Walking Wolf Road (Wolf Road Chronicles Book 1)

by Brandon M. Herbert

  I swallowed my mouthful, “I usually walk my little brother home, but I could call my mom to see if she can pick him up.”

  “See if she can. You have a lot to learn, and we can’t waste much more time.”

  I called Mom and she agreed to pick Jacob up for me. After school, Fen followed me to my locker and then led me outside.

  We crossed the athletic field and he led me through the trees on the far side. I followed him to a hidden little patch of land overgrown with tall grass and weeds. Elm trees formed a wall and Fen led me to a path that snaked through the brambles. I heard voices up ahead and I gripped my backpack tighter.

  The path opened up into a small clearing in the center of the wooded patch. Geri, the stocky boy from the night Fen bit me, sat on a fallen tree along one side of the clearing. Of course.

  Geri struggled to stifle a laugh, and Fen glanced around the clearing, “Where’s Loki?”

  “Oof!” The next thing I knew, I was on the ground with the wind knocked out of me and her grinning face hovered over mine.

  “Ha! You just got owned, pup! Too easy…” She cackled while I struggled, but she pinned my arms down with her legs. All I could do was stutter and blush. “Aw, he’s turning red! Look at him, he’s sho coot!”

  “Loki, go easy on him…” Fen muttered.

  “Aww, c’mon he’s only a little maimed! You can take a little rough handling, can’tcha?” Loki grinned and a ring of amber bled in around her emerald green irises, “I’m just asserting my dominance is all.”

  She loomed over me, and stared into my eyes. Deep inside, a part of me understood and answered. My skin tingled as my wolf woke up and heat poured through my veins.

  I arched my back and pushed us off the ground. I flipped us over and pinned her wrists down without even realizing it, surprised by my own strength. Whatever she did, the animal inside me didn’t like it one bit, and, I felt him look out my eyes.

  “Uh, Fen?” Loki stammered, her wide eyes unable to leave mine. “He’s already manifesting!” With unexpected strength, she threw me off her and rolled out from under me. My body rolled on its own and came up on its hand and toes, disconnected from me.

  “Look at his eyes,” Loki muttered while she crouched, mirroring me.

  “I know…” Fen looked at me intently, but not into my eyes, not threatening. He stared at my chest and frowned, “He’s not wearing it…”

  “Not wearing what?” Geri asked as he came up beside Fen.

  “The silver I gave him.”

  What was going on? I remembered taking off the necklace so it wouldn’t get caught on anything in P.E., but couldn’t remember putting it back on. The implication dawned on me; the silver dampened the presence of the wolf—and I’d removed it. My body backed up when Fen stood and walked toward me, messing with something around his neck while Loki and Geri fanned out around me.

  A thought that wasn’t my own whispered through the back of my mind; it’s a trap…

  I willed myself to stand up and realized I couldn’t control my own body. Worse, I didn’t know how to get it back. I panicked and fought for control through the numbness, but my lips still twitched and bared my teeth.

  The next moment, all three of them pounced in a blur.

  Loki struck from my left, Geri from the right, and they wrestled me to the ground. The wolf raged when they forced me onto my back his power ripped through me and knocked my control away completely.

  Loki braced an arm under my chin to keep my teeth away, while my arm smashed Geri across the chest. He barely held on to it as he crashed into the bushes, but it was enough.

  In that moment, with my arms spread wide, Fen pounced. In a single swift motion he pushed my shirt up and pressed something cold against the hollow of my sternum. Lead weight bloomed inside me; a liquid exhaustion that flowed into my limbs and sapped all the strength from me. The wolf inside yelped in pain, closed his eyes and curled up in the darkness, drained and weary, while I seeped back into my body.

  Everyone but Fen panted for breath, and Geri released my arm to inspect the violet bruise that was blossoming across his chest. I struggled to move, but my limbs just flopped weakly. I tried to ask what happened, but all that came out was a drawled slur.

  “Don’t worry, it’s over now… Just make sure to keep that necklace on, okay?” Fen said, careful not to meet my eyes.

  “Jeezus pup… don’t ever do that again.” Loki let go of my arm and it fell to the ground. She picked off bits of leaves and grass that stuck to her.

