Victor

by Taylor Longford

  "Before you do that, why don't you try to heal him?" Valor suggested.

  Immediately, she looked doubtful but said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

  "I'll get your piece of wood from the dining room," Dare offered and returned a moment later with the rod of oak.

  MacKenzie closed the wood in her fist and stroked her knuckles over Hooligan's coat while chanting, "Power of oak. Power of wood. Work your magic to make things good. Work your power to heal this dog…"

  At that point, she faltered. Valor had once told her that her spells had to rhyme and he was afraid she'd be mad if he admitted he'd only been messing with her. So we all hid our smiles and held our breaths, wondering what the heck she was gonna find to rhyme with dog.

  "Work your power to heal this thirst," she revised suddenly. "Make Hooli better instead of worse."

  "Good one," Havoc chuckled while the rest of the pack let out a collective sigh of relief.

  But Hooligan wasn't any better later that afternoon so MacKenzie made an emergency appointment with the family vet.

  "Can I come along?" Havoc asked while Hooligan sprawled lifelessly on the kitchen floor. The big dog lifted his head and gave Havoc an adoring look as his tail moved in tired little half-wag.

  "Of course," MacKenzie answered, her brow knitted in a deep frown of concern.

  So Havoc carried Hooligan out to Mac's Jeep and they took off for the vet with Valor driving. And while they were gone, I got a sudden, overwhelming urge for cocoa puffs. Which was strange because I'd never even tasted them before and I'm usually perfectly content with the frosted wheat cereal we keep in the cupboard at home.

  The timing was bad; I'd just missed getting a ride into town with the others. And I didn't want to ask to borrow Defiance's bike because he'd think it was crazy to risk getting pulled over…for cocoa puffs.

  So I walked out to the park, spread my wings and flew down to the center of Pine Grove, landing in the trees behind the grocery store. And that was another strange thing because we don't normally risk flying in broad daylight. What's more, I didn't go to the store where MacKenzie normally shops. I went to the upscale store farther down the highway, where the wealthier people of Pine Grove buy their groceries. Nobody saw me but it was still a crazy bad risk to take for breakfast cereal. I wasn't even hungry! But I jogged around the side of the building and strode through the automatic doors.

  As I turned into the cereal aisle and walked down the elegant wood-planked floors, I found Alexa standing there almost like she was waiting for me. I was a little surprised to run into her so unexpectedly, but I forced a smile and said, "Hi."

  "Hey," she bubbled, bouncing toward me. "It's good to see you. How's everything at home?"

  "Good. Good," I answered.

  "What have you been doing?" she demanded. "You missed the party last night at Ryan's place.

  I grimaced as I scanned the shelves for cocoa puffs. "Did you have a good time?"

  "Crazy good," she answered with her usual over-the-top enthusiasm. "How's everyone at your place?"

  "Fine," I answered, thinking the conversation was strange and awkward.

  "What are you doing here?"

  I tried to read the lettering on the boxes stacked on the shelves, looking for a cereal that started with either a C or a K. "Looking for cereal," I answered.

  "What kind of cereal?"

  "Uh, cocoa puffs?" I told her. "But I'm not sure what they look like."

  "Over here," she pointed, and seemed excited for some reason.

  When I reached the shelf, I picked up the brown box and looked at the packaging for a few seconds before I slowly replaced it on the shelf.

  "What's wrong?" she demanded.

  "I don't think I'd like these," I explained with a puzzled frown, wondering why I'd thought I wanted them in the first place.

  "Well you should buy them if you wanted them," she insisted, getting pushy for some reason.

  "I don't want them anymore," I said certainly.

  "Whatever. So everyone's good at your place?" she asked again.

  "Fine," I repeated as I shoved my hands in my pockets and headed back toward the front of the store.

  "How's MacKenzie's big dog?" she asked. "What's his name?"

  "Hooligan," I answered, kind of distractedly. "Actually, he's been unwell lately. We're having a hard time figuring out what's wrong with him."

  "Maybe I could use my magic to help," she offered as we stepped through the exit together.

