BLAKE
The clock had just struck ten when my phone began to ring. No one was asleep yet. We were all still awake, sharing laughs over old memories.
I wonât lie, I was bummed that Claire hadnât returned, but I figured she must have had something more pressing to attend to.
âDonât just sit there, answer it,â my dad chided from his chair.
I nodded curtly, picked up my phone, and pressed it to my ear. âBlake,â I said, keeping it short.
âBlake, please tell me Claire is with you,â a womanâs raspy, breathless voice came from the other end.
I frowned, puzzled. âWhoâs this?â I asked, curious about who else knew Claire. It couldnât be her. Iâd recognize her voice anywhere.
âIâm Nancy. A friend of Claireâs, practically family. I just need to know where she is. Please tell me sheâs with you.â Her voice cracked at the end.
A knot formed in my stomach and my heart started to race. âNo. She was here. But she left hours ago. Said she had an aunt in town and her parents wanted her at some restaurant.â I relayed the information as straightforwardly as I could.
I heard her sigh, followed by some mumbled words I couldnât make out. âI know Iâm going to regret saying and doing this, but I need your help,â she said, her tone firm.
I held my breath. Something was off. I knew it! I knew something was wrong when Claire left.
âWhat is it? Iâll do anything,â I blurted out, ~sounding like a love-struck teenager who was losing his first love.~
âTo know that, you have to do something else. Iâm not going to spill everything. But I do know that what I tell you will raise more questions.
âSo, you need to understand that you cannot ask any questions. You just do as I say and listen,â Nancy instructed from the other end.
I nodded, even though she couldnât see me. âYeah, yeah. Sure. What is it?â I asked impatiently.
âClaire is in trouble.â
CLAIRE
I lay there for what felt like an eternity. My body ached too much to move and I was certain that Logan had broken every bone in my body.
The pain was nearly unbearable and I found myself drifting in and out of consciousness over the past few hours.
Every so often, I would attempt to move a limb, but the pain was too intense. Sharp stabs of pain radiated from my lower abdomen, and I feared they had reopened the stitch.
I screamed out in agony. My body convulsed with each attempt to move. My face was pressed against the cold floor. I glanced outside. The pitch-black darkness confirmed that it was well past eleven.
Slowly, I pulled my knees up to my chest, curling into a tight ball, and cried silently.
I cried for everything that was happening.
I cried for the heartbreak James had caused me. I cried for the beatings Logan had given me. I cried for the years of feeling neglected by my parents. I cried for putting Nancy in danger.
And I cried for even thinking I could save Blake.
If I canât save myself, how can I save Blake?
âClaireâ¦â a voice so soft and quiet called from outside the training room.
My eyes widened and I jerked in surprise. I hissed in pain as my body protested the sudden movement.
âClaire,â the voice called again, louder this time. I could faintly recognize the voice: Nancy.
~Oh God. Thank you, Lord!~ ~I shouted in my head.
I opened my mouth, ready to scream out, but found that I couldnât. My voice was hoarse and I was in too much pain to speak. My breathing was heavy and that was the only sound I could make.
I panicked! What was I going to do?
My eyes scanned the room around me. Broken boards and tables were scattered on the ground. A red punching bag lay on a small coffee table.
Glass shards littered the floor from various broken tables and an idea began to form in my mind.
Slowly, painfully, I inched my way towards the pieces of glass and broken wood. I knew it was going to hurt, but at least it would make me scream.
When I was close enough, I grabbed a piece of glass and, with shaky hands, brought it to my arm.
No, Iâm not suicidal, or planning to kill myself. I know how hard I need to press to kill myself, and I know how hard I need to press not to.
Slowly, I traced the edge of the glass across my upper arm. It didnât hurt too much, so I pressed a little deeper. I pressed until I felt a scream building up in my throat.
Finally, I opened my mouth when I saw the dark, crimson red start to flow out of my arm quickly. My scream was hoarse and raspy, but I knew they heard it.
I heard a sharp intake of breath, before the door burst open. Nancy, and someone else stood there. My eyes were rolling to the back of my head, though.
I instantly regretted what I had done. There was too much blood, too much blood.
Images swarmed my head. Memories, blood, red, all spun in my head. It was too much, too much, just too much.
I cried out again. I wanted this to stop. I wanted the blood to stop, the red, the pain! I cried hysterically as I felt two arms come under my legs.
I was crying too hard to even care. The arms made me feel safe and secure though.
I could faintly hear sobs, not coming from me, but I couldnât even see through the blurry haze. I sniffled and yelped out in pain when I was moved. I had forgotten how broken my body was.
I just wanted all of this to stop, everything!
I slowly raised my head and looked into familiar stormy grey eyes. My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at Blake.
âShh,â he cooed, guiding my head to rest on his chest. I didnât resist. In fact, I welcomed it. I welcomed the feeling of safety and warmth from Blake.