  “Ease off him Loki, nothing would’ve happened if you hadn’t challenged him,” Geri growled at her as he gingerly prodded the red streak across his torso. She glowered at him, but didn’t argue.

  “I don’t… I’m… sorry…” I felt exhausted, like my body had been frozen. What the fuck just happened?

  “Didn’t you tell him what would happen if he took off the silver?” Loki shot Fen a furious glare.

  “No, I got distracted.”

  “Damnit Fen, you can’t be so careless,” she snapped and Fen winced like she’d slapped him.

  “Yeah… you and your damn… tangents…” I panted. The mood broke, and everyone chuckled at Fen’s expense.

  “Sorry, I don’t exactly have a syllabus…” Fen sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “I doesn’t matter, can you put that thing away now?” Loki asked him, looking a little green. Geri didn’t look so hot either.

  “Yeah, I think so…” He pulled away whatever he’d pressed against my chest and I caught a flash of blue-green as he tucked it away. As soon as he did, I took a deep breath and felt sensation rush back into my limbs. Loki sighed with relief, and some color returned to her cheeks.

  “What the hell was that?” I asked, “It almost looked like—”

  “Turquoise? It was,” Fen replied.

  “Turquoise? Why not silver?” I asked and flexed my hands through the pins and needles.

  “Silver’s too dynamic,” Loki answered as she stood up. “Sometimes it boosts shifting energy, so not always a good idea an emergency. Turquoise on the other hand,” she said, making a face, “nasty stuff… just seems to suck the energy right out of us.

  “By the way, I’m Loki. My real name’s Jessica, but only people who share genes with me call me that.” She smiled at me as some thought passed behind her eyes and I was struck again by how familiar she looked. Her emerald green eyes sparkled when she smiled, a mischievous light within them. Freckles dusted her nose and cheeks and her only makeup was the eyeliner that made her eyes even more striking. “And the guy you just about threw across the clearing is Geri. See, I told you you’d see us again soon.”

  Geri gave a wry smile. “Hey.”

  “I’m… sorry…” I muttered, but he just shrugged and smirked at me.

  “Don’t worry about it, wasn’t your fault.” Geri shot a look at Loki, who glared at Fen, who pretended not to notice. At fault or not, I felt my cheeks flood crimson. I’d made some craptacular impressions in my life, but this was in a league of its own.

  Fen ignored Loki’s ridicule and checked his watch, “Crap, I need to go pick my mom up from work, I have the car today. You guys should hang out though, get to know each other. I’ll see ya tomorrow.” He grabbed his backpack and hurried away, leaving me alone with two almost total strangers.

  Looking for an escape, I glanced at my watch. “Actually, I need to get home too, it’ll be dinnertime soon.”

  Geri seemed to have an idea, “Hey Loki, wanna take him home?”

  “Sure. Do you mind?” she asked me as she stood and picked up her bag.

  Truthfully, I wanted some time alone so I could get a get a grip on things. My mind struggled to categorize my reality, and force order on the impossible. It still just didn’t seem real. Only a couple weeks ago turquoise was pretty jewelry, supernatural forms of energy were an X-File, and werewolves were Halloween costumes. Now, a teenage girl had lifted me and thrown me like a sack of potatoes, a
nd an animal spirit inside me had taken over my body. Even weirder; people actually wanted to be friends with me.

  Just go with it, like it or not, you’re one of these people now.

  “Um, sure, I guess. Just… bear with me if I seem a little out of it.” I looked down at the fallen leaves that crunched underfoot while they laughed and Geri and I collected our things. I dug the necklace out of my backpack and slipped the chain over my head. My head felt clearer right away, some of the chaos ebbed, and I took a deep breath.

  We left the little wooded sanctuary and Loki asked, “So, uh… how do you like it here so far?”

  “Well, other than getting mauled by a werewolf within a week, it’s just like any other place I guess except there’s no air here.” I smiled when they laughed. “People are the same dipshits no matter where you go… Oh, and this place is crawling with evil beasts of the night.”

  “Hey!” Loki looked insulted. She tried to make herself look cute and innocent—which was pretty fucking adorable—and my stomach fluttered. “Do I look like an evil beast of the night to you?

