Falling for Change

by KC Lee

  Charlie followed me down the hall. I stopped in the first bedroom and he went into the bathroom. Meeting in the hallway I reported, “There are a few outfits in the drawers and hunting gear hanging in the closet. Nothing else to tell us what he is up to. What about you? Find anything?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary. Did you smell that rot when we first walked in the house?” Charlie asked me taking a deep breath in his nose.

  “Ya I did. I haven’t found a source for it yet. I saw another door in the kitchen maybe it’s a basement. Lets go look.”

  Opening the basement door the pungent smell of rotting flesh overwhelmed Charlie and I.

  “God what is that? It smells like its been dead for months.” Charlie’s eyes were watering.

  “I don’t know but there’s no light switch up here. We’ll have to go down to find out.” I grabbed the railing and slowly made my way down the rickety wooden steps, allowing time for my eyes to adjust. Standing at the bottom of the steps I felt a string hit me in the face. I pulled at it and a faint buzzing sound started then a light flickered and stayed on.

  “Shit Blue. This guy is intense.” Charlie walked towards the far wall. A Metal rack took up the entire wall.

  The rack was full of hunting gear. Large hunting knives with curved and jagged blades. Two long swords with leather wrapped handles sat in their sheaths. There were ten hunting rifles seven had scopes and one sniper rifle. My heart rate increased and I was having a hard time keeping my wolf down. This was the guy we were looking for.

  I opened a box of bullets. Etched in the side of every bullet was the druid symbol for fire.

  “Dammit. I knew it. This guy is Chasseur. Charlie, come here.”

  “You might want to come over here first Blue. I found the source of the smell.” I looked up at the sound of Charlie’s voice. He was looking down into a white deep chest freezer and he looked a little pale, even for the dim lighting down here.

  Looking down into the freezer I felt my stomach drop. The heads of five wolves were wrapped in plastic. No doubt to try to cover the smell.

  Blood boiling I looked at Charlie. “Don’t you dare get sick. Go outside. I’m right behind you. I need to call Chloe and tell her what we found.”

  “Shit Blue. That’s just gross. He has five heads. And enough weapons for twenty people. How long has he known we were here?”

  “I don’t think he knew we were here until Becca got shot. Even then he just got lucky. It looks as though he’s been hunting any wolf he can find. All those heads were wolves. Which means they were real wolves not changers. Otherwise when he cut off the head it would have turned back to human form. My guess is he probably saw me come for Becca after he shot her. I must have gotten there before he could get to her to cut off her head.”

  “Thank God.” Charlie said. “How do you think he ended up with Liz then and at our family gathering no less?”

  “I don’t have that figured out yet. We will just have to ask him when we get him.” Charlie nodded his head as he stepped into the jeep and shut the door.

  “Mom. I’m in the jeep with Charlie. Where are you?”

  “Lovely darling, are you on your way back then? Let me check the food, make sure that I don’t need you to stop at the store.”

  “Ok.” I looked at Charlie whose face had turned green at the mention of food.

  “What did you find dear? I’m not sure I can keep them here much longer.”

  “It’s definitely him.” Charlie was nodding his head at me. “He has bullets with fire carved into them and we found the heads of five wolves in his basement. The whole house stunk of rot so they had to have been there for some time.”

  “Alright. I’ll grab your uncle Jerry and Aunt Lou. They can help take him to the basement. We’ll keep him there until the council of elders can vote on what to do with him. Head back here.”

  When we pulled up in the drive my mom was pacing back and forth. She looked angry as she stopped next to the jeep. “He’s gone. Somehow he made it out of here in his car. The other’s just left. Some in cars and others on foot. It’s dark now so I’m sure they’ll be in wolf form.”

  The sound of a waterfall rushing startled everyone. “What the hell is that?” Charlie looked into the night.

  “It’s my phone. It’s the ringtone for Anita. Where is it?”

  Charlie looked in the backseat then felt around under both our seats. “I haven’t found it yet. What the hell kind of ringtone is that?”

  “Ha.” I grabbed the phone out from under me.

  I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I answered the phone. “Anita?”

  “Blue? Liz and Pete are here. They let themselves in. They said you sent them over. I didn’t know we were supposed to be having a fire and drinks on the deck.”

  “Dammit. Mom he’s at my house with Liz, Anita and Phoebe. Send the others.” I yelled as I raced out of the drive and down the dirt road.

  “Anita, listen to me very carefully. Pete is Chasseur. Does Liz look distraught?”

  “Yes. She’s in the kitchen mixing drinks. When should I tell them to expect you?”

  “Dammit. He must have known we’d figure it out. Go in the kitchen so Liz can hear.”