I let myself be enveloped in his scent and warmth. I allowed myself to feel safe, for once in my life.
BLAKE
To say I was shocked would be an understatement. When Nancy told me that Claireâs life was in danger, I didnât realize she meant it literally!
The moment I walked through the door, my heart shattered. Her scream had been a knife to my chest. Blood was everywhere. Her face was a mess, beaten and bruised. Nancy was sobbing, and so was Claire.
I thought Iâd be met with resistance when I reached out to Claire, but instead, she wrapped her arms around me, clinging to me like I was her lifeline.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldâve teased her about it. But this was far from normal.
Nancy hadnât given me any details, just that Claire was in trouble.
Now, we were in Nancyâs car, heading to her place. Claire was still in my arms. Her hair was no longer neatly tied up, but loose and disheveled.
Her lip was split, and a large bruise was forming under her right eye. There were marks and bruises all over her arms and legs.
She was barefoot, which meant her feet were probably just as battered. I didnât even want to think about what was hidden beneath her clothes.
Anger surged through me at the thought of whoever had done this to her. Without thinking, I pulled her closer. Her head rested against my chest, her steady breathing indicating she was asleep.
âWhat the hell happened, Nancy?â I asked quietly from the back seat.
Her eyes remained on the road. âI canât tell you. Itâs not my story to tell,â she replied.
I sighed and leaned back, my gaze fixed on Claire. Gently, I traced my fingers over her split lip. I was hit with a sudden urge to kiss her. To feel her soft lips against mine.
I leaned in, my lips barely brushing hers, but then I hesitated.
I knew how I felt about her, but what about her feelings? What if Claire didnât feel the same?
I shook my head. Iâd seen the way she looked at me, the way she smiled and blushed around me. She had to feel something for me.
Making a quick decision before I lost my nerve, I leaned in again. This time, I let my lips meet hers. It was a light touch, she was still asleep, but I wanted more. So much more.
I craved her. Her voice, her touch, ~her~. She was beautiful. But I knew I wasnât in love. I just really liked her.
With one last gentle brush of my lips against hers, I pulled back. The last thing I needed was for her to wake up and freak out!
Besides, I needed to heed my momâs advice. I needed to fight for her. I was willing to do that. I wouldnât let her go. I wouldnât abandon her like her ex and Ashley. Iâd stay with her because being her friend was better than not having her at all.
CLAIRE
My eyes flew open as I felt myself being moved again. My hands were clenched tightly around something. Looking up, I realized it was Blakeâs shirt.
Embarrassed, I let go and buried my face in his chest. âSorry,â I mumbled. I was still in shock. I was on edge.
âItâs okay. Iâm here,â Blake replied softly.
I just nodded. âW-where are we?â I stuttered. I hated how scared I was now! I hated that James and Logan had done this to me! But most of all, I hated how naive I had been to trust James.
I hated that he couldnât just be honest with me! I hated that he was willing to cheat on me with Ashley, just to hurt me. To make me hate him. I hated how much he still affected me.
âWeâre at Nancyâs,â he replied, carrying me into her house.
I looked down at myself and almost grimaced. I was covered in dirt and blood. I knew what had happened to me. I hadnât forgotten.
I just wished I had been smart enough to see what he was planning. The James I once knew was a completely different person now. Logan had changed him. Logan had destroyed my James, forever.
But maybe it was for the best.
Once inside, Nancy directed Blake to a seat, and he carried me up to my room.
Nancy was the first to approach me. She gently wiped some dried blood from my lip. I tried not to flinch, but Iâm pretty sure she noticed.
Nancy sighed sadly. âIâm so sorry this happenedââ
I cut her off with a shake of my head.
âItâs okay. It was my fault. I shouldâve known better,â I admitted.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and suddenly, she pulled me into a tight hug. It was awkward, but I didnât care. I wrapped my arms loosely around her. âIâm sorry,â I whispered.
She kissed my cheek and pulled back.
âIâll tell your parents youâre staying here tonight. You need some rest. And Iâll be back in a bit to clean up your wounds, okay?â Nancy said, wiping away a few tears.
I nodded, already feeling exhausted.
Blake carried me up to the guest bedroom. Iâd stayed there enough times to know I had clothes there.
He set me down on the mattress, but didnât pull up the covers.
He just stared at me, as if he couldnât believe what he was seeing. And then it hit me: ~Because it was unbelievable!~
~
~Blake had just seen the schoolâs quiet nerd get beat up! Why wouldnât that be hard to believe?!~
~
âAre you going to explain?â he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I swallowed hard. âUmâ¦â I trailed off.
He sighed deeply. âClaire, what the hell happened tonight?â he asked, his voice edged with frustration.
I donât know why I said it. I donât know how it slipped out. And I certainly didnât know why I spoke without thinking, but I did.
âIâm White Wolf.â