Page 154 of Such Sharp Teeth

I spit her from my mouth.

Still she struggles against me. Gnashes her teeth.

I keep her pinned there until she stops resisting. Until she relents. Until the destruction is over. Until the sun comes up.

XV

I squint into vague daylight.

I’m not the wolf anymore. What I am is naked, facedown in the snow.

I must have fallen asleep, but I don’t know for how long.

A twig snaps somewhere behind me, and a moment’s panic dissolves when I see it’s Mia walking toward me, wearing matching sweats.

“Here,” she says, tossing me an oversized hoodie patterned with the Playboy bunny logo.

I slip it on, adjust my medallion so it rests over the top.

Mia props herself against a tree. She looks terrible. She claps a hand to her mouth, then turns her back to me to vomit. When she’s done, she wipes her lips on the sleeve of her sweatshirt and says, “That never gets any easier.”

“Mm. Uh, care to explain to me what the fuck happened last night?”

“So aggressive,” she says, rubbing her temples.

“You tried to kill me. You tried to kill Ian.”

Ian. The look on his face when he saw me transform. I close my eyes, and it’s all I see. When I open them, still there. Shit.

“Well, what were you doing out with him in the woods last night?” she asks. I stutter, and her lips curl. “Appears I’m not the only one who got distracted on a full moon by Ian Pedretti.”

“This is twice now you’ve almost killed someone.”

“Almost. But I didn’t.”

“You bit me.” I put my head in my hands. “Why are you being like this?”

“Like what? I gave you my wolfsbane. You’re welcome, by the way. I didn’t have enough time to brew another batch.”

“So what? That’s an excuse to eat people?”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re just mad I scared your boyfriend off.”

“Maybe you don’t remember, but I had your neck in my jaws last night. Don’t press me.”

“Ooh, big bad,” she says, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her sweatpants pocket. She lights one and takes a long drag. “I didn’t know you two would be out here.”

“Did you even try? Last night. Did you make any attempt to stop yourself from going on a rampage?”

She shrugs.

“Really? That’s it? That’s all I get? A shrug?”

“I didn’t have a plan.”

“You don’t say.”

“Back off. I haven’t been at this for that long. I’ve only got eight months on you.”