by C Zinnia
“Oh, and we need to meet in a couple of days to discuss crop rotation,” Silvia said.
“I have it all prepared,” Daren said.
Silvia beamed. “Always ahead, I love it!” she said. “And that’s why it was always a guarantee that you were going to become manager. We would have promoted you sooner, but knew you wanted to get your degree.” She gave Daren another hug before wandering off to talk to others in the pack.
Bruce watched Silvia, love in his eyes. “She’s an amazing woman,” Bruce said. He focused on Daren. “A pack in West Virginia had an incident a couple of days ago.”
Daren already knew from Bruce’s tone what that meant. “How many hunters?” he asked.
“Just one that they easily disposed of,” Bruce said. “But the hunter managed to kill a couple from their pack before they found him out.” He raked his hand through his hair. “It makes me nervous because normally they travel in pairs and they’re obviously changing their methods of hunting. Though it could be there was another hunter and they escaped. Or there could be a group heading our way. We need to tighten up our security for the time being. We may have to shut down the B&B for a while and have y’all stay with us until we are sure no hunters are coming this way.”
Daren was surprised by Bruce’s plan. “You’re normally not this aggressive when you hear about hunters in other states. Why are you so concerned this time?” he asked.
Bruce hesitated. “Eli did a reading for Viola and saw a dangerous man. It’s not clear if he’s a hunter or not, but he’s not a werewolf. Eli did another reading for the pack and the same man appeared,” he said. “And there’s a huge possibility someone may be killed.”
Daren felt a drop in his stomach. “Does he know anything else?” he asked.
“He’s tried to get more information, but the future keeps changing,” Bruce said. “He can’t get a good fix on who or when. So, I’d like to prepare for the worst-case scenario.” His eyes darkened with worry. “We’ve been so lucky to not have an incident with hunters even though all of the other packs have noticed an increase. I’m afraid out luck has run out.”
Daren was afraid Bruce was right. “Have you told Viola yet about West Virginia?” he asked.
“I will after this match. I don’t want to distract her,” Bruce said.
“Understandable,” Daren said.
“Alpha Bruce, a word?” Mason said.
“Of course, Alpha Mason,” Bruce said.
Bruce gave Daren’s arm an affectionate squeeze before he joined Mason.
“It appears they’ll let anyone attend these gatherings,” a female behind Daren said dryly.
Daren grinned as he whirled around to face a smirking Alura. Daren always thought Alura was handsome, even with her vast scars on the right side of her face and neck. Her milky right eye was a stark contrast to her cobalt blue eye. Her monolids appeared to only enhance the difference in her eyes. Alura had short dark feathery hair, a wide nose, and high cheekbones.
“Good to see you too, Alura,” Daren said as they hugged. “Still scaring Chris’ goonies?”
Alura gave a sincere smile at the question. “Half of them are still convinced I’m Chinese while the other half think I’m a spy from Vietnam hell-bent on vengeance for the war,” she said. “I left a note in Vietnamese one day that said ‘This is written in Vietnamese to feed your paranoia.’ And the rest of the note contained song lyrics written in Vietnamese.”
“What happened?” Daren asked.
“One of the guys took it to Pop to prove I was a spy. You should have seen the look on the guys face when Pop broke out into song in Vietnamese. When Pop asked how the guy got the paper, Pop wasn’t amused to find out I had put the note in my locked desk drawer. The guy had a hard time explaining why he was going through my stuff,” Alura said.
Daren laughed as he shook his head. “I wish I was there to hear Mason singing. People can be foolish,” he said. “I feel bad you have to go through that.”
“It sucks, but hopefully I’m breaking enough barriers that the next Asian woman won’t have such a hard time,” Alura said. “Some people don’t like change and, unfortunately, we suffer until they realize the change they were fearful of and threatened by is actually just as beneficial to them.” She was sad. “I’m tired of them feeling like they can treat me poorly or however they want just because they’re afraid. I’m tired of being expected to placate their issues while they show no sign of common courtesy.” She sighed. “Sorry for venting.”
