by Strider, Jez
During a full moon, male wolves release a bonding pheromone when they ejaculate. This signal tells the female’s body she’s ready for the first shift and she will go through the transition. After the transformation, she can go from human to wolf form at will.
Marala couldn’t believe after all these years she would be experiencing it. No wine and cigarettes this time. Hopefully never again. The promise of relief from the anxiety of needing to go through the shift overwhelmed her fear of it.
She finished dressing and cleaned up the room for about an hour before exiting it. It had taken longer than expected. Jak was still sound asleep on the couch. A quilt had been kicked off him onto the floor, the corner the only part hanging over his foot.
“Jak.”
No indication he’d heard her.
“Jak!” She said louder and he groaned. “Get up and help me clean. It’s nearly noon.”
“Come on, Mom. It’s summer vacation.” He covered his head with a pillow from the sofa.
“Now.”
He grumbled, barely audible from underneath the throw pillow. “Just because you’re used to working all the time doesn’t mean I want to get up early.” Despite his arguments, he sat up slowly. “Can I get breakfast first?”
Mara smiled, obviously giving him a hard time for fun. It was true that she wasn’t accustomed to not having to go to work every day. “Sure. I’m hungry, too.” She headed into the kitchen with her son close behind. “I can’t believe how much of a slob your father is. How hard is it to hit the hamper?”
“Yeah, I noticed that. Good thing I’m not messy.”
“You know better.” She told him as she took down a few bowls from the cabinet and filled them with a generic brand of cereal labeled Fruity Circles. After adding the milk, she slid him a bowl.
“I guess, but if I lived by myself the place wouldn’t be this bad. Definitely less bottles of booze sitting around.” He dipped his spoon into the cereal and took a bite.
“Well, like you said, it will give me something to do while we’re on house arrest.”
Jak frowned. “House arrest?”
“Kaden doesn’t want us out of this house when he’s not around. Until they find out who took Mason and Taylor.” She sat down on a barstool beside him, eating her breakfast.
“Makes sense.”
Mara laughed. “No protesting or pouting? I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Nope. I found the record player in a closet. I’ll just lose myself in the music.” He seemed like he wanted to say something else by the way grew quiet and chased a red loop around in his bowl with a spoon.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Jak, spill it.”
“You ever get bad vibes off people?” He asked.
“Only almost everyone I meet.” She gave a half smile.
Jak rolled his eyes. “We are an anti-social duo.”
“Why do you ask?”
“That Levi guy. Something seems off with him. He’s nice… almost too nice. And he makes my skin crawl.”
Mara thought for a moment then shook her head. “He’s a good guy. He and his wife were a big part of my life.”
“Okay.”
“What do you think about Nashoba?”
Jak grinned. “He seems like a badass. I’d like to meet the rest of the wolves.”
“You will when things settle down. Kaden has a lot on his plate right now. He wants to keep you safe.”
“Okay.” He said again. “You know I’ll always be thankful for you, Mom. I know things are changing with the move, Dad being in our lives, and the fact that I will be a wolf soon. Just wanted to throw that out there. Don’t get all mushy on me.”
It was too late for that. Mara dotted the corner of her eyes and nodded. “Right back at you.” She focused on her breakfast, trying her damnedest not to cry.
The house had been cleaned top to bottom and there was still no sign of Kaden. Mara was alone with her thoughts again. Jak had wandered off to his room to read a book about lycans he’d found when they were cleaning.
Then, an idea came to her that she couldn’t push away. She wanted to go speak to Mason’s parents. They were in a bad spot, one she didn’t want to imagine, and she was going to be the alpha female soon. It was her place to be there for the pack.
Of course, Kaden would be none too happy about her leaving the house. But, it was daylight and she wasn’t going far. Convincing herself all would be well, she ran her fingers through her hair and headed outside.
A man was climbing a nearby tree. She couldn’t see who it was since he was so high up, but he appeared to be adjusting some solar panels. Life out in the sticks had definitely become more advanced in the years since she’d run away.
Mara doubled-checked the door and headed toward the house Mason’s parents had lived in when she was a teenager. She knocked on the door a couple of times and stuck her hands in her pockets as she waited.
Josie Yunger opened the door. Her swollen eyes widened and she reached out, hugging Marala without warning. Stiffly, Mara removed her hands from her pockets and patted the woman on the back. They’d met a few times, but they were barely acquaintances. Josie had been a few months pregnant when she and her husband had joined the pack. Only a little farther along than Mara had been.
“Hey. It’ll be okay.” Mara said, knowing full well it probably wouldn’t be.
The woman let her go and bowed her head respectfully. “It is good to have you home, She-Wolf Dakota. We females need a strong woman to lead us. It’s been far too long. I was so happy to hear you were bonding with the leader.”
Gossip travels fast. Mara frowned, but quickly decided her own problems meant little when the woman before her was missing a child. “I’m here for you and the others. Anytime you need anything. Speaking of which, how can I help you through this tragedy?”
Josie invited Marala inside. The house was tidy, but outdated in style like most of the homes. Josie had a frail frame, more so than most females in the pack. Mara figured the woman probably hadn’t eaten much since her son had disappeared. That certainly wouldn’t help the situation. She poured Mara a cup of coffee which was accepted with a gracious smile and a thank you.
