Page 34 of The Curse of Indy Moore
Heaving a long breath through his nostrils, he slid his wet hair back from his face. The splash caught him from the upper torso onward, leaving his shirt clinging to his form. My eyes betrayed me by taking in the disheveled sight of him.
“Pond water.” He gagged and raised his shirt to sniff, then gagged a second time. “You… scare quite easily,” he said when it was obvious he wanted to say much more.
“Most people would be frightened when someone snuck up on them,” I replied while forcing my eyes to meet his.
“I was hardly sneaking.” He gestured at the house. “It’s getting late. We should head to your room.”
My cage, more like it.
“Surely she can be out here a moment longer.” Otis set his artbook aside, giving a glimpse of the impressive work. The depiction of a rose bush was incredibly detailed, especially for having been done so quickly.
“You are welcome to fight her off if you are so inclined,” Mr. Hawthorne replied, turning away.
Otis offered a crooked smile, mouthing that everything would be alright. I wished I believed him.
Mr. Hawthorne took me to the room I previously destroyed. The window that had been there was no longer there. It was daunting and crushing, but there was nothing for me to destroy, save the nest of blankets in the corner and a handful of branches. I cocked a brow at him.
“Your wolf self seems keen on destruction, so I thought bringing in a few toys may help,” he explained, sounding far too happy about it.
“Thank you for such wonderful consideration.” I wandered into the room, my stomach painfully tight.
“You will be safe here, and we will be safe from you,” he said. He had more to say, a question to ask about my deal perhaps, though he stowed it away. “See you in the morning, Miss Moore.”
I nodded then the door closed, leaving me beneath the single bulb hanging from the ceiling. I crawled into the blankets, covering myself in them as if they would ease anything.
Time dragged, what must have been bare minutes feeling like hours. My insides became hot, limbs twitching and breath labored. My jaw ached, like I had been clenching it for hours. When I looked at my hands, the skin shivered as if something lived beneath it. Then the world went dark.
10
Where Indy Prepares for the Wolves
Goldgreetedmeinmy cell of shadows. Without windows, no light breached my confinement, yet a silhouette stood in the corner: Carline. She approached, her hands caught at her waist. My pulse beat a frantic rhythm of horror.
“You’re impressive,” she said, her voice a low, gravely sound. “I expected you to return, my wolf.”
I dared not move. The room had no exits, no windows or doors to ensure the wolf couldn’t break out. But that meant Carline shouldn’t have been capable of entering. Somehow, she found me even upon a castle in the sky.
Yesterday, was the reflection really her? Did she hide on the island, waiting for an opportunity to grab me?
“How are you likingit? My gift,” she said.
“Gift is hardly the correct term.” I kept a firm hold on the blanket around me. She caught me exposed, feeling weak and trapped, as if all Carline had to do was blow and I would be whisked away.
She shook her head, disappointed. “No one understands at first, but you will in time. You will grow stronger, faster, better, and you will savor that power.”
“Will I also grow a tail and fur? Because I am not loving the ears.” My voice shook when I wished it wouldn’t, when I needed to be strong.
“Pity. They suit you.” She tilted her head. “Fight if you wish, but if you return of your own volition, my offer still stands.”
My traitorous breath caught. Her lips curled into a smile.
“Return to me, and you will have your five wonderful years. You and your family will have more than they could ever deserve. Afterward, they will live on in that luxury, and you will be made a part of my pack, a new family that will love you as strongly as they had,” she coaxed in a smoother voice, motherly even.
The option weighed heavily, an option I hated to consider, but the thought was always at the edge of my mind. Like the morning glory vine, she grew within my garden, threatening to strangle any sense there.
“I will treat you as well as the others,” she said, sensing my hesitation, the desperation that clung to me like morning dew. “I am no monster, Indy. My wolves are my family. They are precious, and you will be, too. Don’t you want that?”
“I have a family.”
