Nightly Howls

by Madeline Blake

  Suddenly there is a blow, knocking the breath out of me. I feel myself flying, as if I have suddenly grown wings. My head hurts terribly, the beats of my heart overcoming me. I am thinking of nothing. I am nothing.

  Until a pair of strong arms encircle me, holding me close to a warm body. With it comes peace, settling over me like a thick blanket. After a few seconds, my eyes gradually open, trying to focus on the brightness around me.

  "Nico?" I ask softly, as the blurry face before me sharpens.

  "I'm right here," he comforts me, holding me close. I sit up in his arms, looking around. The first thing I notice is that we are on the other side of the road.

  The second thing I notice is Asher, sprawled out in the muddy grass.

  "Asher!" I yell, trying to jump out of Nico's arms. However, a strong pang of pain graces my left side when I try to move, torturing me with its restraining whip. "What’s wrong with me, Nico?" I ask after the spear of fire retreats from my body.

  "You both were hit," he says, anger flooding his body, "that giant truck over there suddenly had the will to have a sudden burst of speed. When it hit you and Asher, it was abruptly stopped and around five cars crashed into it. Asher let go of you, trying to throw you away from the danger, and I caught you just a few seconds ago. I think your side may be bruised."

  I look at the wreck on the road, marveling at the trouble it has caused. The cars are sprawled across the lane, right behind a massive truck. Police cars are heading up to the action, their lights flashing.

  "And all because of us," I sigh, bringing about another wave of pain. He frowns, staring at the truck.

  "No, it was that truck's fault," he says firmly, "if it had kept at its normal speed, none of us would have been hit. I hate to say it, but we are lucky that you are converted, because a blow like that normally would have killed a human."

  "Is Asher okay?" I question fearfully.

  "I think he has passed out," Nico responds, distraught at the edge of his voice. We both watch as Danae examines him.

  "He was hit from this side." She rolls up his shirt, pointing at the mass of blood and bruises. "He seems to be healing very quickly though. I would say that it will be completely stitched up in a couple of hours, and the only thing left will be the bruises. I'm surprised that he still made his way over here even after he was hit."

  "So he will be alright?" Nico asks fervently. I can sense that he cares deeply for his brother, maybe more than he lets anyone know. They seem to share a deep bond that not even hate can break.

  "Yes," Danae finalizes, "but we may have to carry him to the car dealership. And look at him! He is covered in mud!"

  "We can fix that later," Nico says assuredly, then gestures to my form. "What about her?"

  Danae scampers over to us, looking at my left side. "She's fine. Just some heavy bruises."

  Nico tries to put me down, looking at me worriedly. "Can you walk?" he asks me. I wobble on the first step, but with his help, I walk in a small circle.

  "It’s good," I say finally, "I can walk. I just cannot twist my body."

  "Ok," Nico smiles, "that’s good. I'll carry Asher then." He hoists Asher onto his back without complaint or even strain. The car dealership is only a couple hundred feet away, and for a minute, it symbolizes deliverance for me. Deliverance from the burning pain I have whenever I twist my torso.

  "What kind of dealership is this?" I inquire to distract myself.

  "Pommel," Nico immediately answers, "a very expensive type of car."

  "Do we have enough money for something like that?"

  He winks at me, saying nothing. We walk in silence to the front of the dealership. I am struck by the dazzling cars surrounding it, all shown in their utmost glory. It feels like I have walked into a sea of brilliance, drowning into the blinding opulence of each car.

  "Wow," I say softly, surveying the vehicles with wonder. Nico ignores me, walking to the front door with Asher on his back. A man in a suit opens the door for us, his black hair slicked to his forehead.

  "Good morning," he says in rich, elegant tone, although his eyes widen when he sees Asher. "Does he need to be taken to the emergency room?" the man asks frightfully.

  Nico shakes his head, and the man gets an eyeful of his beautiful blue hair, sparkling as he moves his head. "He just passed out a little earlier and fell in the mud by accident."

