Chapter 202
HANNAH
I got to my feet, stumbling backwards, my instincts taking over my body at that moment.
The wolf stood in the shade of a tree, which cast shadows on it. I couldn't make out its color, but there was something about it I couldn't quite place my finger on.
An instant later, I knew what it was. It's scent.
It was familiar. Something I had sensed before a while ago. But where?
The connection was so close, but no matter how hard I thought, it wouldn't come to me.
I was breathing in panicked little puffs as I took another step backwards. Then I stood still, muscles tense and on the alert, anticipating the wolf's spring.
The second ticked past. It didn't move. Neither did I. We just stood there, silently regarding each other across the little space that divided us.
Was I hallucinating?
I blinked, but the wolf was still there, firm and solid and real. Why didn't it attack?
"Hannah!" I heard Chase call.
I didn't want to take my eyes off the beast, but my head, on instinct, was already turning towards the sound of his voice before I could stop myself.
I looked again at the spot where the wolf was. It was gone as silently as it had come. I stared and stared at the spot, not quite believing the evidence of my eyes.
"Hannah," Chase said again.
He sounded closer and more concerned now. Still I didn't take my eyes away. I felt like if I looked away, the wolf would reappear like a magician's trick.
"Hannah, what's the matter? What are you looking at?"
I pointed. "There. Right there. I saw a wolf. It was watching me when I bent to pick up that flower."
I felt rather than saw Chase scanning the area.
"Where is it now?" he asked.
"Gone. You called me and in the second I looked away, it left. But I swear it was standing right there." I said, still looking around.
I carefully moved forward, my ears perked up for the slightest sounds. All that came to my ears were the sounds of the students laughing and calling out to each other whenever they found something interesting as they tramped around the place.
Just as I got to the spot where the wolf had been standing, I heard dry leaves crackle, and crunch under feet. I flinched but it was just the boy on our team arriving on the scene.
"Found something good?" he said hopefully.
"No. Go on. We'll soon join you."
He went off. I bent and placed my fingers where the wolf's front paws must have been. Unfortunately, grass, thick and green grew there. There were no footmarks to be seen.
I looked up, into the distance. Nothing but more grass, trees, the mountains.
"Found a track?" Cade said.
He squatted beside me and ran his hands over the spot I had indicated. He shone his flashlight around. Its bright beam picked up the belt of trees, the other plants, a few little animals moving in the undergrowth and nothing else.
"Nothing to be seen here," he said. "Are you sure it wasn't a rabbit, maybe?"
"A rabbit this big?" I put my hand at a level nearly equal with my chest when I was standing. "It was a wolf, Chase. I know what I saw. Besides I caught a whiff of its scent. It smelled really familiar, but I still can't place where I've smelled that scent before."
"Come on." Chase helped me to my feet. I got up reluctantly. "Do you have any idea how long... what you saw had been standing there?"
I thought about it deeply, took time remembering my walk to the plant, and then those seconds—or maybe it was a minute—when I had squatted in front of it. Had there been something telling me I was being watched before the twig snapped? I didn't think so.
I shook my head. "I don't know. It could have come at that moment. It could have been lurking there in the shadows for quite a while..."
Cade took my hand and rubbed it. It was cold out, but I was colder inside. I felt like a helpless bird with a net it couldn't see slowly but surely closing around it.
"Want to know what I think?" Chase said.
I took a look at his face and knew what he was going to say. The way he looked at me. He didn't believe me.
"What?" I asked.
He held two fingers inches apart. "I think you're just being a little bit paranoid, sweetheart. There is nothing out there. I wasn't even that far from you. If a wolf were around, I would have known-"
"But you were busy with that plant. You probably wouldn't have noticed."
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