Chapter 48
LEAH How the hell can an hour feel more? “Last stop,” the driver called. The bus came to a stop, and I looked over the seat to see what was around. Looking through the windscreen and everywhere. “Tala,” I murmured. “Can you tell if there are any wolves out there?” Tala stayed quiet for a moment. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “I can’t smell anything.” That wasn’t comforting to me. “Last stop,” the driver called out again. My eyes moved to the doors. “We need to move,” Tala murmured. I got up and walked to the door. I stepped off the bus and headed to the other side of the road. My eyes scanned around, taking in the familiar surroundings of my hometown. Looking at the places I went with my friends and father, my heart sank. I remember the times my father would take me to the ice cream parlor on Sunday when I was a young child after playing with my friends or shopping for clothes with Lucy and my other friends. Everything here holds so many memories. I missed this place. “You okay?” Tala murmured, scanning around. “I guess,” I muttered. “What’s up?” Tala asked. “Why don’t you sit? You seem off.” I said nothing. My eyes looked around until I found a bench. I walk over to it and sit down. I look around and let out a sigh. “Leah, what’s wrong?” Tala asked. My mind was racing over everything that had happened. Between the wolves, learning about them from Tala, and learning, I was a werewolf. Everything seemed all too real. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “It’s all too much to take in,” I sighed, looking around. “Werewolves are real. So are vampires and witches.” “Yes,” she murmured. “All supernatural beings are real.” I sighed, letting what she said sink in. Everything is real. Laughter came from somewhere, making me look around until my eyes landed on a group of girls. There were three, all arms linked together and laughing. I watched them walk along the street and head away from the town. “You miss it here,” Tala whispered. “Yeah,” I whispered. Clearing my throat, I moved to the side where I knew I had to go. “I miss my friends.” A lone tear escaped. “I miss my dad,” I whispered. “Memories of what we got up to are fresh. It was like it was yesterday.” I looked over at a cafe that we frequent, especially after doing training. “We used to go there after every training session I had,” I said. “I would get the lasagne, while he always went for pizza. We would finish it with a chocolate sundae.” “That’s a wonderful memory,” Tala said. Another lone tear escaped. “Yeah it was,” I said. “There are loads of memories of dad and me around here, even with my friends. I don’t know if I want to go back.” Tala stayed quiet for a moment, but I continued. “I know it is selfish of me,” I muttered, looking back toward the side again. “I know if I stay here I could get everyone killed because of what I am, but it hurts to know I will never come back here again if I leave.” “Who says you have to leave?” Tala said. “We can stay here and do—” An image of Carson came to my mind and cut her off. My mind raced, but there was something she wasn’t telling me. Somehow I could feel it. “Carson,” I said. “Why would I be thinking about Carson?” Tala stays quiet, which gets me more annoyed. I can sense there is something. It was a weird feeling. “Tala,” I called out. “Why am I thinking about him? We don’t know each other and only met the last few days.” “Leah,” she whispered. “I want to tell you—” Tala stops talking, and a loud growl echoes around my head, making me flinch. “Tala,” I murmured, looking around. “What is it?” “We need to move,” Tala blurts out. “Now, Leah.” Moving off the beach, I walked to the side where I was looking moments ago. “Tala,” I murmured. “What’s wrong?” Tala was silent for a few moments, but somehow I felt her presence close like she was looking through my eyes. “I am,” she blurts, making me stop in my tracks. “You can see through my eyes,” I asked, looking around. I was about three blocks away from my street. “Yes,” she said and sighed. “We can be as one on times and that’s if you will let me.” I said nothing, letting what she said sink in. I somehow knew we couldn’t talk about it, not until we were safe in my family’s home. But Tala continued. “With what’s wrong?” she said. “I can smell wolves around here, but I can’t figure out where they are.” My heart spiked at the mention of wolves. “They won’t hurt you,” she said. “I will make sure of that.” I felt slightly relieved that she was with me. Forcing my legs to move again, I walked the three blocks as fast as I could until we came to the beginning of the street and stopped. A foul smell lingered in the air, which made Tala growl again. “They were here,” she muttered. The smell was bad, it smelt of rotten eggs. How could they smell so bad? “That’s what rogues smell like,” Tala chimed in, which only made me groan. “God, I wish you would stop listening in to my thoughts.” “Over by the tree,” Tala murmured, ignoring what I said. I did as she told me and went over to the nearby tree. I hid behind it and looked around to see if the coast was clear. “No one is around,” I said, frowning. “Which is odd for my street.” “I know,” she said. “Why would everyone be inside?” I said nothing. An icy shiver rippled through me, making me step back behind the tree. Leaning on it, I closed my eyes and stared back at Tala. “Something doesn’t feel right,” I muttered. “Open your eyes,” she said and nodded. “I know what you mean. This street would be still busy, even if it was dark.” “The other question is,” I muttered. “How would rogues know where I live?” 1 “That will be a question to ask someone when we find someone to ask,” she said. I opened my eyes and looked around. Still, no one was there. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get to your house. No one can smell us, not even if they are wolves. They will believe you are a human.” I said nothing and moved from around the tree. Keeping my eyes scanning everywhere, I walked faster toward my house but stopped when I spotted Lucy and Dani’s home. Most of the lights were on. I wanted to go in there. “Not now,” Tala murmured. “Not with rogues around.” Shaking my thoughts away, I walked toward the house I lived in. It was in complete darkness. I walk toward it but stop when I hear a noise behind me. Another shiver rippled through me. “Tala,” I whispered, feeling slightly scared. “Don’t show any fear,” she said. “I’m here with you.” Taking a few deep breaths, I slowly turned around until I stopped, and my eyes widened. There before me were three men, all staring at me. All the corners of each man’s face curl up into a sinister grin and move toward me slowly. Oh god! What do I do now?