The Altering (Coywolf Series Book 1)

by Abby Tyson

  "What?" Savi sat down. Her grandparents had always been so judgmental of her mother. "Grandma and Grandpa Claudie would not have done that."

  "They did." George chuckled. "They even tried to push me and Odette together, but luckily she was smart enough to know that was a dead end. Your grandfather himself drove us all to the Dining Car Restaurant and back on more than one occasion. Of course, when Chloe did fall for Monty, she fell further than her parents liked."

  "Yeah, he got her pregnant and ran."

  George gave Savi a stern look. "Your father loved Chloe -- as much as an 18-year-old can be in love, anyway. Sure, at first it was just about placating his ego, but he fell just as hard as she did. He brought Chloe everywhere he went." He paused, smiling as he watched memories Savi wished she could see. "Everywhere we went. Monty came to visit me in school up in New Hampshire almost every weekend, and he always brought Chloe. Really they just wanted to get out from under the eyes of her parents."

  "Then why did he leave?" Savi hated how whiny she sounded. She looked down at her eggs, but eating was out of the question. She pushed the plate away. "And what promise did you make?"

  Still staring blankly into space, he finally shook his head and said, "Honestly, I don't know why he left Chloe. He called me the day she told him she was pregnant -- the day after Thanksgiving. He was elated. He checked out baby books from the library, made a list of names, even started looking at houses for sale in her neighborhood. I didn't see either of them until the day before Christmas break. Monty showed up asking if he could stay in my dorm while I was home for the holidays, and he was still there when I came back. I asked about Chloe once, and all he said was that it was over."

  Savi found it hard to believe that he didn't know something as important as why his so-called best friend abandoned his unborn daughter, but she let him continue uninterrupted.

  Rubbing his eyes, he said, "I should have done more to stop him. I was a dumb 18-year-old too, and more than a little jealous of all the attention he was giving Chloe. I was thrilled to have my best friend back, all to myself. But he was never the same. He would take my car and disappear all night. When I asked him where he'd been, he would ignore me, but I know for a fact that sometimes he'd just sit in the car outside your mom's house. Then one night he took the car and never came back."

  As Savi listened to him, she got the impression that George was holding back. Too much of what he said had the ring of truth for it to be outright lying, besides the fact that he had a picture of her father and him together. But she found herself trying to read between the lines of what he was saying.

  "None of this explains why you were there last night," she said, "and your promise."

  George stood up and leaned against the counter, his back to Savi. "He called me a few times after he left, but I didn't see Monty again until just before he died. My parents started a retreat when we were kids, and I'd been helping my mom with it since the year before, when my dad passed away. Your father came to see me, and he looked awful." George turned to her. "He was gaunt, and weak. He refused to be taken to a hospital. On his deathbed --"

  The front door opened and Ren came in, dressed in the same camouflage outfit he'd worn the night before. He paused when he saw George and Savi. "Marley here?" he asked.

  Savi stared at him, but all she could see was her father on his deathbed.

  "I think he's in his bedroom," George said, wiping away tears.

  Ren disappeared into the hallway. They heard the bedroom door close.

  "Maybe we should wait until we can talk in private," George said.

  The thought of leaving the story unfinished was unbearable. "No, tell me. Now."

  Though the air was close and warm in the small apartment, George rubbed his arms as he continued. "On his deathbed, Monty asked me to watch over you and Chloe. He was tortured by regret. He was in so much physical pain, but it was nothing compared to the mental anguish he felt. All he talked about was you two. He had been sending you money for several years, and he asked me to continue that as well."

  "The money orders? Those were from him? And you?"

  Nodding, he said, "I've seen you camped out at the convenience store, watching everyone who walked in, and it broke my heart. But Monty asked me not to tell you two what happened. He didn't want you to know what he'd become." George sat back down and held his head in his hands. "It's what he wanted. I don't know if it was right, but it's what Monty wanted."

  Savi didn't know either. She had spent the better part of her life sitting outside that convenience store. She'd shown Yeejoon the picture so many times he finally made a copy of it and kept it in the cash register, in case his mother or father were there when her dad came in. All that time, wasted. And yet, for the past year, the dream of finding her father had been one of the few things keeping her going.

  George lifted his head, looking at Savi with wet eyes. "He made me promise to keep you both safe, and I've done my best ever since. There hasn't been a need for me to do anything other than the money, until now, but since you were thirteen years old I've been a part of your life. I went to all of your softball games and debate competitions, watching you and cheering you on, all to keep the spirit of your father alive. When you got the job at Beanie Beanie, I was able to get the manager position and finally get to know you for real. Your father would have --"

  "Stop," Savi said, startling George out of his nostalgia. "Just stop." She stood up and paced the small kitchen.

  This was all too overwhelming. Anger and grief and a whirlwind of other emotions swirled inside her. Savi sat back down and studied the man sitting in front of her as if seeing him for the first time. She'd worked side by side with George for over a year, but seeing him now, barely holding himself together, he was nothing like the confident, jovial man she'd come to know. The tufts of gray hair at his temples that she had always considered distinguished were now lost in the several patches of gray she'd never noticed before. He had always seemed so tall and dashingly handsome, but now, hunched at the table across from her, he looked small, and tired.

