Red Rider's Hood by Neal Shusterman Page B

could magically create a few million werewolves. Then I realized that he could. Bite enough people, who then bite more people, and pretty soon, werewolf’ll be the world’s fastest-growing ethnic group.
    â€œOf course it will take time,” Cedric said. “But we’re ready to start expanding outward. Next month A/C is heading out to Chicago to start his own pack there. Warhead will be going to Los Angeles. I figure in less than a year we’ll have packs in twenty cities.”
    The air on the rooftop suddenly felt thin, like I was trying to breathe in space. I thought I might pass out, then I realized I’d been hyperventilating, breathing in and out so fast I was getting dizzy. I couldn’t tell if it was excitement, or fear.
    â€œAnd we won’t be just your ordinary werewolves. No! See, I’ve got another trick up my sleeve. One that I don’t even think Mother Nature was counting on.”
    â€œHe still won’t even tell
us
what it is,” grumbled A/C.
    â€œ
I
know what it is,” Loogie said, but Cedric threw him a silencing gaze.
    â€œWhy are you telling me all this?” I said, trying to slow my breathing.
    â€œYou’re one of us now,” said Klutz, looking to Cedric for approval.
    â€œRight,” Cedric said. “You deserve to know what’s in your future.”
    I looked around and saw that one of the Wolves was hanging back. “How about you, Marvin?” I said. “What city are you going to?”
    â€œNone of your business,” Marvin snapped.
    â€œYou gotta be with us for a year before you can start your own pack in a new city,” Cedric told me. Then he smiled. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t make your reservation now.” He snapped his fingers, and then Warhead stood up, taking a map out of his pocket, unfolding it on an air duct beside us. It was a map of the United States. More than twenty cities were marked off, claimed by each of the Wolves. I could sense a hint of the werewolf coming to the surface in Cedric. Whether it was a hunger for flesh, or a hunger for power, I didn’t know.
    â€œPick yourself a city,” he said.
    I looked at him, and at A/C and Klutz. I looked at Warhead and Marvin. I stood, and feeling lighter than air, I went over to the map. Klutz handed me a marker. The permanent kind.
    â€œGo on,” Cedric said. “Any city that’s not already taken.”
    I looked at the map, holding the marker in my hand. Any city I want. Grandma was right. This was a dangerous game.
    â€œDenver,” I said. “I want Denver.” And I marked the city with an
X,
claiming it in my name.
    The next day I told Grandma that Cedric had big plans, but I didn’t tell her what those plans were. I figured she didn’t really need to know, since it really didn’t change anything as far as she was concerned. Her goal…our goal…was to take out every single werewolf, and Cedric’s plan didn’t change that. “He’s smart,” I told Grandma. “A lot smarter than you give him credit for.”
    That was something Grandma did not want to hear. It upsether so bad, she burned the eggs she was cooking. That might not sound like much, but Grandma was the coolest customer I knew. Nothing ever seemed to rattle her. Even when the Wolves had locked us in her basement, she was calm.
    â€œI was so sure he’d be like his grandfather,” she said. “Xavier Soames was shortsighted and simpleminded. A werewolf with brains is a frightening foe.”
    â€œGrandma,” I asked, “you never did tell me how you got Xavier.”
    Grandma cleaned out the burned pan.
    â€œI didn’t get him,” she said. “Your grandfather did.” At first I thought she wasn’t going to tell me any more, but she put the pan down and turned off the faucet. Her glasses were steamed up from the hot water, and when she took them off, I could see her