by K. C. Blake
“Let him go!” Silver shouted, appearing in front of them with a shiny sword in her hands. “Do it now or I’ll take your head off.”
Billy growled in frustration. “How long are you going to waste your time with this pathetic piece of trash? You need a strong man, someone who doesn’t hide behind little girls.”
“Let him go,” she repeated. To Jack she said, “Don’t worry. Mom and dad are here. If I can’t stop him, they will.”
Billy’s demeanor changed upon hearing about the other two hunters. His hold lessened on Jack. With a snarl, he shoved Jack straight at Silver, and she had to drop the sword to keep from accidentally impaling him. She grabbed onto him to keep him from falling. Her arms went around his waist, but Jack pushed her behind him, protecting her in case Billy wasn’t done with them.
“You’d better go,” Jack said. His body began to shake as a result of nearly getting killed by his brother. A thing like that could traumatize a person for life. “Andrew is too good a hunter to let you walk away even if you were like family to him.”
Using something Jack had told him in confidence about his days as a vampire, Billy lifted his hand with his thumb and pinky finger bent down and touching. He flashed what looked like a backwards ‘W’ and said, “Werewolves rule, man.”
The perverted copy of something Jack had once held as sacred stunned him into speechlessness.
Billy arched his back and howled at the moon. It was a horrible sound. Jack and Silver covered their ears. Jack’s eyes stayed on his brother in case the younger Creed boy decided to try another attack. But Jack didn’t have to worry. Billy was done for the night.
Billy turned and ran away. He leaped over some gravestones while darting around others, and Jack watched him go with a heavy heart. If he didn’t kill Jersey, he’d lose his brother forever. Another terrible thought made him start after Billy. Silver latched onto his arm, stopping him in mid-step.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked.
“I want to make sure he gets out of the cemetery without running into your parents. I don’t want them to kill him.”
“Mom and dad aren’t here.” She gave him a look like he was an idiot. “They wouldn’t let me walk up to a werewolf like that even if I did have a sword.”
The word werewolf made Jack wince. His blood went from a slow slimmer to a raging boil. Jaw tight, he said, “I’m going to kill Jersey Clifford for this. I don’t care how I have to do it. We need to find him. Now.”
Silver placed a comforting hand on his arm. “We will.”
“How did you know I was here? Did you follow me?”
“No.” She laughed with a harsh sound. “Jersey told me. He was hoping you would kill your brother and lose your mind. But just in case you couldn’t handle Billy, he called me for back-up. He told me where to find you so I could save you at the last second.”
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” He stared after his disappearing brother. “I mean, it’s dangerous out there.”
“He’ll be fine.” She applied light pressure to his arm and pulled on him. “We need to get out of here. I’ll drive you home.”
Reluctantly Jack turned away from the direction his brother had taken, and he walked through the cemetery with Silver at his side. The most horrible pain of his life filled every fiber of his being. Emotional pain was worse than losing an arm. He kind of wished Billy had broken his bones. That would have hurt a lot less.
He put an arm around her shoulders. Together they crossed the cemetery. Feeling weak from the loss of blood, he tried not to lean too heavily on her. Not that she’d complain. As soon as they reached his house he would need to use some of her stored blood, make sure he didn’t suffer adverse effects due to the werewolf attack.
How was he going to live through this, knowing his brother was out there somewhere, living life as a monster?
******
One day slid into the next until Jack lost track of time. He didn’t leave the house for any reason just in case Billy decided to come home, and he didn’t want any company, not even Silver. Because he wanted to be alone, he’d convinced the Reigns to go home and continue on with their lives while his was on standby. Grief had taken up permanent residence in his heart. Sometimes it even hurt to breathe. He didn’t know how he was going to make it without Billy.
Now he’d lost everyone.
His parents were dead.
Billy was missing... maybe dead.
Every day Jack moved around the house like a lost soul confused on which way to turn to find eternity. He wasn’t living or dead. Numb for the most part, he haunted his own house, becoming a shadow of his former self. He had one constant thought: find Billy and save him.
After several days it occurred to him that he could touch one of Billy’s possessions and catch a scene from his memory. If Jack concentrated on where Billy was hiding, it was possible he might get a glimpse of the location. With that in mind, Jack went to Billy’s bedroom. He pulled open the dresser drawers one by one and grabbed miscellaneous items. Nothing happened. His hands grasped at various objects including Billy’s car keys. Still nothing.
Jack sank down on the edge of Billy’s bed. He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. Frustration forced a growl from his dry throat. He felt like ripping the room apart, destroying everything, but he held onto his temper. If his brother returned someday, he’d expect to find his room looking like he’d left it.
The door downstairs banged against the interior wall.
Jack’s heart leaped in his chest. He raced from the room, down the hallway, and practically flew down the stars. The foyer was empty. “Billy?” he shouted.
Silver entered from the kitchen with a relieved smile as if she’d been thinking he had left town. “No. Sorry. It’s just me. I knocked, but I guess you didn’t hear me.”
“What are you doing here?” A hurt look passed over her face, but he was too lost to care. His hands slid into the pockets of his jeans, and he shuffled from foot to foot, feeling awkward around her. The last time he’d seen her it had been the day after his brother’s rebirth as a werewolf.
