by Joe Fowler
“I am sorry for your loss.” Rosalyn said just as I was opening my mouth to say the same thing. “Was this the night you told us about when you were fighting your father?”
“Yes. Seth and I were more preoccupied with killing the demon and we couldn’t stay in the fight with the vampires too long. I have wished that I had been able to save Carl somehow. Maybe if I had kept fighting the vampires longer or something.” Josh had a guilty sound to his voice, like it was his fault.
“If you had then it would have been my funeral instead of Carl’s.” Seth interjected. “The humans had shot me several times and the demon was standing over me when Josh entered the room. If Josh had been a few seconds later, I would have died. The vampires alone wouldn’t have been a problem to us. It was the thirty or so humans that were shooting at us while we were fighting the vampires. They were the real problem.”
“I still don’t understand how that Keith guy covered everything up with the cult and the vampires when the police got there. I know you said not to ask anymore, Seth, but you have to see how confusing it all is to us.” Jimmy was nearly begging for answers. It made me really want to hear more about it.
“Who is this Keith?” Clearly Rosalyn wanted to hear more too.
“Don’t even bother asking. I have bugged the hell out of Josh since then wanting answers and he won’t say a word. I know Seth well enough to know he will be the same way about it.” Alicia added. This was turning into a real mystery.
“Oh come on. Y’all can’t leave us hanging like this. At least tell us what the rest of you know about Keith.” I pleaded with them. “Jimmy? What do you know about Keith?”
“We had some warning about what was going to happen because of Josh’s visions. We were gathering to plan out our strategy and this eighteen year old kid kept showing up and telling us what we should do. Even Seth was doing whatever this guy said. Then after the fight when there was mostly chaos, this Keith guy starts bossing everyone around. He stayed after we left to handle the thirty or so humans that had been in the cult and the police.” Jimmy told us what he knew and it only made things worse for me.
“Are you sure he was only human?” Rosalyn asked.
“He smelled completely human.” Jimmy said while shaking his head. I looked at Josh and then Seth. They were definitely hiding something.
“So you two know the truth and won’t tell everyone else. What could there be about Keith that would make two powerful alphas keep a secret from their own packs?” I asked. I didn’t expect much of an answer, I was more or less just thinking out loud. Josh and Seth traded another look between them.
“Just know that Keith helped us when we needed him to. What does it matter whether or not he was human?” Josh was smiling as he said this.
“See? That is the most he will say about it. It pisses me off.” Alicia slapped Josh on the arm. She was so adorable.
“I almost wish you guys hadn’t mentioned him. Now, I am going to be trying to figure it out.” I told them. For whatever reason I hated mysteries. This one felt like it was going to bug me for a long time to come.
“Hey Josh. Does your mother still come around?” Thomas asked.
“Yes. I haven’t seen her in a week or so but she still drops by sometimes.” Josh hid a small smile. I thought he might be smiling because of Rosalyn’s fear of ghosts.
“That kills me. I have always been fascinated by ghost but can’t see one for the life of me. You have one visiting on a regular basis.” Cynthia sounded frustrated. Rosalyn shivered just thinking about it. “Let me know if she shows up while we are here.”
“I will tell you but you won’t be able to see her. Alicia and the girls have been trying and they can’t sense her at all.” For Rosalyn’s sake, I hoped this conversation wouldn’t last. I still thought it was kind of funny that someone as powerful as she is would be scared of something that couldn’t hurt her, but I wasn’t going to say anything.
“That is too bad. At least I know for sure that they exist now.” Cynthia was looking at the positive side of things.
The night went on with mostly easy going conversation and a lot of beer drinking. One by one the wolves started going to bed. There were pallets spread over floors once the beds and couches were taken. As it got closer to dawn there was only the four of us, Josh, Seth, Rosalyn, and I, still awake.
“The warehouse will be easy enough. I can block off the back door and take three wolves with me. From what I can tell, Rosalyn, you will need at least four wolves for the doors with you and Austin going inside. That leaves seven wolves with you Josh. You have the most doors to cover. I would look into blocking some of them off if possible.” Seth took a swallow of his beer. “We aren’t the ones I am worried about. The Memphis building sounds bad and the wolves there don’t have one of us three to do the majority of the killing. We can cut through a hundred on our own without a problem. Most of the wolves would have a problem with more than two vampires at a time. Some might not be able to handle that.”
“I had a thought, but it might be a risk. Let Austin try the furniture place himself with Rosalyn taking the warehouse. You drive to Memphis to take care of the toy company. They will need you there just to keep from fighting each other as well as for the attack.” Josh suggested. I was shocked that Josh would trust me with this.
“That could work. Austin, do you think you can handle the furniture company?” Seth shocked me by asking.
“I think so. I might be overestimating myself but I think I can do it. I’ve learned a lot since Jackson. I have a better idea of what needs to be done now when I am fighting a lot of them at one time.” I said. I wasn’t positive I could do it but I felt like I could.
