Lupine

by Hanleigh Bradley

  Bert Stevens has been a pain in my side since I was Amon’s age. He’s never forgiven me for that one time I told him the music in his squad car sounded like nails on a chalkboard. He’s spluttered, giving me the stink eye through the rear-view mirror as he gritted out, “it’s a Bach concerto.”

  “I think this belongs to you,” a deep, baritone voice washes over me.

  I’m pretty sure my mouth is hanging open. He has got to be the most attractive man I’ve seen in… well, a while. He has short hair, the sort you’d expect on a soldier, and his face is heavenly. A little stern, perhaps. Actually, not just a little… He looks pissed.

  “You’re not Officer Stevens,” I gulp out.

  “Were you expecting the cops?”

  “Er…” Looking down at Amon, I consider my words. I don’t really want to have to admit to a complete stranger that Amon is regularly brought home by the police.

  “I thought it would be better to bring him back myself rather than involve the police, but if you’d prefer…”

  “No. No. That’s fine. What’s he done?” I ask, unsure if I really want to know.

  He’s a wolf. I can smell it on him. There are wolf pheromones coming off him in waves. The sort of pheromones that make all the girl wolves howl.

  “Just causing trouble,” the wolf tells me, lacking any emotion at all. “Being a nuisance.”

  “So, nothing illegal?” I ask.

  For a second, I think the guy almost smiles, but whatever it is I see on his face disappears almost as quickly as it appears.

  “I’m not sure I’d say that. I definitely think mooning the librarian outside our gym might be illegal.”

  “VIOLET?” I bulk, horrified, turning my attention to the teenage boy who doesn’t even look remotely sheepish. “You mooned Violet?”

  “She didn’t seem that bothered,” Amon retorts. “Told me to put my trousers back on.”

  “Good advice. You might consider listening to her.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “So, you don’t end up in Juvey for public indecency.”

  “That’s not a real thing.”

  “It is too. Go to the library and ask Violet to show you in the law section.”

  Amon scoffs. “I don’t care if I end up in juvey.”

  “Evangeline would care,” I mumble.

  “As if…”

  “Should I change my mind about letting you transfer schools?”

  “You gave me your word,” his tone changes immediately, anger bubbling.

  “Yeah and I also told you to be home by nine,” I say with a shrug.

  With a huff, Amon storms into the orphanage, pushing past me.

  The wolf on my doorstep raises an eyebrow, unimpressed by Amon’s behavior. Either that or my clear lack of parenting skills. Not sure which.

  “Sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”

  “That’s because I didn’t give it,” he tells me severely.

  It’s a shame he doesn’t have a personality to match those crazy pheromones, I can’t help thinking to myself.

  “I’m Lupine,” I say, offering him my hand to shake.

  “I know.”

  “You know?”

  He doesn’t expand on his answer though, just offering me a quick shrug.

  “You said outside the gym?”

  “Fit in A Spell.”

  “The new gym…” I say, my pitch rising to more of a squeal.

  “Yes, the new gym.”

  My eyes rove up and down his body. He probably thinks I’m checking him out. I’m not. Not because he isn’t worth checking out. He definitely is… Attractive enough that I’ve already well and truly checked him all out… No, this time, I’m looking for his gun.

  “The mafia gym?” I ask even though I know I shouldn’t.

  His eyes widen and I’m not sure if it’s because he’s surprised, I know that he’s part of the MAFIA or if it’s because he can’t believe there are already rumors flying about what exactly that gym is fronting.

  He smirks, breaking that expressionless mask he’s wearing, but he doesn’t deny it. OH MY GOD! They really are the mafia…

  “We don’t usually call ourselves that,” he tells me.

  “Oh, really… what do you call it then?”

  “Just family.”

  “Family? Like the godfather?” I whisper.

  “Something like that.”

  “You aren’t supposed to say that. You’re supposed to lie and tell me it’s not true.”

  “You want me to lie to you, Lupine?”

  “No… But I can’t visit your gym.”

  “That’s a shame. I think you might like it.”

  “I doubt that… Not that it matters. I don’t support criminal enterprises.”

  “You’re very brave, telling a member of the mafia that,” he replies, stepping forward an inch.

  That inch makes me feel significantly less brave. As attracted as I am to him, I can’t allow myself to be swayed. He’s dangerous.

  “You’re laughing at me,” I step forward, even though I really want to pull away and cower behind my front door.

  “Only a little bit,” he admits. “We’re not as bad as you think.”

  “And why should I believe that?”

  “Time will tell, I guess,” he says, pulling out a business card. “I’m Rehan.”

  “So, you do have a name,” I joke.

  “Well, it’s not exactly top secret information.”

  His eyes sparkle with humor.

  “It’s not one of those ‘I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you’ things then?”

  “Not quite,” he tells me. “You should come by the gym sometime.”

  “I don’t think it’s really my thing.”

  “Exercise?”

  “The mafia…”

  He flings his head back laughing, showing more emotion in that one action than he has in our entire conversation so far.

  “Either way, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

  “Huh? Why?” I have no intentions of spending any time with him, even if he does look like that.

