by K. R. Grace
The Wolf apparently never married. When the girl was no longer in the picture, he disappeared. Some claimed to have seen him while others discredit his existence. He was large and dark as the night. He had a keen sense of smell and the ability to read his prey’s thoughts. Supposedly, he and his tribe were placed on the earth to protect the people that inhabited it, but something happened to make him stop. Some believed when hikers went missing, it was because he ate them. Others reported the Wolf killed the Falcon the girl loved, leading to her suicidal death. Where the Bear had been surrounded by friends and family, the Wolf was completely alone.
I read and re-read the legend but was unsatisfied. Why did all this matter to Drake? It was just some silly campfire entertainment.
Picking up my cell, I dialed his number. A female’s voice answered on the other end.
“Is Drake there?” my voice croaked.
Lord, please don’t let her be his girlfriend. I couldn’t handle that right now.
“No…he’s out right now. May I ask who’s calling?” She sounded unsure of herself. Was that a sign? Was he already taken? An unexpected surge of jealousy laced with possessiveness almost knocked the air out of me. I’d never experienced anything like it, not even when girls would flirt with Clint in front of me.
“Um, could you just tell him Star called and to have him call me back?”
“Sure.” I heard the phone click and tossed my phone onto the bed.
Well, that was interesting.
I tried doing homework, but my mind kept going back to the mysteries of the legend. Was Drake trying to say he was a descendant of the Bear? He didn’t fit the description of the Bear. He couldn’t be the Wolf. He was too big for that. Was he the Falcon?
I heard wheezing and realized it was coming from me. The room suddenly began to spin as I gasped for air that never came. I forced my head between my legs and tried to calm myself down. I was freaking out over a stupid legend that wasn’t real. Storytelling is what they did back then. What else were they going to do? They didn’t have cable or Facebook or Netflix.
Even as I struggled to take in deep breaths, I had to snort at my randomness. Yes, because Facebook and Netflix were the places where all social activity happened. (That was sarcasm, fyi.)
Once I’d gotten myself under control, I decided I needed to go to bed before my mind could come up with any other scenarios. Unfortunately, as soon as I stretched out onto my bed, I was wide awake. After an hour of tossing and turning, my phone rang.
“You called?” the deep voice on the other line asked once I made a groggy sound that was supposed to be a greeting.
“Huh?”
“My sister said you called. Did you?”
“Drake? What time is it?” I rolled over and saw that it was only eleven.
“Did you read up on the legends?”
“Yeah, sounded like a bunch of myths to me.”
He was silent for a moment then asked, “Can you go with me somewhere tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you just come over and ask my parents?”
“Okay. Tomorrow.”
Before I could ask him any of the questions running through my head, he hung up. I wanted to hunt him down and demand some answers but decided it would be better for everyone involved if I got some sleep first.
I dreamt I was the girl from the legend and three men were fighting for my attention, Drake being one of them. None of them ever changed forms, but I knew they were capable of it. I screamed, begging them to stop, but they ignored me as they ripped each other apart limb by limb. I woke up with a gasp when the fighting stopped and they turned, preparing to pounce on me.
Chapter Eleven
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Star
At 7:30 a.m., there was a knock at the front door. I groaned, already knowing who it was. The front door opened and a deep voice mumbled something. Mom’s high pitched voice answered in delight.
Drake was here.
I buried myself under the covers, praying for an extra few minutes of sleep. But, Mom stormed into my room with a burst of energy. Giggling like a freakin’ school girl.
“Rise and shine, sweetie. You have a visitor.”
Knowing my protests would be pointless, I rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of black skinny jeans, my black Guns and Roses t-shirt, and my favorite black hoodie jacket on the way to the bathroom. One look in the mirror and I squeaked. My hair was a mess! I quickly ran a comb through it, but all the curl had teased out to the point of no return, making it look like I had one impressive fro. As I tried to come up with a solution for my hair, I brushed my teeth. I finally gave up and decided to pull it all back into a messy bun. Even then, I was pretty sure cavewomen had better hair than me.
When I walked out into the living room dressed and as ready as I was ever going to be, I spotted Drake sitting in my dad’s recliner wearing faded jeans and a green hoodie. His hair was out of its usual ponytail and hung in a damp shaggy mess around his face an inch above his shoulders. I could smell his soap from where I stood, and I wanted to get closer for a better sniff. Lord, I needed to stop dreaming about Wolves. I was starting to think like one! But the man definitely reeked with sexiness.
At the risk of sounding cliché, Drake looked larger than life in my parents’ little living room. I felt a contradictory energetic jolt in my stomach that was way too perky for morning as I took in every impressive inch of him. Yeah, so maybe he was right. Girls did think with their…ahum, you know…every now and then. Because I definitely was at the moment.
“Ready?” he gave me a knowing grin as he stood up. Was I that transparent? Or had I said something out loud? Oh God, what if I had?
“Sure,” I shrugged with a calmness I definitely didn’t feel.
“Don’t worry about curfew,” Mom waved as we walked out the door.
In the passenger seat of the Jeep was a brown bag. At my raised brow, Drake commanded, “Open it.”