  I hesitated, mostly because I knew the pack wouldn't welcome Alexa or her help. Besides MacKenzie had already tried to heal Hooli and hadn't gotten anywhere.

  "C'mon," she insisted, and tugged at the gold locket around her neck while a breeze tumbled her hair around her face. "It'll give me a chance to practice good magic. If it works, maybe you'll realize how much you've helped me to be a better person. I mean, better than I already was."

  "Okay," I murmured and smiled at her, thinking it was nice of her to want to help and maybe she was turning her life around. "I'll talk to MacKenzie if Hooligan doesn't get better soon."

  Out in the parking lot, she acted like she was going to trail me to my car. And I didn't want to tell her I didn't have a ride because I knew she'd offer to take me home. So I walked her to her SUV…which was parked in one of the handicapped spaces.

  "Later," I said and flashed her a smile as I stepped away from her car.

  Standing in the sunny parking lot, I watched her pull out and head through the lot. And…I hate the use the expression "out of sight, out of mind" but that's almost what happened the minute she was gone, even though I was trying real hard to build a place for her in my heart. I don't know how to explain it but she's just not like Samantha, whose memory lingers in my soul long after I've left her, like a warm feeling that I don't want to give up.

  So I walked back home, which was a very sane move…and a fair hike even though I cut through the woods wherever possible. And by the time I got back to MacKenzie's place, I wasn't thinking of Alexa or her offer to help at all. I saw Mac's Jeep parked in the garage and jogged past it to the mudroom door.

  As I stepped into the house, I heard MacKenzie saying, "Doc Wainwright didn't think there was much wrong with Hooli. He said whatever's bothering him will probably work its way out eventually. So he gave us some worming pills and sent us on our way."

  Thirsty after my long hike, I joined them in the kitchen and helped myself to a glass of water. "Worming pills? What do worming pills do, exactly?"

  "You don't want to know," she answered with a wry look on her face.

  Havoc crouched down beside the big dog sprawled on the floor. "Did you hear that, Hooli? The Doc says everything will come out alright in the end."

  But the worming pills didn't seem to help and Hooligan just got worse over the next two days. He refused to eat and wouldn't move his nose more than three inches away from his water bowl. By this time Mac was so upset, she was falling behind on her homework and it was starting to affect her grades.

  "I don't know what to do next," she cried softly as we stood in her kitchen, watching Hooligan on Tuesday afternoon.

  Of course, Valor hated to see her upset. He pulled her against his front and settled his arms over her collarbones, nudging his nose against her neck.

  "My healing hasn't worked," she said sadly. "And Doc Wainwright's pills aren't helping."

  "Samantha," I suggested quietly, again forgetting all about Alexa's offer. "She's studying veterinary science and she's younger than your family vet. She might have a more modern take on how to help him."

  "That's a good idea," MacKenzie exclaimed, jumping on my suggestion with almost desperate enthusiasm. She dug in her pocket and handed me her cell phone. "Let's give her a call."

  I frowned at the phone, a dull ache weighing in my chest. "I already tried."

  "You what?" she squeaked.

  "I called her earlier today and asked her to come," I admitted in a low voice. "But she…I don't thin
k she believed me when I told her Hooli was sick. She won't come if I call her."

  "But…this is serious," MacKenzie insisted.

  "I know," I agreed. "You call her. She might come for you."

  MacKenzie chewed on her bottom lip. "If I call, she might think I'm just trying to get you two together, the same as Torrie did at the coffee shop."

  "And it's no good asking for Torrie's help," I muttered. "Sam won't trust her sister either."

  "Well, she wouldn't expect me to want to hook you guys up," Havoc pointed out, a trace of humor glinting in his pale green gaze.

  MacKenzie eyed him critically. "True. But she might think you're trying to hook up with her yourself."

  "Either way, she'll be happy to come," he predicted with his typical unshakeable confidence.

  "He's right," I agreed grimly, frustrated that I couldn't do anything to help Hooligan. It was especially hard since I was so used to taking the lead. But this was clearly a case where I needed to step back and let someone else take over. "Let Havoc contact her."

