by Michele Hauf
“What?”
“Judging by the symptoms I’ve observed in you, I’m pretty sure your father was a werewolf. Your body wants to embrace your inner beast, Ryan. You’re coming into your first shift as a werewolf.”
“That’s c-crazy.” He clutched Ridge’s forearm and gritted his jaw. Abigail’s determined eyes stared up at him. He was a brave young man, and it made Ridge proud.
“Just relax, Ryan. Don’t fight it. You have to let it happen. It’s going to feel weird and stretchy, but I promise, it won’t be painful. You’ll shift to wolf shape the first time, and then possibly werewolf form.”
“No!”
“I promise you it won’t hurt if you just relax into it. I wish I had more time to explain, but our bodies are controlled by the lunar cycles, and the moon will have her due. Now. I’ll shift with you. Just stay close to me, no matter what.”
“H-how do you know this? About my father? Oh!”
He slammed his head against the forest floor, digging his fingers into the snow. His chest arched upward and his arms jutted out, groping the air. It looked more painful than it felt, Ridge knew. And since the boy had not been prepared for this, he was doing well by not totally freaking out.
Ridge tore off his shirt and began to prepare for his own shift by loosening his jeans. The last place he wanted this to happen was out here, so close to danger, and yet, that it was happening when he was with Ryan was optimal. Had the boy been alone and in the cell, there was no telling what he would have thought was happening to him. Or what the wolves would have done had they found him shifted.
“Do you trust me, Ryan?”
“I…” He shook his head erratically, not positive or negative. “H-help me—yes!” His right shoulder popped forward and in reaction he jerked back his head. “Trust you. Can’t stop this!”
“Then release. Close your eyes, and don’t think about fighting it. Let the wolf come over you. It knows what to do. You follow its lead. I’m going to shift now, so you can see it doesn’t hurt me, and it will happen quickly. Okay?”
Gritting his teeth, Ryan nodded.
Kneeling beside the writhing boy, Ridge closed his eyes and called upon his wolf, which was close as always during the moonlight. It was his nature, as much a part of him as the human form. His bones hummed and his muscles twanged as they moved and shifted. His fingers curled inward and his wrist bones clicked. Fur prickled along his skin—the pricklies, as Ryan had described earlier. His were mind gave over to his animal mind, and he no longer assessed each body part as it changed and became wolf.
In less than thirty seconds, he stood on four paws before the boy, his panting breath forming clouds in the air.
When in his wolf form, he had a vague grasp on his humanity, yet he could think partially as a human. He knew this human boy was very important to his were shape.
With his front paws he dug playfully at the snow before him, then lifted it with his nose to scatter it over the boy’s arm.
“Wow,” the boy said. And then he nodded at Ridge’s wolf, as if agreeing. “I think I can do this. I don’t have much choice.”
With a cry to the heavens, the boy gave way to humanity and surrendered to his destiny. Clothing tore, braces popped off his teeth and the shift wriggled his body into the shape of a sleek, brown-furred wolf. With a yip, the new wolf came to his paws.
Ridge howled, crying out in joy and announcing to the world his happiness. The wolves took off, prancing through the forest.
* * *
After a run as wolves, they’d not shifted to werewolf form, and for that, Ridge was thankful. It was difficult enough adjusting after your first shift, let alone not knowing to even expect it.
Keeping his pup close to him, they’d tracked through the forest, and ran north, away from the danger, until Ridge’s wolf had scented the truck that had brought the were-shaped wolves to the area. They were searching—he could scent their human pheromones—so he directed the pup to circle around.
He had led them back to the place where they’d initially shifted, and communicating to the panting pup that now was time to pay attention, Ridge shifted to were shape, twisting and gyrating on the snow until his human form was complete.
Ryan followed suit, impressing Ridge with his easy shift. It had always been easier when he was younger. His muscles had been loose and elastic and he’d taken joy in the shift as it massaged his organs and delivered him back to human shape, renewed and energized.
