As Calvin drove home that night, he thought over all that had happened. He was having a great time with this girl, and when he left, he found himself wanting more. Furthermore, they had shared a kiss. Though he felt it was too early to be certain, he had a feeling that he was getting into something good.
Chapter 4: Stalking?
Calvin and Alexis continued seeing each other, whether it was simply grabbing quick meals and running errands or drawn-out video game sessions. The two were starting to be around each other often enough that people noticed them as a couple and remarked when one was missing. Overall, things were going quite swimmingly for them.
When Calvin received a call from Alexis one day, he suspected nothing at first. "Hey there."
"Hey, Cal." Alexis's voice was lower than usual.
"Why are you whispering? Is something going on?" Calvin asked.
"This is important. I think I'm being followed."
Calvin nearly dropped the phone out of shock. "What?"
"I dunno, maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I keep seeing this old lady around town. It's not normal to see a specific person over and over again like that, is it?" Though Alexis was lamely trying to maintain a whisper, her voice raised in what sounded like irritation.
"Are you sure you two just don't have the same routines? Have you tried talking to her?"
"I don't know. No, I haven't tried talking to her. She's kinda creepy somehow, I can't explain it."
Calvin felt a little tension in his chest, hearing Alexis like this. "How long has this been going on?"
"Maybe a week? Maybe a little more?" Alexis sighed. "Maybe I should try talking to her. I guess that'd help me narrow down if it's just coincidence. Or it could make her stalk me more."
"You don't have to give her any information," Calvin said. "Just ask if you're both going to the same places."
"O-kay then. If you don't hear from me in an hour, I'm cooking in some freaky old crone's cauldron," Alexis said, her voice dripping with skepticism.
"I wouldn't worry about it so much," Calvin said. "Try thinking of what I would do."
"What would you even do? I guess you'd just go and confront her and be totally upfront with things," Alexis said.
"Sounds about right."
"Okay. Wish me luck. Talk to you later." With that, Alexis hung up.
***
Approximately an hour later, Alexis called back. "I talked to her."
"And you're not cooking, are you?"
"No, but... let me ask you a question." Alexis paused briefly before moving forward. "Do you know any old women at all? This lady sort of implied that she knew you."
"Uh... Maybe?" Calvin tapped his temple. "What'd she look like?"
"Tall, thin, kind of scraggly grey hair, light blue eyes... spoke with a vaguely European-sounding accent... does any of that ring a bell?"
Calvin would have been willing to dismiss the description as potentially belonging to anyone, but the accent raised red flags in his mind. Though it may not have come through in wolven telepathy, both Mathilde and Soren had slight accents when they spoke as humans. "Yeah," Calvin said, his voice stiffening. "Yeah, it does."
"So... are you going to do something about that, or...? What's the next step?" Alexis didn't seem especially alarmed, but it did sound like she wanted a decisive answer.
"I'm so sorry about it. I'll see if I can meet with her and tell her to knock it off." Calvin noticed that he was gripping his phone rather tightly and loosened his grip.
"That'd be great if you could do that. She didn't seem mean or anything, but she was really cryptic and it was just a very weird conversation," Alexis said. "Thanks, Cal."
After Alexis hung up, Calvin checked his phone calendar. Sure enough, there was a clan meeting tonight. Most likely, it would be another checking-in affair, but now he had a mission. He was going to do some interrogating of his own tonight.
***
The usual routine ran without interruption. Calvin went to his alley and shifted, his paws pounding the pavement, then the dirt. He arrived at the clan's meeting space a bit early and found Soren and Mathilde sitting there. Soren seemed relaxed, but Calvin knew that Mathilde was waiting for him. Cautiously, he approached them, giving a deferential bow before he spoke, "Sir, permission to speak with your mate?"
"No need to ask. She has been waiting for you," Soren said.
"Indeed," Mathilde said. "Calvin, let us go elsewhere."
"Yes, let's," Calvin replied as he followed the matriarch.
The two werewolves walked a distance away from the meeting spot, and Mathilde immediately got down to business. "It seems to me that you have made a very lovely friend," she said.
"Yeah, about that. You know that because you've been stalking her, right?" Calvin knew his tone was disrespectful, but he was not in the mood for kissing up to this meddlesome woman.
"Stalking is the wrong word, my child," Mathilde said. "Stalking is what we do to prey. I am simply following and observing."
"Doesn't matter. You're making her very uncomfortable and I don't like that. So, keep your nose out of our business, please?" Calvin then added, "Does your mate know you've been monitoring a human this closely?"
"Of course he does," Mathilde said. "And he understands."
"There's literally no reason for you to be doing this," Calvin said. "Werewolves make human friends all the time. We have to, because it's not like everyone else in this world is a werewolf too."
