Page 64

Chapter 15

“Chloe, you should stay in the car.” Chad frowned as I slammed the car door and shook my head.

“Not a chance, Chad. I already told both you and Dad.” I walked up the garden path behind them. The tension in the air was thick and we weren’t even in the house yet. Coming to a stop at the front door, Dad turned around to face me.

“If I tell you to leave, Chloe, you leave.” His face was serious. “Understand?”

I nodded my head and crossed my arms at the same time. “I know.”

He nodded his head once and then opened their front door, without knocking. I arched an eyebrow at his boldness, but didn’t dwell on it as the door swung open. The house was in silence and darkness.

The smell of fresh salty tears met my nose. Someone was crying. But the more dominant smell in the air was the two new scents. Cubs.

“Xavier?” My dad called out. The sniffling and whimpering caught my attention and I walked in the direction of the living room, leaving them in the foyer.

“Hello?”

My eyes adjusted to the dark room and I spotted Emily sitting in an armchair, crying. Walking through the room, I sat across from her. I saw her human eyes studying mine for a few moments.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice was low and dry. She had been crying for a while.

“I came to help.” I inhaled slowly and reached out and placed a hand on her knee. She didn’t flinch away from it.

“You’re one too?” She sniffed and pulled herself up in the chair. “A monster?”

Offended was what I felt when she said that word. A monster was something I was not, something none of us were.

“No, I’m not a monster.” I shifted to the edge of the seat. “You know that.”

“It was horrible.” Her eyes showed sheer horror. “The cracking of their bones, the fur and then the screams.”

“It isn’t pleasant, the first change. Where are they?”

“Hidden in their bedroom. Xavier can’t get in.” Emily tucked her feet under her. “Xavier won’t let me go near them.”

“That’s for the best.” I muttered and got up from my seat. “Just try, Emily, to not bite his head off. Give him time to explain, ok?”

“Where are you going?” She looked uneasy as I got up to walk away.

“To see your boys.” I shot her a smile. “Just stay here, ok?”

She nodded her head and I walked away. I should get an award for being that nice. I sighed softly as I walked through their house. It was scary for her.

“Why can’t we get in?” Chad’s voice was low as he spoke.

I rounded the corner. Chad and Dad were standing. Xavier was sitting on the ground with his knees up, glaring across the hall.

“Because every time I open the door, they attack.” Xavier muttered. “I don’t want to hurt them.”

“Is it a full change?” Dad asked Xavier, and Xavier nodded his head.

“From the flashes of fur, I would say yes. But I can’t be sure.” Xavier ran a hand through his hair. “That’s why I called. I can’t get near them to talk to them, to explain what they have to do.”

“Maybe I should try?”

All eyes snapped to me and Xavier’s mouth dropped slightly open. Had he not smelt me here?

“The boys know me. They don’t know either of you two and Xavier has already failed.” I tied my hair up, so the boys would be able to see my face clearly.