Nightly Howls

by Madeline Blake

It is at this time that Sidney must realize that her throne has been usurped.

  We start walking towards the front of the house, when the snake spits out some last minute venom. "I wish you had died when I pushed you the other day," she hisses as we pass her, each word like a lash against my skin. I haven't ever had someone hate me this much before, and I have to admit, it hurts.

  Nico suddenly turns, fire alight in his eyes. He is like a bull, ready to run someone over while he stares at Sidney. With sudden force, he crosses over to her, and shoves her in the cold water. She squeals, splashing underneath the surface.

  Without another word, both of the guys escort me out of the house and into the car. People stare at us on the way out as if we are aliens, as if they don't know us.

  Well, this is an interesting development.

  Nico unloads me into the backseat as if I am cattle, the other two grabbing the front. As the engine roars to life, we bathe in silence, and I feel, for some reason, as if I am about to get scolded.

  "Ella," he sighs finally, making me jump when he says my name, "why did you come?"

  There is a pause as I dig for an answer that doesn't sound like admitting I was jealous. "I just wanted to... meet you there?" I meagerly reply, my answer not even sounding true to myself.

  Nico laughs, a noise that makes my heart flutter. "That's a lie," he grins, "I saw you following me all the way to Ian's house."

  "I was that easy to spot?" Terror strikes my heart. I thought I did pretty good, considering the nearly barren scenery.

  "Well, I've had a lot of practice," he looks to the mirror and our eyes meet. Right now, they are soft, full of laughter and sweetness. "You really shouldn't have come," he emits resignedly; "it isn't like the party was much fun for you anyway."

  Ian twists in his seat to look at me. "Where did you get that hot dress?" he asks, "it looks like something my sister would wear." His eyes rake over me appreciatively, a smirk gracing his lips. I begin to feel uncomfortable.

  "Yeah," Nico threw in, "I don't remember you having anything like that at home." His eyes narrow. Something tells me he doesn't like me wearing a dress like this.

  "I, uh..." I tried to stop, but Nico's eyes urged me on, "borrowed it." I stare at the dress, how it seems perfect even after I traveled through that crap. The stilettos are still in my hand, along with the furry mess called a wig. He stares at the wig as if it is a monster.

  "Well, whatever the reason, you didn't have to follow us. We were trying to wipe the evidence of your cut healing so quickly. That's all," Nico quickly diverts the subject, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

  "Really?" I reply. That does seem to make sense. I feel like a stupid idiot now. "So what about Ian?"

  "I hypnotized them," Ian says proudly, "into believing they had never seen it."

  "And we were about to get to Sidney," Nico snapped, "Until YOU just had to make a scene!"

  "That was Sidney!" I huff, "leave me alone."

  "Anyways, the point is to trust me. When I leave you behind, it is usually for a reason," Nico finally scolds, and I shudder a little under his calm criticism.

  Ian winks at us. “Leave her behind? You guys stay at the same house?”

  We both ignore him.

  "Well, you could tell me the reason," I say softly, "instead of keeping me in the dark."

  "Oh, I will, from now on," he grins, "to stop you from following me." I suddenly get the feeling that Nico won't let off of this topic for a very, very long time.

  We stop at Ian's house, and he practically jumps out. "Thank you, Ian!" I call, and he gives me a little wave as he climbs up the steps to the doorway. Right before we roll out of the driveway, I see Lauren run out and pounce on her brother, smiling broadly. I look at them enviously. What I would give for a normal family...

  Zooming home in silence, we gaze at the beautiful flowers as they fade into towering trees. "Nico?" I finally say, as we are buried in the forest.

  Nico looks back at me. "Yes?" he says, gazing into my soul.

  "Do you... understand forever? How do we know if we are immortal?" I try to phrase these questions correctly, these questions without a true answer.

  "I have never understood forever, although I may be able to grasp it a little bit better than you might," he stares at the road, his hair ruffling in the air, "I have been a werewolf for a while now, and watching your friends shrivel up and die while you stay perfectly the same is rather disturbing. It gives you the feeling that you are not even real, not even a human. Time and time again I check the obituary to see that one of my parent's friends is dead, living to be even eighty years old. I always think to myself, I know them. I used to talk with them. My parents were the worst. They made me cry the most. You know why, Ella?"

