by E.J. Stevens
“Honey, you look beautiful,” my mom said as I twirled one more time at the bottom of the stairs.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Ready?” Calvin asked.
He looked gorgeous. In the dim lighting Cal looked even more tan than usual. He was all in black which made his blue eyes positively glow.
“Absolutely,” I answered.
“Have fun you two,” my mom said as we made our way out the door.
Oh, I planned to.
When we arrived at the school parking lot, the gymnasium entrance and the trees by the walkway were lit up with tiny white string lights. Cal and I took our time before going inside. The night felt magical and in a good way. We had both been through so much lately. It felt wonderful to have a moment to just enjoy each other’s company. Well and there was kissing. Lots and lots of kissing.
Eventually we made our way inside. The dance committee had outdone themselves with decorations and the room was filled with red paper flowers. A DJ was playing something slow and there were already couples out on the dance floor. As the song ended couples started to disperse and I was surprised to see Gordy and Emma walking towards us. Together. Calvin raised an eyebrow at me in question, but I was just as surprised as he was.
“I have no idea,” I said to Cal, “I didn’t even know that Emma was coming tonight.”
Emma had avoided my questions about the dance and, being a good friend, I decided not to press her, since I didn’t want it to seem like I was rubbing it in that I had a date. Apparently she has one too.
Standing in front of Emma and Gordy was like looking into a mirror that reflected back the opposite of Cal and myself. Cal towered over me, while Gordy was at least a head shorter than Emma. I was dressed all in black yet Emma looked elegant in a simple white sheath dress. Even Calvin’s and Gordy’s suits were totally different. Cal was dressed in an all black, modern cut suit, while Gordy was sporting a light gray suit with a butterfly collar turned up at the neck. It would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, but on Gordy it had a cool geek retro look. Knowing Emma, they had probably bought their outfits at one of the local thrift shops. It would be just like her to make sure even their clothing was recycled.
“Hey,” I said looking back and forth between Emma and Gordy. O.k. it sounded lame, even to me, but in my defense I was still in shock.
“Hey Yuki-sama,” Gordy said in reply.
Gordy was smiling and Emma was doing her best to look aloof but I saw a wicked gleam in her eye.
“Emma, out with it,” I said going for the direct approach.
I couldn’t believe she hadn’t told me about Gordy. He was my friend. I couldn’t even imagine how the two of them had met. They didn’t have anything in common. Except me.
“What’s to tell?” Emma said slyly.
I knew that I hadn’t been totally forthcoming with Emma lately, but that had been for a good reason. I couldn’t share someone else’s secret with her. It was up to Calvin to tell Emma about his wolf spirit, but I had known all week that she had felt slighted. She could read me too well and knew I had been holding something back.
“Uh, I didn’t realize you two knew each other,” I added lamely. Out with it Emma.
“Emma stopped by Anime Club the other day,” Gordy said, “to let me know you weren’t going to make it. She, uh, stayed to watch a movie.”
Oh crap. I had forgotten about anime club so hadn’t stopped by the media room to let Gordy know I wasn’t coming. It had been a really busy week and I had been spending every vinegar free moment with Cal. When I thought about it, I realized that I hadn’t been a very good friend to Gordy or Emma this week. The two of them must have been feeling lonely and somehow hooked up. They don’t look lonely now. Gordy had his arm around Emma’s waist as we talked and he blushed every time I looked at him.
“We had so much fun, I decided to ask Gordy to the dance,” Emma added. Emma seemed pleased with herself and I had to admit that the two of them looked great together.
Cal squeezed my hand and asked, “Anyone want something to drink?” He met with a round of “no’s” but Gordy offered to go with Cal to the beverage table.
Turning her gleeful look on me, Emma asked, “Want to dance?”
Emma obviously wasn’t going to say anything more about her and Gordy tonight. I realized that I needed to burn off some nervous energy and stepped out onto the dance floor with Emma. I would just have to wait until later to get the details.