"That may be true, but I would like to issue you a word of caution." Mathilde pawed at the ground as she spoke into Calvin's mind, "You are not the first one I have given this speech to, and you will not be the last. You know that, as a werewolf, choosing a pure human mate is discouraged. It opens the clan to some jurisdictional problems and raises questions about you personally. Furthermore, hybrids of werewolf and human experience various disadvantages in their lives. Tell me, have you ever seen a half-human? Or, more specifically, one who admits to being one?"
"No, but they can't go around telling people that they're half-werewolves, just like we can't go around telling everyone that we're full werewolves. That's a moot point," Calvin said.
"It is a moot point because it is not the point," Matilde said, her voice firm but soft. "A hybrid cannot fully transform, and they do not have the same spiritual connections we do."
"Who cares about the spiritual connections? Who even uses them anymore, anyway?" Calvin snapped.
"Do not be insolent about these important matters!" Matilde's voice sharpened. "I am trying to save you from pain and trouble. Please, think about the long-term consequences of your actions, and think about people other than yourself."
"If you keep trying to save people from themselves, they'll just get stuck in the rut you fenced them into," Calvin said, no longer caring about the anger in his voice. "Let me worry about my own actions. Besides, we're not even at that stage yet. I'm not ready to officially choose her as a mate, let alone have kids with her."
Mathilde shook her head. "I worry about you, lost pup," she said softly.
"Looks like the meeting's starting." Calvin started walking back towards the group, not even waiting for permission. "Mind your own business, old lady."
The ensuing meeting might have seemed fine to everyone else, but Calvin knew the leaders' eyes were on him. Every wolf present went through the usual litany of things they had accomplished since the last meeting. When they reached Calvin, he gave the blandest response he could think of. "I took care of some stuff and some things and visited a friend a few times." It was a small mercy that neither leader pressed for more details, but he knew that it was because they were probably going to find out what he was up to anyway. He could feel suspicious glances on him from all around, but he didn't really care.
The meeting came to an end and Calvin made sure to get out of there as soon as he could. He didn't know what Mathilde had planned for him, but he had plans of his own. He would patrol around Al
exis wherever he could, and if he saw anyone that looked too familiar, they would get a stern talking-to at the very least. Alexis may not have been his mate, but he was determined to ensure that she went without harassment all the same.
Chapter 5: Begone, Wretch!
Despite Calvin's efforts, Alexis reported sightings of Mathilde at least once a week. If it wasn't clear that he needed to take matters into his own hands before, it sure was now. He began spending more time with Alexis than ever before, to the point that she actually called him her guardian. Sometimes, after she went to bed, he would shift into wolf form and lurk near her house to ensure neither Mathilde nor an underling was spying on her. He realized that this was probably creepy, but if she didn't know he was doing it, what was the harm?
She would find out soon enough. One night, another wolf showed up at Alexis's house while Calvin was keeping watch. At first, he wondered if this was just an ordinary wolf, but his logic kicked in. What wolf would come this close to a human's house? Furthermore, the scent was off. Normal wolves didn't smell like that.
"Calvin?"
Calvin knew this voice. It was that loser who always complained that he smelled like humans. "What are you doing here?" he snarled back, his fur bristling.
"I was just passing through," the wimpy werewolf said.
"My ass you were," Calvin growled. "Mathilde sent you, didn't she?"
"I just heard you were around this house a lot!"
"And how did you hear about that?"
The other guy whined. "Mathilde told me. Look, she's just very concerned about, you, and this isn't the first time she's-"
"I can't believe you." Calvin bared his fangs, putting on every aspect of menace that he could. "You think that gives her the right to stalk and harass one of my friends, directly or indirectly? Get out of here!"
"Wait, please, let me finish-"
"No. Get out of here, or I'll make you get out."
At that moment, Alexis opened the door, armed with a broom yet only wearing an over-sized t-shirt and shorts. Even in the darkness, Calvin could see that her eyes were wide with shock and terror. "Oh my god, what the hell is this," she mumbled drowsily.
"Get out!" Calvin growled at the other wolf, and the wimp fled, just as he thought he would.
"Please don't eat me, please don't eat me..." Alexis stepped back behind the door and slammed it shut.
At that moment, Calvin knew the jig was up. He was going to have some explaining to do if he could ever get Alexis to open the door. He shifted back to human and knocked on the door. "Alexis, please open the door."
"Calvin?" The surprise pitched Alexis's voice up several notches and slowly, she opened the door, peeking out from behind it. "I... what? How did you get here?"
"I can explain," Calvin said.
"You'd better," Alexis said. "Don't tell me you can teleport."
"Can I come in?" Calvin asked.
"Hell no. If I open the door any more, a whole pack of wolves might run in here," Alexis said. "Explain right here."
"Might as well show you." Calvin closed his eyes and he shifted, transitioning back to wolf form in front of Alexis.
