by T. L Smith
"Permission granted. Have you begun making contact with her? She needs to be familiar with you before the change or she'll be dangerous and difficult to contain."
Luke nodded. "I have allowed her to see me, though I'm not sure she'd remember it, but her wolf will. I planned to make contact tonight when she gets off work, but now that Levi has made another kill, it may take some time. She may be included in the investigation. That, however, could be the trigger her mind needs to bring the memories of that night to the front. A shock like that could begin the process of the transformation. If I don't see her arrive home from work at her normal time, I will follow her scent and locate her so I can be near, should something happen before we're ready."
Adam nodded, "Good idea. I also give you permission to use the call should you need to if she turns. Her wolf will be new but she will recognize the power behind the call and should submit."
The alpha call was pure power and something only the Alpha could use. Occasionally, such as the case with Luke, the alpha's second had the ability to access some of that power. It would never be to the full potential until the current Alpha was displaced, but Luke knew it would be strong enough for confronting a newly turned wolf. "If there is nothing else, I will head back to town now", Luke quietly requested. They both knew that time was running out for Julie. It was important to have someone in place if she does turn early so she doesn't attack any nearby humans. "Keep me posted, Luke. You know what's at stake here", Adam said quietly.
They used the mental link they had to speak the rest of their conversation to each others mind. They had both reached the skill level to put up a block to all others. Not everything needed to be pack business. Adam seemed worried. "You understand that Levi must NOT be allowed to make contact with her yet, yes?" Luke's nod was slight, but was seen by Adam.
"I do. He won't come near her. If he does, I WILL end him." With that, Luke shifted and raced off into the forest. It was an inborn trait to run endlessly without fatigue when it wasn't full speed. He didn't know for sure how he knew, but he knew it wasn't time just yet. He figured he'd preserve his energy now because if he did cross paths with Levi, his abilities would be tested to their fullest.
CHAPTER SIX
Julie sat in her chair, stunned. What had Joe just said? She must have misunderstood. "Wuuuhh . . .What did you just say? Did you just say that "I" was that girl? How can that be? HOW could I not remember that, if it was me? This is ridiculous! You MUST be mistaken!" With each question, she became a bit louder and more and more upset.
"Honey, calm down and listen to me." Joe squatted down so he was at eye level with her. He knew she would be upset with the news and he hadn't been looking forward to this day! "Julie, the scars that you see when you look into the mirror, haven't you ever wondered where they came from? Haven't you wondered what could have caused you to have so many?"
She seemed to come back a bit from the mini state of shock she had slipped away to. She looked up at him with eyes that held so much confusion rimmed in denial. This couldn't be real. She would remember something like that! Wouldn't she?
"But Joe, how could I go so many years, having been in counseling as well, and totally kept it blocked so completely? How could I not have seen glimpses, like déjà vu or something? How could I . . ." She stopped short, leaving her sentence just hanging. There WAS something pulling at her. Something that felt important to what they were discussing. As recognition dawned in her eyes, she whispered, "My dreams". She'd said it so softly that Joe missed what she said.
"What'd you say, honey?" Joe asked, looking at her with concern. She stood up and walked over to the window. Her nightmares had been increasing over the last few months. They were terrifying and had seemed so real! When she awoke from them, her heart was racing and her chest ached. The terror caused by them clung to her like a wet blanket, trying to either hold the dreams close, or to protect her from them. She wasn't sure which.
She turned around and raised her eyes to Joe. "I said, my dreams. I've been having nightmares for the last few months that have been coming a bit more frequently. I couldn't understand why I would have such horrific dreams all the time. I've been happy in my job, I love my apartment, my friends, this area. It didn't make sense how I could be plagued with something so awful. I was wondering if the counseling was not working any longer. Seems it was working just fine. If this is all true, the counseling has only been a buffer between me and reality, a curtain that was slowly dissolving. . . like it was easing me into something I haven't wanted to face."
Julie's face had gone pale and her hands trembled slightly. Joe could see that she was struggling to absorb the news. He fought with the desire to reach out and pull her to him, to protect her from it all, but he knew that the person she'd become was strong and fierce and he knew he had to give her time to accept and adapt.
"Julie, are you all right? Do you want me to pull you from today's detail to give you some time to process what you just learned?" asked Joe. She didn't respond at first. In her daze, her mind couldn't decide whether she was stunned in shock or horrified with the revelation of it all. "Julie? ... Honey?" Joe started to get up to go to her when her eyes slowly met his gaze.
"It makes sense now. How I came to be so scarred, why I'm being plagued with these nightmares, why things seem so familiar at times when I'm out in the woods on a case."
Looking out the window, her eyes studied the terrain surrounding the building, her mind reaching for anything to help her connect to it all. As time had passed she had slowly developed a desire, almost a need at times, to be outdoors. What she couldn't understand now was that, if this horrific news was true, HOW could she want anything to do with outdoors, and especially this forest?
Joe cleared his throat, whether to signal his discomfort or the need to get moving he wasn't sure. Julie turned towards him and Joe could see that the girl she had become over the years was resurfacing.
