by Alex Stone
“Yeah. Just worried about Michael. Did he tell you that he got in a fight yesterday?”
“And that he got suspended for a week? Yeah. I’m actually leaving the school now. I can’t believe him sometimes.”
“That was my thought, too, but it seems there’s more to it.”
She’s quiet for a minute. At first, I wonder if she lost the call, but I can still hear her engine over the phone.
“Mom?”
“I’m here. I-I just have a feeling I know where you’re going with this.”
I give a reluctant chuckle and stand to pace as we talk. “Well, it’s probably a bit more than you’re expecting…I got in a bar fight last night.”
“Tala!” she gasps.
I chuckle. “That’s about the reaction I thought you’d have. It was with another wolf.”
Her tone goes from shock to concern. “What?”
“Yeah, Michael was apparently targeted. They could smell the wolf on him.” I leave out the part about the pheromones. If the bald guy at the bar truly did out Michael for being more than a wolf last night, the kid doesn’t need his family jumping on the gaydar wagon. “He didn’t start it. From what I understand, there were actually two other kids, but the only one who got caught was a junior and twice his size.”
“So, he’s being bullied?”
“Pretty much. And it seems for being in our pack.”
“He’s definitely a wolf then?”
I lean against the wall. “I’m not a hundred percent sure. I haven’t been able to smell the wolf on him, but the guy at the bar specifically mentioned smelling him. If Michael is a wolf, I’m not sure why I couldn—”
Mom erupts into laughter.
“Mom?” I’m not sure if I am more confused or hurt. Why is she laughing?
As if she can read my mind, she says, “I’m sorry. You seem so concerned. You all really do take being wolves for granted. It’s not a complete superpower, you know? You’re still a person.”
I shake my head. “I’m not following.”
I hear the snarky tone and picture her cocky smile. “It’s called being nose-blind. You’re around him so often you wouldn’t notice any changes. At this point, it’s probably a subtle difference.”
I feel dumb. At the same time, it makes sense. Maybe I really don’t give my mother enough credit. She really is smart, albeit a bit dramatic. She always wanted to be a talent agent, but it never worked out. Since she getting her GED four years ago, she works at the post office, instead.
“You’re right,” I say. “That makes sense.”
She takes a second to respond. “I never wanted this for either of you, you know. I know your grandmother has always been proud of you being a wolf like her, but I feel like it just separates you from the rest of the world.”
“I don’t know about that, Mom,” I say, but my heart’s not fully in it, even as I say it.
“Maybe it’s just because I’m not one and can’t understand it…” The sadness and longing in her voice pull at me. I can relate to feeling on the outside. That was how I felt for most of my childhood, never connecting to anyone outside the pack, but she’s had the opposite experience. To feel that with some of her own family can’t be easy. Before I can say anything reassuring, she continues, “I just pulled in and need to make another call, so I’m gonna’ have to let you go. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mom,” I respond, trying to hide the emotion in my voice.
“Mmm, bye-bye,” she says quickly and disconnects the line.
I sigh and respond to no one, “Bye.”
I lean against the wall for a minute. Sure, I just got up, but I need a minute to collect my thoughts. Yesterday was insane. Grandma’s pissed off at me. Some jackass called us out in the bar and threatened my bother. Worse yet, tomorrow is a full moon. The wolves are all turning, whether we want to or not. Whether he changes with us or not, I need to talk to Michael.
Pivoting off the wall, I make my way to bathroom to rinse the beer sweat off my body. I shower so quickly that it could almost be considered a whore bath. When I finish, I throw on a pair of jeans and an old Doors t-shirt before heading out. Being the dirty sinner that I am, I speed the whole way there. When I arrive, I knock first, but when there’s no answer, I let myself in, having to unlock the door to enter. This is my mother’s house; the knock was just a courtesy, anyway.
“Michael?” I say. He should be up by now, but the curtains are drawn and there are no lights on. Mom usually doesn’t let him sleep in.
“Michael?” I call out a little louder, making my way through the living room, past the bathroom and kitchen and down the hall.