  "Oh," he says in a surprised tone, probably confused by the way Nico says "passed out" so lightly.

  "Which of these cars are the fastest? You have so many of them, beautiful too..." he asks, his words pouring like honey from his lips. I can feel the man instantly falling under his spell, and he smiles.

  "Yes, they are beautiful," he agrees, "some of the best cars in the entire world are here." He leads the way to a certain car, gleaming and slender. It is shiny silver, and only has two car doors. "This is the Pommel Fly 3000. It rides so smooth that it makes the rider feel like they are actually flying."

  I stare at the tiny car with disbelief. Does the man really think we can fit in that thing?

  "And this one." He gestures to the car beside it. This one is a deep bronze, ripping with power and beauty. "This is the Pommel Ginger, one of our premium vehicles."

  Nico stares at the Pommel Ginger, examining it closely. There is not much room in this one either, and it is a convertible. It almost grabs too much attention, clearly not for someone that wants to be conspicuous.

  "But what is your fastest car?" he finally asks, his voice tinged with annoyance. "These cannot be your best." It is almost like he is not satisfied with the gorgeous cars before him, as if he is seen much better. The Pommel representative stares at Nico for a minute, then smiles.

  "You are right, sir. These magnificent beauties are not our best. Come with me." He walks towards the middle of the giant dealership, smiling. We follow him, Nico with an expression of dubiousness.

  "Here, ladies and gentlemen, is our masterpiece." He gestures to a ruby red car that doesn't seem to scream "I'm rich" or "I'm beautiful". It is just a plain, attractive four-door vehicle which stuns me with its simplicity.

  "This car is the Pommel Fire, the first of its series. We make it so fast, so powerful, that the body can only be this simple without lowering both of those two factors. It is so tough it can run through a brick wall, and is completely waterproof. It may not be our best looking car, but it is certainly our best performing one-"

  "I'll pay you double the price," Nico interrupts, "right now, if you will let me drive it out of here right away. We are in a hurry."

  "Double?!" he says in alarm, "but sir, this car is worth-"

  Nico hands him a debit card. "Now. Hurry." He seems to be annoyed with the man, and his surprised demeanor. The man takes one more surprised glance at Nico, then backs off into an office. We wait for a minute, then he returns to us and looks at Nico with new eyes. With shaking fingers, he gives the card back to Nico.

  "Sir, are you a celebrity?" he asks, peering at Nico closely.

  "None of your business," Nico answers sharply, then opens the car door. He places Asher in the backseat, then slides in the front. Quickly we follow suit, noticing Nico's urgent behavior.

  When the car begins moving, I glance back at the man’s face, still gaping.

  "Well, that was fast." I laugh, watching Nico gradually loosen as he drives, a smile growing on his features. I can tell that he greatly enjoyed intimidating that guy.

  I examine the innards of this expensive car, The car is very luxurious on the inside, the seats made with some absolutely amazing material that I can almost sink into. A large touchscreen stretches between Nico and I, 3D animations dancing across it. For a little while, I amuse myself with that, fiddling with the virtual buttons.

  Then I remember how hungry I am and I grab my food and start eating a slice of my lemon pie.

  When we enter the highway, the car growls with power, accelerating quickly. For one quick moment, it feels like I am riding in a rocket instead of a car. N
ico grips the wheel tightly, the smile getting broader on his handsome features. I laugh once more at his expression, and he turns to look at me. Electricity and passion instantly crackle between us, and for a few seconds, we cannot pull away. I feel myself drowning in his green eyes, losing thought of anything else.

  Then he shakes his head and turns to face the road, the smile melting off of his features. I quickly look to the window, red blossoming to my cheeks.

  And then I see the gigantic truck that is still sprawled across its lane, surrounded by two police cars. An officer is talking to the truck driver, a large, heavy-set man wearing ragtag jeans and a t-shirt.

  I catch a glance of red as we zoom past them, my own eyes growing wide.

  That man... has the eyes of hell.

  Shifters just seem to have it out for me. They must be simply unsatisfied with the fact that, while they did seriously wreck my life, they haven't managed to take it just yet.

