The Love of a Lycan

by Veronica Corbyn

  “Happy birthday, Madison!” Her mother exclaims as we walk in the door.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Jennings,” I say as I follow Taylor up the stairs to her room.

  I suddenly begin to feel strange, so I head back down the stairs and out the door. I don’t want to disappoint my best friend, but I’m not sure now is the time to be around me. What can be wrong with me? I needed to find out.

  Weeks after my birthday party I wake up in my bed, dirt at my feet and up my legs. I am terrified but have no idea who to turn to. Everyone except Grams and Taylor already thinks I am weird, no one would believe me if I told them. I highly doubt if Grams would even believe me on this one. I climb out of bed and begin the process of cleaning the dirt from my legs and then my bed. I had been doing this almost daily for weeks since my party. I throw the sheets in the washer hoping Eileen didn’t see and I head for the school. I walk a different route than usual trying to avoid Taylor. I have not spoken to her much since the day after my party. I did not want to risk giving her whatever this is that is plaguing me.

  I reached the school and found Taylor waiting for me by the front steps. I look at the ground trying to avoid looking her in the eye. I did not have the time or want to argue with her over my lack of communication. I start up the stairs and she grabs my arm almost knocking me off the steps.

  “So, you are really going to walk right past me and not say anything to me after all these years of friendship? You are just going to let it all go. Why? For what? What did I do so wrong that you want to avoid me now?” Taylor asks as tears form at the corner of her eyes.

  “Taylor, I do not have time to get into it with you. I am going to be late for class if I don’t get in there and so are you!” I exclaim as I push past her.

  And so, my best friend Taylor and I have just had our first fight. Little does she know it is to protect her.

  Chapter Four

  Ican’t help but dwell on the fact that I know I am doing wrong by making her feel the way she feels, but I do not want to take the chance of passing on whatever this is to her. I am not even sure it can be passed around. I don’t even know what “it” is exactly. I go to class and try to concentrate on what was being said, but all I can think about is how awful I am being to Taylor. I know it is not the right thing to do but I also know I must continue to do it until I know what is going on with me.

  I manage to avoid her for the rest of the school day, and I head home alone. I walk to the house going a long way, so I do not run into Taylor as I walk. The longer I can go without having another confrontation with her the better I will be. I walk in the door and find Grams in the kitchen making her a cup of tea.

  “Hey Grams! How has your day been?” I ask as I grab a soda from the fridge.

  “Oh, my day has been good. How about yours?” She asks inquisitively.

  “My day was okay. You know, same old thing,” I say nonchalantly.

  “So, why have you been ignoring Taylor?” She asked me.

  I look at my Grams and try to keep my face from betraying me, but I have a feeling she can tell something is wrong. I have no idea what I need to say to her to keep her from pressing the situation, but I know I need to think of something and fast. I look away from her and clear my throat.

  “We just had an argument and need some time apart is all,” I say as I grab a soda from the refrigerator.

  “I know that all friendships have their struggles dear, but don’t leave things un-mended for too long. You girls have been so close for too long to just let your friendship die,” Grams says as she hands me a cookie from the cookie jar shaped like a cat.

  I smile as I take the cookie from her and nod my head in understanding. I know that I am putting the only friendship I have at risk, but I know deep down that I have to find out what is going on with me before I can hang out with Taylor in good conscience. I head to my room cookie in hand and pretend to work on homework when in reality I am thinking of things that could be wrong with me.

  I wake with startled as there is a knock at my bedroom door. I realize I had fallen asleep and I head for the door as I wipe the drool from the side of my mouth.

  “Your grandmother wanted me to let you know that dinner is ready,” Charlie says as I open the door. His face tells me I look scary and better get in front of a mirror pronto.

  I close the door and run to the mirror on top of my dresser. I can see why Charlie looked terrified when he looked at me. I grab my brush and start brushing the tangles out furiously. I have no idea why I have woken up from my small nap angry, but I feel something that was not there before.

