Free The Bad Wolf by Michelle Clay Page A

hearing animals last weekend. In biology and art class she kept catching him giving her odd little glances. He always seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but would change his mind at the last moment. Trying to figure out Ryan Neal was an exhausting chore.
    Nevertheless, she grabbed her bag then rushed down the bleachers. She slung it over her shoulder and headed toward the back of the school. It wasn’t that she wanted to be in his company, she told herself. More like, she just didn’t want to be alone.
    Art, drama and technology education were the only buildings back there. The bleating of a sheep reminded her that there was also a small fenced area where the kids in F.F.A. kept livestock.
    The continued bleating raised the hairs on the back of her neck. She was still too far away to pick up on the animal’s emotions, but she’d have to be an idiot not to recognize the terror in its cries. Suddenly she remembered the newspaper article she’d seen only days ago. Curiosity urged her in Ryan’s direction. What business did he have with the livestock? Maybe she could catch up to him if she hurried.
    Her legs were achy from yesterday’s race. They shook with exhaustion as she jogged past the track’s fenced exit then set off toward the school.
    When she reached the gate that led to the courtyard, she hung her bag on it so Karen would know she was still there.
    The main office and administrative building was just inside. On either side of that was the gymnasium and cafeteria. In the middle of all this was another grassy area with a sputtering fountain. There were stone benches surrounding the water feature, but Chloe saw no purpose in having it. The grass was forbidden to students. Just to spite those who made the rule, she trudged across the lush greenery. The rest of the school formed a sprawling, broken U shape. She headed for the opening between the buildings.
    Adrenaline surged through her when she heard a sound on the other side of the structure. She wanted to catch Ryan before her mom showed up to embarrass her. She called out to him once again.
    Disappointment replaced withering hope. He hadn’t answered or even indicated that he heard her. It wasn’t surprising. There was something wrong with him, but she didn’t know what. He was so secretive and always quick to shut himself off from emotion. What had she done to make him dislike her so much? He’d practically ignored her all week and the few times he’d spoken, it was gruff and to the point. Jenna just laughed it off, saying he was “in a mood”.
    Girls didn’t even PMS for this long!
    A shadow darted past the open end of the building. The click-clack of claws on the sidewalk sounded loud all around her. Then the wave of playful malice flooded her awareness. She glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing. A haunting howl echoed off the brick walls surrounding her.
    Her own p anic accelerated her heartbeat and she broke into a sprint. As she pumped her legs faster, it felt like a million wasps doing the tango on her thighs. A side stitch forced her to clutch at her waist, but Chloe didn’t slow down. Her lungs burned as she sucked in great gasps of air. Now she wished she hadn’t wasted so much energy trying to catch up to that jerk Ryan.
    She experienced a small sense of accomplishment when she made it past the breezeway leading to the back of the property.
    A big canine with golden fur loped around the art room. Chloe leapt to the side to avoid crashing into it. Its twin crept up from behind. Their ears perked forward with interest and a low growl rattled from their throats.
    The big gest wolf lunged at her then snapped at her moving feet. Sharp teeth snagged her sock, but not the flesh. The fabric tore and she landed on her hands and knees. Pain and fear tore a yelp from her as concrete bit into her skin. The wolves seemed undecided about what to do next. They glanced at each other with tails bristled. The smaller blonde wolf lunged forward