  I was relieved that Havoc convinced Samantha to make the trip to Pine Grove to see Hooligan. But I was more than a little pissed, too. Because Samantha hadn't been willing to come for me. And especially because she'd thought I was lying. It was kind of insulting that she thought I'd lie, especially about something important like that.

  We'd moved Hooligan down to the family room for her visit after rearranging the dark wicker furniture. But I didn't go out to greet her when she pulled up the driveway. And when she came inside, I stood at the windowless end of the room, with my back against the wall and my arms crossed over my chest. I was glad she was there but it hurt like hell that she'd come for Havoc when she wouldn't come for me.

  Kneeling beside the glass-topped coffee table, she used a stethoscope to listen to Hooligan's heart then pulled a small flashlight from her bag to check his eyes and ears. After she ran her fingers through his coat, she asked, "Can you open his mouth for me?"

  But Hooligan opened his mouth like he'd understood Samantha perfectly.

  "Good boy," she said softly, running her thumb over his gums. "He's dehydrated. Badly dehydrated."

  "But he's been drinking water like crazy," MacKenzie pointed out.

  Samantha shook her head. "There's something wrong. I wonder if…" Her voice trailed away and she gave MacKenzie a worried look.

  "Are you thinking poison?" Mac choked.

  "No," Samantha answered. "You said he's been sick for several days. If it were poison, he'd probably be dead by now. But I've heard stories before…"

  "What kind of stories?" MacKenzie asked like she didn't really want to hear the answer, her knuckles white as she gripped Valor's hand.

  Samantha's eyes filled with a deep sorrow that moved me to the core of my soul. I wanted to push away from the wall and go to her and wrap my arms around her to shelter her from any grief that threatened her happiness. But I gritted my teeth and repositioned my wristbands, toughing it out back against the wall.

  "Stories about feeding a dog a sponge that's been soaked in bacon fat," she explained in a low voice. "The dog gulps it down then gets dehydrated because the sponge soaks up all the water he drinks. The sponge is too big to work its way back out of his system."

  MacKenzie looked horrified. "Who would do that to Hooligan?"

  "Someone mean," Havoc answered flatly.

  MacKenzie turned her head and stared at him. "But who would come to the lot and deliberately attack him?"

  "They wouldn't have to come to the lot," Havoc pointed out, his face grim as backed up and sat on the bench in the bay window. "They could have given it to him in the park. He spends most of his time over there."

  MacKenzie turned back to Samantha. "So how do we help him?" she asked, sounding a little more collected now that she knew what we were up against.

  "First he'll need an x-ray," Samantha suggested quietly. "And if there's something in his stomach, it'll have to come out."

  "Come out?"

  "It would require an operation," she explained.

  "Can you…do that?"

  Samantha shook her head and gave Mac a sympathetic look. "I'm in the first year of my studies. You'll have to go to a veterinarian."

  "Well, I guess I'd better schedule him for an x-ray," MacKenzie said softly, leaning down and stroking Hooligan's head while he watched her from half-closed eyes.

  "I'd better get going," Samantha suggested after a few moments, gathering her things.

  MacKenzie jerked her attention back to Samantha. "Oh! Do you have to go? Are you sure you won't stay a little longer?"

  "I have a class this evening," Samantha answered.

  "Well, thanks so much for coming," Mac said.

  "Aye. Thanks," Valor murmured.

  Samantha's gaze flicked to the back of the room where I was standing in the shadows. "Victor, do you mind helping me out to my car?"

  I didn't know why she'd singled me out when Havoc would have been more than happy to give her a hand, but I joined her, helping her into her jacket and opening the front door for her while the others said their goodbyes in the entry. "Thanks again for coming," I told her, once we were outside and making our way along the front of the house to the driveway.

  But for someone normally so poised and elegant, she seemed agitated. "I'm sorry," she finally burst out as we turned the corner of the house. "When you called earlier, I thought…"

  "You thought I was lying," I finished her sentence bluntly.

  "I'm sorry."

  "I don't generally lie if I can avoid it," I told her, feeling like that would have been obvious if she'd taken the time to get to know me. I tried to bury my resentment and see things from her point of view but it still hurt. "I wouldn't lie about something important like this."

