by Naomi Clark
“… ferals in the city.”
I tuned back into the conversation on hearing Shannon’s words. “What?”
“I was saying,” she said patiently, “how you saw that feral. We were wondering if it’s anything to do with the drug dealing.”
“You should have told us earlier,” Eddie reprimanded me.
I opened my mouth to defend myself, then shut it. Sometimes you just know you’re not going to win. “Yeah, I suppose,” I muttered.
They stood, shaking hands. “I’ll be in touch,” Shannon told Eddie. “I’d like to meet Ms Clayton as soon as possible.”
“Of course,” he said. “Good to meet you, Shannon. Thanks for breakfast, Ayla. I’ll see myself out.”
As soon as the door slammed, I turned on Shannon. “You can’t do this. It’s too dangerous!”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Ayla. I can’t afford to turn down a case right now.”
“You could be hurt! Killed!” A thousand episodes of Real Crimes whirled through my head. People beaten, maimed, murdered for messing with drug dealers.
“We’re not talking crack cocaine and heroin. This is small-time drug dealing, probably kids,” she said dismissively. “And I’m not going to be snooping around crack dens looking for meth heads. For God’s sake, Ayla, don’t overreact. I’ll be asking a few stoned teenagers where they get their Silver Kiss and giving the names to the Pack. And I’ll have an ex-copper with me. What could go wrong?”
Once again I had that sense of fighting a losing battle. “I want to meet this ex-copper first,” I grumbled. “Make sure she knows what she’s doing.”
Shannon sighed and began cleaning up the remains of breakfast. I looked wistfully at the cold black pudding she was scraping into the bin. If Eddie was going to come and steal my breakfast and my girlfriend, the least he could have done was enjoy my cooking.
NINE
I spent most of the morning feeling utterly useless and utterly pissed off in turn. Shannon had disappeared to the bedroom with her laptop to pull together her notes on Molly Brady’s case ahead of meeting Moira Clayton. I had a free day and too much energy to burn through. I couldn’t settle on anything but I didn’t feel like going for a run, so I stalked around the house, anxious and itchy, until midday when I scoffed a ham sandwich just for something to do.
I switched on our ancient PC and connected to the Internet while I ate. A quick search on aconite left me far better informed, not to mention more worried, than I had been when Eddie first mentioned it. My appetite had vanished by the time I was done.
Aconitum napellus, also known as monkshood and wolfsbane, was a heart and circulatory stimulant. It was also highly toxic and, based on what I knew about Silver Kiss, incredibly addictive. I remembered that stupid Wolfman movie from the sixties, Lon Chaney Jnr’s cringe-worthy portrayal of a pathetic cursed werewolf. What was that poem? Something about wolfsbane blooming and saying your prayers?
I slumped in my chair, trying to clear my head and think it all through. Okay. So regular Silver Kiss was fine. Just herbs, as Lawrence had told me. But someone was buying it, cutting it with this poisonous crap and selling it on to wolves.
Why? And where did it tie in with Molly’s case? Had she fallen out with her dealer? Owed them money or something?
Shannon had probably thought of all this already. I chewed my thumbnail and pondered. Where did the feral wolf come in? Guilt stabbed me as Eddie’s words echoed in my head. I should have told someone. What if something had happened to the cub I’d seen that night? I’d never even tried to find out who he was. Paranoia rode hard on the heels of my guilt. I grabbed my phone and called Vince.
“Hey, girlfriend,” he greeted me. “You and Shannon set for tonight? I think it’ll be just what we need after last night’s drama.”
“Tonight?” I repeated, mind blank. Oh God, Joel’s big celebratory meal. “Yeah, yeah, we’re raring to go.” I hadn’t even mentioned it to Shannon yet. “Listen, Vince, have you heard of any Pack kids getting into trouble recently? Running off, getting into fights, anything like that?”
“You mean beside Oscar and his cronies?” Vince snorted. “Potheads.”
I avoided mentioning what Eddie had told me; not knowing if he would want me sharing our conversation.
