The Demon Heritage of Josh Thorne (The Josh Thorne Trilogy Book 1)

by Joe Fowler

  “Did Sarah say what she needed to talk about?” I was smiling as I asked.

  “No, just that it was really important. What should I do?” This was getting too easy.

  “Start by helping her with whatever she needs to talk about. Be a good listener. If you feel like you need to tell her how you feel after that, then you have my blessing.” I was close to laughing when I said this. I knew it was too serious to both of them to actually laugh though.

  “Tonight is the night then. Thank you, Josh. All of this is because of you.” Crystal sounded close to tears.

  “You’re welcome, Crystal.”

  “Hey! She’s pulling into the driveway now, got to go.” Crystal hung up. I looked at my phone wondering if I could put it down without it ringing again.

  The next hour was spent eating and relaxing. I thought of the two beautiful girls that were confessing their feelings for each other. I wondered if they were kissing right now, or maybe it had gone further and they were getting naked. Hey! Stop that! Sorry, an almost eighteen year old male’s brain is hardwired for just one thing, normally. My thoughts turned to my wolf. I was still calling it that even though I didn’t look like a wolf.

  That’s when it hit me to turn in front of a mirror so I could see just what I looked like in the other form. I got undressed and took off the bandages. I closed my eyes and thought of the other form and willed myself into it. Whoa. That surge of power was incredible. I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror. It was much like I thought it would be, except bigger. Seven to eight feet tall, short black fur, red eyes, and huge claws, yep I am a freak. After a few minutes of study I knew I need to turn back, but I really didn’t want to.

  After returning to human form, I got a real shock. I had never really been muscular or athletic looking in my life. I was ripped now. I had to do the flex thing. All men have flexed in front of a mirror before whether they will admit it or not. I looked great. Maybe this is why a beautiful girl like Alicia wanted to be with me.

  “Hello?” Sarah called just before I fell asleep.

  “We’re together!” Sarah was almost shouting.

  “I want details.” Finally!

  “We parked in the Walmart parking lot and I started telling her how I felt. As soon as I said that I had feelings for her, she attacked me with her lips. We spent an hour or so kissing and telling each other how we felt. Turns out, she felt the same about me the whole time!” She was starting to cry a little. I would bet that it was as much relief as happiness.

  “That is so wonderful, Sarah! I am very proud of you. This took a lot of courage to do.” I really was proud of her.

  “We still have a lot of talking to do. We aren’t sure if we are going public, or if we just want to ride out the last bit of school without a fuss.” As she said this, I realized I hadn’t even considered that part. “We decided to sleep on it and try to decide in the morning. It’s a little overwhelming right now.”

  “Either way, you have my support. The main thing is that you and Crystal are together now. The rest will work itself out.”

  “Thanks again, Josh. I owe you one.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, Sarah. I am just happy that it worked out. Now get some rest if you can.”

  “I will. See you in the morning.” She hung up.

  I knew I was tired before, but when I hung up the phone exhaustion hit me hard. I guess it was that last release of tension over what was happening with the girls. As I got into bed the thought of them kissing made me smile. I barely remember my head hitting the pillow.

  Chapter 10

  “Well?” Keith said while getting into the car.

  “They are together. As of last night they still haven’t decided whether or not to go public yet.” I was still tired, so much so that I was yawning when I said that.

  “The main thing is that they are together. It might be easier if they wait until school is over, but I think they will announce it. I don’t plan on influencing that one in either direction.”

  “I agree. That’s between them.” We were quiet until we got to the school.

  “Hey, you still got a date tonight with the werewolf girl?” Keith asked this offhand, like it didn’t matter one way or the other.

  “Yes. It might not go too well though. I am planning on telling her everything. She deserves to know why I am so different.” Just saying it made me depressed.

  “Are you sure that you want to do that? She might have a real problem with you being half demon.” He was stating the obvious. I just wasn’t sure how he knew. I had never told him about seeing my mother have sex with the demon.

  “I would rather be honest and tell her up front before our feelings get any deeper.” We were walking across the parking lot when the girls came up behind us. Crystal and Sarah both had an ear to ear smile.

  “Some of us look really happy this morning. Keith can you tell which ones?” I was smiling at them when I said it.

  “I don’t know. I can’t seem to tell.” Keith played along.

  “Enough you guys. And yes, we are very happy.” Crystal slapped me on the arm when she said it. “We aren’t ready to go public yet. So will you guys not say anything?”

  “I won’t say a word.”

  “Me either.” Keith quickly continued with, “I don’t think I will have to. You two are shining right now. Anybody with eyes can figure it out.”

  “We will deal with it if it happens, but we just want to be happy without the stress for a while.” Sarah said this with conviction. I believed they really could deal with it now.

  The rest of the day at school passed without incident. I dropped Keith off after school and headed home. I was worried about telling Alicia. After last night’s conversation, I didn’t think she would let me get away with not telling her everything. I pulled into the driveway and saw my mom about to get into her car.

  “Hey, Josh. How was school?”

  “Good, boring, but good. How was your day?” I hated small talk, but for years it was all I had with Mom.

