by Terra Wolf
I shook my head. "Not really."
"Maybe you should ask him about Regina, but don't get up. Not yet. I'll go get him and bring you something to drink," She warned me as she walked out of the room.
I scooted up in the bed so I could see out the window. Regina's car was gone. My heart fell into my stomach. All of this must have been too much for her to bear. I can't say that I blamed her, but I wished that she had given me a chance to right all of the wrongs and prove to her that I never meant to hurt her or anyone else.
As I fought to keep tears at bay, I glanced at the hills. I swear, I could see Janelle standing there looking back at me. This was not over. I knew it couldn't be and I was afraid of what would come next.
In the doorway, my father stood looking at the hills too, and said the same thing I was thinking, "It isn't over yet."
"Is she really gone?" I asked.
He didn't have to guess who I was talking about. He exhaled slowly before answering. "Yes."
"Is she coming back?" I thought I already knew the answer.
He didn't say anything. I couldn't bring myself to turn around and let him see the tears fall from my eyes. I'd already let him get too close. He couldn't help me anyway. No one could. I was on my own. I'd have to face Janelle and end this once and for all. Then, maybe, I could convince Regina to take me back or, at the very least, learn to forgive me. That would only happen if I could forgive myself, but for what, exactly, I didn't know. I didn't ask for this wolf curse and I never intended for that part of me to come to fruition. I had no way of knowing that an opposing clan would be hungry for heirs and I certainly never dreamed that the beast that lived inside me would make an appearance and leave so many broken hearts, including my own, in its wake.
Janelle would pay for all that she'd done and others like her would soon learn that I was no fool and would never be easily duped again. I'd learned my lesson. I'd played with fire and the woman I loved the most in life suffered because of it.
"When does mating season end?" I asked.
"Not soon enough, Gabriel. Not soon enough. She will try to manipulate you. She'll swoon you and make you question everything. Don't let her win and don't let her make you transform again. In that state, you can't control the urge to breed. It will consume you. I know this all too well. Don't be fooled again."
His warning cut like a knife. Had I already let things go too far? Did transforming in front of her, leave me vulnerable to her?
Recognizing the look in my eyes, my father asked, "What did you do? What did you do?"
Although I couldn't say for sure, I had no doubt that Janelle used my weakness as an invitation to take control by any means necessary. If she was as desperate as my father claimed, why would she have retreated?
I wondered, What have you done, Janelle? What did you do?
There was no doubt in my mind that she didn't have a very specific agenda when she provoked and manipulated me. She was far more cunning than I thought and somehow I knew I would pay the ultimate price.
Episode Five
I had to find her.
None of this would end until I found her.
"No one leaves this house until I get back." I looked at my father, knowing he'd resist. "No one."
My mother's mouth opened to speak, but the look on my face told her this wasn't up for debate. Janelle needed to be stopped and I was the only one who would be able to stop her.
I walked out the door and jumped into my truck. My entire body ached, but I couldn't let that stop me. Janelle was out for blood, my blood, and I had to find her before this went any further.
Thoughts of Regina went through my mind. I couldn't blame her for wanting to get as far away from me as she could. I'd been wrong. I'd hurt her and I would have to pay for that. She didn't ask for any of this. She shouldn't have had to put up with my behavior. I needed her to know how much I loved her.
As I drove down Highway 71 toward the Wildcat Hills, only five miles from my house, scenes from my entire life played out in my mind. Years of denial and years of anger led to this moment. I should have known better. I should have told the truth about what I was. Others lived with this affliction or ability, as they called it, and had no problems. Their lives were normal. They worked; they loved; they managed. Why had I let it consume me? Why was I so ashamed of what I really was?
As I neared the foot of the hills, I could see movement along the walking path that had been made for hikers and tourists. In the light of day, the hills looked beautiful. From the top, one could see the whole valley. Although, there wasn't much to look at, what was there, was beautiful. Miles of farmland decorated the landscape. Small town charm permeated through the air. Nothing should be lurking in the hills to prey on humans, but, unfortunately, there was a very real threat to society that lived in the Wildcats and, if I didn't deal with the hungry She-wolf now, she would prey on some unsuspecting human and who knows what would happen.
After securing my truck, I stepped out, knowing I'd have to shed my human form at some point soon, if I wanted to be rid of her for good. A fight wouldn't be fair in the state that my human form was in. I had no idea what kind of condition I was in as a wolf and was terrified to find out.
On occasions when I'd transformed in the past, I had no memory of what that was like. I would blackout when the final stages of my change took hold. I remember the pain and agony of the initial components, but my memory may be clouded by my negative feelings about having that ability. I didn't know what to expect and hoped that the people walking the trails wouldn't have to suffer because of me.
The guide handed me a walking stick as I made my way to the path. It seemed like such an odd thing to hand someone. The guide explained it was to help keep me balanced on the path and would come in handy should any animals find me interesting. I wondered if he knew what kind of strange beasts inhabited the hills he invited people to explore. Did he have any idea that there lived a pack, bent on taking over and a female willing to do anything to mate and build their population?
