Unknown Touch

by Gina Marie Long

  As a result, they all did, at some point, revert back to a werewolf and accidentally converted a few others into werewolves through their bite. Daniel bit his wife, Mary. Then, Isaac, fleeing to their sister, Rebecca, for help, bit her. Soon, Rebecca bit her fiancé, Samuel. Stephen, desperately seeking counsel, went to his friend, Simon, and ended up biting him. Poor Simon then bit his wife, Lydia. Lydia was pregnant with their child at that time. When Rachel was born, they knew she, too, was a werewolf. The few others in the pack came later through birth. And two more from a bite.

  Obviously, with what had happened early on to these people, they stayed to themselves while continuing to live in Salem, Massachusetts. It became difficult to hide what they had become. Friends and relatives wondered why they had become so aloof. One day, Mary was accused of witchery. Without any warning, men hauled her off and she was hanged. No trial. Nothing. Instantly killed. The pack knew they could not fight an entire town of villagers. Quickly, they packed what little they could on short notice and fled in the middle of the night.

  They traveled and moved around many times during those first seventy years. It was hard to settle down any place where too many people already lived. The werewolves were still on a learning curve with how to blend in and not draw attention to themselves. Gradually they gravitated westward more and more and eventually ended up in what became the state of Kentucky.

  I took in every detail of what Daniel told us. I sat on the edge of my seat about ready to scream and cry at the same time. I mentally relayed my feelings to Daniel, trying to surround him with comfort, Oh, Daniel, I feel for you. This was a true horror story you lived through.

  Chapter 9

  Plan

  Daniel had finished the storytelling of their werewolf history with a long sigh. Even Eli and Dominic who were familiar with most of this history had heard a few new pieces to the puzzle of Daniel's life. Out of respect, no one said a word for a few moments. Daniel appeared to be composing himself, ready to launch into the next topic.

  Then he looked down at his watch and said, "Maybe we better take a break and eat lunch. I promise I'll resume where I left off."

  We ate our lunches fairly fast. Abigail stuck with ham sandwiches, some fruit, chips and the drinks. Hardly anyone talked as we were aching to get back to the conference room and let Daniel tell us more. After only about twenty minutes, we scurried back, plopped down in our designated chairs and waited patiently for Daniel to begin again.

  "I would like to clarify a few matters. As I was heavily engrossed in telling this story earlier, I wasn't sure if everyone understood how you could actually become a werewolf. One way, as in my personal situation, is being cursed by witches. Another way, which is very similar, is when someone is given the power of shape shifting through sorcery. A third way to be turned into a werewolf is by being bitten by one. And the fourth way is being born a werewolf. Our blood is basically tainted in all of these cases," Daniel was clearly explaining himself. Everyone kept quiet and let him speak.

  Daniel cleared his throat, and continued, "I have been a werewolf for what I consider to be a very long time. There are other werewolves around the world that are much older than me. I'm guessing, Kara, they have informed you of other beings, like vampires, that are also in existence?"

  I flat out stated, "Yes."

  "That's good for you to be aware of other species. It is possible you may meet vampires someday, hanging out with this group you now associate with," Daniel tried his best at some humor. "Believe it or not, we werewolves have a few vampire allies. Anyway, as I was getting at, I have diligently practiced over these centuries how to maintain my control and keep my aggression in check. But, I'll openly admit, if anyone significantly provoked me or hurt someone I care deeply for, I do not know how much the beast that lies within me could be contained. I would definitely transform into an actual werewolf and in that state, my anger and strength greatly increase. I can be lethal. I'm stressing these points because Stephen has chosen to no longer maintain control of himself. He has let that beast come to the surface far too often. He is violent, restless and left uncontrolled, he will eventually hurt those around him and may even hurt himself," Daniel paused. He had me completely spellbound with his voice and this huge amount of information. I hungrily grasped at and absorbed everything that spilled out of his mouth.

