"What's a wolf doing this close to the camp?" Miranda asked.
Just like that, Kylie remembered the wolf from tonight. Derek hadn't made a big deal of it, so neither had Kylie.
"You wanna see me kick some wolf butt?" Della's eyes lit up as if the thought thrilled her.
Kylie remembered the wolf and its submissive posture. It hadn't been threatening. "No, I don't want to see you kick wolf butt." She grabbed Della's elbow.
"Why not?" Della asked. "It's not a werewolf. It's just an animal."
"Yeah, a real live animal. It's not hurting us," Kylie said. "So why would you hurt it?"
"It's following us. And that's creepy," Della answered.
Miranda leaned in. "I hate to say this but I agree with Della. It's creepy."
Kylie stared into the woods, and between the collage of trees she spotted the golden eyes staring back at her. A shiver ran up her spine. Creepy? Maybe, but it still hadn't hurt anyone. Then Kylie couldn't help but wonder if the wolf's presence wasn't some sort of message, or a piece of a puzzle. Or was it like Derek had said, just a hybrid animal wanting company?
"Oh man. Is that its eyes?" Miranda pointed into the woods.
"Yeah," Della snapped. "And I don't like it. I'm really in the mood to kick wolf butt."
Realizing Della was serious, Kylie snatched up a small rock and slung it in the direction of the wolf. "Go away," she yelled.
The rustle of underbrush filled the silence as the animal shot off. Then she looked up at Miranda and Della. "There, it's gone. Happy now?"
The sound of the insects started chiming again.
"Not really," Della said. "It would have been more fun if I'd done it my way. I could have used a snack."
"Tell me you wouldn't have killed it," Kylie insisted.
"Just a little bit." Della grinned.
Kylie rolled her eyes and hoped like heck Della was joking.
"Is it really gone?" Miranda looked down the line of the woods.
"Yeah," Della said, and they started walking again. But Kylie couldn't help but look back and question just exactly why the wolf was here.
Then a thought hit and it felt as if Kylie's heart bounced around her ribs for a second. Could Lucas be trying to send her a message?
"Back to my problem," Miranda said as they approached their cabin.
"What am I going to do about Kevin?"
"That's simple." Della jumped up onto the cabin porch. She turned around and looked back at Miranda. "You have to make up your mind."
She held out her right palm. "Do you want Kevin?" She held out her left palm. "Or do you want Perry? It's not really that hard. Kevin?" She lifted her right hand. "Or Perry." She moved her left hand up higher.
"What if I choose Perry, but he never chooses me? Never makes a move. Never even kisses me. What if I end up being the oldest witch virgin alive?"
"Then you'll know you screwed up." Della shrugged.
"You're not a lot of help." Miranda looked at Kylie. "What do you think?"
"I think..." Kylie remembered kissing Derek tonight, wanting things to be different, but feeling as if something was always stopping her from taking that leap. Then she remembered feeling torn between Derek and Lucas.
"I think you shouldn't come to me for relationship advice. I suck at it."