Blackmailing A Werewolf

Chapter 20

Tessa stared over the ledge of Devil's Reach squinting against the wind as it tried to blow her into the woods. The flat farming land rolled out beneath them, a river meanders through the village and sheep pepper the fields. It's all so small from here, she could reach out and scope it into her pocket.

She checks her watch. He's late.

Maybe she should shuffle a little closer to the edge, peer over the side and make sure nothing has happened to him. After all the ledge has held for centuries, it's not going to suddenly give out under her weight. No. Her stomach jerks at the thought.

She can see it now. The earth will start to crumble slowly, the patter of rocks falling the sixty-foot drop. Cracks will appear in the ground, and she will scramble away but she won't be quick enough. The cracks will grow wider and wider until she is plummeting between them. Rocks, trees and mud would bury her into the rocks below. She doubts they would ever find her body beneath it all.

Stepping backwards, she collides with a tree trunk digging her nails into the bark preparing for the ground to disappear beneath her feet. It doesn't. She blows out a breath thudding her head backwards into the bark. Maybe she should go? Her free period is almost over, and she is supposed to be meeting the others for lunch and she can't be bothered to deal with a barrage of questions today. Two nights after the full moon and her wolf is still struggling to be human.

She sniffs.

The earthy smell of pine needles combined with hot chocolate and old paper hits her. It's his smell. Jumping away from the tree she smiles. Where is he? He's playing with her again. Wandering in a circle she sniffs the air. His scent is all around her. He couldn't have crossed in front of her without her seeing.

Growling she continued her prowl until...

The smell is so strong her wolf whines within her. She grins and whispers.

"Found you." Snapping her head to the tree canopy, the outline of his shadow crouches on a tree branches a dozen feet above her head. He had been circling her. A laugh ripples through the tree making her freeze. It's the first time she's heard a true laugh of happiness from him. No bitterness, no sarcasm, only joy.

The shadow comes closer and closer until it is tackling her to the ground. Screaming she grabs his shoulders, yanking him down on top of her, hands locked, they wrestle. Hooking her leg behind his knee she flips them over, so she is on top.

"Not such a clever wolf now, are ya?" Tessa pants. Her world is tumbled over itself until he is sitting on top of her, arms pinned above her head.

"No, but I still have a few tricks left up my sleeve." Rye's breath comes out in hot gusts against her cheeks, blowing a few locks of hair off her forehead. They stare in each other's eyes. She stares at the golden speckles around the edges of his green eyes. He moves a little closer to her.

A sheep bleats.

They both snap their heads to the side. A great white sheep munches on the long grass as it watches them, looking as unimpressed as a sheep can look. Remaking eye contact with each other they burst into laughter. Rye's arms turn into jelly as his body shakes and he rolls to the side, landing with a thump in the grass next to her.

For a while they lie shoulder to shoulder, looking at the canopy of trees which looks so much like Rye's eyes. It's one of those moments, which are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but Tessa knows she wants to remember for the rest of her life.

It makes the words she says next bitter, like rotten tomatoes squished between her teeth.

"We should probably get back to school."

"I guess you're right," He heaves a sigh. "But I'm so comfy."

"You're lying on the floor of the woods. Come on, we should get back before people start asking questions."

"Why do people ask so many questions? Can't they focus on fixing their own lives and leave their noses out of ours?"

"They could," Tessa sat wrapping her arms around her knees, watching the light catch the whisker thin legs of Rye's snowflake scar, "But humans can never make things easy for themselves."

"Fine," Heaving a groan he stands, offering a hand to her. His skin is warm in her hand, his palm rough with calluses probably gained from climbing trees. His fingers curl around hers. Perhaps for a moment too long. Dropping hands, both avoiding eye contact with each other and walking down the hill. "How come Walter didn't come?" 

Thanks for reading and please remember to vote! 

I have a question for you, which character do you think would win in a werewolf fight? Purely curious here, leave me your answer in a comment. See you next week :)