  George had been one of the few people who could make her laugh this past year. But picturing him watching her grow up, standing at the outskirts of her life, practically stalking her, made her skin crawl.

  "So how did you find me at the barn?" she asked.

  "When you said you were camping this weekend at October Mountain, I got the campsite next to you." At Savi's visible repugnance, he held up his hands as if to defend himself. "I wasn't planning on using it -- it was more of a buffer against creeps camping next to you."

  Savi scoffed, hoping George caught the irony of trying to protect her against creepy men.

  "But after the robbery, I had the feeling I needed to keep an eye on you. I wasn't able to get there as early as I'd hoped, but I arrived just as you were walking into the woods. I followed you and saw the two men from the Alters kidnap you. I knew I couldn't take both of them, and since I knew where they lived, I just went there. I hid in the woods, trying to figure out how to get you out, and when I finally had a plan, you found me first." He smiled. "Turns out you were able to take care of yourself and escape. But at least I was able to help everyone get back to the park."

  Again, George's story didn't feel completely true. But maybe that was because of how unreal last night felt now, in the light of day.

  The bedroom door opened, and Marley came out, wearing camo to match his brother. He paused, looking back and forth between the two of them, then started opening cabinets and grabbing snack food.

  It took a few moments of watching Marley for Savi to remember her earlier conversation with him. "Are you guys leaving now?" asked Savi.

  "Soon."

  "Did you figure out how to get Hettie and Colby out of there too?" she asked.

  "Hettie's there?" asked George.

  Savi nodded. "They altered her." George closed his eyes and hung his head.

  "We can't afford to lose focus," Marley said, his back to her
. "We're only getting the silver wolf tonight."

  Moving to stand beside him, she said, "But the silver wolf bit Hettie. If you do get it, we can change her back too."

  Marley reached past Savi to open a cabinet. “I talked to Ren, and he’s right. If we try to do more, we could lose everything. My dad won't last another cycle."

  "Then I'll help. I'll come with you."

  At the same time that Marley said, "Ren won't allow it," George said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

  Savi scowled at both of them before settling on Marley. "I know I'm not a world-class hunter or anything, but I could be a lookout. There are five of them and only two of you. I'll at least even the odds a little."

  "There are only four of them," he said, a little of the color draining from his face.

  "What?" both Savi and George asked.

  "I had to shoot one of them in the leg -- the short guy."

  The memory of what Baxter had done to her quashed the instinct to feel any sympathy for him. She stepped in front of Marley, his arms laden with the heap of protein bars and trail mix he'd accumulated -- far more food than seemed necessary for a one-day trip. Marley's glare made her wither slightly, but she stood her ground.

  "Please wait for me. I just need 45 minutes to run down the street and get some appropriate clothes and take a quick shower. I feel filthy, and I'm sure I smell it too." Marley didn't return her weak smile. "I'll be ready before you are."

  Marley stepped sideways, and she stepped with him. Softening her tone, she said, "I need to help if I can. I'll do whatever you say. I'll even do what Ren says."

  He met her gaze, and Savi held it. She thought she caught a flash of the warmth she'd seen by the playground, but it was too quick to be sure.

  Marley was the first to look away. "I'll talk to him."

  "Thank you," she said. He nodded and went back in his bedroom.

  Turning to George, she said, "Can I take your car?"

  He frowned. "I don't think you should go back there."

  "You helped me, but Hettie's still there. I can't leave her alone." Even as she said it, she pictured Hettie holding Colby's hand.

  I doubt their newfound love lasted the night, Savi thought. A wave of guilt swept through her as Savi realized that was what she wanted.

  "Have you tried calling her?" George asked. "Maybe she was able to get out on her own somehow."

  "Marcia did say that we were free to leave in the morning." Hope swelled within her. But when she realized that her hope was tempered by disappointment, because then she wouldn't have a reason to spend more time with Marley, Savi felt even guiltier.

  Don't lose yourself!

  "That would be preferable," Savi said firmly, as much to herself as to George. "Where's your phone?"

  George looked around the kitchen. "They must have one here."

  Savi knocked on their bedroom door. Ren opened it, with Marley behind him stuffing the food into a rucksack.

  "Where's your phone?"

  "Why?" Ren asked.

  "I want to call Hettie to see if she got out on her own."

  "They took ours yesterday," Marley said. "I'll grab Dad's." He went across the hall, returning with a handful of broken cellphone bits. "Looks like he got to it while we were gone."

  Savi went back to George and held out her hand.

  "It's in my car," he said, standing up and limping towards the door. "I'll go get it."

  "I can get it," said Savi. "Just give me the keys."

  "No, no, I'll get it. You don't know where I'm parked."

  Savi followed him. "I'll come with you. If she doesn't answer, I'll go buy some clothes."

  George looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. "Okay." He put an arm over her shoulder and hugged her close. "Now you're taking care of me, eh?"

