Author: Eden Beck
Category: Paranormal
Go to read content：https://readnovelfree.com/p/29741_4
My father stands just a few steps away, his hands stuck lazily into his pockets. The beige cashmere sweater he wears does nothing to hide the lithe strength of the body beneath, it just makes it a little more acceptable. For the humans.
He takes my silence as an opportunity to approach, slowly, until he comes to rest his forearms on the railing with a contented sigh. His profile contrasts against the darkening sky behind him. The sound of voices and movement carries through the open door from inside.
From the sound of it, Marlowe has distracted Kaleb with a bout of “friendly” wrestling. Normally I’d be at their side, placing bets on a winner or joining in myself.
But tonight, tonight …
Tonight, I focus on the silence that surrounds the hillside around me and Romulus.
Six Feet Under - ArchangelCheck out the best interactive novels on Whispers: Interactive stories.
“Don’t tell me I’m going to have to deal with a temper from you too, now,” my father says after a long moment. “I already have enough to handle with Marlowe.”
“Not to mention Kaleb,” I mutter.
Romulus’ eyes cut over to me. “Everything going alright? We knew the transition wasn’t going to be easy. Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.”
“No, not that,” I say hastily, and I mean it. I don’t regret adopting our youngest, Kaleb. Not for a second. It’s just …
“I’m uneasy,” I admit, swallowing hard. “I thought coming back to the house here was a good idea, but now I’m not so sure.”
Coming back to the house had always been part of the plan. But it was meant to be a stop in the road. A chance to rest, to sleep, to gather before moving on to the next place.
“I guess I’ve just gotten so used to the road that I’ve forgotten how to stand still.”
Romulus grins. “Don’t worry,” he reassures me, “you’ll have your chance again. This is just for a while. Just until the boy learns to control himself better.”
“Speaking of,” Romulus says, clearing his throat. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?”
He gestures to my ink-stained frame.
I shake my head, but this time it’s my turn for a smile to pull at the corners of my lips. “This, unfortunately, is all me. As far as Kaleb goes, he just got over-excited about the idea of neighbors. He’s like a real pup, that one.”
“Ah, yes,” Romulus says. “I guess it’s a good thing he has you then, isn’t it?”
His eyes bore into mine now, and there’s nothing casual about the shift in his posture. Though he still looks relaxed, as if he’s leaning against the raining in casual conversation with his son, I can sense the coiling in his muscles. He could snap my neck if he wanted to, and I wouldn’t even have time to react.
Even though I know he never would, the knowledge of it still sends a chill racing down my spine. We’re distracted momentarily by the sound of grunting and footsteps below as Marlowe and Kaleb spill out onto the grass down below.
Romulus looks away and starts shouting pointers down to Kaleb, but I keep my eyes on him. To think the man standing in front of me used to be the leader of a massive pack … and all he has left is us.
It serves as a grim reminder of how quickly all we have could be lost. How quickly one mistake, one wrong move, could be the end of us.
And sometimes it seems like I’m the only one who remembers that.
3
Sabrina
The sound of my mother’s scream has barely died on her lips by the time I burst through the screen door.
“What is it? What’s happened?” My anxiety has been fierce lately, so even the slightest indication that something might be wrong, sends me spiraling into a small panic. I’m about to start looking for a sharp object, fully prepared to stab someone if need be.
But rather than pointing out some masked, burly intruder, my mother just covers her mouth with one hand and uses the other to point into the corner.
“There … there was …”
“There was what?” I say with a slight grumble, the fading adrenaline leaving me cross as I slowly come to understand that we are not, after all, in danger.
Her voice comes out as a whisper. “I think I saw a mouse.”