Part 28 (2/2)
He shrugged and ripped off more paper towels.
”Do you want to hunt humans, Derek?”
”No.”
”Do you think about it?”
”No.”
”How about eating them? Do you think about that?”
He shot me a look of disgust. ”Of course not.”
”Do you even dream about killing people?”
He shook his head. ”Just deer, rabbits.” When I frowned, he went on. ”For the last few years I've been dreaming of being a wolf. Running in the forest. Hunting deer and rabbits.”
”Right. Like a wolf wolf, not a man-eating monster.”
He wet the paper towel.
”So why would you ever let these guys take you to-” I stopped. ”The Pack. Is that what you wanted? Tell them you'll go, and after they release me, tell the Pack the truth and use that as a...an introduction? Meet them? Be with your own kind?”
”No. That doesn't matter to me. Dad says it does to other werewolves. It mattered to the other boys-they hated anyone who wasn't one of us. Me? I don't care. The only reason I'd want to meet a werewolf would be the same reason you'd want to meet a necromancer. To talk, get tips, training, whatever. Preferably from one who doesn't think hunting humans makes good sport.”
”Like this Pack. They kill man-eaters and they don't seem that thrilled about man hunters. Is that what you thought? You could go to them and they'd help you? When I asked if you were listening to those two goons, that's the part I meant-about the Pack. What they'd do to you. Killing werewolves with chain saws and stuff.”
Derek snorted.
”You don't believe it, then.” I relaxed, nodding. ”No one would do that. Cut someone up with a chain saw and pa.s.s around photos? Those guys were just trying to scare you.”
”No, I'm sure there are photos. And I'm sure those guys believe believe the Pack carved up someone. But the photos must be fakes. You can do that kind of stuff with special effects and makeup, can't you?” the Pack carved up someone. But the photos must be fakes. You can do that kind of stuff with special effects and makeup, can't you?”
”Sure, but why?”
”For the same reason you just said. To scare people. Liam and Ramon think the Pack really did it, so they steer clear of its territory. Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.”
”But would you ever think of it yourself?”
That look of disgust returned. ”Of course not.”
”But you considered entrusting your life to people who would? Werewolves who play judge and jury for their own kind? Torture and kill other werewolves? Knowing that, you'd go to them, pretend you killed humans, and hope they'd go easy on you because you're a kid? Or were those odds okay with you? If they decided you didn't deserve to live, maybe they'd be right?”
I meant it as sarcasm. But when his answer was slow coming-much too slow-my heart hammered.
”Derek!”
He trashed the wet paper towel. ”No, I don't have a death wish, okay?”
”You'd better not.”
”I don't, Chloe,” he said softly. ”I mean it. I don't.”
Our eyes locked and the panic buzzing in my head turned to something else, my heart still hammering, my throat going dry....
I looked away and mumbled, ”Good.”
He backed up. ”We gotta go.”
I nodded and slid off the counter.
Thirty-six.
I GAVE DEREK MY GAVE DEREK MY jacket and he wore it without argument-it covered the blood spatter on his sweats.h.i.+rt. As we left the bathroom, the people in the coffee shop finally noticed us, but only to call out that the bathroom was for paying customers only. jacket and he wore it without argument-it covered the blood spatter on his sweats.h.i.+rt. As we left the bathroom, the people in the coffee shop finally noticed us, but only to call out that the bathroom was for paying customers only.
The coffee shop had a post-winter clearance on promotional thermoses, emblazoned with their name, so Derek got one filled with hot chocolate, plus two paper cups. Add a half-dozen donuts and we had dinner to go.
We couldn't just waltz back to the bus station, though. Liam would still be hunting for us, maybe joined by Ramon. If they'd been following us earlier, they might know we'd gone to the bus stop and would wait for us there.
So we stayed downwind or behind buildings, then waited a half block away until we saw the bus coming. There was no sign of the werewolves. I'm sure it helped that it was just a bus stop, not a terminal-if they'd followed our trail to the flower shop, they probably hadn't figured out that we'd been there to buy bus tickets.
Yet it was only after we were on and the bus pulled away that I finally relaxed. I was on my second cup of chocolate when my eyelids started to droop.
”You should get some sleep,” Derek said.
I stifled a yawn. ”It won't be that long, will it? An hour and a half?”
”Close to double that. We're on the milk run.”
”What?”
”The route that hits all the little towns,” he said.
He took my empty cup. I s.h.i.+fted, trying to get comfortable. He balled up my discarded sweats.h.i.+rt and put it against his shoulder.
”Go on,” he said. ”I don't bite.”
”And from what I hear, that's a good thing.”
He gave a rumbling chuckle. ”Yeah, it is.”
I leaned against his shoulder.
”In a few hours, you'll be in a bed,” he said. ”Bet that's that's a good thing, huh?” a good thing, huh?”
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