  “Ok. Liz, Blue says she’ll be here soon.”

  “Now tell her to go to the basement and get the bottle of cognac. There’s a pistol down there. It should be loaded with the safety on. It’s behind the cognac. It will fit in her back pocket.”

  “Blue says she has a really old bottle of cognac in the basement Liz. She said run and grab it so we can celebrate with you and Pete.”

  “Is he in there with you Anita?”

  “Yes. She’s going to get it now. Hurry Blue. We don’t want to keep our guests waiting.”

  There was dial tone on the phone before Blue could respond.

  “Charlie, he has Anita, Phoebe and Liz at my house. Liz is on her way to the basement to get my gun but we need to be ready when we get there. I’m going to go in the front door. You go ‘round back and in through the kitchen.”

  Chapter 19 (Pete the Snake)

  I slowed the Jeep as I came to the driveway in front of my house. I didn’t want any suspicion that I was in more of a hurry than I should be to get there. Charlie jumped out of the jeep just before we pulled into the driveway and was already making his way to the back of the house.

  Opening the front door I could smell Anita’s fear. I heard Phoebe laughing from something Liz had said. “I’m back. Sorry it took me so long. Where are you guys?”

  “In the kitchen Blue.” Phoebe called out.

  Swinging open the kitchen door I heard Pete suggest that everyone go outside. “That sounds like a plan. Pete would you mind starting the fire first.”

  Pete stared me down. There was cold steel in his eyes and I could smell a mix of fear and adrenaline on him.

  “Sure. Matches?”

  We stared each other down. His eyes were steely and his jaw was set. I could feel my eyes start to glow. I gripped my hands into fists and kept every muscle in my body rigid to keep from changing in the middle of my kitchen. I could feel a line of sweat forming on my forehead and back. If I did it may just give him the upper hand I didn’t want him to get.

  “Found them.” Ignorant to what was going on Phoebe pulled out a box of matches from the drawer next to the fridge.

  Pete seemed to shake himself out and grabbed the matches as he walked out the back door.

  “Charlie’s waiting on the back deck to grab Pete. Liz, call my mother. Anita take Phoebe and Buddy and get in the jeep.”

  I ran outside just in time to see Pete pull out his gun and shoot Charlie. My heart thumped louder as the burn of anguish, fear and rage merged within my ears. My eyes scanned the darkness until they locked in on Charlie on the ground Pete standing not five feet from him, gun in hand.

  I could feel the adrenaline. As my body seemed to separate from my mind, the smell of silver, gunpowder, and fresh blood and urine flo
oded my nose and lingered in the air. My feet, which were once planted, were now weighted yet swift across the tile and onto the deck.

  I felt a slight tug on my shirt from behind. Ignoring it I charged Pete. Wood cracked and broke as we crashed straight through the railing of the deck. Landing in the grass, the gun made a soft thud from not too far away and time seemed to slow down. My body went numb as we landed on the ground. I mounted him as my first fist clenched and took aim. Thud! Faint echoes in the night air sounded like fists slamming meat.

  I barely heard Anita yelling for me. I swung again and felt his nose crack and shift. Wet. Blood. Heat rushed through my body and my body released my arms from shock, I couldn’t stop swinging. Flashes of Pete’s face shifting with each swing shocked my body. Knuckles started splitting, now burning and raw. I felt a blunt, cold impact of metal hit my cheekbone…I smelt something green. But greens not a smell it’s a color I wondered at the implications.

  Still dazed I toppled backwards off of Pete and touched the icy liquid pouring dripping down my face, I can’t see!. I could smell the vinegar scented, copper liquid. Stumbling and wiping to quickly gain sight, I felt him near me. He was afraid. The side of my face was throbbing and swelling as pain continued to ring through my ears, but I couldn’t stop moving. I closed my eyes and quickly stepped inward.

  I kicked out and heard bone crunch as he fell to the ground on one knee. He winced and yelled out in pain, “You fucking bitch!”

  Pointing the gun at me I heard it go off. Charlie must have shifted because his howl of pain mixed with the sound of the gunshot. At the same time Liz came running out the door knocking Pete off kilter just as I heard another bullet fly by my ear.

  I took a running dive straight at Pete. This time he landed flat underneath me. The blood on my hands from wiping the side of my face made them slippery. Struggling for the gun in between us another shot sounded. I didn’t feel any pain. Somewhere in the background I could hear Anita scream my name. The gun went off again. I rolled to the side feeling the hard deck underneath me. The smell of blood overtook my senses. Wiping at my chest I felt the stickiness on me. I looked down and couldn’t see a wound. I looked over at Pete. He wasn’t moving. Liz was standing above him my gun pointed down at his chest. I heard his heartbeat slow until I couldn’t hear it anymore.