“Wait. There is one problem with that plan. Silas is supposed to be at the furniture location. He is fifteen hundred years old. I don’t know that Austin can take him.” Rosalyn said. In a way I was relieved and disappointed at the same time.
“Damn, I had forgotten about that. Well, it was worth a thought.” Josh sat back and drank some beer.
“What if we sent Cynthia, Jimmy, and Thomas inside the electronics place with Austin and left four other wolves to cover the doors. Josh can take the warehouse and Rosalyn the furniture store.” Seth suggested.
“That could work, I think. Would there be too much risk for the wolves going inside though?” I asked.
“I think it would be ok as long as they fought near to each other. I can make sure they know how to keep each other from being overwhelmed by numbers. They would draw enough attention away from you. That way you could cut through them a lot faster.” Seth explained. We all sat quietly as we envisioned Seth’s plan.
“I think you can do it. With the wolves inside taking some of the attention off of you, you could handle them.” Rosalyn was sitting beside me. She smiled after she said that. My train of thought derailed for a second when I looked at her. She was too beautiful. I had to concentrate to get my mind back on track.
“I will try then. That plan gives us all the best chance to succeed.” I understood what I was saying. I was stepping up to a challenge I might not be capable of winning. She believed in me, though. I would try if only for that one reason.
We sat quietly until it was close to sunrise. Rosalyn and I went to the basement as soundlessly as we could. There were a lot of werewolves sleeping everywhere and we didn’t want to wake them. My life had changed a lot in the last two weeks.
Chapter 10
The next night began without sex. Rosalyn and I stayed in bed a few extra minutes just holding each other. I wanted to stay in the basement. If Seth and Josh had told the packs about the new plans, then they might look at me a little different. I had spent most of my life happily fading into the background. Now that option was being taken from me. I really hoped I wouldn’t let everyone down.
“The new plan really is better. It gives us the best chance to end this once and for all. I can’t help but worry about you though. This will be dangerous for you.” Rosalyn said qu
ietly. She was speaking low enough that the wolves shouldn’t hear.
“We all need to do our part. If it puts me at risk then I just have to take that chance.” I answered softly.
“I wish I had found you a long time ago. With all these distractions, I can’t even enjoy how great you’ve turned out to be. Maybe when this is all over we can have a nice quiet spell where we can just be happy.”
“I would love that.” I squeezed her a little tighter as I said it.
I was touched that she seemed to care so much for me. Maybe it was still the soulless reputation of vampires that had me confused. Rosalyn had been nothing but good to me. She had treated me well in every way. I couldn’t understand why part of me expected her to be cold and uncaring. I guess it must come from my human days. It’s depressing to see how cynical I had become so early in life.
We stayed a few minutes longer before going upstairs to join the wolves. They were eating and laughing as usual. It is hard not to like them. They treat everyone with respect and they are very understanding. It isn’t too often I have found those qualities in abundance as I have with the werewolves.
Rosalyn and I got a beer and headed out to the porch. Seth was sitting on the porch laughing at the group who were playing with a football in front of the house. He greeted us with a smile and a nod. We sat and looked to see what he found to be funny. The wolves were playing something called pitch up and smear. Whoever had the football would run and try not to get tackled by everyone else. Once he/she was tackled, he would throw the football up in the air. They would then go after the one that caught the football. It looked like fun.
“Have you told everyone of the new plan?” Rosalyn asked Seth.
“Yes. The ones getting to go inside are excited about it. That’s kind of what started this game they are playing. The others were complaining that they were just as tough and wanted to go inside too. After a few back and forth comments, they decided to play this to show how tough they are.” Seth was in a good mood. I wished I could be as relaxed as he seemed. I knew enough to know it might only be a show so that the pack members felt more confident.
“I was worried they wouldn’t think I could do it. They have to know I won’t be able to protect them like you three could.” I was worried even if the wolves weren’t.
“They see the difference. With you, they are the distraction to help you get it done. With the three of us, they would only be on clean up duty in case one got past us. They like the idea of contributing more to the fight. I hope you don’t take any offense, but they really like killing vampires. The two of you are so different from any vampires we have met. You two have actually made me rethink some of the decisions I have made I the past regarding your kind.” Seth admitted.
“You shouldn’t. Most vampires are exactly the way you have thought. Their only care is for their next meal and whatever makes them happiest. When I was young, vampires were completely evil. None of them had any concern for any life but their own. They would purposely destroy any human who seemed happy. They celebrated the pain they caused. It was a horrible time for any village that had a vampire near.” Rosalyn said. It surprised me since she had not told me any of that stuff before.
“What made you turn out so different?” Seth asked the question we were both thinking.
“I like to think it was my parents. They raised me to think of others first. I carried that way of thinking into this life. I will admit there are a lot of things I wish I could take back, but I have tried to not be so evil.” Rosalyn sounded regretful. I remembered the dreams I had as I was turning. She had done some truly terrible things.