  "Because you loved them the most?"

  "Because they were my only links to reality. Back ten years ago, I could point at a regular human and say 'You are my mom. You are my dad.' However, I can't do that anymore. Nobody knows me. I am invisible, yet visible to the human eye. I have no connection with them. All I have is my pack, and my mate," he glances at me, smiling weakly.

  "I already have no connections to reality," I stare at the floor, facing the undeniable truth, "I am dead to many already. Maybe I should have died along with my parents so I wouldn't have to be so alone."

  We reach the mansion, and the car stops. Slowly, the car door opens, and a strong, masculine hand grabs my own. He whirls me into a soothing embrace. "You won't be alone anymore," he whispers into my hair, "we will be together."

  We stay like this, suspended in time, each feeling comfort in the other's presence. All the while, my heart is about to burst out of my chest, escalating in speed as the seconds go by. A blush blossoms upon my cheeks as I realize he can probably feel my heart as it beats… all for him.

  Embarrassed, I back away, looking anywhere but at him. When I finally glance at his green eyes, I can see the glint of a smile in them. He knows… and he is laughing at me.

  I punch him in the arm, unable to control my mortification. He laughs and grabs my hand, holding it in a deathly grip from which I cannot escape. I can feel myself turning into a tomato.

  "To answer your other question," Nico says softly, "we don't know for sure if we are immortal. In fact, we know we will perish someday, due to the prophecy. However, many of us are over a thousand years old, so that sort of makes it confusing. What should we call ourselves if not immortal?"

  I am not even listening, absorbed completely in the heat of the moment. My heart of ice is melting because of his burning touch, sparking fire beneath my skin.

  "Nico!" Yi calls, suddenly appearing in the doorway, "come quick!" His handsome eyes are wide, and the door is wide open for us both.

  Nico's eyes grow wide also, and he lets go of me as if I was nothing. "Give me a second," he apologizes, "I'll be right back."

  He disappears in the house, leaving only us outside. I walk in after him, Yi shooting me a smile. "Sorry that I interrupted your... um... private time," he smirks as I pass him into the house. I turn and shoot the worst scowl I can conjure at him. Yi can be so annoying.

  The huge door comes to a stop as I start walking through the hallways, following their smell to where they are located. "Ella, stop!" Yi calls after me, "stay here with me! You aren't supposed to-"

  I abruptly stop listening to him, getting closer and closer to whatever the werewolves are trying to hide.

  As I approach Asher's room, I begin to hear more voices. "I guess we knew it would come sooner or later," Jake says.

  "What are we going to do?" Wes asks, adopting a frightened tone that is much unlike him.

  "We will probably have to evacuate," Nico says firmly, "we need to protect her."

  "Aren't you surprised that they finally figured out how to email?" Asher laughs, "up until last year they always sent letters."

  I creep in through the open doorway, seeing immediately that they all are crowded around a computer. As quiet as a cat, I slip right beh
ind them, peering on the screen. Internet Explorer is on, and the site is Google's Gmail. A certain email is displayed, and they are all scanning it vigorously.

  "What is this?" I ask calmly, causing almost all of them to jump.

  It reads;

  Dear Pack Number 101,

  It has come to our attention that you have converted a human to a werewolf without our approval. This is the third offense within Pack Number 101 in 50 years, and although the last two have been pardoned, this last offense is simply inexcusable. You are called to a hearing on Wednesday of this week at Headquarters to determine the pack's fate. The new convert will be promptly exterminated. Have a good day.

  Sincerely,

  The Council

  All of them turn to look at me, a sad expression on their faces. Except for Nico, of course, instead with eyes of fury.

  This cannot be good.

  Catch Me If You Can...

  I look at them all, wondering what is going on.

  "You guys converted someone?" Peering over their shoulders, I squint at the words. Maybe I missed something.

