Embracing the Wolf

by Catherine Bybee

  She laughed so hard small droplets of tea splattered on her sundress. Before Kate knew it, they had caught the attention of the men. Even Joey stopped playing long enough to glance over at them. Janet’s laugh was so infectious Kate felt her insides start to buckle. Soon their laughter took on its own life. Misty-eyed, neither of them could stop.

  Kate couldn’t remember laughing so hard. It felt good.

  Max walked over and sat beside his wife. “What’s so funny?”

  Neither of them spoke. Kate widened her eyes in a silent, don’t you dare say a word, warning. Not that she needed to.

  “Nothing,” Janet managed.

  Richard’s eyes shifted from each of them before settling on his brother. “Something tells me it’s a need to know basis.”

  “And you don’t need to know,” Janet pointed out.

  Richard didn’t press, thank God. Instead, he took a seat in the chaise lounge beside Kate and stretched out.

  He had changed into a casual pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Apparently, he spent a lot of time at his brother’s home. Enough to have his own room.

  Kate’s cell phone went off in her purse. The caller ID told her, her boss was on the line. “Excuse me,” she told them before walking away.

  Richard let his eyes linger on her backside. His lips curved.

  “Stop leering, her son’s right over there.” Janet hit his arm to gain his attention.

  Max laughed.

  “A guy can look.”

  “Seriously,” Max lowered his voice. “What have you decided?”

  Richard knew he referred to the changing. What the hell am I thinking? All these years he had avoided the family curse, although none of them considered it an affliction. To them it was a duty. Away to right the wrong of those werewolves bent on destruction and violence.

  Richard glanced at Joey diving under water with a set of plastic goggles on the tip of his nose. What would the boy do without his mother?

  Kate was pacing by the back door deep in conversation with her boss, concern etched in her face. An overwhelming desire to protect surged. He had made the decision the minute his lips had touched hers. Something inside of him sparked and sizzled. It wasn’t just chemistry either.

  Richard never considered himself possessive. Kate was changing that.

  His past relationships had all been mutually casual. Kate was different. She wouldn’t tolerate casual. Which, for some reason, was fine with him.

  Richard turned to his brother, leveled his eyes to his stare, and said, “You better not leave a scar when you bite me.”

  Chapter Five

  Richard peered down at his future. A long nose, pointed ears, four legs, a flapping tail and a silver-grey coat. Of course, there was no way of knowing how he would look once the change took place next month. His coat may be a sleek black or chestnut in color. Or silver like his brother’s. There just wasn’t any guarantee. Much like the gene pool, you couldn’t choose the color of your coat any more than you could the color of your eyes at birth.

  Trepidation engulfed him. He knew deep down this night would come. With the setting of the sun, the reality hit him hard.

  In the span of less than twenty-four hours of meeting Kate, he would change his life forever. He would let Max sink his sharp teeth into his flesh, allow the saliva to enter his bloodstream, and forever be like his brother.

  Once he let Max take a bite there was no turning back. No antiseptic, antibiotic, or even amputation would change what would take place.

  He knew he was stalling. Janet had wished her husband well before “sending him off to work.” Kate tucked Joey into bed, settling in for the night, as well.

  A howl off in the distance caught Max’s attention. The hair on his back prickled in alarm. Richard knew it was the call of his kind. Good or bad, it didn’t matter. The howl remained the same.

  The men who wanted Kate could very well be searching for a way to enter the perimeter to get at her. Their fortress would prove impenetrable. Richard’s hand instinctively went to the sidearm he carried. He’d loaded it with silver bullets, the only thing known to slow down and possibly kill a werewolf.

  Next month, he wouldn’t need the gun.

  A second howl set his features firm. There was no way in hell he would let those bastards get at Kate or her son.

  Determined, Richard knelt down next to his brother and stuck out his arm. “Do it.”

  Max cocked his head to the side, his eyes searching.

