Chapter 14 - "Wolf"

Matt shook his head and stretched, his legs aching. Last night had to be one of the worst nights he’d had in a while. It had just rubbed in the fact that he was never going to be like anyone normal again. He was never going to be able to hold someone close and feel love and be able to mess around without being too scared to hurt anyone.

It wasn’t just that it was an emotional night. Another thing was that he’d been injured and now his human chest had a red line of an almost healed cut from the knife he’d been stabbed with that night. He’d never been hurt since he’d realised what he was and so he’d never experienced the healing rate his body now had.

He was surprised to find out that even though the wound was quite deep, in less than a few hours his body had closed the wound and it was now pink as if he’d just scratched himself with his nails. It was a weird sensation as his skin felt a bit tight around the wound but other than that he felt normal and it wasn’t painful in the slightest, just a bit itchy.

The week had mostly been wasted. He now had to start all over again looking for a prime suspect which he could link all of the disappearances with. Kristen wasn’t involved, that was obvious, and so the disappearances that started as soon as she moved was a coincidence. Something was killing these people and the worst thing about it was that Matt didn’t have any idea who or what it was.

Matt slowly got ready and was out of the door in a few minutes. His walk to school was a quick one and, in no time at all, he was outside one of the English classes leaning against the shelf, feeling it bend under his weight. He ran his fingers through his hair and glared at one of the younger students who was looking at him as they walked past. She quickly hurried along and Matt rolled his eyes, continuing to groom.

No doubt he was going to be told about what happened last night with Kristen and Gareth. Luckily he had Art first so he didn’t have to look at Kristen and Gareth snuggling anywhere. It didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to see them this morning though. He hoped that he didn't but, knowing his luck, he definitely would.

Matt sighed and closed his eyes, trying not to get distracted by the idea of the couple. He had to think of something else. He decided to go against what he normally thought about and thought of his little sister Aimee.

How her hair was always caught in the wind each time it blew, as if it wanted to carry her away into the sky. She always smiled and always talked about everything that happened, with no secrets and no lies, especially with Matt. He had loved her so much. He missed her so badly. He wished, just for one more day, that he could see her, if only to say goodbye to her properly. He hated the fact that the last thing she’d seen had been him at his worst.

Yet again, he was surprised by the presence of Kristen and how she was able to take him unaware. He swore he was getting used to her scent, and that was a very bad thing. He hated to admit that his body now didn’t mind so much that she was close by to him, even though her smell still made him unable to breathe and the oxygen was now flavoured with raspberries wherever he turned.

“Hey.” She said and Matt jumped and snapped his eyes open. She was next to him, looking away from him down the corridor, but the closeness of her suggested that she wasn’t intending of going anywhere.

“Hey.” He replied and then forced himself to close his eyes again. He wanted to relax. She wouldn’t try anything. They were in school and she was now going out with Gareth so she wouldn’t dare risk being seen. That and she was no longer a suspect so it wasn’t as if he had anything to be worried about. Still, it made him weary being unable to see what she was doing and after a while he gave in and opened his eyes once again.

“Are you alright?”

Matt nodded and looked down at her as she looked up at him with a sad smile. “You?”

She sighed and adjusted herself on the shelf she leant on with him, messing with the bottom of her hair. She seemed to ignore the fact that he was actually joining in on conversation. “I guess so.”

“Good.” He murmured, not wanting to talk much more about it. He knew that she'd carry on, though, so he waited patiently fo her to continue.

Kristen was silent for a moment and then breathed out as the silence lengthened. “Me and Gareth went to the cinema last night.”

“I know.” Matt bowed his head slightly in confirmation.

“It was good.” She looked up at him and shifted her weight onto her right foot. “He moves fast though.”

“What do you mean?” He turned to face her and raised his eyebrows. He hadn't stuck around much after the cinema, thinking that there was no risk and therefore no point being there nosing in on Kristen's love life. He didn't exactly love watching her make out with Gareth. Had he missed something?

She swallowed, surprised by the unusual friendliness he was giving her, but she didn't comment on it. She probably thought that mentioning it would stop him being friendly and she was probably right. “He kissed me.”

“Did you want him to?” He asked and she searched his face as if looking for something curiously.

“I…I'm not sure. It didn’t feel right.” She glanced at the floor. “I don’t know why.”

