Isabel and the Wolf: (Part 4) by Ariana Hawkes Read Free Book Online Page A

fast.
    “I had some bad news about a family member, so I didn’t sleep all night,” she invented wildly. “I was beginning to feel drowsy, so I thought it wise to take a nap.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. He was still frowning though. She didn’t want to say it, but it was a last resort.
    “Do you work with Jed?” she asked. The cop’s eyes lit up.
    “Sure do,” he said, and he tipped his hat to her. “You have a nice day, ma’am.”
    “You too,” she said absently. He straightened up and walked back to his cruiser. She started up her car and moved off, before he had a chance to change his mind.
    How could she have fallen asleep? She’d never passed out in her car like that before. It was her mind freaking out, she decided. Overloaded with all the crazy things it had been hearing. Crazy things that had more than a grain of truth in them. She’d seen with her own eyes Peter transforming into something that wasn’t human; Jed sharing some of his characteristics; Josie’s face shifting far more dramatically than could be accounted for by a human range of expressions. There are so many things in this world we don’t understand, that can’t be explained in terms of the experiences we’ve already had . Bill sure wasn’t exaggerating when he said that. Josie said that he and Marianna weren’t werewolves, but she’d bet her bottom dollar that they knew all about them. She stopped her car, did a u-turn, and drove on a loop to Bill and Marianna’s house.
    As Isabel pulled into their driveway, she could see Marianna by the window, doing something at the sink. She ran up the garden path and knocked on the door.
    “What’s the matter, child? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Marianna said, as she opened the door.
    “I think maybe I have,” Isabel said.
    “Come in and sit down.” Isabel relaxed a little at the softness in Marianna’s tone. She collapsed into a long-loved corduroy sofa, and a steaming drink was thrust into her hands.
    “What’s the matter, Bella? Has somebody hurt you?” Marianna said, her features tight with worry.
    “I have to ask you something. And if the answer is no, you’re going to think I’m crazy. But I’m going to take that risk.”
    “Tell me. I’m sure I won’t.” Bella took a deep breath.
    “Is Josie a werewolf?” she asked, forcing her words out at high speed. Marianna’s face crumpled, revealing relief, disappointment and sympathy, all at the same time.
    “Yes, she is,” she said sadly. “She told you that?”
    “I forced it out of her. I had to know.”
    “But whatever led you to the conclusion that she might be?”
    “I met a guy, who turned out to be a relative of hers, and, over time, I noticed that there was something unusual about him. I kept trying to ignore it. But there was this one time, when we were – you know – making love, and he transformed. For a moment, I saw him. As a wolf.” With that, she burst into tears, and wept bitterly.
    “I’m so sorry, Bella,” Marianna said. “I can see how much pain this has caused you.” She passed her a tissue, and Bella wiped her eyes, then took a big slurp of her tea.
    “I found out by chance that he was a cousin of Josie, and I just went to see her and demanded to know what his story was, and she admitted to me that he, she, and this other guy were all werewolves.” Isabel broke into sobbing again. Marianna waited until it’d eased off.
    “This other guy – is that Jed, who you were with at the dance?” she ventured.
    “Yes. I’ve been dating him and Josie’s cousin, Peter. Peter was exciting, but always pretty unconventional, while I thought Jed was this really normal, down-to-earth guy. Now I find out that they’re both far from normal!” She had another thought. “But how do you know about Josie if her husband doesn’t?”
    “I had my suspicions. I’ve seen how she gets sometimes, all antsy and hungry, like a caged animal. Then one time, she was in my car, when