  “We’re moving in across the street,” he says with a shrug, pointing to the old manor house across the way.

  “You’re moving into Old Lady Edith’s?”

  “Who’s Edith?”

  “The ghost that lives there,” I tell him seriously.

  “It’s haunted?” he asks, glancing over his shoulder.

  “Yeah… or at least that’s what the stories say.”

  “The stories? So, you haven’t seen Edith?”

  “Not personally.”

  “Right… So, it’s probably not haunted then… You’ve just been listening to the kids, haven’t you?”

  “No. Everyone says it. Ask anyone in town.”

  “Sure…” He shakes his head with a slight smile on his face.

  “Well, when you meet Edith don’t come here looking for sympathy,” I growl at him, not enjoying the way he’s laughing at me.

  “Oh, don’t worry… No sympathy needed. A little old lady ghost isn’t going to scare me.” He offers me a wink, and I practically swoon against the doorframe. I really don’t need the mafia for neighbors though, even if they all look as good as he does.

  Then he’s walking away, down the path to a waiting blacked out car without saying goodbye. My fingers curl around his business card. Glancing at it, I learn that he’s a personal trainer. Well, that’s a tempting idea. Forget the book waiting inside for me to read it, I could just let him train me for a few hours. That would certainly relieve some stress…

  Except he looks like he’s a complete slave driver. He’d probably leave me half dead after making me do countless lunges or planks. My muscles ache just thinking about it. I’d pick the book any day of the week, over that sort of torture.

  Even If the Mind Forgets…

  The next morning, I’m woken early by the sound of screaming. Love Blooms sits on the bed next to
me. I’d tried reading it last night, but I hadn’t even opened the cover and read the first line before my eyes were closing.

  “MOMMY!” Artemus’s voice carries through the building. It’s not loud enough yet to wake everyone else, but to my oversensitive wolf ears it’s deafening.

  Stumbling out of my bed, I wrap my dressing gown around me. I make my way down the hall to Artemus and Nik’s bedroom, brushing the sleep out of my eyes as I go.

  “What’s goin’ on?” Jerome asks, coming out of his own room.

  “Go back to sleep, sweetie,” I tell the seven-year-old wolf shifter softly as I pass his door. “It’s still early.”

  “But it’s too loud,” Jerome grumbles.

  “Give me a moment and it won’t be.”

  He shrugs and heads back into his room, closing the door behind him without another word.

  “MOMMY!” Artemus is sitting up in his bed, his arms outstretched.

  “What’s wrong, Artie?” I ask, stepping towards him so I can swoop him up into my arms.

  “I WANT MOMMY!” He sobs.

  This is the worst part of my job. The pain. He’s hurting and there’s nothing I can actually do to make him feel better, except sit here on the floor, holding him while he cries. I never cried for my mummy when I was his age. I heard the other children cry, but I never did.

  I was left on the doorstep in a basket as a newborn. I don’t know anything about my parents. I just know that they gave me my name; Lupine Cortesse. I’ve seen her handwriting, or at least I presume it’s my mother’s handwriting. It’s hard to believe the note that was left with me was written by a man… Covered in tear stains and written in a hurried yet looping scrawl.

  Patting Artemus’s back, I get to my feet and prepare to leave the room. “Should we get you some breakfast?” I ask.

  He doesn’t seem to hear me over his tears. Sometimes, I wish I was a witch. At least then, I could make him feel better. Make him forget… Although I’m not sure that would be better. In fact, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t. Not remembering is painful in a different way.

  You still know something is missing. You still feel the ache, the emptiness, but you have no reason to cry because you don’t know what you’re missing. Mrs Mackney said that even if your mind forgets, your body remembers, that your muscles hold on to the trauma.

  I guess my body knew I was an orphan, before I ever did. Before I even understood the word ‘orphan,’ my body knew that it had been abandoned.

  It’s depressing to think about and I definitely haven’t got time to dwell on it, being as busy as I am trying to help the children with their own pain. I can’t exactly ask Artemus to stop crying so I can fix my own emotions before being the adult he needs right now.

  “I think we should have chocolate cereal,” I tell him in the most animated voice I can muster as I carry him down the stairs.

  The word chocolate seems to get through to him and his tears begin to slow. He’s quiet now, hiccupping as he rests his head on my chest, clinging to my dressing gown.

  Entering the kitchen, I’m surprised to find Lewis already busy at work.

  “You’re here early,” I remark as I lower Artemus into his highchair at the table.

  “Thought I’d make a start on that list you gave me last week,” Lewis tells me. “Probably won’t get it all done today, but I should be able to give it a good shot.”

  I’m almost scared to jinx it. We always think we’ll achieve a lot. Every morning, I tell myself that there are plenty of hours in the day to get through my TO DO list, but I’m always disappointed at the end of the day. Usually because Edmond has run off again or Castalia is bullying the younger children. Every day there is some new drama to deal with and it’s not always of the supernatural kind. Nine times out of ten, it’s just children being… children. Except with dangerous superpowers and abilities… yup, it’s as easy as counting one, two, three.

  “Did you hear we have new neighbors moving in today?” Lewis says as he offers me a steaming mug of coffee.

