Marked (The Pack)

by Cox, Suzanne

  “To the ice cream shop?”

  “Yes ma’am and we’ll come right back.”

  I tried to make my eyes as pleading as I possibly could.

  Louise nodded and I had to struggle to keep from jumping up and down. She caught my wrist as Eric bounded down the steps.

  “To the ice cream shop and directly back here. You’ll be safe there, but no detours.”

  I nodded and raced down the steps. Eric handed me the helmet. I jammed it on my head and adjusted the buckle then swung on the motorcycle behind him. He gunned the engine which had to have rattled the windows of the house, then took off. I flung my arms around him as my body flew backwards with the momentum of bike. The trees passed in a blur while beneath my hands I could feel the beat of Eric’s heart. Once we’d turned onto the main road that led to town, he briefly covered my hands with one of his. I buried my face in his back and inhaled the scent of him, special, different from any I’d ever known. I wanted to ride forever, but we were at the ice cream shop in what seemed like seconds. We sat there for a moment after he brought the bike to a stop and killed the engine.

  “It was too short.” I whispered over his shoulder.

  “I know.”

  I slid off so he could get his leg over and stand beside me. He put his helmet on the seat then took mine and placed it there too. With one hand on each side of my head, he ran his fingers through the roots of my hair.

  “Helmet hair,” he said with a wink.

  “Oh, no. Do I have to wear it again?”

  “Well, legally no, but I bet your aunt wouldn’t like it if you didn’t have one.”

  “I know she’s so peculiar and strict.” I said following him inside.

  “Nah, she’s just worried about you, that’s all.”

  He glanced back at me as he stopped in front of the counter. “Split a banana split?”

  I laughed. “That’s good.”

  Behind the counter John winked at me as he scooped up the ice cream then poured on toppings. I grabbed two plastic spoons and followed Eric to a booth at the back. Sitting facing each other, our knees bumping beneath the table, we spooned ice cream in silence. Then Eric reached across with a napkin and wiped at something on my chin.

  “Chocolate sauce,” he stated then added in a rush, “I’ll miss you when you go home.”

  My heart twisted. I’d been thinking the same thing. “I’ll miss you too. I wish it could be different somehow.”

  “Yeah, but I guess your aunt will be leaving soon.”

  “I guess so. She’s not going to live here.”

  He tapped his spoon on the edge of the cup. “I’ve been thinking that I could come to visit in Chicago maybe in a month or two. Do you think that would be okay?” Beneath the table he sandwiched my legs between his and squeezed them together.

  “I think that would be much more than okay.” I knew I sounded breathless because I was having a hard time breathing, but I couldn’t seem to care that much about how I sounded.

  “Good. I’ve already saved some money. I mentioned it to my dad the other day.”

  “What did he say?”

  “I think he was kind of expecting it. You don’t think your mom or stepdad will mind?”

  “No, I’m sure they’ll be fine with it. Your parents are okay with the fact that you aren’t going to date Channing? You said before your parents and hers really wanted you two to date.”

  He looked away, seeming to study the trees outside the window of our booth. Finally he shook his head. “They’ll have to accept it.”

  “Does that mean they’re going to hate me?”

  “No, they’ll just need some time to get used to the idea.”

  “But your dad agreed for you to come and visit me.”

  “I told him I was. He doesn’t have to agree or disagree.”

  I didn’t like the idea that Eric’s parents were against our being together and that they wanted him to be with Channing. If they only knew what she was, they wouldn’t think that. But after tonight she’d be just another girl and I’d be the freak.

  “Don’t let it bother you. It’ll work out.”

  I nodded but didn’t answer.

  He shoved the mostly eaten ice cream from between us and took my hands in his. “Sticky stuff.” He took my index finger and licked at the sticky spot, making me shiver. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Before either of us could move, the bell over the door jangled. I looked up to see Channing, Jana and Celina enter and step to the counter. Channing’s eyes found me almost immediately. When Eric turned to see what had caught my attention, Channing saw him and her face became thunderous. Celina and Jana spotted us but seemed oblivious. Jana waved and Celina even smiled. The memory block must have worked on her because she didn’t seem to remember the other night.