The three of us sat and watched the game as they played. We laughed and cheered and generally had a good time. Luckily we didn’t have any more serious discussions for a nice long while. Josh pulled up with Anna. I went and helped them unload groceries and more importantly, beer. It wasn’t until I was back on the porch that I noticed Alicia, Sarah, and Crystal weren’t there.
“Where are Alicia and the girls?” I asked Josh. He had joined us on the porch.
“Alicia and Crystal are at work. Sarah has an afternoon class on Thursdays. She should be here any time now. There isn’t any reason for them to not stay on their regular schedule.” Josh drank some beer and laughed as Jimmy went down hard in the game. “What got them to playing this game?”
“Some of them were jealous of the ones going inside with Austin. They wanted to prove they were just as tough. I like it. They’ve been very entertaining.” Seth laughed and was joined by the rest of us.
“I’m glad Sarah isn’t here for this then. She has been chomping at the bit to show me that she is tough. She thinks I coddle them too much.” Josh sighed. “Maybe I do coddle them a little but if there is no reason for them to face anything, then why put them through it?”
“They will have to face a vampire themselves when we attack. You might be wishing you had let them try sooner.” Seth cautioned.
“I know. I have thought of that. I want them to be able to take care of themselves but they are so young and tiny.” Josh was frustrated. His need to protect them warring with their need to be prepared.
“They are still wolves. The wolf spirit within each girl knows what it is doing even if the girls don’t. They have enough strength and speed to take down the average vampire. You need to trust them enough to let them do it.” Seth laughed. “How many times do you think I struggled with this same thing? Alicia was the only one that I always protected no matter what. She was too precious. The rest of the pack has always been that way toward her too. The only fight she ever had as a wolf came the night you first turned. Wouldn’t you know it, you protected her before it could get bad, even with the other wolves attacking you.”
“Why were they attacking you?” Rosalyn voiced the question I was thinking.
“They had smelled how different I was before I turned. Then when I looked so different, some of them jumped to conclusions that something was wrong with me.” Josh got a warm look on his face as he spoke. “Alicia and Carl didn’t hesitate to defend me though. Carl would be really good to have for this fight.”
“Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him. He didn’t need to say a word. He would lend you his strength just by being there.” Seth was more moved than I’d seen from him.
“We need to do all we can to make sure none of them is lost in this fight.” I said. I didn’t want these two men that I had come to respect so much, to feel that kind of loss again any time soon. “You three will make it out and I should be ok. They are a little more vulnerable.”
“In my four hundred plus years, I have buried more friends than I can count. It never gets easier. I seem to have stopped aging completely which means I will bury countless more. They believe in this fight. If one of them falls then they will have gone out fighting which is all we can hope for anyway.” Seth drained his beer before he continued. “An aging werewolf is a horrible thing to see. The last years can turn into decades. Their bodies become worn down but they live on in more and more pain. To die fighting for a good cause is the best way to go.”
No one spoke again for a while. We watched the tireless wolves playing their game, even as we wondered which ones might die against the vampires we would face. Seth, Josh, and my Rosalyn were nearly indestructible. I felt good about my chances but I made myself a promise to risk my welfare if it meant I could save one of the wolves that would be with me. Sarah pulled up some time later and like Josh said, she joined the game happily.
“I knew she would jump at the chance. She never gets to use her new strength.” We all looked at Sarah while Josh talked about her. “She asked me to take her around so she could kill a vampire if we could find one. Of course I have been finding way too many of them since we’ve been here. At least now we know why.”
“Well, she will get her chance soon enough.” Anna said. She had come out and brought another beer for each of us. “One of those be careful what you wish for situations.”
We watched as she caught the football. She ran away from one and put a good move on another only to be crushed by Thomas. She got up with a huge smile on her face like it was the most fun thing in the world to be tackled by a werewolf. It’s too bad these guys couldn’t get away with playing professionally. They would make millions. Josh answered his phone and went inside while the rest of us kept our eyes on the game.
“I’ll be back. Some vampires are in the parking lot of the hospital. They are standing next to Alicia’s car. They can probably smell traces of her on the car and are waiting to attack.” Josh said as he rushed to his Challenger.
“You want any help?” Sarah asked. The ones playing the game had stopped when they heard what was happening.
“No. More of us would draw a crowd. I will handle it.” Josh finished talking as he shut the car door. His Dodge stirred up a lot of dirt when he sped out.
“I wonder if the vampires even know there is a werewolf pack here. If Josh has been killing them off when he saw them, then they might think something was up.” Rosalyn wondered aloud.
“They might figure the disappearances to be fights among themselves. Unless there are ghouls around, vampires and werewolves would be the main suspects. Since they have gathered so many, they must know there will be some fights.” Seth voiced his opinion.
“It’s true, most vampires don’t like sharing their territory. One that we questioned made it clear though, any vampire who killed another would be put down. This council of theirs seems to have them under fairly strict control.” Rosalyn looked like she was worried about something but she didn’t say what.
