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

by Joe Fowler

  As we lay holding each other afterward, dreams of what might be crossed my mind. With the extended lifespan of a werewolf, we could be together indefinitely. She was seventy-three and still looked twenty-three. I knew my aging wasn’t guaranteed to be as slow but any extra time would be welcome. Of course, I still had to survive tomorrow.

  We bathed as best we could in a nearby stream. When among those with heightened senses, it becomes difficult to keep certain things from being known. I had mixed feelings about turning back into my wolf but Alicia wanted to run. We followed a deer trail until the trail mixed in with a small herd. Since we were both getting hungry we headed back to Seth’s for lunch. Hunger really was much more urgent when in this form. Food was becoming the one and only thought, it was forcefully uncomfortable.

  As we approached the house, we saw tables and chairs being set up. We turned, dressed, and lent a hand. Pizza had been ordered and was on the way. I was amazed to learn it was only just past noon. I guess the stress was what made it seem so much longer. When the pizza arrived everyone sat down to eat. Their laughter and joking around made me realize that they were looking forward to tomorrow.

  During the meal, I noticed several knowing looks at Alicia and me. They seemed happy about it. I’m glad they didn’t say anything, though. It was too early on and too much other stuff was happening.

  “So Josh, you really don’t know what Keith is? What makes you think he is more than human?” Jimmy asked. He was sitting across from me.

  “Well, he is stronger than Kyle and Fred.” Fred was a few chairs down and was nodding his head emphatically. I continued. “He knows things. It is hard to describe but he just knows. The other day, I was using one of my vision thingies to look in on him and Seth talking, but Keith sensed it and stopped me with a wave of his hand. Besides, he just seems to be too good to be true.”

  “Didn’t you grow up with him though?” Jimmy was persistent.

  “Yep. He has always been the best at everything, the nicest person, and by far the smartest in my class. I doubt I could remember well enough to recreate the situation, but the day Seth bit me was the first time I had ever heard Keith say a curse word. He is the most morally incorruptible person on earth. If it weren’t for him, I would probably be in some juvenile delinquent center. He is almost too good to be true.” I couldn’t help but laugh when I said all that but it was definitely all true.

  “Whatever he is, at least he is on our side.” Jimmy had just summed it up. What he said next would occupy my mind for some time to come. “I wonder if he knew I was a werewolf when y’all came in the bowling alley that day.”

  It had been Keith’s idea to go bowling. He had that stupid smile too, the ‘I know something you don’t know’ smile. He would have known I would smell different once my demon side had started to show. He set me up to get bit. Butthole. He could have at least told me what was going to happen.

  “Josh!” Alicia was grabbing me trying to get my attention. Apparently I had zoned out while figuring out Keith had planned my becoming a werewolf. “What’s wrong? You just glazed over for a minute.”

  “I’m sorry. I was just putting two and two together. Keith took me to the bowling alley that morning to get bitten.”

  “I was wondering if you were going to figure that one out or not.” Seth was laughing. “Keith told me the day you brought him over here. He needed help with what is happening tomorrow and he needed you to be able to fight the demon, even if only for a little while. It made sense.”

  “Wait, how did Keith know about us? How did he know it would work out the way it did?” Alicia was getting more curious as well.

  “It’s like Josh said, sometimes he just knows things.” Seth was still smiling. “Maybe you guys should stop trying to overthink what Keith is. He is good. He is on our side. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “Good idea, besides, if I start thinking too hard I get a headache.” I wanted to laugh it all off. I would willingly get bitten now that I know what it involves, but Keith should have told me what was happening.

  “We need a change of subject anyway. Seth, why don’t you tell Josh your story.” Alicia wanted any subject not pertaining to tomorrow. I didn’t have to be too smart to figure that one out.

  “That all feels like ancient history. There has to be something better to talk about.” Seth was trying to get out of it, but the rest of the table encouraged him as well as Alicia. The rest of the pack members had heard the story before. It must be a good story if everyone wanted to hear it again.