  I fix my hair and run down the stairs to the dinner table. I take my seat as Grams watches me get situated. I feel her eyes on me and I do my best not to make eye contact with her. I know she is still curious about the situation with Taylor and I cannot tell her anything about it. We finish dinner in silence, and I clear my plate from the table. I kiss Grams goodnight and head for the stairs, but she stops me with the clearing of her throat.

  “Yes, Grams?” I ask as I turn around.

  “Madison, I know you are a young woman now and you are going through something, but please know that you may talk to me about anything going on with no judgment,” she says as she leaves the table.

  I know that I should confide in her, but I am afraid she will think I am crazy so I am going to keep it to myself for as long as I can. I climb the stairs to my room and flop onto my bed and stare at my ceiling. I watch as the fan turns in circles slowly. I feel my eyelids droop and slowly slip into sleep as the dreams overtake me.

  I wake in the morning a few weeks later and begin the ritual of cleaning myself and then the bed that I have become accustomed to. As I throw the sheets in the washer for the hundredth time, Nadia eyes me suspiciously.

  “I have seen you dump your sheets into that washer almost daily for weeks now. What is going on with you, child? Do you have a bedwetting problem we need to tell your grandmother about? It is nothing to be ashamed of, dear. Your father wet the bed until he was almost twenty,” she says in a hushed tone.

  “No, it isn’t anything like that. I... uh... have just been waking up sweaty and want clean sheets is all,” I say as I start the washer and head back to my room.

  I know if Nadia is noticing things, then Grams must be. I dress for school and head to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal. I know that I need to tell her what has been happening to me, but I fear what her reaction will be. I know that as much as I dread it, telling Grams what has been going on with me is the right thing to do.

  Chapter Five

  Islowly finish my cereal and take my bowl to the sink. I am not ready for the conversation that I am about to have with my grandmother and my palms suddenly get clammy. How is she going to react to what I tell her? Is she going to laugh at me and call me childish? Is she going to tell me I am crazy and have me committed? Those questions burned in my mind the whole time I walked down the hall to her library where she liked to have her morning coffee. I know that by talking to her about it now, I am going to be late for school, but that does not seem so important now. I enter the library and sit in the chair across from her. My presence in the library takes her by surprise.

  “Madison, what are you doing in here? You should be on your way to school now, you are going to be late,” she scolds me.

  “I need to talk to you about something that is very important, and I need to do it now before I lose the nerve to do so,” I say as I wring my hands nervously.

  “Of course, dear. What is the issue? Oh god, you are not pregnant, are you? Oh well, it doesn’t matter if you are. We’ll make sure it is loved and spoiled,” she says as I raise a hand to stop her.

  “No Grams, I am not expecting. It is a bit stranger than that I am afraid,” I say softly.

  “Well, goodness dear, what is it then?” She asks with a puzzled look on her face.

  I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I close my eyes and try my best to calm my frazzled nerves. “Ever
since the night of my birthday party, I have been waking up sweaty, naked, and covered in dirt. I have had to change my sheets every morning since then. I have no memory of being outside or anything that would bring dirt into my bed and that first morning, my roses had been shredded and I had stem pieces in my mouth. I have no idea what is wrong, and I am just a bit scared about it. That is why I have been staying away from Taylor. I do not want to give her anything that I have that might be contagious.”

  Grams looks at me in shock and takes several breaths before replying to me. “Oh, well I can tell you that it is nothing contagious. I know exactly what it is, and you are going to be fine. I only wish you would have come to me with this sooner. I could have saved you a lot of worry and stress, especially where Taylor is concerned,” she says in a matter of fact tone.

  I know she is right, and I heave a big sigh as I wiggle nervously in my chair. “I know I should have come to you sooner, but I was scared to. I was not sure how you were going to react when I told you and I really did not think you were going to know what the problem was. I thought that you would think I was crazy or something. So, what is it that I have and how do I get rid of it?” I ask her.