  I decide to inform Nico, in case this Shifter appearance has more importance than it seems. "Nico-"

  "Asher's waking up!" Danae says excitedly, staring at the hump beside her. I twist in my seat to look, watching the mud-splattered Asher rear his head. His hair is sticking in every direction, dirt smeared on his cheeks.

  "W-what happened?" he stutters slightly. He puts his hand to his face and wipes off some mud, opening his startling, emerald eyes.

  "We got the car," Nico updates Asher emotionlessly, keeping his eyes on the road. A small frown soon graces his lips. He takes a quick look at me, then urgently snaps his eyes back to the wheel.

  "I see." Asher examines his surroundings. "Why did I pass out?"

  "Because you were hit by one?!" I exclaim, twisting to stare at his tanned features with a jesting look.

  "Oh... really?" Asher asks absentmindedly, "must have been a pretty big car." He lifts up his shirt, looking at the bruises and almost-healed scabs trailing along his body. I can't help but notice once more how defined his muscles are, with a six pack that looks like it belongs on a body builder.

  "It was a truck."

  "That makes sense. No wonder the breath was knocked out of me. If it was a regular car then I wouldn't have passed out like an idiot."

  Stupid werewolves. They always have to be the best at everything.

  "You know," I interlude, "most people DIE when they are hit by a car."

  "That's true," Asher nods his head thoughtfully, "humans are much weaker than the werewolves. But they do have a very good thing about them."

  "Which is what?"

  "They are constrained by the goddess of Time. They have purpose in their life. The blessing of Growth graces their morphing bodies," Asher shrugs, "to me that is worth more than all the money in the world. Werewolves, on the other hand, are frozen forever until the moment when they shatter."

  The atmosphere falls, and silence reigns. Should I tell Nico about the red eyes, or will I just stir up trouble? Now that I think about it, did that man really have red eyes in the first place, or did I just imagine it?

  I look at Nico once more, open my mouth, and shut it.

  Exhaustion creeps in, chilling me to the bone. The seats are so soft and comfortable that it just begs for decent use. After a few minutes, sleep overcomes me like a tidal wave, and I surrender all to the dark night that steals away thought and reason.

  * * *

  "Ella."

  "Ella."

  A hand shakes my shoulder, jerking me awake. My eyes slip open, and once again Light enters my world. "Who is this?" I ask groggily, my face probably reflecting the confusion I feel.

  When everything solidifies, the first thing I notice is azure hair that is fine and long, each strand shimmering like a rainbow. Then a chiseled, stunningly handsome face comes into view, followed by eyes of green.

  "You need to get up for a little while and walk," the man commands, letting go of my shoulder. I wearily sit up, looking at the scene beyond Nico's head. Once again I am in Nico's arms, the warmth and attraction almost immediately consuming me. The car is missing, and we are located right outside of a large building with plenty of windows.

  "W-what?" I stutter as he gently places me on the ground. He starts to walk, and I follow him.

  "We needed to find a place for the night, so we chose to stay here. Both Asher and I figure that we have lost the council at this point, but we need to move constantly to avoid them if they pick up on our trail. We had to park the car down the road from here. And you were asleep, leaving us to decide what to do with Little Miss Drooler."

  "I don't!-"

  "Yes, Ella," he cuts me off, "you do."

  I huff, folding my arms in annoyance. I have never really thought about it before, but Nico is probably right.

  "So are we staying in a nice room?" I ask curiously.

  "I guess you will have to see for yourself, now won't you?" he says slowly, deliberately. For some reason, it seems to me as if I am stupid to him.

  "I guess." With these words, our conversation fizzles to nothing, and the awkward silence begins to swallow me whole. The hotel is rather dingy, with dirty carpet and furniture. Nico leads me down a small hallway, and then stops at one door. He pulls a key out of his pocket and slides it through a metal box hooked to the front of the door. There is a beep, and the door is yanked open by a gray haired Danae. She is completely old now, her skin wrinkled and rough.