“No worries. What you’re saying is true. I deal with it from some of the humans in the county and I get tired of having to prove to them that I should be treated as a person. It’s good to get it off your chest. Even a Buddhist ought to have the right to get angry now and then,” he said playfully as he bumped his shoulder against hers.
She laughed. “Thanks,” she said. She tilted her head as she looked up at the moon and stars. “It’s a beautiful night.”
“Yes, it is,” Daren said.
People and wolves started migrating to form a ring with a large space in the middle.
“Looks like the festivities are beginning,” Alura said. “It was nice talking to you. Take care.”
“You too,” Daren said.
Daren found Dana and sat down beside her. He was tense as he sat there. He nervously glanced around and noted how many were in wolf form this evening. The full moon was so bright, they didn’t have to use barrels they have placed tactfully around the circle to light fires.
Inviting Mel was a bad idea, Daren thought. Why did I even think I should?
A mix of humans and wolves at the center of the circle broke out into a beautiful chorus. The human and wolf tones blended together to create a song that gave Daren goose bumps.
Maybe Mel will just think they’re big dogs, Daren said. Mel’s from the city after all. What would she know about wolves?
Daren’s confidence was short lived. What if she does know about wolves? Daren thought. I know, I’ll just tell her some of the people around here own pet wolves and tell her not to say anything because it’s illegal and they’ll get in trouble. He smiled at his own brilliance.
Daren frowned. What is someone turns in front of her? he thought. Then, I’m screwed. He felt bad for Mel. From what little Dana had told him, Daren knew Mel was going through a rough time. Hopefully, this will cheer her up some without getting me in trouble.
The performance wasn’t done yet, but Daren knew he needed to head back to the B&B and grab Mel. Daren hoped that by the time they got back here, the fights would have already started so Mel wouldn’t even notice the wolves.
Daren slipped away unnoticed. As he went back to the B&B, he silently prayed all would go well.
Chapter 14
During dinner, Mel had kept her energy dimmed so she wouldn’t throw up a red flag. Dana and Lee would have been suspicious if Mel had been practically bouncing out of her chair from her excitement. Daren had laughed and talked a lot during dinner as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
Dana accepted Mel’s silence as a normal response after yesterday’s revelation. Dana must have talked to Lee about Mel’s sexual orientation because Lee didn’t find Mel’s behavior odd either. In fact, Dana and Lee both made sure to hug Mel before she went upstairs to bed. Bill and Trixie hadn’t been there during dinner, which made the whole experience pleasant.
After dinner, Mel went upstairs, but not before Daren mouthed “eleven” to her.
Mel had taken out her guitar and played a few cords here and there to try to sound busy. Unfortunately, no song came out of her tinkering, but she found it soothing to play notes. Mel wondered what kind of music Viola enjoyed. What a stupid thought, Mel, she chided herself. Get her out of your head.
Mel felt Daren, Lee, and Dana move around downstairs. She continued to absently play her guitar. She would wait for them to leave before she dressed for the fight. Mel was currently in her pajamas incase Dana peeked her head into the bedroom for an
y reason.
Mel watched the sunset through her window. She took a picture of it to show her grandma later. She put her phone down so she could fully appreciate the moment. The sunset was so beautiful that Mel couldn’t begin to describe it in words. It created a warm feeling in her chest and made her somehow feel part of something greater than her. Soon, the sky was dark except for the stars.
Around 8 pm, Dana came upstairs to Mel’s door. She paused because she heard Mel playing her guitar. She waited until Mel had stopped and lightly tapped the door. “Mel, Lee and I are going to go out on a mini date. We’ll be out late. Daren is going to go hang out with friends so he’ll probably be out late too. Make sure to lock your door in case anyone gets home before us, okay?” Dana said through the door.
“Hmm? Okay,” Mel said absently. “Have fun. I’m in the middle of working on a song and I’ll probably go to bed after that. Writing music is tiring!”
Dana was relieved Mel had something to preoccupy her. “I could only imagine,” Dana said. “Happy writing!” She went back downstairs.
