P.A.W.S.

by Debbie Manber Kupfer

  Miri walked forward until she reached Jessamyn’s island. Jessamyn reached out to Miri, offering her hand, but Miri did not want to touch her, fearing that the intensity of Jessamyn’s emotions would be too much for her, that they would somehow overload her brain with its new magic power.

  “It’s okay, Miri,” said Jessamyn. “Here, take a seat.”

  She waved her scepter, and a comfortable plush armchair appeared behind her. Miri gratefully sank into it.

  “Danny, you may go,” said Jessamyn. “I believe Josh needs some help with the fortifications.”

  Miri felt panic rise in her stomach as Danny left.

  “Fortifications?” she asked Jessamyn, trying to stall for time.

  “Yes, we need to be ready. It is only a matter of time before Alistair and his pack attacks.”

  “But they can’t get into P.A.W.S., can they?” Miri asked, concerned.

  “We cannot be sure. That Mandy and now Nora were found here in the park seems like no coincidence. We have long believed that Alistair plans to attack P.A.W.S. I am sure he is just biding his time until he feels strong enough.”

  “How…?”

  “Enough now, Miri. We have our own work to do here. “Miri, I have always known you had strong magic. You have just suppressed it. You come from two powerful families of shapeshifter felines that have, for centuries, been passing their amulets from father to son and mother to daughter. It was no accident that your grandfather met your grandmother. I have studied the history. Unfortunately, I believe Alistair has too.”

  “So what do I need to do?” Miri asked, with great trepidation. The air in Jessamyn’s chamber was buzzing with emotions, too many for her to identify.

  “I think the first thing you need to learn is how to shield yourself. Can you describe to me what you feel now? What can you read from me, from this room? You may find it easier to change into feline form for this. I assure you I can communicate with you easily in any form.”

  Miri tried to concentrate on Jessamyn’s emotions but found she could focus on nothing. It was all a whirl, like the multicolored mist that flowed around the room. Like the mist! That was it! Now Miri understood. The mist in the room today represented Jessamyn’s emotions. Miri felt certain that the mist was not an illusion, like the lawn or the leaves, but rather, the mist had always been there around Jessamyn, and it was just that Miri had never been able to see it before.

  Jessamyn smiled as if Miri had spoken her thoughts aloud. “I see you’re beginning to understand, Miri. Now try changing into your feline form.”

  Miri did as she was told, and then immediately wished she hadn’t. Her feline body was bombarded with emotions from all directions. She felt a scream rising in her throat, though it came out as a loud meow. And just as she had last night with Lilith, she flung Jessamyn’s emotions with all her might back at Jessamyn. But unlike with Lilith, Jessamyn was prepared, and Miri’s attack was deflected off Jessamyn’s strong mental shield.

  Miri breathed a sigh of relief, but for safety’s sake decided that for now she was better off to change back into human form. Ah, better, much better. She definitely had more control as a girl than as a cat, but still she realized this wasn’t a good solution. She wanted to be able to switch freely between forms as she had before. She needed to learn to control her power.

  Miri felt deeply agitated now. A panic arose from deep inside her gut. Jessamyn watched Miri with concern, and then began chanting in a clear crystalline voice:

  “Breathe mo pháiste agus mé a leanúint thar sáile go hÉirinn”

  “Breathe, Miri. Take deep, deep breaths. Close your eyes. I want you to visualize a cool, peaceful ocean. Feel the wind on your skin, feel the tides...” Jessamyn’s voice was hypnotic as she described in detail the beautiful ocean scene.

  Miri followed Jessamyn’s instructions and kept her eyes closed, but she was sure that if she had peeped, she would actually have seen the scene before her, the most perfect of Jessamyn’s illusions. As it was, Miri was amazed that she could really feel the ocean breeze and taste the sea salt on her lips. It was extremely relaxing, and for the first time since she had gotten her amulet back, the tide of emotion receded in her head.

  “Ní féidir linn a chodladh agus is féidir linn a breathe agus a bheith go deo ar son na síochána.”

