by May, W. J.
Michael nodded and kept his smile very tight. I, on the other hand, had to turn away so Simon wouldn’t see my face. I didn’t want to laugh at him, he was the biggest sweetie in the world, but he definitely wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. I should have enrolled in the same courses. Then Michael wouldn’t hound me for choosing to take a year off. I had enough on my plate at the moment.
“That’s great Simon!” Grace hugged him. “I wish you loads of success and I hope you have tonnes of fun down in Miami!” She didn’t care what he planned on doing, as long as he was happy.
“Let’s go get our picture taken by the photo guy the school hired.” He grabbed Grace’s hand, leaving Michael and I alone.
We watched them go.
Michael finally broke the silence. “He’s a… unique guy.”
“Good thing Grace never brought him home to meet Caleb.”
Michael glanced at me and then chuckled. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “Probably a smart idea.”
The awkward air between us disappeared. Either I could sense it, or the Sioghra pendant told me. I wasn’t sure which, but it didn’t matter, we were going to get through whatever was to come – together.
Chapter 8
Michael, Grace and I walked from the gymnasium to the front doors of the school one last time. I didn’t feel the need to look back, that part of my life was finished and I had spent the evening sort of celebrating it with the two most important people in my life. I was ready to start on the next journey. We were headed to Grace’s car, when I felt Michael slow his walk and my hand fall out of his.
“Sorry ladies, but there is no way that I am going home in that little lemon of a car!”
“It’s not a lemon!” Grace stomped her foot, her hands going directly to her hips.
He grinned. “I call it like I see it.” He handed me his jacket. “You two drive back and I’ll walk.”
“It’ll take you over an hour to get back to the house if you walk!” I couldn’t help but laugh at his refusal to get into the car. “I didn’t know you had macho–issues.”
“Not for me.” He turned to Grace “Do you want to race?”
“Depends… am I racing you with the car? Or are we racing and letting Rouge drive the car back?” She was already slipping her shoes off and tossing them into the back seat.
“Rouge, you interested in making a small wager? Can you drive the car back on your own?” Michael undid his tie and tossed it into the back of the car.
“Seriously? You guys are nuts! What if someone sees you?”
“No one will.”
Grace taunted me, “Come on Rouge, who are you going to put the money on? Me, your best friend, or Michael?”
I was curious to see if they would beat me home and was tempted to offer my part in the race. I kept my mouth shut because I knew that there was no way Michael would risk any danger in my driving fast or reckless. “You guys have done this before, haven’t you?”
“Loads.”
“Who usually wins?”
“Me,” they both said at the same time.
“Guess there’s only one way to prove it then. How long is it going to take you to get to the house?”
“About ten minutes.” Michael answered.
“It’s going to take me fifteen minutes to get home! I won’t be able to judge who wins.” Guess I’d be playing on the safe side of the track and not racing them. The little car didn’t stand a chance.
“We’ll give you a five minute head start, or whatever you need. Just beep the horn twice, a long beep and then a short one. We’ll heart it. That’ll be the starting gun for us.”
Only a pair of idiots would want to have a race like that! I rolled my eyes at both of them, but got into the car. I actually wanted to see who would win. I knew Michael was really fast, but Grace had to be pretty close or Michael wouldn’t have offered to race.
I rolled down the window as I drove by them. “See you crazy fools back at the house.” I kept checking my mirrors as I drove, positive I would see them come rushing by. I hurried and finally beeped the horn when I pulled onto their street. I parked the Beetle at the front of the long drive and got out of the car to wait. Leaning against the bumper I checked my watch. About six more minutes.
I stretched and rotated my shoulders. I planned on calling it a night when they got back. If we wanted an early start tomorrow, I needed to finish packing. Michael would head to his room to pack and while he was there, I would look at the Wolf Journal.
The mark on my back burned at the thought. I reached to try and touch it, knowing I wouldn’t be able to.
A breeze picked up and blew my hair away from my face.
Vlko Dlak.
The word popped into my head and I shook my head. Where had that come from? I wrapped my arms around myself, chilled by strange feeling in my gut. What the …?
“Wolf skin,” I said to myself. Vlko Dlak meant wolf skin. The marking on my back was Vlko Dlak. “No, dam it!” Another thought occurred to me that I didn’t want to even think. I could stop it.
The Wolf Journal is made of wolf skin. I shook my head in disbelief but knew it was true. Why use leather from a cow when you could use the skin a wolf?
I checked my watch again. They should have been back about three minutes ago. I checked up and down the street but didn’t see or hear anything. Maybe they had decided to make the race a little longer, or had added some obstacles along the way to make it more challenging. I looked one last time down the road and shrugged my shoulders.
It had grown cool and I wanted to see the Wolf Book at the pool house. They could let me know the winner when they got back.
I parked the car closer to the big house and then grabbed my diploma and frame from Sarah before locking the doors. Slipping my heeled shoes off, I jogged around the big house. I stopped short when I saw Michael and Grace sitting on the steps laughing together. I tossed my shoes in their direction – which they both easily ducked out of the way.