  "Hey!" she greets me warmly, in mid-laugh. Asher comes to stand beside her, grinning like he just won the billion dollar lottery.

  "I love TV!" Asher exclaims, his eyes bright and happy. He seems more loose and energetic with each passing day, losing his negative attitude that he used to possess. I wonder what has caused him to change.

  "What are you watching?" I ask curiously.

  "It is this soap opera I found!" Danae smiles, "hurry and come in, it’s about to start and I don't want to miss it!" When some sort of opening theme blares through speakers to our ears, she rushes to the bed, plopping on it gracefully.

  The room is small, with a door to the right, two beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a small bedside table. It is really large, though, compared to my old bedroom at the orphanage.

  "We also got an adjoining room, by the way," Danae calls over her shoulder, "so everyone can have his or her own bed. Asher and I already called this one. We are going to watch this show all night!"

  I walk to the door and swing it open, opening my eyes wider when I realize this room looks exactly like the other one. I thought it would lead to another bathroom or a closet.

  My pouch lays on my bed, a pair of pajamas right beside it. I slip into the bathroom, peeling off my old clothes and shimmying into the light, soft material. I wonder where Danae managed to get this...

  Once I go back outside, I see our big TV stretching across the wall. Nico is just sitting on one of the beds, thumbing through a magazine of some kind. Following suit, I slip onto my own bed, propping myself up like he did.

  Right now NASCAR is on, which Nico doesn't seem interested in at all. It bores me also, the fast cars only serving to make me dizzy. I want to change the channel, but the remote is nowhere to be found.

  Then I finally spot it, by Nico's side.

  For some reason, it is hard to ask him for the remote. It is hard to even speak, to ruin the strained silence that has settled over us like a thick woolen blanket.

  I sit there for a long while, until I am about to snap. Briefly I wonder if Danae planned for us to be in the same room together. If she did this on purpose, then I might just hate her.

  "May I have the remote?" I finally ask, my voice robotic and expressionless. Nico looks up at me, his green eyes gazing right into mine. He puts the magazine down and picks up the remote, leaning over to give it to me. I reach out my hand, stretching to close the distance.

  My hand grasps the remote, and the tips of my fingers touch his in the process. With this touch comes a shock as frightening as a bolt of lightning, electricity and a crazy burst of uncontrollable
passion boiling through my blood. The remote tumbles from our hands, hitting the floor with a thud.

  Nico immediately gets up, a spark in his eyes and despair in his features. With a sudden urgency, he races to my side, remote forgotten.

  "I can't stand this any longer! I'm sorry for being mean," he begs, "just please, let us be anything but this! You can treat me like dirt, or a child, for anything from you is better than nothing at all. I can be a plaything to you if you wish, as long as I am something!"

  "Nico." I attempt to calm him down, my voice alike to his in nervousness and pleading.

  "Even if you like Asher, please keep me at your side! Allow me to be your friend, or at least your acquaintance. This bond of ours is too strong for either of us to sever, even though you may wish it so-"

  "Nico," I say in a slightly louder voice.

  "Because I don't think I can do it anymore! Your scent is so overpowering that it envelops me, causes me to lose all train of thought-"

  "Nico!" I command, "stop!"

  Finally his tender lips come to a close, and with it comes peace. For a few seconds, this peace washes over us like a tidal wave, and everything is perfect.

  "I have never-"

  "Don't say anything," he whispers breathlessly, "I promise I will accept any conditions as long as you will acknowledge me. Please, no matter how much you must hate me..." He trails off, his eyes alight. I want to protest, but now doesn't seem like the time. We both lean in, I realizing how close we actually are. Not much more of a hairsbreadth away, his perfection and insecurity shines plainly for me to see. If only one of us tilts his or her head, then we will kiss. My heartbeat quickens and excitement floods through me.

  I can't believe it. We just have a major problem or fight, caused by a misunderstanding that hasn't fully been cleared up between us, and right after we will share our first kiss.

  Our "bonding", I suppose. I can only hope it leads to something good.