Animal Instinct

by Noelle N

  "Wow," I breathed, taking several slow steps across the room until I was by the windows. I pulled the curtains open, tucking the drapes in the corner and spun round so that I could get a better glimpse of the room. Jed's eyes were guarded as he braced himself for my reaction and I smiled. "Alice," I stated, pointing first to myself, then gesturing around, "wonderland. I love this room already."

  The consternation on Jed's face cleared and he nodded, before stepping out of the room, letting the heavy door swing shut behind him. I inhaled and glanced around, another smile flitting across my face when I caught book titles I already knew, titles I didn't, and titles I'd always wanted to read.

  It didn't take long for me to locate a stack of books I wanted, dropping them on the floor and curling up on the couch. So very easy to immerse myself in words and pages which drew me in and sent my mind spinning with new information, until I'd all but forgotten what time it was.

  * * *

  The house was dark when I finally emerged from the library. I'd spent just about the whole day in there, with the exception of bathroom breaks and meals in between. But now the place was bathed in a soft, wavering glow that came from the street lamps outside.

  Keeping a book clutched to my chest, I wandered down the corridors until I reached the main hallway. The faint light illuminating the hallway made me realise that Jed was close and my suspicions were proven right mere seconds later, when I passed the kitchen and found him standing against the sink and chugging a glass of water.

  The moonlight streaking through the drawn curtains cast vague hues on his dark form. It drew my attention to his high cheekbones, the way his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly as he swallowed, and the ridges of muscles as he braced one arm on the sink. He looked perfectly at one with the shadows and, for a moment, I was breathless.

  "Hey." I smiled when he noticed me and quickly set the glass down. He backed up against the sink until he'd hit the counter, his gaze fixed on me. "Going somewhere?"

  His forehead creased in confusion, eyes darting towards the doorway of the kitchen in search of the nearest escape route. The nod he gave me was so quick and minute I barely caught it.

  Belatedly realising that I was blocking the doorway, I hastily stepped aside. "Sorry." I held my breath as he sidled past me, his actions so swift like he couldn't wait to get out of there. It wasn't until he was almost out the back door that I cleared my throat. "Wait."

  He paused, his broad shoulders stiffening when I stepped up to him. He fell an abrupt step back when I reached for the door, pulling it shut with a firm click, but not before vaguely realising that there was a full moon out, the moon illuminating the forest ahead with an almost ethereal glow.

  With my back pressed against the door so there'd be no room for escape, I turned to face him and took a deep breath. "I know."

  His eyes darted to mine, the fear in them unmistakable.

  "I've had suspicions for awhile now, but I needed to read up to make sure. And I finally figured it out, see?" I took a step forward and lifted the book to show it to him. But he flinched, quickly taking another step back. My eyes widened as I realised he'd mistaken my actions as an attempt to cause him some sort of physical harm. "No, I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm not afraid of you either." He visibly relaxed and I smiled, easing up and clutching the book to my chest once again. "But I'd like to see it for myself. Can you show me?"

  He stared at me; eyes cautious and hesitation clear on his face, but I simply gave him an encouraging nod.

  "Shift."

  06

  DREAD

  The seconds that ticked by seemed to last an eternity.

  Then Jed exhaled. He fell a step back, keeping a good distance between the two of us. Suddenly, he seemed to fold in on himself, lowering into a crouching position, but the shift was so simultaneous that I almost didn't catch it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered the reason he constantly wore his hoodies unzipped – because it aided for a far smoother transition.

  But that was peripheral, and all I could fixate on at that moment was the way his body seemed to curl and distort in odd angles and positions, bones cracking and the sifting sounds of fur over skin. It looked like it hurt, but the change was so fluid that it seemed almost beautiful to watch. I'd already prepared myself for this but what unfolded before my eyes was still far more fascinating than anything I'd ever expected to see.

  And I couldn't take my eyes off him, until Jed was replaced – or turned – into a frighteningly familiar black wolf with piercing green eyes, the same one that had haunted my dreams ever since I first saw it.