"Joe, I know you probably want to remove me from the case, but I'm asking you not to. Knowing that I am that little girl is shocking, but there are still no memories to go with that information so there shouldn't be a problem with me staying involved." Her eyes searched Joe's for a sign of agreement and pleaded with him not to change his mind.
With a sigh, Joe stood and crossed the room to stand in front of her. "I won't change my mind, if you can promise me that should anything change in your memory status, you will let me know at once! Don't hide it from me, OR Roger! We both love you and can help you deal with whatever comes. Is that a deal?"
"Deal!" she said with a slight smile as a brief look of relief passed over her face. Julie didn't see how her memories returning would require Joe or Roger's attention, but if that's what it took to stay on the case, she would give him her agreement.
As shocking as it was for her to find out that the same thing that happened to these hikers, happened to her family, it wasn't enough for her to want to be pulled from the case. Her sense of duty and commitment was strong, and if this could be her chance to catch the one responsible for taking her family from her, it would be worth all the discomfort her returning memories may cause her. At least that's what she would tell herself, all while facing the possible reality of her nightmares.
Joe studied her face once more, looking for assurance that the decision to allow her to continue on this case wouldn't be a mistake. She seemed stronger than he expected her to be after such news, but that was a good thing, right? "OK", said Joe, "let's get this ball rolling then."
He moved to the door and opened it as he slipped back into the self-assured persona of being in charge. All his focus went back into organizing the teams of Rangers preparing to begin the sector sweeps. His number one focus had to be the safety of all the Rangers, despite the fatherly feelings he had for her. She was a big girl now and could definitely handle herself. Besides, he and Roger would be with her for her sweep. With a quick prayer for the safety of all his teams, final preparations were made and the hunt would soon begin.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Levi looked around him wondering how he'd gotten here. He couldn't remember where he was, or even the day. Confusion clung to him like a dense fog, making his movements sluggish. Why wouldn't his brain work right? He struggled to remember the last place he'd been and what he'd been doing. He felt like his body wasn't even his own, let alone his mind. There were vague remembrances of a family, neighbors, kids playing. . . all the normal things in life. How long ago that was, he didn't know. All he knew was that his life wasn't normal anymore.
As he studied his surroundings, flashes of past memories would slam in, with most fading away almost as quickly as they'd appeared, making it difficult to make any sense of it. But one thing was very clear, they were all violent. His visions were shrouded in a red haze and filled with a fury he couldn't understand. He shook his head, attempting to shake them free and allow him clarity of thought. One vision in particular seemed determined to take over his mind.
Seventeen years earlier: It was dark, in a wooded area. A family was nearby and their presence felt so enticing that he was lured to their location. To the creature in his mind, their presence seemed to wrap him in fury and a hunger he was unable to deny. He could smell the blood pulsing through their veins and hear their heartbeats within. He had to get closer!
With immeasurable strength and speed, he took to the trees and moved silently through them till he was above the family's campsite. With the excitement of the close proximity of his prey, a quiet, animalistic rumble slipped through his lips. The desire to drink their life blood was strong and overpowering. The evil within him radiated outward, startling nearby ground creatures into scurrying off to the safety of their burrows.
He quietly listened to the young voices coming out of the tent below him. The human half of Levi struggled to return, to save these children. While the man had a presence in his mind, he could listen and understand. He knew the boy was Sam and the girl was Julie. But as the beast side fought to take full control, all he knew was that this was vulnerable prey and it would be an easy kill tonight!
The man fought to warn them! He tried to call out to Julie, to tell her to run, but all that came out was a quiet, softly spoken "Julie" . The beast became more excited as he scented the alarm that was beginning within their bodies. "NO!" thought the man - "you can not have them!" Trying again, the two struggled with her name. One trying to call out, one trying to stop it. The end result was a deep rumble mingled among the sound of her name. "Juuuuulieeeee".
The kids froze, now totally encase in a fear that only excited the beast, and with this excitement came a deep rumble in his chest signaling his pure joy at the hint of a chase! "Miiiinnnne" growled out the beast and with this last sound, both kids screamed and ran out of the tent to join they parents.
As the panic rolled off them, and the father tried to calm them, Levi dropped down out of the trees unable to contain the monster fighting to get out. He began circling them, corralling them closer together. A small voice in his head begged him to leave before anyone was hurt, but was quickly stuffed deeper down by the stronger beast now in control.
Movement by the man, now brandishing a large, heavy branch, snapped the last remaining control and the beast roared his fury out with an attack so vicious, the man was soon beheaded and slipping to the ground. He had gotten in some good hard hits to Levi's head and arms before dying causing injuries, but not enough to save his family. The rest of the attack was a blur of blood and body parts.
When he had vented his rage, the beast's control had weakened and began slipping back into his unconsciousness. Sitting there wounded, dazed and wondering about the blood he was covered in, he'd heard a soft moan come from the bushes nearby. He had wondered if there could actually be a survivor from all of the death and chaos surrounding him. Levi slowly moved over to the bush he'd heard the moan from and pulled back the branches. There, laying in a bloody heap, was a young girl, badly injured and covered in blood.
