THE HEALING HEART

by Zelda Clemens

  She hadn’t seen Ian since she’d had her erotic dream so she felt a new wave of embarrassment when the redhead sat down next to her, dressed nicely. Maya noticed that he had an air about him like he could have fit in with the royal family in England, or somewhere else that had dignitaries. Maybe it was his private school upbringing or just how he carried himself, but Maya was always impressed by the way that he carried himself. Sometimes it was intimidating in a way that was just as attractive as Michael’s smirk.

  “Hey you,” He said sliding down beside her as usual. “I didn’t do any extra work for you, just as you ordered,” Maya smiled faintly but was so distracted by everything that had happened this week that it didn’t seem genuine. “Maya? Are you alright?”

  She heaved a sigh, having always been bad at hiding her emotions. “I don’t even know where to begin, Ian.” She finally admitted. “It’s been a rough week.”

  “Indeed it has,” and it was the first time that Maya looked at him and saw how tired he looked behind his dark-rimmed glasses.

  “Everything okay?”

  Ian reused Maya’s words. “I don’t even know where to begin, Maya.”

  Maya’s smiled was bigger as she replied. “We’re still going out tomorrow?”

  “Of course.”

  Their British Literature professor was walking to his pulpit when Maya asked. “How do you feel about keggers in the woods?”

  The next day Maya met Ian inside the cozy bookstore in the center of Whitney. Though Maya usually traveled out of town to the chain superstore to get her novels, The Turning Page was having a ridiculous sale just as Ian had described. Everything in the shop was buy one, get one for a penny, and the bargain-priced books were an additional forty percent off. In about ten minutes Maya found herself with a heavy basket full of books that encompassed multiple genres from trashy romance novels, the novelization of an extremely popular fantasy television show, and even a few of her childhood favorites. Ian in stark comparison only had four books under his arm, and they all had the same topic. Wolves and mythology.

  “Has the hype of all the disappearances gotten to you, too?” Maya asked as they went to pay for their books and find a cozy corner to drink the coffee they were planning to get later. The current total had risen to seven, and they’d actually found three of the missing bodies in mutilated condition. The one constant was that wild wolves were being blamed.

  “Not exactly,” Ian replied. “I do find wolves fascinating. They get blamed for a lot of things throughout history. I’m curious to see the parallels.”

  Maya shook her head, thinking that everything Ian did was fascinating and made her think about things differently. She shook her head again when she placed her basket of books on the counter and before she could even open her purse, he threw his four books on top of the pile and gave the cashier his credit card.

  “Ian!” Maya exclaimed. “That’s like forty dollars’ worth of books!”

  “Right?” he replied. “What a great deal!”

  She found herself feeling similar to when he’d supplied her with notes for their class discussion. “You don’t have to do that.”

  Ian looked at her deeply with his blue eyes. “I know. I want to.”

  Ian took the heavy bag of books and guided Maya to the expresso machine where he allowed her to buy them delicious frozen caffeinated beverages. She insisted, since he was always so generous to her. They sat for a few moments while Maya thanked him profusely for being so kind and generous to her. They made small talk about what book Maya would read first before Ian abruptly changed the subject.

  “This party, you were serious about going?”

  Maya nodded. “Yes, I have a friend who seemed excited about it. I wanted to go with you, though, I don’t get to see you as much as I would like because of my job.

  “Oh no, I’m not letting you go by yourself.”

  Maya was surprised by his words; they were very protective for someone who wasn’t her boyfriend. She crinkled her nose at him. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not safe to be in the woods. It might not be wolves, but something has made seven people go missing, and few of them wind up dead. It’s foolish for you to go on your own.”

  “There’s going to be a lot of people there Ian.”

  The man looked very serious. “Don’t care. You can ride with me, or I can follow you. Your choice.”

  Maya decided to take her own car and drove up to the state park where Michael had given her the address. The parking lot was full, but Michael had made it clear that the party was going to be deep in the woods so that it wouldn’t be too obvious what was going on. She could feel an energy in the air, and she couldn’t wait to get up there. She started in the direction of the nearest path when Ian grabbed onto her hand and made her stop cold.

  “You are very interesting Maya.” He said with an amused smile that she could just make out by the streetlight in the corner of the parking lot. “You balance so many things in your life with ease, you are confident, It’s really quite attractive.”

  “Really? That’s how I feel about you.” Maya admitted and was grateful for the poor lighting so that he couldn’t see her cheeks blush with embarrassment. “You are so smart, and you carry yourself in this way that sometimes I feel like I’m the presence of a prince or something.”

  Ian stepped closer to her. “If I am a prince then I could make you feel like a princess.” He studied her again. “If you would let me.” Then he leaned in and kissed her softly.

  Maya was immediately reminded of Michael. Although it was not said in the same words or body language, the tall, dark haired boy had insinuated the same thing. Once more, guilt flooded over Maya because she knew that she was going to have to make her choice and soon. She knew that one of these boys was going to get their heart broken. It made her upset just to think about it.

  “I sense that there is more to this than you can tell me at the moment.” Ian surmised.

