Read Online Under My Skin by Judith Graves - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Judith Graves
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was half wolven? It would be hard enough for a group of hunters to accept a full-blooded wolven in their midst, someone who could turn into a wolf at will, someone who retained certain wolfie abilities in human form—speed, agility, heightened senses, strength.
I hadn’t shifted yet. No one knew if I had it in me, or if I’d be able to shift back.
I was only half wolven, but I’d been taking my father’s drugs for years. And then I’d stopped taking them—ripped the bandage off so to speak. Now I was jumping off buildings, sniffing out werewolves, experiencing pangs of bloodlust.
Ugh. High school wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. I should be worried about who to ask to the Harvest Moon Dance at the end of the month—not concerned for the souls of every person in Redgrave. But I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try. For now, I’d stay on the sidelines and observe, keeping my wolven eyes open to help Brit and the crew. But I had to keep my nose clean, keep Alec at a distance, and avoid Wade...easy enough, right?
I could do it all. I didn’t have much of a choice. Now if only I were ready for that stupid physics exam next week.
The neighbor’s yellow Lab heralded my arrival with a few extra-shrill barks. I plodded up my uncle’s porch stairs and shouldered my way through the front door, marveling that I didn’t need a key. No one in Redgrave locked their doors. Given the werewolf activity, people in this town were overly optimistic. If they only knew. By the time the werewolves were done with this town, people would be installing deadbolts and security systems, maybe having priests bless their homes.
Aunt Sammi cornered me in the hall as I tiptoed past the kitchen. I’d hoped to sneak up to my room and hide, but I couldn’t very well knock her over to get there, even if she was a foot shorter. In her cotton-candy-pink sweater set and black dress pants, with her sleek, auburn chin-length hair, she looked fresh and perky. Very kindergarten teacherish.
“Eryn. There’s the girl we’ve been waiting for.” She smiled at me as if I were a six-year-old on the first day of school, rather than the niece who’d been living with her for a week. “Marcus and I were deciding what to make for dinner. Since Paige is at a friend’s, you can be the swing vote.” She opened her arms wide for a hug.
She was the huggy type.
Normally I wasn’t, but this once I wanted to fall into Sammi’s arms and cry. Instead, I leaned back on my heels, feeling mean as Sammi flushed. Her arms dropped to her sides, her welcoming, big-toothed smile collapsed.
So I had some tough decisions to make. That wasn’t an excuse for letting my guard down in front of my human relatives. What choice did I have but to act normal, even if it felt like playing dead?
Brit was right. Hunters lied. We lied to the people around us, and we lied to ourselves. Every time a norm tried to make an honest connection with us, we could only return their kindness with a con, an angle that would protect them from the paranorm world. The REAL world. I was my hunter father’s half-wolven daughter. I had even more to lie about. I had to hide my wolven nature—my very self—by building a lopsided wall of untruths between me and everyone else.
“Is that Eryn?” Uncle Marcus’ hulking form filled the kitchen doorway, as well as the silence that had settled between us. Sammi and Marcus stood together, presenting a united front, even though Sammi only came up to his shoulder. Marcus was tall like my dad, but spongy through the middle. He had none of my father’s commanding presence. He did, however, look every bit the successful real estate lawyer. Well-fed and indulged. I studied their identical, innocent expressions. Had they been talking about me, their problem child?
“Hey kiddo, how was school?” Marcus asked, loosening his tie, his rounded face carefully casual.
I shrugged. What else could I do? Get into the
I hadn’t shifted yet. No one knew if I had it in me, or if I’d be able to shift back.
I was only half wolven, but I’d been taking my father’s drugs for years. And then I’d stopped taking them—ripped the bandage off so to speak. Now I was jumping off buildings, sniffing out werewolves, experiencing pangs of bloodlust.
Ugh. High school wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. I should be worried about who to ask to the Harvest Moon Dance at the end of the month—not concerned for the souls of every person in Redgrave. But I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try. For now, I’d stay on the sidelines and observe, keeping my wolven eyes open to help Brit and the crew. But I had to keep my nose clean, keep Alec at a distance, and avoid Wade...easy enough, right?
I could do it all. I didn’t have much of a choice. Now if only I were ready for that stupid physics exam next week.
The neighbor’s yellow Lab heralded my arrival with a few extra-shrill barks. I plodded up my uncle’s porch stairs and shouldered my way through the front door, marveling that I didn’t need a key. No one in Redgrave locked their doors. Given the werewolf activity, people in this town were overly optimistic. If they only knew. By the time the werewolves were done with this town, people would be installing deadbolts and security systems, maybe having priests bless their homes.
Aunt Sammi cornered me in the hall as I tiptoed past the kitchen. I’d hoped to sneak up to my room and hide, but I couldn’t very well knock her over to get there, even if she was a foot shorter. In her cotton-candy-pink sweater set and black dress pants, with her sleek, auburn chin-length hair, she looked fresh and perky. Very kindergarten teacherish.
“Eryn. There’s the girl we’ve been waiting for.” She smiled at me as if I were a six-year-old on the first day of school, rather than the niece who’d been living with her for a week. “Marcus and I were deciding what to make for dinner. Since Paige is at a friend’s, you can be the swing vote.” She opened her arms wide for a hug.
She was the huggy type.
Normally I wasn’t, but this once I wanted to fall into Sammi’s arms and cry. Instead, I leaned back on my heels, feeling mean as Sammi flushed. Her arms dropped to her sides, her welcoming, big-toothed smile collapsed.
So I had some tough decisions to make. That wasn’t an excuse for letting my guard down in front of my human relatives. What choice did I have but to act normal, even if it felt like playing dead?
Brit was right. Hunters lied. We lied to the people around us, and we lied to ourselves. Every time a norm tried to make an honest connection with us, we could only return their kindness with a con, an angle that would protect them from the paranorm world. The REAL world. I was my hunter father’s half-wolven daughter. I had even more to lie about. I had to hide my wolven nature—my very self—by building a lopsided wall of untruths between me and everyone else.
“Is that Eryn?” Uncle Marcus’ hulking form filled the kitchen doorway, as well as the silence that had settled between us. Sammi and Marcus stood together, presenting a united front, even though Sammi only came up to his shoulder. Marcus was tall like my dad, but spongy through the middle. He had none of my father’s commanding presence. He did, however, look every bit the successful real estate lawyer. Well-fed and indulged. I studied their identical, innocent expressions. Had they been talking about me, their problem child?
“Hey kiddo, how was school?” Marcus asked, loosening his tie, his rounded face carefully casual.
I shrugged. What else could I do? Get into the
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