Brush With Death (8 page)

I
was exiting
the library with Gordy and Katie, when my phone started to vibrate.  I’d turned
the ringer off while inside, but left it on vibrate so I wouldn’t miss a call
or text from Cal and Simon.  Maybe they’d found Yuki.

But the picture on the phone wasn’t Cal’s smiling face or
Simon’s smoldering eyes.  A ridiculous picture of Yuki, eating a waffle the
size of her head, flashed on the screen.  I hit accept and whipped the phone to
my ear so fast, I nearly punch myself in the face.

“Yuki?” I asked.

Gordy and Katie looked at me excitedly.  If Yuki was
calling, then maybe she was okay.

“Emma, I know w-w-we’re not really sp-p-peaking right now,
but I am so creeped out,” Yuki said. 

“Where are you?” I asked.

“S-s-some spooky old park trail,” she said.

“Wakefield Park?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. 

Yuki’s voice sounded small and shaky.  Why was she so
scared?  Was she hurt?  Had she experimented with some crazy street drug?  Was
the Graduation Grabber there now?

And what was she doing in Wakefield Park?

“Are you okay?” I asked.  “We’ve been looking all over town
for you.”

“I’m okay, but I found a ghost and…it led me to a skull out
here in the woods,” she said.

“You’re out there now?” I asked.  “With a dead body?”

“Um, yeah, a dead body and its ghost,” she said wryly.

I wondered if I should tell her about the Grabber.  Yuki was
already frightened and if I told her that a serial killer who targeted teen
girls was in town, she’d totally freak.  But if I didn’t tell her and some
random guy showed up and offered his help, she might wander off with a
murderer.

Someone would have to inform Yuki that the Graduation
Grabber was back in town.

“Have you talked to Calvin?” I asked.

“No,” she said.  “His phone went straight to voicemail.”

Great, I would have to be the one to tell her.  If Calvin
was tracking Yuki in his wolf form, he wouldn’t have his phone with him.  Maybe
I could rig up some kind of hands-free, paws-free, phone on a collar for times
like this, but that would have to wait.  There were more important things to
worry about.

“Not to freak you out or anything, but there’s something I
have to tell you,” I said.  “The reason we’ve all been looking for you is
because a girl from our school went missing.  The authorities think the
Graduation Grabber has returned.”

“Son of dung beetle,” she muttered.

“How did you get out there anyway?” I asked.

I knew that Yuki hadn’t received a ride from me, Simon, Calvin,
Gordy, or Katie.  But it was a long walk from Yuki’s house to the park.  Had
she taken a bus part of the way?  Or hitched a ride?

Goosebumps sprouted across the back of my neck at the
thought of Yuki getting into a car with a stranger, especially with the Grabber
lurking around looking for his second victim.

“I rode my bike,” she said.  I let out a relieved sigh.  At
least she hadn’t been hitchhiking.  “And, um, Emma?  It’s getting really dark
out here.  I think I need to start riding back toward town.”

“Okay, can you keep your phone on?” I asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” she said.  “The battery looks like it
has a full charge.”

“Good, put your phone in your bag, or a pocket, and start
riding toward the park entrance,” I said.  “We’ll meet you there.”

“Thanks Emma,” she said.

“Any time,” I said.

And I meant it.  Yuki was my best friend.  Our recent fighting
seemed foolish now that she was in danger.  When we got through all of this, we
were due for a long talk and lots of soy ice cream.

The phone grew muffled and quiet as Yuki tucked it away and
started bicycling.  I turned to Katie, who was waiting excitedly beside Gordy,
and handed her the phone.

“Katie, keep that line open,” I said.  “And please try to keep
listening in case Yuki tries to tell us something.  I need my hands free to
drive.”

I grabbed my keys, but Gordy put his hand on my arm stopping
me from rushing to my car.

“Wait, is Yuki in trouble?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said.  “I hope not.  But she found a human
skull out in a remote section of Wakefield Park and she’s pretty freaked out.”

“Eep!” Katie squeaked.

“I promised Yuki that we’d drive out to the park entrance
and meet her there,” I said.

Gordy stepped back and I raced down the stone library steps,
with Gordy and Katie struggling to keep up.  Katie put my phone to her ear as
she ran and gave me a thumbs-up.  Apparently the phone was working and there
were no signs of trouble.

We all piled into my car and I took a deep breath.  Yuki
better be okay.  Night was falling and there was no telling what creepy things
were out in those woods.

I was struck with a terrible thought.

What if the body Yuki found belonged to one of the Grabber’s
victims?  The police never found Rose Peterson.  Yuki may have unwittingly
discovered the site of one of the Grabber’s body dumps.  And if he’d used that
location successfully before, what was to keep him from returning to the spot
and using it again?

