“Come on, Bay, we're not even doing anything forbidden.”

“You want to spy around, and especially on people who I think are way too big for you.”

Her expression was serious and full of concern. Just like when I'd told her about the break-ins at the jewelry stores of the McConnells, one of Sacramento's richest families. Olivia’s family.

“We're just driving there and if there's nothing to find, we'll drive right back.” I looked at her pleadingly. “Come on, Bay. You can't tell me you're not interested in something like this all of a sudden, can you?”

She seemed to be thinking.

This was my chance.

“The forest, Larissa. A body was found there. Besides, it's fucking storming. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

I took a deep breath.

“Listen to me. You're safe with me. My bike is very fast and, in an emergency, you have a best friend with self-defense experience.”

Bayla still didn't look convinced.

“Please, Bay... Don't leave me hanging.” I made a pouty face. “We'll go there, see if there's a house and if we don't find anything, I'll take you straight back home, no arguments.”

Bay seemed to consider whether this was really a wise idea.

“No risky break-in maneuvers,” she demanded.

“Okay, whatever you want. Just, please, let's do it before it gets too dark.”

“Damn, Larissa...”

The corners of my mouth moved upward, and I jumped up, nearly knocking over a waitress with pink hair next to me.

“I'll take that as a yes!”

Chapter 54

Bayla

By the time we drove through the part of the forest marked on the map as the Blairs' territory and crossed the border into the DeLoughreys' territory, dusk had fallen.

You could tell because the asphalt was suddenly rougher, and the thicket next to the road became denser. The forest seemed deeper, darker, almost dead. As if, if you dared to set foot in it, you would be instantly devoured.

I swallowed and wrapped my arms tighter around Larissa's wasp waist.

I didn't want to end up like the woman on the forest border.

As much as I would have liked to tell Larissa everything, I didn't want to burden her unnecessarily with this creepy werewolf stuff if we were leaving here soon anyway. But I couldn't just let her drive here on her own, either.

I had to protect her, because if I told her about all the shit that was going on here, she probably wouldn't want to leave. And I didn't want to lose my best friend to a serial killer, hungry werewolves or a crazy cult.

And then there were the DeLoughreys…

I didn't understand why these rich people were buying up forests as if they were obsessed with wood. Besides, I hadn't yet understood the DeLoughreys' role in this whole game about the town. If they were human, the Blairs and the Copelands would certainly have an easy game. Something really stank about this family, and the fact that Larissa was throwing herself headlong into it worried me all the more.

We took one curve after another on the dark asphalt.

The fog was getting thicker and thicker.

I didn't really think we were going to find anything.

Did I even want to find anything? No. I didn't even want to be here in the late evening. Especially since I knew there were fucking werewolves in the woods surrounding the town, I'd always tried not to be out after 7pm. No offense to Julian and the professor, but you never knew...

Larissa hit the gas, apparently assuming that we were alone on the road and that this road would never end...until it did, abruptly as it had started.

Larissa stopped a little gruffly and took off her helmet.

“What the... This can't be...”

She sounded disappointed by the forest piling up in front of us, leading toward the three higher mountains of this surprisingly big island, surrounded by misty dark woods.

Somehow, I didn't feel comfortable here at all. It was freezing cold, even though I had put on many layers of clothing.

There was a rotten crackling in the undergrowth. Or was it the bony branches of the few deciduous trees that were overhanging the road?

“I don't get it...” Larissa muttered and got off before securing the motorbike from falling.

How could she not find this place creepy? The dark sky, the black thicket, the snarling branches and the noises made by the wind...

I would have loved to go back. Now. Right now.

But Larissa went to the side of the road and bent down to take a photo.

The branches creaked a little louder, and the wind suddenly whistled ice-cold through my hair.

I shivered.

“We should go. There's nothing here, Larissa,” I insisted, hoping that there really was nothing out here.

I had the feeling that it was getting icier and icier.

But Larissa didn't seem to be so convinced, because she continued forward to where the forest began.

“Larissa, come on, the deal was that we'd leave if there was nothing there.”

Larissa didn't look back at me, but walked further into the thicket.

“But I think there is something there. There must be something here.”

The fact that there was nothing there was somehow more comforting than the thought of anything else. What should be in a forest like this?