“No, I mean… I ran into a feral a few nights ago and he was fighting a Pack kid. I don’t know who the kid was, but—”
“A feral? In the city?” Vince sounded doubtful. “I haven’t heard anything.”
His words soothed my guilt. Working in a pub as he did, Vince picked up most Pack gossip sooner or later. If another teenager had gone missing or been hurt, word would have spread fast. I could only assume the wolf I’d seen that night was safe and well. Some of the tension knotting my stomach eased.
We chatted a bit more, made plans for that night and said our goodbyes. I switched off the computer and went upstairs to disturb Shannon.
She looked up from her laptop with a smile and patted the bed. “Recovered from your hissy fit?” she asked me.
I rested my head on her shoulder. “Yes, but I still don’t want you doing this.” I told her what I’d found out about aconite. She typed as I spoke, adding my findings to her notes.
“I need to call Tina and make sure she’s happy to share Molly’s case with the Pack. It might be useful to speak to Marc Wright again, get some leads on local dealers,” she said. “And I’ll need to speak to Molly, once she’s well enough and find out exactly what happened.”
“She told us she didn’t remember anything.”
“Shock. Once she’s recovered, her memories will come back,” Shannon said confidently. “Of course, she’ll have to talk to the police first. I can’t wait until you’re on the force, Ayla. It’ll make it so much easier to get inside info.”
“I’m going to be a special constable,” I reminded her. “They’re not going to let me photocopy the remand files for you.”
“No, but you can introduce me to someone who will.” She kissed my hair.
“Maybe Moira Clayton will show you her case files,” I muttered.
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“You’re not planning to go scouring the crack dens tonight, are you? We’re invited to dinner at the Fleur de Lis. Joel got this big new contract.”
“Great,” she said absently, checking her watch. “I’ll try and speak to Tina and Eddie before we go. I should get to the hospital, see if the police have visited Molly yet.”
She was in full-on work mode; I’d get nothing out of her now. I slipped away, leaving her glued to her laptop and headed back to the PC to see where aconite was most commonly found in the wild. It made me feel slightly less useless.
***
According to my mum, who knew this sort of thing, the Fleur de Lis had been a venereal disease clinic back in the seventies. I had that in the back of my mind as we walked in that evening. Now it was a gleaming, polished restaurant with crystal chandeliers and fresh roses on every table, but when I inhaled I was sure I could smell disinfectant and alcohol wipes. Of course, that could have been the cocktails.
Joel and Vince were already propping up the bar when Shannon and I arrived, along with Glory. She was dressed to the nines as always, making me feel underdressed in my linen trousers and blouse. Luckily Shannon kept the side up in a navy blue trouser suit. Of course, Shannon looked good in everything. She was just one of those women.
“Darling!” Glory cried. “How are you?” She embraced me, engulfing me in a cloud of Miss Dior Cherie.
“Love the dress.” I stepped back to admire her slinky outfit, surprisingly conservative for Glory. “I’ve never seen you in black.”
She winked and flashed her shoes at me. They were six inch lime green stilettos. “I thought I’d better dress down for this place, but I can’t say no to shoe sales.” She turned to give Shannon a hug. “Hello sweetie, you’re looking gorgeous as ever.”
Shannon returned the hug, then congratu
lated Joel, who was preening at the bar, beer in hand. We did the obligatory how are yous and made idle chatter while we waited for Joel and Vince’s parents to arrive. Amidst the low lights and soft music of the bar, I almost forgot about Molly until Joel leaned past Glory to ask me if I’d heard anything about the girl.
“Any news?” he asked.
I glanced at Shannon, not sure what—if anything—I was allowed to say.
“Molly’s still in hospital,” Shannon said. “I spoke to Tina earlier and she should be home tomorrow, once they’re sure she’s up to it. Standard stuff.”
“God, I can’t believe you found her out in the woods like that!” Glory pressed a hand dramatically to her fake breasts. “It must have been so exciting! And Vince told us you met a feral too, Ayla! Darling, you have all the adventures.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“I can’t believe a feral got into the city without anyone noticing!” Joel said. “For that matter, why would a feral come into the city?”
