Running in a Pack

by A M Burns

  Adrian gave him a nod as his cheeks darkened even more. “I didn’t know if you two would get that.”

  “Of course we do.” Ivan reached out to touch the dark brown wolf that was him, only to have Adrian give him a light smack on his hand before he could reach the painting.

  “Don’t touch it! You might damage it!” Adrian scolded him, which made Ivan grin.

  Finn tentatively put his arm around Adrian’s shoulders. “This okay?”

  Adrian nodded, and Ivan added his arm as well, going across Adrian’s lower back from the other side. “How about this?”

  “Yes. I like this.” Adrian was practically as red as a beet as the three of them stood there together admiring his art. “I did a different sketch for this painting originally, with the three wolves all lying together in a circle and asleep, but I didn’t like it as much.”

  “Why not?” Ivan asked him.

  “It was too… intimate, I think. Three wolves being lazy, that’s one thing, but the three of them—of us—forming a circle like that,” he shook his head. “I’ll paint it sometime soon, but it won’t go in an auction. I wouldn’t want anyone else having that one. It’ll be important.”

  Finn fully understood. He wouldn’t want to share that with anyone but the two of them either. As they were standing there looking at the painting, Finn’s history teacher came up and added her bid to the bottom of the sheet. Finn looked over her shoulder and smiled when he saw that there were at least five bids other than hers.

  When she was done placing her bid, she turned around and smiled at Adrian. “You have so much talent. I hope you never stop painting. What was your inspiration for these three?”

  Finn could hardly keep himself constrained as Adrian mumbled out, “Um, well, there are a few cubs in the back office right now that I like to play with.”

  She nodded to him. “Well, they’re absolutely lovely. I hope I win.”

  “Thank you,” Adrian mumbled again as she walked off toward the food.

  As soon as she was gone, Finn felt him lose some of the stiffness in his shoulders. “She’s right. You’re really good.”

  Adrian looked up at him. “Thanks. You don’t have to say that just because I’m your friend.”

  Finn rolled his eyes. “I’m saying it because it’s true. That you’re my friend means I’ll want you to design my tattoos someday, when my parents finally allow me to get some. They’re still in the whole phase of ‘I can have them over their dead bodies.’ In Austin lots of guys had them, so I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  Ivan turned to look over at him too. “Would you get a wolf?”

  Finn nodded. “I would. Being here and seeing them all the time, they kind of did something to me. Spiritually.” It was hard for him to explain, but he knew how he felt about it, and someday he’d have a wolf tattooed somewhere on him. It would be even more meaningful because he would try his best to convince Adrian to draw the tattoo for him. He’d have to find an especially good tattoo artist to do it, though—someone who could actually make Adrian’s art as beautiful on his skin as it was on paper, not someone who would ruin the drawing completely. Plus, if he got a wolf, it would be like having Ivan with him all the time too. Maybe Adrian could even draw Ivan's wolf for him and it would be just another of their secrets that made him smile whenever Finn would see the tattoo.

  “Oh my God, can you three be any more pathetic?” Esteban said from behind them.

  A chill ran through Finn as he turned around. He tried to look big and hoped he’d make an impression. In his heart he knew the bully wouldn’t be brazen enough to try something with everyone—including their parents—in the room, but that knowledge didn’t stop his heart from pounding so hard that he couldn’t hear anything beyond his pulse.

  “Be nice, Esteban,” Ivan growled, positioning himself like he always did: between Adrian and harm. “This is my home. You can either be nice or you can leave.”

  “When am I ever anything but nice?” Esteban’s tone was dark and condescending.

  “A lot of times.” Finn lined up next to Ivan, and together they formed a wall in front of Adrian. Beside him, Ivan pulsed with anger. Finn didn't blame him. He had no idea how Ivan managed to keep himself contained all the time like he did with these guys around. It was a wonder he hadn't shifted and attacked them a long time ago. Finn knew he definitely would have by now.