  Samantha looked genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry but…I went out with Nils for two years. And for two years…I didn't know he was lying all along. Every. Single. Word. So I guess I don't trust guys very much anymore. My trust function is kinda shattered."

  "He lied to you?" I asked softly, wondering what he'd lied about.

  She looked at the ground and nodded.

  I lifted her chin with my fist and held her gaze. "Did he tell you that you were beautiful?"

  "Yes," she answered and swiped her knuckle at the corner of her eye.

  "Then he didn't lie about everything," I told her gently.

  For several seconds she searched my eyes. "Thanks," she finally sniffed.

  "Listen, Sam. Can't we just be friends?" I suggested as I reached for the door handle on her car. "I mean, we've both agreed we're not right for each other. But since your sister's going out with my brother, we're almost destined to run into each other. If we can just get along, I promise I won't make a move on you." I gave her a lopsided smile. "Well, unless you throw yourself at me."

  She blinked up at me through watery eyes and tried a smile. "Maybe," she whispered.

  "I'd like to earn your respect," I said, and opened her car door. "Get that trust function up and running again."

  "I'll think about it," she mumbled and sniffed again as she slid into the driver's seat.

  "If it makes you feel better…I could look for a girlfriend," I offered jokingly. "I know a girl who might fancy me."

  Her gaze jerked to mine suddenly and her eyes widened in a way that reminded me of Sophie.

  "Her name's Alexa," I added, going for a cheeriness that wasn't in me.

  "I'm sure there's more than one girl around here who fancies you," she mumbled. "But I guess it would make me feel a little safer around you. If I knew you were…taken."

  "I'll see what I can do about it," I told her with another crooked smile, and closed her inside the car.

  And for several minutes after she drove away, I stood in front of the garage, staring down the driveway. It was sad, and maybe even a little insane, but I was ready to consider getting a girlfriend if it would help me to see Samantha occasionally.

  How nuts wa
s that?

  Chapter Seven

  "Girlfriend," I murmured, the word sounding oddly foreign on my lips because I tended to think of Mac as Valor's girl rather than his girlfriend. Just like Mim was Dare's girl and Whitney was Defiance's girl. But for some reason, the word made me start thinking about Alexa and how she'd offered to help. And on a sudden gnawing impulse, I jogged back to the front door.

  "Can I borrow your phone?" I asked Valor as soon as I stepped into the house.

  "Who are you calling?" he asked, pulling his cell from his pocket and handing it over.

  "Alexa," I answered.

  "What for?" Defiance demanded as soon as the words were out of my mouth.

  "She offered to come over and try to help Hooligan," I explained.

  "She did?" he exclaimed, obviously surprised. But it wasn't long before his surprise turned into distrust. "When was this?"

  "I ran into her at the grocery store on the weekend."

  His gray eyes narrowed on mine. "How did she know Hooligan was sick?"

  "Because I told her," I shot back at him. "Why are you so suspicious?"

  He looked stunned at my question. "Isn't it obvious?" he exclaimed.

  "Nay," I answered sharply. "Why won't you even give her a chance when you were so willing to give Samantha a chance? At least Alexa didn't think I was lying when I said there was something wrong with Hooli. Why won't you give her a chance to do something good? Why won't you give her a chance to change?"

  Defiance looked at me like I was insane, then took a deep breath and glanced around at the others. Havoc was wearing the same gobsmacked expression on his face. But the rest of the pack seemed a little more willing to at least consider the idea.

  "Alright," Valor said. "She is a witch, after all, and healing might be her forte."

  "Or she might be a good clairvoyant," Dare added.

  "Clairvoyant?" I echoed.

  "Even if she can't heal Hooligan, she might be able to tell us what happened to him," Dare suggested.

  Havoc acted like I was crazy and it must be contagious if Valor and Dare were buying in. "Yeah, right," he muttered.

  But Dare cut a sharp frown at his younger brother that shut him up, at least momentarily. "Give Alexa a call and invite her over," he told me.