Chapter 40
The DJ had switched to something industrial with a heavy beat that vibrated up through the soles of my boots and resonated with the beating of my heart. Yes, after the worry and constant training of the last month, I was ready to let loose. I started stomping my feet and dancing to the music. I raised my arms above my head and thought of how I was finally free of being haunted. I was free. We had done something special by helping Jackson’s spirit find peace and I was feeling happy. I was also here at the dance with a super hot date and surrounded by my friends. I was soaring high and the tempo of the music picked up. The beats were coming faster and I was dancing with all my energy. I was free.
I was vaguely aware of Emma dancing nearby and of someone calling my name. Yuki. It wasn’t Emma’s voice though. No, it was Cal. There was something about his voice. He sounded worried, distraught, but I didn’t want to open my eyes. I didn’t want to stop dancing. I was happy here. I was free.
That was when I saw it. In my mind’s eye I saw Calvin’s wolf spirit rushing towards me. No, it was rushing towards Cal. Oh God, what had I done? I forced my eyes open, but was having trouble breaking free of the dance. Calvin was staring at me from across the room, stricken with fear. Yuki. He tried yelling my name one more time and in terror I watched as his hair lengthened and something feral slipped behind his eyes. No, no, no this can’t be happening.
We shouldn’t have come tonight. It was too close to the full moon. We were still learning to control our powers. How could we have risked everything for a stupid school dance? How could I have done this to Cal?
Trying to focus my will, I forced out an order for the wolf spirit to leave us. It didn’t work. Cal’s wolf was too strong this close to the full moon. Knowing that the energies I had built up from the dance were not going to help us, I tore myself from the dance floor. I grabbed Emma’s arm as I went. She must have seen the fear in my eyes because she didn’t demand to know why I was dragging her across the room. I searched the crowd for Calvin’s face, hoping he could hold the transformation at bay. Just a little longer Cal. I’m coming.
We found Calvin leaning against the wall near where I had last seen him. He was sweating and breathing hard, but he hadn’t fully changed yet. With the dim lighting and huge crowd no one had probably noticed anything strange, but we needed to get Cal out of here fast.
“Emma, we need to get Calvin outside now!” I yelled over the music.
I must have looked really freaked because Emma didn’t balk at my ordering her around. She got under one of Calvin’s arms and I got under the other. He was a big guy but we managed to get him to a side door. This door led to a hallway that ran behind the gym with dark openings leading to the locker rooms. We followed the hall to the end, where a glass door would take us outside.
“Emma, I know this is not the best time to tell you this, but Calvin is a werewolf,” I huffed as we dragged Cal further down the hall.
Calvin was trying to help us by putting one foot in front of the other, but his dress shoes were starting to drag more with each step. To her credit Emma didn’t flip out.
“I knew you two were hiding something,” Emma said simply.
Leave it to Emma to take this in stride. This was one of those times I felt lucky to have her as a friend.
Once we were outside, I asked Emma to go get her car. She pulled off her high heeled shoes and ran for the parking lot. I was sprawled on the ground with Calvin, praying that we could make it in time. We needed to get out of here before any school
security or chaperones from the dance noticed us. Plus, I didn’t want to think about what could happen if Cal fully transformed while feeling trapped here amongst the entire student body. I shivered, though not from the night chill.
“Hang in there Cal,” I said holding him in my lap, “just a little longer. Hold on just a while longer.”
I was rocking back and forth and had tears streaming down my face. Anyone wandering around the side of the gymnasium would have thought I had completely lost my mind.
Cal clung to me and whimpered as Emma pulled her car up to the curb. With her help I was able to get Calvin into the back seat.
“We need to drive to that cabin behind Calvin’s house,” I said to Emma, “the one that his dad uses as a workshop.”
I was hoping that Simon would be there, but even if the cabin was empty it would be a safer place for Cal to change than here.
“We need to get him away from other people,” I added.
Emma glanced at me once in the rear view mirror and with a nod she drove off. Driving through town she was careful not to exceed the speed limit, but she stepped on the gas when we made it to the back roads. We were going so fast that we nearly didn’t make the turn onto the dirt road to the cabin. With a huge thud she drove over a boulder, but kept driving as we approached the workshop. Light was shining through the curtained windows and I let out a cry of my own. Please old man, please be here.