  Ivan’s wolf energy rolled off him, like his wolf was just under his skin, waiting to get out. It tingled across Finn’s body, making him hot and angry at the same time. Something was about to happen, he could feel it. But with all the other things hitting him, he couldn’t get a clear image of what it was. At times, his visions were next to useless.

  Adrian put a calming hand on both of their shoulders. “Let’s just go for a walk.”

  Finn glanced back at his friend, and the look of fear in Adrian’s face shook him to the core. He wanted to make sure that he never saw that look in Adrian’s eyes again. “Okay.” There was nothing they could do to Esteban, just like Esteban couldn’t do anything to them. Not there at least.

  “Come on,” Ivan added, then as one they turned and headed for the back door.

  They had nearly made it to the door when the voice of Finn’s history teacher rang out. “Oh my God! Esteban Forsyth, what have you done?”

  Finn stopped in his tracks. “What the hell?”

  Ivan was already in motion back toward the silent auction.

  They reached the table, and a horrified groan escaped Adrian. A light-headedness flooded Finn as he stared in disbelief. If he’d have only been able to sort out his feeling of something about to happen, he could’ve punched Esteban and saved Adrian the pain.

  Barbecue sauce covered the painting of the three wolves, ruining the piece. A few smaller splatters covered the paintings on either side of it. Esteban stood over them with a limp paper plate in his hands.

  “Oops,” he said, not sounding at all apologetic.

  Finn and Ivan closed the distance toward him. A deep angry growl welled out of Ivan as Finn clenched his fists.

  “Esteban, I can’t believe you did that.” Mrs. Forsyth appeared next to her son and glared down at the ruined painting hanging pathetically. “Look how much money you’ve cost us. What have I told you about making sure you don’t overload paper plates? You always make a mess, and this time I’m going to have to pay for these paintings you’ve just ruined with your clumsiness. You probably weren’t looking where you were going. Again.”

  Finn stopped and glared at Esteban. There wasn’t anything he could do. Technically they couldn’t prove Esteban had purposely dumped the food on Adrian’s artwork to hurt him, but in his heart, Finn knew that was what had happened. He’d even picked that particular picture to inflict the greatest mental anguish. The room tilted, and the vision of Esteban dumping sauce hit Finn. It replayed several times in rapid succession before the room returned to normal.

  As Esteban started making excuses to his mother and Ivan’s father appeared, the screen door onto the back porch banged shut. Without turning to look, Finn knew it was Adrian. Then in the distance wolves began to howl. The sound sent shivers through Finn and he wanted to start crying.

  “Come on,” Ivan hissed as he grabbed Finn’s arm and started for the back door.

  From the cacophony of wolves, they found Adrian sitting against Singer’s pen. The big wolf was licking him through the chain link. Ivan caught Finn’s arm. “Hold on, she can be kinda jumpy and is super protective of Adrian. Actually all the wolves are. They treat him like an omega wolf—the member of the pack that none would ever harm. With Singer and a couple of the others, those feeling are strong and have a slight human side they don’t understand.”

  Finn stopped. He wanted to go up to Adrian and offer him human comfort, but he didn’t want to risk upsetting Singer. “What do we do?”

  “Wait a minute,” Ivan said as around them the wolves slowly stopped howling. In the pens near Singer’s, other
wolves paced but fell silent. They were like ghosts moving in the forest, waiting for something to upset them again.

  It sent chills through Finn as he began to get an even greater understanding for the wolves’ intelligence. They knew that Adrian was upset. They accepted Adrian as part of their human pack. They wanted to do something to help him. They felt as helpless as Finn did.

  In the soft light of the full moon, Singer continued to lick Adrian’s fingers. Soon the only sounds coming from that direction were Adrian’s soft sobs and her gentle licking. A glowing image of a tall, elegant woman hugging Adrian rose up from Singer. Finn knew without a doubt it was the shadow of the woman the wolf became on the full moon.

  Ivan put his arm across Finn’s shoulders and pulled him close. In Ivan’s embrace, Finn started to relax, but he wanted to spread that to Adrian.

