THE LAST WEREWOLF

CHAPTER 6 (Avery)

When Avery woke up earlier than usual in the morning, her next story was the only thing on her mind. Exceeding her own standards for punctuality, she beat everyone to the Pineridge Inquirer, made a pot of coffee, and started pounding away on the keyboard at her desk. An hour later and halfway through a first draft, some of the other reporters and editorial assistants arrived, and not long after that, her boss strolled in with a foxy grin on her face when she glimpsed Avery's headline: The Pineridge Hero Saves Again!

Lexa Nash wandered over and peered over Avery's shoulder. "Are we talking about the wolf encounter on the mountainside? The one on the news yesterday morning?"

"Sort of, but no."

"Which is it? It can't be both."

Avery swiveled in her chair to face her. Hesitated and then proceeded. "Actually, it was a wolf encounter, but it was a different one."

Lexa's dark eyebrows narrowed. "I haven't heard of any other wolf sightings. Can you be more specific?"

"Well... it kind of involved me."

"You?"

"Yeah."

Lexa pursed her lips, staring at Avery with skepticism. "Tell me about it now. In private."

Her boss, the chief editor of The Inquirer, spun on her heels in a pants suit, waltzed down the middle of the aisle between desks and entered her office. She didn't turn to see if Avery had followed her, because no one ever questioned her in front of the other reporters. It wasn't healthy for a person's career to do such a thing. Any rebuttals had to be addressed behind closed doors, and even then, Avery knew she had better watch her tone and select her words wisely, or that little spot on the back page of the first section would get bumped in preference of another reporter's column.

After Lexa closed the door, sealing them both inside, she strolled around her large cherry wood desk, pulled her leather chair out, and sat with an elegance that made Avery jittery from head to toe. The woman ran a newspaper, had a townwide influence even the police chief gave reverence to, but still walked like a model on a runway, hips swaying, devilish eyes, and a devious smile.

She nodded to the chair in front of her desk. "Sit."

Avery gnawed on the inside of her cheek as her backside found the firm cushion beneath her. "What would you like to know about my encounter?"

"All of it. If it doesn't have a reputable source, I need to verify it."

"The source is me."

Lexa didn't blush or bat an eye, only stared at Avery, tilting her head with piercing eyes and parted lips. "Tell me what happened."

"Last night," Avery said, and began telling her boss everything from start to finish. When she completed her story, Lexa's disbelieving demeanor hadn't wavered.

"So, the wolf showed up at your back patio and was about to eat you alive when the hero showed up?"

Avery wanted to say something that might support her encounter, but she only nodded.

Lexa's expression hardened. "Sounds contrived. Like something someone would make up to get moved to the front page."

"I didn't make it up." Avery felt a sudden resolve solidifying her stance. She knew to watch what she said to the chief editor, but this woman had all but called her a liar. "It's the truth. And it shows the hero isn't just some weightlifter, throwing back an energy drink, and then rushing out to risk his life to save people."

"What does it reveal, then?"

"That he possesses some sort of supernatural power." A fire lit behind Avery's eyes. "He tackled a mountain lion and now a wolf. Who does that and lives?"