“Maybe he wanted to go urban?” Vince suggested.
“That never happens,” Glory said firmly. “Once you go wild, that’s it. The end.” She slashed her witchy talons across her throat. “They forget what it’s like to be human.”
We all fell silent for a moment and I knew us wolves were all thinking the same thing. How beautiful it was to abandon humanity, however briefly. How tempting it was to stay wolf and run wild. A sweet melancholy settled over me as I contemplated it.
Then Shannon tapped my arm and the mood left me. “How about some cocktails?” she asked brightly. “Joel, fancy a Bloody Mary?”
The meal was fine despite the whole VD clinic thing and I found myself unwinding slowly as the night went on. I even managed to forget about Molly and the feral, although my anxiety over Shannon’s upcoming drug dealer hunt didn’t quite go away.
We lingered over coffee and mints for a long time before Joel and Vince’s parents headed home, leaving us young things to enjoy the rest of our night. As midnight approached, we paid up and left too, full of food and booze. I linked arms with Shannon and Glory as we stepped out onto the icy street. Street lamps stained the frosty pavement amber and the clear, moonless sky sparkled with stars. Clumps of teenagers drifted past us smelling of beer and kebabs. I inhaled deeply, the scents of the city suffusing me and filling me with a deep, drowsy sense of contentment.
“Taxi home?” Joel asked, taking Vince’s hand. “I don’t think I have the energy for walking.”
“I could go for a run, actually,” Glory said, releasing me to step out of her shoes and pick them up. “I need to run off some of that lamb or I’ll never fit into my dress for tomorrow.” She leaned in to whisper to me conspiratorially. “It’s a vintage flapper dress. Lots of glitter and sequins.”
“Well you’re running alone,” Vince said, sinking against Joel’s bigger frame and turning to him for a quick kiss. “I’m voting for the taxi. The quicker we’re home, the sooner we can get back to celebrating.” He smacked Joel’s backside and leered at him. Joel pretended—unconvincingly—to be offended by such talk.
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t think I want to share a taxi with you two.”
“Come running with me.” Glory took my hand, dragging me away from Shannon. “Shannon won’t mind, will you, sweetie? You can share with Joel and Vince. Well, share the taxi anyway.” She winked at Shannon, who rolled her eyes.
“If you two want to go off, I’ll get myself home,” she said. “You won’t be late though, will you?” she added, brushing my hip with her fingertips and sending a sensuous shiver through me.
“Not long at all,” I promised.
Going for a run with Glory was a big production. Before the others could hail a taxi and leave, Glory and I had to strip off and pass our clothes on to them to take home. There was a changing booth at the corner of the street—the city council had installed them all over the place once we wolves started living so openly amongst the human population. They looked and smelled like public toilets but offered us a little privacy while we shifted. It was more for the humans than the wolves, I’d always thought. Nudity was such a big deal for humans.
Outside the booth, Glory solemnly presented her shoes to Shannon, making her swear to keep them safe and unscuffed. Then we both slipped into the booth to change. I watched as Glory stripped off her outfit. Underneath the bright red waves of her wig, she was a natural mousey blonde. Without the wig adding to her femininity, she suddenly looked like a little boy playing dress-up, all over-the-top makeup and chicken fillets stuffed in her bra. Then came the dress, which she folded neatly and slid under the door to Shannon, along with the bra and fillets.
I tapped my feet impatiently. I’d already stripped down to my underwear, which I wasn’t bothered about ruining, and was eager to shift and get moving. I felt heavy and bloated from all the food and a good long run home felt like bliss. “We could be home by now, Glory.”
“You can’t hurry genius, sweetie.” Finally, Glory plucked out her earrings and took off her necklace and the transformation was complete. She was a he. Glenn. A slender young man in elegant make-up instead of a busty, brash woman in a beehive wig. I’d seen him do this a few times now, but it never failed to fascinate me. I thought Glory was beautiful, but I thought Glenn was even more stunning. Without the wig dominating his face, you could properly appreciate his perfect cheekbones and startling green eyes. He flashed a brilliant grin at me. “There, that didn’t take long, did it?”