D
riving to the
outskirts of town turned up nothing.  Every time I saw a flash of long dark
hair or black clothing my heart would race, but it was never Yuki.  There was
no sign of Yuki anywhere.  All of her usual haunts had been checked, now I was
just clutching at smoke in a windstorm. 

I turned west at Shaw’s Creek, truck bouncing as I drove
across the old covered bridge.  As soon as I crossed to the opposite
embankment, my arm started itching like fire ants marched beneath the skin.

For the first time since Emma’s phone call, I smiled.  Yuki
and I had matching tattoos, hers was on her ankle, but my tattoo was on my
arm—right where the itching and tingling had begun.  Our tattoos were more than
a symbol of our love.  They were evidence of the bond between werewolf mates.

The fact that Yuki wasn’t a werewolf was unusual, but it
didn’t weaken our bond.  Spirit ink, blended during a full moon, contained the
essence of werewolf ancestors who chose to aid the chosen couple.  Those
spirits came to me now, causing the itching beneath the skin, strengthening my
link to my mate.

Yuki must be nearby.

I used the first designated pull over, an empty picnic spot,
to move my truck off the narrow road.  I stopped scratching at my arm and
closed my eyes, reaching out with my wolf spirit.  Setting my hands on my
thighs, palms facing upward, I breathed in deeply through my nose and out
through my mouth.

My wolf spirit seemed eager to heed my call, and with a nod
in my mind’s eye, leapt to meet my request.  In spirit form my wolf has no
physical substance and could run, literally, through the forest, unimpeded by
trees and tangled undergrowth. 

Just as I began to worry how far my wolf spirit could travel
from my body, it stopped in its tracks.

There.

It was faint, but I could sense Yuki’s presence to the North
West.  That was strange, even for Yuki.  There’s not much out in that direction
and, without a car, it was a long hike from town.

I growled as a flash of panic ran down through our bond. 
Yuki was in trouble.

I jumped out of the truck and stashed the keys beneath the
wheel-well.  Listening for approaching vehicles, I took one last look around
the picnic area.  With no humans in sight, I ran for the woods.

I needed to reach Yuki, and the fastest way to do that was
to track her while in my wolf form.  I hoped that we were close enough to
Yuki’s location.  Now that my wolf had identified Yuki through our spirit link,
I should be able to pick up her scent.  But I was still learning my wolf skills. 
Hopefully the lessons Simon had given me would pay off.

Quickly removing my clothes, I wound them into a tight roll
and tied them around my waist.  If I had to travel far, they wouldn’t emerge
unscathed, but bringing my clothing with me could save time if I had to change
back to human form.  My sneakers and phone I left behind.  They would be too
cumbersome tied against my body and I wasn’t going to carry them in my mouth. 

With my clothing secured, I started to run.

I began shifting into wolf form, branches hit my face as I
ran.  The transformation wasn’t painful, but once my arms and legs began to
shift, I had to stop running.  Crouching on matted leaves and pine spills, I
felt my awareness expand.  The forest suddenly seemed so alive—squirrels
chattering, birds singing, rodents burrowing—that I felt dizzy.  I shook my
head against the overwhelming cacophony of sounds.

My teeth lengthened, becoming fangs, and fingers rapidly transformed
into claws.  I blinked as the forest, so deafening mere seconds before, went
quiet.  The birds had gone silent in their trees and animals seeking refuge hid
beneath the ground or stood frozen in place, waiting for the predator to pass.

My transformation was complete.

I tilted my head, sniffing loudly and tasting the air with
my tongue.  Yuki hadn’t come this way, but she was close.

I turned and took a step forward.  There.  It was faint, but
the trail led deeper into the woods.

I ran.

More panic ran through the bond and I struggled not to howl. 
I didn’t want to give up my position until I knew what dangers Yuki faced.  If
keeping my presence secret would give the girl I loved an advantage, then I
would become one with the lengthening shadows that filled the forest.

I would become one with the night.

M
y phone rested
safely inside my backpack while I pedaled like flying monkeys were hot on my
tail.  Knowing that my friends were there with me, on the phone, gave me
strength.  Having Emma included as one of those friends brought tears to my
eyes.  Thankfully the rush of wind in my face dried the tears before they could
fall.

Speaking of falling, it was a miracle that I hadn’t wrecked
my bike or flown over the handle bars.  Night had truly come to Wakefield Park
in all its lightless glory.  Tree roots and rocks littered the narrow trail and
branches snaked out to touch my face and tangle in my hair.

The only reason I hadn’t fallen off my bike was the
appearance of two glowing ghosts in my path.  Well, that and the white knuckled
grip I had on my handlebars.

Jackson had emerged from the gloom, responding to my fear. 
As an ethereal creature there was little he could do to help, but he did find
one task he could tackle.  Jackson joined Rose a few yards ahead of me,
lighting the trail and keeping me from accidentally wrapping my bicycle around
a tree.

So I rode as fast as I could.  My legs burned as I pedaled
like mad, following the two flitting ghosts who had become shining beacons
against the night.