“Maybe it’s a sign.”

“Maybe.” She looked into his eyes and then looked away again. “Or maybe it's just because I wasn’t expecting it so quickly.”

Matt nodded and looked down at his hands. “So long as he doesn’t force you.”

Kristen shook her head quickly. “He didn’t. It was just unexpected. We’ve only just started to go out so…”

Matt blew out and closed his eyes, frowning. When he opened them again, Kristen was watching him with curiosity, her eyes wide and wandering.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Matt nodded and turned his head away from her. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh.” She fell silent and watched his hands as he threaded his fingers between his other ones and back out again. “I wont probe if you don't want me to.”

“Good.” He sighed and turned to look out of the window, watching as the clouds grew grey and horrible. It wasn’t a very good day for him and she knew it. She could see it in his face. Kristen touched his arm gently then let her hand fall when he looked at her.

“I would hug you if you let me but I know you wouldn’t.”

Matt nodded, grateful that she wasn’t going to push him today. He didn't need any more problems. He had enough unsolved problems as it was and it didn't help his sleep, especially as he'd been uncomfortable last night too, unable to lie on his front or on his side without pulling his damaged skin. “Just the disappearances…”

Kristen stiffened slightly but Matt didn’t much notice.

“It got me thinking. I wish that people weren’t being killed so sneakily. Then I’d be able to solve who was doing it.”

Kristen licked her lips and gave him a nervous look. He didn’t know why she was acting so guilty as he knew it wasn’t her and there's no way that she would know much about it if she wasn’t actually the murderer herself. Maybe she knew who the murderer was but didn't want to tell him. Maybe she was protecting them.

It made sense.

“So many innocent people…” Matt trailed off and then closed his eyes, ignoring the swirling thoughts and questions in his head. “Dead.”

Kristen swallowed. “Maybe it’ll stop soon.”

“I doubt it.” Matt said and rolled his shoulders, ignoring the looks people were giving him down the corridor. “I have a feeling whoever it is, they’re here to stay for a while yet.”

Kristen was quiet for a moment and then she glanced at Matt’s bag which was leaning against the window. “Have you drawn anymore pictures?”

Matt shook his head, slightly glad for the conversation change, and turned to open his bag to retrieve the notepad where all of his drawings were. He opened it and flicked through it.

Kristen looked through them for a moment and then went into her bag and pulled out a sharp pencil. She placed it gently on the shelf and looked up at Matt, who took the pencil, grateful that she'd stopped herself touching his fingers. “Draw something for me.”

Matt stopped for a moment and moved the pencil in his fingers. “I cant, not just like that.”

“Please?”

“What do you want me to draw?” He looked out of the window and began to flick through his drawings to a clean page, his fingers dancing along the paper as the bumps raised into his fingertips.

Kristen thought for a second and then moved closer to him as if she was about to share a secret. She went onto her toes and then leaned close to his ear, a hand on his left arm. All he could feel was her raspberry breath in his ear when she formed the word: “Wolf.”

Matt froze and his eyes widened. She stepped back and watched him. He quickly switched his features back to normal, flattening his mouth and eyebrows, and glanced at her. “Why a wolf?”

She shrugged and tilted her head slightly, watching him. “You draw them a lot in your work. You’re good at them.”

Matt breathed out and flicked his head to the right. “Erm…” He looked to the ceiling as if inspiration would come from the air. He was proud of himself that he’d been able to stop himself changing his expression too much when she’d said it. However, it had stirred up questions in his head and they were going to bother him while he drew.

Why a wolf? Why now? Did she know his secret? He hoped not.

Actually he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know whether he wanted her to know or not. If she did know about him becoming a wolf she was either going to be too afraid and avoid him, scared that he would hurt her at any given point, or that she would be intrigued, completely stupid, refusing to believe it or maybe she just wouldn’t care.

It would either bring or lose problems, either way.

If she knew, she would understand why he was so persistent in staying away from her. She would understand what he meant about keeping her safe and it being for her own good. She would understand and hopefully stay away from him, making it easier to look out for her without being worried all the time that he was going to do something stupid.

Either that or she only assumed things, thought he was obsessed with the animal, or just was oblivious about anything that was happening with him and just liked him to draw.