  Maya nodded. “I’m sorry Ian, I like you a lot. It’s…”

  Ian waved his hand to dismiss her from an awkward explanation. “Don’t worry about it. Just know that the offer is there. You are beautiful and kind, and I would take good care of you.” He squeezed her hand as he guided her up the path. “Now let’s find this party of yours.”

  They followed the path, using flashlights on their phones since the moon was not large enough to illuminate it alone. About a mile into the woods, they found the party, and it was raging full of life. It was in a large clearing, in fact as Maya took in the scene it almost seemed familiar to her but she couldn’t place it with the roaring bonfire in the middle and people milling about excitedly.

  The majority of the party goers were in their early twenties, but Maya was almost certain that there were teenagers from Whitney getting drunk and having a good time. Someone offered her and Ian beer in an iconic red plastic cup and at the far edge of the field, several people were having a jam session on acoustic guitars as it was too deep in the woods to have power. Maya found herself feeling energized, but beside her Ian was very stiff and tense. It almost seemed like he knew this place as well and something had him on alert. He was so nervous that his knuckles were white as they grasped onto her hand, honestly, it was starting to hurt.

  “Ian what’s the matter with you?”

  “It’s hard to explain.” He sounded like he was hissing through his teeth.

  Maya attempted to wiggle her hand out of his grasp and rubbed her sore fingers once she was finally free. “Please try, you seem like something is bothering you.” That was when she noticed it. People at the party were looking at them, whispering, pointing, and getting the attention of others. It was like a wave effect, soon people at the far end of the field by the musicians were looking their way. It wasn’t everyone, but enough people for Maya to notice and feel her stomach get queasy.

  Before she could ask Ian what was going on, someone strode up to them, and Maya gasped. Initially, it was because she recognize
d Michael. He wore a green and white plaid flannel shirt and dark jeans, he looked incredibly handsome in the firelight. But she was shocked by the way he looked at Ian. It wasn’t just that he was surprised to see Maya there with another man, but Michael looked at Ian like he hated him and wanted to see him dead.

  Was he that jealous? Was this her fault for not telling Michael that she might have had unresolved feelings for Ian or any man? But then Michael spoke, and Maya was confused more than ever.

  “What are you doing here?” He spat this at Ian, almost as if he knew him.

  Ian held his head high. “I was invited.”

  “How the hell do you know Maya?” Michael demanded.

  “Ian’s in my British Literature class,” Maya explained, but Michael pretty much ignored her, staring at Ian like he was lower than garbage.

  “You don’t belong here, It’s not your land.” He all but snarled. People were beginning to stare, and Maya noticed that it was the same people that had noticed their presence before. Other people went along blissfully unaware with their booze.

  “It’s not your land either,” Ian replied, the edge in his voice rising. “It’s no man’s land. Not to mention, I was invited here by Maya. You know the rules. If I am invited, it is my job to protect…”

  “Shut up you idiot!” He exclaimed. “You claim you are this greater than thou guardian, and here you are about to expose us to this entire party!”

  Maya stared at the boys dumbfounded, she hadn’t expected them to know each other, and yet there they were making a scene. It wasn’t exactly over her having feelings for the both of them; it was more, and it had her confused.

  “What’s going on? I need to know what you are talking about.”

  “There you go precious prince, now we the cat’s out of the bag.” Michael spit furiously. “Maya, I can’t believe you, did you almost have sex with the backstabber too?”

  Ian turned and looked at Maya incredulously. “What? You know this ruffian excuse of a man, and you almost did what with him?”

  This whole trying to figure out who she wanted to be with more was seriously blowing up in her face. Regardless, she stuck to her guns; they had been arguing over something that didn’t have to do with her, something that was causing bad blood, that had taken place long before she’d been around.

  “I want to know what’s going on. I want to know now. I will tell you everything you need to know when I get some answers,” Maya demanded.

  The two would-be enemies stared at each other for a few minutes before Ian finally spoke. “Fine, let’s go somewhere we can get some privacy.”

  *****

  They walked in silence away from the party. Maya followed them through the dark woods stumbling over tree roots and rocks in the path. Ian and Michael didn’t use flashlights or their phones to guide the way, yet they were more sure-footed than she was in the dark.

  When they finally stopped in front of what appeared to be an abandoned ranger’s house, Maya got this really strange feeling that she’d been there before. Although she’d gone to the state forest on hikes, she’d never come across the dilapidated cabin before, yet something told her that being here was significant.

  “What’s going on?” Maya asked the men. She was nervous especially since the tension was thick between them. Having to pick one of them was going to be hard enough, but now that she got the vibe that they hated each other, it was going to be that much more difficult.

  “I’ll tell you once you tell me what you’re doing with this ginger freak.” Michael retorted.

  “Excuse you?” Maya said, placing her hand on her hips. “I’m not telling you anything–” But Maya stopped herself before she could get the words out. She could tell by looking at their upset expressions that she would be the one to have to explain herself first.