  But instead it just clarifies the obvious.

  "Uh, nothing!" Wes quickly moves to block the screen, "they are talking about another pack!"

  "I'm not stupid," I glare at him, pushing him aside. I glance at the screen intently, looking at the words on the screen. Understanding dawns upon me, enlightening my thoughts, my questions. "Then why is it emailed to asherisbeast4ever@gmail.com?"

  They all look sheepishly at the floor.

  "Nico," I put my hands on my hips, "tell me NOW." He looks up at me with his spectacular green eyes, not even the hint of a grin at the corner of his mouth.

  "It seems as if the Council has tracked you as a recent convert, when you are actually not fully converted," he says quietly, leading me to the worst possible conclusion.

  "So..." I look at the screen again and again, "they want to kill me." That can't be true. I never hurt anybody. I didn't even want to be a werewolf. And now this?

  "You'll be okay," Nico wraps an arm around my shoulder, "we won't let them do anything to you. I promise."

  I try to drown in his comforting presence, but this time, it does no good. It only makes the pain worse. My heart pounds, thumping furiously in my chest.

  "You shouldn't have told her," Asher says loudly. He narrows his eyes at Nico.

  "| would rather have her know the truth," Nico hisses at his identical counterpart, "and there is no helping it now. We can't just wipe her memories."

  Silence erupts in the room as I quickly walk away, hoping that I will reach my room before a single tear falls.

  "Well, Nico, that doesn't exactly give you any brownie points," I hear as my footsteps reach the hallway.

  Who cares about brownie points at a time like this?!

  I start to run, my feet flying, even blurring as I pound to my bed. Once I am there, I bury myself below the covers, trying to quell the thumping of my heart. Before, I never would have cared about dying, but now I don't want it. It used to be so close that I could kiss its dry, crackled lips, but now I fear it.

  The werewolves have frozen time for me. They have thrown away my old body. They have filled me with promises that I would live forever.

  And now they want to kill me.

  Something about that doesn't seem quite right.

  A presence enters the room; a beautiful, glossy-haired man that always takes my breath away. He comes to sit by my side, staring into my eyes.

  "You don't believe me when I say that I'll protect you?" his thick, velvety voice murmurs, a graceful hand stroking my hair.

  "I just don't know, Nico," I whisper, shutting my eyes tightly. Do I believe? Do I really?

  A fierce, determined look enters his eyes, flame alight. His fingers snap away from my hair, clenched in a fist. "Well, what do I have to do then?" he almost yells, scrunching up his eyebrows in fury. "I've saved you from practically everything. I have been at your side constantly. What more do you need to finally trust me?" I can feel his frustration, his lack of comprehension at my behavior. I don't quite understand either.

  Anger begins to boil within me as well, irrelevant anger that doesn't make much sense in my head. "Well, where were you ten years ago? When my parents were murdered?" I say softly, menacingly. Each word is meant to be a sharp stab, a burning pain within him.

  He just stares at me, a wondering look on his face. Then he gets up, his elegant form brushing against the stool he was leaning against, and nearly stumbles out of the door.

  Tears brim at the corners of my eyes, and I let them fall down my face in rivers.

  I remember when I was younger, when life made sense. When I had two parents, a house, and a pet. At times like these, Scotty would scramble into my arms, barking crazily until he was safely perched in my embrace. Then I would hug him, and his warm fur would absorb my sadness until it was sucked away.

  Why did I say those things to Nico? He couldn't have known about my parents' death, let alone save all three of us. I am being so unreasonable, so stubborn and like a spoiled brat. I AM a spoiled brat, not thankful for what I have.

  Not many can say they are mates with a hot, stalker-like werewolf.

  I guess it is my greediness biting inside me, making me wonder why even though I now have many things, it is like I have nothing. So much has changed... my heart has even been stitched back in place by a man I am unwilling to love. But I still feel empty, broken, like my heart has just unraveled and spilled onto the floor.

  A conflict is raging inside my head. Nico is a creep. He's obsessive. He's sweet. He's supernatural. He's forever.

  He's the handsomest thing I have even seen.

