Trust: A Twisted Wolf Tale by Rene Folsom Read Free Book Online Page B

dig a perfect hole with her fingernail. She was hunched over, obvious discomfort outlining her movements. She didn’t like to be put under the spotlight—that much I knew. Yet, I couldn’t help myself. I was always eager to learn something new, and this creature sitting before me had all kinds of secrets.
    She was a living book, just waiting for me to read her.
    Leaning my ass against the sink, I towel dried my hands and continued to stare at her, pausing to see if she’d heard me. I knew something was up with the non-verbal reaction I was receiving, and it suddenly dawned on me that the manuscript I spent the past day and a half reading meant much more to her than she initially let on.
    “So,” she said, her voice, quiet and unsure, filling the void in the room. “What do you think so far?”
    My brow furrowed as I studied her. Did she really want to know what I thought? This was the first time she actually seemed to treat me like more than a pebble in her shoe. She was engaging in some sort of meaningful conversation, and yet, I was suddenly tongue-tied.
    “Forget it,” she blurted out, waving her hand and bolting from her chair. Making her way toward the kitchen door, she added, “I don’t care.”
    The sound of wood slamming together made me jump, the force of her tantrum causing a vibration to shudder beneath my feet. That was a rather odd mood swing, even for her. Usually, she would shut me out before I ever even thought of having a chance at intelligent banter. This time, the exchange was just a tease.
    “Hey, wait!” I hollered. My feet started moving before my brain could catch up. It bugged me I couldn’t call after her—hell, I didn’t even know her name, if she even had one.
    I made quick work of following her out of the kitchen and nearly ran into her in the hall. Even though I half expected her to be there, it still startled me, causing me to grab my chest and take a moment to catch my breath.
    “It’s Karoline… my name is Karoline,” she muttered, as if reading my mind before turning on her heel and walking away from me. Her lithe steps weren’t like an animalistic being, but instead like an elegant, graceful woman. I watched, completely speechless yet again, as her hips swayed with each step she took, her jeans fitting her curves like a normal, human woman, until she disappeared around the corner, a lone rose staring at me in her absence.
    This time, I didn’t follow.

The Name
    Karoline.
    Karoline.
    Lying on my bed, I stared at the pattern on the ceiling and thought about our encounter, allowing the name to repeat over and over again in my head. Not only was I wondering why she chose that moment to tell me, but I was also wracking my brain… trying desperately to figure out where I’d heard it before.
    Karoline.
    Turning on my side, I glared at the bedside table. The lamp was off, the sunlight shining through the window being the only illumination I needed at that time of day, making the red color of my rose seem brighter by nature.
    I couldn’t help but wonder what my pop was doing right now. Probably sitting comfortably in the bookstore he held so dear. Time seemed to go by in slow motion in this house. At first, it was because I thought every moment that passed would inch me closer to my doom—the end of my life. Now that my wolf-like captor chose to keep me fed and entertained—hell, even going as far as providing me clothing—each moment was spent wondering what she really wanted from me.
    My eyes gravitated toward the manuscript littering the surface of the end table, my dead phone sitting as a paperweight on top of the scattered, handwritten papers. Pulling the last chapter from the wooden surface, I contemplated whether I wanted to read more or not. I’d been trying to drag it out, knowing it was the only thing keeping me company. I didn’t want the story to end.
    I was so enthralled by the characters and their situation. Knowing it was coming to a close pained me. The