Isabel and the Wolf: (Part 4)

by Ariana Hawkes

  But, as she arrived home, there was a patrol car in her driveway. She pulled in behind it and got out of her car wearily. She walked past it and up to her door with dragging steps.

  “Josie told me that you know,” Jed said, from behind her. She turned to see him climbing out of the police car. Her subconscious registered that he looked great in his uniform, but her brain dismissed the thought. She crumpled onto her doorstep and looked at him. There was no way she was going to let him into her house. She was utterly drained by the things she’d heard over the past few hours, and just wanted to be alone to chat with Kara.

  “She didn’t waste any time,” she said dully.

  “I never wanted you to find out. And last night, when you ran away from me, I knew it was too late, but I was still hanging onto a shred of hope that you would dismiss it all as a silly idea – as humans usually do.”

  “If I hadn’t met both you and Peter, I might have done. I might have just concluded that I was having a moment of insanity when I saw Peter transforming right in front of my eyes. But there were just too many coincidences.”

  “I don’t know if I’m more mad at Josie for confirming your suspicions, or at Peter for coming here and messing everything up!” he said. “Gila was a special place. We maintained the integrity of our packs, preventing any outsiders from finding out about us. And then werewolves from around the world started hearing about us, and hoping we could help them to rejuvenate their perishing lines. But they’ve got no respect for the laws we’ve got in place, and they take careless risks!” He stopped abruptly, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rant. What’s done is done. But I need to ask you something very serious.” He turned his blazing blue and amber eyes on her, and she fought the urge to look away. “I’m asking you, if you care about Silver City, and about any of its inhabitants, could you please not mention this to anyone? I mean, anyone at all? Not even people you trust. The last thing we need is for it to become an open secret.”

  “Kara pretty much knows. I told her all about what happened with Peter,” Isabel said warily.

  “This is all his fault!” Jed shouted. “He’s not the first outsider to come here, but he’s caused more trouble than all the rest of them put together. I knew he was trouble as soon as I saw him, and I’ve had my eye on him for a long time. I know it was him who was seen running through the city that night. I just can’t prove it. If I could, he’d be out of here faster than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking competition!”

  Isabel laughed loudly at his turn of phrase, relieved that it gave her an opportunity to hide her reaction to what he’d just said. Could Jed really kick Peter out of town?

  “He’s so goddamn arrogant,” he fumed. “He thinks because he comes from this aristocratic family from the ancient heartland, he can do whatever he wants here. And it just ain’t so!” He kicked at the gravel with the toe of his boot. “I don’t know how you can be with him, Bella. I really don’t. And I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I’m jealous of him. But that’s not it. We werewolves don’t operate like that. The rules are different for us. The were-females in our packs mate with many males.”

  “But I’m not a werewolf,” she said.

  “No.” He showed her the ghost of a smile. “But there’s no reason why you should tie yourself to narrow-minded human rules either, especially when you live in Silver City.”

  “So – just for the sake of argument – you’d be fine about me dating you and another werewolf at the same time?”

  “Bella, unless we were formally mated, I couldn’t make a claim on you. But I will say this: from the first time I saw you, I wanted you. But it was more than that. I wanted to date you, to get to know you.” His voice had become low and intimate, and Isabel found herself softening. Moving aside, she let him sit beside her on the step.

  “I’m not your first human, am I?” Jed shook his head.

  “No. You’re not the first human I’ve been with. But you are the first that I could imagine myself having a relationship with.”

  “But how is that possible, when you must be looking for a mate?”

  “It’s not so important for me. I have brothers, and, unlike most of the packs around the world, our family line isn’t sick. My parents aren’t putting pressure on me.”

  She looked at him, thinking how different he was from Peter. He didn’t have that life-or-death intensity. He was just relaxed.

