gazing at her as if considering whether or not Bonnie were dinner or just garbage.
Meredith stepped to stand beside Bonnie. Her fists were clenched.
“Don’t starrre,” Caroline said abruptly, and turned away. Yes, that was definitely a snarl.
“You really wanted us to see you, didn’t you?” Meredith said softly. “You’re—flaunting yourself in front of us. But I think that maybe this is your way of asking for help—”
“Harrrrdly!”
“Caroline,” Bonnie said suddenly, amazed by a wave of pity that swamped her, “please try to think . Remember back when you said you needed a husband? I—” She broke off and swallowed. Who was going to marry this monster, who a few weeks ago had looked like a normal teenage girl?
“I understood you back then,” Bonnie finished lamely. “But, honestly, it won’t do any good to keep on saying Matt attacked you! No one…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the obvious.
No one will believe something like you .
“Oh, I clean up rrrreal prrretty,” Caroline growled and then giggled. “You’d be surprrrised.”
In her mind’s eye, Bonnie saw the old insolent flash of Caroline’s emerald gaze, the sly and secretive expression on her face, and the shimmering of her auburn hair.
“Why pick on Matt?” Meredith demanded. “How did you know he was attacked by a malach that night? Did Shinichi send it after him just for you ?”
“Or did Misao?” Bonnie said, remembering that it was the female of the twin kitsune, the fox spirits, who had spoken the most to Caroline.
“I went out on a date with Matt that night.” Suddenly Caroline’s voice was a singsong, as if she were reciting poetry—badly. “I didn’t mind kissing him—he’s so cute. I guess that’s when he got the hickey on his neck. I guess I might have bitten his lip a little.”
Bonnie opened her mouth, felt Meredith’s restraining hand on her shoulder, and shut it again.
“But then he just went crazy,” Caroline lilted on. “He attacked me! I scratched him with my fingernails, all up and down one arm. But Matt was too strong. Much too strong. And now—”
And now you’re going to have puppies, Bonnie wanted to say, but Meredith squeezed her shoulder and she stopped herself again. Besides, Bonnie thought with a sudden twinge of alarm, the babies might look human, and there might only be twins, as Caroline herself had said. Then what would they do?
Bonnie knew the way adult minds worked. Even if Caroline couldn’t dye her hair back to auburn, they would say, look what stress she’s been under: she’s actually going prematurely gray!
And even if the adults saw Caroline’s bizarre appearance and strange behavior, as Bonnie and Meredith just had, they would dismiss it as being due to shock. Oh, poor Caroline, her whole personality has changed since that day. She’s so frightened of Matt that she hides under her desk. She won’t wash herself—maybe that’s a common symptom after what she’s been through.
Besides who knew how long it would take these werewolf babies to be born? Maybe the malach inside Caroline could control that, make it seem to be like a normal pregnancy.
And then suddenly Bonnie was snatched away from her own thoughts to tune into Caroline’s words. Caroline was through growling for the moment. She sounded almost like the old Caroline, offended and nasty, as she said, “I just don’t understand why you should take his word over mine.”
“Because,” Meredith said flatly, “we know both of you. We would have known if Matt had been dating you—and he wasn’t. And he’s hardly the kind of guy to just show up at your front door, especially when you consider how he felt about you.”
“But you’ve already said that this monster that attacked him—”
“Malach, Caroline. Learn the word. You’ve got one inside you!”
Caroline smirked and waved a hand, dismissing this. “You said these things can possess you and make you do things out of
Meredith stepped to stand beside Bonnie. Her fists were clenched.
“Don’t starrre,” Caroline said abruptly, and turned away. Yes, that was definitely a snarl.
“You really wanted us to see you, didn’t you?” Meredith said softly. “You’re—flaunting yourself in front of us. But I think that maybe this is your way of asking for help—”
“Harrrrdly!”
“Caroline,” Bonnie said suddenly, amazed by a wave of pity that swamped her, “please try to think . Remember back when you said you needed a husband? I—” She broke off and swallowed. Who was going to marry this monster, who a few weeks ago had looked like a normal teenage girl?
“I understood you back then,” Bonnie finished lamely. “But, honestly, it won’t do any good to keep on saying Matt attacked you! No one…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the obvious.
No one will believe something like you .
“Oh, I clean up rrrreal prrretty,” Caroline growled and then giggled. “You’d be surprrrised.”
In her mind’s eye, Bonnie saw the old insolent flash of Caroline’s emerald gaze, the sly and secretive expression on her face, and the shimmering of her auburn hair.
“Why pick on Matt?” Meredith demanded. “How did you know he was attacked by a malach that night? Did Shinichi send it after him just for you ?”
“Or did Misao?” Bonnie said, remembering that it was the female of the twin kitsune, the fox spirits, who had spoken the most to Caroline.
“I went out on a date with Matt that night.” Suddenly Caroline’s voice was a singsong, as if she were reciting poetry—badly. “I didn’t mind kissing him—he’s so cute. I guess that’s when he got the hickey on his neck. I guess I might have bitten his lip a little.”
Bonnie opened her mouth, felt Meredith’s restraining hand on her shoulder, and shut it again.
“But then he just went crazy,” Caroline lilted on. “He attacked me! I scratched him with my fingernails, all up and down one arm. But Matt was too strong. Much too strong. And now—”
And now you’re going to have puppies, Bonnie wanted to say, but Meredith squeezed her shoulder and she stopped herself again. Besides, Bonnie thought with a sudden twinge of alarm, the babies might look human, and there might only be twins, as Caroline herself had said. Then what would they do?
Bonnie knew the way adult minds worked. Even if Caroline couldn’t dye her hair back to auburn, they would say, look what stress she’s been under: she’s actually going prematurely gray!
And even if the adults saw Caroline’s bizarre appearance and strange behavior, as Bonnie and Meredith just had, they would dismiss it as being due to shock. Oh, poor Caroline, her whole personality has changed since that day. She’s so frightened of Matt that she hides under her desk. She won’t wash herself—maybe that’s a common symptom after what she’s been through.
Besides who knew how long it would take these werewolf babies to be born? Maybe the malach inside Caroline could control that, make it seem to be like a normal pregnancy.
And then suddenly Bonnie was snatched away from her own thoughts to tune into Caroline’s words. Caroline was through growling for the moment. She sounded almost like the old Caroline, offended and nasty, as she said, “I just don’t understand why you should take his word over mine.”
“Because,” Meredith said flatly, “we know both of you. We would have known if Matt had been dating you—and he wasn’t. And he’s hardly the kind of guy to just show up at your front door, especially when you consider how he felt about you.”
“But you’ve already said that this monster that attacked him—”
“Malach, Caroline. Learn the word. You’ve got one inside you!”
Caroline smirked and waved a hand, dismissing this. “You said these things can possess you and make you do things out of
Similar Books