“Marala, the moon will return my son to me. This is a test of faith. A test of the pack’s strength.”
Mara doubted that the kidnapping had anything to do with the moon or any other spirits, real or imagined. “They’ll find him.”
Josie nodded, moving to the kitchen window and looking outside into the dense forest. “Martell searches from dawn until late into the night. His paws are blistered and he’s fatigued when he returns home. The other wolves hunt, too, but if they’ve not found him yet….” She cleared her throat. “All we have left is faith.”
A debate about whether the moon was some sort of Goddess or a chunk of rock orbiting the Earth would be a bad idea. The only thing any of the wolves knew for sure was that their life cycles were tied to the lunar body. Mara decided to veer away from the topic. The last thing she wanted to do was crush the woman’s last bit of hope that her son would be returned.
“I don’t know what to say to make this better. There is nothing.” She sipped her coffee. It was shockingly sweet like candy. “Just know I’m here for you if you want to talk or go for a ride. Whatever you want.” She’d said something similar when she entered the house, but it was the only thing she could think of and it was the truth.
“There’s something I need to give you.”
“Give me?”
Josie left the room and walked down a short hallway. When she returned, she carried a dress by a hanger. Plastic was draped over the white material. “This dress had been chosen by your mother soon after you were promised to Kaden. His mother kept it safe after your parents were… you know… anyway, before the alpha female passed she left it with me.”
“She must have respected you.” Mara stood and accepted the item from Josie as she spoke.
�
��I think it was because I’m the least threatening or aggressive female in the pack.” She managed a short laugh before immediately frowning as if any sort of joy was unacceptable now.
Marala lifted up the plastic slowly, examining the dress. It was a simple gown. Silky with a sheer covering and a few flowers for embellishment. Life had made Mara a tough woman, but tears came to her eyes at seeing the gift. It was like receiving a present from the grave. A blessing. Hope.
“Thank you, Josie. You’ve honored me and the pack by keeping this safe.”
The petite woman bowed her head in service. “The honor was mine.”
After a quick, hopefully inconspicuously clearing of her throat, Mara covered the dress with the plastic once more. “Well, you know where to find me. I will visit again.”
“My door is always open to you.” She extended her arm, palm open.
Taken aback at first by the gesture of respect common among the females, Mara froze. Then she remembered her manners and placed her palm against the woman’s briefly. Palm to paw, heart to heart.
Now that daylight had arrived, Taylor could observe his surroundings clearly. Or lack thereof. He was in a hole. He’d known that much. Unfortunately, the pit was far deeper and the walls offered no means to climb out. The boy rested curled up in the corner with only dirty jeans on. No shirt. He was thin.
“Hey, kid.” Taylor said. “I mean, Mason. What do you do when you need to… go?”
“Like to the bathroom?” He asked.
“Yeah.”
“Umm, he lowers a bucket sometimes. It’ll be more inconvenient now that you’re down here, too. Though, he won’t feed us enough that we’ll have to do much more than pee.” The boy’s face turned red. Taylor couldn’t tell if it was from anger or humiliation. Probably a bit of both.
“Great. Nothing like having to ask permission to take a shit.” He kicked the dirt wall. A curse followed. It was as hard as rock.
Mason chuckled a little, his hand in a fist over his mouth. “I think that’s the least of our concerns.”
“Okay, we have plenty of time together here. While I try to figure out how to escape, explain to me everything you know about werewolves or lycans. Whatever you are.”
For hours, Mason told stories about his people’s history, how things worked in the present, heroic lycans and pack leaders, and answered Taylor’s questions to the best of his ability.
Taylor tested the entire pit for weaknesses or a place to get a grip and climb out. He tried digging a diagonal tunnel. At first, the approach worked. In a short time, he’d managed a golf ball size hole. Then he hit rock. A dead end.
“Here,” an altered voice called out. A basket that looked like one people would take on a picnic date was lowered down. Inside, there was a meager amount of food. Bread and water. The prison weight loss diet. Guaranteed to shed pounds in a matter of hours. Free to captives of all ages.
Taylor rose to his feet when the strange voice drifted down and the masked man peered into the pit. “Let us go, you bastard. One on one, me and you. I’ll take you out. Wait. Forget that, you can keep me. Just let the boy go.” His own words surprised him. He’d never been particularly self-sacrificing.
“Do either of you need to use the bucket? Say so now or hold it.”
Mason nodded without speaking and the bucket was lowered. It was secured by a thick wire, not a rope Taylor could untie and keep for a digging tool. Defeated once more.
The man sat on the edge of the pit as the prisoners ate what little food they had. Both captives faced away when they went about their personal business. Even the kidnapper moved from view. Then, the bucket was lifted, followed by the empty basket.
Taylor tried his best to catch a glimpse, see some mannerism to alert him to which wolf was the culprit. He knew it had to be one of them. No one else would have been able to carry him out into the middle of the woods without one of the others catching up. Even though Taylor was lean, he had heavy muscle. Besides, he was tall.
