Chapter 0190
I shoot, you kill.
If you’re able to kill a squirrel…
These words reverberated in my head as I waited for Jet to speak.
Kill!?
That was why Sara had taken me hunting. She had meant to show me something like I suspected. But that something had to do with first slitting a creature’s throat.
The moon would be waxing. Awaken your wolf?
These statements were a roar in my mind.
“The female I was meant to be. What is that? What do you mean, Jet?” I demanded.
He stood staring like he’d just been caught with his pants down. Then he rubbed his face roughly, mumbling,
“Ah hell! Ah shit!”
“A waxing moon? That sounds like witchcraft voodoo things. Is it some sort of an initiation?”
To a cult?
For some reason, I was picturing the tattoos on Nick’s arms. It was identical to the one on
Jake’s.
These people are all the same.
“What do you mean awaken your wolf?” I asked again as i assessed Jet’s features..
“Look, you’ll have to ask the Lu… Sara. You’ll have to ask Sara. I don’t know why you two went
into the woods at sunset, but I see now that I was mistaken,” he said.
“Mistaken about what?”
He looked into my eyes again and frowned.
“I swear, we know each other,” he mumbled.
“You’re mistaken about what?” I snapped. “Tell me. Please.”
I felt a strong sense of curiosity. The words he spoke a moment ago continued to echo in my mind. They were disturbing, but only because I understood them yet couldn’t interpret their
+25 BONU
Chapter 0190
meaning.
Something deep inside me was stirred. I needed to know everything.
Waxing moon. Awakened wolf.
These things felt like a memory I was trying to recover. Everything he said were things I had heard somewhere, and they meant something very important.
“This isn’t the place nor the time,” he said at last. “C’mon. Nick wants me to get you home, and that’s what I would do.”
I resumed walking as I asked him again.
“Please, tell me what you mean,” I begged.
“Over coffee then. I promise I’ll tell you over coffee.”
There it was. He was hitting on me earlier.
“I have a boyfriend,” I said flatly.
“I said over coffee, Jane. I didn’t say take off your clothes,” he scoffed.
We were now close to the road as he walked past me. I grew annoyed that he was holding out on me like everyone else. My mother. My boss. Avery. Sara. Why were they all doing that?
“I can go home by myself from here.”
His tone grew authoritative when he replied,
“Sure you can, but I’ll take you home like Nick asked.”
I resumed walking, deciding not to mind him as he went on.
“Have coffee with me sometime, and you might find that you like me better than your boyfriend.”
I ignored the remark.
Sara’s car was still packed beside the road. It was the only one there. How did big shot and this man get here? I glanced his way. It looked like he was assessing me.
The house was about ten minutes walking distance from this side of the woods, so I crossed the street and continued on my way home.
“I’ll tell you what you need to know over coffee?” he tried again.
3/4
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0190
“You can tell me now or I’m not interested.”
The not–so–friendly Mister Sloan was out on his porch as we walked by. He didn’t care much for people, so it made me wonder why he was staring at me and the dude walking beside me.
To my surprise, he nodded in greeting with his eyes on Jet. When I glanced at the ranger, I caught him returning the greeting with a single nod. Then Mister Sloan lowered his head, eyes moving about before they returned to me.
The rest of the walk was silent till we reached the front of our house.
“You’ll be interested in what I have to say, Jane, I promise. I’m working tonight and have to get back, but tomorrow at lunch will be fine.”
I wondered if he too would propose marriage in exchange for information or any kind of help. But he didn’t know my condition. He thought I was merely drunk that night, didn’t he?
“Look, I’m not a bad person,” he said with a gentle smile. “I’m new here and just looking to make friends, that’s all. And I promise not to ask you to take off your clothes. But I can’t promise not to steal you from your boyfriend.” He gave a confident smirk.
“I’ll explain every word.” His eyes grew serious.
“Okay,” I said, nodding. “Coffee. Tomorrow at lunch.”
I would’ve seen and spoken to Sara before then. Jake too, whom I now suspect would know what this guy meant. Maybe when Sara saw that I knew a little bit, she would tell me the rest.
My mom opened the door right then. She started to smile at the stranger but stopped. A frown suddenly wrinkled her brow. One last glance at Jet, and I found him staring at my mom
with an identical frown.
“Hey, mom,” I called out, leaving Jet and proceeding to the house.
“See you tomorrow, Jane,” he muttered.
I merely waved as my phone began ringing. My mom was also speaking at the same time.
“Who is that? I don’t like him at all, ti cheri. Did you see the tattoo peeking out of his jacket. You stay away from him. He’s trouble!”
Wait till you see my husband.
I wanted to roll my eyes, but they were staring at my phone screen with Jake’s name on display.
3/4
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0190
I moved away to take his call, reminding myself that my mother and I lived together because of my condition.
I was getting sick of her unfriendly and selective attitude towards anyone that came near me. Only her church people and a very few of the townfolks my age were good enough. Everyone else was a bad influence.
Ironically, the ones she deemed bad influence were the only ones I felt comfortable around. Sara and her entire family. Avery and his entire family. Dora and her boyfriend.
Very few. Very small circle.
“Hi,” I breathed on the phone.
“Jane, you’re in the wrong house and with the wrong crowd,” came the harsh remark.
