Blackmailing A Werewolf

Chapter 25

It's only Keri she reminds herself of. No one will ever believe her. Maybe if she says the words often enough she will believe them?

"Do you mind if I sit?" Rye's whisper snaps her into reality as he motions to the arm of her chair. "Only I think Keri will have my arm if I try to move her stuff."

"Go ahead." Her stomach churns, she tells herself it's because she's holding a book by a Victorian author who would happily shoot her dead on sight and not because Rye's side is pressed into her arm. She ignores how her brain begs her to lean her head against him and close her eyes in hope that when she opens them again this horrible nightmare will all be over. "What did you get?"

He shows her the title of the paper.

How to spot a werewolf when there is no full moon.

"Wait," Once again his lips are practically touching her ear as he whispers so only she can hear, "It gets worse."

He peels the front page away to reveal the second title.

How to kill a werewolf when there is no full moon and no silver bullets.

The room is suddenly very small. The air is stuffy, the furniture packed tightly together. Mrs Clare's knitting needles clack together, Walter's breath wheezes, Otto slurps his drink, Keri frantically types. It all swirls in her head, making it heavy, but at the same time her head is too light and she grips the armchair in case she floats away.

"Tessa," Otto's voice is a sledge hammer slamming into her skull, all she can do is blink and look at him, because she's positive even with his human hearing he can hear her heartbeat. "Are you alright you've gone a funny colour?"

"Y-yeah," The words trip on her tongue and they are all looking at her, even Butters, and the room keeps getting smaller and smaller, and Walter's eyes are piercing because he needs her to get it under control, but the air is too thick and- "Can I use the bathroom?"

The words are slurred into a single one and it takes Rye a second to understand before he is jumping out of his seat and offering her a hand up. Her hand shakes in his, her legs are pipe cleaners and it's like she's gargled bleach when she stands. The whole world titling a little.

"Of course," Rye's hands hover, waiting for her to shatter, using his body to shield her from the humans even as she stuffs her hands in her pockets. "Use the one upstairs, first door on the right."

It's more private up there, are the words left unspoken.

She nods, even though her head threatens to roll off her neck.

Sliding the bolt across the door she leans her head against it. How to kill a werewolf when there is no full moon and no silver bullets. The title swims in her head electrifying her nerves like an eel. Her best friend is researching how to kill her. Believes she is some uncontrollable, savage monster which needs to be put down.

No.

She takes a deep breath.

That's not true.

Keri doesn't know about her. About them. Because if she did then she would never try to hurt Tessa...would she? Her stomach constricts. How could she even question whether her best friend would kill her? How come she believes the girl who used to huddle under the blankets with her as she watched Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging with would kill her?