Free Microsoft Word - The_Howling_Heart_AB_forPDF by Princess Page A

"Yeah, do you?"
    "Sure, and I hope my ex-boyfriend gets what's coming to him." I put a spoonful of
    colorful hoops in my mouth and hoped the sweet cereal overpowered my bitter words.
    He turned toward me with an amused smile. "Ooooh, what did he do?"
    "I caught him cheating on me in front of my apartment building."
    "We don't do that," he said cryptically. I gave him a confused look. "Cheat, I mean. Once we're bonded to someone, we're loyal until death."
    "Who's we ?"
    "Everyone in this community."
    This new information was strange but comforting. It pleased me to know some people
    still believed in fidelity and commitment. Regardless, I still wanted to go back to New York
    because I had enough of Black River’s weirdness.
    "The wolf you mentioned before...did it attack you?"
    He echoed his father's question, and once again, my hand froze with the spoon to my
    mouth. "Uh, no...But---"
    "Then why are you afraid? Why do you want to leave?"
    I thought the answer was obvious so I scoffed. "Because it's a wolf ---a dangerous wild
    animal. As I said, it came into my cabin while I slept. It came into your house too and slept right where you're sitting."
    The Gray family’s carefree attitude about my situation baffled me. I couldn't understand
    why they weren't concerned.
    "Have you ever touched a wolf?" He asked with an expression of mild curiosity.
    I ate the rest of the cereal and slowly drank the milk before I set the bowl back onto the
    nightstand. With my stomach rumbling under control, I scooted underneath the blankets to lie
    down.
    Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

    T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T
    A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e | 49

    "Yes," I admitted quietly. "When I was ten years old, I met a wolf pup in the woods near my cabin. We became friends." I smiled thoughtfully. "I even played with him."
    Riley smiled. "So why are you afraid of wolves if you met one?"
    "Well, that was a pup and he was playful."
    "Adult wolves are playful," he countered.
    I laughed humorlessly. "Oh really? Because the ones I met weren't. I saw a pack of huge
    wolves that same night and they wanted to kill me."
    Riley turned his head. He lowered his voice when he said, "That's because you entered
    their territory. That also raises the question...why didn't they kill you?"
    His questions had me suspicious and I wanted him to look me in the eye.
    "I don't know. Maybe the pup communicated to them I meant no harm. I'm really not
    sure."
    Riley leaned his head back against the wall, but slowly turned to look at me. I stared into
    his eyes and wished I knew what he was thinking.
    "Do you know a lot about wolves?" I asked.
    He nodded. I scooted closer to him and he dipped his head toward me. His scent engulfed
    me and an unexpected feeling came over me. I wished for him to lie next to me and talk to me. I
    felt drawn to him and enjoyed his company even though some of his words puzzled me.
    "Then answer me this: why would a wolf come into my window at night and jump on my
    bed while I slept?"
    Riley didn't miss a beat. "Maybe it was curious about you."
    "How could a wolf get through a second-story window without a fire escape?"
    His Adam’s apple moved in his throat. "Maybe it wasn't a normal wolf. Maybe it was
    a... super wolf."
    A sharp laugh burst from my mouth. "A super wolf?" I continued to laugh, but his serious expression cut it short. A ghost of a smile remained on my face, but the longer I stared at him,
    the more I realized something else was going on. My smile disappeared completely and I decided
    to pick his brain. "Well, that may explain its size. You know something, don't you?" He turned his head again...and confirmed my suspicions. "You know what's going on. Tell me."
    "Will you stay here if I promise to keep the wolf away from you?" Once again, he tried to
    throw our conversation off-track.
    Copyright © 2011 April Bostic

    T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T
    A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e | 50

    I sighed heavily. "I'll stay until I'm fully