  “Don’t worry about them. We can get up and leave.”

  I followed Eric as he stood. He caught my hand holding it tightly as we walked toward the front. Behind the counter John scooped ice cream for Jana, but I could see the tension in him. The muscles in his arm bulged much larger than would have been necessary to collect a scoop of Rocky Road. Eric waved at the three but didn’t speak as we hurried to the motorcycle.

  “Don’t let her get to you,” he said. “She may have liked me and our parents may have wanted to see us together, but I never agreed to it or went along with it in any way. She’s spoiled and thinks she’s supposed to get everything she wants.”

  I climbed on the bike behind him. He couldn’t imagine what all had transpired this summer that had little or nothing to do with him and everything to do with me and the other three girls. We roared away and I looked behind me to see John stiffly scooping ice cream and Channing watching us until we disappeared from sight. I crushed myself behind Eric. He reached down to run his hand along my leg. Then he twisted the gas on the handlebar and we raced past Louise’s drive.

  “Where are you going?” I shouted.

  “Just down past the cemetery, then we’ll turn back. We won’t go far. I promise.”

  “It’ll be dark soon.” I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach and realized suddenly that I sounded like Louise. I knew now why she’d been so overbearing when I first came. I’d had no idea what was around me and what I was part of.

  “We’ll get back before dark.”

  The sun had already dipped below the trees and the light was waning when he stopped at the cemetery.

  “This place is hundreds of years old, you know,” he said, half twisting to see me.

  “Yeah, my mom talked about it the first day I came here.” A day that seemed a million years ago. I searched among the headstones nervously. Long shadows fell beneath the live oaks. Was that something moving? No, wait, no it wasn’t or was it? I couldn’t be sure. A car passed with its lights on and I knew I was in trouble.

  “We have to go back now. My aunt won’t like it.”

  He turned to look at the car going down the road. “You’re right. It’s later than I realized. I promise I’ll take all the flak. I’ll tell her you were ready to come home, but I kept going.”

  “Let’s just go. Maybe she won’t say anything.”

  The deafening noise of the engine began about the same time I spotted the headlights. The car appeared to be gray, but it was hard to tell in the near dark with the lights in my eyes.

  “Go!” I shouted at Eric. He gassed the motorcycle not paying any attention to the car and we squealed onto the road. The lights approaching us seemed to be coming faster and faster. The car was nearly on us. My body was tense while in front of me Eric was relaxed. I knew what was coming, even though it hadn’t happened yet. With that thought, the car veered toward us. Eric jerked the motorcycle.

  “Oh no, Alexis!” He shouted.

  To me, the car seemed to come in slow motion, the corner taking out the front wheel of the motorcycle. Eric flew through the air and bounced against the windshield of the car disappearing on the other side. I flipped head over heels i
n the air and crashed to the ground. The motorcycle, still in the air above me, began its descent. I jerked and rolled just before the handlebar drove into the ground inches from my head. Then, there was silence.

  But they were coming, I knew it. I rolled to my feet, faster than I thought possible. I saw them, starting down the embankment where I’d landed. They started running, then leapt in unison and transformed. They all three hit me at once. I clasped my arms around the neck of one, twisted, heard a cry and flung the wolf away and immediately grabbed another. Teeth closed on my leg and I kicked it hard, then harder. The wolf flew through the air. I struggled with the third wolf as I saw one of the others get to its feet. It leapt and I steeled myself for the attack.

  A figure appeared from behind me and caught the animal in mid air. John from the ice cream shop, still in human form, tossed my attacker into the nearby woods. A moment later, Louise came racing down the hill. I shoved the wolf that was latched to my leg, then picked it up and threw it as hard as I could. It landed in the nearby ditch.

  Louise caught my arm, “Go home, now.”

  “But Eric, I think he’s hurt.” I turned to start up the hill and stumbled. Louise caught my arm

  “I’ll take care of Eric. Go home, Alexis, now. Run fast.”