Dana, Lee, and Daren left the house. Mel felt their energy disappear into the woods.
Mel tossed off her pajamas. She restlessly paced in her room as she gathered her clothes. Thank God my intuition had told me to pack a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeve dark shirt, Mel thought. She was upset she didn’t bring a dark coat. Mel knew her bright teal jacket would attract attention. Hopefully, it is going to be warm enough tonight that I don’t freeze. She was grateful she had come in late summer instead of late fall. Hopefully, at the fight it would only be chilly. But I may get chilly because I’ll be sitting still. She decided to add another layer of clothes beneath her original outfit. She looked in the mirror in distaste. Instead of Mel’s normal somewhat pear-shaped figure, she looked lumpy with the extra layers. It bothered Mel immensely.
It’s not like Viola is going to get to see you, she reminded herself. You aren’t supposed to be seen or heard by anyone. Besides, isn’t there something to be said if a person finds you beautiful when you feel you look your worst? Isn’t that the kind of person you want to be with?
Still, Mel didn’t like the thought of looking so frumpy. Then again, she didn’t want her teeth to chatter at the match. She was sure the noise would make her stand out more than the way she was dressed.
After Mel was dressed, she alternated between restlessly pacing her room and playing her guitar.
Trixie and Bill had not come back since this afternoon. Mel was relieved because she had a feeling Bill would have been a problem since he seemed keen on knowing where Mel was. Bill probably would have tried to follow Mel and Daren.
At 10:50 pm, Mel turned off her bedroom light and went outside. The darkness was daunting. The only good thing was the brightness of the stars and the full moon.
Mel anxiously watched the moon climb the sky. She prayed her pale skin wouldn’t reflect its light. Mel had been on a beach trip and friends had accurately made the joke that her back reflected light. And it did reflect light, Mel thought. Hopefully, no one will spot me.
Mel couldn’t imagine walking in the woods in the dark. She could see why horror movies liked to use the woods at night. It seemed like bad things could lurk in the darkness.
Or mystical things, Mel thought, trying to keep optimistic. Like kind fairies who would help me find my way back if I got lost. Mel chuckled at her wild imagination. There’s no such thing as fairies, she chided.
She felt Daren’s presence approaching from the woods. She became apprehensive. Mel prayed Daren was going to be kind enough to drive her over to the fights. She highly doubted it since they had left through the woods, but there was no harm in wishful thinking.
“Are you ready?” Daren called. He was standing at the edge of the woods.
Mel cursed under her breath. “We’re walking there? In the woods? What about animals?” she asked.
“Yes, we’re walking there. It would attract everyone’s attention if we drove there. No animals will bother us. Now come on. We don’t want to be late,” Daren said.
Mel joined him, ever aware of her surroundings. “I swear to God if you are secretly taking me into the woods for a human sacrifice, I will haunt you forever,” she said.
Daren laughed. “No sacrifices here,” he said.
They walked through the woods at a brisk pace.
Mel stumbled every couple of steps over a tree root or rock. “How can you see in the dark?” she asked sourly. Daren hadn’t stumbled once and it annoyed her.
“There’s a full moon providing plenty of light,” Daren said, gesturing to the moon shining through patches of open sky. A lot of trees were still covered with leaves. “In the spring and summer, it’s harder to see because of the canopy of leaves. Now, there’s plenty of light for you.”
“It’s still summer and the sky is still mostly covered by all of those leaves. There’s not enough light, especially with all of the leaves covering the ground,” Mel mumbled.
“Your eyes will adjust. So, when were you going to tell me you were a lezzy?” Daren asked. “Here I am sticking my neck out for you and I have to hear about your reason for being here from my mom? I’m hurt!” Although he kept the tone light, Mel could hear the hurt.
“In all fairness, your mom used movies, hot chocolate, and a gay man to get the secret out of me,” Mel said.
Daren wasn’t surprised about the movies nor the hot chocolate. “She got Thomas and Jim to interrogate you? That’s cold,” he said.