  “You’re the worst of them all!” Geri cried and we laughed.

  “Yeah, I guess I can’t argue that.” Loki conceded as we walked up to the last car in the parking lot, Geri’s red Civic, and he unlocked the doors. While we drove, I disappeared into my head, thinking about her question.

  The truth was, I hated this place.

  And I fucking despised moving; the pointless ‘fresh start’, the ceaseless cycle of upheaval. Even the toughest goddamned houseplant would have croaked after being uprooted as often as I had. At least this town was the polar opposite of the homogeneous mass-produced suburbs in Chicago and Miami. Here, huge elm and maple trees dominated the sky and uprooted the sidewalk. Plus, none of the houses matched.

  I shook myself out of it and broke the silence. “So, Fen said you’re a pack right? I remember reading something about wolf packs having different ranks, do you?”

  “Yeah, Fen’s the alpha male, our leader,” Geri replied. “I’m the omega, lowest on the pecking order, but that might change now that you’ve come into the picture.” He winked and grinned in the rearview mirror.

  I grinned back, but it was more a bearing of teeth than an actual smile. “After what just happened, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

  “He’s probably right Geri-boy; I think you’re gonna be our scapegoat for a while yet.” Loki patted him on the shoulder.

  “Can’t blame a guy for dreaming…”

  “You’re our omega, we can blame you for whatever we want!” She ruffled his short-cropped hair and they laughed, though Geri seemed genuinely sad.

  “So, you’re the alpha female?” I glanced at Loki and she seemed to choke.

  “Noooo-ho-ho! I’m beta, second in command but usually first in trouble.”

  “So, Fen’s at the top, Geri’s at the bottom… where do I fall?”

  “We’ll find out soon enough. Pretty much everything else is just called ‘mid-ranking’. Mid-ranking wolves usually have some sort of special job, like scout, or nanny. But with so few of us, we don’t have much use for that,” Loki replied. “So, my dear new wolf, tell us about yourself.”

  “There’s nothing interesting about me,” I muttered and looked out the window as the dappled sunlight slid over us through the trees.

  “Bullshit, we’ve got you outnumbered and surrounded, so start yappin’ pup!”

  “About what?” I asked, irritated.

  “I don’t care, grades?” She shrugged.

  “Piss poor, thanks for reminding me.” I grumbled.

  “Sorry, but if you don’t contribute anything, I’m just gunna dig for it.”

  When I remained quiet, she resumed her interrogation. Car? Nope. Driver’s License? Yep. Grade? Senior. Girlfriend? Don’t even go there. Favorite band? You want a freakin’ list?

  Loki had such an easy character; I never would’ve guessed it from the way she dressed. Her cheer was infectious and irresistible, I’d never been so open with complete strangers before in my life, but something about her just felt… comfortable. I wished I could put my finger on why.

  Geri parked at the curb, and I led them up the porch that stretched the width of the old Craftsman house. The sage green siding contrasted with the dark red and black bricks of the porch’s columns and the chimney that jutted from the side. It was cute enough to be annoying.

  “Mom? We have visitors!” I called as we walked into the house.

  “What’s that, Jimmy?” She came around the corner from the kitchen and wiped her hands on her apron. “Oh! Hello, come in, come in!” She waved Loki and Geri into the house “Welcome back! I wanted to thank you for helping Jimmy out that night. Would you like to stay for dinner? I could call out for pizza?”

  I groaned inside and felt myself turn red. This was probably the first time I’d ever brought friends over from school—first time I had friends to bring—and my mom was making way too big a deal out of it!

  “Well… sure, if it’s okay with you; I’ll just need to call my folks. What do you think Geri?” Loki glanced at her cohort.

  “If there’s pizza involved, I’m in!” he grinned.

  “Great, what do you want on yours? I’ll call them in right now.” Mom wrote down our toppings and ordered a pizza for each of us. Loki looked at the family pictures on the wall while she and Geri called their parents.

  I stepped close to Mom and muttered in a low voice. “Seriously, Mom, can you cool the overeager parent thing a bit? It’s freaking us out.”

  “They don’t seem to mind.” she said.

