by Edith Hawkes
I sighed and held back a whimper remembering the feel of him.
The trucked reached the bottom of Scarfell, and I braked as I came up to the gates. Using the back of my hand I wiped away my tears again and put on the biggest, fakest, smile I could muster, ready for the approaching guard.
“A bit late to be leavin’ aint it?” he asked as he shone his torch into the truck, kindly avoiding blinding me.
“Got a plane to catch,” I lied. “Going on a bit of a trip.”
“Oh, OK then,” he said. “Two seconds, though I gotta check with the boss to authorise it since it’s not on the schedule.”
“What? No,” I said, my mind scrambling. I couldn’t let him call Jake.
“Those the rules. Can’t open the gate this time of night. It’ll only take a minute.”
The guard started to walk away back to the little hut, presumably to make the dreaded call that would ruin everything.
“Wait. What’s your name?”
He turned, puzzled. “The name’s Deacon, why do you want to know?”
“Deacon,” I said, and leaned partially out of the driver’s side window, hoping flashing a little bit of skin would help the situation, “everyone’s in bed. You don’t want to go waking Jake up, do you? You know how grizzly he can be if he’s disturbed… he’ll kill us both for ruining a good night’s sleep.”
I paused and waited for his reaction, hoping I’d hit the nail of the head where Jake’s sleeping habits were concerned. It was a risk but one I was willing to take.
“You’ve got a point there.” Deacon tutted. “Fine, but don’t you tell anyone I did this. My head will roll…”
“I cross my heart and hope to die,” I said.
Deacon moved to open the gate. I drummed upon the steering wheel trying to get rid of the nervous energy that had been building up.
Hurry up, hurry up!
My eyes flickered to the mirror sensing something out there, but through the blackness I could barely register the edges of the road.
Finally the gates were wide open and without a minute to spare and drove on ahead.
“Thanks, Deacon,” I called as I sped past him.
“Have a nice trip,” he called.
Conflicting emotions crashed together like warring opponents; happy I’d made my escape but devastated that no one had stopped me. I half expected Jake to come tearing down the road in full-on bear-mode and planting himself in front of the truck. He’d smash his paws into the vehicle’s bonnet warping and crinkling the metal sheet.
But it wasn’t to be.
* * *
This is the part where I mention that I don’t have a plan. Yeah, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
I let the truck lead me and I literally followed the road. As signs for the airport passed on by I realised I could go travelling like I said I was going to. After all I did have the savings I was going to use for college doing nothing but sitting in my bank. And my passport was tucked away in my bag. So, I took the next exit with a tentative destination in mind.
Long-term parking was up ahead and I pulled in, found a spot and turned off the engine. Bright lights of the airport lit up the area. A plane took off, its landing lights pinpricking the inky-blue sky. I could easily be on one of those, I thought. Yet something inside me urged me to stay close. Getting on a plane by myself no longer had the same appeal that it’d once had.
I gathered my bags and locked the car and headed towards the airport’s metro station. I knew exactly where I wanted to go: home. I’d be safe there, able to gather my thoughts in comfortable familiar surroundings. A few days was all I needed to figure out my next move.
Luckily I still had my old house keys, not to mention my dad still hadn’t sold the house yet, so after a brief train journey and a taxi ride I was standing outside my old front door, letting myself in.
In the morning I’d text my dad to let him know I was OK and let him know he could pick up the truck from the airport, but for now all I wanted to do was find some clean sheets, curl up into my old bed and cry my little heart out.
Bleary eyed, with sharp dried up sleep at the corner of my eyes, I woke up to the sound of pounding coming from downstairs. My heart thudded in answer and my breath caught in my groggy throat.
Thinking the worst I tip-toed to the top of the stairs and peered down. There was a hulking great big shadow filtering through the dappled glass of the front door. The figure moved and a hand begun relentlessly knocking on the door again.
They couldn’t have found me already, it was too early. My dad had probably only just found the note I’d left him, there was no way he could’ve tracked me down… he would’ve tried calling my phone first.
“I know you’re in there!” shouted a gruff voice, which sounded neither like my dad or Jake.
Curious and a little pissed off from being awoke I stomped down the stairs ready to give what-for to the noisemaker.
I unlatched the door and swung it open.
Well, hello! Aren’t you a tall glass of deliciousness?
“Can I help you? Do you know what bloody time it is?” I said, my hands upon my hips, looking the beautiful specimen up and down.
What? So, sue me. Jake was still my number one, but you can’t blame a girl for looking, can you?
“Where is he?” the man growled, trying to look behind me into the house, which to be fair, was pretty easy for him to do what with being so tall.
“Who? Look I think you’ve got the wrong house,” I said and started pushing the door closed. The man’s hand quickly braced itself against the wooden frame and held the door open. He stepped a foot forward and placed his chunky boot over the threshold and towered over me. The scent of his musky worn leather jacket engulfed me. He smelled of booze, cigarettes and trouble.
“Tom, your father. Where’s your father?”
My brow furrowed and an intense chill rippled over my skin. Whatever this man wanted it wasn’t good and I regretted thinking this guy was cute.
