by Shae Bryant
"I'm nineteen, Vince. I'm an adult now."
"Yes, I know." Vince nodded, "You are coming into your own. It's hard for me to see this happen. I believe Raina said it is called 'empty nest?'"
Leo chuckled, "That's what happens when the kids move out."
"Are you moving out?"
"Well, I'd like to. I want to move in with Chloe. We've been together a year now. I think it's time to take the step."
Vince smiled at him, "It's a good step to take. If she is the one you want to be with."
"She is."
Vince patted the chair next to him. Once Leo sat down, he turned to face his son, "Leo? I want to ask you two favors."
"Sure?"
"First, please have Brian do it. We both trust him to take care of you. The second favor is just for me. Please come visit often. I'd miss you too much if you didn't."
Leo grinned at Vince, "I'll come visit a lot. I promise. We'll have to raid your kitchen once a week anyway."
"Ah. So we are at this point in your life, are we?" He laughed, rolling his eyes, "Come now. Let's call Brian and see if he agrees."
Of course, Brian agreed to do it. Leo wandered out of the house a happy man. He could not wait to tell Chloe that everything had been arranged. I swear that he skipped over to his bike before leaving. I had my hand on the curtain, pulling it aside just a little to watch him. I hated to admit that I was a little nosy to know what the outcome of their talk was. Seeing Leo look so happy told me everything I needed to know.
A hand rested on my shoulder. I turned around and gave Vince a sheepish smile. He caught me spying on Leo.
He smiled back at me and hugged me tight. Vince needed a hug far more than I did right now. He rested his chin on the top of my head, letting out a heavy sigh as Leo's bike left the driveway.
In a way, this was a comfort to me as well as Vince. My own parents did not care when I started to grow up. They only wanted to see me gone so that they could continue to live a "normal" Human life without a Non Human child to worry about. Seeing how much Vince cared about Leo gave me some hope for the future generations.
"He'll be OK, Vince." I gave him another squeeze, trying to help him feel better.
Vince sighed, "I know he will."
"Think he's ready for this insanity?" I asked.
"What? Our relationship?"
I thumped Vince on the top of the head, "Yes. Our relationship. Because it is insane."
Vince smirked at me, placing a kiss on my lips, "I always preferred insanity."
The night of the full moon had arrived. A number of Werewolves waited outside the secure doors as the moon started to come up. Brian and Erin stood on a small platform in front of them, calling out names one at a time. Each person shouted they were present and went through the doors. A few guests visiting from out of town gave their names and followed the others.
Do you remember that I said a Hunting Sanctuary looked more like a prison? The entrance was worse. Every full moon was like intake for new inmates. Once the rally completed, a pair of large metal doors shut tight over the glass doors. No one could come in or out of the concrete complex until the sun came up the following morning.
Armed guards patrolled the areas outside of the Sanctuary to make certain that no Werewolves managed to escape. Should a shifted Werewolf run out, the armed guards were to shoot non-lethal rounds of tranquilizers. Once the Werewolf was subdued, they were taken to a secure room outside the Sanctuary walls where they waited until morning.
When a turning was approved, security was tighter than normal. The armed guards were present tonight. As were Paramedics and two other squad cars; along with Vince and Leo.
Once the rest of the Werewolves went inside, Brian was left alone with Dad and son. He gave both of them a tight-lipped smile, "Almost ready?"
"Yeah." Leo nodded, "I think so."
"I'll be right here with the Paramedics. I will not leave you until the sun comes up." Vince kept a strong hand on Leo's shoulder, unable to let him go just yet.
Brian pointed to a pair of doors that were still opened, "We're going to go through those doors. Then we'll get things done. It won't take long. As soon as I run out, the Paramedics will grab you."
Leo gulped when he looked at the doors. They were cold, dark and uninviting. It was more like going to an execution or jail than it was being turned. So this was what Non Humans dealt with.
"You nervous?" Brian asked him.
"Terrified!"
Brian chuckled, "That's alright. So was I. It's normal."
"Is it painful, Brian?"
"I won't lie. Yes. Turning is painful. You've been attacked before."
Leo winced when he remembered the attack he had suffered nearly a year ago, "Yeah. That hurt a lot."
"Well, it hurts less than an attack." Brian slapped his shoulder, "I can hold my shift for about ten minutes. That will give me enough time to bite and run. I'll do my best to make it easy."
Vince cleared his throat, "Brian? I understand we are friendly, but I must say this. If you hurt my son, I will kill you."
"Vince!" Leo threw his hands up in exasperation.
Brian laughed, "Don't worry Leo. If it were Chloe, I'd be telling your Dad the same thing."
Both of the Dads shook hands with each other, letting it linger for just a moment longer than it should. Brian was reassuring Vince that he'd take care of his son. Vince was a parent who was worried about their kid.