Families walked, taking in the view around them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the fact that I was there for an entirely different reason than everyone else. I wished that they would go away and return to their normal lives. I wanted to warn them that something sinister lived in the hills. I knew that no one would have believed me, if I'd said it, but they needed to know.
"You're bleeding!" A little girl tugged at the back of my shirt.
I turned, holding the stick out to her. "Oh, sorry, what did you say?"
"You're bleeding." She pointed to a spot on the back of my shirt. I immediately tried to wipe it off, but the blood continued to seep through it.
The little girl's mother grabbed my shirt and lifted it. "I'm a nurse. Can I see?"
I tried to pull away, but it was too late. My shirt was up and the bandages that my family had wrapped around me were wet from my blood.
"Whoa! What happened to you? Were you in an accident?" The woman asked.
"Yes. I'm okay, though," I lied.
She looked at me suspiciously. I thought I'd been caught. She lowered her voice so her daughter couldn't hear and said, "You need to go to the hospital. Why are you up here like this?"
Rudeness wasn't my forte, but I had to get rid of her before she asked any more questions. "I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital and its really none of your business."
She was shocked, but backed away, taking her daughter with her. I felt bad, but it was better than having her ask any more questions. I put my hand on my back. The bandages had soaked through and were beginning to drip. I had to get out of there. This was a bad idea. I had to think of something else.
…
"What were you thinking? You can't just drive up to the hills and expect to find a pack of wolves and start a war. That's not how this works. You could have gotten yourself killed. Is that what you are trying to do here? Because if that's what this is, I don't want any part of it. Are you going to let me
help you or not?" My father scolded me for being so foolish.
I knew what I'd done had been a bad move, but I needed to do something. If it was me that Janelle wanted, I would have to be the one to settle this. I'd already lost so much. I had nothing left to lose.
"Let me see your back." My mother pulled up my shirt, horrified by how badly my wounds were bleeding. "My God, what did she do to you?"
I hadn't seen the wound myself so I didn't know what it looked like, but I knew what it felt like and it felt horrible, like a part of my skin had been ripped off and something sharp had been shoved in its place.
My father helped my mother to remove the bandages and asked his wife to retrieve some items from their truck.
"I have some medical supplies. Let's get this cleaned up and, then, I'll make a phone call to my doctor and have him come out to treat this. You'll need an antibiotic and who knows what else. That girl ripped a hole in you. You must have put up quite a fight or she was doing more than trying to mate with you."
The pain was awful. I clenched my teeth as my parents used their own remedies to help my wounds. My eyes started to close. I could feel myself falling asleep. My mother prayed as I closed my eyes. My father gave orders like a surgeon. I got the feeling that these two had worked together like this before.
"Go to sleep. Go to sleep," my mother whispered.
…
I woke up screaming.
A man stood over me, applying pressure to my back with an ointment that burned right through me.
"Stop!" I screamed, trying to move away from him, but my father and his sons held me in place.
"Stay still, Gabriel. He's cleaning your wounds," My father explained.
I looked around the room, but my eyes wouldn't focus. The excruciating pain I felt at the hands of the so-called doctor was too much. I wanted to die.
My mother's voice caught my attention, but she wasn't in the room. My senses were on high alert. I couldn't make out her words because of my own yelling for the doctor to stop, but her tone was serious. How bad were my wounds? What was going on?
"You'll be fine. Looks like she clawed you pretty good," the doctor said.
Confused, I asked, "What?"
"I said, you'll be fine," he repeated.
I looked at my father, not having the energy to repeat my question. My father understood and answered the question for me.
"He's one of us. He knows. You're going to be okay, son."
Then, I felt a sharp pain in my arm and everything began to fade away. My mother's words hummed in my ear. She was praying.
…
“He'll be fine. Let him sleep, Marnie. Just let him sleep. Do as the doctor told you to and no crackpot remedies. They won't work. Apply the cream. Give him pain medication and the antibiotics. No eggs on the forehead or whatever it is you think you should be doing. This is serious." My father was speaking to my mother.
"I know how to take care of my son. I've been doing it for years with no help from you." My mother's words were angry.
A voice, probably my father's wife, chimed in, "Stop it. Your son needs you. Either learn to work together or get out of the way and let me do it. I don't mean to step on your toes, Marnie, but he’s right. Just do as the doctor says and everything will be okay. I've seen it before. It's bad, but should heal up nicely."
I could hear my mother mutter under her breath. I could only imagine what she must have been saying and I didn't blame her. She was right. She'd raised me with no help from anyone and having my father give her orders was way out of line, but I was helpless and couldn't defend her. This was my fault. I needed both of them to help, but not if it meant that my mother would suffer.
I could smell her. I could taste her. She was with me, ripping my clothes off my body, tearing at my flesh, but kissing and licking me all at the same time. I was so confused and so turned on all at once. I wanted her. I needed her.
"Do you want me?" She purred in my ear, her voice breathy.