He didn’t know which would be best, for her to know or for her not to know. He’d always thought that being left in the dark was the best safest route for Kristen. Maybe he was wrong…

He realised that he’d been silent and still for a few minutes now. Kristen was watching him with a curious expression, searching his face for any clues. Matt quickly twisted the pencil in his fingers and sighed, resting it on the paper. “What do you want it to look like?”

Kristen moved to look at the paper and thought for a moment. “What does a wolf do?”

Matt rolled his eyes and licked his teeth with impatience. “Decide. The bell will go in a few minutes.”

“Be inventive. I don’t know. You’re the artist.” Kristen grinned and looked up at Matt’s face, which was twisting with annoyance.

“Fine.”

Matt put the pencil comfortably into his hand and pressed the pencil onto the page. He wanted to draw something that wouldn’t give her any clues on anything she may or may not think about him.

Firstly, he drew a small black haired wolf, a wolf a lot smaller than himself, almost a baby. It was sitting down, the tail curled around its back legs. The front legs were bent slightly, one paw extended as if pawing at something with a curious gaze. Its mouth was soft, the head not quite grown into the skin, slightly open with a slight glimpse of a tongue hiding behind baby teeth.

He began to draw the background into it, deciding on a puddle of water in a dip of the ground, tufts of grass around the feet. Trees hung in the background, autumn leaves dropping from branch to pebbles, some even venturing into the puddle itself. The wolf’s paw was only just touching the water’s surface, causing gentle ripples.

Kristen smiled and gasped with delight at the picture and Matt had to admit that it was a good image. He liked it. He liked it because it gave nothing away but it was still part of him and he still had a connection to his drawing.

Matt pulled back from the drawing he’d just quickly done and studied it, making sure that it looked correct. Then he lifted it up to show Kristen, the light from outside skimming off the pencil lead. She beamed and took the notebook. Then she looked up at him. “That’s so cute. Can I have it?”

Matt shrugged and looked away briefly, secretly pleased inside. “Yeah sure.”

She smiled and gently pulled the page out, passing the book of drawings back to Matt and keeping hold of the little cub. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” She whispered.

Matt put his notebook away and watched Kristen’s face as she studied the picture, her fingers dancing gently onto the page. He ran his fingers through his hair and yawned, wincing as the cut on his chest tightened with his breath.

She noticed.

He wished that she hadn't.

Her eyes diverted from the page to Matt’s face, a question flitting across her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” He answered quickly and looked away from her, cursing his weakness.

Kristen put the page down and studied him carefully. “You just winced. You’re in pain. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He groaned and regretted himself yawning. Why did he have to do that at that moment in time? Now she was going to keep going on about it.

“Matt you’re in pain. What have you done?”

“Nothing. It's just a cut. I'm fine. Leave it.”

“Show me.” She said and touched his arm.

Matt sighed. She wasn’t going to let it go. He wasn’t in the mood to argue. Matt nodded at an empty English room and Kristen quickly picked up her bag and drawing, moving into the classroom only after she looked back to check that Matt was going to follow. Once inside, Matt closed the door behind him and flicked the lock.

If he did, for some reason, get out of control and try to attack Kristen, at least he wouldn’t kill anyone else. He wasn’t going to get out of control anyway, as he was going to concentrate. He wasn’t going to lose it because he was strong.

Kristen dropped her bag on the desk and looked at him expectantly, watching as Matt dropped his bag also and moved towards the back of the corridor away from the door and the windows. “Come away from the windows. I don’t want anyone else to see. You have Gareth remember?”

“Where exactly is this cut?” She asked, moving closer to him, pulling the curtains shut so that the room went darker, only to stop anyone else seeing them both alone locked in a classroom.

Matt breathed out and took off his jumper. “Im only showing you to stop you worrying about it.” He moved his tie out of the way and braced himself as Kristen stepped closer, only a foot away from him, her eyes curious. She watched as he began to unbutton his top and her eyes widened once she saw his torso.

“Wow.” She mouthed.

“What?” He asked, frowning as he looked down at himself, thinking that he'd missed something.

“You must really work out.” She said and looked from his shoulders down to his belly, his tanned stomach only just showing from where he stopped unbuttoning his top. Finally she noticed the cut and her eyes widened more. She stepped closer and raised her hand. “Can I…?” She indicated his chest.

