by Joe Fowler
“Thank you, Seth, for making me a part of this.” I was a little choked up. It isn’t every day you get invited into a community and treated as family.
“As I told you the day we met, I am a pureblood. My heritage goes back three generations in my family. I have more insight to a person’s nature than you can imagine. I can sense a darkness in you, but that darkness has a halo of light around it, like it is a prisoner who would never be set free. You’ve told me where that darkness came from, but not how you’ve kept it in check for so long.”
“Keith. It’s that simple. I was a horrible child. I was mean, selfish, and even liked to see other people hurt. He taught me how to behave. He made me aware of how bad I had been and he showed me how much better it was to be good. Keith and I have been more like brothers than just friends.”
“I’m still trying to figure out how he is stronger than a werewolf but still smells like a normal human. Vampires are about as strong as we are when we are in our human form. They have a very distinctive smell though. I don’t think I need to meet Keith. You’ve made it clear that he can be trusted. I take it that you told him about us.”
“Yes, sorry. He was already trying to help me figure out the visions and keeping this a secret from Keith just didn’t make sense to me. He is a lot smarter than I am and I needed his help. As you can imagine, this week has been very hard on me.”
We were interrupted by Alicia. She trotted up and changed back to human form. Her wolf form shimmered and the fur withdrew as she stood on her hind legs. She was human again in about three seconds. And she was naked.
“I thought I would keep Josh occupied for you if you wanted to change.” She looked at Seth for a response. She was still naked.
“I would appreciate that. Thank you, Alicia.” He came around the table already undressing. When the last of his clothes were shed he shimmered into a gray wolf almost half again bigger than any of the others. He ran off to join the rest of the pack.
“Whoa! He is huge.” I couldn’t completely grasp how the size thing worked. Alicia and especially Seth were so much bigger in their wolf form. It was making my head hurt.
“He is pureblood. They are bigger, faster, and more powerful than the rest of us. For some reason we don’t know, it is very difficult for us to have children. When both parents are wolves, it is almost impossible. Seth is third generation pureblood which is why you will never see a bigger or stronger wolf.” She sat down in the chair beside me. She was still naked.
We talked for a while, mostly about her and how she had joined the pack, although she was vague on the details. She started getting me more acquainted with the others, too. From time to time someone would walk up in human form to say hi and see how we were. Each one did this naked. After about the fifth or sixth time, I figured out it was to get me used to the nudity. I hated to tell them that seeing them naked and getting naked in front of them is two different things.
As the day wore on, more and more were getting dressed and eating again. Alicia finally put her clothes on when we went back for more food. After this round of eating, some started packing away the food and a few left. I tried to think of anything else I might need to know. It was getting late in the afternoon and I felt like it was about time for me to leave.
“Make sure you are here before five o’clock Monday. The closer the time gets to the full moon rising, the more anxious you will be. You don’t want to be driving when that starts getting bad.” Seth was telling me this as he walked me to my car.
“I’ll make sure I’m on time. I might come straight here from school, if that’s ok.”
“Absolutely. The sooner you get here the better.” We made it to my car and I got my keys from my pocket. “Nice ride.”
“Thanks. It makes me look cooler than I am. Today was great, Seth. It was nice getting to know everyone.”
“You are part of the family now.” With that said, we shook hands and I left.
I thought of going to Keith’s house but decided to go home first. I had a lot of stuff to think through, like the fact that I might be immortal now. I had learned from Alicia that the whole silver aversion was bullshit. The only way to kill us was by damaging the heart or brain so severely that we couldn’t heal in time. Also, the healing got faster the stronger you became. According to her, Seth might be indestructible now, barring decapitation.
Chapter 7
Sunday morning started slowly. I sat on the edge of my bed not wanting to get up. If my bladder hadn’t been screaming at me I would have stayed in bed. After getting dressed and making my bladder shut up, I went down to the kitchen for breakfast. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal. Since she had the cereal and the milk ready, I grabbed a bowl and spoon and sat down across from her.
“Do you have any plans for today?” She usually didn’t ask, but to say that something was weird this week was becoming normal.
“Nope. I was kind of hoping for a nice quiet day at home.” The only plans I had included phone calls. One to Keith to let him know how yesterday went, and one to Crystal to see if she talked to Sarah again.
“I feel the same way. I was going to the living room to find a movie to watch. If you want you could watch with me.”
“Sounds good to me. I have to call Keith real quick but that will only take a minute.” I smiled and she smiled back. Okay, so she’s a demon worshiper or something. She is still my mom and I love her.
“Hello?” Good, Keith answered the phone.
“Hey, Keith. I was just calling to give you a report on yesterday like you asked.”
“How did it go? They didn’t attack you again did they?” This had been his biggest worry.
“Nope, everyone was very nice. The food was great and they answered my questions. There was a whole lot of nudity, but it seemed so normal to them.”
“You sound like you had a good time. I was worried about you. They have been acting so aggressively because of how you smell.” I am really going to have a complex if people keep talking about how I smell.
