by Ruby Raine
Charlie dropped his head, no idea how to respond. On so many levels, he agreed with his brother. But the obligation that plagued him to uphold his family’s heritage overshadowed everything else. Everything except, as Michael said, the fear that something would trigger his curse.
They finished readying their diving equipment in silence. Charlie’s thoughts strayed to the day his life had changed, the day he had lost control of his own future.
It was ten years ago now, he was only sixteen, and yet he remembered every detail as if it had just happened. They had been hiking on the Isle, deep in the woods. Michael, Charlie and their father, Jack.
He saw the pathway they had been hiking, clearly in his mind. They were walking downhill, hurrying to get back to their campsite as the sun had set and the moon was rising up over the tall pines and maple trees. It was big and bright, but still a day from full.
Charlie could not help but grin as he remembered them laughing. He could not recall the joke, but their father had told it, and it wasn’t even remotely funny, and yet they had laughed and laughed. They had been laughing so hard that the attack caught them completely by surprise.
A monstrous white wolf jumped onto their path, blocking them, almost as if it had been awaiting their arrival.
Charlie remembered that before feeling fear, his first thought was, Why is there a wolf on the Isle? There are no wolves here. Yet here one was, lunging toward his father’s throat. They’d had but a second to react.
All Charlie could think to do was use his own body in defense and threw himself in front of his father. Even at sixteen, he was bulkier than his father was.
Michael attempted to use magic to stop the wolf, but he wasn’t fast enough and the spell missed the lunging beast, hitting a nearby tree and shattering the branches. The wolf sank its teeth into Charlie’s shoulder, forcing them both to the ground. His father blasted the wolf with a strong spell, tearing it off his son’s body. Amongst the torn flesh and profuse bleeding, a tooth jutted out of Charlie’s skin. A souvenir he had put onto a chain and now wore around his neck.
The wolf had run off into the woods, howling as it did so.
Michael and his father had used what magic they could to stop the bleeding, but it didn’t help for long. They rushed him out of the woods and to the hospital. After a long night of tests, stitches, and shots for fighting rabies, Charlie was allowed to return home.
It wasn’t until a month later as the full moon approached, that they got confirmation that the wolf had really been something more than just a wolf.
Months of research followed.
Their first thought was werewolf. However, no known cases of werewolves turning before the full moon had ever been documented, and it had looked like a regular wolf, just larger. Whereas a werewolf would have been much larger, and trim, yet muscular, and most likely have used its hind legs to stand, like a human. Not ran on all fours like the attacking white wolf had done.
This noted though, it was obvious over the following months that Charlie took on traits known to belong to werewolves. Like an increased appetite, a higher body temperature and faster healing from wounds. Although, the wound inflicted by the wolf bite did not ever fully heal, and left a scar in its place.
As each full moon approached, Charlie would get agitated easily, and when his temper got the better of him his features would change, taking on a feral quality. His hair would darken and stiffen. His facial hair came in thick. His eyes would change from the bright blue the Howard’s were famous for, to sharp silver.
As time passed, his wolf nature began to emerge whenever his emotions were heightened. He didn’t have the complete strength of a fully transformed werewolf, but he was quite a bit stronger than a human should be.
Regardless of all the changes taking place, he never fully transformed. Each month as the full moon neared, he tried, if possible, to avoid things that would set off his temper. The wolf craved to escape. To be set free. But he kept it locked up, never allowing it to fully surface.
How?
No one had any explanation. Even after months of research that included William leaving The Demon Isle to search out myths and legends, they had no explanation. The best they could determine is that because Charlie wasn’t bitten on a full moon, or due to the powerful witch blood coursing through his veins, that somehow this affected the outcome. Over the years, Charlie had also theorized that the power source might be keeping the curse at bay. But again, there was no proof, only speculation.