  I ran then, faster than I ever had before, trusting Louise to take care of Eric. For now, it was all I could do because the three would not let up until I was out of sight. I raced across the road to the cemetery and down the path that was a shortcut to Louise’s house.

  I had barely sat down on the sofa when I heard the door open. I leapt to my feet as Louise came in.

  “You should have locked this behind you.”

  “Like that would stop them.”

  Louise continued into the room and turned on a light. “It would give you a minute to get ready, get out the back, something.”

  “How’s Eric?” My fear nearly clogged my throat, making the words difficult to get out.

  “Fine, we called an ambulance and John stayed with him. The three werewolves left right after you did, so I came behind you. I didn’t want them here after you. I think they’re done for now. Soon we’ll have the calling and that will be the end of this.”

  She suddenly seem to notice my blood smeared clothes. “Are you hurt?”

  I slid my hand over the front of my shirt. “I don’t think so, at least nothing that’s not on its way to healing.”

  “Go clean up then. I’ll have to leave again soon, but I think you’ll be safe here. I’m calling Raina to try and place some protection around here for you.”

  “Like a chant.”

  Louise nodded. “Something like that.”

  I stood for a moment, not making a move yet to go upstairs.

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t think this is about what happened with Celina the other night,” I said.

  “What’s it about then?”

  “Me and Channing… and Eric.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.” Louise said folding her arms in front of her.

  “Channing has wanted to date Eric for a long time. He’s never been interested in her and would never date her. She said she was over it and didn’t care. But I think she’s really mad.”

  Louise shook her head. “All that on top of the whole werewolf dilemma. Do you always attract so much trouble?”

  I opened my mouth to argue, to defend myself, but my throat got tight and tears filled my eyes. My teeth clamped down on my lip trying to fight back the quiver if felt starting there. Was this my life now?

  “I never did before,” I choked out, “but it seems like I do now. I swear I don’t mean to. I don’t know what’s happening.”

  With frustration I wiped at a droplet that had escaped down my cheek. I took a breath, fighting for control, but felt a sob building. I really didn’t want to do that in front of Louise. I didn’t want to stand here and cry like a two-year-old. But I hadn’t asked for this. I didn’t come here to Lebeaux so I could get caught up in this werewolf mess, just like the viral werewolves hadn’t asked. Only I couldn’t get a shot, not ten shots and get rid of it. I was stuck, forever, whether I liked it or not. My life would never be the same again. I looked at Louise as another tear spilled over, then another.

  “I don’t want this.” The words spilled out with my sobs.

  Louise came to me, putting her arms around me, sighing deeply. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t. It’s not all your fault. What’s happening in Lebeaux really has nothing to do with you. There was a problem here with the viral werewolves before you came. That’s why I’m here and all the other families have come. You got caught in the middle of it.”

  I nodded against her shoulder. “I guess I’ll go home soon and everything will be back to normal.”

  “Let’s hope so.” Louise breathed quietly in my ear then stepped back. “Now get cleaned up and go to bed. I’ll be leaving in a few hours.”

  I started toward the stairs, but stopped at the entryway to the living room.

  “I didn’t know.” I said with my back still to Louise, my eyes on the floor.

  “Didn’t know what?”

  “That I was so strong. That I could fight like that. I could have…” I paused, not sure I could get my mouth around the words when I could barely get my mind around it. “I could have killed them.”

  “Yes, you could have.”

  It was simply another overwhelming fact about me that I had to learn to deal with. “Are all werewolves that strong?”

  “They’re all stronger than humans, but not all of them are as strong others. Some are stronger and faster than you can imagine.”

  I studied a dirt stain on my shorts and a slowly disappearing abrasion on my knee. “And I’m one of those. The faster, stronger ones.”

  Louise didn’t answer immediately and I turned to look at her. For a brief moment I saw what I thought might be fear in her eyes. But it was gone so quickly I felt sure I’d imagined it.