  “This is not how I wanted things to turn out. Well, I guess I am a jerk for being Ian here when you invited me and I clearly know how you feel about me, Michael.” She tried to meet his eyes, and he continued to look off into the dense forest. “I’m sorry for that. It’s just no one’s ever really made me feel special like you guys did. I had planned on making my choice after tonight.”

  “…and?” It was the first time she’d ever heard Ian use a rude tone with her. She told herself that she deserved it, but it still hurt all the same.

  Maya bit her lip and shut her eyes, willing herself to stay calm and not cry in front of them. “I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t be with either of you, and that really sucks. Ian, you are brilliant and compassionate; you’ve helped me more than you know with class. I know you would provide for me like no has ever done before. Michael, you make smile and laugh until I cry, and you are so passionate that it is hard to not get carried away like we almost did the other night. Life would never be boring by your side; I would never be bored with you.

  “You are both handsome, and as I said, there may be different things about both of you that make it very difficult to choose. But there’re a few things that made me question if getting involved with you was the right choice, even more so after what I’ve experienced tonight.”

  For the first time all night, Michael and Ian looked at each other with an expression other than hatred. Their faces almost seemed apprehensive.

  It was Michael, while still looking at Ian, who said, “Like what?”

  “Both of you are extremely secretive about your lives, especially you, Michael, and I’ve know you since we were eighteen. It makes me wonder what you are doing that you won’t tell me about. Then I come here, and you guys clearly know and dislike each other, and you won’t tell me why. It just adds insult to injury. I haven’t even begun talking about all the covering I have to do for you, Ian, when you’ve missed class. Michael you’re always out of work the same days of the month.” Suddenly a thought washed over Mia. “You know what, I just realized that you are both “sick” the same days of the month. You are hiding something from me. I don’t know what it is, but you are going to tell me or I’ll walk down the hill and never speak to either of you again.”

  She was met with a stagnant, painful silence. The boys stared at each other as if having an argument that she couldn’t hear, or that they were goading each other to make the first move. The tension made Maya want to scream.

  “You see, there’s a logical explanation for all of this. We…” Ian began.

  Michael cut him off with an exasperated yell. “Shut up. You know Maya, your right. I’ve known you way too long to lie anymore. I call out of work a few days every month because of the lunar calendar. I can’t be out during a full moon because I am a werewolf.”

  Ian looked like he wanted to kill Michael for saying such a ridiculous thing in front of Maya, he’d even made a fist like he was going to strike him. Eventually, he relaxed his hand and put it down at his side. He heaved a sigh and looked at Maya sadly.

  “Oh, what’s the use. He’s right. He’s a werewolf, and so am I.”

  *****

  Maya stared at the two of them dumbfounded. “What?” She sputtered. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

  “Come on, Maya,” Michael urged. “I know it’s insane, but I swear to you. My name is Michael Lowell, I come from a long line of men that can become wolves.”

  “Not that long…” Ian jabbed from over in his spot where he stood with his arms over his chest. Michael glowered at him with narrowed eyes.

  Maya shook her head in frustration. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Long line of men? I thought werewolves were bitten?”

  “That sweet Maya is what is called an Urban Legend,” Ian answered and walked to where she was standing. “The werewolves that live alongside men are from ancient family lines, and they are the animals that you see in the wild. They are one and the same.”

  Somewhere in the back of Maya’s mind, she recalled her dream and once more she felt that familiar sense of Déjà vu. She saw a clearing in her mind and two wolves staring at one another. One was black and
the other reddish brown. Was it possible that her subconscious was warning her of what was to come? If that was true, she remembered the rest of her dream and wondered if that was an omen, too.

  “I’m not sure if you are familiar with Celtic folklore. Werewolves are not wicked there, they are guardians, protectors of the people. They are seen as royalty.” Ian continued.

  “Yes, in their own minds perhaps,” Michael argued. “You are not royalty Ian Lyall. You are just the heir in a family of wolves as I am, but for some reason, your family thinks they are better than mine, all because they have more money in the human world.”

  Ian laughed. “Is that what you truly think Lowell? That we’re the guardians of this forest because we’re richer than you?” When Michael did nothing more than glare at him, he continued. “You don’t have pure blood. You and your family are not much better than dogs. Bastards, ruffians, and thieves the lot of you.”

  Maya was convinced that Michael was going to beat Ian’s face into a bloody pulp at the way the red headed man insulted him. She had the feeling that only reason why he still rooted to his spot was because she was in his presence. Maya decided that she had been quiet for long enough.

  “Let me get this straight. You are “werewolves,” She used air quotes as spoke. “As you are speaking I am getting the vibe that your families hate each other.” She looked at them both. “Why?”

  “The Lowell’s should be guardians of the forest,” Michael answered.

  “The Lyall’s have protected these woods since settlers arrived here. We had our orders. Your family is simply jealous, and if you stayed on your own land, there would be no problems.”

  “So you’re in the middle of a turf war or something, and you are more concerned about which of you is going to become my boyfriend.” Once more Maya was hit with a wave of realization. She remembered all the news stories and radio segments about people disappearing in the woods. She gasped. “The wolves in the Whitney woods. Was that you?”