“That was actually a stroke of luck for her,” Mel admitted. “Jim just happened to be there at the right time. He and Thomas knew the whole time and he took pity on your mom.”
“Ah,” Daren said. “Does that mean gaydar really exists?”
Mel shrugged. “No clue,” she said. “Besides, how did you expect me to tell you? ‘Thanks for taking me to a fight, Daren. Oh, by the way, I just announced to your mother that I’m a lesbian. I’m just giving you a heads up because I’m sure there’ll be a full family discussion about the subject before the night is over.’”
Daren thought about it. “Yeah, that would have worked,” he joked. They laughed.
“I am sorry, Daren, for not telling you,” she said sincerely. “I just didn’t know how.” She rubbed her arm.
“It’s okay,” he said. He patted her shoulder.
“No, it’s not,” she said. “You are doing a huge thing for me by taking me out here and-” She felt a wave of guilt. She shouldn’t have manipulated Daren’s energy. She shouldn’t be out here in the middle of the night. “Maybe I should go back to the B&B.”
Daren was confused. “Relax, Mel. I’m not mad at you or anything,” he said.
Mel realized she needed to tell the truth. “It’s not that. It’s-”
An owl screeched overhead. Mel jumped. The owl dived to the ground on their right. A mouse screamed as it was caught. The sound was disturbing, especially when it was violently silenced.
That was not an omen, Mel thought. Not an omen!
All thoughts of confessing and apologizing died in her throat. She stared in the general direction of where the mouse had met its violent death. She shivered.
“Come on, Mel,” he said. He didn’t understand Mel’s behavior, but he knew now was not the time to dive deeper into it. He could see her internal war and worried which side of her would win. “Let’s go.” He lightly tugged her arm. “It’s all good. I’m not upset with you. You should be proud of owning up to who you truly are. And you’ll enjoy watching the fights.”
Mel numbly followed Daren deeper into the woods.
They weren’t moving fast enough for Daren. He picked Mel up without warning, causing her to squawk in protest. Daren ignored her as he ran.
“I could have run myself,” Mel said. “You should have just told me. I’m too heavy for you to carry.”
Daren snorted. “And yet here I am carrying you. You almost rolled your ankle ten times when we were only walking. You’d break
something running and I would have to explain it to Mom and Dad. Besides, you wouldn’t have been able to run fast enough,” Daren said matter-of-factly. “We have miles to go.”
“Miles? How far into the woods are we going?” Mel asked. Suddenly, Mel wasn’t so sure she wanted to watch the fight.
What am I getting myself into? Mel wondered.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be safe,” Daren said.
Mel didn’t feel reassured.
“I’m going to owe you big after this,” Mel muttered.
The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Mel knew they were close when she sensed an energy she had been hoping would be here. Her heart fluttered with nerves.
Daren glanced at Mel. “Are you okay? Don’t tell me you have a heart condition or something,” he said.
Mel was surprised. Was he able to hear my heart? Maybe he can feel it against his chest, she thought. “I’m fine. No heart condition,” she said quickly. “Just excited that we’re almost there.”
Daren suddenly stopped and put Mel back on her feet. “How did you know that we’re close?” he asked. “You can’t see anything.”
“Hey, I won’t ask you any questions and you don’t ask me anything,” Mel said. “Else and otherwise, it’ll be a question for a question.
Daren looked like he was trying to decide it if was worth trading questions. He decided against it. “Fair enough,” he said.
They walked onto a field with a large tree near a ring of people.
Her heart sped up a little. Oh my God! It really is an underground fight, Mel thought. It wasn’t until this moment that all of her theories suddenly became very real. People of all heights and colors were there. Some were dressed up and others were wearing tattered clothes. How did they all end up here? Mel wondered, unable to determine a pattern.
Except for their energy. All of their energy was similar in nature. She wished she was allowed to ask questions.
“Follow me,” Daren said. Mel took two steps and froze. She noticed large dogs everywhere. Some of them were mingled with the crowd and others were huddled together. The dogs were nearly the same size as some of the humans.