  “Okay, it’s freaking me out. Can you please just ease down a bit?” Too late, I realized I’d hurt her feelings.

  “Okay, fine, whatever you want Jimmy,” Mom pursed her lips and rubbed her temple, “I’ll stay out of your way.” To avoid any more awkwardness, I led Loki and Geri through the kitchen to the back yard to enjoy the last rays of the sun.

  Loki leaned in and whispered a question to me, “Sorry if this is awkward, but, were you adopted? Your mom looks way too young to be your—uh—mom…”

  “And I look nothing like her or the guy in the pictures.” I added. “Mom had me when she was seventeen. She married John when I was six; he’s my brother’s dad, not mine.” Very little bitterness slipped through into my voice, and I felt proud of my accomplishment. Loki and Geri didn’t seem to know how to respond, so we chatted about school for a while.

  The pizzas arrived and Mom called us in just as the sun neared the mountains. We collected our pizzas and I led them down into the Dungeon.

  “Sorry about the mess,” I muttered. I glanced at the stuff scattered around the room and the stack of still-unpacked boxes. Band posters and guitar chord diagrams hung from the sterile concrete walls in a pathetic attempt to make it my home. It had never struck me as slovenly before—Mom was a different matter—but I felt a burning shame as they entered.

  “Ha! You call this a mess? You’d have an aneurysm if you ever saw my room…” Loki scoffed and I felt a little better as I kicked a spot clear of clothes and we sat down. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until the molten cheese touched my tongue and kicked my salivary glands into overdrive. I turned on my CD player and poured soda for everyone.

  With a cheek full of food, Loki said, “Hey, is that a guitar amp over there?” She pointed with her pizza crust.

  “Yeah,” I muttered.

  “Really? Play something for us!”

  “I’d rather not, I’m not that good…” I muttered and felt my neck tingle with embarrassment.

  “Whatever!” Loki jumped up and marched across my room. She grabbed my guitar off its stand and shoved it into my hands, “I don’t take excuses, so, rock my socks off!”

  I shook my head as I plugged it in and powered on my amplifier. I tuned and started to play. Just one month without practice had made my hands clumsy and slow and I turned a darker shade of red with every mistake until my hands remembered what
they were supposed to do.

  My eyelids hooded as I lost myself in the music. When I couldn’t think of anything else to play, I stopped and looked up at them with beads of sweat rolling down my face.

  “That was the shit!” Geri laughed, wide-eyed and grinning.

  “Sorry it sounded so rough, I haven’t played since before we moved.” I said and wiped my face with my sleeve.

  “Really? Coulda fooled me!” Loki nodded her agreement.

  Warmth, foreign and treacherous, leached into my heart. That was the first time anyone ever complimented my playing. Mom and John pretended I’d never touched the damn thing.

  “That cinches it!” Loki yelled and jumped to her feet. “You’re gonna teach me guitar. I’ve wanted to learn for years, but no one here teaches metal.” She bounded across the room and hugged me so hard we both almost toppled over.

  As soon as she touched me, grey and chestnut mottled fur flashed in my mind again, but now I understood what it meant; those were the colors of her wolf. “Have you ever played in a band?”

  “Uh, no… I just taught myself how to play a couple years ago.”

  “Hey, once you teach me how to play, we should start our own band! Ooh! A werewolf band! Fen can learn the bass and Geri; you can play the pots and pans.” Loki almost vibrated with excitement.

  “The what?” Geri and I said in unison.

  “You know, ‘pots and pans’? Drums? Oh never mind. It was supposed to be a joke, but y’all suck.”

  “Actually, that would be kinda cool. I can’t think of any other bands with an all-out werewolf theme, and certainly not with real werewolves. Do you have good rhythm?” I glanced at Geri. He was so quiet; it was easy to forget him in the intensity of Loki’s personality.

  “I can’t even play Guitar Hero.”

  Ouch…

  When they left, I felt reluctant to see them off, like a starved slave who’d tasted chocolate for the first time. They opened the door and a cool breeze drifted inside. Loki closed her jacket and winked at me as she pulled the door shut. “Full Moon’s the Saturday after next, so remember to keep that night free. As of now, you have plans.”