  “Do it!” Richard met him stare for stare.

  When Max’s teeth rounded over his skin, barely touching, Richard closed his eyes and waited. With a final sigh, Max bit down, causing Richard to stiffen with the assault. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t cry out. Nerves quickly diminished with a sense of calm, like that of a homecoming seeping into his system.

  Max let his grip go almost as quickly as he’d set in.

  Blood trickled in the puncture wounds inflicted. It stung, but not as bad as Richard had imagined.

  Another howl cut the night. Max backed away with his ears pinned toward the sound. He sniffed the air. Without provocation, he loped off in the direction he’d scented trouble.

  Always on alert when Max turned beast, Richard stood by on the ready, gun in hand.

  Not much later, Max returned and the howling from beyond the property diminished.

  Richard jumped in one of the trucks while Max took the passenger seat. Together they headed out in search of the man who shot Kate, and the beast he served.

  ****

  Sweat poured off her brow in the hallway to her apartment. Dreams and hope suffocated in the confining walls of the building. She walked with caution toward the door to her home.

  The door lay open. Panic gripped her chest.

  She dropped her bag of groceries. Joey’s name erupted from her lips. Instead of a loud yell, her voice was hardly above a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. This time no sound emerged at all.

  Kate ran through the door, certain to find something amiss. Certain Joey was in harm’s way.

  She stopped at the door. In the middle of the room, Joey sat next to an enormous dog with piercing blue eyes. Joey noticed her. As did the dog, which snarled while the hair on its back stood on end.

  “Back away,” she tried to scream. But the warning went unheard. Joey stroked the fur of the animal and smiled.

  “It’s okay, Mommy. He won’t hurt me.” Joey leaned down next to the animal’s huge teeth.

  Viciously, the animal turned and sunk his teeth into her son’s neck.

  Kate screamed.

  ****

  Richard heard her from his room. He bounded to his feet and was at her side in seconds.

  Her body drenched with sweat. Her screams grew frantic. Thankfully, she was asleep and not in danger. It was only a nightmare.

  “Kate,” he shook her shoulders in an effort to wake her.

  “Joey,” she cried.

  “He’s okay. Wake up, Katie.”

  By now, Joey stood at the door rubbing sleepy eyes. “What’s the matter?”

  Richard glanced at the boy then turned back to Kate and shook her again. “Katie, wake up.”

  Her panicked eyes opened wide. Their smoldering depth spooked him. “It’s okay, Joey is right here.”

  “I’m here, Mommy.” Joey moved toward the bed and accepted her desperate hug.

  “Oh, Joey, thank God you’re okay.”

  “Did you have a bad dream?”

  Nervous, fearful laughter tumbled out of her lips. “The worse.”

  “Do you want me to sleep in here?”

  “No, it’s okay. Mommy’s okay.” Kate met Richard’s eyes from over the top of Joey’s ruffled hair. Something had scared her half out of her skin. “You should get back to sleep.”

  Joey yawned, tugged out of his mother’s arms, and hobbled back out of the room.

  “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.” Richard took him by the hand, led him to his room, and tuc
ked him in.

  “Is my mommy okay?”

  Richard smiled at the concerned expression on the child’s face. “Yeah, she’s fine. Just a bad dream.”

  “I’d have bad dreams too if I was hurt like her.”

  Joey’s eyes started to close before Richard snuck out of the room.

  Richard returned to Kate’s side and sat on the edge of her bed. Some color had returned to her face, but her breath was still rushed.

  “I’m sorry I woke you.”

  “Don’t be.” He took her hand in his. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I never have nightmares. Now I’ve had two in a row, one yesterday when you picked up Joey and now this.”

  “Was it the same dream?” Richard asked.

  “No. The first one I was being chased, by what I don’t know. But I knew if I stopped it would kill me.”She took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “This one was different.”