  Seth began his tale. I listened closely, caught up in all the wonders he had seen and lived through. Truthfully, his story is a lot more exciting than mine, but it won’t help you understand what I was going through. This story is still about me.

  With full bellies and tales from our alpha, the pack wanted to go for a run, all except me. I needed to rest. Alicia said she would stay with me but I could see she wanted to go, so I told her to go with them. They hit the woods on a sprint, while I sniffed out the guestroom Alicia had been sleeping in.

  As I lay there, I started to wonder how the girls were holding up. I used my vision and saw Sarah in class. She was sitting alone. Her old friends were sitting huddled close to each other talking. It seemed clear that they were not supporting Sarah’s new lifestyle. I looked around I saw that the teacher must have left the room. I pulled back into myself and thought of Crystal. She was sitting at her desk, looking bored. Her teacher was there and was going over finals material. No wonder she was bored. When I thought of looking in on Keith, I remembered how he had sensed it and had stopped me. I figured it wouldn’t go any better this time either.

  I couldn’t stop myself from looking in on my mom next. She was in her study, crying. She was trying to read one of her demon books, but she kept having to wipe away tears to see the pages. That didn’t help. She realizes she loves me now that it is too late to do anything about it. She wasn’t much more than a figurehead who had given me money when I needed it. No hugs, no love, no emotional support at all. Until now. Stop it! I wouldn’t waste any more time worrying about her.

  I tried to get comfortable and go to sleep. There wasn’t anyone else to look in on unless I wanted to be a pervert and look into the girls’ locker room. There wasn’t anything left to plan for me. I just needed to rest so I could get the release of unconsciousness. It took a while, but I finally slept.

  A knock on the door woke me some time later. It was Keith, I had slept through the end of the school day. I got dressed and opened the door. He was standing there with one of his big goofy smiles. The big goofy smiles usually meant we were going to have some fun. I was just worried what kind of fun.

  “Hey, Keith.” I was still a little groggy. “Anything good happen at school?”

  “Nope. We should have some fun tonight though. The girls want to meet Alicia and they want tonight to be about having a good time. I agree with them.” Keith sounded like he was looking forward to it.

  “Sounds great to me.” We headed to the back door.

  “The woman who answered the door said she would call Seth and Alicia while I woke you up.”

  There were several members of the pack in the back yard when we got outside. Some were still in wolf form, some in human form. Keith and I went to see if there was any pizza left. We ate a couple of pieces while we waited on Seth and Alicia. Keith was getting those ‘so he is the guy everyone is talking about’ looks from everyone. He didn’t seem to mind. Seth and Alicia came running up after a couple of minutes.

  Keith and Seth walked a few feet away and began talking. Alicia came and gave me a hug and a kiss. I started to notice rumblings from the pack members. Keith and Seth were only a few feet away and it was clear that they were talking but Keith wasn’t letting anyone hear what was being said. I smiled and shrugged at the pack when their questioning looks came my way. It was Keith.

  “How was your run? Any fun?” I asked her to pass the time.

  “It was fun, you kn
ow me, I would stay in wolf form if I could.” She smiled but she seemed worried about what was going on.

  “How would you like to meet Sarah and Crystal? They want to meet you. Keith says the five of us should go out and have a good time. The girls are nervous about tomorrow for themselves and they are scared for me, so a night of fun seems appropriate.” I looked at her to judge her reaction. She seemed ok with it.

  “Sounds good. Tell me something though. Those two girls are risking so much, and I have werewolf healing and abilities. So why are they being allowed to get kidnapped instead of me when I have a much better chance of surviving?” She asked calmly, but I sensed anger below the surface.

  “Because the cult can’t know that werewolves are involved until it is too late for them to do anything about it. If they kidnap you, the demon will know what you are. We are hoping my smell won’t tip him off since I smell so different from everyone else.” I wasn’t surprised by the question. I had asked myself the same thing since Seth ordered her to come and stay at his house.