  If Lewis wasn’t human, I might find him attractive… Maybe. He’s got sandy blond hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. But he smells far too human for my liking.

  “The mafia?” I ask.

  “Yeah? You heard. Should we do something?”

  “Like what?” I ask uncertainly. I don’t really know what a human could do about a mafia that has at least one wolf shifter amongst its membership. Not to mention that if their ‘supes only’ gym is anything to go by, chances are it’s a ‘supes only’ mafia. Not the sort of organized crime group any of us want to be getting involved with.

  “Petition town hall?”

  “I don’t think Mayor Schnarl gives two figs about them so long as they’re paying their taxes.”

  “Argh… He’s a right ogre,” Lewis mumbles, taking a seat at the table.

  Lewis doesn’t know how right he is. Mayor Schnarl is indeed an ogre… I busy myself, pouring Artemus a bowl of cereal before settling down to eat an apple.

  “Is that all you’re eating?” Lewis gives me a look. It’s a look that says he can’t believe his eyes. Mostly because I have one hell of an appetite usually.

  “I’ll eat more later,” I say with a shrug. “It’s far too early for me.”

  “Sure, I can’t tempt you with some bacon?” he asks.

  My mouth waters just at the idea of some meat, the wolf in me dying to rip my teeth into something fleshy, but I shake my head. “Maybe in an hour. Thank you, though.”

  “So… If we aren’t going to ask the mayor for help, what do you want to do about our new neighbors?”

  I didn’t realize I had to do anything. So long as they stay on their side of the road, far away from me and the kids, I really don’t care where they live.

  “I think we should just keep to ourselves,” I say casually.

  Honestly, I definitely don’t like the idea of having the mafia on my doorstep but I’m not about to make an enemy out of them, not when I have a house full of children to consider.

  “Do you really think that will work?”

  Nope. I don’t but I can’t tell him that. Instead, I nod my head and offer him a wide grin.

  “It’s nothing to worry about,” I say. “You never know… They might be harmless.”

  My mind goes back to the night before and having Rehan on the doorstep. There is no way that he is harmless… I could practically smell danger on him. He should have a neon hazard sign over his head.

  Ashmount Academy’s Success Story

  Jacqueline is insistent that I should take the children to school alone today, leaving her to look after the youngest children at the orphanage. It’s odd because usually we go together, taking Artemus and Nik with us.

  Nik likes to go, talking the whole way there about when he’ll be old enough to go to school too. He’s not far off now and in a few months’ time, we’ll only have Artemus to look after during school hours. I’m not sure how I feel about it. On one side, I’ll be delighted to have more time to get stuff done around the house, but I’ll miss having Nik with us.

  Of course, there’s always the chance we’ll have a new arrival. It’s been several months since we last gained a child. Artemus is our newest arrival and has been with us since Christmas. He was left underneath the Christmas tree we had outside the orphanage on Christmas morning.

  That had been a surprise. I’d never anticipated that a child could be abandoned during the festive season.

  It’s only when I return from dropping the kids off at school and had at least two painful conversations with the human mums about nappy rash and children putting things up their nose that they shouldn’t that I realize why Jacqueline was so adamant.

  “Paddling pool, huh?” I ask as I walk up the front path.

  “I thought the boys would enjoy it,” she tells me innocently.

  “Didn’t think the back garden might be a more appropriate place to play?”

  “And miss the show?” she say
s, covering her mouth as if to hide her words from someone, although goodness knows if I know who.

  “What show?”

  “That show,” she says, pointing with her eyes.

  I follow her gaze across the road to where a large van is parked up outside Old Edith’s house. There has to be at least twenty men unloading it. The only thing that could make for a better show is if they were shirtless…

  Momentarily, I consider joining Jacqueline on the front lawn. It’s a mighty tempting idea, but there’s work to be done.

  “Have fun,” I tell her before continuing up the path.

  “Are you not joining me?” She turns back to ask, her face stricken as if she can’t understand anyone choosing to miss out on the eye candy currently on display.

  “Got work to do…” I shrug.

  “Put it off.”

  I laugh at that. Jacqueline is not the sort to encourage me to put my work off. She’s a stickler for not procrastinating.

  “Better not. I need to call the academy.”

  It’s not a lie either. I don’t want to disappoint Amon. I’m hoping that a new start will do him some good. Even if it might just be wishful thinking, I’m going to do everything I can to make it possible for him.

  The academy was exactly that for me. When I went to Ashmount, it changed everything for me. For the first time I didn’t feel like an orphan. I didn’t feel abandoned. Mostly because the other children’s parents weren’t there either but also because Mrs Mackney never missed a parents’ teacher conference or school play… She was a better parent to me than the real parents my friends had.

  Maybe I can do that for Amon…

  Coming into my office, I come to stand by the window, opening it slightly. I tell myself that I’m just checking on the boys and Jacqueline. It’s my job, after all. But really my eyes linger on the people over the road.

  I find myself searching for Rehan, but I can’t spot him. I notice a bald guy in a black shirt and smart trousers, shouting orders at the rest. He gives off a powerful aura, and I can feel his authority even from here.