Nothing. What the hell? The tiny hairs on the back of my neck raise. There’s someone watching me. I slow my breathing, but my senses are on high alert. I hear someone breathing. Behind me.
I turn around quickly, readying an attack, just as Michael flips on the hall light.
“Tala?” he says with a yawn. “What are you doing here?” He’s shirtless, in a pair of shorts, and his hair is so wild, it looks like it belongs to an anime character.
I take in a deep breath…just Michael…and release. “I came to chat. Better question, why are you walking around in the dark?”
He raises an eyebrow. “I had to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to fully wake up.” I can almost hear the “duh!” in his voice.
“Why? Aren’t you supposed to be up and doing homework or something?”
He rolls his eyes. “No, Mom called. She told me she knows I had a rough day yesterday— ya’ know, when I got my butt handed to me— so she said I could sleep in and take it easy today. Why do you care?”
I sigh. Boy, he is more argumentative than usual. Rubbing my forehead, I try to change the pace. “Can we go in the living room, so I can sit while we talk?” He may need a little more support for the next conversation.
“No,” he immediately shuts me down. Michael’s not bullshitting. “What’re you doing here, Tala?”
“I got into a bar fight yesterday…”
He gives an almost-smile. “I’ll bite. You know I like hearing this stuff, but I feel like it’s going somewhere I’ll regret.”
I nod. “With a friend of the kids you fought.” The shocked expression on Michael’s face tells me with near certainty that he knew they targeted him. “Why didn’t you tell me that you went up against more than one?”
Michael’s cheeks go red, and he shrugs. Reminding him that he got his ass beat probably wasn’t the best move there. Good job, Tala.
“Do you know why they targeted you?”
Michael’s mouth slowly opens, before he looks away. “They found out something about me. I don’t know how… I’m—” he stops himself.
Oh. The pained look in his eye about kills me. He doesn’t know what he is. He thinks this is about something else entirely. “I know,” I say, “that they are wolves, and they harassed you because they could smell the wolf on you, and uh…”
His eyes go wide with first excitement then fear. His mouth hangs slightly open, and his eyes plead with me, hanging on my last word.
“…because you’re gay.” Michael sharply inhales before holding his breath. His wide eyes meet mine, and in a split second I see fear flash across his face. “You know, I’m here for you, right?”
He exhales, releasing a deep sigh, before his shoulders slump and he leans in and throws his arms around me as the tears overwhelm him. I hug him back, letting him have a moment.
He pulls back from me and sniffles. “Thanks, Tala. I’ve only started to realize I like guys…Honestly, I’ve been having trouble…I don’t know, realizing it? I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m so sorry for lying!”
“Oh, Michael! Please don’t apologize...” I sigh. “Our family’s not like that, but I can’t imagine how hard this has been on you… I haven’t told Mom or anyone else. Whenever you come out is your decision; I wouldn’t even have said anything, just waited for you to come to me when yo
u’re ready, but that jackass at the bar was talking shit about it. No one else made the connection, so you don’t have to worry about that yet, but I wanted to make sure you aren’t blindsided if anything else happens.”
He nods slowly before looking away. I hear him sniffle, but he looks back at me with a genuine smile. “Thanks, Tala,” he says, his voice deliberately deeper and his posture more relaxed, almost nonchalant, but it’s somewhat forced. Right, because at fourteen, tears aren’t cool. His eyes are still red-rimmed, so I know this isn’t over, but I can take a hint. He doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“How about you jump in the shower, and we’ll go to the mall? We could get you a new pair of kicks, then you can return from your suspension looking like one of the cool kids.”
Michael chuckles and shakes his head at me. “I’m embarrassed for you. No one talks like that anymore.”
I glare. “Or, I could leave your ungrateful ass here and save my money.”
“I mean, thank you, oh awesome sibling!” he quips and mock bows before heading to his room.