Matt breathed in and then slowly nodded. It wouldn’t hurt. He was in control. She would be safe. He was just wondering how it was going to feel. He’d never had a girl be so close to him, never had anyone really seen his stomach and chest, especially in the past year.

She slowly moved her hand towards him and he could see that she, too, took a breath. Her fingers gently pressed on his chest and he gasped quietly, surprised by how cold she was against his hot skin. Her fingers spread out against his soft hard muscles and she traced the pink line of the cut that ran across his chest. “It looks painful.”

He looked down at it. It didn't look that bad to him, but he couldn't really see it properly and he definitely didn't judge pain like others did. Maybe it did look worse than he thought. “Not really.” He answered quietly.

“How long have you had it? It’s practically healed.” She brushed her fingertips up and down the line and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

He could see something behind her pupils but he couldn't focus enough to concentrate on it for now. He was too busy focussing on her trailing fingers as they soaked up his heat, sending a shiver down his spine.

“I heal quickly.” he answered and breathed out, keeping his hands to his sides.

“It's bigger than I expected. How did you get it?” Her hand traced the marks on his skin. Even though he was concentrating on keeping in control of his thoughts, it wasn’t hard to notice that she was going off the cut a bit and more onto his muscles. He tried to ignore it.

“A fight. Someone slashed me.” He tried to keep it as near to the truth as possible so that if she asked about it again he wouldn’t have to remember a complete lie.

Kristen gasped and put her palm over his heart, looking up at him with shocked eyes. “Oh my god. Are you okay?”

Matt nodded, touched by her concern but a bit worried about why she kept moving closer to him. “Im strong and more dangerous than vulnerable. I didn’t even notice when it happened.”

“You didn’t even notice that you’d been ripped open?” Kristen gasped and put her other hand on his wrist, her cold fingertips shocking him.

“I wasn’t thinking about it at the time.” He said and moved her hand gently away from his wrist. She moved to his chest instead and pressed her cold palms to his hot skin, feeling his heart bounce under his rib cage. He wasn't too sure whether he liked the idea of her being able to feel his heat beat. He didn't want it to start racing for no reason, giving her hope.

“Well…this isn’t so bad. I like it when you’re this way.” She murmured and moved her fingers around the cut, pressing gently on the coloured edge as if feeling it heal.

“Hm.” Matt closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. “Its difficult to be this way. It's much easier staying away from you.” He said truthfully. As soon as he said it he wondered if he’d said too much.

Kristen was quiet for a moment. Her fingers continued to explore and he had to force himself to stop his heart going faster. “It may be difficult but sometimes it must be worth it?”

Matt was silent.

They stood quietly together, not looking at eachother but taking in each other's presence. He didn't want to lie. He didn't want to answer her and hurt her feelings. He didn't want to be anything but truthful but he knew that he couldn't be. She was with someone else and he was a monster.

If only she knew, then she wouldn't be tracing her fingers along his skin, causing his spine to tingle uncomfortably but pleasantly up and down his back. He swore that his heart was starting to beat faster the longer they stood there, lost in eachother's thoughts.

The bell went.

Matt jumped and quickly moved away from Kristen, pushing her hands away. She jumped too and bounced backwards with surprise. Already Matt had his shirt buttoned and he was in the middle of putting his jumper on when she realised what was happening.

“We should go.” Matt said and shook his head, ruffling his hair up, trying to look away from Kristen, who seemed to be doing the same thing.

“Er…Yes.” Kristen grabbed her bag and rushed to the classroom door, turning back at the last minute to look at him. “I’d better find Gareth.”

Matt shoved on his bag and began to move towards the door too, waiting for Kristen to open the door.

She looked down at his shoes. “Thank you.”

“What for?” He asked, glancing out of the door glass at the people who were crowding past trying to get to lesson, pulling a curtain open with his free hand.

Kristen shrugged. “Being nice.” She answered quietly. “Letting me close. Trusting me.” She nodded. “Oh, and that wolf picture.” She smiled. “Ill keep it safe.”

Matt bowed his head to her and then flicked the lock, allowing Kristen to move into the stream of students. A minute afterwards he followed suit, making sure that it wasn’t obvious that they’d been together a few minutes beforehand.

It was as if the whole situation had never happened.

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Well that's it for tonight! I need sleep for my mocks tomorrow so I hope you like it and please share, comment or vote! I really want people to read my stories! :D