“I was worried about you,” she said. “We all were.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine. If you want to worry about someone, worry about Billy. He’s out there living a cursed life now, and I have to find him before something worse happens. I have to save him.”
If anyone would understand his desperate need to help Billy, he expected it to be Silver. Even before meeting him she had had dreams about him, and she’d read about him in the diary. By this point she should know him better than anyone else on the planet. She should know what he was planning to do before he even did it.
Jack waited for her to say something, but it wasn’t her voice that answered him.
A feminine voice came from the living room instead. “You aren’t alone in this.” Vanessa stood under the arch and smiled, but her eyes were filled with the same sadness that he felt. She added, “Billy lived with us for quite a while, you know, and we grew to love him. We can find him if we work together.”
“No!” The word burst past Jack’s lips, louder and more vicious than he’d intended.
Startled, Vanessa’s body jerked as if he’d slapped her, and the blood drained from her face.
“Jack!” Silver yelled. “What is wrong with you? My mom only wants to help.”
“You want me to go looking for my werewolf-brother with hunters? You must think I’m out of my mind. If your dad gets anywhere near Billy, he’s dead, and you know it. Andrew Reign isn’t going to let a werewolf walk around free, no matter who it is.”
Vanessa clasped her hands together and shook her head. She spoke to him in the same tone she’d use with a small, frightened child. “I know you’re hurting. I understand how you feel.”
“How could you possibly understand how I feel? Has someone you love morphed into a werewolf lately?”
“No.”
“Did you lose ten years of your life and
finally get the chance to come home only to find out everything has changed?”
“No.”
“Have you lost your entire family?”
Once again Vanessa gave him the one syllable answer he wanted. “No.”
“That’s right.” He nodded, feeling a bit superior at the moment. “No one knows how I feel.”
“Then tell us.” Vanessa held her arms open to him as if she was hoping to hug him. She was pulling out all the stops, using every maternal instinct that she had to reach him, but it wasn’t going to work. Jack steeled himself against crying even as she said, “Get it all out. How do you feel?”
“Cursed.” Too weary to shout anymore, his voice dropped to a near whisper. “That’s how I feel. Why does everyone I love have to die?”
Silver stepped forward to stand between Jack and her mother. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Incredibly beautiful, the very sight of her should have eased his pain, but it didn’t. She said, “You can’t give up on Billy. He isn’t dead.”
Jack could admit the truth even if she couldn’t. “We don’t know that. We don’t know anything because no one has seen him since he turned.”
“Well you haven’t lost me. I’m still here.”
“For how long?” Jack headed for the front door. “You’ll either die or you’ll leave me. It’s inevitable.”
“I won’t.” She shook her head almost violently.
Jack jerked the front door opened and motioned for her to use it. He wanted them both to leave, Silver especially because he couldn’t hold onto his emotions. He was on the verge of bawling like a baby and didn’t want her to witness it. “I want you to go. Go off to college, and forget about me because I’m going to forget about you.”
“Jack.”
“I’m serious. Get out! Get out of my life, and don’t come back.”
The tears began to spill, and he instantly hated himself. Her lips trembled. Before he could recall the words, she stormed out the door. Feeling mean, he’d tried to stab her with an invisible dagger, but he’d slashed his own major arteries instead. When he looked around, he found Vanessa glaring at him.
She didn’t have to tell him she expected him to go after Silver and make things right. His hand tightened around the doorknob. Silver would be better off without him. They all knew it. But he needed to stop being such a coward. Fear had made him hurt her before she could hurt him. It wasn’t right. She deserved better.
Vanessa cleared her throat.
“I’m going,” he said. “I’m going.”
Jack went out to the porch and found Silver sitting on the steps. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. The sight of her crying threw a dark blanket over his problems. They became invisible for the moment. He plunked down next to her and said, “If it will make you feel better, you can hit me.”
“Last time you said those words you regretted them.” In a small voice she asked, “Do you really want me to leave?”
“I never want you to leave... but you probably should. People who get too close to me wind up dead. It’s safer for you if you go to college and forget me.”
Silver exploded to her feet and shouted at him. “That is the stupidest thing that’s ever come out of your mouth!” While he sat in stunned silence, she paced in front of him and unloaded her frustration. “Did you create the first werewolf? I don’t think so. The only one responsible for all the deaths is Lovely. You know, I used to idolize her. I thought she was this awesome and fearless woman with a tragic love life. Now I just think she was a selfish little girl throwing a tantrum because she had to choose and couldn’t have both of the guys she wanted.
“What an idiot! Our lives are totally screwed up because she couldn’t make up her freaking mind. Instead of acting like an adult and picking one guy, she had to turn them into monsters. I wish she was still alive so I could rip her soul out through her nostrils.”
Jack grinned. “I’ve missed that.”
Silver blinked at him. “What?”
“The fire in your eyes. I haven’t seen it in a long time.”
“Whose fault is that?”
Great. Now she was going to turn her anger at the situation onto him. Would he ever learn when to keep his mouth shut? He wiped sweaty hands on his jeans. Wanting to clear the air once and for all, he explained, “I didn’t invite Isobel into our dream. She’s just full of surprises. The girl is tenacious.”