  When Singer finally stood and walked away from the fence, Ivan led Finn over to Adrian. Together, they wrapped their arms around Adrian and held him while he cried himself out. Finn knew the damage that bullies could do, but he’d never had one attack him in the emotional way that Esteban had just done to Adrian. Although he couldn’t think of anything he could do to make it better, he vowed to find a way. Together they would find a way to make sure that Channing and Esteban would stop tormenting Adrian. No one deserved to be tortured.

  They didn’t say anything as they stood in their tight embrace. Finn didn’t know how long Adrian cried, but they were still standing there in a group, with Singer watching over them, when their parents found them after the party broke up.

  12

  Finn spent most of that night worried about his friend. Adrian had been quiet when they’d had to say good-bye, and he hadn’t responded to any of Finn’s texts. By the next morning, Finn was ready to go over to Adrian’s house to make sure he was okay. The heartbreaking sobs that had wracked Adrian as Singer licked him had touched Finn on a level he hadn’t known before. He’d felt useless until Ivan had let him move up and together they had comforted Adrian; Finn never wanted to feel so helpless again. He never wanted to hear Adrian cry again either. It had sounded like some huge part of Adrian’s soul had been ripped out.

  He called Ivan for some backup. “Hey, do you want to go make Adrian talk to us?” Finn finished lacing up his boots, then pulled his jeans down over them. His T-shirts were getting too tight with all his new muscles, so he definitely needed to go get some more at some point.

  Ivan sighed. “I wish. I’ve been trying to get him to talk, but he says that he wants to be alone today. Do you want to hang out with just plain old me instead? After what happened last night, my parents are taking it easy on me today, so we could chill.”

  “Yeah, I’d like that. Come pick me up?” As much as he wanted to go rescue Adrian from his own misery, Finn understood wanting to be alone sometimes. Soon Adrian would come around, and things would be normal again. Finn was sure of it. He didn’t doubt Adrian would need him and Ivan when he was ready to talk things out.

  “Be there in ten.”

  After saying good-bye to Ivan, Finn went downstairs to find his family there waiting for him. It was a Sunday morning, so having them all at home wasn’t the strange part. Seeing them all at the dining room table as if this were going to be an intervention was.

  “I’m going to go hang out with Ivan today,” he told them before any of them could say anything.

  “Fine. But Channing didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Adrian’s painting,” Shelby snapped at him.

  She was being so quick to defend her new boyfriend. It made Finn want to go punch Channing. Maybe then Channing would stop being able to brainwash his little sister. Even though Channing hadn’t been in his vision of Esteban dumping the barbecue sauce, that didn’t mean he wasn’t part of it.

  Finn sighed loudly and leaned against the wall across from her. “Whatever Channing has told you, whatever you think you know, it’s all lies. I’ve seen how scared Adrian is of him. That’s not okay, and I don’t like you hanging out with him either.”

  His mom shook her head. “Channing seemed like a nice boy when he had dinner with us. A little bit of a show-off, and he was trying too hard, but sometimes that’s just how boys are. We want to know how Adrian is doing.”

  Finn wished he had a good answer for her. “He was hurt by what Esteban did, so he’s not doing well at all. Can I go hang out with Ivan today, or do you all need me here?”

  “After last night I think your friends need you right now,” his dad said. “Just check in sometime and be home by dinner. And take some bagels with you.”

  Finn gave him a smile. “Thanks.”

  A few minutes later, Ivan pulled up in front of Finn’s house, and Finn went out with a bag full of bagels, a tub of cream cheese, and his school backpack—in case they wanted to do any studying during the day. He had no plans other than to hang out with Ivan, which meant anything could happen, and he was fine with that. As long as Adrian was okay.

  “I see you brought breakfast,” Ivan said. His smile was obviously forced, telling Finn that Ivan was hurting too. “Yep.” He put on his seat belt, then shoved his things onto the floor in front of him. “Parents insisted. You okay?”

  Ivan started heading back toward the center while Finn got comfortable on the truck’s old seats. “Better now that you’re around.”

  Finn chuckled. “That was totally corny.”

  “But true.”

  Finn was less upset now that Ivan was nearby too. “Did you have anything planned for us today?”

