Howl by Brieanna Boyce (chrome ebook reader txt) 📖

Ashley asked pouting.

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m fine.”

She looked down at the ground and muttered softly right as we were about to enter the hotel, “I have a confession.”

I felt my heart race but then I forced myself to breathe; confessions usually in my case weren’t a good thing. “You can tell me anything,” I smiled warmly to Ashley trying to make her feel better although I could tell by the look on her face that it wasn’t going to be good.

Ashley smiled nervously, “Yes well lets head inside first,” her head was down and she was twiddling her thumbs which only succeeded in making me more nervous. We walked slowly to the elevator; the whole climb up each floor was silent between the two of us, which was practically unheard of. The tension was so thick in the air that you could cut it with a butter knife. I actually started to become fidgety when finally we reached our floor, we walked up to our room and Ashley took out the card key. She kept swiping the card and finally after the third or fourth time the door unlocked. She entered the room her head down and I followed warily. She didn’t bother turning on the light even though there was very little light streaming through the room and although I had no trouble seeing her I’m sure it was more difficult for her to see me. She lifted her head to me and without warning closed the space between us with a kiss. I was too shocked to do anything. So I just let her kiss me and didn’t move. When Ashley pulled away her eyes were full of tears, and she looked at me pleadingly.

“I love you,” Ashley muttered.

I shook my head and sighed, Ashley could not have worse timing. I rubbed my head, “No you don’t Ashley.” Why now of all times was she trying to tell me this. It was too much. I felt as if I’d explode, but I didn’t say anything.

“Then why do I feel this way?” Ashley said her voice shaking nervously.

I sighed and rested my head against hers and pet her head, “because you’ve never had a relationship with someone this way. I thank you though for caring about me so much. For helping me so much, I know you though Ashley and you are attracted to boys, I’ve seen it.”
Ashley shook her head but she didn’t argue with me, I just pet her head quietly for awhile.

I heard a knock on the door and saw Kale peak into the room, “Am I interrupting something?”

I shook my head, “No,” I cupped Ashley’s face, “I need to talk to Kale… alone… do you mind?”

Ashley shook her head looking between the two of us, “I’ll go take a shower.” She grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom and I waited until I heard the water turn on. Kale sat on the bed across from me and looked up at me.

“So what did you need to tell me?”

I bit my lip, “There was another reason I left… besides ruining things for you and you’re pack.”

“I know you went to see him,” Kale said icily, “I’m not stupid you know.”

“Oh well, there’s more,” I sat next to him I felt my stomach churn and just when I thought I couldn’t say it all spilled out of me. I told him that I drank blood, that I’d killed two or three vampires to survive and told him that I’d never turned a human. I also told him that I left because Tristan invited me and that I ran away from him and that now the vampire queen was after me.

For awhile he just stared at me several emotions flitting over his features, everything from anger and betrayal, to sadness and pity. “Why did you run away from him if you love him? Why did you bring that girl?”

I looked down and whispered, in a voice that was hardly audible, “because I don’t know who or what he is anymore… he tried to make me drink her, kill her, he said my life would be endangered if I didn’t that I had to learn to. He kept us in a basement he killed my friend…” I felt the words chocking in my throat. Tristan may have been the one to kill them but it was my fault. I’d killed that boy and I hadn’t even bothered to remember his name.

Kale hugged me, which stopped me short on my pity party. I looked up at Kale confused tears welling in my eyes, “Why?” Why would he accept me even though I was the creature he hated the most? How could he care for me after I ruined everything? After I’d killed that boy, after I’d killed all those vampires he still accepted me. Tristan looked at me with hesitance, as if dealing with a wild animal, and Ashley… no matter what she says is terrified of me. I’ve seen it in her eyes. Yet Kale didn’t look at me disgusted not even for a moment, he didn’t treat me as if I was a wild animal, or a stranger, or an enemy I was just Skylar and he was Kale.

“A wise woman once said “I want you ugly I want you diseased.” Kale grinned.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, “Are you by any chance quoting Lady Gaga?”

Kale shrugged and grinned boyishly, “She knows her stuff man.”

I chuckled and hugged him. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Only he could make me laugh even when the world was falling apart.

Kale rubbed my back softly, “You know, I’m actually proud of you, although I think you should’ve told me the truth earlier. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

I bit my lip because I’d thought about how I’d seen Tristan today, how Ashley just said she loved me, and the secrets I’d learned while living in the apartment with the pack.