Not needing to be told twice, I unfolded the top to find a warm, gooey cinnamon bun practically smiling up at me. My mouth watered instantly.
“Thanks.” My voice sounded skittish and awkward, as if I’d never spoken to him before. Maybe his consideration made me a little giddy inside. Okay, I was doing freakin’ toe-touches in my mind. Cinnamon buns were my kryptonite!
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like. My sister kept trying to get me to bring a scone, but I wasn’t sure what it was, so I went with the one that had the most sugar.”
“You chose well.” Good, that sounded more like me. I wanted to give him a hug and tell he’d hit buttery, sugary, cinnamon gold…but that would be awkward. Especially since we hadn’t spoken much to each other since our kiss a week ago.
I pulled off a piece of the bun and allowed the buttery, cinnamon concoction to melt on my tongue. It was heaven. I had to fight hard to hold back the moan of pleasure wanting to spill out. Again, groaning in front of a boy I was interested in would be a tad bit…what’s the word I’m looking for? Awkward! Not to mention borderline porno.
A sudden mental image that involved him and me and the cinnamon bun with cheesy saxophone music in the background while he did kinky things involving said pastry made me blush to my roots. Lord, where had my mind gone?!
Keep it PG, Star!
“Where are we going?” I asked after I’d licked every drop of icing off my fingers.
“You’ll just have to wait and find out.”
We rode in silence while I finished the best cinnamon bun I’d ever eaten. Once that was all gone, I became extremely bored with the silence.
“Do you mind if I turn on the radio?” I asked.
“Sure.” We both reached for the radio and our hands bumped. I let out a nervous laugh as a bolt of electricity shot through me.
Get it together! I scolded myself.
“You go ahead. It’s your car.”
He turned it on to a station that played a variety of music, and I snuggled back into the chair and took
in a whiff of fresh leather.
“The bruises are gone. Is your nose still sore?” he asked.
“What? Oh, I completely forgot about it. I think it only hurts if I push on it. Other than that, no pain.”
“Good.”
“I think you have the hardest chest of anyone I know.” After the words left my mouth I wished I hadn’t said them. I meant it as a mere observation, but it came out sounding like a lame pick-up line. Although, I definitely hadn’t minded the view I got when he gave me his shirt. Mmmm!
“You must have hit a bone.”
“You know, this Jeep doesn’t fit you. You seem more like the fast car or motorcycle type of guy,” I said, changing the subject.
“You’re more accurate than you think,” he winked but didn’t say anything else.
Drake suddenly turned off the road and my head slammed into the roof of the Jeep. I screamed as my hand clamored for the “oh crap” bar. The world blurred before me as the SUV shook violently. We were going to die! I just knew it. If this was a road, it needed some serious TLC, but it felt like we were plunging down a ravine to our untimely deaths. Drake’s massive arm whipped out in front of me, pressing my body back into the seat just before he skidded to an abrupt stop. Had he not done that, I was certain my head would’ve gone through the windshield.
“Home.” How the heck did he sound so calm when we almost turned into tree ornaments? They needed to get that problem fixed ASAP.
Drake hopped out and hurried over to my side of the Jeep and opened the door. The first step was the hardest. My knees were shaking so bad they buckled under my weight, forcing me to cling to his hand. Once I had my bearings again, I took in my surroundings. A quaint log cabin that looked to be made out of Lincoln logs sat nestled in the woods. Lace blinds decorated the windows and a red berry wreath hung on the green door.
As we stepped onto the front porch, I looked down at the doormat that read, “Welcome.” Empty pots lined the porch steps, just waiting to be filled after the last frost. Two rocking chairs sat lonely on either side of the entryway.
Drake twisted the knob, pushing the door open with his foot as he motioned for me to go in. Inside smelled like baked bread and cinnamon. A slender woman with a long braid draped down her back emerged from the kitchen with a broad smile on her face.
“You must be Star. I’m Meliena, this lug’s sister.”
I shook her extended hand.
“Nice to meet you,” I smiled sheepishly. I felt like a hulk next to her slender frame. I mean, seriously, she reminded me of a Native American fairy from Pixie Hollow.
“Come in. I just made some bread and spiced tea. Would you like some?”
I was stuffed and slightly nauseous but didn’t know how to decline gracefully. Drake stepped in for me. “She had one of your cinnamon buns on the way over. Maybe later.”
“Yes. It was amazing.” I smiled shyly.
“That’s fine. Make yourself at home, Star.”
Meliena had a hypnotic presence about her. I couldn’t help but feel suddenly at ease around her. I should’ve felt a little nervous meeting his family, especially considering her hostile treatment when I called last night. Instead, I was experiencing the peace that comes from relaxing in an amazing hot tub.
Weird.
Drake as he led me to a room that looked like a cross between a library and a living room. Books were shelved from the floor to the ceiling along every wall with the exception of the space cut out for the window, but a massive sectional, a large leather chair, and side tables dominated the center of the room.