Not being able to contain the wolf was Charlie’s number one fear. He reached up and brushed the scar with his hand, and watched Michael stepping into the frigid waters of Bloodsucker Bay. He shouldn’t be forced into this life, but do any of us really have a choice?
Charlie dropped his hand and silently joined Michael in the water. He was already swimming away from shore and diving underneath. About ten feet out his head popped out of the water and he took out his mouthpiece.
“There’s a steep drop off just a few feet out,” he warned Charlie.
He nodded, taking a few cautious steps until he saw the drop off. He dove in alongside Michael.
“Test. Test,” Charlie spoke into his microphone.
“Hear you loud and clear,” Michael returned. Charlie let him lead the way.
Michael opened his hand where he still held the crystal. It was heavy and didn’t float in the partially salted water. It made a slight turn in his hand and lit up. He motioned for Charlie to follow and they set off. It took Michael about ten minutes to locate the entrance to the cave. He motioned for Charlie to look, but his brother’s attention was drawn to the depths below the cave’s entrance.
“I think there’s another diver.” Charlie pointed with his head. His voice broke up a little, but Michael heard enough to understand.
“I’ll take your word for it. You can see better than I can.”
Another gift the wolf bite had given Charlie.
They swam a little closer, curious as to who else would be diving in the area.
“Hey! I think they’re in trouble!” Charlie took off, his muscular arms and powerful thighs pumping downward toward the ocean floor.
Michael followed, apprehensive at first, but trusted his brother’s eyes at these depths, more so than his own.
As usual, Charlie’s instincts were correct, for as they swam closer it became clear that the diver was in serious trouble. It was a woman, and it was her unusually fierce white hair that Charlie’s eyes had been drawn to. As soon as the diver noticed the brothers, she began waving her arms frantically.
“Her leg is stuck in between two rocks,” Michael pointed out as they approached. The woman took out her mouthpiece, pointing at it.
“And I think she’s out of air,” Charlie exclaimed. “I’ll give her mine. I don’t need it anyway.” Charlie could easily use a spell to breathe under water. They just preferred to do things the normal way, to avoid raising suspicions from any unaware onlookers. But he wouldn’t risk a life for it.
Charlie took off his oxygen tank and handed it to the woman. She looked puzzled for the briefest of moments, until Charlie shoved the mouthpiece through her lips, ordering her to breathe. He kept the headpiece with the microphone and the goggles. A second later, a large air bubble surrounded his head, like a helmet.
Michael tried to free the woman’s foot, but to no avail. He wasn’t strong enough. “I can’t free her.”
Charlie dove and tried to free the woman’s leg. The rock fell slightly, discharging a stream of blood from the woman’s injured leg, but not releasing it.
The woman let out a short scream, nearly sucking in water as she almost dropped the mouthpiece. The scream rattled the brothers. They didn’t have much time. The blood would soon attract unwanted company, leeches, topped by the fact that the woman was in serious danger of dying if they could not free her.
Charlie decided he had only one choice: to let go of the control he tried to keep so carefully in check.
&nbs
p; He let the strength of the wolf course through his veins, which popped against his skin and sped up his heartbeat. In a blink, his blue eyes flashed to bright silver. The stubble on his chin darkened as if thickening, fast.
A low snarl forced its way out of his throat and into the air bubble surrounding his head. Muscles rippled through his shoulders, down the length of his arms and with one thrust, he heaved the rock off the woman’s leg, the rock suddenly weightless. It fell to the ground a few feet away with a slow crash.
Charlie grabbed the woman, pulling her out of harm’s way.
He swam with her in tow, into the cave, as it was the closest spot they could safely check the woman’s injuries. A few seconds later, their heads popped out of the water. Michael surfaced alongside them.
Charlie needed no help pulling the woman out of the water. She wasn’t a tall woman, about five foot five, and her body was thin, but well-toned. His wolf strength yanked her body out and to the top of a rock, with ease. His grip was firm and strong, but his touch and movement of her, gentle.
