Wolf Bonded (Wolfish 1)

I listen as intently as I can, the events resurfacing in my mind with each new detail.

Of course, he conveniently leaves out the part about them chasing me through the forest, and the part about the wolf-girl.

The wolf girl.

I feel a searing pain in my head. I’d forgotten about that. I wish I could forget about it again, that I could chalk it up to fever dreams.

I wish they would leave. I don’t want to hear them, don’t want to talk to them right now. I don’t even want to think about them.

I try to pretend that I’m still asleep, maybe that way they’ll grow bored and just leave on their own. I can hear my mom starting the tea kettle, which is usually a sign that she intends for visitors to stay.

The longer I lay here, the more I realize my head doesn’t seem to be clearing. My brain hurts, my body aches, and I’m still so chilled that my body is juggling between shivers and cold sweats. I just want to go back to sleep.

Despite my best efforts to remain still and silent, I sneeze.

I hear the pause in their conversation, and then I hear someone hurry over to the door and crack it open before my mother has a chance to intervene.

I shrink down under the covers as I stare up into Kaleb’s face. My eyes feel heavy and clouded.

“Hey,” he says, a hesitant smile fighting at the corner of his mouth. I don’t say anything in return.

Kaleb ignores the whispered words behind him telling him to leave me be and climbs up onto the mattress to sit at my side. Who does he think he is, exactly? He’s the main reason I’m in any of this mess.

He didn’t push me, sure, but he might as well have.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

I want to stay mad at him and to think of something sarcastically brilliant and cutting to say, but I can’t. Mostly because of the breathtakingly handsome smile that’s breaking across his face as he looks down at me, but also because my head feels like it’s going to explode. So, all I can muster to say is the truth.

“Like shit,” I say matter-of-factly.

He chuckles, but I notice a flicker of concern behind his smile.

“Listen,” Kaleb says. “We need to talk about what happened.”

“Can we do it later?” I ask. “I’m really not feeling well.” It’s the honest truth. As much as I want

to be short with him, to Marlowe, and especially Rory; I just don’t feel well enough to do anything except sleep and breathe.

Even that feels like a bit much to ask.

That look of concern grows across Kaleb’s face and he puts the back of his hand against my forehead.

“You’re burning up, Sabrina.”

I nod. “Sure am.”

There’s a frantic shuffle by the door, and more whispered words, but I’m too tired to keep up. Kaleb’s face is the last thing I remember before I fall back asleep. It’s a good image to have in my mind. Even with the frown, Kaleb’s face is gorgeous.

I think I dream about him. Actually, I’m not sure which pictures in my head are dreams and which are real, as the next few days blur around me. I have no choice but to embrace the delirium, so that’s what I do.

22

Sabrina

The next few days swim in and out of a fevered consciousness.

I remember bits and pieces, images that flash across my mind, fragments of voices talking quietly about me as I toss and turn.