  “It’s natural for you to desire both of us,” he said, eerily tuning into her thoughts. “And he’s a good-looking guy, I can appreciate that. Can I just urge you to think about the danger that he represents to our town, and the werewolves who have lived here for generations, and to think carefully about your choices?” Isabel nodded equivocally.

  “Jed, I’ve taken on board everything you’ve just said. Now, I’m sorry, but I’m really tired, and I can’t think about anything right now.”

  “Of course.” He stood up immediately. “I’m sorry to have intruded on you like this. I just came by to make sure you were ok, after I found out that Josie had told you. I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to, and I don’t want to push you. When you’re ready, just give me a call.” Isabel smiled and nodded, and he walked over to his car. As soon as she heard the clunk of his door closing, she pulled herself up and went inside her house.

  She bolted the door and pulled the blinds and curtains in her living room. Then she went to the freezer and took out a tub of cookie dough ice cream and brought it to her bedroom. She stripped down to her underwear, climbed between her cool sheets and let out a sigh. There were some days when bed felt like the only safe place to be, and today was indisputably one of them. She opened the ice cream and swallowed one delicious spoonful, before picking up her laptop and Skyping Kara.

  “Bella!” Kara yelled, then paused and frowned at the screen. “You look terrible, hon! What the hell’s happened?”

  “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

  “Ok, so I’ll have to guess.” It was a game they’d played before. “Peter did something to ruin your date with Jed?”

  “Nope. Jed did that all by himself.” Kara cast her eyes upwards. Isabel knew she was probably thinking of some silly things and was trying hard not to voice them.

  “Jed did something to put you off him?” Isabel nodded. “You had dinner at his place, so I can only conclude that you got to the ooh-là-là stage. So it was something sex-related?” Isabel nodded again. “I don’t think it was bad hygiene. He’s definitely not the type. He was too rough?”

  “No, but you’re not a million miles away.”

  “Hmm. He reminded you of Peter?” Isabel nodded vigorously.

  “You’re not saying – ?” Kara gaped at the screen, unable to finish the sentence.

  “Yes. I’m being hunted by wolves,” Isabel said, humorlessly. “Turns out it’s not just Peter. It’s Jed and Josie too.”

  “What?” Please explain!”

  “Peter is a werewolf. One of many in Silver City.”

  “And Jed?”

  “I should probably tell you the whole story from the beginning.”

  “I’m listening.”

  By the time Isabel had finished telling Kara, she felt quite a lot better, while Kara’s big blue eyes were wider than ever.

  “So the secret of Silver City is even darker than we thought,” she said.

  “And you don’t have a hard time believing all this stuff?”

  “Well.” Kara took a swig of coffee. “It’s definitely up there with the weirder things I’ve heard this week. In a way, it seems crazy. But in another, the thought that there’s been this species existing alongside humans all this time, hiding in plain sight, carefully concealing itself. No, I actually don’t find that so incredible. The Native Americans believe it, and there have been so many clues throughout history. When you think about it, it’s kind of like… duh! How has it taken us so long to figure it out?” An intense look came into her eyes. “So, how far did you and
Jed get before he started to remind you of someone else?”

  “Pretty much all the way. He made me come, and then we were doing it missionary style.”

  “And then he was like, I want to do you from behind?”

  “Kara! It’s not funny.”

  “No, but it is pretty hot. These two animal men, wanting to take you like a lady wolf!”

  “What? No!” Isabel protested, but her clit was saying something else. It responded: yes; there was something primal and kind of appealing about it.

  “And this Marianna has had her fair share of wolf-men?”

  “Yeah. Sounds like she loved it!”

  “And she’s lived to tell the tale.”

  “Seems that way.”

  “Interesting.” Kara looked at Isabel hard. “So what are you feeling now?”

  “Like I want to get the hell out of Silver City. Permanently!”

  “Ah.” Kara’s mouth became a straight line and the sparkle disappeared from her eyes. “Well. I hate to break this to you, but my good news kind of involved me moving here for two months, at least.”

