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52: Prologue
K.L. NovitzkeThank you to everyone who took the time to read Of Teeth & Claws.
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Of Teeth and Claws 1: Is This Like The Empty Promises You Always Make
(Song: Up by Adelitas Way, New Medicine) Running from your past can be tiresome. Necessity, but not always easy. Sometimes it comes barreling right back at you, full speed with teeth and claws. My past has caught up to me and facing it leaves me sick and heartbroken. A swift kick to my luggage sends it tumbling down the steps. Reluctantly, I follow behind it. “See, I did pack, are you happy?” I groan to my father. I didn’t want to and I didn’t pack as much as I should have, but every time I tried I grew more and more nauseous. “I don’t see why I have to go anyways.” “You haven’t seen your grandmother…or your sister in nearly eight years.” He reaches his hand out, his fingers brushing my freshly dyed ashy platinum blonde hair aside. “She misses you.” He means my grandmother, not my sister. Twyla hates me. As if I was the one that tore our family apart. Wolves. That’s who tore our family apart. Literally and figuratively. And going back to the very town where our mother was murdered
Of Teeth and Claws 2: No One Wants To Die Because They Had Fun
(Song: Hunted by Egypt Central) The racing of my heart has my blood coursing loudly through my veins. The hum deafens me to the shouting bodies and playful banter. Black spots blind me to everything else besides my friends who wave and holler at my approach. Their attention is just short of a billboard and big flashing red arrow pointing down at me. As long as I’m here I’ll never relax. I’m in a hotel for crying out loud. How would they even know I’m here? But no matter where I am, how few people know I’m here, as long as I’m in Fairbanks, the choking tightness in my chest won’t dissipate until I’m safely back in Cromwell. On shaky legs, I finally make it to Lyra and Eden. Once I plop down onto the lounger next to Lyra who immediately starts pressuring me to come in the pool with her, but I politely decline. She got me out here, she should be happy enough. I’m not used to or comfortable around so many people, so many strangers, especially here. She hops up to her feet and joins Ed
Of Teeth and Claws 3: Tell That To The Wolf That Murders Me In My Sleep Nearly Every Night
Ugh. Blindly, I grope the nightstand for the phone that has obnoxiously woken me up. My shaky fingers knock the earpiece off the base. Thankfully, it’s a really old phone and it dangles off the edge by its cord. “Hello.” I holler into the room as I reach for it. I can hear Lyra yelling through the little speaker hole, “Get your butt down here. Now.” “What time is it?” It feels like I just got into bed. “How did you get this number? Why are you even calling this phone?” “You didn’t answer your cell. Now get ready. It’s well after ten and we’re going shopping.” I knew I was going to have to leave at some point in time. I would prefer that it wasn’t today….or tomorrow or the day after or the day after that. “Whatever, I’ll be down in a minute.” Or maybe two or three or thirty. She starts a countdown, “sixty. Fifty nine. Fifty eight.” Groping for the dangling phone, I manage to hang up before she gets to fifty five. I’ll definitely be down way after she hits zero. It takes me a minu
Of Teeth and Claws 4: I Haven't Dated A Fetish Yet
My hopes and dreams are crushed when I catch a flash of red hair. The smile on my face is forced, but it's ignored as Eden quickly apologizes, “sorry, someone was being indecisive and then she snagged her nose ring which had her tearing up and then her mascara smeared.” “Yeah, Yeah, I’m a mess,” she jokes before leading us out the door. “I’m more than happy to order room service and stay in. No decision necessary, mascara free night. Maybe you can even do a little spying.” This would be the only time I would influence her poor choice in men. She seems more shocked by my offer than I thought she would be. “I would never choose a boy over you two.” Silence. Wait for it. “Except for that one time.” She holds up her index finger and thumb, nearly pinching them together, “I was close, like this close, but I didn’t.” Because he was a douchebag. The relationship lasted two weeks. She wouldn’t have chosen him over us for very long. “What was his name?” I question. “Fitz…Flash…” “Fetish,”
Of Teeth and Claws 5: Have I Gotten Into That Gorgeous Little Head Of Yours
