The Better to Bite (Howl #1)(46)

“Actually, they were tight until last summer, when Brent and Valerie hooked up.” Some energy enthused Jenny’s voice. She did like her gossip. “Word is that Rafe liked her, too, and he got majorly pissed when she chose Brent.”

Rafe slammed into a guy wearing a blue jersey with the number twenty-three on the back. Number twenty-three looked to be close to two hundred and fifty pounds. Rafe tackled him like the guy was a scarecrow.

How can people not realize this isn’t normal?

My gaze darted around the bleachers. Maybe they did realize it. Maybe I was the only one who didn’t know the score. Maybe— “Since Brent and Valerie split, gossip is that Valerie and Rafe are gonna hook up soon.”

My head snapped back to her. I hope not. I barely bit those words back. And why did it matter to me what wolfie did? It wasn’t like we were a couple of anything. One kiss meant nothing. “Um, you know anything else about Brent and maybe Rafe, too?”

She frowned at me, and I realized I needed to be more specific. “Have you heard any…weird stories about them?”

A line appeared between Jenny’s brows. “Weird how?”

Weird as in fangs and claws. I just shrugged.

Another cry came from the students. Louder now, and not as banked with sadness. I didn’t even look at the field. I figured we’d gotten another touchdown. With Rafe and Brent, how could we not?

I hunched my shoulders. “Jenny, do you believe in werewolves?”

She laughed at me. I mean, like a really, really hard laugh.

So much for the whole town knowing the secret.

“OhmyGod…who have you been talking to?” Jeez, her voice was too loud. I hissed at her and, blessedly, she lowered her voice as she said, “Someone told you that old crazy story about wolves running loose in Haven, right?” She was smiling and, despite the embarrassment I was sure stained my cheeks, I was actually glad to see her smile. Tears just made me feel uncomfortable. Always had. “That’s just some BS story,” Jenny told me. “Someone’s pranking you.”

If only.

A gasp erupted from the crowd. This time, I did look at the field, expecting to see the players celebrating another score.

They weren’t celebrating.

Number seven and number thirteen were brawling on the field. I jumped to my feet. Rafe and Brent were whaling on each other, hard kicks and punches, and six players were trying to pull them apart.

Trying and failing.

“Stop!” My scream joined the others around me. I realized there was no way for the guys on the field to hear me, not with all the yells in the air.

But…Rafe’s head turned toward me. His eyes met mine. His fist paused in mid-air.

Then Brent slammed his fist right into Rafe’s face. Blood flew into the air.

I lunged forward. Jenny grabbed my arm, yanking me back.

Finally, finally, the other players managed to pull Brent and Rafe apart. The referee made some sort of wild gesture with his hands, and I knew both of them had been kicked out of the game.

They were led off the field, both in different directions. My gaze darted between them even as my heart slammed into my chest.

What. The. Hell.

Jenny’s fingernails dug into my arms. “Oh, we are so screwed,” she said, voice distraught.

The coach led Rafe toward the stadium’s exit. Brent headed toward the locker room.

Jenny sank onto the bleachers. The kids were muttering around us, and Jenny seemed to sum up their feelings when she said, “Jasper High is gonna kick our butt now.”

Screw that. I turned and hurried down the bleachers.

“Anna!”

I didn’t care about the game, but I sure did want to know why Brent and Rafe had just battled on the field.

***

I hurried to the parking lot, not toward the locker room. I slipped past the stadium entrance just in time to see Rafe being loaded into the back of a deputy’s car.

What?

“Deputy Jon!” I called his name as I hurried forward. The deputy turned toward me, a frown crinkling his face.

“Anna?” The frown eased a bit. “What’s wrong?”

Rafe was in the backset now and looking highly pissed.

“Why are you taking him in?” I jabbed a finger toward Rafe. He wasn’t talking. No, he was busy glaring at me.

My eyes narrowed. It’s not my fault you acted like an idiot and got thrown out of the game.

Deputy Jon gave a long-suffering sigh. “Rafe here has a bit of a temper.”

I’d noticed.

“I’ll let him cool off at the station while he waits for his dad to come and fill out some paperwork.”

I knew how this game worked. “Are you charging him with something?” Had Rafe started the fight? I wish I’d been paying better attention.

Deputy Jon shrugged his broad shoulders. “We’ll just see what happens tonight.”

My temper spiked. “And what about Brent? Are you going to be taking him in for some cooling down, too?”

Jon’s eyes narrowed a bit, and his mouth tightened. “Brent Peters didn’t take the first swing. I got four witnesses, including Coach Crawford, who all said Brent was just defending himself.”

Jon slammed Rafe’s door shut. “Now you go back and enjoy the game, Anna. Let me worry about Rafe.”