  “Madison Yvette James! I cannot believe you would think for one moment that I would think you are crazy! I have always told you that you could come to me with anything and not be judged for it. As for what it is, you may not believe me when I tell you this, but I am going to tell you anyway. Hundreds of years ago, our family was cursed by a Native American medicine man when they were forced off their land. Our family was cursed because it was our ancestors that forced them from their land in a long standoff. Since then, every man in our family has been born a shape shifter and they shift into a wolf. Only one female wolf is born every fifty years and you must be it this time. They call the female shifter an Acalia. I know this is going to take some time for you to process what I have told you and since you are already late for the day, you can stay home from school. I will call them and let them know. I am sure you have a lot on your mind now,” she says as she reaches for her phone to call the school.

  My mind is spinning from everything she said to me and I do not know who told her that story, but I cannot fathom that it is real in any way. I go back to my room and lay in my bed watching the ceiling fan as it spins in circles. How can this be happening to me? I knew I was strange, but I did not think I was this strange. How was I going to tell Taylor? I know she won’t believe it and it will just ruin our long-running friendship. I roll over and close my eyes hoping for a nap so that I may forget the things Grams told me, but sleep eludes me.

  Just as I am about to doze off, I hear the squeak of my bedroom door and Grams slowly shuffling across the bedroom floor. “Madison, I know you are struggling with this. I did too when it was told to me. My mother would have kept it a secret from me all of my life if she could have, but when my father disappeared mysteriously and I started asking questions, she decided to tell me the family secret. There is a school for people with your abilities in the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. I reserved a spot for you years ago just in case you were the Acalia. You will learn a lot there and be able to harness your abilities with their guidance. I know it is a shock and you will not know anyone, but it is the best thing I know to do for you in this situation,” she says as she lays a brochure on the bed beside me.

  I reach down and grab the brochure as she exits my room, closing the door behind her. I open the brochure and see the pictures of the sprawling forest and the state-of-the-art dorms. I know Grams is right, but it still hurt knowing I am going to have to leave everything I know and everyone I love behind.

  Chapter Six

  Istand beside the SUV as Charlie wait patiently for me to say my goodbyes to Grams and Taylor. I tell myself not to cry as Grams hugs me tightly. I am heading to a place that will hopefully help me come to grips with what I am and help me to harness my newfound ability. I keep telling myself it is a good thing that I am going, but part of me knows I need to be here to take care of Grams. She lets me loose from the hug and immediately I am wrapped in Taylor’s arms and squeezed until I fear my ribs are going to snap.

  “I am going to miss you so very much, Madison. It won’t be the same around here without you,” she says as tears drip down her cheeks.

  “Oh Tay, don’t cry. It isn’t like we are never going to see each other again; I will be back home for the holidays, I am sure. If you think about it that isn’t very long since Halloween is right around the corner. It will go by fast,” I say as I tell myself not to cry.

  I climb into the back seat of the SUV and Charlie closes the door. I roll the window down and wave as Charlie pulls out of the circular driveway in front of the house. Once we are out of sight of the house, I call home, the tears begin to flow, and I cannot stop them. I see Charlie watching me in the rearview mirror and I know I am worrying him. I try to pull in my emotions and stop the flow of tears that are flooding my face and wipe them from my skin.

  “Don’t worry about me Charlie, I will be just fine. It is just hard knowing I have to be away from everyone I love,” I say as I finally pull myself together.

  “I know it is going to be hard for you. I did this same thing with your father a long time ago. It was hard for him to be away from home also. He adored your grandmother and didn’t want to leave her with no one to help her. Your grandfather was gone a lot, so it was just us staff to help her. Your time here will fly by and you will be home with us again before you know it, my dear,” Charlie says as he pulls on to the interstate that will lead us to my new home.