Chapter 41
The cabin was in sight as Emma drove us over the last stretch of bumpy dirt road. We were so close that I could see the lights shining from within the cabin. Almost there. It was then that I heard it. There was a whimper and a tearing sound from the back seat and the hand that I was holding pulled away, but not before it had begun to change. I had felt the fur and claws of his hand. Not his hand his paw.
“Emma drive faster!” I shouted, “Calvin’s changing.”
I didn’t know what to do. There didn’t seem to be enough room in the back seat for a full sized wolf and the rear of the car was filling with a writhing mass of silver fur. My seat was thrust forward as a rear leg slammed into it. I cracked my head on the dashboard but I didn’t care. It couldn’t be nearly as bad as what Calvin was going through. We came to a sliding stop in front of the workshop and Emma and I ran to open the back doors of the car. Calvin, or rather his wolf since he was now fully changed, immediately tried to leap from the car but one of his front legs caught in a seatbelt. As the wolf lunged out the door there was a sickening snap and he fell forward whimpering.
“Emma,” I shouted, “Go get Simon!”
I could only hope that Simon was inside. Emma and Simon hadn’t met but we had told her that Calvin had an Uncle Simon who was staying here. Emma ran to the cabin, but the door burst open before she reached it.
“What happened?” Simon demanded, “Where’s Calvin?”
“He changed in the car,” I said starting to cry again, “His leg…”
I couldn’t finish. The sound of Cal’s leg snapping echoed through my head. Simon ran to the car and to Calvin. Emma was right behind him and began relaying facts. I had no idea how she stayed so calm.
“It’s his right foreleg,” Emma said, “The belt was caught around it when he went to jump from the car. Judging from the snap we heard, I believe his leg to be broken.”
Broken? I was going to be sick.
“Is his body chemistry that of a wolf now?” Emma asked.
To my surprise, Simon answered her. “Yes,” Simon said, “he is fully changed, so for the moment he’s wolf.”
Emma went around the other side of the car and opened her trunk. She was rummaging around inside as she said, “We need to sedate him. If he continues to struggle against that seat belt he’s going to do more damage. I have some herbal tinctures that should be safe.”
Emma had been into natural medicine for years and always kept an arsenal of teas, herbs, salves, and tinctures on hand, but I wasn’t overly confident about treating Calvin in his wolf form. How would she know what a safe dosage was? In answer to my thoughts, Emma pulled out a toolbox filled with herbal medicines and a large book that she started flipping through.
“How much does he weigh?” Emma asked.
I looked to Simon hoping that he would know.
“Roughly two hundred pounds,” Simon said running his hands nervously through his hair.
That was one huge wolf. Emma consulted her book, which at closer inspection appeared to be a reference guide for alternative veterinary medicine. Grabbing a few of the bottles, she put a few drops of dark liquid into a bowl that looked suspiciously like a dog dish.
“Here,” Emma said handing the dish to Simon, “make him drink this. It will calm him down.”
How was Simon going to get a wolf to drink one of Emma’s nasty tonics? I was wringing my hands and praying that Cal would be alright. To my surprise Simon handed the dish to me.
“I’m going to try to hold him, but you’ll need to be ready,” Simon said grimly.
As we approached, Calvin started growling and trying to run away but he was still caught in the seat belt. Simon stared him down and Calvin slowed his thrashing, but he still showed his teeth.
“Yuki,” Simon said, “on three. One, two…three!”
Simon had thrown himself on Calvin and the wolf was snapping and trying to get away. I ran in, hoping Simon knew what he was doing. Simon managed to grab Calvin’s muzzle and I poured the liquid into his mouth. O.k. a lot of it ended up on his face, but some of the liquid made it into his mouth. I jumped back but Simon continued trying to hold him still. When I looked into Simon’s eyes I could see his wolf looking back at me. Simon was tapping into his wolf’s strength to restrain Calvin.