“I was waiting for you guys at the end of the driveway!”
Grace giggled. “We saw. Ran right by you. We were trying to guess how long it would take before you noticed us.”
“Breezed right by.” Michael blew out a breath and exaggerated the action with one fluid motion of his hand.”
“Who won then?”
“Tie.” Grace answered as Michael said, “I did.”
I looked at both of their faces. They looked like little kids. Both of them seemed so happy… so alive. It was hard to believe they were not as they appeared. I took a mental picture of the two of them; wanting to capture this moment forever. They probably had been quite competitive as children but never in a way that was negative; they would have encouraged each other to improve and been proud of who ever won. Their loyalty was their strongest bond and I suddenly had a feeling that was why they could communicate with each other. I smiled not wanting to break the moment. I could tell Michael what had happened later. “You two sit and hang out here, and if you don’t mind, I am going to do some packing for the trip tomorrow. I have no idea what else I need to take along.”
“Would you like me to come in with you?” Michael asked, ever the gentleman.
“No, I’m fine.” I faked a yawn that turned into a real one. “I’m wiped. You should enjoy some time with your sister. Who knows how long we’ll be away.”
Grace stomped her feet. “I should just come with the two of you.”
“No!” Michael and I said at the same time.
Grace shot me a knowing smile.
I had the decency to blush.
She stood and hugged me. “Just call if you need me. I’ll be on the next plane.” She squeezed me tighter, trapping my breath in my chest. The frame slipped from my hand and fell to the ground, leaning against my leg. “Be careful.” She let go of me and stepped back.
I exhaled and sucked in a deep breath. “I will. Michael’ll make sure of that.”
“I know. Otherwise I
would be going.” She moved to let me up the few stairs of pool house. “I’ll see you in the morning before you go.”
“’Night.” I leaned down and kissed Michael on the lips. The softness of his mouth warmed my skin. I closed my eyes and inhaled his delicious aftershave.
“I’ll be in in a bit.” He kissed me again.
“Rouge?”
I was half way through the door and turned back to see what Grace wanted.
“Congratulations on graduating. I know this means a lot to you and I’m happy that I was able to share the moment with you.”
I smiled and winked at her; afraid if I said anything my voice might betray my feelings. Michael pointed to himself and held up two fingers. Then he put his palm to his face and blew a kiss my way. I pretended to catch it and pull it to my heart. I turned back, letting the screen door close quietly behind me.
I could hear the two of them talking very quietly. I couldn’t make out any of the words as they talked extremely low and in a kind of short-hand – the gift of being what they were or the ability of twins. I couldn’t be sure which.
I changed into comfortable pj’s and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After, I packed the rest of my toiletries and the last remaining things I needed for the next day. My diploma could be framed when we got back. I yawned and began flipping the lights off before crawling onto Michael’s side of the bed. Leaving only the small lamp on beside the futon, I set the pillows so I could sit up.
The Wolf Book lay beside the bed waiting for me. I took a deep breath, glanced outside. Michael and Grace must have gone to the house as the little porch was empty now. I grabbed the journal and opened to the first entry in the book. I stared at the cursive writing a long moment before finally reading it.
March 1860.
I, Bentos, seventh son of Louis, have learned a most horrific family secret. I am from a family of shape-shifters – Grollics. Ugly, terribly ugly wolves. I am beyond words on how to explain. That is not the terrible secret.
I have known that for seventeen years. I have also known I am not one of them.
My six older brothers and father are all shape-shifters. However, today I learned that I am special – or so my father Louis tells me. As his seventh son, he named me Bentos to prevent the changing in me. It is a gift, he said, that I should be free of the curse. I was the one that could protect our family secret – the seventh child or son had the possibility to be free. He gave me that gift.
It is no gift. It is a curse! I am left without power and am weak. I have six brothers who mock my frailty and weakness. I am cursed to be a wretched man with no supremacy.
Or so I thought. Today on my seventeenth birthday, my anger overtook my reason as I broke my fast. Charles, my eldest brother, sat mocking my misfortune, laughing at my weakness. Today, as I turned seventeen, I should have had the transformation. It would not happen because of the gift my father bestowed on me. I am tired of feeling weak when I know that inside of me, I am brilliant and strong of mind.
I have power inside of me that is fuelled upon the anger that festers in my soul.
I stood up, defiant of Charles, and challenged him. He laughed at my defiance and said I needed to learn the lesson of humility – to be put in my place. I stepped around the table as my father came in to stop the argument. Charles turned into a horribly ugly beast and charged at me. Father could do nothing to stop him.
I knew if he reached me, death would be my friend. I hated him beyond reason for having what should have been mine.
Inside I broke, and silent thunder erupted from me. It shook the house, and I screamed for Charles to die that instant.
Suddenly Charles lay dead at my feet.
My brothers rushed in as my father screamed. They saw Charles and grew angry at what I had done. They cursed me and said I had made a pact with the devil in turn for Charles’ blood. They rose together and shifted into Grollics.