  “What? That’s – that’s amazing! So, you got a dig organized?”

  “Yep. I applied to work on a few digs in New Mexico, and, one of them came through! There’s an opening in a week’s time, or as soon as I can make it, really. I’ll be working on some Aztec ruins, only an hour away from Silver City. It’s pretty cool. So, girlfriend, if you quit town, you’ll be leaving me high and dry. But we can stay in another town, closer to the dig, if you want?”

  “I’m so glad you’ve organized to come over here, Kara! Please don’t think I’m not grateful,” Isabel said. “My mind is just in such a spin right now, I don’t know what to say. I think I’m in shock. I not only fainted at Josie’s place, I also kind of passed out in my car for a while afterwards.” Kara’s face was full of concern.

  “Shit. That’s really not good, Bella. Hey, hang tight. Give me 24 hours to get my shit together, and I’ll be right over!”

  “How can you get ready for such a long trip so quickly?”

  “Hey, that’s my life these days. I need to be mobile. And there’s actually not much I need – just clothes and my equipment, which I keep together in a bag anyway.”

  “And your apartment?”

  “I’ll ask Kelley to sublet it for me and give her a cut of the rent – that was my plan anyway.”

  “Thank you,” Isabel said. There was nothing else to say.

  “Hey, take it easy. Don’t worry about anything, and don’t let any strange wolf-men into your house. Unless you want to, of course!” Isabel smiled. From somebody else, it might have seemed insensitive, but it was just Kara’s way of taking some of the weight off the situation. “And call me! Anytime!”

  When the call ended, Isabel lay back on the bed and her body went limp with relief. She thought how heavily she’d been depending on Kara for the past few weeks, and was overwhelmed with gratitude and guilt in equal measures.

  Chapter Five

  During the night, Isabel was hit by a headache so piercing that she could barely get out of bed the next day, let alone pick Kara up from the airport. The chink of light coming from between her curtains was like an icepick in her brain. She kept the house as dark as possible, and only staggered out to get a glass of water from time to time.

  “How did you get here?” Isabel asked, opening her door to Kara early in the evening.

  “It was fine! I got chatting to a sweet old couple on the flight, and they were going to Las Cruces, and they dropped me off on the way!”

  “That’s so lucky!” Isabel said. “I was worried you’d have to take the Greyhound.”

  “Me too!” Kara rolled her eyes. “You sound really croaky.” She followed Isabel back to her bedroom and put her hand on her forehead. “You feel a little hot too.”

  “That’s because my brain’s been exploding all day!”

  “Migraines are the worst, huh?”

  “It’s actually only the third one I’ve ever had. And all three have been after some emotional drama.”

  “Oh yeah – I remember the one when you and Jason – ”

  “Exactly.” Kara was referring to the night when Isabel told her long-term boyfriend – surprising even herself – that she didn’t want to be with him anymore. Hours later, she’d been hit by a snow-blind headache so intense that she’d had to stay in bed for three days.

  “And the other one?”

  “When I had a miscarriage, without even knowing I was pregnant.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Kara rubbed her nose. “I guess discovering that a couple of men you’ve been intimate with are actually werewolves could be classed as an extreme emotional event.”

  “Yup.” Isabel turned her head with difficulty and looked at Kara. “Thank you so much for coming here so quickly. I feel like you’re the older sister I never had.”

  “Except better, because I didn’t ruin your childhood by dropping caterpillars into your ears and hiding fake poop in your bed!”

  “You used to do that to your brothers?”

  “Well, maybe.” Kara rested her hand lightly on the top of Isabel’s head. “But, seriously, how many breakups and heartaches have you nursed me through?

  “I guess there’s been a couple.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What am I going to do about living here, in Silver City?” Isabel asked, with a burst of anxiety.

  “Let’s discuss that when you’re feeling better, little one.”

