Read Online Mark of the Wolf by T. L. Shreffler - Free Book Online

probably take the belt to her again
– she still had scars from the times he had done that before. They
seemed to ache now at the very memory.
    “ He’s my dad,” she forced herself to
say, realizing that she had been silent for too long. “Of course I
care.” The lie was bitter in her mouth, but thankfully he didn’t
press. Instead Gareth slumped into a brooding silence, obviously
unsatisfied by her answer, but there was nothing else to
say.
    They left the main road of Black River and
started into the surrounding hills, passing through a few miles of
empty fields and patches of trees. The patches grew thicker until
they were surrounded by forest, then the ground slowly began to
slope upward.
    “ My driveway is up there,” she said,
pointing to a narrow dirt track that led off the road. The cabin
was situated far back on the property, hidden by thick trees and
fringes of wilderness. The foothills sloped upward beyond it,
leading into the mountains. She felt trapped.
    A sudden thought occurred to her – what would
her father do if he saw her with Gareth? Probably throw a fit. He
didn't like her bringing people over to the house, especially
boys.
    “ Can you park out here next to the
drive?” she said, suddenly fearful.
    Gareth shook his head. “No, they might be
waiting for you to come home, or they might attack again. I can’t
let you.”
    She couldn’t help but enjoy the
protectiveness in his voice, though she wasn’t sure where it came
from. Timidly she reached over and took his big, calloused hand. It
had been less than a day with this man, but she already felt so
familiar with him.
    He paused when her fingers touched his on the
steering wheel, and he slowed down the car. She knew that she had
his attention.
    “ No one’s going to attack when the
police are sniffing around. There’s search parties all over the
woods looking for the animal that killed those men. If something
happens, then all I have to do is scream — tons of people will come
running.”
    “ And if you don’t get the chance to
scream?” he murmured, still focusing on the road.
    “ Then come and find me if I’m not back
in ten minutes,” she murmured. “If my dad is home, I’ll run back
and tell you. If not, I’ll grab my stuff and be out of there in no
time. Deal?”
    He was still tense, but at least he was
thinking about it. They approached the drive and he slowed the car
down even more until it was barely rolling, then pulled over to the
side of the road. He sighed. “Alright,” he finally murmured, “but
only ten minutes, got that?”
    She already had the door open before the car
came to a full stop. No matter what happened, she just wanted to
get it over with. His hand on her arm stopped her before she fully
stood up. “Oh, and Maddy,” he said; it sent a shiver across her
skin to hear his dark, deep voice murmur her name. “Be
careful.”
    She smiled, trying to look reassuring even
though she felt sick inside. “I will, don’t worry,” she said,
wishing she could come up with something more original. Then she
forced herself to shut the door and walk away from the car, each
step dragging her into the ground, her head already starting to
pound though she hadn’t even reached her driveway yet. She wanted
to throw up; the thought of seeing her father made her physically
ill. But she had to go through with this. The alternative was even
worse.
    The driveway to her cabin took about a minute
to circumvent, and it wound through the trees like a snake. She
walked carefully and quietly, every sense alert, her ears
straining. The forest seemed normal, the wind through the leaves,
the inconsistent chirp of birds. The sun filtered through the thick
pine needles, dappling the ground at her feet. She kept turning to
look over her shoulder, waiting for something to jump at her from
the woods.
    She reached the small clearing where her
cabin was located. The structure was shaggy but strong, made out of
thick wooden beams. She could