Part 9 (1/2)

The Shuddering Ania Ahlborn 64130K 2022-07-22

”I'll take some,” Sawyer said.

”A beer?” Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister. When she made a face at him he jutted out his bottom lip and batted his lashes.

”I thought you only drank blood, Vlad.”

”Blood and beer,” Ryan clarified.

”You're going to get fat. That stuff is full of carbs.”

”Blood is full of carbs?”

”Beer, genius.”

”Chocolate cake, though...” he countered.

”Shut up,” she told him, gathering up Lauren's cake plate on her way to the kitchen.

”What?” Ryan blinked, feigning offense. ”That's the second time I've been told to shut up in a thirty-second span. When did we all get so hostile?”

Jane wrinkled her nose at him and stepped out of the room. There was a crack of pool b.a.l.l.s a second later. Lauren shrieked, apparently under attack yet again.

The plates clanged against the counter as Jane left them beside the sink, grabbing the kettle off the stove. Holding it beneath the tap, she peered at Oona. The dog was sitting at attention in front of the kitchen door, seemingly staring at her own reflection in the gla.s.s without moving a muscle.

”Are you okay, Oona?” she asked, but the husky didn't respond to her name. ”Do you need to go out?” It was a question Oona knew well, one that usually resulted in excited tail wagging. But again, the dog did nothing. It was almost as though she hadn't heard Jane at all. Placing the teapot back on the stove, Jane turned on a burner and slid dirty plates onto the dishwasher's bottom rack. Concerned, she approached the kitchen door to squat next to her brother's pet, placing a hand on the dog's back.

Oona reeled back, her teeth bared, and Jane jerked her hand away, her heart thudding in her throat. She fell backward, putting distance between herself and the growling dog by pus.h.i.+ng away with her feet. She could hear Ryan in the hallway. He yelled Oona's name and she immediately backed down, ducking her head in guilt.

”What the h.e.l.l just happened?” he asked as he came into the kitchen, extending a hand to his sister while his eyes remained on his dog.

”I don't know,” Jane replied, her voice shaking, unable to help the tears from springing to her eyes. Ever since she was a kid, she'd cry when she was scared or angry, as though processing an excess of emotion at once was too much for her to handle.

”Are you okay?”

”I'm fine,” she insisted. ”Just freaked out. I thought she wanted to go outside, and then she just turned on me.”

Ryan crouched in front of the husky, catching her by the snout so he could look her in the eyes, then snapped his fingers and pointed her out of the kitchen. Oona bowed her head and slunk away, utterly harmless in her stance.

”I just scared her,” Jane confessed, her gaze snagging on Sawyer, who was now standing in the mouth of the hallway, a concerned look veiling his features.

A second later Oona was barking in the living room-a less-than-friendly snarl that rumbled from the depth of her throat.

”What the f.u.c.k?” Ryan stomped across the room. Jane clasped her hands together, steadying their tremor as she offered Sawyer an embarra.s.sed smile.

”Are you all right?” he asked softly. Jane nodded, waving her hand as if dismissing the whole thing. Sawyer took a step closer, his fingers sweeping across her hand before he retracted his touch, startled by Lauren's voice behind them.

”Um, guys?” Lauren stepped into the kitchen with an expression Jane couldn't read. ”I think I know why Oona's flipping out. There's something outside. April just saw something out the window.”

The four of them made a beeline back to the game room. April stood next to the couch, her arms wrapped around her waist, her nose an inch from the gla.s.s. Oona leaped onto the sofa, growling beneath her breath before expelling another bark.

”What was it?” Ryan asked, flipping the light switch next to the outside door. The light illuminated a plain concrete slab; nothing but a barbecue grill and a couple of loungers folded up against the side of the house.

”Deer,” April said. ”Something was chasing them.”

”A wolf?” Sawyer asked, giving Ryan a questioning glance.

”Could be.” Ryan shrugged, but April shook her head in response.

”It looked big.”

The group stared at one another for a long moment, then turned to look out the window again. Oona whined and jumped off the couch, stopping in front of the door, waiting to be let out.

”Don't you dare,” Jane warned. ”It could be a bear or something.”

”It's not a bear,” Ryan said. ”They're hibernating.”

”Well, what else could it be?”

”Hold on to her collar,” Ryan commanded.

”What?”

”Hold on to Oona's collar,” he repeated. ”I'm opening the door.”

”Oh my G.o.d,” Lauren said from behind her hand.

”No,” Jane protested, but she hooked her fingers beneath the husky's collar anyway, knowing that if Ryan went through with it, Oona would be out that door before anyone could stop her. ”Ryan, don't,” she said. ”What if it's dangerous?”

”The only thing dangerous out here are wolves, and they're scared of people,” he insisted, throwing the dead bolt. ”Did you put anything in the outside trash can? They probably smell food.”

”Yeah,” Lauren said under her breath. ”They smell food, as in us.”

”I didn't throw anything out,” Jane told him. ”It's all inside.”

”If they're scared of people, what's the point?” Lauren asked. ”Just leave it.”

”They're scared of people, but they may not be scared of dogs.”

”So keep her inside!” Jane snapped, but the door swung open before she could insist any further. Oona tried to run, nearly jerking Jane's shoulder out of its socket. She whined as her owner stepped outside in a short-sleeved T-s.h.i.+rt and stocking feet, his breath puffing out in front of him. Sawyer moved toward the door before a little plea escaped Jane's throat. ”Tom, stop.”

Sawyer turned to look at her. She gave him a beseeching look, but before Sawyer had a chance to react-to either succ.u.mb to her request or defy her and step outside-Ryan was requesting his help.

”Sawyer, there's a flashlight in the laundry room,” he said. ”Grab it, would you?”

Sawyer offered Jane an apologetic frown before stepping past her, disappearing down the hall.

”G.o.d,” Lauren groaned, s.h.i.+vering as the cold poured into the room. ”This is like a G.o.dd.a.m.n horror movie.” She forced a laugh, but she sounded more spooked than she was letting on.

Jane's attention wavered to April, blinking when she noticed that the girl wasn't looking out the window anymore, but was looking right at her-staring. Jane swallowed against the lump in her throat, her stomach sinking to the floor. Sawyer jogged back into the room, flashlight in hand, and stepped onto the patio. He swept the flashlight across the expanse of night, illuminating tree trunks and snow.

”There,” he said, holding the light steady. A set of reflective animal eyes flashed in the distance, but they were too far away to identify.