  “It would appear you are one of them. I’m beginning to think you may have more abilities than we ever expected.”

  I started up the stairs. I didn’t know what else to say right now except that I seemed hardly able to move under the weight that was pressing down on me. An all consuming heaviness I had no name for, so how could I possibly explain it to Louise or anyone else?

  After my bath, I snuggled under the covers. Louise had turned the air conditioning down and the house was cool despite the stifling heat outside. I’d nearly dozed off when I heard the sound, low to high, a deep trumpeting like nothing I’d ever heard before from an instrument. Seconds later it sounded again and Louise cracked the door. From the hallway light I could see her, clothed in the silver shirt, silvery black coat and black pants exactly like I’d seen in Brynna’s closet.

  “Why are you wearing that outfit from the play?”

  Louise frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Those clothes you’re wearing. Brynna had a set like it in her closet She said it was for a play.”

  Louise chuckled. “Brynna does have some good ideas. That’s not what it’s for. These are designed for when we’re out in human form and need to protect ourselves from the teeth of other wolves. The fabric is specially made to keep teeth from getting through.”

  “Like a bullet proof vest?”

  “Kind of like a bullet proof vest, yes.”

  “So will it stop silver bullets?”

  “Now you’re being silly.”

  “I guess so. Be safe Aunt Louise.”

  “I will. You stay inside and don’t let anyone, and I mean anyone, in.”

  “Okay.”

  I heard the door downstairs shut and then the lock turn. I pulled the covers up to my neck. Outside, the sound of the horn throbbed in the night air. I felt drawn to go to it and nearly sat up. Pushing myself further into the mattress I kept repeating that this time, the call wasn’t for me.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  I wasn’t
sure how long I’d slept, didn’t really even remember dozing. A wailing howl seemed to vibrate the house. I sat up in bed, the covers falling to my waist. At first I thought my hearing had suddenly improved and I was simply picking up sounds from the field where the wolves were. But the sound hadn’t seemed that far away. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table the numbers glowed two-fifteen in the morning. I’d only been asleep for a short time if they’d sounded the horn for the first time at one. The howl split the air again. I leapt from the bed. Looking out the window I couldn’t see anything. Concentrating on sounds, I tried to force myself to hear better.

  The clicking seemed quiet at first, but it grew louder. Something with toenails was walking on the front porch. No, more than one something, I heard several toenails. I ran to the bedroom door and raced down the steps knowing they were out there and could hear me. What else could I do? I had to get to the field where the others were so I wouldn’t face this alone. Louise was right. I wasn’t prepared and didn’t know how to take on a pack of wolves that threatened me. The front door rattled with the weight of a body slamming against it.

  I broke for the kitchen door that led to the deck. I threw it open and slammed into the large wolf standing there, it’s back nearly to my chest. A growl rose in my throat as I shoved the creature out of my way. It clamped onto my arm. I used my other hand to work the loose skin of his mouth on top of exposed teeth and pressed down forcing teeth through skin. The animal’s grip broke and I pulled away, blood running down my arm. I could hear the steps of the others on the porch, coming this way. I leapt from the top step, transforming in mid air. When I hit the ground I ran. I knew it was Channing and her two friends. They’d missed the calling, didn’t go. Brynna had described the place where the Lycernians planned to gather to administer the anti-viral. I knew where it was, knew how to get there, if I could just be fast enough. The woods at the edge of the yard parted into a path. I raced along it, the others right behind me.

  The path began to widen, the underbrush getting thinner and I knew the field couldn’t be far. Then, from the left, a wolf appeared and slammed into me. I went down, rolling across the ground taking the huge wolf with me. With all four feet, I shoved against it, pushing the wolf away. The animal rebounded and dripping teeth locked onto my neck. Another wolf grabbed my back leg and pulled in the opposite direction, while another grabbed my forefoot dragging in yet another direction. They were going to pull me completely apart. Then I remembered Louise’s words. Die by beheading with a special sword or be torn to pieces and the pieces would be burnt. A cry rose up in my throat and rent the air as I struggled.