I begged them to stop but they would not listen.
I forced them to stop. Lo and behold, the tide has shifted. I am no longer a servant of the beast. They are mine to do with as I please.
Father was terrified at what I had done. I set my brother Andrew to kill him and mother. He attacked and father did nothing to protect himself.
Who is the weak one now, Father?
My mocking brothers are now slaves, set to do my bidding.
I have this power over the Grollic beast that I must learn to the best of my abilities. I will educate myself on all the strengths this gift possesses and conquer all.
I will find any and all weaknesses of these terrible wolves. I will journal all I know about them – to kill, to fear me, and my power.
I hate the Vlko Dlak with a terrible venom.
I will use them as slaves until they are nothing, and I have everything.
Bentos
I stared at the hand written confession, because that’s what it was: a century-and-a-half-old confession. My head shook at the maniac who was the author of this journal. Bentos had been jealous of his brothers and angered at his own weakness. He had killed his family. He had been a horrible person who craved power and he’d done terrible things with it. Someone that power hungry? He must have wanted to control Michael and Grace’s kind when he found out about them. How did he even know they existed?
I slammed the journal shut and tossed it on floor by my backpack. I had read enough.
I hated Grollics like he had, but I was not him. Whatever Bentos was, I would never become. I swore it.
Chapter 9
Early the next morning I woke on my side of the bed with Michael quietly sitting beside me.
“Did you sleep alright?” Michael murmured as his hand caressed my cheek.
I smiled and rolled over to stretch, enjoying the vision I had the pleasure of waking up to. “What time did you and Grace finally say good night?” I tried to remember what time I had fallen asleep.
“I came in here about twenty minutes ago actually. Grace is sitting out on the step writing a list of for us.”
“A list?” Humans wrote lists – list for groceries, lists for packing, and anything else we thought we might forget. Grace and Michael didn’t need to write lists, they remembered everything.
Michael rolled his eyes. “It’s a list of topics for us to discuss on the road so we don’t get bored. I think she’s also making up some road games for us to play.” He was trying not laugh, speaking quietly so Grace wouldn’t hear him.
I smiled at the thought of Grace drumming a pencil to a pad of paper as she tried to come up with ideas for us. It was her way of being in the car without doing the road trip. “It sounds like a great idea. Grace is awesome!” I said it loud so she would hear. I winked at Michael. I jumped out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom before he could make a comment.
I used to have short showers while living with my foster parents, just one of their endless attempts to suck any form of joy out of my life; and oddly enough, even though I now lived pretty much in the lap of luxury, the short shower routine had still stuck with me. However, today I spent extra time enjoying the hot water. I had no idea if we were driving straight through or staying in hotels along the way, so no way of knowing when I might next have the pleasure of a hot shower. I had left all the travel planning to Michael, so I could concentrate on school. After the shower, I dressed in a pair of thin pants and a red tank top, figuring comfort on the road was more important than looking fashionable. Besides, what did I know about looking fashionable? I blow-dried my hair as quickly as I could and added threw on some mascara, my only real concession to my more “girly” inclinations.
Dressed and ready, I headed to pack a few last things into my backpack. On the coffee table, sat a Starbucks latte. I offered a thank you to whichever caring soul had sought to sooth my need for caffeine.
Grace came strolling in with her list, tossing it onto the table as she sat down.
“Are you all packed?” she asked.
“Pretty mu
ch. I was thinking I should fill a cooler with some food.”
“Good idea. Michael gets crabby if he doesn’t snack.” She watched me a few moments, inhaling a sharp breath when I picked up the wolf book and my journal.
“Everything okay?”
She shifted in her seat. “With me or with you?”
I gave her a questioning look, trying to stuff my defensiveness back into its black hole in my head. I was getting tired of all the weird questioning from the Thompson family. It wasn’t Grace’s fault, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I’m totally fine. Great in fact! What’s your problem?” I hated the irritation in my voice but didn’t apologize.
Grace stood, crossing her arms over her chest. “Michael told me about the wolf book. You can read another part again? How do you feel?” She tapped her back, referring to my birthmark. “Do you feel any different?”
I zipped up my backpack roughly. “Did you say something to Michael?”
Grace shook her head.
I sighed. “Sorry. I just… I don’t know. I’m anxious about the book, about travelling and what we are going to find out. Caleb’s irritated with me. It seems Michael’s annoyed. I just want things to be normal.”
“Normal? That flew out the window a long time ago.”
“Doesn’t mean a girl can’t dream.”
Grace laughed. “You’re going to be okay. Michael’s with you.” She hugged me, squeezing me tight. “I’m a phone call away if you need me. Remember that.” She leaned in and whispered, as if afraid someone might hear, “Just don’t keep too many secrets. They weigh you down.”
Didn’t she realize? That was why I was going. I hoped to find some answers. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me, too.” Grace let go of me just as Michael came through the door. “Call me.”