(Song: Wild Child by The Black Keys) Heart pounding, I watch helplessly. Her voice is cheerful as she greets him. The one sided conversation has my head spinning and my stomach tossing. Thankfully, she repeats everything he says. “Is Nova with me?” I shake my head no. “Of course,” she replies. Silence. “Can you talk to her?” I shake my head again. “Well we’re having dinner right now and she left like a minute or two ago to go to the bathroom. That’s probably why she didn’t answer the phone when you called.” More silence, but Lyra cringes from whatever it is that he’s saying. “How do I know you called her?” Great. She’s already gotten caught in a string of lies. “She…didn’t take her phone with her.” How many details does she need to give him? The silence doesn’t come this time, because he screams so loudly that I can hear it blare out of the speaker. “Nova.” Lyra holds the phone into the air far away from her ear. Every surrounding table can probably hear him, “I know you’re there. N
Of Teeth and Claws 6: Not A F*cking Chance
(Song: Hold Me Like A Grudge by Fall Out Boy) Without being allowed to go to my room to change, I’m stuck in my dress. Lyra and Eden change into something more comfortable and I grow jealous. My tights start to itch, which slowly drives me crazy. Lyra drops onto her bed and starts flipping through channels, Eden digs through her luggage looking for something, I stumble around the room trying to peel off my dreaded tights. “Much better,” I groan as I drop onto Lyra’s bed itch free. Eden hops up, something clenched in her hand. I don’t catch what it is, but it becomes pretty obvious when she tosses it in the microwave and it starts popping. With no bowls, Eden separates it into those complimentary coffee cups that all hotel rooms have. The night seems like the best one yet. Until it's interrupted. Once again the sound of knuckles draws our attention. Someone’s at the patio door. Oh shit. There’s not an ounce of debate from Lyra as she jumps off the bed. When she fluffs her hair and
Of Teeth and Claws 7: So Mouthy
A voice that has grown to annoy me in just two days snaps me out of my reprieve. “May I join you?” Nox questions. Eyes snapping open, I spot him already waist deep in the tub making it unnecessary, but polite to ask. Polite isn’t going to make me like him. Stunned, I watch him take a seat across from me. Seconds later my mouth finally starts working, “if I say no will you leave?” “No.” At least he’s honest. “Then, I will,” I retort as I come to a stand, but I instantly regret it. Standing from the water showcases my barely there swimsuit and Nox immediately notices. He doesn’t hide his smile as his eyes rake over every inch of exposed skin. I become frozen under his gaze and it gives him enough time to jump to feet and block the steps. “You know I can climb out from anywhere, right.” “I’d love to watch you do just that.” What did I say? Snide, egotistical, chauvinistic asshole wants to watch me climb out of the pool. Sorry Lyra, but there’s no more being nice, “you’re an asshole.”
Of Teeth and Claws 8: It Was Someone Else. Someone Inhuman.
The forest is dense and gloomy. My escape is hindered by thick trees and fallen branches covered in moss. I trip with nearly every step. It could be my racing heart causing my limbs to shake or it could be the growl that echoes through the woods that has me in a panic. It's coming for me. And it's close. Too close. Tossing glances through the nearby trees, I catch a glimpse of a black blur. A wild beast on four legs covered in fur, a flash of vivid blue eyes, a snarling mouth filled with long sharp teeth. I run. That's all my brain can comprehend. Run. It keeps pace with me. Taunting me almost. It's obviously in better shape than myself as I huff and puff, begging my burning lungs to hold off just a little longer. A glimmer of a road just ahead can be seen through the thinning trees. I have to make it. A road has people and people can help. Right? The animal stalking me must realize it too because it pushes itself harder, faster. Seconds before it lunges to block my path, I div
Latest chapter
- Of Teeth and Claws 52: Prologue
- Of Teeth and Claws 51: To Feel His Hands On Me. To Have His Mouth Devour Me.
- Of Teeth and Claws 50: Where Is He?
- Of Teeth and Claws 49: I Shuffle Inside To Find The Eye Of The Storm
- Of Teeth and Claws 48:But If I Belong To Any Pack, To Any Wolf, It Would Be To Gideon and Nox.
- Of Teeth and Claws 47: Please Tell Me It Isn't Werewolf Blood
- Of Teeth and Claws 46: It's Fate
- Of Teeth and Claws 45: Fucking Brat
- Of Teeth and Claws 44: Constantly Crashing Into Each Other
