The Better to Bite (Howl #1)(48)

“There are monsters everywhere.” He faced me.

“People!” I threw at him as anger churned inside me. “Crazy, twisted people who hurt and kill but here in Haven, there are werewolves! Real freaking monsters!” And just saying it out-loud sounded insane, but it was true. I glared at him. “When were you going to tell me?”

He didn’t answer.

“Dad, these werewolves out there are thinking I can break their curse, I can’t just—”

His eyes narrowed to tight slits. “Who said that?”

“Is it true? Can I stop this?”

His shoulders sagged a bit. “Nothing can stop this. Nothing. Believe me, every damn thing has been tried. Over and over, for centuries.”

“Then someone needs to tell that to the wolves.” I wrapped my arms around my stomach and rocked back and forth. I didn’t want the wolves after me. I didn’t want to wind up like— Sissy.

“The wolves in this town haven’t killed any humans for over one hundred years.”

My chin lifted. “No, Dad, you mean they hadn’t been killing them, not until someone started attacking the hikers about six months back.”

His jaw clenched. “I didn’t know about that when I took the job. If I had—”

“What?”

“Then I never would’ve brought you here.”

Here. Haven. Where nightmares were reality and people were dying in the woods.“Do you know who the werewolves are?” I asked because I knew he was keeping more from me. I could feel it.

“I know some,” he said quietly. “But there could be more. So many more.”

He sounded like Rafe. “What are we going to do?” I asked him. “We have to stop them.”

“I—”

A fist pounded against the door. “Please! Help me!”

I knew that desperate voice. Cassidy. I rushed forward, but my dad beat me to the door. He yanked it open, and Cassidy, with long trails of tears on her cheeks, stumbled into his arms.

“Please, Sheriff Lambert!” She was shaking and crying and I almost couldn’t understand her. “Gran!”

“Cassidy?” I reached for her, but she didn’t even seem to notice me.

“Calm down.” My dad’s voice was pitched to soothe. “Just calm down, and tell me what’s going on.”

Cassidy’s breath heaved out. “My…gran. She’s gone. When I came—came back from the game with Jasper, the shop was wrecked…”

I saw a blank mask slip over my dad’s face. “Did you call the station?”

“N-no…I came to you.” But then her eyes turned to me. “I knew you could…find her.”

She wasn’t talking to my dad anymore.

“Please.” Her whisper. “There was bl-blood in the shop. She’s gone, and I-I have to find her. She’s lost, and I don’t have anyone else!”

Lost.

“Anna…” A warning note had entered my dad’s voice.

Too late. The power inside me had already snapped on. In my mind, I could see Granny Helen. She wasn’t in town. Wasn’t at her home. Her broken body was in the woods, huddled under the branches of a weeping willow.

I yanked my gaze away from Cassidy’s desperate eyes and ran through the open front door.

“Anna!” My dad’s footsteps thundered after mine.

I ran straight for the woods. I knew where Granny Helen was. Maybe I could get to her fast enough, maybe I could save her.

The way I hadn’t saved Sissy. Caitlin.

My mom.

A wolf’s howl filled the night, and I ran faster.

I’d just reached the edge of the woods when my dad grabbed my arm. I was jerked to a halt as he demanded, “Is she dead?”

I looked back at him. “I don’t know.” I couldn’t see her face. I could only see the blood that pooled beneath her body. “If we don’t get her soon, she will be.” Blood would attract the predators in the woods. All of them.

He yanked out his phone. Called for back-up and an ambulance.

Cassidy had stumbled down the porch. My body vibrated with tension. I had to go. Had to run.

Find. Her.

Granny Helen was lost, and she needed me.

My dad ended his call and pulled out his gun. “She’s close?”

“In the woods.” I pointed toward the twisting darkness. “She’s hurt.”

Cassidy whimpered.

My dad took my hand. “You hold onto me, every second, got me? Don’t run off, and if you see any wolf—”

My gaze darted to the gun.

“You let me take care of him,” my dad finished.

Swallowing, I nodded. Then we ran into the darkness.

***

Twigs bit into my arms as we raced through the woods. We were close now, so very close. Cassidy had followed behind us, even though my dad had ordered her back.

I didn’t blame her. If it were my grandmother, I’d want to be there, too.

Faster, faster we ran, and a stitch burned in my side. I could feel a pull on my body, like a magnetic force urging me closer to Granny Helen. Not far now, not far at all.

We burst through the trees, and I saw the swooping limbs of the willow. Granny Helen’s body was beneath the tree, but…she wasn’t alone.