I make my way to the kitchen as Michael comes out of his room with some clothes before heading to the bathroom. I almost feel bad, but it’s my mom’s house, so I unashamedly raid the fridge and freezer. I heat up some hot pockets, grab some Italian ice and Dr. Pepper, and flop on the couch. I’m halfway through an episode of my favorite hospital drama when the door to the bathroom opens. Steam pours out into the hall as Michael exits.
“I hope you turned on the vent. Mom’ll kill you if you ruin those walls.”
“I know,” he says, and he turns and reaches into the bathroom to— I assume— turn on the vent.
When we get to the mall, it’s pretty empty, which makes sense for a Tuesday morning. We window shop for a bit, laughing and mimicking some of the mannequin’s dramatic poses. It’s mostly me posing, with Michael turning red and looking around to see if anyone notices my antics. Eventually, we make our way to Michael’s favorite store where he decides on a new pair of shoes. They are about fifty dollars more expensive than any pair of shoes I’d buy for myself, and part of me wants to say no because I know he’ll probably outgrow them in a few months, but I smile and buy them anyway, along with some newly released game. It’s not like I spend money often, and I work hard enough to deserve blowing some cash, even if it is on my brother. By the time we’ve finished shopping, the food court opens, so we get Chinese. We find a semi-clean table and sit across from each other to partake in the spicy goodness.
Michael and I are finishing our food when movement out of the corner of my eye catches me off guard. It’s the mall, so other people being around should not be alarming, but something in my gut tells me things are not okay. My stomach begins to turn, and my pulse quickens. Attempting to appear casual, I pull out my phone and put the camera in selfie mode and angle it so I can see behind me. It’s the asshole from the bar and three other guys, two of whom look a little older than Michael. This can’t be a coincidence. Did they follow us here? They don’t seem to notice us yet. Still, four of them and two of us…I don’t want anything to happen with my kid-brother around. The bald guy turns straight toward us, and I know he sees me.
I put my phone in my bag and say quickly, “Hey, I just remembered that I’m supposed to be at work in an hour.”
Michael gives me a quizzical look. He knows I work the graveyard shift. I’m hoping that’ll be enough to tip him off and he won’t cause a scene questioning me. I lean slightly over to grab my purse. I see his eyes widen. He’s seen them. Good.
“Shit…all right,” he answers slowly, stiffening. I collect our belongings, trying to appear casual. Briefly, I glance over my shoulder to see the bald guy pointing at us. A young man in a white shirt turns toward us, meeting my gaze. Immediately, he begins stalking toward us.
“Michael,” I say. “Hurry.”
We leave the food court and walk hastily to the other end of the mall before finding the exit closest to our parking spot. But my car, which I’ve had for five years, has three slashed tires. Damn. My insurance will only cover it if it’s all four. Those assholes!
“Come on,” I command Michael. He follows behind me without a word, somehow managing to keep up despite my quick pace. I’m not going to stand around the car, waiting for them to jump us. As we walk, with me already sweating from the stress, I pull my cell out and call Ray, but I hang up after two rings, only just remembering that it’s only one, so he’s still working. I’d call Mel, but I really need another wolf here…very few of them are available at this time.
My pack is mostly made up of my family members. A few members aren’t directly related to us, but Grandma’s kids and grandkids make up the majority. We are close to three dozen strong, an abnormally large pack. We’ve had plenty of aggressive lone wolves that we’ve had to chase off or eliminate, but only two other packs have ever passed through our little town. One came through thirty years ago and another two years ago. Thanks to a very enthusiastic member of the second pack, I learned a lot about the way other packs run. Most alphas are male, not because of any rule; it just works out that way. Many packs relocate periodically, though some are nomadic and others will migrate every ten years. Some develop their own communes and use some religious front as an explanation to the outside. Somehow Grandma has managed to stay on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for decades without drawing attention. Apparently, our pack was unusual for several reasons. Most packs hover around seven members. Fifteen is considered a large pack, so our pack is massive. The enthusiastic member— I think his name was Jake? Jason? Something like that— said he had only come across one other pack that came close to our numbers. He never said their name. He was too shocked that our pack didn’t have a name. We’re the unnamed, sedentary, matriarchal pack that is also huge…huge. So why am I struggling to think of one member to call?