  “How?” She was probably experiencing some type of posttraumatic stress from her ordeal. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe one of those scratches were bites. Or that her dreams would clue her into the changes that would happen if she had been turned.

  “It was just a stupid dream, it’s nothing.”

  “Sometimes talking about them helps.” He didn’t know if that was true, but it sounded good.

  Kate shrugged her shoulders. “Joey was in our apartment. There was a dog by him...” she broke off. Richard felt her pulse quicken as her hand squeezed over his. “The dog ripped into his throat. Then I woke up.”

  Richard jaw clenched. “Did the dog in your dream resemble the one from the restaurant?”

  “Not really.” A pensive smile met him. “I guess it’s normal to have a few nightmares after being shot. Don’t you think?”

  “I’m sure it is.” But are they memories? Or Premonitions?

  “You should get back to sleep,” he said. He rose to leave but her grip tightened.

  “Richard, umm...” She caught her lower lip in her teeth. “Will you stay here until I fall asleep? I know it’s childish but...”

  “Stop, you don’t need to explain.” In fact, he couldn’t think of a better place to be than by her side.

  He dimmed the light and lay beside her. To his delight, she curled up next to him. Her cheek rested on his chest. If she noticed that he still wore the clothes he had left the house in hours before, she didn’t say.

  She, on the other hand, wore a thin cotton nightshirt. On its front, a teddy bear wore a hat, fuzzy slippers, and stood holding a cup of coffee that said ‘I don’t do mornings.’

  Funny, most of the women in his life wouldn’t be caught dead wearing something like that to bed. Their usual attire purchased out of a fancy lingerie magazine or store. Either that or they wore nothing at all.

  Some of the tension left her body. Her tremors diminished and her breathing evened out. He detected the fresh smell of strawberries and cream from the shampoo she’d used in her hair. He leaned back and stroked the silky expanse of her tresses. Her sigh sounded more like a purr.

  “Where do you live?” she asked.

  “Below Malibu. I have a home on the beach.”

  “Why didn’t you take us there?”

  “I told you. This house is set up with a security system. Mine is less secluded.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  “No. I also thought you’d like the safety of other people around.”

  “Hmm...”

  Her lids fluttered shut, her breath evened to deep silent waves.

  “Richard?”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  “I’d like to see your home.”

  And for reasons which eluded him, he could hardly wait to show it to her.

  ****

  She awoke to find herself alone. Sunlight poured through the double-paned windows brightening the room. Kate gave her arm a tentative move, testing it to see how much pain it would give her.

  Surprisingly, the throbbing had diminished to a dull ache. She made her way to the private bathroom and clicked on the light. Beautiful granite countertops adorned the furniture style vanity. Antique bronze fixtures set the tone of the room. She ran her hand along the sink, appreciating the understated elegance. The Ritter home could easily feel stuffy if only for its sheer size. Whoever decorated it took away the museum feel by the simple touches that were always at arms reach.

  Kate regarded her reflection in the mirror and groaned. Her hair flew wild in every direction, and the dark circles under her eyes would take two layers of liquid foundation to hide. “What must he think?” Had she looked this bad last night when she practically begged Richard to stay by her side toward off the boogieman that might have hid under her bed? She hoped not. Yet if she had, that explained why he wasn’t at her side when she woke up.

  Turning away from the mirror, Kate opened the shower door and turned on the water.

  A nice shower, a hot cup of coffee, and she’d be as good as new. She reached over to pull a towel from the rack. Her arm screamed in protest. “Okay, maybe not new. Just slightly used.”

  ****

  Joey was in the kitchen playing cards with James when she made her way down stairs.

  “Got any eights?”

  James narrowed his eyes, tugged a card from his hand, and tossed it on the counter. “Are you sure you can’t see my hand?” he asked.

  Joey giggled. “No.”

  “Well, if you say so.” It was clear to Kate that Joey and James had already played many hands of Go Fish. And Joey was winning.

  “I hope you don’t have any money on that game, James. He’ll rob you blind.”