He pulled away from me a bit to examine my face when I hadn’t said anything and sighed, “There’s more?”

“Well I read Meg’s diary and read some rather interesting stuff… especially in the entry the night I was turned or morning I can’t remember. It was about you… and Derek and Jason…” I bit my lip, “well I’m sorry but that one’s not my secret to tell and… I saw Tristan today.”

Kale hissed through teeth, “Where did you see him?”

“Well he was actually inside the restaurant he warned me that the Vampire queen was after me.” Kale ran a hand through his hair and in deep thought. It was funny though that at even such a serious moment his presence made everything lighter.

Ashley came out of the shower in a towel and I swear I could’ve killed her, she was revealing way too much, her thighs and part of her shapely hip exposed and the towel was small enough that it showed off some of her cleavage, her hair sticking to her skin only made it more obscene.

“Maybe you should consider putting on some clothes while I’m having company,” I growled.

Ashley looked at me innocently, “That’s what I’m doing now.”

“Well that’s what you could’ve been doing before so that you wouldn’t be walking around the house in nothing but a towel.”

Ashley rolled her eyes, “Don’t take out the fact I have a better body then you out on me.”

I growled my body shaking, I punched the wall nearby leaving a big hole in it, “You ungrateful brat just because I don’t want you to walk around looking like a whore doesn’t make me jealous.” I had no idea where this anger was coming from but it was explosive and right now I had a very small amount of control on it.

“She’s interfering, she’s trying to take your mate away,” The she wolf hissed darkly.

Ashley’s eyes went wide, and in that moment so did mine. I saw true fear ignite in Ashley’s green eyes, it was only for a moment but it was there and it made me feel like a monster. I hated myself for it. I didn’t care about this “mate” thing it wasn’t my tradition that’s not how love worked with humans.

“No, it is not that different from human love, we both have multiple partners throughout a lifetime but at least with wolves it’s guaranteed that they will be friends and they will be involved in their children’s lives there’s no guarantee but a lot more wolf parents stick around then human ones.”

I sighed and rubbed my head, “but I’m not a wolf, I’m a werewolf and a vampire. I can’t worry about mating right now.”

Kale took my shoulder and shook me lightly, “Skylar, are you okay?”

I shook my head lightly, “uh yeah I’m fine… I’m going to go outside.” I walked outside taking in deep gulps of fresh air and leaning against the railing.

Kale walked up beside me, “What’s wrong?”

I rubbed my head trying to soothe away the coming headache, “It’s just, too much, and I don’t know if my brain can take anymore everything’s happening so fast.”

Kale sighed and nodded, “My mother used to say that sometimes we were all gifted with beautiful presents from a higher power, people who can make a difference and those people as great as they may be they must sacrifice for their gifts; they must be rewarded and punished for them.”

I smiled and looked at him, “It sounds like your mother and my mother would get along very well.”

We both looked out at the sky letting silence invade or conversation, we didn’t have to talk it wasn’t necessary because we knew each other.

“I promise Skylar, I’ll help you get out of this.” He vowed it solemnly and I didn’t doubt it for a moment.

“You know Kale there’s no one else I’d rather have as a pack leader,” I looked at him and smiled, His dark hair was swaying a little with the wind and the bronze glow of his skin, his lips pressed into a serious line and his golden eyes dancing with promise. He was what held everything together, and it seemed that without him around I wasn’t totally sane or myself. “I think when your mom was talking of those people I think she meant you.”

He looked at me his eyes wide with surprise, as if he was so undeserving of the small praise. “I was talking about you.” Now it was my turn to be shocked.

“I mean how much you’ve had to deal with, how much you’ve gone through in such a short time frame, how strong you are to have survived all this, how kind you are to resist your urges for blood when you could’ve given in.”

I smiled, “Yes but I can barely manage myself you manage to keep peace among the whole pack and keep us safe.”

Kale frowned, “Obviously I didn’t do that good of a job.”

“Yes you did,” I smiled, “come on stay the night I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”

Kale scratched the back of his head, “Well where would Ashley sleep?”

“Ashley’s going out to a sleepover with some of her colleagues from work anyway.”

Kale bit his lip which I seemed for whatever reason fixated on, “Well there’s only one bed.”

“Well do you have anywhere else to stay?”

Kale looked away, “Well….no…but…”