'Ty,' I said, when she interrupted.
'You said Liam instantly healed from a gun shot. What if
these wolves can heal themselves and normal things like bullets don't hurt them? What if that creature was faking?'
She had a good point. A cold chill slithered down my back.
'What if he just wanted the authorities off his trail?'
Any form of retort remained strangled in my throat. I needed to pace, yet I couldn't muster the will to move. 'Even if what you're saying is true,' I said. 'It doesn't mean that he's here in Maplefield.'
'There are worse ways to die.'
'If others found out about you.'
Liam's words rang in my head. I felt nauseous. 'He knows,' I whispered.
'Who knows what?'
I pointed to the article. 'Liam. He knows this other werewolf is alive. He must. This is why he said it was dangerous for me to know too much. He's afraid this creature will find out and come after me.'
'What?'
I nodded my head, the only reaction I could muster. 'Something still doesn't make sense though. Liam said the clerk at the gas station knew his secret. He said that was different because he was human.' I smirked at the ridiculous implication and forced out a small laugh. 'Eh, it's crazy. I mean, come on, what? I'm not human?'
'What if you're not?'
I gave her a disbelieving glare.
'No, no, hear me out,' she said. 'I've seen the way all of those guys look at you, Charlotte. It's like they all know there's something different about you, something about you that drives them all crazy.'
'Yeah, it's the killer heels I'm always wearing.'
'I'm serious, Charlotte.' She nudged me in the shoulder. 'Remember that night at your house when they all ran out? You even mentioned Liam said you were different. Remember how scared they all looked?'
'How could I forget,' I said. My insides twisted into a rock and my face fell.
Ty placed her hand on my arm. 'I'm sorry, Charlotte. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that in retrospect, considering this new enlightening information, it seems suspicious.'
My fingers tapped nervously on the back of my chair. 'So what are you saying? What am I?' I felt ridiculous for even entertaining the stupid question.
'I don't know,' Ty said. 'Maybe you're a werewolf too.'
I took one serious look at my friend and then forced a laugh. 'I'm a werewolf, Ty?'
She shrugged. 'You never know.'
'Ty, I'm no werewolf expert, but I'm pretty sure you have to be able to turn into a wolf to be one. Just a thought.' I shook my head. 'You sound like the guys.'
'They think you're a werewolf?' She gasped. 'You didn't tell me that.'
Why'd I say anything? I had to tell her now.
Grabbing her by the arm, I led her over to the women's restroom.
'Charlotte, what are you doing?'
The door swung wide and I checked to make sure the room was empty.
'I've been bitten,' I said, locking the door behind me.
'What? What are you talking about? That's not even funny.'
'No, I'm serious,' I said. 'It happened years ago when I was five. It's why Liam freaked and left. He saw the scar when he kissed me.'
'You were attacked by a werewolf when you were five?' Ty asked. Her voice rose.
'Shh, quiet.'
Footsteps approached the bathroom door and I held my breath. A second pair joined them, along with the sound of muffled voices. They moved away and I exhaled.
'Sorry,' Ty whispered.
'I don't know if it was a werewolf that bit me. Liam said it's a wolf bite. I can't remember the attack, only flashes. All I know is what my parents told me. They said a dog bit me.'
'Did they see it?'
'No. They found me later, out back of my house. I can remember sneaking out that day. There was a lose rail that I pushed under and crawled through. The rest is hazy. My parents said it was the trauma.'
I pushed back the collar of my shirt, showing her the scar. Her jaw dropped.
'That's not a dog bite, Charlotte.'
'You can tell the difference between a dog bite and wolf?' I asked.
'My parents have raised dogs for years. That thing is huge. A mastiff wouldn't make a scar that big. A normal wolf didn't do that either.'
'Okay, you know what? This is ridiculous. Come on. I was bitten by a werewolf? We are forgetting a major factor here. I can't turn into a wolf. Kind of blows the theory, doesn't it?'
'Hmm, true,' she said, tapping her lip. 'If only we could get a hold of the pictures of the victim's bodies.'
'What?' I asked. She couldn't be serious.
'I was just thinking that if we had a picture of their wounds, we could match up yours to see if it was from a similar creature.'
She had to be given credit on that one. Still, I thoroughly denied that a werewolf bit me. 'I know where we can get pictures.'
'Really? Where?'
'Liam's.'
'Great.'
My gut twisted. 'There's one catch. He wasn't exactly happy when I saw the album that has the photo in it. I don't think he's just going to hand this over, and he doesn't know that you know he's a 'you know what'.'
Ty nodded and started to pace the bathroom, her fingers playing with her charm. 'You have Liam's home number right?'
I didn't like the sound of this.
'You call him, find out if he's home and if not, we shoot over.'
'That's breaking and entering, Ty.'
'So?' She said with a forced smile. 'This is important. We'll be quick. No one will know.'
'Who are you?' I asked.
She gave a tight grin and my insides squirmed. I didn't like the idea of going behind Liam's back. I liked him, and I knew he didn't want me to see the album. But how many secrets did he hold from me? I needed to know. Even he said my life could be in danger.
I flicked my cell phone open and brought it to my ear. The number rang, but no one picked up.
'Okay,' I said with a sigh. 'Let's do it.'
Chapter 12
The house had a different air about it, stark and forsaken, in the low preamble of day. The wind, though soft, scratched and clawed at the old worn siding, making me wonder about the age of the place. My nerves were on end. The place had been intimidating enough when I had been with Liam. Breaking and entering, especially considering werewolves lived there, didn't sit well. Maybe this was a bad idea.
'Are you ready?' I asked, my voice tight.
Ty's boisterous courage seemed to have dwindled since we turned onto the long dirt road that led out here. Trees, I fathomed. They had an ominous way of casting out the sun as if poison. Of course, Ty grew up on the east coast, unlike me. Woods probably went hand in hand with breathing.
She didn't answer, so I turned off the gas. 'Are you okay?'
