"Howling Hearts: When Hunters Love the Beast"

– The Edge o

tor's lot of Moonshade Forest Reserve. Most students pressed their faces to the windows, eager for somet

t like a tide of shadows. The forest looked...old. Not just aged, but ancient. Untouched. Th

hone until the signal dropped. "Of course," she

supposed to be disconnecting, rem

ice. If I die in the woods, it'll b

arning a glare from their teacher. He popped a mint in his mouth and smirke

hadn't looked up from her sketchpad, but her voice was ca

. "Touché, g

ips. Their group had been strange for a while now-close, but complicated. S

word since they

p, but never entirely apart either. He didn't speak unless he had to, but when he did, it was always something that m

_____________

spilling amber light through the treetops. Teachers shouted instructions and hand

ogy teacher reminded. "You miss it, you're

ves. He wore too much cologne and tr

h tents a little farther from the main clearing. Not too far

Jace joked, tossing a sleeping bag onto the ground

't the killer go for t

the killer," he said, holding

uietly, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. "

and you nev

ed into a lock

Aiden crouched in silence, hel

he noted, watching the way h

aid. "When I

ily

ght away. Then: "So

his eyes were on the forest. Always the forest. Like

_____________

the students had turned in early, bored or tired from setting up. Only a few rema

arlier," Jace said, poking the flames

a deer,"

r," Selen

mon," Jace whis

ed. "You're

dance across the trees, finally spoke. "T

up went

ou mean?"

ew around it. Before the hiking

er at him. "How

ad a

But it wasn't t

_____________

lt something in her chest-a strange pressure. Like being watched. Like

nce, something howled

one f

with nervous laughter.

sked, glancing t

lene said, though she

ng ash from his han

he shadows-closer to the woods,