by Dan Dillard
Chapter 15
Jason waved to Becca as she left him in the drive and then he went inside for a nap. He stretched, listening to the popping sounds in his joints that signified the coming change. Then he took a handful of pain pills. Sometime after lunch, they took the edge off. Soon after, he fell asleep.
Gray stood watching the morning daylight bloom around the edges of the trees across that prairie. The glint of sun off the busy water mesmerized him. His ears and nose worked separately, continuing their sentry duty. Then he blinked and morning became late evening. White lay next to him, sleeping. All was peaceful with only the sound of the stream and the occasional breeze to disturb the world. Slowly a chorus of insects and amphibians began their daily song to the night.
The giggling of the mother and baby rose over the sounds of the evening and Gray's ears perked forward. His sleeping partner roused as well and looked to the noise. She twisted her head one direction, then the other, trying to make sense of the sounds. She rolled her body to stand and Gray stood, impeding her progress. He stared her down with cold eyes, letting her know it was not all right for her to approach that family. They were merely observers, studying something new. Behind her, he saw Blue.
A low guttural growl boiled from Gray's belly. He tired of the young upstart, of the lack of discipline in the darker wolf. He watched and waiting for his rival to move, to advance in some way. The animal did not. It stared at him, head slung low, and panted lightly. She rose cautiously to stand by her mate.
The next sound uttered from the human encampment made the blue wolf bolt. He couldn't hold himself any longer and darted, taking a wide path around his pack leader. Gray sprinted to block, White followed. Blue moved swiftly, on younger legs, his sole intent was the meal on the other side of that stream of water. The three animals arrived outside the hut simultaneously.
Gray howled to warn the strange creatures inside. Blue circled one way and then another. The woman came to the door holding a staff made of wood. It was carved and marked with paint. She yelled at the creatures. Blue lunged, then dodged the swinging weapon. The woman screamed again, backing Blue up. Gray stepped between them, put his back to the woman and barked at Blue. White approached the younger animal from the side. They were attempting to drive him away. Then excruciating pain washed over Gray as the wooden implement came crashing down on his hind quarters. It felt like lightning shot from his hips to his neck and in a blink he was on the ground, yelping. His mate looked on in fear of the woman with the stick. Blue watched with grateful and eager appreciation.
White approached her mate, nudging him with her snout, trying to bring him back to his feet. Both females were so focused on Gray they lost track of Blue.
The ring of his cell phone brought Jason to a sitting position. The timing of the noise matched the excitement of the vision he'd witnessed and he popped to attention before he realized what was going on. The house was dead silent. Then the phone rang once more. He scrambled to answer it.
"Yeah?"
"Jason?"
He sat in a trance with the phone pressed up to his ear. The sting of the wooden staff on his backside seemed to linger.
"Jason, are you there?"
"Rocky?"
A sigh on the other end told him he had guessed incorrectly.
"No. It's Becca."
"Sorry. I just woke up. Was having this intense dream-"
She interrupted, "Look, I'm still a little weirded out about work. Any chance you'd come hang out with me for a while. Just until I get calmed down?"
"Come to work with you? Are you serious?"
"I don't have anyone else to call. All my friends are working, and none of the other guys I know would do this for me without some kind of sick form of payment in return."
Jason pushed the side button on his cell phone to see the time. He'd slept for several hours, it was after supper.
"Sure. I guess. When?"
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes. I've got to be at work by seven."
He rubbed a hand across his face. Then he caught a whiff of his breath and grimaced.
"Ok. I just need to wash up. I'll be ready."
She disconnected without saying anything. He heard the quiver in her voice and knew she was legitimately scared. As he set the phone on the end table, it rang in his hand giving him quite a start.
"Hello?"
"Hey, wa-ya."
Rocky's voice brought a smile to his face. He tucked the phone into this shoulder and walked to the bathroom.
"What's up?"
"Nothing," she said. "Just off work. Thought maybe we could hang out tonight."
"Oh."
He twisted the cap off the toothpaste and started brushing his teeth. He spoke in between brush strokes. "That would be cool, if you don't mind hanging out at the Hilton."
"Huh?"
"Becca, she works there... she was the first person I met here in town. Anyway, some creepy dude scared her this morning, and she asked if I'd hang out with her at work tonight. At least for a while."
"Uh-huh. You're going to meet a girl in a hotel, and you want me to come along?" She giggled at him.
"It's not like that. I talked to her earlier today. This guy was for real and he frightened her pretty bad."
"Ok I guess. We can sit there and talk as well as anywhere. How's the joints? I'm aching pretty good today."
"Twelve pills so far today. It'll only get worse. Hey, Can you meet me there? She's on her way to get me."
"Sure. I'll be there about eight. Don't wolf out without me," she said.
"Don't worry."
He clicked his phone and shoved it in his pocket. Then he finished brushing his teeth and washing his face. He pulled his eyelids down one by one to check for signs. The brown pigment in his irises was lighter. Not noticeable to most, but he saw the difference. In another week, it would be yellow and hideous. There was just enough time to pull on a clean t-shirt before he heard feet on the front steps and a knock at the door.
"Ready to go?" he said as he opened it.
Becca grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door and off the porch. "Yup," she said. "I hope this is a false alarm."