  “Good. I’m going to Biloxi. I decided to treat myself to a night at the casino. I left money on the table for your date. You’ll be gone to school by the time I get back tomorrow.” She sounded more like her old self today. To the point. No frills. No feelings.

  “Have a good time, Mom.”

  “You too, Josh.” She said that and left.

  I was afraid that the way my mom was acting would just be a prelude to a bad night. Alicia would probably hate me by the time the night was over. I didn’t like my chances. It still amazed me how understanding Seth had been. He judged me by what he could see of me, not by my bloodline. I was hoping Alicia would too.

  I got to Seth’s a little early. I was too impatient to sit at home and wait. I went to Burger King and scarfed down as many double whoppers and fries as I could, remembering I would need a full stomach. Usually, I just find an open road and drive when I need to kill time, but even the roar of the engine wasn’t soothing right then. Seth was the only one there.

  “Anna had to work tonight. It will just be us until Alicia arrives. Have a seat.” I sat on the couch feeling like I was about to get a lecture. “You’re going to tell her everything aren’t you? I would advise against it.”

  “I needed to tell you everything so you would be aware there might be a problem. The pack’s safety had to come first. With Alicia, I am trying to put her first. If she finds out now, she will have the choice of how to move forward. If I wait and she finds out after she has developed deeper feelings for me, it would hurt her much worse.” I sighed, “The thought of losing her now is bad. The thought of hurting her is unacceptable.”

  “It’s hard to believe you are only eighteen years old. You sound as wise as a two or three hundred year old.” He started laughing, “All the teenagers of this generation that I’ve met are selfish little jerks. How did you get to be so self-sacrificing?”

  “Keith. He taught me to put others first, at least to a certain degree. He
got me to thinking ahead and to be aware of the consequences of my actions.” I said this wishing Keith were here to reassure me. Seth got another one of those gleams in his eye, but didn’t say anything

  It was then that we heard Alicia’s car pull up outside. My heartrate went on vibrate. This night would either be the start of a great relationship, or the end of a brief dream. Why did I have to be such a freak?

  “Hey Alicia.” Seth had opened the door for her. She hugged him before coming in and sitting down in a chair across from me. She still had not said a word. I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a finger stopping me.

  “Seth, you already know this great secret that he thinks will make me hate him. Right?” She looked at him and he nodded. “Even as bad as this secret might be you still let him into the pack. Seth, I would like you to be present when Josh tells me. That way maybe we can work this out. Is that agreeable to the two of you?”

  She looked at Seth, he nodded again. Then she looked at me and I nodded. Seth came around and sat at the other end of the couch from me. I took a second to gather my thoughts before starting.

  “Tuesday of last week changed everything in my life…and that brings us to now.” I had told them everything. Both Seth and Alicia took it all in without interrupting me. Of course, Seth had already heard most all of it. They still sat there silent as if processing the information. “I am half demon, Alicia. I can’t think of many things that could be worse than that. Do you see why I needed to tell you?”

  “Yes.” Her voice broke a little when she spoke. I think my heart did too. “What does it mean though? Are you going to start killing or corrupting people? Do you worship the devil?”

  “No, hell no. In truth, I have never been to church, but I have always believed in God. I didn’t include the story about the girls I set up. You remember me telling you of the girl coming out of the closet?” This time it was her turn to nod. “I did that so two people could find love. I would never corrupt anyone. You saw me the other night with the bear. If I wanted to kill, that bear would have died. I try to be good, I swear.”

  Alicia sat there thinking. I looked at Seth, he had a weird smile on his face. I wanted to get up and pace but I didn’t trust my legs at the moment. Why did I have to be such a freak?

  “Seth, you knew all this and you still let him into the pack. Why?” She was asking questions instead of just walking out so maybe it was a good sign.

  “I took into account all that I knew about him. He had been honest with me. He seemed concerned about the safety of the pack. He was shocked and confused by everything that had happened to him. I hadn’t seen anything that would point to him being a danger, except that his father was a demon.” Seth smiled before he continued. “I have seen fathers that were saint like who had children that were hellions. I have also seen evil men have saints for children. I couldn’t damn Josh just because his father wasn’t who I would want him to be.”

  “I did see you the other night with the bear. I saw you charge a huge angry bear the instant you saw he was attacking me. I also saw you pull a werewolf off of me because I was losing the fight. Then of all things, you were concerned about Kyle, who had attacked you.” Alicia took a deep breath and came over to sit beside me. “I haven’t seen any reason to believe you will turn bad. I am willing to risk it.”

  We kissed. I had tears in my eyes when we pulled apart. Looking at her, I saw that she was tearing up as well. I felt like I could breathe again. All that weight off my chest felt wonderful. We kissed again. I looked over at Seth, he just smiled and gave me a nod.

  “So, you two want to go for a run, eat, talk, or should I give you some privacy?” Seth was laughing at us when he said it.

  “I want to run.” Alicia grabbed my hand and smiled at me. “What about you?”

  “Sounds great to me.” I was up for whatever she wanted.