“It was great, though. I talked to Seth for a long time. Then we ate and I met the rest of the pack. Everyone was nice to me. I got to see them turn into wolves. Now that was cool.”
“Whoa, really? Was it scary?”
“At first, but they helped me get used to how things are with them.”
“Come on I want details.” Keith sounded interested.
“Tomorrow. I will tell you all about it, but not right now. I’m actually going to the living room to watch a movie with my mom.”
“Wait, y’all never spend time together. What’s going on?” Keith’s tone got more serious when he said that. I didn’t know why.
“She has been acting different lately. It’s like she is afraid of missing me and wishes we had more time together. At least that’s the way it seems to me.” Keith went quiet after I said that. I waited a minute, still no response from him. “You still there?”
“Yes, sorry. I was thinking.” He went quiet again but came back before I had to say something. “I guess I will see you in the morning then. If things change and you feel like talking later, then call me.”
“Will do. Bye.” I hung up the phone and headed downstairs. I would call Crystal later.
Mom and I actually sat through three movies together. During the movies, we were laughing and talking. Part of me was so happy. This was simple interaction but it was fun and made me feel closer to her. Part of me wasn’t so happy, though. We could have had this kind of relationship for eighteen years. Why was she starting now?
After the third movie, she got a phone call from one of her friends. I figured it would be a good time for me to call Crystal. I used my cell phone from the living room in case Mom wanted to watch another movie. I didn’t want to be the reason the family time came to an end.
“Hey Josh! I was hoping you would call.” I could practically hear Crystal jumping up and down. “Sarah called me yesterday and we talked for hours. She said she would call aga
in today if she gets the chance.”
“That’s great! What did y’all talk about?”
“Everything. We are really getting to know each other. We seem to have a lot in common, so there is lots to talk about. She has church and family stuff today so she might not get to call. Of course, I’m hoping she does anyway.” She was clearly hoping for that.
“I thought you two would hit it off. Just remember not to push her too fast. She will get there on her own if you give her time.” I hoped I wasn’t telling her wrong.
“Hey, I’m happy enough just talking to her. Even if nothing ever happens between us, I think we will be good friends. I’ve learned to take what you can get.”
“Oh, so I’m what you could get before and now you’re trading up.” I laughed and was rewarded by her laughter in return. This felt so good.
“Well, I didn’t mean it that way, but you know that.”
“I know. I’m so happy for you Crystal.”
“Thanks. It wouldn’t have happened without you.”
“Keep me posted, ok. Call me anytime you need someone to talk to.” I said and meant it.
“Thanks Josh. I will keep you up to date.”
“I’ll let you go in case she does call.”
“Bye.”
After we hung up, I used my new super finder ability to know Mom was in the kitchen. I realized I hadn’t made an excuse for Monday night’s full moon. I would need to be gone the whole night and she probably wouldn’t like it. I had never really needed to lie to her before and was worried about starting now. I headed to the kitchen to get it over with.
“Mom, I forgot to tell you I need to stay over at Keith’s house tomorrow night. Is that ok?”
“You spend so much time with him already. Why do you need to stay over?” She would pick now to become a concerned parent.
“He is helping me study. We have finals coming up and I need the help.” I was pretty sure she would be ok with this excuse, as long as she believed it.
“Ok, but you better be studying and not out running the roads.” I was almost too shocked to reply. She sounded like she was actually worried.
“Trust me, tomorrow night is for learning not driving.” Hey, it was true, just not the way she thought. “I will take clothes and go straight to school from Keith’s. I won’t be home until Tuesday after school.”
The rest of Sunday was uneventful. I spent most of it in my room trying to imagine running through the woods as a wolf. I also thought of how much I really wanted to see Alicia again. I thought of calling Keith back, but decided to just relax. I knew I would be all wound up tomorrow with anticipation.
Chapter 8
I picked Keith up early for school. As expected, he was curious about my day Saturday. I filled him in on most of the details during the drive to school. Since we were early, we sat in the parking lot still talking. You can imagine our surprise and joy, when Sarah knocked on my window and Crystal was with her.
“Good morning, ladies. Did you two ride together?” I said this as Keith and I got out of the car.
“Yes. She lives on the way and it seemed like a good idea.” Sarah was almost glowing. She looked like she couldn’t stop smiling.
“That’s great! You two seemed like you got along really well Friday night.” I said this and looked over at Keith. He was smiling and gave me a ‘we did good’ look when he thought the girls weren’t looking. We all began walking toward the school. I motioned for Keith to stay back a little. “I told my mom I was staying at your house tonight to study. I needed a cover so I could be out all night.”
“I hope I don’t have to lie but I will if she asks. It should be ok.” Keith had always come through for me.
The morning classes weren’t so bad. I was getting used to the constant visions in the halls between classes. The classes themselves were more relaxed since finals were all we had left. I was feeling pretty excited but everything was under control.