  “Remember this feeling,” said Jessamyn, as she finished her song. “In the next few days, I want you to keep returning to this beach whenever you feel that the pull of the emotions of others is too strong. This is the first step towards controlling your power. We will meet again in a week, and I will see what progress you have made.”

  After she left Jessamyn’s chamber, Miri decided to walk over to the infirmary to see how Nora was doing. (She still found it hard to think of her as her mother after she was absent from her life for so many years, so preferred to think of her as just Nora.)

  Mrs. Bumsqueak let Miri into Nora’s room. Apart from a few short minutes here and there, Nora had slept pretty much the whole time since she was brought back here to P.A.W.S. Miri sat on the chair next to her bed and watched her sleep. Her breathing was much easier now than last night in the park. The healers had put salves on her wounds, and it seemed like they were already working... on all areas except one, the scar on her chest where the charm had been. There, clearly burnt into her skin, was the image of a cat, Miri’s cat. So Danny was right; the amulet was never meant for her. Still Miri wondered why Nora had risked so much to return it to her.

  Miri looked at the charm around her neck, back where it belonged, and she was suddenly so grateful to Nora.

  “Thank you,” she said out loud, and she felt a sudden burst of emotion from the woman on the bed. Pride, love, and... fear. There was an undercurrent of deep, deep fear. I must not hurt her, thought Miri. I must not hurt her.

  She backed out of the room. It was too dangerous. Jessamyn was right. She needed to learn how to control her power.

  Chapter 30

  The master bathroom of the Katz family home in Town and Country was a work of art. A local artist specially designed the tile mosaics that covered the walls, ceiling, and floor of the large, spacious room. The fixtures were state of the art, including a massive sunken Jacuzzi, a marble- countered sink and vanity, and even a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

  When they had first moved in, the newly wedded Cynthia and David had spent perhaps more time together in this room than any other. David had lavished attention on his new curvaceous and extremely desirable wife, and brought home luxurious lotions and scents, so much so that the whole room often smelled a little like a sultan’s harem.

  Not anymore. It had been many years since they had shared the Jacuzzi tub. If Cynthia was really honest with herself, she couldn’t remember the last time David had even kissed her on the lips. They still made love occasionally, but it was quick, boring, and unromantic. Cynthia imagined that this was how it was with married couples.

  David took quick showers in the morning these days in the guest bathroom, so this grand room had become Cynthia’s playroom. After David went off to the office, she would run herself a deep, deep bath, and fill it with bubbles and scents. Then she would pour herself a big glass of red wine (it was supposed to be good for you, so who cares if it was only nine o’clock in the morning), remove her designer robe, and sink into beautiful warm oblivion.

  In this bathtub she allowed herself what she didn’t in the rest of her life (filled with society events and fundraisers). She allowed herself to dream...

  She was deep in the most delicious dream when the doorbell chimed. Who could that be at this time in the morning, she grumbled to herself as she stepped out of the bath onto the leopard-skin rug. She grabbed her robe and walked out to the front door and opened it.

  “Oh, Mr. Wolfe, what can I do for you this morning? Please come inside. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Yes, that would be much appreciated, Cynthia. And might I say you look lovely this morning.” Cynthi
a blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl and walked into the kitchen, where she poured two large glasses of red wine and returned to the living room.

  “Please, Mr. Wolfe, take a seat here by the fire. It’s chilly out there this morning.”

  “Thank you, Cynthia. Please call me Alistair.”

  “Of course, Alistair,” she replied, savoring the name on her lips.

  “I’m sorry to bother you this early in the morning, Cynthia, but I’m afraid I have some alarming news. Is your husband here?”

  “No, he left for work an hour ago. Please tell me. I can pass along the message. Is it related to my niece? Have you found her?”

  “No, still no trace of her, but her mother, Nora, was found last night in Forest Park. She had been attacked by wolves. The police say they must have gotten out of their enclosure at the zoo.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “No. Sadly, she died of her wounds. I was informed by the police this morning. They found my business card in her pocketbook. I had interviewed her, you see, with regards to the disappearance of your niece.”

  “Oh, how unfortunate!” said Cynthia. “I’ll inform my husband.”