The vision suddenly disappeared and an awareness slowly awakened within Levi. Somehow he knew that HE was the creature responsible for the death he'd seen in the vision. He also sensed that the violence with the family had not been the only time he'd been responsible for someone's death. He struggled to reason how this was possible. He was a good man, with a family and friends. HOW could he have turned into the monster that now haunted his mind and seemed to control his life?
This awakening helped explain how he would find himself in an unknown location covered in blood and occasionally injuries. Also connected to the strangeness of it all was a sense of others within his mind. Random thoughts and feelings would surface occasionally that wouldn't relate to his current location or situation. He knew it wasn't his mind, nor that of the creature. One voice in particular stood out louder than the rest. One that seemed to beckon him closer. He almost felt a connection with this voice that drove him to find her.
Levi believed the voice to be female from the gentle nature of the thoughts. They were comforting at times, offering refuge from the ugliness of the violence the creature brought. She seemed to promise clarity and salvation from the hell he was now living in. What he didn't know was if, and how, he would be able to reclaim control of his life enough to be able to seek her out.
After reliving the vision of the violence of that night and knowing that there may be a survivor out there, he knew that answers to many of his questions may be held with this female. He hoped that he could find her before he lost control again. With time and awareness slipping away faster, and more frequently, he knew that he wouldn't get many chances to find her. He hoped that something or someone, whether a person or a higher being, would intercede and help end this madness. Whether it was to save him, or end him, he didn't care . . . as long as the killing stopped.
CHAPTER EIGHT
As everyone packed their gear, preparing for the sweep they were about to undertake, Julie felt excitement building. She wanted to spend more time with her thoughts of what Joe had told her and the implications it may bring to her life however, this 'detail' was the first Joe had included her on. She wanted to prove to him that she was more than capable of holding her own in the field! In that effort, she would need her focus to be on the case at hand and the safety measurers needed by all to keep everyone safe. There would be plenty of time for reflection and examination of the past once they brought their perp to justice. And she was to be part of that justice! She would NOT let the past, something she had no control over, interfere with what she now faced before her.
Zipping her backpack closed, she turned to Roger. "Come on, dude! You pack like a girl!" She had always teased Roger about his packing practices. They were precise and tidy. Roger always explained that if he needed something, he didn't want to be having to scrounge through the whole bag, especially in an emergency. "Well, after you fall and skin your knee, you'll know that it won't take me 30 minutes to find what I need to save you with!" said Roger, punctuating his statement with a "so there" nod of the head and sneer of the upper lip. "My hero!" she fawned, batting her lashes at Roger as she passed him heading for the door.
For the terrain they would be covering, the decision was made to use the ATV's to get out to the borders of each section. Joe would be taking his own. Roger and Julie would share the other. "I'm driving!!" Roger called out.
"In your dreams!!" Julie answered. "First come first serve" she said laughing, as she settled into her seat.
Roger came up behind and secured his pack next to hers. "Why is it you always think you have to drive?" Roger asked.
"Probably because you're always last getting to the vehicle, and I wait for no man! You wanna drive? Get there first!" she replied.
"Yeah, like that's gonna happen" scoffed Roger. She laughed as he faked a pout and settled into his seat. "Hold on tight, honey. You're in for a bumpy ride!" she called out as she turned the key, gunned it a bit, then threw it into gear. He quickly grabbed hold of the metal rack on the back to keep from being thrown
and prepared himself for what was to come.
Roger remembered the quick conversation that he'd had with Joe before leaving. Knowing that Julie knew of her past worried him a bit. She seemed fine with it so far. Hopefully there'd be no surprises and they would be successful with catching the killer and everyone getting back safe... and sound of mind - for her. He'd known her for many years. He'd seen her sadness, stubbornness and her strength. If anyone could handle a past such as hers and come out stronger for it on the other side, it was his Julie.
Some had wondered if they'd had a 'thing' between them. He loved her but knew that it would never be more than a love like family. He was the big brother that she'd lost many years ago. As long as she was safe and happy, he could accept that. He once thought to pursue her in a romantic way but she struggled with making close connections due to her past, and he could never get passed a warm hug. He'd learned to live with that and settled for having her in his life in whatever manner she would allow, and be grateful for it! He vowed not to throw away the friendship they had on something he knew would never happen and over the years, they'd settled into a very comfortable, loving 'family' bond.
Now, at her mercy, riding on the back of the ATV over the rough terrain, he wondered if he would be intact once they reached their destination! Pulling up to the little shack that each sector had on it's boundary, Julie laughed as she climbed off and got her first glance at his disheveled appearance. With a bed head hair-do and wide eyes, he climbed off and hobbled over to the shack to check in with the others. "I swear girl, you are determined to make sure I never have a family life, aren't you!" he complained while rubbing his backside, and wishing he could comfort another part.