  Standing amidst the pile of clothes, the wolf stared at me and I met its gaze squarely. For a few seconds, all I registered was the sounds of my own breathing amidst the static.

  And then I smiled. "I knew it! I knew you were a werewolf. Okay, maybe it took me awhile to believe because your kind's supposed to be mythological, but – wow." My smile widened and I admired the way the dim light from the hall seemed to reflect off its fur. His fur? I was going to have to get accustomed to considering Jed in his werewolf form too.

  Shaking my head in amusement, I took a step forward and tentatively reached out a hand. But Jed quickly fell a step back, and even in his wolf form, I could see that every inch of him looked braced for an attack. Eyes watchful, ears pricked, tail tucked between his hind legs.

  "Okay, no touching." I held up a hand in a placating manner, the other hand still clutching the book tightly. "Got it." Stepping aside, I pulled the door open for him. "You need to get out, don't you?"

  He stepped past me, heading out into the clearing ahead. But then he paused, head tilted as he glanced at me over his shoulder. It took a moment or two before I finally realised what he wanted me to do.

  "Oh, you want me to go with you?" I laughed when he simply waited. Human or wolf, Jed seemed to have infinite ways in attempting to communicate with me. "Okay, just let me change into something warmer."

  I changed quickly, pulling a warm jumper over and grabbed another blanket just in case it got cold out. It tended to be around here, maybe because we were so close to a forested area and so far from the city, but I didn't want to catch a chill. Taking my book and phone with me, I headed downstairs and realised that Jed was patiently waiting for me outside.

  Swiping the house-keys from the counter, I locked up the back door and smiled at him. "Lead the way."

  It turned out that the place he wanted to bring me to wasn't far off at all. It required a bit of climbing, up a small hill some distance behind his house. There was a canopy of trees behind us, but the moonlight bathed the clearing in a sweet glow, and I could see the rest of the houses from our vantage point.

  But what stole my breath, really, was the fact that there were several other werewolves running around in the distance. Some were farther on ahead, in the valley stretching beyond the row of buildings, but others were simply wandering around in front of the houses. None came close to the hill that Jed and I were on, however, and I realised that perhaps this place was solely his.

  "So, this is like a community of wolves?" I glanced at Jed, watching his ears prick up as he heard everything I said, even as he kept his gaze fixed on the other werewolves up ahead. "Or a pack? That's what it's called, right?" He looked at me and I nodded. "Pack it is."

  I settled down on the soft, cool grass, tucking the blanket beneath me and watching as Jed slowly laid down on the ground a couple of feet away. Even lying down, he was far larger than the normal size of a wolf and I stared at him for a moment before turning to my book. It was dark out, but the moonlight, along with the soft glow from my phone, was sufficient lighting and I flipped open the book, holding it up to the bookmarked page.

  "See, it says here that lycanthropy is the ability to shape-shift into a wolf or hybrid wolf-like creature," I read softly, placing the book down on the blanket so that Jed could see it. "The belief in werewolves, along with similar species such as vampires or revenants, was said to have existed sin
ce the Middle Ages, with its roots lying strongly in European folklore. Lycanthropy is believed to be hereditary, or an affliction from a bite by an existing werewolf. Were you bitten?" I looked at Jed. "Inherited?"

  The only movement from him was a subtle shift of his right paw.

  Right.

  "Clever," I mused. Right paw for right answer – his lycanthropy was inherited. "Keep that up and I'll buy a packet of dog treats for you next time." A low growl resonated from him and I laughed. "I'm kidding! Okay, where were we?" I ran a finger down the page and picked up from where I left off. "Right. Abilities. Werewolves are known to have the physiology commonly known to wolf species – such as heightened senses, stamina and agility. However, they may also possess other abilities – such as enhanced reflexes and regenerative healing, along with telepathy or empathy within their own kind." I paused, and glanced at Jed. "You can read my mind – "

  He shifted his left paw. Wrong.