  Alistair started to get up. “Please, Alistair, there’s no need to rush away. Would you like some more wine?”

  “If you insist,” replied Alistair, smiling. “That would be very pleasant, Cynthia.”

  Cynthia went back to the kitchen and returned with the bottle and refilled both their glasses.

  “So how long have you been a detective, Mr. Wolfe – I mean, Alistair?”

  “Ah,” said Alistair, “I’ve been solving mysteries for as far back as I can remember. Why, even as a child in Europe, I learned how to put the pieces together to solve the most fascinating puzzles.”

  “You came from Europe. That must have been so exciting. I’ve always wanted to travel. The only time I ever went on an airplane was the day I brought my niece here to St. Louis.”

  “How kind of you to welcome her into your beautiful home. She must have been truly grateful.”

  “No, the little brat was never grateful. Well, you know how children are. Are you married, Alistair?”

  “No. Sadly, I have never found the right woman.”

  “I’m surprised, Alistair. I would think the ladies would be fighting over you.”

  Alistair smiled and picked up the bottle of wine. He walked over to the sofa where Cynthia was sitting and filled up her glass. Then he sat down next to her.

  “No, not everyone is as lucky as David to have found a gem like you!” He casually put his hand on Cynthia’s bare leg and looked deep into her eyes. Then very slowly he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  “Oh... Alistair... we shouldn’t.”

  “Oh, but we should. I sense you’ve been lonely for a long time, Cynthia. David doesn’t appreciate you. When is the last time he gave you any pleasure? A woman like you needs to be savored slowly, not gulped down like fast food.”

  “Oh, yes... Alistair, please!”

  As he kissed her again, he opened her robe and removed it. He gazed hungrily at her naked body.

  “You are very beautiful, Cynthia... and David is very stupid.”

  He lifted Cynthia into his arms and carried her into the master bedroom and placed her on the satin sheets of the huge king-sized bed she shared with David. She watched Alistair undress, wondering if this was all just a dream. And if it was a dream, she thought, then why not enjoy it? And if it was not, well, David wouldn’t be home from work for hours. She could change the sheets. He never needed to know. She reached for Alistair now and pulled him down on top of her. His lovemaking was rough and exciting. She noticed his body was covered in small scratches and bruises and briefly wondered why. He took his time pleasuring her, and Cynthia reached heights that she had only dreamed of before.

  Just as they were finishing, though, a change came over Alistair’s face. He looked deep into Cynthia’s eyes and said in a low voice that brought shivers down her spine, “I want you to find something for me, Cynthia. David has something I need. It’s a necklace with an amulet of a cat on it. It is very important. If you find it for me, I will reward you in ways you could never dream of, but if you don’t, you will wish you’d never met me. I will return in two days. You will have it for me, and remember, you cannot tell anyone about me. You cannot, for I have made it so.” Alistair leaned forward and placed one last deep kiss on Cynthia’s lips, and then he was gone.

  Chapter 31

  For the third time this week, Josh had taken Mandy out to the most remote field in Forest Park. He was trying to teach her how to change her form voluntarily, as he did, but she could not do it. Mandy felt like she was a failure, and she was deeply embarrassed by it. She really liked Josh. She thought she liked him better than any other boy she had ever met. She realized now how shallow the boys had been at the academy. She thought about the crush she’d had on Jeremy. How stupid that seemed now.

  Mandy still worried about her family, though. The school must have told them she was missing by now. She wondered if her disappearance had been on the news, if her picture was up on bulletin boards, maybe even on milk cartons. Josh told her that he did sometimes get to visit his mom, but not very often, as P.A.W.S. work came first. Still, he was happy to know she was safe from Alistair, that she had magical wards to keep her safe.

  “Try again, Mandy. Close your eyes and concentrate on your wolf form. It’s inside you always. You just have to learn how to let it out.”

  Mandy closed her eyes and tried for what seemed like the billionth time. She tried to do what Josh had told her to do and visualized her inner wolf. She could almost feel it, a little tweak in her body starting to change, and then, as with every previous time, she shrunk back.