“I’m never going clothes shopping with you,” I muttered. I dropped to my knees and the change took me fast, juddering through me. With my stomach as full as it was, I felt slightly nauseous when it was over.
Next to me, Glenn completed his own change. In wolf-shape he was no bigger than me. I poked my nose in his ear and huffed. He swept his tongue along my muzzle, then padded outside to jump up at Joel, setting his paws on Joel’s shoulders. Tail wagging, he washed Joel’s face enthusiastically.
“Good thing I’m not the jealous type,” Vince said wryly. To my wolf ears, his voice was loud and strangely high. I flicked my ears and whined, wanting to set off. I spared Shannon one more look before turning tail and trotting off. Glenn barked and raced to catch up, leaving the others behind.
My claws clicked on the ice, skidding a little, so I resisted the impulse to just sprint. Once we were out of the city center I’d be able to, but here, weaving amongst drunken teenagers and crawling taxis, it wasn’t worth the risk. Glenn kept pace with me, stopping occasionally to sniff some piece of crap or another on the pavement. Chewing gum, fag ends, crisp packets; nothing was too disgusting for him to investigate. A couple of times I stopped to bark sharply at him, impatiently calling him on.
A couple of people tried to stop us—humans with cameras desperate for photos to sell to the various wolf-spotting websites. We ignored them, more interested in the beckoning scents of damp wood and pondweed wafting on the night breeze from the parks. Glenn took the lead as we left the city center, directing us towards Crescent Green; a tiny strip of land better suited to toy poodles in my opinion.
I didn’t argue though. I’d promised Shannon it would be a short run. We leapt over the chain link fence onto the Green and Glenn pounced on me immediately. We wrestled for a few minutes, rolling around clumsily, yipping like cubs.
And that’s when I smelled the feral.
That crazy, alien scent that excited and cowed me. It was like a blow to the head, smelling it again. I reeled, whining and nudging Glenn. He lay on his side, tongue lolling from his mouth, ignoring me until I nipped his tail. Then he shot to his feet with an offended yelp and sniffed the air. The scent affected him even more strongly than me. He whimpered and dropped to the earth, ears flat, tail tucked between his legs.
Forget it, a little voice in my head said. Just go.
I couldn’t.
I pressed my nose to the ground, sorting through the maze of scents until I found his, strong
and fresh. I cocked my head at Glenn, silently asking him to come with me. He whined and closed his eyes. I chuffed at him, disappointed but not really surprised, and took off on the trail of the feral.
He wasn’t on the Green anymore, but he wasn’t long gone either. I tracked him through the estate bordering the Green, noticing his odor was mixed with the cloying, metallic smell of Silver Kiss. I picked up other wolves too, but there were too many for me to be sure if any were actually with him.
I moved mindlessly, fully focused on the hunt, ignoring humans and cars and other wolves. I was consumed by the smell of the feral. Why was he here again? Was he connected to Molly? I trotted past dark houses, rousing sleeping dogs who strained against their chains to howl at me. I ignored them too. I’m not a dog-person.
At the edge of the estate I paused, panting. If I kept tracking him, I’d be out of the city and into the surrounding countryside. A few miles north was a dual carriageway that I wouldn’t have traveled on foot even in human form; south was a cluster of smaller towns and a giant shopping center. But the feral wasn’t heading for either of those. He was heading for the massive nature reserve several miles to the east. It was marshy land, home to rare water birds and protected by the government as a nature sanctuary. Humans were allowed to walk their dogs there as long as they stayed on the right side of the river. The rest of the area was a wilderness. It was the perfect place for a feral to den and maybe not the perfect place for a city wolf to go alone. I huffed, torn. I ought to let it go and head home to Shannon. But that scent was driving me crazy and I couldn’t let it go.