  Daniel hesitated, not sure about his next intention. "I do have the ability and control to transform whenever I want to. I do not have to be provoked or be angry for the transformation to take place. A full moon is not going to make me change, in case you're wondering. Well, I guess you could say the stage is mine for the next magic show."

  I wondered what in the world he meant by that. He knew I was the only one in the room who had not actually seen a werewolf in the flesh. Then, immediately, without a second thought, he looked straight in my eyes and transformed into a werewolf. Right there on the floor he stood, on all fours. I jumped out of my chair so fast it fell backwards. Dominic reached over, grabbed at my arm and steadied me, perhaps even prevented me from doing anything stupid. I think my jaw about dropped to my knees. The others had a look on their face almost as if they were thinking, "What did you expect?" I could have entered their minds to read their thoughts but didn't bother. Daniel no doubt had their full undivided attention, but they remained very calm sitting in their chairs.

  As I stared at Daniel in wolf form, I noticed how beautiful he actually was. His coat was black, shiny, healthy, and clean. He definitely was larger than the average wolf. His size was that of a bear, which did look odd because I was staring at a wolf, not a bear. His head was enormous, with monster size jaws that could easily rip someone's throat out. Strength and confidence oozed off him. But, he still had those same black, piercing eyes looking back at me. I wanted to touch him, run my hands through his fur. A curious idea, an experiment, popped into my head.

  I tried to make a mental connection with Daniel in the werewolf shape. Daniel, are you still there? Can you understand me?

  Kara, I AM here. Do not be scared of me. Please. Daniel pleaded.

  I could barely believe what was happening and what I was seeing. Suddenly, Daniel trotted over to me and brushed against my leg like a dog would do when wanting to be petted. Instinctively, I reached down and rubbed him behind his ears. I ran my hand through his silky fur. This was so weird. I had to keep telling myself I was petting Daniel as if he were some pet. A rather huge pet, mind you. Reality kicked in as Dominic coughed, and it dawned on me I had an audience watching my behavior with Daniel.

  Daniel gave a big swish of his furry tail as he turned and retreated a few feet from me. Again, he kept his eyes on me as he transformed back to a man's body. As he changed back, he made sure he was near the clothing that had fallen off his body when he changed into a wolf. Grabbing at the remnants of the clothes so fast it was a blur, he proceeded to cover up his private parts.

  "This is always an issue we have to deal with. When turning back into human form, we're naked. Not very convenient. Give me a couple minutes to get new clothes on." Daniel didn't seem fazed at all as he stood there holding what remained of his shirt up to his groin area. He smiled, walked backwards, and disappeared into the restroom. I bet he had a stash of clothes in there.

  "Wow!" I exclaimed in pure awe, as I turned and looked at the team.

  "We wondered if he might pull that stunt on you," Tessa laughed. "Since we had all been here before, he had demonstrated his abilities to us then. We needed to know what we were up against. I'm sure he was thinking the same thing today in showing you his other side. You, obviously, do need to be aware of what werewolves look like, as there is a good chance Stephen will take the form of a werewolf during our little intervention down here."

  A few minutes passed, and in glided Daniel, proud of his previous little display. He prompted, "Any questions?"

  Of course, I started babbling, "Did you feel any aggression or rage in the form of a werewolf? Aren't you normally all bent out
of shape and ticked off when you're a wolf?"

  Daniel replied, "At that moment, I was in complete control. I transformed while in a calm state of mind. So, I remained relaxed. Kara, you also kept me calm when you accepted what I was and took on a carefree attitude by petting me. There is the animal in me, and wolves, just like their relatives, the dogs, like being rubbed. Think about it - that is very enjoyable for the animal. I felt no aggression at all. But, as I mentioned earlier, it takes very little to awaken the beast inside. Being threatened, injured, one I care for being hurt, etc. would bring on the rage."

  I asked, "So, if you started out in human form and got really mad about something and then turned into a werewolf, I take it, you would be a bad thing to be around."

  "Yes. Very bad. Although, from years of practice, depending on the situation, I would still be able to control myself to a point." Daniel tried to explain.