  “Seth, you want to join us?” She asked more out of politeness than wanting Seth to come with us, I think.

  “No, you two go have fun. I need a night in.” Seth smiled and reached for the remote. He looked content.

  “Your loss. See you later, Alphy.” She was laughing and pulling me toward the door. I think I heard him groan.

  Try as I might, I couldn’t help but admire her naked form as we undressed to turn. I wanted to be the gentleman and not look, but then again, she was pretty much my girlfriend now. So didn’t that make it ok? She didn’t see me looking so it didn’t matter. We turned and took off at a run.

  We spent hours just following scent trails and talking. I found out a lot more about her. She was seventy three years old, having been turned when she was seventeen. Her aging was very slow since she still looked early twenties. She was originally from Des Moines, Iowa, but of course, had been traveling with the pack since. She loved old movies and reading books.

  We could have continued this all night, but she had to go to work in the morning. We took our time heading back to Seth’s while she explained more about the pack. She told me a lot about the members I hadn’t gotten to know yet. She told me about Carl being second in command and how the hierarchy worked.

  I found out some stuff about me, too. I could jump about thirty feet high. I had smelled a squirrel up in a tree and I jumped without thinking about it. I landed on a limb next to the squirrel. I’m not sure who was more surprised, me or the squirrel. In a moment of delight when I got to chase a deer, I spoke using my voice instead of the wolf telepathy. My voice came out so deep and gravelly that it scared the hell out of Alicia. We both agreed I shouldn’t do that anymore.

  When we got back to Seth’s house, we noticed there was no sound except his light snore as he slept. We turned and got dressed quietly. I walked her to her car before we spoke. I wished the night hadn’t ended so early.

  “When can I see you again?” I asked her hoping it would be soon.

  “I’m free Friday night.” She smiled up at me and my heart skipped a beat. “I want you to take me out on a real date though. Dinner and a movie. How about it?”

  “Sounds great to me.” I leaned down and kissed her. “I will call you tomorrow and we can make our plans.” She smiled and pulled me back for another kiss.

  She had accepted me. I watched her get into her car and pull away. The drive home was a peaceful one for me. I had a girlfriend who was beautiful, smart, funny, and was understanding enough to get past my bloodline.

  Chapter 11

  “Good morning, Keith.” I was a happy camper this morning. While I had never been the cheerful type, I couldn’t suppress my happiness this morning.

  “You look like Josh, and you are driving his car, but you should learn how he usually acts before impersonating him.”

  “As you’ve probably guessed, my night with Alicia went well. I am as happy as I ever remember being.” I pulled out of Keith’s, heading to school. We talked about my date on the way. He seemed happy for me.

  “When are you going to see her again?” He asked me while we were waiting for Sarah and Crystal. They had just parked a few spots down from us.

  “We are making plans for Friday night. This time we will be going on a normal date.” I must have said this a little too loud.

  “Who is going on a normal date?” Sarah asked as she and Crystal walked up to us. They were holding hands.

  “Josh is in love.” Keith said this in a taunting manner, like we were still eight years old. “With an older woman, what is she like twenty-three or something?”

  “Something like that.” That was all the answer I was going to give at the moment. I would have rather the conversation had stayed on the girls. No such luck.

  “Tell us about her.” Crystal was chiming in now, awkward. “We have to make sure she is good enough for you.”

  I spent the rest of the day telling my friends all about her. Answering question after question the best I could. Sarah and Crystal were overly inquisitive, while Keith was reserved for some reason. He listened but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. He
kept getting this sad look on his face when he looked at me. It was kind of freaking me out.

  Keith was unusually quiet on the way to his house after school, too. I decided not to pry. He knew he could talk to me about anything, so I figured he would talk when he was ready. On the way home I had to wonder which version of my mom I would find today.

  I went straight to the kitchen when I got home. Since that first turning, my appetite had gone through the roof. I put a frozen pizza in the oven to cook and ate two sandwiches and pop tarts while I waited. At least it wasn’t like some of the movies where werewolves always craved red bloody meat. I was eating my pizza when I heard my mom talking on the phone.

  “We will meet at ten o’clock to set up tomorrow night. We have to time this perfectly. The summoning has to be at exactly midnight.” I heard Mom saying this but couldn’t make out the reply from the person she was on the phone with. “No, Josh won’t have to be at the summoning. Adramelech will need time to gather his strength before the merge. We can discuss the rest tomorrow.” I heard her hang up.

  That didn’t sound good. What the fuck? Was Mom trying to bring me into her cult? What the hell could the merge be? My pizza had lost its flavor, and I had lost my appetite. I was sitting there puzzling through what she had said, when I heard her footsteps coming toward the kitchen.

  “Josh, good you’re home. I am on my way out to meet with friends. You will probably be asleep before I get home. I may be gone tomorrow when you get here after school, too, and like tonight I will be out very late. Just make sure you are here Saturday morning, okay.” She said all this while she was walking toward the door. She only stopped after she had the door open, ready to leave.

  “I will be here.” I said it thinking she would explain some of what was going on but she just nodded and left.