Sweat ran into my face and blood pounded in my ears.  If I
survived this night, I was totally taking up exercise.  Maybe I’d even join Cal
on one of his trips to Wolf Camp.  The werewolves there were always engaging in
outdoor activity.  You could say that it ran in their blood—it certainly didn’t
run in mine.

Cal went to Wolf Camp monthly.  I’d been there once, when we
went to ask Simon for help, but hadn’t returned.  As alpha it was Cal’s duty to
make an appearance before his people.  Maybe this month I would join Cal at his
side.  It was time I met the rest of his pack.

Jackson’s vinegar smell and Rose’s floral scent strengthened,
jolting me from my thoughts.  The strong smell impressions were my only warning
before something, or someone, lumbered into sight. 

I hit the handbrakes and stopped so fast that I bit my
tongue.  But I barely noticed the salty taste of blood filling my mouth.

A wolf stood in the center of the trail, blocking my way.

I
could feel
Yuki through our bond.  With my enhanced wolf hearing, I could also hear heavy
breathing and something crashing through the woods up ahead.  She was close. 
But was she alright?

I rushed silently between the trees, moving so fast and
stealthily that I was like a falcon flying through the dark forest.  Reaching Yuki’s
side was my priority, but I was also on the hunt.  Whatever danger Yuki faced,
she wouldn’t face alone. 

Nearly there…

I burst out onto a narrow hiking trail as something came
rushing toward me.  It was Yuki, riding a bicycle.  Yuki on a bicycle was
peculiar, but my brain didn’t have time to wonder at what she was doing.  I
could smell blood as she stopped on the trail before me. 

And her clothing was drenched in something red and wet.

No, no, no, no…

Against my will, I let out a howl of pain and heartache.  I
was too late. 

Wasn’t I?

“Cal?” Yuki asked breathlessly.

I lowered my head, meeting her worried gaze. 

“It really is you,” she said.  Yuki set her kickstand and,
in a rush of black skirts and tousled hair, she wrapped herself around me.  “You
scared me half to death.  I thought you were a wild animal, or the Grabber.”

I snuffled over the surface of her clothes confused.   I had
smelled the tang of blood, but the wet, red substance that covered Yuki’s skin
and clothes wasn’t blood after all.  She was covered in paint.

Yuki lifted her head from my shoulder to stare into my eyes. 
Human eyes in a wolf’s face, she’d told me once.

“Cal, we have to get out of here,” she said.  “Emma is on
the phone and she said the Graduation Grabber is in Harborsmouth.  She said
there’s already one girl missing, someone from our school, and…I found a
person’s skull back there.”

She pointed to the trail behind her.  As she talked, the
smell of blood increased.  I sniffed her face and she smiled giving me a kiss
on the nose.

Yuki was definitely bleeding, and it was coming from her
mouth.

I felt the fur begin rise in a ridge along my back.  Yuki
was my mate and I was bound to protect her.  Adrenaline rushed through me and I
tensed, ready to fight.

I was angry, but I was also worried.  My tail tucked between
my legs and I let out a whine.  Yuki may be my mate, but she was human.  She
didn’t have the advantage of werewolf healing that I had.  She needed to get
the injury in her mouth checked out. 

And I had to find a way to protect her from the Grabber.

While the Graduation Grabber was on the loose, no teenage
girl was safe.  According to the police, the Grabber always abducted and killed
two girls during the week before graduation.  With one girl already missing, a
second abduction was imminent.  It was the Grabber’s pattern—a pattern that put
my friends and my mate at risk.

Yuki said that she had found a human skull nearby.  If the
skull belonged to one of the Grabber’s victims, that discovery could put Yuki
in even greater danger.

“Cal, hey, you listening?” she asked.  “I said we need to
get out of here.  Emma, Gordy, and Katie are going to meet us down at the front
gates.”  She pointed downhill.  “We have to get out of the park.”

I nodded, backing up a step.  She was right.  We needed to
get out of these woods, where a killer might be lurking.  When Yuki was safe
from harm, I could return with Simon to examine the skull that she had found.

I took point, wondering for the first time how Yuki could
see anything at all.  She didn’t have wolf eyesight, but was getting on her
bike without stumbling.  I was sure there was an interesting story there, but
it could wait.

Leading the way, with Yuki riding behind me, I trotted down
the trail.  I stayed alert for any sight, sound, or smell that may indicate an
approaching danger, but the most threatening thing I sensed was a bat searching
for a hearty dinner of moths and mosquitoes.  A bat could have caused a problem
if it became tangled in Yuki’s hair, but it flew away without her ever knowing
it was there.

I loped ahead, checking around the next bend in the trail,
and caught sight of artificial light.  After the darkness of the woods the
light hurt my eyes, making them water.  I blinked against welling tears until I
was certain of what I was seeing.

We had found the park gates.