  Mandy understood what the problem was. She was terrified. She remembered the extreme pain of her first transformation during the full moon. It didn’t matter how many times Josh told her that a voluntary metamorphosis wouldn’t hurt her. She didn’t believe him. She could not take that step. And if she could not change (except in the full moon, when she would be forced to), how could she stay at P.A.W.S? How could she stay with Josh?

  When Josh realized it was once again not going to work, he came over and put his arm around her.

  “It’s okay, Mandy, you’ll get it eventually. It just takes time. And, well, I’m a crappy teacher. If Gerard was still around, he could teach you.”

  Mandy had noticed that Josh did that a lot, compared himself unfavorably with his mentor, Gerard. He had told Mandy his story from beginning to end, and she could tell he really missed Gerard. But Mandy knew in her heart it was not Josh’s fault that she couldn’t transform. It was entirely Mandy’s fault.

  They sat for a while in silence, Mandy enjoying the feeling of Josh’s arm around her shoulders. The sun was beginning to set, and Josh jumped up when he realized that it was getting late.

  “Mandy, can you make it back to P.A.W.S. without me?” he asked. “I have to go and see the wolf pack.” Mandy understood. Josh had explained to her that she couldn’t go with him until she learned to transform. The wolf pack just wouldn’t accept her.

  “All right,” she said sadly. “See you at supper?”

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m out on patrol tonight.”

  “Oh...” Mandy said, trying to hide her disappointment, and started trudging back towards the Jewel Box alone.

  Mandy decided to take a shower before supper. She spent a long time standing under the warm jets of water. She always found showers helped her think. These bathrooms may not be as fancy as the ones they had at Saul Emmanuel, but they were still pretty nice. There was an old animagus giant tortoise named Bob Stone who did the maintenance around the institute. His work was slow, but very thorough, and everything was in good working order. Amazing when you think about it, considering how far underground P.A.W.S. was.

  Under the warm jets of water, Mandy came to the sudden realization that she truly wanted to stay here
at P.A.W.S. That wasn’t the case when she had first arrived. When she first came here, all she wanted to do was go back to her old life, to her friends at the academy, to her family. In a few days, it would be Thanksgiving. Mandy knew Hugo was planning a huge feast. Despite that Mandy she really wished she could go home for Thanksgiving, but she realized that she only wanted to go for a visit. Even if she was given the choice for everything to go back to normal tomorrow, that she could go back to her old life, she wouldn’t want to, and not just because of Josh. P.A.W.S. had opened her eyes to a world she never knew existed before, and she wanted to be part of that world.

  Mandy finished her shower and went back into her room to dress. She chose a pair of faded jeans and a sweatshirt, clothes that had been given to her because she came with none of her own. She had to say it was nice to be able to dress like this. She had hated the stodgy school uniform she’d been forced to wear at Saul Emmanuel. The morning classes with Ainsworth weren’t bad either. She still found the math part hard, though, but then it had been the same way at the academy, and Professor Ainsworth was a lot more sympathetic than Mrs. Epstein had been.

  Mandy looked at the clock. It was 6:00 p.m., suppertime. She realized she was starving. Running around all afternoon in the park was exhausting. She walked over to the dining room, took a tray, and started filling her plates. The horse kid, Sean, was filling his tray behind her, taking mounds and mounds of food, including a huge bunch of carrots. He smiled at her.

  “No Josh tonight?”

  “No, he’s on patrol.”

  “Come sit with us, Mandy.” He led her over to a table in the corner already occupied by his sister, Sandy; Joey, the kangaroo; and Miri. Mandy balked when she saw Miri. She was not sure Miri would want to sit with her. Miri seemed to sense Mandy’s disquiet and nodded. She sat down next to Sean.

  Joey was entertaining the table with a very long and complicated joke that Mandy could not follow. It was something about a wallaby, a didgeridoo, and a boomerang. She tried to relax and enjoy her food, but she missed Josh. He was the only other werewolf currently living at P.A.W.S., and because of that, she could connect with him in a way that she couldn’t with the other shapeshifters and animagi.