“He’s not here. I don’t know where he is,” I said trying to keep eye contact with the man. But it was hard; it was like his cold-blue eyes were shooting icy daggers at me. I bit my tongue and stood my ground.
“You’re lying,” he said matter of factly and I looked away for a moment.
He was good…
The man inhaled deeply and frowned as if a bad smell had wafted passed. His eyes narrowed and seemed to ignite with fury.
Cocking my head to the side, it was time to try another tactic, cool the situation down, since being brazen and in your face wasn’t cutting it.
“What’s your name, handsome? I’ll give him a message for you,” I said and smiled sweetly and pushed my hip out to the side, hoping my warmth would melt that icy heart.
“Don’t bother. I’ll be back later. You’ll regret not telling me where he is the first time around.”
“Oh, will I now? Look here, whoever you are. You can’t just come to my house and threaten me,” I said and took a step forward, inches away from the giant’s chest. “Now, beat it buster.” And poked him hard with a determined finger.
So much for trying to be nice. I was playing with fire, looking to get burned, if I wasn’t careful.
The man seemed amused at my boldness as his eyes widened a fraction and his sculpted perfect eyebrow climbed high up upon his brow.
“You’re feisty, I give you that. But that mouth is going to get you into trouble. I’ll give you one last chance: where is he?”
I shrugged.
He sighed. “Fine, be like that. You have two hours before I return. And if you do happen to talk to him, tell him Whitefang is looking for him.”
I snorted a giggle as my lips dared to twitch up into a smile.
“Something funny?” he asked, his jaw muscles working hard.
“Whitefang? Is that supposed to be menacing? You in a gang or something?”
“Enough,” he shouted, silencing me and my laughter. My insides trembled at his bark a
nd I knew I’d crossed a line.
Yeah let’s not anger the mean man while you’re all alone in the city…
He took a step back, removing his foot from inside and I pressed with all my might to close the door. But it still wouldn’t budge. His hand continued to hold it open. “Remember what I said, and if I have to come looking for you too, that’ll be another thing you’ll regret.”
Whitefang gave me a final warning stare then turned with purpose and walked away. Leaving me barely able to stand, I caught my breath as my knees shook in fright and adrenaline pulsed and vibrated through my body.
Four
Jake
My insides raged and the fire I was trying to keep at bay roared to life as if it’d been exposed to a gas main.
I head-butted him to wipe the smirk off his face. My skull made contact with his nose and I heard the bones and cartilage crack. A burst of red crimson spurted out of each of Doug’s nostrils as he yelled in pain.
“What have you done?” I screamed. I gritted my teeth, struggling to stay in control of my human side, I couldn’t shift now; I’d end up killing him.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Doug’s arm swing in a tight arc, an object in his hand glinted as it travelled closer to my face. My arm shot out but I was too slow to stop the surprise attack.
The glass bottle, Doug was holding, smashed against the top of my head. Jagged glass shards embedded themselves into my face and I could feel the trickle of blood run down and into my ear.
I released my grip and Doug stepped back, holding the broken bottle like a shank in front of him.
“Don’t do something stupid, Doug,” I said and braced myself waiting for his attack, tracking the movements of his arm. “You know, I will end you if you come any closer.”
I had the bulk, was bigger and stronger but as I’d just found out Doug was faster. He could easily cause some damage with his make-shift weapon.
“Too late for that!” he responded, wiping the blood, oozing out of his nose, with the back of his free hand, his eyes locked upon mine the whole time.
“What the hell is going on?” someone who’d stepped out of the bar yelled.
A crowd gathered around us, piling out of the bar after hearing the warning shout. In my peripheral vision, Mick, Doug’s buddy, was skirting to my side.
“Mick, stay out of this,” I warned.
Chris, the barman, obstructed Mick and got hold of the scruff of his neck and cast him aside as if he weighed nothing. Mick fell to his knees a good distance away.
More clan members closed in, ready to take Doug down if that was what it was going to take.
“Just drop the bottle and tell me where Jess is, Doug.”
“Is that all you’re worried about?” he cried angrily. “Your precious little step-sister, or should I say fuck buddy?”
Everyone stopped in their tracks and went silent.
“You shut your fucking mouth, that’s my mate you’re talking about.”
Doug blinked. He wasn’t expecting that, I thought.
“Your mate? Have you lost your mind? There’s no such thing anymore. Those days are gone.”
“I thought so too. Now can we just calm down?”
“Nah, Jake. I’m done. You’ve clearly not fit to lead us anymore. Lost your marbles.”
“Oh and you think you are?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I do. And I did what you should’ve done: got rid of her. She’s a liability, how can you not see that?”
I swung for him, but luckily Chris grabbed me around my middle and pulled me back in time before I could pummel Doug’s face.
“Let go of me!” I yelled through gritted teeth and shrugged him off. This was getting me nowhere. The thought of Doug harming or doing away with Jess made me sick to my stomach.
“Doug, when I get back you better not be here. Do you understand me? You’re banished. Pack your shit and leave.”