Then, a flicker of reflection caught his eye coming from the man’s hand. He wore a ring. A simple golden wedding band.
“Be glad I placed that tarp to keep the rain from flooding the hole.” He said before walking away.
Neither Taylor or Mason knew when their next meal would be. The bread and water had only made them both hungrier.
“Mason, do you know which wolf wears a ring on his left hand? One that’s married?”
This had Mason on his feet. “He wasn’t wearing gloves? A ring… but that’s impossible.”
Taylor’s eyes changed to angry little slits, but he also grinned when the boy told him which wolf was married as well as bonded. “Now that we know who it is, we have to figure out a way to leave warning should we not survive.”
Mason looked nervous, but agreed. “Let’s carve it into the wall. I don’t care if my fingers bleed. He needs to be caught before he hurts someone else.”
“You’re a brave kid.” Taylor patted him on the back and corrected himself. “A brave man.”
The young wolf smiled proudly, walked up to the wall, and began the carving the first letter of the traitor’s name.
“Mara!” Brynn called out, running to catch up.
“Hi, Brynn.” She smiled.
“Hey, I was on my way to work, but I wanted to check on Taylor.” The girl blushed. It knocked the smile right off Mara’s face.
“Taylor is….” Marala tried to find a delicate way to break it to the girl who obviously had a case of crush at first sight.
Brynn held her breath. “They killed him?”
“God, no!” Mara’s loud tone caused Brynn to jump back. “Sorry, no, but he’s missing like Mason.”
“This can’t be happening.”
“Sit down for a minute.” Mara took the girl’s arm and led her over to the porch, making her take a seat on the steps.
“Is this my fault?” She asked.
“How would this possibly be your fault?”
Brynn winced up at Mara and bit on her thumbnail nervously. “I had a crush on Mason and then I kind of liked Taylor, now they’re both gone.”
“I regret the coincidence, but it’s not your fault. I’m sure you have lots of crushes.”
“I hope you’re right. Did you like a lot of guys?”
Mara blinked. “No, but I was an exception. Kaden was my world from my earliest memories.”
“Right, I forgot. Stupid of me.”
“Maybe work will take your mind off all this. Trust in the men. They’ll find them.” Marala shifted a bit. Today was full of her giving advice. Ironic since she barely knew what she was doing herself.
“Yeah. Thanks. I have a lot on my mind with my own bonding ceremony in a couple of months. Wish I didn’t have to do it.”
“Then don’t.”
The teenager scoffed. “My brothers’ insist. It’s my…” She held up her fingers and made quotation marks with them, “duty.”
“Hmm. This is a modern time. You’re not going to be forced into the role.” Mara thought for a moment. “When things settle down, I’ll talk to your brothers. I’ll be alpha female by then and I’m sure I can convince Kaden to help me out.”
Brynn jumped to her feet and hugged Mara. All this affection was uncomfortable. She didn’t normal let people in her bubble.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best pack mother in the world!”
“We’ll see about that. Don’t say anything for now.”
“Cross my heart!” Her mood sank again as suddenly as it had lifted. “Finding Taylor and Mason is priority.” She gave a nod to affirm it. “Going to work. See you later.”
“Bye.” Mara lifted her hand and waved.
From behind Mara came a growl, not the wolf type, but the pissed off lover kind. Kaden had asked her to remain indoors and where did he find her? Standing outside in front of his house. Unprotected!
“Did you forget already that you said you’d stay inside? Are you so fickle?” He crossed
his arms.
“Don’t be like that. I am going to stay inside, but I needed to go speak to Josie. It….” She sighed, apparently unsure how to continue.
“Seemed like the right thing to do?” He finished.
“Yes.”
As quickly as his anger had boiled up, it melted away. “I understand, but I need you safe so I can find the lost ones. I can’t be worrying about you when I’m out there.”
“You’re right. Any luck?”
“Some.” He didn’t continue.
“Care to elaborate? I need to be included.” She said.
Kaden glanced around then tilted his head toward the house. “Inside. Too many ears out here.”
Mara led the way, Kaden close behind. When the door was closed and locked, he rested a hand on her hip and pulled her into a long kiss. His lips lingered, as if the couple had been apart for ages and not hours. Then again, he had lost her for what felt like forever.
She smiled sweetly. “I missed you, too.”
“What did you do to my house?” He looked around and ran his finger over the furniture. Not a speck of dust. The place hadn’t been clean in forever.
Mara headed into the bedroom. She returned empty handed, leaving the item she had been carrying behind. “It’s called sweeping, dusting, and mopping. I’ll have to explain how they work sometime.”
“Funny.” He surveyed the job further, surprised and unsure if he liked it. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. It is our home now, right?”
Kade’s hard expression changed and he nodded, smiling. “Yes, she-wolf.”
“So, tell me what you found out.” She leaned against the wall.
He handed her a wallet, watching as she examined the contents.
“This is Taylor’s.” She stated.
“Found it near the road that leads down to the city.”
“You think he returned to New York?”
Kaden debated on how much to tell Marala. But, she was his mate and for a true bonding wolves needed trust. “Someone wants us to think he did.”