He tossed Ryan’s clothes to him. His jeans were intact, and his shirt only a little torn, so that helped ease some of the embarrassment of being caught out naked after shifting back to human form.
Ridge’s shirt was always a loss, but he wore his jeans loose for a reason. After kicking aside the snow, he settled onto the loamy moss coating a tree root, and waited for Ryan to speak first.
The boy paced a while, his bare feet tracking in the snow, but he didn’t seem to mind the cold. Their human flesh could withstand much more than that of mere mortals. Ridge knew it was from all the energy his body was trying to grasp and make sense of. From this moment forth his life would never be the same. He hoped the boy didn’t hold it against Abigail for not having told him there was a chance he’d grow fur instead of shoot fire from his hands. Quite a different result after he’d been groomed to expect the latter.
Suddenly Ryan stopped before Ridge and squatted, his fingers touching the snow lightly for balance. His brown hair was tousled and Ridge noted now his jaw was square—like his.
“That,” Ryan began, his hands shaping the air before him in an attempt to grasp the event, “was awesome!”
And like that, Ridge’s anxiety fled.
“I’m a werewolf,” Ryan said to Ridge. “How cool is that? That is so much better than being a stupid witch.”
“Hey now, your mother is a witch, and she’s not stupid.”
“Yeah, but Miles is stupid.”
“I’ll give you that. How do you feel?”
“Amazing. And when we were running through the forest? I never felt so good in my entire life!”
“It is freeing to take off in wolf form and lope across the land. I always feel my best then, too.”
“Dude, my braces popped off. Yes! When will I learn to shift to werewolf form? Will I be like a big ugly monster with talons and kill people?”
“Whoa, boy. Where did you hear something like that?”
Ryan shrugged. “That’s what they do in the movies.”
“We are not in a movie. Our werewolf shape is our ultimate form. It combines man and wolf. We are not monsters, but we do have talons.”
“Cool.”
“And we do not kill people. The last thing we want is trouble with the mortals. We don’t need them, but we have learned to exist among them. That’s your first lesson, boy, and don’t forget it. Be kind to others, and accept all breeds. No man or woman is lesser or better than you.”
“Even vampires?”
“Even vampires. The paranormal breeds are like the mortal races. We’re all the same beneath our outer costume. Some of us may be nasty and evil, like certain mortals. But we’re all trying to live together on this one small planet. So respect the world and respect others. And most of all?”
“Yeah?”
“Respect your mother,” he said, wishing he could have made that parents. But if anyone were going to reveal the complete truth to Ryan, it would have to be Abigail. It was her right, much as it killed him not to tell it.
“Where is my mom? I have to tell her. Why didn’t she know about this? She thought I was going to be a witch.”
“I’ll leave that for your mother to explain. But whatever she says to you, don’t judge her, and don’t think she’s ever lied to you, because she has not. She’s done the best she could for you over the years.”
“I know. She sent me to Switzerland because she thought I’d be safer there. That was a joke. They picked me up in Detroit and escorted me to a flight to Minneapolis. Told me
my mom sent an escort. I didn’t figure it out until they’d driven me to that nasty place. Did we get away from the bad guys? I hate that Miles dude. He was always looking at me like I was a piece of garbage he wanted to kick out of his way. When can I shift again? We didn’t shift to werewolf form. Can we try that now?”
Ridge glanced toward the half-moon waxing in the sky. “Only a few hours of night left. I think we should take things slow. Let you get comfortable with this shift first, then by the time this moon turns full, you’ll be ready for the big shift.”
“So if I’m not a monster, and I don’t kill people, what do I do in werewolf form?”
“Whoa, boy. Sit down, and I’ll tell you a few things.”
Ryan sat next to Ridge on the moss, clasping his skinny arms about his knees. He had not stopped smiling, and he sat close, obviously needing Ridge’s body heat. It felt awesome to have his son sitting so close.