  “I was so worried y’all just didn’t think I could handle it.” She seemed pacified with my answer. “I need a quick shower if we are going out though.”

  She gave me a quick kiss and headed inside. I waited patiently while Keith and Seth continued to talk. The others were still wondering how their super hearing could be nullified so simply by someone who appeared human. Well, Seth and I had both said that Keith was more than human, now maybe they would understand. Finally after I had stood there for three days, well more like fifteen minutes, Keith came back over to where I was.

  “Where did she go?” He was looking around for Alicia.

  “She went to take a quick shower.” After I said he it, he leaned in and sniffed. “I know I need one too. I figured Mom would be gone by now and we could stop by the house for a few minutes.”

  “That will work. We can call the girls and let them know. They are trying to get away from their parents as soon as they can. Give me your phone and I will tell Sarah to pick up Crystal and meet us at your place.”

  “Tell Sarah to lift with her legs, Crystal is a little heavy for her to be picking up.” I said as I handed him the phone. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  “We have a winner! That was the stupidest joke either of us has ever told.” He was smiling as he dialed, though.

  “Winner and still champion.” So we like stupid jokes, hey, nobody is prefect. Alicia came out as he was hanging up the phone.

  “I guess we’re ready to go then.” I know I was ready. We said goodbye to Seth and the pack and headed out.

  “So what are we doing tonight?” Alicia was cheerful.

  “We haven’t decided, but we were throwing ideas around at school today. We could go to the beach, play pool, go dancing, dinner and a movie, or something else if we can agree on it.” Keith was half turned so he could look at both Alicia and me as he spoke. “What do you want to do, Alicia?”

  “Any of the things you said. I would be ok if we just hung out somewhere. You could tell me funny stories about Josh.” She said it with a mischievous grin that I was coming to know pretty well.

  “I like the way you’re thinking.” Oh no. Keith shouldn’t be encouraged like that. He would love to sit and tell her everything.

  “That’s enough of that. No stories.” I looked in the rearview mirror when I said that and saw Alicia smiling. She was so beautiful.

  The rest of the drive was more of the same lighthearted conversation. Mostly, it was Keith and Alicia doing the talking, I just drove. We got to my house and I was surprised that Sarah and Crystal were already there. After Alicia was introduced to the girls, we went inside so I could take a shower.

  “Keith, will you play host? You know your way around here as well as I do. I’ll try to hurry with my shower.”

  “Sure thing.” Having the manners thing covered, I was free to go.

  I did rush a bit, even though the shower felt wonderful. The hot water was revitalizing. I wouldn’t have needed super hearing to hear the laughter from downstairs. They were getting along together, that much was clear. I got dressed quickly and went down to join the fun.

  “The little ones are usually the most fun. Sometimes they get too scared and won’t do anything though.” Alicia was saying this as I joined them in the living room.

  “The little what?” I asked. Alicia bounced toward me and kissed me.

  “I was telling them how we can communicate with dogs when we are in wolf form. It’s really funny.” She was smiling like she had never been so happy.

  “Nobody told me. We can talk to dogs?” She looked shocked when I said this. Then she started jumping up and down grabbing my arm.

  “That’s where we need to go first, then. A dog park.” She thought for a second and said, “We will need a large collar and a leash though.”

  “We can stop by a pet store on the way. I don’t have as much money as I usually do since we have been avoiding my mom. We may not have all the options we normally would for tonight.” I had only thought about this as I was transferring the stuff from my pockets after my shower. I had sixty-two dollars and needed gas for the car.

  “She left you money and a note on the dining room table. We didn’t read it, but it looked like she wanted to make sure you could have fun tonight.” Keith paled a little as he said it.

  “She wanted my last night to be fun. Great.” I said as I headed for the dining room. The note said, ‘Here’s some money, have a good time tonight. Just make sure you are home in the morning. Love, Mom’. Everyone was saddened by this. “Hey, nothing has changed. We are going to have fun tonight and then kick the demon’s ass tomorrow. Now we have money to play with.”

