Kelley Armstrong [Armstrong - Hidden

"Theres a wolf in the forest.

Peytons big sister, Piper, looked up from her homework.

What?

Peyton pointed at the window. A wolf. Out there. He was watching me. She tugged one pigtail. He watches me a lot. I think hes lonely.

Piper scrambled off her chair, put her hand to the glass and cupped it to peer into the darkness.

Hes kinda hard to see, Peyton said. Because hes black. But he has blue eyes. I can always see his eyes.

Her brother, Pearce, walked in, sneering. Yeah, a blue-eyed black wolf. She saw a dog, Pipe.

No, I saw a wolf. Hes right Peyton pressed her nose to the glass. Hes gone. But it was a wolf. He was really big.

How big? Piper asked.

Peyton lifted her hand to the top of her head.

Uh-huh. Pearce turned to Piper. Dog. Wolves are smaller than Mrs. Lees German shepherd. And theyre gray with brown eyes. Shes a baby, Pipe. She imagines things.

Im not a baby! Im almost five and I go to school.

Piper headed for the door. Im going out to take a look.

Piper hadnt found any sign of what her sister had seen outside, but it still worried her. Mom didnt pay nearly enough attention to Peyton these days, and she was liable to let her wander into the forest looking for her wolf. They lived near Algonquin Park. There were wolves in their woodsplus bears, porcupines and lynx. Piper tried to watch her little sister, but she was in high school now and couldnt be with her all the time.

She went in to tell Mom what Peyton saw, but Mom was on the phone with Roy, Peytons dad. Theyd split up six months ago. Things had been better with Roy around. A lot better. Kids always whined about their stepdads, but Roy was great. Now he was gone, and Mom was on the phone with him, fighting as usual. He wanted custody of Peyton; Mom wouldnt even let him see her.

Piper had overheard Aunt Nancy saying Mom was doing it to punish Roy. Piper hoped her mom would wake up one day and decide hed been punished enough. That shed realize a four-year-old was more than she could handle when she had two jobs and friends and boyfriends. Piper hated being disloyal to her mother, but she secretly hoped that someday Roy would just come and take Peyton. It would be better for everyone. Especially Peyton.

Peyton stood at her bedroom window and watched the wolf. Peyton had asked her teacher yesterday if wolves could be black, and theyd looked it up on the computer and found pictures of black ones. So Pearce wasnt so smart, even if he was almost twelve.

After that, Peyton dug out the camera Daddy gave her for Christmas. Mommy had gotten mad, saying Peyton was too young for one, but Daddy said he got a good deal on it, and Peyton loved taking pictures. Or she used to, when theyd go into the forest together and find butterflies and hummingbirds. But then Daddy left and Peyton put the camera away. Now she was going to use it to get a photo of the wolf and show Pearce.

She couldnt take pictures through the window. Daddy taught her that. So she tiptoed past Pipers room and slipped into the back hall. Then she put on her coat and boots and went outside.

The wolf was still at the edge of the forest. When she came out, he didnt move, just looked over. She lifted the camera. The wolf backed into the darkness.

Peyton took a few careful steps, until she saw the glow of his blue eyes. She lifted the camera. The wolf moved back. She moved forward. He moved back.

I just want to take your picture, she said.

He tilted his head, as if listening to her. She raised the camera. He stretched out his front paws, and lowered his head, tail wagging. Then he let out a little yelp, like Mrs. Lees dog, Baxter, when he wanted to play. As she pushed the camera button, he wheeled and raced off.

Peyton checked the shot, like Daddy showed her. All it showed was the forest and the tip of a black tail.

She sighed. Hearing another yip, she glanced up to see the wolf there. He opened his mouth, tongue hanging out, like he was smiling. When she tried to snap a picture, he dropped and rolled on the ground, so all she got was a blur.

Thats not funny, she said.

He raced around her in a big circle. Then he stopped, right in front of her, and she realized shed walked into the forest.

She tensed to run, but he just stood there. He lowered his head and flicked his ears. Then he inched closer, head still down, and as big as he was, he didnt seem scary at all. She reached out and patted him. His fur was so thick and soft it was like the coat Aunt Nancy had, with the fur collar, and Peyton only meant to pat his head, but soon she was scratching him behind the ears and burying her fingers in the fur around his neck.

Then he ducked away and danced back. She stepped forward. He stepped back. She laughed. He ran a little ways and she thought shed scared him off, but he stopped, as if waiting for her.

She glanced over her shoulder at the house. He yipped, and he sounded so lonely and looked so hopeful that she couldnt resist.

Okay, she said. Lets play.

He yipped, as if he understood. Then he pretended to run off and they played together, her chasing, him hiding, then jumping out and running. At first, she kept looking back, making sure she could see the lights of the house. But then she forgot, and just kept chasing him.

Theyd been playing for a while when he took off and just kept going. She called for him to come back, but he didnt. The game was over. Hed gone home. So should she.

She turned around and peered into the darkness. There were no lights anywhere.

Peyton took a step. Dead leaves crackled under her boots. A moan whispered through the trees and she went still, her heart pounding. It was just branches moving in the wind, thats what Daddy told her. But it had sounded different when hed been there. Now all she could hear was the wind, making the branches moan and creak, rustling the leaves, whining through the treetops. Then a shriek, right beside her head.

She started to run and tripped. She hit the ground hard. Something jabbed her cheek. She wiped at it and felt blood. Biting back a whimper, she tried to get up, but her foot hurt and she fell again.

She kept trying but it hurt too much. Her foot throbbed and her cheek kept bleeding. And it was cold. So cold and dark and spooky and she was lost and no one would ever find her. Thats when she started to cry.

Shed been huddled on the ground for a while when she heard a voice. She sniffed and perked up.

Hello? a man called.

She tried to stand, but her foot still wouldnt let her, so she got up on her knees and called back, Im here.

Footsteps came toward her. I thought I heard crying.

I-Im lost.

I see that. The man walked over and the first thing she noticed about him was his blue eyes. They looked just like the wolfs and she blinked. The man smiled and crouched beside her, and she realized he just had regular blue eyes, like Mommy and a lot of other people.