  Her son eyed his cards and smiled. “James said it’s called gambling when you play with pennies. And I’m not twenty-one yet.”

  “That’s true.” Kate went to her son, dropped a kiss on his head. “Good morning, sport. How did you sleep?”

  “Okay, except for the dog that kept howling.”

  The mention of a dog drew the hair on the back of her neck to a stand. “What dog?”

  “The one from last night, didn’t you see it?”

  Her mouth went dry. Her nightmare resurfaced in her mind. “No, did you?”

  “Uh, huh. Do you have any sixes?” He continued playing cards.

  James glanced up then told Joey to “Go Fish.”

  “Would you like some coffee, Miss Davis?” he offered.

  “I’ll get it.” Kate walked around the two of them, and tried her best to keep her voice even, which wasn’t easy. “Joey, where did you see the dog?”

  “I dunno. It’s your turn.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  “I heard it outside. Then I thought I saw it in the hall.”

  “Any twos?”

  Kate filled a cup with the aromatic brew and leaned against the counter. “James, do the Ritters own a dog? I don’t remember seeing one yesterday.”

  “Perhaps young Joey heard coyotes. We often get them here in the hills.”

  “Go Fish!”

  “So there wasn’t a dog in the house last night?” she asked.

  “Do you have a Jack?”

  James laid his last card on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sure you can see my cards.”

  “Naw honest, I can’t see ’em.”

  Kate shook her head. Joey must have been dreaming. Though it seemed strange they shared the same thoughts. She shivered. Maybe he had seen more of the news broadcast than she thought.

  “Where is everyone?” she asked James.

  “Mrs. Ritter is still in bed. Richard and Max left an hour ago for work.”

  “I thought Max worked last night.”

  “He came in earlier than expected.”

  “Oh.” Kate glanced at her watch then up to her son.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  James stood up in alarm while Joey jumped off his chair.

  �
�Where are you going, Miss?”

  “I have to get Joey to school.” Kate put her empty cup down and swung her purse over her good arm.

  “Are you sure that’s wise, Miss?” His eyes shifted from her injured arm to Joey. “Considering everything?”

  Considering what? The media certainly wouldn’t be staked out in front of her son’s school. “We’ll be fine.”

  Kate put a hand behind Joey’s back and guided him through the living room. “Thanks for watching over him this morning.”

  “You’re welcome.” James walked behind them toward the front door. “I would feel better about you leaving if you spoke with Mr. Ritter first.”

  “Joey has to go to school.”

  “Yes, but...”

  “We’ll be back. I have a few errands to run, I’ll pick him up, and we’ll come straight here.”

  “But Mr. Ritter wanted you to stay here.”

  She pivoted, smiled, and patted the butler’s shoulder. “Mr. Ritter must have forgotten today is Friday.”

  “What does Friday have to do with it?”

  “It’s a school day, James. Kids go to school on Fridays.” With that, she opened the door and walked Joey to the car.

  ****

  Joey talked obsessively all the way to school. The Ritters were really cool, Richard most of all. Their house was awesome, and the pool was better than the one at the YMCA.

  His rattling became a source of entertainment. His animated recall of their night in the Ritter homemade Kate realize how much he missed not having an extended family in his life. Some things can’t be helped, she reminded herself.

  With no parking space in sight, Kate parked along the side street in the dirt. Joey lugged his backpack over his arm and followed her toward the entrance of the school.

  “We’re going to sleep there again tonight, right?”

  “I think so.” Kate pivoted, certain someone called her name. A parent she didn’t recognize walked a few feet away, but diverted her eyes when Kate searched hers. Not seeing anyone she knew, she continued walking.

  “I hope so,” Joey said.

  Her hands chilled, the hair on her nape stood on end. A few more feet, and Kate stopped moving. The heavy weight of someone’s stare kept her from taking another step. Wary, she turned around in a full circle.