“Just home,” she said, pointing to her car just a few more feet from us.
I nodded. “Let me know if they continue to bother you.” I turned and walked away before I could say or do anything stupid. I had planned to go out for a run later today, but I needed to go now.
I walked down the road, heading for the woods. I felt my wolf start to get uneasy the closer I got, the urge rising to shift out of my human form and take off.
Once I was in the woods, I finally gave in. I felt my muscles stretch, and my skin moved. I felt my bones shifting, and I closed my eyes, letting the change sink in.
I took off into the woods, running as I had so many times before. I didn’t want to think, but just run like it was all I knew.
Chapter 7 - Gabriella
I was sitting on the couch when I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. They were too light to be Westley’s, so I knew that they were Hazel’s. I turned from my book and spotted her as she came around the corner. She had her hair up in a fancy bun, with a few strands falling free. She was wearing a pair of nice jeans and a red, fluffy sweater. I raised an eyebrow, a little surprised at her attire.
“Where are you headed?” I asked as I sat up a little straighter.
“I’m going to help the healers again.”
Hazel saw a poster at work that the healers were looking for extra hands at the healing center. She figured it would give her something to do in her off time and maybe help build friendships. She explained that now that they had a decent place to stay, maybe the pack was worth getting to know.
She’d been going out during her spare time, and over the past few weeks, I’d seen her less and less. I was happy for her. This is what I wanted. I wanted Hazel to have friends and feel like she belonged here. I just hadn’t expected it to happen as quickly as it did since moving in with Westley.
I was a little jealous of how easy it seemed for her. She left one afternoon to meet the healers and see if she was even interested in helping, and came home bouncing. She’d gone on and on about how cool they were and how eager she was to learn from them. They shared an interest in music and all thought the same things. She felt like she belonged.
“When are you thinking you’re going to be home?” I asked, setting my book aside.
She shrugged. “No idea. They were going to teach me how to do stitches today. Don’t wait up. I’ll figure out something for dinner, so don’t worry about making me something.”
I frowned, and I listened to the door shut behind her. I looked around the space, taking in the quiet. I chewed on my lip, wondering what I was going to do. With Hazel out of the house, and me having avoided Westley, my world seemed so small.
I shook my head and told myself everything was fine. I shouldn’t let this bother me. It wasn’t like I didn’t have friends or a life. I did.
I grabbed my book, which I had finished the other night, and decided I should make a trip to the library. I drove across town and headed inside, soaking in the quiet that came with it. The sound of a low whisper, and pages turning in a book. The soft hum came from Marium as she pushed her book cart around, putting books away.
I dropped my book off on the desk and headed for the history section. I read all kinds of genres and liked to mix them up. I had just finished reading a romance and decided I needed something a little darker, something brutal and fresh.
I ran my fingers across the shelves as I moved, reading the authors’ names, seeing if one would catch my attention. I paused as I read a title, knowing it wasn’t supposed to be in here. I reached for the book, ready to bring it to Marium and let her know it had been placed in the wrong place.
But I felt a spark go up my fingers as I grabbed the book. The feeling trailed through my entire body, and I felt like someone had just run electricity right through me. I dropped the book, pulling my hand back and staring at it with wide eyes.
What just happened? What was that?
I looked down at the book. It fell face down with the spine open. I felt my blood pumping as I bent down, reaching for it again. The spark was softer this time, and my hands shook as I pulled the book up.
I read the title again. The magic beneath.
I stared at the book, my mind racing a mile a minute. Why was I feeling anything from this book? Could I be feeling magic? Sure, I was a witch, but I didn’t have any magic. Not even a little.
“What did you find?” Marium said, popping her head around the corner. “Something good?”
I looked at Marium, ready to tell her this had been placed in the wrong spot, but I couldn’t. I looked back at the book, taking in the way it looked. It had wear and tear, as it had been through many hands.
“Gabriella?” Marium tilted her head as she looked at me. “Did you hear me?”
“Here,” I said, quickly pulling myself together as I pulled the book up. “This is in the wrong area.” I pushed the book into her hands, the spark suddenly disappearing the instant I took my hands away. I felt my heart sink at it, but tried to shake it off.
“Are you okay? You look sick, darling. Are you feeling okay?” Marium asked as I moved past her.
“I’m fine. I have to go.”