  “Liz, he’s dead. Get Charlie in the house so we can see in the light.”

  Out of breath and shaky from the adrenaline rush and fighting to keep my wolf in, I struggled to my feet in search of Anita. Rounding the house I called out for her. She came running from the jeep, Buddy on her heels.

  “Oh my god Blue you’ve been shot. What happened? Get in the house. Let me look.”

  “This isn’t my blood. It’s Pete’s. He’s dead. We struggled for the gun after he shot Charlie. I need you to go in the kitchen. Liz should have Charlie in there now. He’s in wolf form.”

  Chapter 20 (Weird Mates)

  One week later I was sitting on my couch with Larry and Phoebe.

  “Blue says Charlie will be fine. They’ve confiscated all the weapons that Pete had and cleaned out his house. I knew he was a mistake just not a crazy, murdering mistake.”

  “Anita, you can’t blame yourself. It’s not like you knew any of this before you met him. Besides he used Liz to get close to the family, not you. You didn’t even meet Blue until after you dumped his sorry ass.” Phoebe had a wistfulness to her voice and sat absently petting Larry.

  “I know. I sure can pick them though. A killer and a wolf changer. Speaking of lady wolf changers have you heard from Becca. I know this is a lot to take in. I had a hard time of it myself. I’m kind of glad you know now. It was killing me not being able to tell you. How are you taking it all?” I rubbed Phoebe’s leg to get her attention.

  Sighing Phoebe said, “ I did hear from Becca once. She’s been pretty busy this week helping her mom and Blue. She said they pretty much erased Pete’s existence from life. They’ve also been going through everything he had in his house to make sure he didn’t contact any other hunters. I’m not sure how you coped with all of this. Becca and I haven’t even gone out on one proper date yet. I’m not so sure I can handle it all. I mean the dating thing.” Phoebe laughed. “The human changing into a wolf thing is pretty cool though. Imagine what that’d be like. I wonder if they can bite us and turn us into wolf changers too? I’d take superhuman powers any day.”

  “Well I think deep down I knew there was something different about Blue. She reminded me so much of Larry that I guess once I knew I wasn’t all that surprised. I was more hurt that she didn’t trust me than anything else. But after seeing what Pete did it’s understandable. Wait. What? You want to become a wolf changer? Well I guess you’re taking it all just fine.” My mouth dropped open. I’d never even thought about becoming a wolf or even if it was possible. I’ll have to remember to ask Blue about that.

  Phoebe laughed, “You’re right. You do pick the weirdoes.”

  “Not funny.” Chuckling I shook my head. “And you better decide soon about the dating thing because we’re due at Blue’s in an hour. Becca will be there along with Charlie, Liz and her parents and Blue’s mother.”

  “I know. We might as well head over now. I’ll just figure it out as I go along.” Phoebe stood walking towards the door.

  When we pulled up in front of Blue’s house Buddy was standing out front wagging his tale. Larry leapt from the car and chased Buddy around the house tails wagging. Phoebe and I followed at a slower pace.

  “Anita, Phoebe it’s lovely to see you both on a better occasion.” Blue’s mother stood on the deck. She was carrying out a plate of ribs. Becca stood at the grill with a ‘kiss the chef’’ apron on over her camo shorts and black ribbed tank.

  “Thanks for having us over. I’m sure you’re all exhausted after such a long week.” I said kissing Chloe’s cheek.

  “Nah. We have lots of stamina. I’m sure you’ve noticed with Blue.” Charlie wiggled his eyebrows at me.

  “You’re looking better than the last time I saw you Charlie. And clearly you’re feeling better.” I said in my sternest voice letting him know I was kidding as I stuck my tongue out.

  “Well you did help with that. Aunt Chloe why don’t you just hurry up and do the mating ceremony for Blue and Anita. We sure could use an animal doctor in the family.”

  Blue stepped onto the deck scowling at Charlie. “Charlie! Why don’t you just shut up before I give you another reason to need an animal doctor.” Blue growled.

  I walked towards Blue wrapping my hands around her waste. Her body was tense and her eyes were glowing as she scowled at Charlie.

  “What is he talking about? What’s a mating ceremony?” I asked looking between Blue and Charlie who had taken a step back.

  “Don’t worry about it right now. I’ll explain later. Right now I just want to have a nice relaxing night with my family and send them on their way so I can have an even better night with you.”

  She leaned down wrapping her arms around my waste. As she kissed me I could feel the tension leave her body. “Sounds good to me.”