The metal slabs slammed shut with a metallic bang after Leo entered. Everything went quiet. Cicadas sounded off in the distance, and a few cars passed by the road near the Sanctuary.
A Paramedic pointed to a monitor set up outside the doors, "We'll be watching them there, sir. If you want to watch with us, you can. You may not want to see it."
"I don't know if I do or not." Vince ran his hand through his hair, letting out a puff of air from his cheeks.
"We've done this before." The Paramedic offered Vince an encouraging smile.
An armed guard stood near the doors. If anything went wrong, they would open the doors immediately and run into the room. Brian would be subdued and Leo would be transported out.
All eyes turned to the monitor when the screen came to life. Leo and Brian walked through electronic doors into a room covered in padded vinyl. A first aid kit hung near the door and a gun containing silver bullets sat on a shelf beside it. Another set of metal doors were at the end of the room. They led to a small open air hallway that went to the main Sanctuary grounds.
Whatever Brian said to Leo would remain a mystery to everyone but them. He patted Leo's shoulder and gave him a quick hug. During their conversation, Brian was clearly having trouble keeping himself steady. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his chest heaved with each breath.
A few yards away from the monitors, quiet howls were starting to join with the buzzing of the cicadas. Some of the younger Werewolves had already completed their shift. When Brian doubled over, Leo backed up against the wall. Vince's legs jerked in the direction of the doors. His instinct said to save his son, but he knew he could not.
The shift moved fast. Within two minutes, Brian went from a Human to a hulking brown wolf. Leo remained pressed up against the wall, terrified of facing another shifted Werewolf in such close quarters. Fortunately, older Werewolves had some control over their shifted form. The longer someone had been a Werewolf, the more they could control it. Very old Werewolves could easily hold their Human side for a good half an hour before they lost everything to the wolf. Brian had been a Werewolf for twenty-five years. That was enough time to control himself for a few minutes.
The wolf nudged at Leo's hand, trying to reassure him that everything was going to be alright. Once Leo relaxed, the wolf pushed him towards the center of the room. Leo's legs were stiff and clumsy. The color had drained from his face.
The wolf dipped his head in a bow to Leo. Then, he reared back on his hind legs and leaped on top of him. The volume on the monitor was muted, but Leo's
panicked face allowed everyone to "hear" the scream from inside of the room.
Vince had to turn his head away from the monitors. His son was in pain, and there was nothing he could do about it. The metal doors opened, and a long, triumphant howl carried in the air. Other howls answered, rising together in a chorus of bestial cheers.
"Get him out of there!" The Paramedic shouted.
The doors opened a second time and a group of Paramedics rushed in with a stretcher. Their footsteps echoed down the concrete hallway. Just a minute later, the Paramedics had Leo on a stretcher and whisked him past Vince. Leo's heartbeat was strong. He was going to be fine.
"We're taking him to the hospital, sir." The Paramedic said, "You can follow us."
Another visit to the hospital waiting room. I had seen far too many of these in the last year. Vince was tapping his foot on the floor and slapping his hands together while he waited for word from the Doctor.
"Hey." I smiled, "Any word yet?"
"The Doctor hasn't come out yet." Vince glanced toward the doors.
Catherine chimed in, "We'll wait with you!"
"We?" Vince blinked when both Catherine and Louis came in behind me.
Louis smiled at him, "We thought it would be better if we let you worry with friends."
"I truly appreciate this." Vince was far more relaxed once he had friends with him.
"Hey, don't lean against me yet. I'm getting coffee. Anyone else want to pretend to drink it?" I snickered at Vince, trying to cheer him up a bit.
"Absolutely!" Catherine raised her hand.
As I got coffee for both Catherine and I, the Doctor came into the waiting room. Everyone turned to gauge his expression. Judging from the smile on his face, things were going to be OK.
"Mister Moretti?" The Doctor took Vince's hand, "He's doing great. We have him sedated right now so the turn can take place with no pain. Once that ends, we'll wake him."
"How long does it take?" Vince asked.
The Doctor gave him an apologetic smile, "It may not be until the morning."
"Morning!?" Vince groaned.
I lifted my coffee cup, "I'll stay."
"The bite was quick and clean. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. We cleaned the wound and he has some stitches in. All in all, this is one of the cleanest turnings I have ever seen. Someone took good care of him."
Vince breathed a sigh of relief, shaking the Doctor's hand, "Thank you."
"We'll stay here with you until you have to leave." Once the Doctor walked away, Catherine whispered to Vince, "We've had no luck on the drugs."
Louis crossed his arms, "We have searched through every possible database. There is nothing that fits the description of the drugs found in Erin, Chloe and James. Nothing."
Vince furrowed his brow, "You are saying the Iron Oath has developed their own drugs for Non Humans?"
"That's our theory." Louis nodded.
"You have no idea how James shifted?"
"We won't know until we know what was in his body. I'm sorry, Vince. I wish we had better news." Louis puffed out his cheeks in frustration.