  I stare out the window and watch the scenery fly by as I wonder what the school will be like and if I will finally fit in. Excitement begins to grow inside me as I think of the possibilities of the new friends I might make. I close my eyes and let the sound of the tires against the road lull me to sleep.

  WE ARRIVE AT THE SCHOOL after almost three days on the road and I am in awe of its massiveness. We pull into a gate and drive at least a mile up a lane before we reach the office where I am supposed to register and get my dorm number. Charlie waits in the car as I go in so that he can help me take my things to my room even though I insist he does not have to do so.

  “Go in and get the information that you need, Miss. I will wait right here for you,” he says with a grin.

  I nod and head inside, my nerves creating huge butterflies in my stomach. I make my way to the receptionist desk and am greeted by a plump, grumpy looking woman. “Can I help you?” She asks gruffly.

  “Yes, ma’am. My name is Madison James I am here to register for classes,” I say shyly.

  “Ah, yes. We’ve been expecting you. Your grandmother called us a few days ago and told us you were coming. We have everything ready for you and you are in dorm number thirty,” she says as she hands me the key to my room.

  The number on the key chain says thirty-seven so I begin looking for that number once Charlie and I enter the building. Once I located the room, I used the key to open the door. I see someone else’s stuff on the right side of the room so I drop my bag on the floor in front of the other bed. Charlie put the box with my bedding in it on the bed and leaned in for a hug. Tears welled up in my eyes as I know this is going to be the last time, I see him for a while. I hug him tight as I fight to keep the tears inside me.

  “Please take care of Grams for me. It makes me feel a bit better to know that you are there watching out for her,” I say as I let him go.

  “Of course, Miss James. I will take excellent care of her. You have nothing to worry about dear,” he says as he heads for the door.

  Just as he is about to open the door, it opens as a young girl walks in the room. Charlie nods in her direction and looks at me one last time before closing the door behind him. I fight with myself to keep the tears inside especially since there is another person in the room.

  “You must be the new girl everyone is talking about. Madison, right?” she asks as she sits on the bed across from
mine.

  “Yes, my name is Madison James. What is yours?” I ask softly.

  “My name is Veronica. What brings you here? What is your ability?” She asks curiously.

  My nerves well up inside me and I feel as if I am going to throw up, but I swallow the urge to do so and take a deep breath before answering her. “I am here because I recently found out that I can shift into a wolf even though I can’t remember doing it,” I say reluctantly.

  Veronica stares at me for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter. I look at her confused as I have no idea what is so funny about what I said to her. “I don’t find anything about what I said to be funny, so I am confused as to why you are laughing,” I say.

  “I am laughing because you are one dumb bitch if you believe whoever told you that bullshit story,” she says as she heads for the door of our room.

  “My grandmother told me that and she has never lied to me in my whole entire life so why would she feel the need to lie to me about something like that?” I ask as anger wells up inside me.

  “She lied to you about it so she could get rid of you, duh.” She said as she closed the door behind her leaving me alone.

  I threw a pillow at the door behind her. My new adventure is not starting out the way I hoped it would, but I have hope that it will get better.

  Chapter Seven

  Weeks pass and I miss home more each day as I find that I do not fit in at this place either. At home I have Taylor to talk to and help me keep my sanity, but here I have no one. I take a risk of being bullied every time I leave the safety of my dorm room as my roommate has made it her life’s goal to ruin mine. Veronica is a panther shifter and does not believe that female wolf shifters exist because she has never seen one. Once I told her what Grams had told me she left to immediately spread rumors about me all over campus. I spend my days alone most of the time since no one will sit with me in the cafeteria. I am used to this since this happened to me back home, but at least there I had Taylor. My heart lurches towards my stomach at the thought of her. I miss her more than I thought possible. I finish my lunch and stick my tray through the window so it can be washed and make my way to my next class. As I walk across the campus, I decide to text Taylor and let her know that I miss her.