Silver glared down at him. With arms folded over her chest, she asked, “Should I be jealous? I mean, you talk about her like she’s still here, and maybe she’ll come back to life someday. So do I need to worry? Did you like her?”
“Hell no.” The bitter vehemence in his tone brought a light of relief to Silver’s eyes. He added, “Actually, I kind of already have my eye on a certain stubborn blond with a bad temper.”
“Stubborn?”
He grinned again and stood up so he could touch her. His hands went to her waist. Holding onto her, he asked, “You want to argue about that now?”
“No.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “I want to kiss you.”
“That’s a coincidence. I want to kiss you too.”
Jack started to lower his face to do just that, but the sound of a car intruded on their moment. His head jerked up in the hope of seeing his brother. It was Ian Carver. The car slid to a stop next to them. Ian pulled two suitcases from the backseat before circling the vehicle to stand in front of Jack and Silver.
“Going somewhere?” Jack asked.
Ian’s mouth twisted into a slight sneer. “I’m moving in. You and I are going to get to know each other whether we want to or not. Vanessa called. She pointed out that we are family and as such, I owe it to you to watch out for you. Apparently I am the only family you have left.”
A heavy rock settled in Jack’s stomach and he felt like puking all over Ian’s polished black shoes. After swallowing hard, he said, “Billy is coming back. He’s coming home.”
“Glad to hear it. I won’t bother to unpack then.” Ian carried the cases up the porch stairs. He made one last parting shot over his shoulder before pushing his way into the house. “You still owe me some book reports. I want them all by the end of the week or you won’t graduate.”
Before Jack could think of something to say, Silver yelled up at the dark intruder. “His brother just got turned into a werewolf. You can’t possibly expect him to do schoolwork right now. What is wrong with you?”
Ian didn’t bother to respond.
For years Jack had wanted to graduate. His parents would have wanted him to graduate. He could practically hear his father saying, “There’s nothing you can do about your brother, so deal with what’s on your plate.” The last book Jack had read filled his mind, and he started to mentally list the points he wanted to make on the report. He headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Silver called after him.
“You heard the man. I have book reports to do. No matter what, I’m going to graduate with you. Nobody is going to stop me from getting that diploma.”
Silver hurried to cover the distance between them. She took his hand and smiled up at him. “I’ll help you do them. Two brains work faster than one.”
******
Chapter Twenty-Five:
GRADUATION DAY
For a decade he’d dreamed about the graduation he’d missed, imagining it in vivid detail until he couldn’t take the emotional pain of being denied something he desperately wanted. During those torturous hours of daydreaming he had seen his parents’ proud smiles as he accepted a diploma. He had even pictured Billy, his kid brother, squirming around and making bored faces during the ceremony. Not graduating had been one of his biggest regrets.
Real-life moments couldn’t compete with fantasy though, at least not in Jack’s experience.
From the moment he opened his eyes that day, a heavy cloud blocked out the sun’s warmth. He ate breakfast alone and stared at the empty chair across the table from him. Billy wasn’t there to tease
him or make him nervous. His brother had disappeared after their fight in the cemetery, leaving Jack to wonder if a hunter had bagged him. There wasn’t a full moon anymore. Billy should have returned to his senses by now. So where was he? Why didn’t he come home?
Although Ian had made good on his threat to move in with Jack, they rarely shared meals. Between hunting and playing principal, Ian had a lot to keep him occupied. At least Jack didn’t have to ‘make nice’ with his hostile uncle. When Ian was in the house, Jack made excuses to be somewhere else. Avoiding the man was a bit juvenile, but it worked.
Vanessa insisted that Jack ride with them to the graduation ceremony. Maybe she was afraid he wouldn’t show up otherwise. In truth, he wanted to stay home and skip the whole ordeal, but he needed to be there for Silver. He didn’t want to disappoint her. She’d been through enough already because of him.
The girl had missed Senior Prom because of him. With Billy missing and maybe even dead, Jack hadn’t wanted to leave that night. Trina didn’t have a date either, so she’d begged Silver to go with her. But Silver had stayed with him that evening, literally holding his hand while they waited for the door to open and Billy to walk in. Somehow he’d make it up to her. At the very least he would graduate with her.
Unfortunately the school put them in alphabetical order so he couldn’t sit next to her. He was in the front row, and she was somewhere near the back. When ‘acting’ Principal Ian Carver called his name, Jack reluctantly stood. His eyes automatically swept the crowd, and he realized with a start that he was searching for his family. The daydreams of graduating, of how it should be had brainwashed him. His mom would have been crying. Perhaps his father’s eyes would have misted over too.
Jack moved forward on legs that felt like rubber to accept the long-awaited piece of paper. His hand reached out even as a familiar face stole his attention. Billy. Jack tripped over his own two feet as he walked across the stage. A few people chuckled in the background, and Ian raised a curious eyebrow. Worried that the hunters in the room would see his brother and go after him, Jack kept moving. He took the diploma and shook Ian’s large hand before continuing on to the other side of the stage as if nothing important was on his mind.