“The killing thing is a myth. We might only kill small animals that cross our paths when we’re in wolf form.”
“Eww.”
“It’s in our nature, and it won’t bother you when you’re out on a run, trust me. The beast needs meat. But mostly, you shift to werewolf form because…” He had no intention of keeping the kid in the dark, and sensed Abigail would never have the words to explain, but he must be careful how he chose his words. “Well, it’s a mating thing. Our werewolves seek sexual satisfaction.”
“Seriously? I’m just a kid. Sex freaks me out.”
“Don’t worry, boy, you won’t be having sex for a good while. But once your werewolf matures it’ll seek a mate to bond with and make a family. And, once your werewolf is older, it’ll need sex during the full moon. The only way to keep from shifting to werewolf shape is to have lots of sex the day preceding the full moon.”
Ryan flashed him a wonky look. “Again, yuck. I think I like the running through the forest part better.”
Ridge tousled his hair and slapped him across the back. “You don’t have to worry about that for a while. You getting cold? We should find the road and catch a ride to town.”
“I am getting cold, but not as freezing as I think I should be.”
“That’s your wolf nature. You can manage extreme temperatures better than the average mortal.”
“So that means I’m not a mortal now?”
“You are a wolf shifter, but you are not immortal. The werewolf’s average life span is about three hundred years.”
“So I will live long enough to see the future, like traveling in spaceships and robot dogs? Cool! Thanks for getting me out of that cell, Ridge. And for being there when I shifted.”
“I’m glad you’re taking this well. Especially since it was quite a surprise.”
“Yeah. I’m going to have to talk to Mom about that. Does that mean she thought the guy who was my father really wasn’t?”
“I think I’ll let you talk to your mom about that. But remember, she has never lied to you. Sometimes adults don’t know everything, and they do the best they can. So give her a huge break. Deal?”
Ryan slapped Ridge’s palm. “Deal. Even more than being cold? I’m hungry. I could eat three Big Macs. Maybe four.”
“I’ll take you straight to McDonald’s. We’re not out of the clear yet. You have to tell me everything you can about the men who held you. And, as soon as we get into town, I have to call your mom.”
“Where are we anyway?”
“I have no idea. Let’s walk.”
Chapter 19
Words could not describe how great Ridge felt as he helped Ryan into the rental car and handed him the vanilla shake he’d wanted after sucking down a chocolate shake and two Big Macs and an order of large fries inside the store.
This boy was his son. There was no other man in the world who could be his father. He had a son!
And the kid had his appetite.
Sliding behind the wheel and turning on the ignition, Ridge wished he’d had the truck where he kept extra clothes packed away. They’d been lucky to walk by the rental shop, and that it was still open, or else he would have resorted to hitchhiking back into town.
“I can’t wait to get home and tell Mom about this. She’s going to be so surprised.”
“I can imagine the look on her face right now,” Ridge said as he pulled onto the main street. And he’d be sure to protect his privates in case she decided to get jiggy with her magic after hearing the news.
She should be relieved Ryan was not a witch. That meant Miles had no reason to harm the boy, and the sick bastard could hop on his broomstick and fly out of Dodge. Things would be fine as soon as they worked out the new family dynamics.
Because no way was Ridge going to hand off Ryan to Abigail and turn around and walk away. Absolutely not. He’d already been denied twelve years of the boy’s life. Not another minute would pass without him sharing that time with his son.
“So what do they teach you in that fancy school you go to?” he asked, as he navigated the roads. It was around six in the morning, and the streets were empty. “Do you speak Swiss?”
“It’s a Swiss German they teach, and I’m not very good at it. I’m supposed to learn it, but I’ve been cheating on my homework.”
“Hey, now, that’s no way to do things. If you need help, you should ask for it.”
“Yeah, I do, but it’s a lot more fun skiing. They have a killer slope like a half a mile from my dorm. It’s distracting!”