  “That’s right.” Alicia smiled and grabbed my hand. “How much did she leave?”

  “Two hundred dollars. We can have plenty of fun with that.” I smiled down at Alicia, amazed that this perfect woman wanted to be with me. “So, to the pet store first. We can decide what else we want to do later.”

  We piled into the car and headed out. Alicia had us laughing telling us how dogs think. ‘Good Master’, ‘me a good dog’, and ‘BALLBALLBALL!’ were some of dog’s typical responses. She said she would make the dogs do tricks for us. It was just a shame you could only talk to them when in wolf form.

  “None of the pink collars are big enough. I guess this red one will do.” Alicia had a large red collar in her hand, but was still looking to see if she could find a prettier one. “They need a better selection.”

  “Most are using these for their dogs, so they aren’t as picky.” I hated being Mr. States the Obvious.

  “I’ll get this red one then. You aren’t going to like to go shopping with me are you?” She was teasing I know.

  “It’s just not a guy thing. If it fits and doesn’t look stupid are our main requirements. Women seem to want to try on every dress and then not buy anything. It makes no sense.” I didn’t really think before I said that. The girls had us outnumbered three to two. We spent the rest of the time in the store teasing back and forth on the whole shopping thing.

  “This is going to be a little tricky. We didn’t think this through. It will be a tight fit back here after I change.” Alicia started positioning Sarah and Crystal the best she could. Then she started undressing and positioned her feet on the floor on one side and changed into her wolf form. Cramped was understating things. Sarah and Crystal loved Alicia’s white fur, though they may have been touching more of it than they had planned to.

  I opened my door and lifted the seat so they could spill out of the backseat. We attached the collar and leash to Alicia’s neck and headed to the dog section of the park. We were getting looks from everyone. It isn’t every day you see a huge wolf on a leash. There were quite a few who gave us a much wider berth than necessary.

  “Are you sure that thing won’t attack?” An old lady was looking very frightened. I couldn’t tell if she was worried about herself or her dog.

  �
�She is very well trained, ma’am. Even if one of the other dogs attacks her, she won’t hurt it.” I said it loudly, hoping that the other dog owners would relax. There were two separate enclosures, one for smaller dogs and one for larger ones. I was releasing her in with the larger dogs when the buzzing started in my head.

  I stepped away from the pen trying to clear my head but the buzzing got worse. I had never felt anything to compare to it, so I was clueless to what was going on. Keith gave me a questioning glance, but I waved him off. Finally, instead of trying to tune out the buzz, I concentrated on it. I could hear the dogs.

  “Alicia, can you hear me?” I said this with my thoughts the way I would if I were turned as well.

  “Josh? You can hear this?” Alicia had come over to the fence when I spoke in her mind. She looked at me in shock.

  “Yes, it was like a buzzing in my head, but when I concentrated on it I started to hear the dogs. That’s when I called to you to see if we could still talk like this.” Keith, Crystal, and Sarah were looking at me wondering what was going on.

  “Are you able to talk to her still? I thought you had to be in wolf form.” Keith was amazed too.

  “I thought so too. I tuned in to this buzzing that was in my head and I could hear the dogs. Then I called and Alicia heard me.” I shook my head in wonder. I seemed to be a freak in every way possible now.

  “What do you mean you called?” Sarah was curious, Crystal too by the looks of it. “I didn’t hear anything.”

  “When we are in wolf form we can think to each other. It works just like talking. You only hear what another wants to say to you. You can’t hear every thought like mind reading would be.”

  “I had never even thought about it. I guess y’all would need a way to communicate though.” Sarah sounded amazed by it.

  “Josh, pick a dog and concentrate on his thoughts. You should be able to listen to what he is thinking.” Alicia called my attention back to the pen.

  I looked in the pen and focused on a golden retriever. He was playing fetch with his owner who was standing about fifty feet away. “Ball ball run like to run got ball! Got ball! Run to master like to run give ball to master ball master threw it ball ball run like to run” I shook my head to clear it, smiling the whole time. He was having a blast!