  " – no, wait. Telepathy is the transmission of information without physical or verbal interaction. And it says here it only happens between werewolves. So, you can't read minds per se, but you can send messages to someone – say, Adrian?"

  Right.

  "Kind of like a mind-link. Does it work both ways, like, can Adrian send you messages too?"

  Right.

  "And since werewolves are empaths, you can sense each other's emotions? Like when any one of your friends are in danger, you can sense it?"

  Right.

  "Interesting. Now I understand all the silent conversations you seem to have with Adrian. I thought the two of you just liked looking at each other a lot." I grinned when Jed huffed beside me. Reaching forward, I flipped the page on the book. "Says here that werewolves are suspected to be susceptible to silver. In alchemical symbols, metals are often associated with the classical planets along with their respective deities. For instance, the Sun rules gold, Mercury rules mercury or quicksilver, Venus rules copper, Mars rules iron, Jupiter rules tin and Saturn rules lead. The moon, of course, rules silver."

  I chanced a glance at Jed, only to realise that his eyes were closed, paws tucked beneath his head. But his ears were still pricked, and once I stopped reading, he cracked open his eyes to look at me. I smiled and picked up the book, setting it onto my lap.

  "The legend of werewolves' vulnerability to silver can be dated back to the Beast of Gévaudan, the Brothers' Grimm tale of a bullet-proof witch, or folk songs about a Bulgarian leader called Delyo – all of whom were invulnerable to everything but silver bullets. In folk belief axiom, the Law of Contagion posits that when two entities come into contact, a magical link is formed between them. Many thus believe that since the moon holds power over werewolves, then so does the metal that belongs to the moon."

  I paused, and looked at Jed. As if sensing that I had something to say, he slowly opened his eyes and shifted so that he was facing me.

  "So you're really vulnerable to silver? Like, silver bullets and knives?"

  Right.

  I stared at him for awhile before setting the book down. "It's a good thing that the knife I had with me that day wasn't silver but just plain steel. And I'm very sorry I stabbed you. Honestly, though, your kind should know better than to sneak up on us humans like that," I added, with a laugh. "But here – "

  Reaching up with my left hand, I fiddled around with the chain on my neck for a bit before finding the catch on it. I unhooked it and crumpled it up in my palm, but he seemed unperturbed as he watched me with calmly.

  " – this is the only piece of silver I have with me. My mom's. She died when I was little so I don't really remember her or miss her much." I shrugged. "And I know – I'm being paranoid and a tiny silver chain isn't going to hurt you because it's not a weapon but I'm not taking any chances. I'm keeping it away from you – probably chuck it in a box or something when I get back." I stuffed the chain into the pocket of my jeans and smiled at him. "So you don't have to be afraid of me, alright?"

  He shifted a paw, bright eyes holding me captive.

  Right.

  * * *

  Saturday was when we ran out of all the essentials required to have a good breakfast. Eggs. Bread. Milk. Juice. Cereal. Ham. Fruits. It wasn't a surprise, because I'd started making it a habit of cooking at least twice a day. And Jed, as a werewolf, seemed to have twice the appetite of a usual man his size.

  When I told Jed that we were running out of food, he simply did a quick check through the fridge and cupboards, before grabbing the keys and his jacket off the counter. He opened the front door and kept a palm placed flat against the wooden surface as he waited for me.

  "We're going to get food?" I slid off the bar stool and reached for my phone, tucking it neatly into the pocket of my shorts, before grabbing the book I was currently reading. "Great."

  It was bright out, the perfect kind of weather for a morning stroll. And so I was pleasantly surprised when Jed opted for walking instead of taking the car. I was a few steps behind him and he slowed, waiting until I was beside him before starting a new pace that matched mine.

  It was about a three-minute walk before we arrived at a little café called Salt & Pepper. I was surprised I hadn't noticed it before, given that it was along the same street as Jed's house, but then again, I'd pretty much been cooped up at his home for the past couple of days.