The woman coughed out some water and fell onto her back, long white strands clinging to her water soaked skin, and the rock below her. Charlie straddled the woman’s hips, wild eyes peering down at her to see if she was okay. He guessed her to be in her mid-twenties.
His wild gaze met hers; shock swirled through her widened hazel globes. She stared up at Charlie’s animalistic features, her mouth hung open in awe.
God damn it! How am I going to explain this?
“Wh- what?” her stunned voice trailed off, caught in her throat.
He jumped up and spun around, trying to re-cage the wolf. Perhaps he’d blame it on her injury. Although, it wasn’t her head that was injured.
Charlie calmed himself, his chest stretching in extended breaths. There hadn’t been another option. He couldn’t let the woman die, stranger or not. But he’d just exposed himself, and therefore his family, to an unknown outsider.
Michael’s empathy picked up on Charlie’s concern and he knelt down next to the woman, distracting her from his brother. “Are you okay?” He could have answered on her behalf but bit his tongue. I so hate my life. She was more than okay. Charlie’s appearance hadn’t frightened her at all. She was mystified and electrified by it, almost to the point of arousal. Michael cleared his throat but said nothing to indicate he knew this.
The woman nodded yes. “Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks to you two.” Her voice held an edge of exhaustion. She took a quick side-glance at Charlie.
Michael helped her sit up. “Nasty cut you got, though,” he noted, pointing toward her leg.
“I’ve had worse,” she admitted.
Charlie spun around, looking human once again. “If you’re so clumsy, maybe diving isn’t the best idea for you. Especially alone.” There was a harshness in his tone he hadn’t meant to use, but he hoped it might scare her, just a little. Keep her from asking questions he had no intention of answering.
“Right now, I cannot argue that point,” she replied, her voice guilt ridden. “Thanks, for saving my life,” she added, as if those words hardly made up for what they had done for her.
“Lucky we dove when we did,” Michael told her. He allowed his empathic ability to engulf the woman, sensing for her emotional state again. He was surprised she held no lingering concern or fear overseeing Charlie as something more than human, and did not seem fazed by her near death experience. Abnormal things did not bother her. Hopefully, this would prove to their advantage.
Charlie knelt down to check her leg. He heard the woman suck in a wince as his hand ran down her calf, examining the wound. The cut was substantial in length, but not deep enough to require stitches. He frowned. All their medical supplies were in the jeep. He unzipped his diving vest letting it fall to the rock, and pulled his white tank top over his head, tearing it into strips.
She exhaled sharply, her eyes wide, taking in every inch of him. She had to force her mouth closed, realizing she’d let it fall open.
Removing his vest and shirt left Charlie wearing nothing, other than body hugging diving shorts, which left little to the imagination of what he was hiding underneath them. It also gave her a full frontal view of his broad shoulders, powerful arms, and abs so perfect they could have been painted on.
Michael wanted to dive back in the water and leave this party.
His brother, however, was oblivious. Charlie tied the torn shirt strips around the wound, gently.
“This should hold until we get back to the surface. We’ve got medical supplies in our jeep.”
“You carry medical supplies. Do you often find damsels in distress?”
Charlie just shrugged as if to say, something like that. Their eyes met and a sudden coolness stretched through his muscles, shooting an icy sensation pulsing through his veins. It was as if his wolf-warmed hot blood dropped a few degrees, instantly.
He shivered, goosebumps popping up on his arms.
Charlie Howard had not shivered due to being cold since before he’d been bitten by the wolf, ten years prior. He had forgotten what it even felt like.
He didn’t like it. Something about it screamed, this is wrong. Unnatural.
Charlie let go of the woman’s leg, standing, his usual hot blood returning, melting away the icy chill. He shook it off, letting it go with his next breath.
The woman grabbed hold of her long mane of white, wringing out excess water. “What are your names?”
“I’m Charlie. Charlie Howard. This is my brother, Michael.”