Sarah and Crystal were already seated in the lunchroom when we got there. Keith and I sat next to them. I heard the names Edward and Jacob and groaned loudly. I had listened to Sarah’s friends for years going on about the Twilight series.
“No! Not this again.” I said it with a smile and Keith laughed.
“We were doing just fine without you guys, so if you don’t want to hear it go away.” Crystal slapped me on the arm and winked.
“Exactly, we don’t need you two interrupting our quality time.” Sarah was still all smiles.
The rest of lunch was much the same kind of lighthearted jabs at the whole ‘chic flic’ genre. Keith and I were making fun and the girls were standing together defending. It was a fun and subtle way to make the girls work together. It was at the end of lunch that I noticed the first stirrings in me.
It was an uncomfortable feeling. I guess the best way to describe it was that a swirling wind was blowing inside my body. I couldn’t sit still at my desk. I was already wanting to run. Time seemed to slow down in a weird way. It was like everyone was moving in slow motion. Needless to say, the rest of my classes seemed to take forever.
“We need to hurry.” I was saying this before Keith had even gotten to me. I was almost hopping with the energy that was rolling through me.
“Ok. If we hurry we can be one of the first out of the parking lot.” Keith could sense it or see it or whatever it was that Keith did. He always seemed to know.
“This is so uncool. I feel like I could run through a wall right now. It’s been building since lunch.” We were all but running to the car.
We weren’t the first out of the school lot, but I made up for it on the road. We made it to Keith’s house in half the normal time. Keith was telling me he hoped all would go well. I think he could see that while I appreciated the concern, I really needed to get the fuck out of there. So I was on my way to Seth’s as fast as my car would get me there. Luckily, my car is really fast.
I parked among the dozen or so cars already at Seth’s house. Walking up to the front door feeling like a freight train was going to come bursting out of me, I hoped it wouldn’t be like this every month. Seth opened the door before I could knock. With one look, he knew I was in trouble.
“Come sit down.” He helped me to the couch. “Anna!”
“What is it?” She had rushed in hearing the urgency in his voice. She started to take a step toward me but he stopped her.
“Wet a towel with cold water and bring a bottle of whiskey.” She was moving before he finished speaking. He squatted in front of me so he could look me in the eye. “You need to try to calm down. There’s still four hours before the moon is high enough to cause the change. When did this start to get bad?”
“It has been building since lunch. The last hour or so has been really difficult. I got here as fast as I could after school.” I was burning hot and freezing cold at the same time. My skin felt like it was moving.
Alicia followed Anna into the room. Anna handed the towel to Seth. He wrapped part of it around my head with the ends going under my shirt. The coolness felt good on my forehead and shoulders. He reached for the bottle and took the top off before handing it to me.
“Drink.” I wanted to say no but the look on Seth’s face was telling me that I didn’t have a choice. I had only had bad experiences with alcohol. I took a swallow hating the taste.
“What’s going on?” Alicia looked worried. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Sometimes the change is harder on some people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this strong, or this early, though. Keep drinking.” He said this as he stood. It wasn’t helping me to stay calm when even Seth was looking scared. I took another swallow.
“It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong does it?” Alicia asked as she sat beside me. She took my hand trying to lend me strength.
“It could, but I don’t think anything is wrong. My first change was the hardest I have ever seen or heard about. The old ones used to say that a hard first change was a sure sign of a strong wol
f. According to them, the harder the change the better. If that is the case, Josh is going to be one hell of a wolf.”
I spent the next two hours sitting on the couch trying not to explode. Alicia stayed with me most of that time. She held my hand and talked to me to keep my mind off what was happening. Alicia was really making an impression on me. Maybe the most calming thing was the memory of a Buffy episode where every time she took a drink of whiskey, she went ‘eewwww’. I took another swallow but managed not to say it.
“Here honey, you better eat while you can.” Anna came in and put a pizza on the table in front of me. “If you don’t eat you will spend your first run doing nothing but hunting.” She smiled and left me to it.
I forced two pieces down, whether or not they would stay down, I didn’t know. Others in the pack would come through from time to time wishing me well and telling me it would be over soon. I kept trying to eat.
“How you feeling?” Seth was looking at me carefully so he could judge for himself.
“How much longer?”
“About an hour and a half. I will come get you in an hour so you can be outside ready for it. Just hold on a little longer.” He looked at the half eaten pizza. “You really need to finish that if you can. Feeling hungry as a wolf is much more intense than it is as a human.” Having said that, he patted me on the shoulder and left.
I made it. I don’t know how, but I did. I even managed to finish the pizza. The bottle of whiskey was almost gone, but what I was feeling had nothing to do with alcohol. Seth and Alicia came and helped me outside just as the sun set.
A few of them had already changed and were out in the field playing. Most were standing in small groups talking. With my new hearing I could hear Kyle telling someone that he didn’t trust me. He was saying that I was having such a hard time because there was something wrong with me. I had been wondering the same thing.
