Wolf Broken (Wolfish 2)

Maybe Vivian was right.

Maybe Sabrina should be afraid … but not of the turning, not of the ceremony. Of us.

9

Sabrina

Marlowe’s hand tugs on mine, pulling me alongside him.

“Come on, hurry up!”

“Where are we going?” I ask.

He just grins at me. “It’s a surprise.”

We all pile into Rory’s Jeep, now all fixed-up and loaded with blankets and backpacks to set off toward some unknown destination. It reminds me of when I first met Rory, or not long after, when he did something similar for us to work on our now long-forgotten Lycanthrope project.

The nostalgia adds to the growing anticipation.

As soon as school ended and the weekend began, all three of them began snickering about this “surprise” they have in store. They told me to hop in the car because they already had everything we would need. I protested at first, thinking that if we were going anywhere for the weekend that I would at least need to let mom know and grab a few essentials from the cabin … but Marlowe assured me that they’d already cleared it with my mom and that I wouldn’t ne

ed anything that they didn’t already have.

Not that these days she’d even noticed if I disappeared for a couple days. She might not notice if I disappeared altogether.

So with blind and reckless trust, I hop into the passenger seat of the Jeep alongside Rory. Marlowe and Kaleb sit back in the back with all the stuff and howl like wolves as we drive through the woods.

I join in, knowing full well I sound more like a rabid dog than a wolf—but I don’t care.

Nothing can dampen the excitement of this weekend away.

For the first time in ages, it’ll be just me, Rory, Marlowe, and Kaleb. No school. No parents. No Vivian.

The past few days have had a steady snowfall, so instead of just a dusting, the woods now have full-on snowdrifts and the tree branches are piled with white, fluffy mounds. I try to probe Rory for hints of where we’re headed, but he keeps his lips sealed aside from the occasional satisfied smile.

“So, what did I do to deserve this so-called surprise?” I ask. I know we’ve only been driving for something like an hour, but the curiosity is killing me. I haven’t been this far out of North Port since I arrived. Sometimes I think I forget that there’s anything out there beyond the now familiar trees.

“You don’t need to deserve a surprise Sabrina. That would defeat the whole point.”

“Is it though?” I ask.

“Is it what?

“Random.”

Rory looks confused. “What do you mean?”

“I know that the wolf packs are gathering. It does seem awfully coincidental that you’re taking me on a surprise weekend getaway at the exact same time.”

“I can promise you,” he says. “That this surprise is all about heading toward something, and not running away from something. But if it does give the added bonus of keeping you extra safe, then that’s even better.”

I eye him suspiciously. Putting space between me and all the other gathering packs is definitely part of the reason behind this little trip. He can’t fool me.

Just as I’m about to press him more, he takes another turn and the change in scenery makes me forget anything else. To one side, the river winds along the edge of a steep gorge, nothing but a narrow metal railing between us and certain death. Up ahead, the snow-covered mountains melt into the tree line for miles upon miles of uninterrupted wilderness.

We must drive like this for hours, my face pressed to the glass to watch the flickering landscape. At long last, the Jeep rolls to a stop and I look around. There’s nothing here. No cabin, no hotel, not even a campsite with a makeshift tent.

“Wait, are we spending the night here?” I ask as Rory opens his door to get out.