Dire

“Would you rather be outside in the cold?” Marni nodded toward the small dusty window. “Does that really appeal to you?”

I looked out at the snowy terrain. “Not really, but it’s not fair that Gage is stuck out there.” I gathered that the cold didn’t bother the wolves much, but it would bother Gage. He’d been out there for over an hour already.

“Then let’s make cookies. I always keep chocolate chips here.” She swung her legs. There was something so childlike about Marni. In another place and time I might have enjoyed her company.

“Do you have a kitchen in your house?” I’d yet to be allowed outside of Hunter’s home, so I wasn’t sure of the layout of the other places. I still didn’t quite understand how the homestead, or whatever it was Hunter called it, worked. The only thing I did know was that Hunter was clearly in charge, and no one seemed interested in challenging him. There was a hierarchy I didn’t quite understand, and I knew there were other members of the pack I still hadn’t met.

“Yes,” She hopped off the counter. “But we always cook and eat communally.”

“Why?”

“Why not? Who likes to do things alone? I can’t wait until I can move in with Chet. I’m tired of living by myself.” She got a far off look on her face.

“I love living alone.” At least I loved having a single room in the dorm. I’d have spent most of my nights at the library if I’d ended up with a roommate. And if I had one like Genevieve’s, the kind that came with a built in boyfriend, it would have been even worse.

“You like living alone?” She gaped at me like I had two heads. She was the one who’d admitted to being able to turn into a wolf.

“Yes.” I answered honestly. There didn’t seem to be any reason to deny it. What did I care if a wolf thought I was anti-social?

“I guess that means you didn’t live with Gage.” Her lips twisted up into a smile. I didn’t like it. She had Chet. She needed to stop sending signals that she found Gage attractive. On top of everything else I didn’t need competition in the form of a peppy and sexy wolf.

“No. I live in a dorm.” My tiny dorm room sounded perfect at the moment. Or at least perfect if Gage came with it.

“Lived. You don’t live there anymore.”

“I will again. You guys can’t keep us here forever. People are going to look for us.” I pulled the sleeves of my borrowed sweater over my hands. It was big on me, so I wasn’t stretching it out.

She shook her head. “No they aren’t.”

“Yes they will.”

She pursed her lips. “If I tell you something, will you promise not to freak out?”

Promise not to freak out? That would be hard to do, but I knew that any information I could get was helpful, so I nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes, what? I need to know you’re serious.”

“I won’t freak out.” Saying the words was easy, but it only made me more nervous.

“Hunter took Gage to see something today.”

“Oh?” My stomach twisted. So this is what he couldn’t include me in.

“Hunter wanted Gage to realize how permanent your new living situation is. I think he should have taken you too, but he thought you’d get upset. Hunter is really protective of you.”

“What did he show Gage?” I waited with bated breath.

“Your truck.”

“What are you talking about? Did they fix it?” I was being delusional again. That seemed to be a running theme for me lately.

“It’s not getting fixed.” She started pulling things from the cabinets.

“What does that mean? Just spit it out.” I was losing patience.

She set aside the flour and sugar. “He destroyed the truck.”

“Who did?” I knew exactly who’d done it, but I wanted her to say it. “Why?”

“Hunter. He burned it. And isn’t the why obvious?”

“Obvious?” Nothing was obvious anymore. Nothing made sense or added up. It’s like logic went out the door the second the truck left the road. That even applied to me. Having sex with Gage like that? There was nothing logical about that decision.

“He wanted people to think you guys died.” She took out a carton of eggs.

“What?” My throat tightened, and I held onto the back of a chair for support. “No. No one’s going to believe it.” The news explained Gage’s face. I knew he was hiding something. He’d seen something that scared him, and Gage didn’t scare easily. He knew we were trapped.

“They won’t? They haven’t heard from you since you two left the city. You already told us your phones didn’t work. Now the charred remains will be found, what else would they think?”

“Wait. Charred remains? Will they find bodies?” My chest clenched. Had they killed people for the ruse? I knew the wolves were ruthless, but I didn’t take them to be cold-blooded murders.

“They’ll find bodies, but don’t worry they were dead first.” She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t upset. She was accepting what was happening to Gage and me way too well. I needed to remember that Marni wasn’t any safer than the others. She wanted us there just as much. For some reason she believed that if Hunter had me she could be with Chet. I didn’t quite understand it, but I did understand her thinking. A girl will go to desperate lengths to get the guy she wants. I knew that my happiness or security wouldn’t get in her way. We had no allies. We were all alone in a messed up situation, and I had no idea where we were going to turn.

After the initial wave of relief that no one was killed passed, the tears started, and I got dizzy. My parents couldn’t think I was dead. They just couldn’t. It would destroy them. I needed to get away from the wolves before they got the news. I couldn’t let either of my parents go through that. I shook my head. “No.”

“Yes. I didn’t tell you to upset you.”

“Then why did you?” I didn’t hide the iciness in my voice. I was angry, and I wasn’t in the mood to play nice. No one was doing it for me. The baking cookies charade wasn’t for my benefit.

“So you’d accept that you’re with us to stay. Even if Hunter hadn’t wanted you, once you saw what we were you couldn’t leave. It’s too risky.” She pulled out a measuring cup and opened the flour. Evidently she wasn’t letting our conversation derail her baking plans.

“Then why show us?”

“Do I have to hit you over the head with it?”