gaze. This is too much. I prefer my peaceful life from before.
• My phone vibrated announcing a message; I checked it and it was from a number marked as private. What I read next left me frozen, paralyzed, and speechless:
• From: Private number
• Take care, Carolina, the forest will be your new enemy. Don't get close to Kayler, otherwise, your death will be even more painful than what I had planned.