Ridge laughed, loving that his son was like any other kid. Playing sports and ditching schoolwork. He’d probably start ditching school for the girls soon enough. “So is it one of those all-boy schools?”
“Yes. It’s such a drag. The only time I ever get to see anything wearing pink is on the weekends when we go to town for a movie or fast food. Not that I’m looking,” Ryan said with a wry tone. “But once in a while a pretty girl will look at me and smile real big. I don’t understand why. It’s so weird.”
“Because you’re a handsome fellow. Soon you’ll have to chase all the girls off with a stick. Oh hell, what’s this?”
Ridge pulled the car over behind a tow truck hooking up a black Ford 350 pickup. The driver’s side had been smashed in, and the front windshield was shattered.
“That’s my truck!” He jumped out and told Ryan to stay inside. The boy, unaware who had been driving the truck, nodded and agreed to stay put.
The tow truck driver hadn’t any good information, other than that the accident had occurred hours ago, and they hadn’t found the driver behind the wheel or in the area. Nor was there any other vehicle, one that could have collided with the truck. When Ridge showed him his vehicle registration, the driver gave him a receipt and told him where he could claim the truck.
Ridge walked the street where the tow driver had yet to sweep the broken glass, looking for signs that Abigail had gotten out and walked away from the scene of the accident. He wished he had a cell phone to call her and check in, let her know everything was all right. The rental shop had been closing and the cranky manager had refused his request to make a quick call.
His heart stuttered and he couldn’t stop clenching and unclenching his fists.
The last thing she’d seen was him being taken captive. She must have figured out by now he’d done that on purpose. Or had she? Did she believe that both her son and he were captives?
And why the crash? Had she been sitting here at the intersection thinking about what had gone on and hadn’t seen an oncoming car? Had the distraction caused her to pull out into the lane without seeing the car? Didn’t make sense. The witch was sharp as a tack.
The truck had been facing north, which meant she had been driving toward the scene of the meeting. Had she decided to take matters into her own hands and use her magic to rescue them both?
He had to get hold of Abigail.
Climbing into the car, he met Ryan’s wondering gaze. His heart sinking, he couldn’t offer the boy a lie. That was no way to start their relationship. But the
truth would hurt.
“That’s my truck,” he said. “Your mother was driving it.”
“Where is she? Did she get in an accident? Did they take her to the hospital?”
“No. She wasn’t in the vehicle when the police arrived, so I have to believe she walked away. She’s probably at home right now. It’s not far from here.”
He pulled away and leaned over to put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and give it a squeeze. The boy met his gaze with watery eyes, as he sucked on the vanilla shake.
“Everything will be all right, Ryan. I promise.”
* * *
They pulled into the driveway of Abigail’s house and Ryan did not wait for the car to stop. He jumped out and ran to the dark house. Ridge rushed up behind him, but the boy hadn’t tried to open the front door. Instead he stood there with his palms flat to the cold wood door.
A little metal lockbox sat beside the doorknob to keep an extra key inside. “Do you know the combination?”
Ryan nodded. “But it doesn’t matter. She’s not in there.”
“You haven’t gone inside to look.”
“I don’t have to. I’ve always been able to tell when my mother is near. I can sort of feel her presence. Always thought it was a witch thing.”
“I get that. We wolves are extraperceptive of family. Let’s go inside anyway. Get you some warmer clothes, and take stock. Maybe she left a note.”
He crossed his fingers she had indeed been home. Because the other option did not sit well in his gut. If she had been hurt in the accident, how could she have possibly walked away?
Ryan punched in the combination and entered the house. Swell Cat, who sat on the back of the pink couch, took one look at the approaching boy, hissed and skedaddled out of the room.
“I wasn’t gone five months,” Ryan called after the spooked cat.
“He senses your nature now,” Ridge offered. “Cats and wolves. They don’t get along all that well.”
“I didn’t think of that. Weird. I really liked that cat.”
“Give him a chance to figure you out.” Ridge strolled into the kitchen. “He’ll come around.”