I turned my back on him and the others and sprinted away to the lodge.
If he’s harmed her…
My legs pounded up the thick wooden steps of the lodge and I burst through the front door, not caring how much noise I made.
“Jess?” I called as ducked my head into the living room. Please be upstairs asleep. I leapt up the stairs, two-three steps at a time, and ran down the hallway to Jess’ room.
“Jake? What is it, what’s happened? What happened to your face?”
My mum, Alex, came out of her bedroom and followed me a couple of paces behind as she wrapped a dressing gown around her.
“Jake, answer me.”
“She’s not here,” I replied, panic in my voice, as I pointlessly looked around feeling like my whole world had just been ripped from me. “Fuck, she’s not here,” I repeated.
“Language! What do you mean, where is she then?”
“I don’t know,” I said and hurried out of the room. Panic was slowly starting to set in. I don’t know what I’d do without her now that I’d had a taste of her. The fiery sphere inside my chest threatened burn me to a crisp and my heart felt as if it’d just been stabbed.
“Where are you going now?” my mom called after me as I rushed to the bathroom.
“Alex, did he say Jess is gone?” Tom interrupted. I could hear the waiver in his voice. He was as anxious as me.
“I’m going to try and find her,” I shouted, over my shoulder, as I quickly pulled shards of glass from my skull and sloshed a handful of cold water over my face in the bathroom.
Once done, I sprinted away leaving Tom and Alex standing in the middle of the hallway. She couldn’t have gone far. But then I noticed the bare empty spot in the driveway. Tom’s truck was gone. No.
Without stopping to think I pelted down the road, running as fast as I could, turning into bends in attempt to increase my speed.
Halfway down, nearing the gate I saw two red tiny pinpricks of light glinting in the night.
My throat was raw, tight and dry from my heavy breathing, and my thighs screamed for me to stop running. But there was no way I was going to give up not when I could see the truck in the distance. It had to be Jess, everyone else knew not to leave Scarfell during the small hours; it was too dangerous on the outskirts for shifters.
A beam of torch light bounced to and fro, illuminating the side of the truck then the road. The guard turned back. Don’t you fucking dare open that gate, Deacon. It had been his turn to man the gate this week and he knew full well the protocol for letting out vehicles.
You idiot!
The gate slid back and the truck’s brake lights went out as it moved forward, picking up speed quickly.
I panted down the last sharp decline feeling like my heavy torso would cause me to topple over but I kept my balance hoping for some miracle that I’d catch her.
I watched hopelessly as the truck’s outline disappeared and melted into the distance. I was too late and came to a sudden halt. Gasping for breath.
* * *
“Why did she leave, Jake?” my mom asked after I returned to the lodge and told them she’d taken Tom’s truck.
I’d jogged the majority of the way back and sweat poured off me, I was soaked and cold. Agitated, I paced the length of the living room and back again trying to figure out some gentle way to break it to Tom and my mom that this was all my fault.
Yes, Doug had a hand in it, somehow, but if I hadn’t gone to her earlier in the woods, she probably would be tucked up in bed right now, safe under this roof.
“I’m not entirely sure,” I replied.
“Don’t you lie to me!” she said, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“We need to know, son,” said Tom. “This is not like her. Do you think she found out about… you know? And got scared?”
I sighed. Tom was a good guy; the right thing to do would be to tell him the truth. Get it out there in the open, tell him about me and Jess, but that wouldn’t be fair to her either. She needed to be present for that awkward conversation, no way was I goin
g to do that alone. Call me a coward, but in this situation, it was better to have Tom on my side rather than trying to rip my throat out.
“She knows,” I said and waited for their reaction.
“Crap. I knew we should’ve told her. When did she find out?” Tom asked.
“It doesn’t matter because that’s not the reason she left. Doug’s behind it, he almost said as much.”
“Doug? He the one that’s been causing trouble down at the bar?” my mom asked.
I nodded. “He’s one step away from trying to take over. I got rid of him though, for now.”
Tom shook his head. “This makes no sense, what does Doug have to do with Jess. Have they even met?”
“I didn’t think so. But Doug was not pleased when Jess found out about the type of people that were living on Scarfell. He wanted you both gone…”
“God, so he took it out on Jess? I’m going to call her, hope she picks up.” Tom stood and left the room.
My mom moved to my side and urged me to keep still. “You’re keeping something back, what is it?”
“It’s not important,” I said and broke eye contact. I couldn’t believe I was lying to my own mother. I’d never kept secrets from her.
“Your voice tells me otherwise.”
“Look, I’ll get her back and this will all blow over, OK?”
Tom rushed back into the room clutching a piece of paper in his hands. “She says she gone travelling. I tried her phone, no answer.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll track her down. As long as she doesn’t ditch the truck or stop using her cards, I’ll find her.”
Five
Jess
Just take a deep breath and calm down.
But nothing was helping, I could hear my heart beat pounding around my ears. I gulped down a glass of water, my mouth dry with fright. What the hell had my dad gotten himself into?