Emma came up beside me and put her arm around my shoulders.
“How long do we have to wait?” I asked her.
“Probably five minutes,” Emma said, “I think his body will metabolize it quickly, but I can’t be sure. I still have a lot to learn.”
It was then I could tell she was shaking. Emma had stayed calm when I had told her Cal was a werewolf and she had driven here while keeping a cool head. She had even made quick decisions about how to sedate him, but now that all we could do was wait she was starting to go into shock.
“How did you know what herbs to use on a wolf?” I asked hoping to distract her.
“I didn’t really,” Emma replied, “but I had a book that I had been studying, so I just looked it up. I was lucky that most of the treatment is similar to what my mom takes for anxiety. I had tons of that tincture in the trunk.” Her shaking was subsiding but she still looked a bit wide eyed.
“Do you know how to fix a broken leg?” Simon asked. He was out of breath, but I noticed that Cal was struggling less.
“Fix a wolf’s leg?” Emma asked incredulously.
“Does he look human to you?” Simon asked sarcastically.
Simon’s arms were covered in blood, most of it his, but Emma wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were focused on Cal.
“Would it be like setting a dog’s leg?” Emma asked.
“Close enough,” Simon said. “We can’t bring him to a hospital and if we brought him to a veterinary clinic he could change right on the table.”
“I’ve seen it done,” Emma said slowly, “and I have a few reference books here. I was thinking about studying alternative veterinary medicine, but I didn’t know if I could stomach it so I started volunteering at the local shelter.”
“Get studying love,” Simon.
Calvin was falling asleep in his arms.
Chapter 42
I was rummaging around the cabin for the supplies Emma had asked for. I found ice that Simon was using to keep his beer cold in a plastic cooler and some masking tape on a shelf. I ran back out to the car wishing I hadn’t worn a corset dress to the dance. I couldn’t take a deep breath and it was adding to my feeling of panic.
Emma had found an old wire coat hanger that she kept in her trunk. She said you never kn
ew when you might need such a thing. I guess she was right. Emma also pulled out a roll of gauze and an herbal salve that she said would help with the pain. I handed Simon one of his t-shirts filled with ice, my impromptu ice pack, which he placed on Cal’s injured leg. Emma said it was important to reduce the swelling. We had already cut the seat belt free from around Calvin’s leg and looked for other injuries. The leg was definitely broken and there were lacerations from his struggle in the car, but otherwise Calvin was fine. Well, unless you count the part about him being a wolf.
Emma had me fold the wire hangar several times, approximately the same length as his injured leg. Once the swelling was down Emma slathered a layer of the salve directly on Calvin’s leg then began wrapping it in gauze. She wound the gauze around the wire hangar making a splint with the leg in a neutral position. Emma continued wrapping the gauze around Cal’s leg and around the splint holding it in place. After the leg had been bound she secured it with tape, being careful to tape the gauze and avoid any adhesive touching his fur. She did this all carefully while Simon continued to hold Cal and I stroked Calvin’s neck and head. I’m so sorry.
“That’s the best I can do,” Emma said, “We should try to get him to drink a bit more of the calmative and then move him somewhere safe.”
Simon looked exhausted, and bloodied, but he nodded. “We can bring him inside the cabin,” Simon said, “he’ll be safe enough here. Someone will need to be with him when he changes back. That wrapping is good for a narrow wolf’s leg but I’m guessing it won’t feel too comfortable on a man’s arm.”
Oh crap. I hadn’t thought of that. What if we had left him and the wrappings had cut into his arm?
“I’ll stay,” I said. “We can take turns watching him.”
I imagined Calvin’s arm changing back to its human shape and the tattoo of a wolf chasing a scarab across his bicep. Seeing Cal’s tattoo usually filled me warmth, a physical reminder of the bond we shared, but at the moment the image was making me feel sick. I was supposed to be Calvin’s anchor to the human world. I was supposed to help ground him here, not call his wolf spirit when he was defenseless. This was all my fault.