  Once again I bury my head completely under the covers, ashamed at myself. Nico doesn't deserve to be hurt like this. I am the one at fault. I destroyed one of the things that matters to him the most.

  His gigantic, incredibly treasured pride.

  * * *

  He does not look at me when I enter the room.

  I have never felt this before. His cold, icy treatment has never been released upon me. In the two and a half weeks I have been staying here, his aura has always been warm, comforting. But now I feel unwelcome.

  Everyone else can sense this sudden shift in behavior. Nico's face is like stone, impossibly beautiful, yet unchangeable. Yi is just sitting at the kitchen table, playing with his spoon. Wes doesn't flirt with me, shooting me a brief, encouraging smile.

  Jake hands me a small milk carton and a bowl of yogurt. "Eat up," he says brightly. I grab a spoon off the table, shoving it into the sweet, yummy goodness and letting it linger right in front of my lips before closing my mouth over it.

  "Please sit down," he directs me to a chair; "we have to talk to you about some things." Being careful not to make eye contact with the blue-haired beast, I plop down, staring into Jake's green eyes.

  "What is it?" I say as if I am being forced to sit through a funeral for someone I don't even know, shifting my facial features to suggest that I would rather be anywhere but here. I know I should apologize to Nico, but my own arrogance does not allow it. All that fills me is bitterness. Heart-wrenching bitterness.

  I sneak a quick glance at Nico, only to find that he is staring at the wall, the window, anything but me. Anger is on the edge of his lips, and his face is resolute. He suddenly turns, catching my gaze, and I finally get to see his eyes. They are burning hot, like fire, scorching me completely. Quickly I look away.

  "Ella," Jake starts slowly, "we are going to do everything we can to protect you."

  I suddenly get the feeling he is bringing bad news.

  "So until Wednesday, you will have personal bodyguards. One will be Nico, obviously, but Asher also volunteered himself. They will follow you everywhere, Asher in the shadows, Nico right by your side. Is that clear?" he asks sharply.

  "Yes." It is not like I have a choice, anyways. And why would Asher want to guard me?

  "And on Wednesday, they wil
l both transport you to a safe haven, where the Council will not be able to find you. We will stay here and fight."

  Alarm rises within me. "What good will that do? I don't want you guys to risk your lives for me! I refuse." The guilt would eat me alive if one of them died.

  "Ella, we are okay with it. Chill out," Yi says between mouthfuls of Cheerios.

  "At least let me fight along with you!" I beg.

  "Let's face it," Asher smirks, "you wouldn't exactly be much help to us if you stayed, would you? You can't even conjure a spirit spear, and although you are stronger than the average human, you are also the weakest out of the werewolf population. Plus, you can get rather clouded judgment, and that doesn't exactly help you when fighting."

  This is when Nico would usually punch him in the face, but this time, he doesn't budge.

  "Asher got a point there," Yi swallows the rest of his milk, smiling with a white mustache. I narrow my eyes at him, almost snarling. However, I feel almost helpless under their light attack, suddenly realizing how much I have grown to depend on Nico over the last two and a half weeks.

  "Just three days," I say softly, closing my eyes, trying to imagine the probable scenario. Asher stalking me, Nico walking by my side like a robot. Fun...

  "Oh, and you will have to miss school," Jake adds, almost like an afterthought. My eyes grow as wide as saucers.

  "WHAT?!" I roar, almost causing the table to shake.

  "I knew she wouldn't take it well," Asher muttered to an immobile Nico, nearly causing my rage to explode.

  "The council might be tracking you through the school," Jake tries to explain, "and then it will be easy for them to ambush you on the way home or something. When they realize we aren't traveling to Headquarters on Wednesday, they will immediately send their spies after you."

  "Fine," I throw my hands in the air, leaving my half eaten yogurt on the table. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'll just go outside and celebrate my lost privacy."

  I stomp away, very much aware of the fact that I resemble a toddler rather than an eighteen year old girl. I've pretty much gotten used to these theatrical entrances and exits... I'm more of a drama queen than I thought.