  Eli finally spoke up, "Well, we need to come up with a plan for Stephen. How are we going to approach this?"

  Dominic suggested, "I think we should find him, try to persuade him to come with us back here and Kara can put her whammy on him."

  "I seriously doubt that Stephen is going to willingly follow us back here," Daniel stated matter-of-factly. "He will suspect a trap."

  Zac piped in, "Maybe we could track him, capture him there on the spot and you two psychics can do your thing right then and there."

  Several people all voiced their concern, "No way. He would become super violent if we actually did trap him. He'd never trust anyone again. Whatever psychic influence was put on him would never last once he was freed."

  "The fact that outsiders, your team, have been brought in to help isn't going to go over well if or when, Stephen finds out. He'll again have the feeling of being attacked," Daniel said.

  "And we're not sure how many in his pack have begun acting up, like him - bad?" Zac asked.

  Daniel replied, "No, not really. As I mentioned before, the one named David is a strong possibility. I do not believe the others are out of control. It was upsetting for me to see those five members of the pack leave. We had been together for so long. But the more I thought about it, I came to a conclusion, even though I don't know if it's accurate or not. We had several males with stubborn, willful personalities in our pack. Sometimes a pack does split off to avoid the constant head-butting. I guess Stephen was pretty persuasive, promising a lifestyle with more freedom. I will admit, I ran a tight ship around here. I didn't put up with much insubordination, which is how we had survived so long undetected. Perhaps I did keep them reined in too much and Stephen caused a mutiny right under my nose. Stephen is going to blow it for us all if he's not brought under control."

  "Daniel," Eli interjected, "Keep in mind that Stephen, along with you and Isaac, were all cursed at the exact same time. So, in some regards, all three of you would be considered Alpha male status. It's not like you were the only one cursed, then you turned the others into werewolves. All three of you had a part in it. I could see how it might be difficult for the three top dogs, so to speak, to continue living together in such a tight knit group forever."

  Daniel nodded in agreement. It made sense to everyone what Eli was saying. Although we still hadn't come up with a plan of attack yet, which was getting discouraging. Thankfully, everything was quiet on the home front. No one had heard any new reports of strange happenings in the area. Or of livestock being killed or unusual deaths. Yet.

  I threw out a suggestion, "Since Daniel and I have this mental connection thing going on, is it possible I could try entering Stephen's mind through Daniel's? Dominic, remember on the drive down here when all five of us were linked together through our minds? I wonder if I could link into Stephen's mind in a similar way. I don't know. It's so confusing how all of this psychic stuff works."

  Boy, I had them all thinking now. The look on their faces, mainly Eli, Dom and even Daniel's, was puzzlement. The doctor himself, Eli, shook his head not knowing what to say or guess.

  "So much of this is trial and error," Eli said. "What one person can do with their psychic talents can be totally different from another individual. We won't know till we try, I suppose. This method is definitely the least invasive to Stephen. He, hopefully, would not detect your presence in his mind. We would remain here at the resort, so he wouldn't even come into contact with any of us. We avoid a confrontation. I say we try. If we're successful, hallelujah! If not, move on to Plan B."

  Everyone sat there wondering what Plan B might entail. We did realize that plan more than likely involved a confrontation, of some sort, with an angry Stephen and possibly David.

  Daniel made the next suggestion, "The afternoon hours would be the best time to try this out on Stephen. He tends to be more aggressive and restless during the evening and early morning hours. When afternoon arrives, he gets groggier, as we all do, humans included, to some extent. He should be more relaxed then and easier to make a mental connection with at that point.

  "Unless some other tragic event comes up in the meantime, I say we can all take a breather until tomorrow afternoon," Daniel concluded. "Hey, Eli, maybe you'll get a day's vacation in here after all!"

  "Is it time for supper yet?" Zac was famished as usual. But I think everyone was hungry after a full afternoon of more revealing information, Daniel's act of transforming, mainly for my benefit, and brainstorming on salvaging Stephen's mental state. This had been a long day. All of it was spent in this conference room.

