All Chapters of Of Teeth and Claws: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Trapped in a werewolf’s house. I assumed this day would come, but I didn’t actually think it would happen. Most paranoia is meaningless. Just your head running amuck. But here I am and there’s no way out. It’s obvious that someone is outside my door. They’d be foolish to leave it unguarded. What I need to do is plot. I need to plan my escape. If I were to make it out of this house, where would I go? Aimlessly wandering the woods, the woods that Nox is very familiar with, isn’t going to help me. I sidestep a small wooden box on the ground, the object that I had to have knocked over when I tried to get out the window the first time. Kicking it aside, refusing to give it any attention, I look out the window. The view doesn’t settle my stomach. If anything it makes it worse. There isn’t anything besides trees, dense thick forest for as far as the eye can see. There’s peaks of small structures poking out between trees off in the distance. It’s unsure if those are neighbors or buildings o

Luck isn’t on my side. I can see it in Nox’s eyes. I’m not getting out of this. Without answering, he grabs my hand and drapes it over his arm, keeping a firm grip on me so I don’t have a chance to slip away. We enter the dining room and there’s no missing the stares that come from Reyna and Raelyn. But they’re easily ignored as Gideon jumps to feet. “Nova, honey, I’m so glad to have you join us.” There are words on the tip of my tongue. Words expressing how being forced here is not exactly joining them. Nox squeezes my hand, halting any such words from exiting my mouth. Is he taking hints from Lyra? Either way, I keep my mouth shut and flash Gideon a fake smile. Can he tell? If he does, he doesn’t show it. Forced into the chair beside Gideon who sits at the head of the table, Nox sits to my other side. Directly across from me is Reyna. She lays her hand palm up on the table waiting for Gideon to place his hand in hers and Gideon graciously abides. He brings her knuckles to his lip

Song: Talk by Adelitas Way The woods I find myself circling are dark due to the clouded sky that blocks the moon from shining down. The humid air sticks to my skin. Rain is coming. My anxiousness intensifies with the feeling of eyes on me. Rustling leaves in the gentle breeze is expected, but the snap of a branch, a big branch fills the woods. It echoes through the trees sending animals skittering, birds screeching. A silence follows. An eerie deafening quiet that has me hearing the pulsing of my blood rushing through my veins. But everything comes to a stop when a howl breaks that silence. A howl not from a dog or a bear, but a wolf. Frozen in place, legs refusing to move, I stand there like an idiot searching for the culprit. My eyes scan between trees trying to pinpoint where the animal is lurking. It’s then that I see a set of blue eyes looking back at me. Upon our eyes meeting my legs start working. Adrenaline or fear propels me in the opposite direction. Weaving in and out

(Song: The Death Of Peace Of Mind by Bad Omens) I’ve never been desperate before, but recently I’ve been nothing but desperate. Finding myself in the middle of the woods, even in the broad daylight, by my own means, I’m getting that feeling again. My nightmares come back to me tenfold. Why did I think this was a good idea? Desperation is what had my feet walking before my hands did some talking. Is what Raelyn said true? But what did she say that bothers me the most? This passing of daughters to the next alpha in line or that she has possibly been romantically involved with Nox? Both, but for some reason the latter leaves my chest burning as if it's been ripped open. Lost in thoughts, all bad, my feet continue to shuffle along. It isn’t until I come to a stop, nearly tripping over my own feet that my eyes lock onto a particular tree. It’s not like I'm not surrounded by trees, but this one. This is the one from that memory of Nox and I. I haven’t the faintest idea how I know that,

I wake up to an empty bed. Is there another situation or is he running from me, not willing to tell me what the hell is going on. I’ve been here three days with not a single reason as to why my mother was killed or why I constantly have a chaperone watching my every move, babysitting me. After changing, I head out in search of him hellbent to get something out of him. But as I go through room after room, I come up empty. Either he’s behind a closed door or he’s not here. And without knocking on every single closed door in the house, which is the last thing I want to do, I decide to head outside. But my search is abruptly halted when I try to leave the house. Silas always seems to be there, lurking, ready to force me back into my cage. “I don’t think you should be wandering the woods, SuperNova.” he tells me in his typical demeaning tone. “And why is that?” I reply back with just as much snark. Except I’m met with silence. Everyone seems to be able to tell me what I can and cannot