Alexis's mouth was hanging open, a silent scream. When Calvin shifted back, she screamed for real. "What the fuck?!"
"Alexis, I'm a werewolf." There was no other way for Calvin to say it aside from being purely direct.
"Well, obviously, I can't doubt what I just saw, but... what?! I mean... is this for real?"
"Yes it is. I swear. Please let me in to explain," Calvin said.
"What is there to explain?" Alexis sprung into a litany of questions. "How do I know you're not going to eat me or kill me or turn me into a werewolf? Are humans even allowed to date werewolves? Can we even be seen together anymore?"
"Alexis, calm down."
"I can't!" The tension in Alexis's voice remained steady as she spoke, "My entire understanding of what is real and what isn't has just been totally turned on its head! What else is real that I don't know about? More importantly, what else are you hiding from me?"
"I... Alexis, please, listen." Calvin sighed and massaged his forehead, unsure of how to calm Alexis down. "Werewolves aren't exactly commonplace these days. Reactions like this are part of the reason why we can't just come out and tell people what we are."
"Can you blame me?" Alexis was squeezing the doorknob for real life. "Like I said, I don't even know what's real anymore."
"No. I don't blame you at all." Calvin tried to reach around the door to touch Alexis's hand, but she pulled the door closer to her, an action that threatened to slam his fingers in the door. "Alexis, I want you to understand something. I care about you. I don't want you to be scared of me. That's why I never told you the truth. I'm sorry. I'm used to having to use secrecy about this."
There was a pause as Alexis seemed to think about something. Finally the curiosity got the best of her and she opened the door a crack more. "Can you answer my questions?"
"Which ones? You asked a lot." Calvin rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's see... Werewolves don't eat humans. We eat whatever we'd like. We don't turn people into werewolves very often anymore, because they have to genuinely want it and they have to pass special tests. And as for humans and werewolves dating... it's discouraged, but I'm almost a hundred percent sure that it happens anyway."
"It's discouraged, you say," Alexis mumbled. "Why are you still here, then?"
"Because I care for you. I want to make sure you're safe and happy. I mean... I guess I could just leave you now. The stalking would stop and you'd be able to go back to a totally normal life." Calvin turned away. The option hurt, but he felt it was important to extend it to her.
The door opened further and Alexis stepped out. "Wait. Answer one more question for me." She put her hand on Calvin's shoulder and turned him around to face her. "Who is the old woman who's been following me and what does she want?"
"The old woman who's been following you is the matriarch of my clan. She's a busybody and looks out for everyone too much." Calvin wanted so badly to hold Alexis, but he decided against it. "She cares, but she likes to meddle. She won't hurt either of us, but she'll be very annoying."
"So she's like your mother-in-law, except she's everyone's mother-in-law?" Alexis quipped.
"Kind of." Calvin scratched the back of his head. "I guess I should get going. I'm really sorry for everything. Take care of yourself."
"Wait!" Alexis shouted as Calvin was walking away. "Don't go."
"Why not? If I leave, everything will be less complicated for you," Calvin said.
"Life is complicated. Relationships are complicated. This one is just more complicated than usual." Alexis opened the door all the way and stepped back out. "You're still you, aren't you? Werewolf or not, you're still the guy who's been looking out for me all this time."
"Do you believe it?"
"I do so." Alexis's voice dipped down, sounding almost sad. "Please... come in."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Alexis stepped away from the door frame and ushered Calvin in, shutting the door behind her. "I'm sorry I reacted so badly. But it sounds like you understand why," she paused and Calvin could see the tears forming in her eyes. "I care for you. You really are a great guy, Cal. It'd suck to lose you."
Calvin gently shushed Alexis and drew her close. "I'm glad. I won't keep any more secrets from you, I promise. If I can, I'll even introduce you to the rest of my clan."
"Good. I bet your family gatherings are a lot of fun, or at least interesting." Alexis yawned, despite trying to stifle it. "What time is it? Do you know?"
"It's late, I can tell you that much." Calvin felt a yawn of his own coming on.
"In that case, I don't want you going home all by yourself. Besides, I have billion questions about all that werewolf thing but that can wait until morning," Alexis said. Then, rather shyly, she whispered, "I want you to stay with me."
"Really?" Calvi
n felt a little stupid saying that so much, but he felt the skepticism was warranted.
"Yes. You don't even have to sleep on the couch," Alexis said, gesturing for Calvin to follow her. "Will you share the bed with me? No funny business, though."
"Thank you." Calvin followed Alexis into her room and was surprised at how minimally decorated it was. It was a comfortable space, yes, but there wasn't anything particularly notable on her walls, desk, or dresser.
"Get comfy," Alexis said and Calvin did so, taking off his shoes and socks and sliding himself under the covers. She then proceeded to tuck him in and give him a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep tight."
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