  As if on cue, Abigail entered and announced supper would be ready in about thirty minutes. This gave everyone time to freshen up a bit and use the restroom. We desperately needed to stretch out our entire bodies and move around some. It was unusual but my legs had become cramped up from sitting so long. The whole Liaison team made a quick trip back to our cabin which allowed us to rid ourselves of the restlessness we were feeling.

  On the way back to the resort's dining room, I asked Dominic, "So, you think this will work or not; my using Daniel to connect to Stephen? I'm afraid it's a long shot, but I want to try."

  Dom disappointingly replied, "Kara, I don't know. I agree it's a long shot. You have had absolutely no physical contact with Stephen ever. He hasn't even been around this immediate area for you to pick up on any possible emotional energy he could be emitting. We still have to try, though."

  I sighed heavily. Dom was right. I felt like we were trying to cheat our way through this instead of meeting the problem head on. At least I had till tomorrow afternoon before my skills were put to the test. I tried to think if there was any more experimenting I could do in the meantime. But I couldn't think of anything else to do or any way to try duplicating this upcoming dual psychic connection through Daniel to Stephen, with a twist of mental manipulation thrown in on Stephen's mind. Whew, what a mouthful, let alone trying to think about it clearly. There was nothing to do except wait for the real thing, the actual process.

  We made it back to the dining room just as Abigail finished putting out all the food. Once again, it was the five humans and the two werewolves. The wolves ate just as heartily as we did, nothing at all different about their eating habits. That was good to know. I was hoping they didn't have to turn into werewolves and chase down prey every night for nourishment.

  After the wonderful meal Abigail prepared, I offered to help her clean up the dishes. I just didn't think it was fair for her to go through all this work and have a huge mess to clean up all by herself. Daniel seemed impressed that I volunteered to help. Although he did have this look indicating I didn't have to do that. I mentally told him, Daniel, let me do this. I want to. I'll join you guys in a little while.

  You're a doll. But you will discover by Abigail's actions, that she really doesn't need the help. She's pretty fast, Daniel seemed to be snickering, but smiled and let me take the dishes into Abigail's kitchen.

  The rest of the team and Daniel had chosen to head out into the main lounge of the building where they continued various conversations. That room was
actually part of the entrance area and was quite open and airy. There were no other patrons milling about which gave our group freedom to talk. It was a gorgeous, comfortable room with a fireplace and numerous couches and chairs. A monster size television hung on the wall, but none chose to watch it that night.

  Abigail thanked me several times for offering to help her, saying I was a guest and shouldn't be doing such things. I mentioned how Daniel said she was fast and how he laughed after he said it but didn't explain what was so funny. She proceeded to show me. She zipped through the dishes in lightning speed, almost in a blur. That even included drying the dishes off. Considering how fast she was moving, you'd expect something broken. Nothing. Perfectly clean, too. I stood there, not having done anything but bringing her the dishes from the other room. I thought I'd dreamt the whole thing, it happened so fast.

  She said, "Amazing, huh? That awesome werewolf trait of super speed is a blessing with getting work done around here quickly. That's another reason we don't usually have to hire outside employees. We take care of just about everything ourselves. We can move so much faster than humans. We do have to be careful not to let the humans see us moving that fast, though. I believe we would freak them out. Oh, on another subject, Daniel really has a thing for you. You knew that, right?"

  I turned a little red in the face, but answered her, "Yeah, I kind of thought so. We've had a psychic connection - a mental bonding for over a month now. He is special to me."

  Abigail smiled warmly. We walked in to the lounge together as if we were the best of friends. Everyone looked up for a moment from any discussions they were involved in, saw it was just the two of us, and knew it was safe to keep talking to their hearts' content about whatever unusual things they wanted to. Daniel and I had lengthy eye contact until I found a chair to sit in. I was remembering earlier in the day when he had transformed in front of me. And I was intensely recalling his nearly naked body when he turned back. Both were images etched into my mind, never to be forgotten.