There were no family pictures anywhere. Evidence to his loneliness. He understood what it meant to lose your world. Maybe it was the reason for why we were drawn to each other. I wanted to ask him what happened to his parents but felt like I would be overstepping my boundaries. Besides, I didn’t want to talk about Clint just yet, and Drake was the type to expect reciprocation when talking about the hard stuff. Not that I’d ever gotten him to talk like that, but I knew he’d demand it if we ever did. It was just a feeling I had inside me.
He sat down on the couch, motioning for me to do the same.
“How much older is your sister than you?” I remained standing. I knew the second I sat next to him all rational thoughts would flee my brain. Ask questions first. Stare mindlessly at sexy boy second.
“Not much.” His eyes shifted away from me and he stared vacantly out the window. I recognized that move. I used it on my parents all the time when I wanted to avoid the issue.
He was hiding something. If his parents’ deaths really happened a long time ago and she wasn’t that much older than him…that meant they were orphans living alone in this house when they were just kids. Suddenly, the place didn’t look so quaint. The delicate quilts hanging through heart-shaped wooden rings mocked me with a past that didn’t exist. The painted signs about home and hearth were all a lie. This wasn’t a place of welcome. This was a refuge for the broken and abandoned.
“So, you said you thought the legend was a myth. What makes you think that?” he asked once I finally sat down on a leather chair across from him. My knees had given out on me at some point during my freakout.
When the silence finally hit me, I realized it was the first time I’d been completely alone with a guy since Clint. The dugout incident didn’t count because we were still on school property. And the times in his Jeep didn’t count because his attention was always divided between me and the road.
Drake looked far too good at the moment as he stretched out on the couch, his jeans hugging him just right, giving me a good idea of what his impressive thigh muscles looked like. I could feel my resistance barrier crumbling more and more as the seconds dragged on.
What was his question again?
Oh, right. The stupid legend.
“Well, the author seemed so speculative. He bounced around with different opinions but never really gave anything concrete. If it was all true, wouldn’t there be a definite answer?”
“Do you always need hard evidence to understand truth? Didn’t you believe in Santa as a kid?”
“Nope. My parents didn’t believe in the disillusionment of childhood. I got presents at Christmas, but it was always from Mom and Dad. Not Santa, Mrs. Claus, or the elves. Why do you care? You seemed to agree with me earlier that it was just a crazy story.”
“Okay, Santa wasn’t a good example.” Drake sighed and raked his fingers through his shaggy hair. “Do you believe in God?”
I frowned at him as I tried to follow his train of thought. The boy had the ability to twist my brain into knots with a few simple words. “I’m not entirely sure. I mean, I believe in the existence of a higher being but God…I don’t know.”
“Never mind. This whole thing is stupid.” He jumped to his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets as he began to pace. A dark hank of hair fell into his face, making him look like James Dean, only sexier.
“Look, I don’t believe humans can change into animals and back again. It’s not scientifically possible. I don’t believe in people who feed off human blood by night and sleep in coffins by day. Those are just stories created to scare little kids witless.”
“What if it was all true? What if you found out you were seriously wrong? Not the blood drinkers who sleep in coffins thing, but the shifters.”
“What if the sky turned lime green? What if we grew extra feet? What if the cafeteria served real food? It’s just a game of ‘what if.’ I’m sorry if I’m offending you. You can believe this stuff if you want. I don’t. I respect you, but I don’t have to believe with you.”
He was pacing back and forth in front of the window. I gave up trying to read his expression because the dim glow from the cloudy sky formed a silhouette around him, darkening his face. A growl came from him, and I wondered if he was super pissed or just hungry. I was going with the first option at the moment. My fists clenched at my sides, and I prepared myself for what was to come.
“Star, one day
you’re going to realize the world doesn’t revolve around you; that there is an entire universe out there that doesn’t make sense but exists nonetheless. I just hope you’re ready for it when it happens.”
“What the heck does that mean? What makes you think-”
“Drake, we’ve got company,” Meliena said as she ran into the room.
“Yeah, I know,” he muttered and stalked away.
“What’d he mean by that?” I turned to Meliena, still shaken by his anger. I knew I was missing something, but I just couldn’t figure it out. Looking into her warm brown eyes, I felt instant peace.
Odd.
“You really don’t know? Why would he bring you here of all places if he didn’t tell you?” Meliena frowned.
“I don’t know! No one is telling me anything. It’s really starting to tick me off! He just went on about that stupid legend. Who cares?!” I fought against the serenity with everything in me.
“I think if you just let all the information process, you’d find your answer. Right now, we need to get you into the basement.”
“What?” I squeaked and jumped to my feet. Now I was getting nervous and extremely anxious, like I was expecting someone to come at me wearing a hockey mask and wielding a chainsaw.
“Our visitors aren’t friendly. You’ll be safer down there.”
I followed without resistance. After this was all over, I was going to demand Drake tell me everything. If I had to hide in his damp basement, he owed me that much. As we passed a window, I glanced out to see what looked like a pack of massive wolves surrounding a black one crouched down with its hackles raised.
“Ohmigod,” I gasped.
Meliena shoved me through a door. I tripped over the first step, but caught myself on the second one.
“If you want to live. Don’t. Make. A. Sound.” Meliena warned before slamming the door.