"Yes!" I wanted to say, but I couldn't speak. My throat burned. My heart felt like it would explode. I wanted her. I needed to have her. I couldn't deny it anymore. Every sensuous curve. Every ounce of her body, needed to be touched by me.
"Like this?" She whispered as she moved her body on top of mine.
"Yes!" I called out. "Yes, like this."
Sweat poured down my back. Desire took over my body. My hands explored her soft, smooth skin. Her tongue licked my lips. I wanted this. I couldn't think of anything other than taking her or letting her take me.
In my mind, there was no danger. No Regina. No trouble, but Janelle was the pure definition of trouble. I just couldn't see it. I couldn't let myself believe it. It was too late. It was done and she had what she needed from me. In that instant, as she sat up with a satisfied grin on her face, the realization hit. I'd done what I'd been warned not to do and now I would pay a high price for it. I would lose everything, even my life for letting it happen.
There were others, watching, waiting in the wings for the deed to be done. I could feel them, sense them. They watched and made a pathway to guide her out. As I looked, the woman that I'd just made passionate love to didn't exist anymore. She was a wolf. She sauntered away and the Alpha male is what remained in my fields.
He was angry and let me know it. Saliva spilled from his mouth. His eyes burned red. He lunged at me and I was defenseless. The body I should have been in wasn't there. I couldn't think fast enough to transform. I was a man, fighting a rabid beast. I had no fight left in me. I would die.
I woke up, screaming and crying in pain. The dream was so vivid, so real. Had it happened? Was it truly a dream or was that what happened to me? Did I let that woman beast manipulate me and did I give her my seed?
"You are okay. I'm right here." Regina's voice startled me. When had she arrived? Where did had she been?
"You had a bad dream. It's okay. I'm here now," she said again.
"Where were you? What happened?" I asked.
She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "It doesn't matter now. I'm back and we can talk about it later. For now, let's just worry about you and those nasty wounds. Do you need anything?"
"You. I need you," I answered. I think that was the most honest thing I'd said to her in a long time.
She started to cry, saying, "I need you too, but not like this. Not until you fix whatever this is. Now, just get better. Promise me, you will get better. I'm going to need you for a very long time."
I fell into a deep slumber again. This time, no dream that I could remember. I don't know how long I slept. I don't know if Regina stayed with me, but having the possibility that she might have stayed with me, was enough to make me feel safe and secure. My wounds still ached horribly. My family still applied salve and gave me medications, but I would be okay. I knew it in my heart. I may not have known yet how my father planned to help me get rid of Janelle, but having Regina there made my world feel better, at least for the time being and that was all I could ask for now.
…
When I opened my eyes again, the moon was shining brightly in my room through the window. No one was in the room, not even my precious Regina. It was probably for the better. Any movement on my bed would have caused enormous pain all over my body.
I didn't hear any movement.
Where was everyone? I can't imagine that they would have left me alone. I know my father and his brood left, but where was my mother? Where was Regina?
I tried to get up. The pain was nauseating. The world was spinning and my ears were ringing. My mother had always told me that that meant someone was talking about me and that meant that there was more trouble ahead. I wondered if that was true. My thoughts were scattered. What was going on? Had I lost too much blood? Was I reacting to the medications? Was I awake? All of these thoughts consumed me. My whole world had changed and I couldn't grasp reality or understand my new reality.
Outside of my window, I saw a shadow.
My mother? Regin
a? Maybe they were just outside.
"Get up. Relax. You are home," I told myself.
Then, I saw it. The Alpha wolf was in my field. He stood strong and fierce. His eyes were locked on me through the window. The female shadow moved again. It was walking in the direction of the field. The fog in my brain wouldn't let me get a clear image of who it was that was creating that shadow. I could only see that it was a female from my vantage point. I fought through the pain I felt and forced myself up. My head was spinning. My knees were shaking, but I needed to warn whoever was out there to get away. They needed to get inside, before the Alpha got to them.
I shoved the window open and shouted, hoping that someone would heed my warnings. As I poked my head out of the window, I saw them. There were at least a dozen of them in my yard and they had my mother surrounded.
"No!" I screamed. "No!"
The Alpha turned in my mother's direction and ran full speed at her. I couldn't move my legs fast enough. They felt like Jello. I had to save her. They would kill her. I'm sure of it. Ignoring my pain, I rushed as fast as I could to the front door and ran out, anger mounting on my body. The change would come soon. I just had no idea of what that would look like now that I'd been injured like I had.
I ran out onto my porch. My mother stood with her eyes closed tightly and her body quivering with fear. The wolves formed a circle around her, but none had touched her yet. I screamed for them to move. None of them so much as turned in my direction. They were focused and following orders. I didn't have to guess who was calling the shots for them. This was a ploy to draw me out. I knew that, but threatening to bring harm to my mother wasn't going to end well for them.
My mother opened her eyes and tears immediately spilled from them. The fear I felt for her was enraging me. They would not harm my mother, not while I was still alive and breathing. I stepped off the porch and my body began to shake violently. My mother screamed and then, I saw her. Janelle stepped out from in between my mother and the other wolves, smiling at me, proud of what she'd accomplished.