Supernormal by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway Page A

privacy and, every now and then when the dunes dipped, a glimpse of the sea.  Maybe if he saw her, if she didn’t see him, she wouldn’t have time to run.
    Cam was a half-hour in when he heard something…off.  Something that wasn’t the soft crash of the waves or the wailing of sea birds.  It was a strange, wet, tearing sound.
    He followed the trail another ten minutes in.  The noise paused, then came again.  And there was something else.  Almost like growling.  But it wasn’t an animal.  It was almost human.
    Cam ran.  He didn’t think, he just ran, panic tasting like copper in the back of his throat.
    Another twist in the path brought him to an open stretch of beach, and to her.  Her back to him, and she was clutching—a rabbit?  The small furry body hung limp from her fingers.  She was crouched over it, her teeth at its neck, her body shuddering as she ripped off ragged bites.  Cam barely had time to stop, to take in, when she stopped suddenly.  Turned.  Blood dripped down her chin, staining her mouth ruby.
    She moved so fast; he didn’t have a chance.  She was just there , fingers closing around his throat, sand rivering under his shirt and down his jeans as she pressed him into a dune.
    “ You —”
    “Ashley—”  He forced it out, forced himself not to panic.
    “—you’ve been watching me, you’ve been after me—why have you been after me?”  Her voice was high, panicked; it didn’t sound human.
    “—told you—”  It came out a croak.  “—want to—talk—”
    “So talk ,” she growled.
    He could feel her fingers digging into his neck as he forced in air.  She had him pinned.  Cam tried to struggle, to wrench her hands away, but it was like pulling at steel cords.  God, she was so strong, how could she be so strong ?
    “You’re going to have to hit harder than that.”
    The plea in her voice had him looking up.  Going still.  Calm, stay calm.  “No.”  He let go of her.  “You won’t hurt me.”
    “I will—”
    “You won’t.”
    “You don’t know that—”
    “I do.”
    “—you don’t know how easy it is for me.”  Her fingers tightened around his throat.  “If you hit hard enough, you’ll have a chance to run.”
    “No,” he told her.  “Don’t be silly.”
    That set her back for a moment—a moment was all he needed.  Slow, steady, he pulled his sleeve over his hand, and slowly, very slowly, cupped her jaw.  Ashley flinched at the touch, but he didn’t let go.  Gently, as if dealing with a child, he wiped her face clean.
    Underneath the blood, her face was very pale.  “I did it.  I did it.  I thought—I didn’t think.  It ran, I followed.”
    “And made a hell of a mess,” he said, folding his sleeve over to get to a clean part of it.
    “They think I’m wild.”  It came out from deep in her chest, agonized.  “They think I can’t control myself.”
    “They’re wrong.”
    “ No, they’re not! ”  She was shaking now.  “I killed—I can’t handle it—they have to end it now—”
    “No, they don’t.”  He gave her face a final inspection.  This close, her scars were everything.  The worst one pulled at her bottom lip, hooked under her jaw.  “Much better.”
    Her thumb massaged the pulse point at the base of his neck.  He could feel the strength radiating out it, the trembling that he knew was her holding herself back.  It should’ve hurt.  He should’ve been scared.  “I’ll hurt you.  I can’t help it.  I want to.”
    “No, you won’t.  I saw you in Paco’s.  You wanted to attack that boy.  You did not hurt him.  You will not hurt me.”
    “You’re lying,” she said in a tight voice.
    “I am not.  I won’t let you.” 
    She laughed at that, relaxed her hold.  Cam wrapped his hands around her wrists.  She jerked back at the touch, but he held on. 
    “You’re not going to hurt anybody.  Not ever.  Because I’ll be watching you.  You try something, you even think