Chapter 3
Sam's P.O.V
On my way to work, my conversation with her spun around my head. From the moment I saw I just knew she wasn't a normal resident of Mercy Falls. The way she walked, her movements, her expressions, they all screamed different.
Could she be one of us? No-one just moves to a tiny town like this and chooses to live right near a forest that is home to killer wolves. She had to be.
I arrived at the book store and parked my car around the back alley as usual. I walked through the passage way of books and assumed my usual position at the front desk. Then I remembered something. Beck had told me a couple years ago that there was a pack of very viscous wolves in Willow's creek. Is that why she left? Did her pack banish her? And she came here to join our pack. There was something still niggling at me though. I felt like she had come here for a purpose. I needed to find out more about her.
Just as I started to plan exactly how I was going to do that, Isabel gracefully entered, making the bell on the door ring.
"Hey Sam, I thought I'd find you here", she said smoothly.
"Yeah, what did you want?" I replied genuinely intrigued. Isabel hardly ever spoke to me unless it was something important.
"Cole shifted".
"What? How?" Even though winter was over, it was far too cold for him to shift.
"I dunno, he came into my house this morning and he definitely wasn't hairy".
"Where is he now?"
"He's in my car".
"Ok, well you keep looking after him until I finish work".
"Can't he stay here with you? I have school." she whined.
Cole in a book store? This was not going to go well, but there was really no other choice. "Ok, fine".
Isabel smiled and dashed outside, causing the bell to ring again. This was going to be a long two hours. I slumped into my seat and closed my eyes slightly.
Next minute, I feel cold hand over my eyes and a loud voice saying, "Guess who Ringo?"
"Cole stop being a fool", I replied taking his hands off my face.
"Aww come one, it's just a joke. Lighten up".
"If you're going to stay with me, you've got to be quiet".
"Pfft, that's easy. I can do that" He jumped onto the couch, causing it to slide backwards into a shelf of books. Some of the toppled onto him and he put them back. "Umm, starting now".
"Since you're here I should tell you what you've missed" I sighed.
"Oh boy, Story time!" Cole said pretending to be excited.
"This is serious Cole".
"Lighten up Ringo".
It was pointless continuing that conversation so I cleared my throat and spoke, "A girl has moved into the house next to us. Her name is Annabelle".
"Oh is she hot?" Cole said becoming interested.
"That's not important. What is important though is that there is something strange about her. I think she might be one of us".
"A wolf? What makes you think that?"
"She suddenly arrives from a place called Willow's Creek where there is a known pack of wolves, she moves into a house right next to Boundary Wood, the home of our wolves. Don't you think that's all a little too convenient?"
"Well it could just be a coincidence".
"No, I sensed it as I soon as I saw her. I could smell wolf on her".
"You're so sure that you can read people, aren't you Sam?"
"I'm telling you Cole, she is a wolf and I will prove it".
"What about wolves?" a girl's voice said as she closed the door to the store.
"Oh Annabelle, umm nothing", I stammered.
"It's Belle. Who's your friend Sam?" she asked taking a step closer to us.
"I'm Cole", he said with his best flirting voice and put a hand out to her.
"Hi Cole", she said shaking it slowly.
"Cole, lives with me, but he slept in this morning so he couldn't come over with me to see you", I added quickly. "Anyway, can I help you?"
"Yea, I was looking for a book on wolves" she replied.
I gave Cole an 'I told you so look' and he mouthed back at me, why would she want a book on wolves if she is one? That was a good question. Of all this seemed to fit together a little too perfectly. I shrugged and led her to the section on animals.
As she searched the shelves for a book, Cole and I argued in whispers at the front of the store. I was sure I was onto her now.