  Kara ordered pizza and then she watched a movie while Isabel dozed, waking up to chat here and there. They both fell asleep on the bed, waking late the next day.

  Isabel’s headache hung around until the afternoon, but she and Kara used the quiet day to work out a plan. They would stay at Isabel’s place for a couple of weeks at least, to give her time to process her feelings, and, if she wanted to leave after that, they could move to Las Cruces until Kara had finished her excavation.

  “I think I want to go for a walk,” Isabel said, at around 4pm.

  “Out in nature, or in the town?”

  “In the town, I think.”

  They left Isabel’s car in the parking lot behind Buffalo Bar, and wandered down the main street. The sky was pale blue, almost white, as the sun slid down low, edging towards the distant hills.

  “Is it me, or has something changed here?” Kara said.

  “I was thinking the same thing, but I dismissed it as paranoia.”

  “I feel like people are looking at me funny.”

  “Me too.” As they slowed to look in a shop window, a woman stopped in front of them. She was wearing a shapeless brown dress, and her long gray hair was loosely tied. She had a pale face, with large hazel eyes, and she could have been anywhere from late twenties to mid-forties.

  “Where are you girls from?” she asked them. Isabel frowned at the sharpness in her tone.

  “I’m just down here for a couple of months,” Kara said immediately, in her typical friendly way.

  “Is that so?” the woman said. “And what brings you here?”

  “I’m an archaeologist. I’ll be working on some Aztec ruins, about an hour from here.” The woman nodded, satisfied.

  “And you, young lady?”

  “I’m an artist. I moved here a couple of months ago. I’m friends with Marianna and Bill. I don’t know if you know them?”

  “Oh yes, of course. I know them very well. They’re good friends of mine.” With that, the woman nodded to each of them and carried on her way.

  “She’s a werewolf!” Isabel hissed to Kara.

  “What’s it to you if I am, child?” the woman called from further down the street. Isabel and Kara gasped and their heads snapped around to look at the woman, but she kept walking away from them. They stared at each other.

  “How the hell did she hear that?”

  “Because she’s a werewolf,” Isabel whispered, right in Kara’s ear.

  “But how could you tell?�
��

  “From her eyes. From the way she was walking. Kara, I can see them now!” Isabel looked around at the people on the street. “Their strong bodies, their light, powerful gait. They kind of prowl, instead of walking. They’re, like, popping out at me!”

  “Where?”

  “Everywhere! That guy in front, just to the right, with the yellow sweater on. That girl opposite, in the pink dress.”

  “How come you can only just see them now?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t looking.” Kara shivered.

  “This is so creepy. But in a kind of cool way. I want to see them too. That guy standing by the window is one, right? He looks pretty buff.”

  “Nope. He’s just buff. He doesn’t have that weird light in his eyes.

  “Maybe you weren’t capable of seeing it until you’d done the business with Peter and Jed?”

  “Yeah, perhaps. I mean I saw something different about Peter straightaway.”

  “Uh, it’d be pretty hard not to. But you said there was something about Jed too?”

  “True. But I could only see it when he, you know, obviously desired me. It’s like sex really brings it out of them. I guess that’s why Josie’s such a sex beast. She came over to my place once and she was really out of control, and Rob said she gets like that every month.”

  “Was there a full moon at that point, by any chance?”

  “Yes, actually.” Isabel stopped dead in the street. “There was. Something weird happened to me after Josie and Rob left. I woke in the middle of the night and had this uncontrollable urge to go outside and stare at the moon. It was huge and round, and I remember feeling like it was calling to me. I know that sounds really bizarre. It’s also the second time that’s happened since I met Peter.”

  “Wow,” Kara breathed. “It’s like you’re being drawn into this werewolf energy. What if you turned into a werewolf too?”

  “Stop it!” Isabel said, and her stomach knotted in panic. “But what if that’s possible? I’m calling Marianna.” She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed. After a couple of rings, Marianna’s soothing voice said hello.