  When they reached his car, George unlocked it and retrieved his phone from the armrest. But when Savi reached for it, he put up a hand to stop her. "Hold on. Let me get it to the phone part." Smirking, he said, "You're not used to this high-tech equipment."

  Rolling her eyes, she said, "I've used Hettie's iPhone before."

  After another few seconds he handed it to her. Luckily she'd gotten her cell phone after Hettie got hers, so Savi had Hettie's number memorized. With every ring she pictured a different memory from the night before: the gun pointed at her, Colby's tortured cries, running for her life in the woods. She did not want to go back there, but when it switched to voicemail, she knew she had to. And she couldn't deny that a part of her -- a very small part -- was glad.

  She hopped in the car as she left a message. "Hettie, it's Savi. I'm using someone else's phone. Call me at this number. I need to find out where you are and if you're okay. Call me immediately."

  Hanging up, she asked, "Are you coming with me?" George shook his head. "Okay. Can you tell them that Hettie didn't answer and I'll be back as soon as I can?" He nodded as she started the car.

  Just as George was about to close the door, she called, "Hey, George?"

  "Yeah?"

  She gave him a wide grin and batted her eyelashes. "Do you have any cash?"

  His smile didn't reach his eyes. "My wallet's in the armrest too. Just make sure you always lock the doors."

  It took her just over half an hour to find a strip mall and suitable clothing for a hike through the woods. When she returned, she bounded into the apartment to see George sitting on the couch with his feet up, watching TV. Dropping his keys on the kitchen table, she headed toward the bathroom. She knocked on Ren and Marley's closed bedroom door to tell them she was on schedule to leave in fifteen minutes. When no one answered, she opened the door just a crack.

  "Guys?" she said quietly, still mindful of their father just behind her. "Is everybody decent?" She still heard nothing. With a sinking feeling, she opened the door wide open.

  The room was empty.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gathering her courage, she cautiously turned the doorknob to their father's bedroom.

  If Marley's room was a veritable wrapping paper of quotes and poetry selections, Warren's room was the gift inside. Every surface -- chairs, shelves, the floor -- was piled high with books, and Savi could see enough of the titles to know that the majority were volumes of poetry. They called to her, urging her to stay and lose herself in their comforting and inspiring words.

  Warren, asleep, stirred in his bed. Savi closed the door softly and walked back to the living room. Grabbing George's keys from where she'd left them, she moved to stand between him and the TV.

  "When did they leave?" she asked, thinking she might be able to catch up.

  "Ren and Marley left right after you did. I passed them in the hall on my way back up."

  "But Marley said he'd talk to Ren."

  "He was just saying that, kiddo. He didn't want to hurt your feelings. You can't go with them, you know that."

  Savi bristled at George's parental tone. "What do you mean I know that?"

  Keeping his voice low, he said, "The boys have hunting experience, and experience dealing with werewolves. They know what they're getting themselves into. You were lucky to get out of there last night -- don't press it."

  Savi knew she should keep her voice down, but George had always been one of the few adults around her who wasn't patronizing, which made his current condescension all the more infuriating. "Marley and Ren only got out of there because I stayed to create a diversion. I may have been lucky," Savi spat the word, "but they weren't, and neither was Hettie."

  "Hettie's a bright kid, and the boys are strong enough to handle themselves in a tight spot. They'll be okay."

  "And I'm not smart or strong?"

  George frowned. "You know I didn't mean it that way, kiddo."

  "Stop calling me that." She spun away from him and went to the door.

  "Wait," he called, limping after her. "You can't go. These Alters are well-meaning, but I've seen them get dangerous if they think their mission might be compromised. You
have no idea what they'll do to you. I won't let you walk into a place like that."

  "I can't go? You won't let me?" His words released the floodgate of anger that had been threatening to burst all morning. Savi's voice dropped to just above a whisper, but lost none of its venom. "Whatever twisted fantasy you've been living in for the past five years, you are not my father. My father is dead, and it's your fault I never knew him. It's your fault he didn't come back."

  A distant voice told her she was being unfair, but she ignored it, giving in to the rage.

  "All morning you've been acting like I'm some broken child. I may not be as smart as Hettie or as strong as Marley and Ren, but I'm all Hettie has. Marley and Ren are just going to leave her there, and she'll miss her only chance to get changed back if I don't go."

  Tears threatened to break through. George was about to speak, but she didn't want to hear him. She yanked open the door and ran down the hallway.

  "Savi!" George called. "You can't go back there! They won't let you leave this time!"

  Heedless of George's words, Savi ran. The hallway swam in front of her. She breathed through her tears, and by the time she was outside, her vision, and her mind, were clear.

  Her campsite was a museum exhibit, preserving her life before she learned the truth about werewolves and George and her father, right down to the Emily Dickinson book and empty cup on her bright red camping chair. Savi sat in George's car, parked beside her own, the weight of the past 24 hours crushing down on her. Resting her head on the steering wheel, Savi thought through her plan.

  Get my pack, grab some food, rescue Hettie, change her back, live happily ever after.

  "Easy peasy," she said, talking over the sneering voice that pointed out she hadn't been happy before all of this, so there was no reason to be happy after.