“Well, Charlie and Michael, what brings you two down to the bottom of Bloodsucker Bay, other than happening to save this gal’s life?”
“What brings you down to Bloodsucker Bay? Ms? Mrs?” Charlie questioned in return.
“Eva Jordan. Ms. I guess, if it matters.” Her gaze fluttered up to Charlie.
His face hardened, then softened. He could not figure this woman out. There was something unsavory about her presence here. Stupid ass wolf. I got to get off the paranoia wagon. Another gift of the wolf. Bouts of paranoia and distrust.
“To be honest,” the woman named Eva, explained, “I was looking for some adventure.” She made a face that said, Boy, did I get more than I bargained for.
Michael chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you, Eva. Although I’m sure different circumstances would have been preferred. My brother and I are from the Isle. We often spend our days diving in these waters, strictly in search of damsels in distress.” He winked in a flirtatious manner.
There goes my brother, thought Charlie. Turning on the charm no woman can resist.
Eva Jordan did resist, however. Her curious eyes still landed on Charlie. He leaned over, outstretched his hand, and helped her to her feet. He felt better once he’d touched her again and the strange drop in temperature did not happen a second time. Perhaps it had just been the dive messing with him.
“Thank you. I’m really quite fine now. You two can just do whatever you came to do.”
“And just how are you going to get out of this cave?” Charlie asked her.
“Hadn’t really thought that far ahead. Boy, do I sound like a dope. Guess you boys are stuck with me.”
While Eva gathered herself together, Michael whispered to his brother. “This complicates things a bit. Can’t use magic.”
“We’ll just have to investigate the old-fashioned way,” Charlie grumbled.
“Um, I don’t mean to,” the woman named Eva interrupted. “But I can’t help hearing what you guys are saying. Everything bounces off cave walls, you know.” She twirled her finger as if to remind them of their surroundings.
The brothers stared in silence, unsure how to explain to this stranger about magic and witches.
“Look, don’t worry,” she assured. “It’s completely obvious you guys are magical types, witches or something, and you Charlie, well, you are definitely something more than human. I’m sorry for freaking out on you a minute ago. Your face up close like that, it just startled me.”<
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“Wh-What?” It was Charlie’s turn to get tongue-tied and Michael did no better.
“When I was a kid,” she continued to explain, “my dad summered here on the Isle a few times. He said it was some kind of Mecca for the supernatural community. And he always told me he was sure there were witches living here. Let’s just say I am well versed in the world of the supernatural.”
“So you know about witches and magic... and stuff,” Charlie confirmed, sounding uncharacteristically confounded.
“Yup. Can’t do any magic. Not a witch. But my father is what you could call an expert, and I, well I travel around with him now, helping him with his research.”
“Wait a minute,” Michael said. “Eva Jordan? Your dad isn’t by chance Anthony Jordan, the author, is he?”
Eva’s face lit up.
“Who is Anthony Jordan?” asked Charlie.
“My father,” confirmed Eva.
“Wow!” replied Michael with renewed interest. “Your father wrote the Modern Day Guide to the Supernatural, didn’t he?”
“That would be correct.”
“William has that book in his study, Charlie. For someone coming from a non-magical background, his work is quite thorough. It’s a handy guide, I must say.”
“Of course, most people think it’s just made up drivel,” Eva remarked. “He is not exactly a respected literary genius in the writing or scientific community.”
“Well in the witch community, at least this witch community, he’s got fans,” said Michael.
“You’ve read it?”
“Cover to cover,” Michael told her. “I’m not just a pretty face,” he claimed with a wink.
“Got a little inner geek, eh?” she jabbed lightly.
“I’ll never admit that,” he responded through grinning lips.
She laughed at his response. Michael liked her. She was easy going and his empathy didn’t pick up on anything potentially dangerous. No warning signs popped out of her emotions. Her feelings made a lot more sense now.