“Shit,” I curse before selecting the contact I just hope will pull through.
“How’s yer head? Ya know there really are some things that you just can’t beat me at,” Ricky says. I can almost see him wiggling his eyebrows in mockery.
“Fine, but my car’s not. Michael and I are at the mall. We saw four other wolves here and went to leave, but three of my tires are slashed.”
“Fuck!” he says.
“Yeah! Can you—”
“Already headin’ yer way. I’m actually right aroun’ the corner. Do you need to stay on the line?”
I snort. “Uh, no?”
He chuckles, and I hear his car door shut and the engine start. “Didn’t think so.”
“We’re parked at the eastern entrance, almost right by the door.”
“All right,” he says. “See you in a bit.”
“Bye.”
Ricky ends the call, and I turn to Michael. “Ricky’s on the way.”
Michael raises an eyebrow, reminding me of his dad for some reason. Now that I think about it, the kid may not bulk up. His dad’s pretty lanky, too. “Ricky?” he questions.
“I know, I know, but he’s one of the pack, and he was actually pretty helpful last night, so…” I shrug. “Besides,” I say a little quieter, “if we are about to be ambushed, we can’t really be picky about our back up.” If my brother weren’t with me, I’d probably be excited. I have never worried about being ambushed by another pack. Logically, I know this isn’t exciting, but the wolf in me stirs, eager for the fight.
“Fair enough,” he says. We continue to walk around the outer perimeter of the mall without straying too far from the car. We need to see when Ricky arrives. It’s not freezing out, but it’s only February, so it is a bit cool. I’ve got goosebumps, but the adrenaline has me sweating. Not the most enjoyable combination. Part of me wants to go back in the building and kick some ass, but I know that wouldn’t help Michael. I can’t risk him getting hurt. Plus, if I roll up swinging, it’ll look like some random assault, and I’ll get arrested. I can’t protect anyone from behind bars. I’m temperamental, not stupid, but right now
, it kind of sucks.
I see Ricky’s rust bucket pulling up, so Michael and I walk over to meet him by my car. After switching all of my belongings to the bed of the truck, Michael and I hop in.
“We can come back and get your car tomorrow. I’ve got a buddy that works in an auto shop. He said he can getchoo a deal on them tires. I can change ‘em tomorrow.”
I nod. “Thanks, Ricky.”
No one says anything for a while. The hum of the engine is a pleasant white noise. The silence allows me to calm my system and think. I need to come up with a plan. I need to talk to Grandma. The bullying, the bar, ambushes, my tires—it’s too much to be random, too premeditated. We have to figure out why the hell this is happening.
“Ricky?”
“Hmm?”
“Can you take us to Grandma’s instead of my place?”
He gives me a quick look before turning back to the road and nodding. “Sure thing.”
“Thanks.” She needs to know what’s going on. As our pack’s alpha, it’s her responsib— and like my head on the bar floor, it hits me. She knew. She fucking knew. All the chaos, the sage, the shutting us out. Mel, Ray— we could all tell she was hiding something, but why the hell wouldn’t she tell us another pack was entering our territory? What else does she know? I relax my jaw, only now realizing I had it clenched so tightly that it is now sore.
“So, Michael, cuttin’ school?” Ricky asks with a smile and wiggles his eyebrows.
“No, suspended. For fighting,” Michael says without any particular tone to his voice.
Ricky throws his head back and howls. “Oooo-eee! Didja win?”
“No,” Michael says with a glare. “I got my ass kicked by a couple of juniors. Apparently, they smelled the wolf on me.” He sounds a bit bitter, but he does give a slight smile at the word “wolf.”
Ricky quickly glances at me. “Damn, dude. Seems like we’re all getting’ it from this new pack. But you’re one of us?” He gives Michael a playful elbow jab. “If they could smell ya’, you’ll turn soon, and we’ll show you a thing or two ‘bout how to defend yourself. Hell, we could start that part today!”