  Jed's presence didn't go unnoticed by the customers in there, even though he'd tried to make our entry as inconspicuous as possible, heading in through the side door instead of the main one. Most of them looked stunned to see him, the several few who swiftly recovered nodding politely and murmuring greetings.

  I didn't miss the way words like "Alpha" and "Luna" were thrown into the mix.

  Jed made a beeline for the corner booth and I followed him closely. It wasn't until we were seated on opposite sides of the table when I glanced around, ignoring the probing gazes sent our way and observing the overall structure of the place.

  "Reminds me a lot of the diner I used to work at," I told Jed, when he noticed me looking around. "I mean, I don't miss waitressing or the rush hour, but – you know, it wasn't a bad environment. The customers tipped really well too."

  Jed stared at me for a moment before he turned, eyes latching onto the woman at the counter. She was in the midst of pouring a cup of coffee for one of her customers, but she quickly glanced up and looked our way. She set the coffee pot down and headed our way, wiping her hands on her apron in an almost nervous manner.

  I raised my eyebrows at Jed, who simply stared blankly at me. "Did you just mind-link her?"

  He shrugged.

  "You know, most people just raise their hands to signal the waitress. You werewolves could really use some lessons on etiquette," I teased, trying but failing to suppress a smile when Jed's eyes twinkled in what seemed like good-humour.

  The woman came up, and up close, I could see that she was a few years older than I was. "Alpha," she greeted, dipping her head respectfully before turning to me. "Luna, it's so great to finally meet you."

  I glanced at the nametag on her apron and smiled. "Nice to meet you too, Lorraine."

  She seemed to relax at my greeting. "So what can I get for you this morning?"

  I looked at Jed, mouthing the words, "what's good here?"

  "Alpha is getting his usual breakfast set," Lorraine informed me kindly, "with extra bacon, eggs and toast on the side. And coffee, black."

  "I'll have the same. Minus all the extra – um, toppings," I added quickly, when she began to pen my order down. "And I'll have tea instead of coffee, no milk, just sugar."

  "Got it." She scribbled the last of my order down and paused, looking directly at me. "By the way, Alpha tells me that you've been looking for a job and you're more than acquainted with the food and beverages industry. Have you thought about applying here?"

  "As a waitress?"

  "As a chef," she corrected. "My previous chef – well, she went into retirement awhile back and since then, I've been managin
g on my own. But I'm no chef. I get pastries from a deli nearby and I make decent coffee and sandwiches, but other than that, it's a one-man show. Some days my brother Lance pitches in to help and other times it's Spike, my ma – boyfriend – "

  "You mean mate," I said, with a pointed look at Jed. He gave a visible jolt of sheer surprise, and quickly grabbed a menu, propping it in front of himself to avoid having to look at me. Smiling wryly first at him, then at Lorraine, who was watching us in thinly-veiled amusement, I nodded. "Yeah, I figured. And I'd love to work here, though I'm not sure if I'm entirely qualified for the job."

  "Nonsense. Alpha wouldn't recommend you if he didn't think you were capable enough to handle this job."

  "Well, if you're sure – " I hedged, chancing a glance at Jed, whose gaze seemed to soften as he met my eyes over the menu. He gave a quick nod and I smiled at Lorraine. "Okay, then. I'm in."

  "Great! Just give me awhile to sort out some details and I'll drop by in a couple of days to run the terms by you."

  "Sure. And thank you," I added, as Lorraine nodded at us before returning to the kitchen counter. Turning back to Jed, I realised that he still had the menu propped up in front of him and I smiled, reaching over to pull it away from his face. "Oh, no, you don't. You're going to explain to me all about werewolf matings and the likes of it, big boy."

  He bit his lip and set aside the menu. His cheeks were still tinged a faint crimson hue and for the millionth time, I wondered how it was possible that a guy like him could be considered a murderer by Bianca and her court. I knew what I had seen that night and I didn't doubt it – Jed had killed another wolf.