  Ivan shook his head as they bumped over the uneven dirt road. “Not really. Some movies. Eating at some point. My parents said you could stay all day, and I’ve already helped feed the wolves and clean the pens, so we don’t have to worry about any of that. We’re supposed to be taking it easy and trying to see if we can get Adrian to talk to us.”

  “Your parents are worried too?” Finn asked.

  Ivan nodded and laid his hand between the seats. Finn rested his palm against Ivan’s, then slowly threaded his fingers through Ivan’s.

  “I’ve dated girls before. This is different,” Finn said idly. His feelings for Ivan were stronger than any he’d had for any girl, and he knew Ivan cared more about him too. “Like when we say good-bye, I want to text you right away. Last night I was thinking about Adrian, and I wanted to call you both. I realized I don’t like being away from either of you. Even having to go to our own classes sucks.”

  Ivan chuckled, briefly glancing over at him. “Good. See, here I was thinking that was just me. I don’t like letting you go for anything. It’s like I need to be touching you sometimes. I don’t know what I’m going to do when Adrian finds someone for himself. We’ve only been close for a year, but I can’t imagine my life without him in it. And you’ve only been with us for a few weeks, but I think I’d break if you were suddenly gone too.” He sighed. “My folks warned me that sometimes werewolves get a lot more attacked than regular humans. Maybe they’re right.”

  Finn hadn’t even thought about Adrian finding his own someone. He didn’t like that thought either. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Adrian to be happy: rather he just couldn’t picture it not being the three of them. They’d grown so close in such a short amount of time that he didn’t want to think about not having both Adrian and Ivan with him always. Magical or not, they just fit together so perfectly.

  “What are we going to do about college?” he quietly asked Ivan. He could hear the fear in his voice.

  Ivan frowned and pulled into the center’s parking lot. “Since I can go most places and get a degree, my plan was to follow Adrian wherever he ended up going, which I hope is for an art degree. There are some great colleges out there that would probably be helpful for him. I want you to come with us.” He stopped and sighed. “We’d have to get permission from the local alpha of whatever territory we end up in, but with the work we do at the center, most of the packs feel like they owe us.”

  Finn knew that was exac
tly what he’d do. “The werewolf thing sounds like it’s going to complicate things, a bit. I have no idea what I’ll be going for, but I plan to go with you two.”

  “Good. Then it’s settled. No way Adrian is going anywhere without us. We’ll deal with pack dynamics like we’re going to deal with everything else, together.”

  Finn laughed as he followed Ivan out of the truck. He hadn’t been in Ivan’s room before. Just like Adrian’s, Ivan had a bunch of posters of wolves all over his walls. He had a desk under the window with his laptop on it. Finn was glad to see his bed was at least twice the size of Adrian’s. He put the bagels and cream cheese down on the desk, laid his bag beside Ivan’s computer chair, and started looking at all the posters while Ivan lay down on his bed and watched him.

  There were some smaller pictures in between the posters Finn hadn’t been able to focus on during his quick glance around the room. Paintings of cubs playing in the fall leaves and wolves lazily resting in the sun. Singer was in most of the paintings, and every single one of them had Adrian’s signature on them.

  “He’s so talented,” Finn said in awe.

  “Yeah, he is. Though he doesn’t realize it. The way his magical drawings are always disappearing, he thinks his skill is just as fleeting. I keep trying to tell him, but he thinks I’m just saying it because he’s my best friend. I think he should have his own animal painting show, like Bob Ross did with the trees. Happy trees can become happy wolves eating an elk.”

  Finn looked over his shoulder and grinned at him. He’d watch that show for sure. “Is Singer his favorite? She seems to be in most of these.”

  Ivan nodded. “She is. And he’s her favorite too. Outside of my family, he’s the only one that she really likes having near her. But like last night? With her licking him and everyone howling? I’ve never seen anything like that before. I’ve seen wolves in videos do that when they’re trying to help each other out, but I never thought I’d see them do it with a person. It was magical. Her human side was so close to the surface last night, and it wasn’t even close to a full moon.”