"It's alright. You have all three worked hard on this. If nothing else, we have a sound theory." Vince said.
"Their bases of operation were all raided in the US. We'd have to find them in Europe or Asia to get to whatever they have." I remarked.
"Not all of their bases." Catherine corrected me, "Don't forget, we're still missing Jacob Stuart. I think that they still have hubs here in the States."
"I think she's right." Louis agreed, "And we're going to keep looking."
Vince's eyes wandered toward the hall where the patients rooms were. He was far away from this conversation now. Louis, Catherine and I had been investigating the toxicology reports on Chloe, Erin and James for months. We had very little to go on but a theory and their own confused accounts of what had happened.
The only true conclusion we came to was that the Iron Oath was not done. Not by a long shot. They were deep underground, but they were still coming for us. The Non Humans won a battle, but the war hadn't started yet.
Louis gave Vince an encouraging pat, "He's alright, Vince. He was in good hands."
"Yes. He was." Vince looked at the window, watching the first light of dawn start to break over the horizon.
"I'll sleep on the chairs if I have to." I promised him, "Go on. Get some rest at home. Leo won't be awake for a while yet."
"Call me the moment he wakes. Leave me a message if you must." Vince kissed me good morning, and he left with Catherine and Louis.
Once again I walked into a hospital room where Leo was lying on the bed. The last time I saw him, there was a kid laying there. He was bruised, wounded and bandaged. This time, he was much closer to a man sleeping soundly on the bed. One place on his shoulder had been bandaged, and the rest of him was unharmed.
The sun started to stream in through the windows. My instinct was to close them tight and keep the sun from bothering Vince. But, Vince wasn't here. The sun was so warm and inviting. The first rays of sunlight were like a greeting to a Druid, reminding us that the entire world could speak to us in a way. It felt good to stretch my arms out and take in those first rays of morning light.
I let the sun rise through the window and warm up Leo's hospital room a bit. He was still asleep thanks to the medication, but that wouldn't last very much longer. Sometime around ten, Chloe, Brian and Erin shuffled into the room.
"Is he alright?" Chloe asked.
"He's great." I smiled at them.
Brian breathed a sigh of relief, "I think I did alright."
"It looks like it." Erin squeezed his hand.
We waited by his bed for a little while longer. It didn't take too much for Leo to begin to stir. He blinked in the sunlight, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Ugh." He groaned, "Where's Vince?"
"It's ten thirty." I laughed, "He's asleep. He stayed for a while, but he had to go home."
Leo sniffed the air, "What is that smell?"
"That would be us." Erin laughed, "It's how we know each other. You'll get used to it."
"It's so strong!" Leo leaned over, smelling Chloe's shirt, "Wow. It smells nice."
Chloe threw her arms around him, "Welcome to the pack!"
"Wait? That's it? I'm done?"
"Don't look so shocked." she chuckled at him, "Medicine kept you sedated so you couldn't feel anything. Yeah. You're done."
"I'm done." Leo thrust his fist in the air, "I'm done! I feel so good! I could...I could get out of here and run the entire beach!"
"That's how you feel." Brian leaned against the wall, "Trust me. If you try it, you won't be able to. You need rest today. Your body will go into overdrive tomorrow."
I backed myself out of the room while the four of them spoke in excited whispers. Other patients needed the quiet, but Leo was ready to run in circles and jump for joy. It was as good a time as any to let them welcome him into their pack without the extra Non Human.
Besides, I was dead tired. By the time I arrived at Vince's house, Brutus was curled up on the bed with Vince. I moved Brutus aside and flopped onto the bed next to Vince. He stirred long enough to toss a pillow towards me. Not only did he steal blankets, but he stole pillows as well.
"I'll have them over for dinner." Vince mumbled.
I yawned, "Sure. Go back to bed."
He didn't answer me. He just flopped his arm over my side and tried to cuddle with me. It would have worked if there weren't four pillows between us. Who needs this many pillows? Apparently, Vince did.
For the first time in my life, I got to play hostess for a small dinner party. If it were up to me, it would have been a barbecue in the backyard. But, Vince insisted on a meal prepared by a private Chef in honor of Leo's turning.
I promised Vince I would clean myself up for the night. That did not mean wearing some sort of evening gown; I am pretty sure he expected something similar. This did mean I'd peel myself out of my tight j
eans and at least put on a casual dress.
Everything Vince asked for was just the way he wanted it. This may have been to celebrate Leo's turning, but Vince was determined to see things done in style. His dining table was set with the "good" linen napkins and cutlery he saved for special guests. A thrall of Louis' agreed to help serve the food in exchange for a generous hourly pay and the private Chef was all too happy to cater to every whim of Vince's.
The dinner began with a small course of savory bites that whetted our appetite for the main meal. A course of roast duck with shallots and saffron risotto was served to everyone but me. Once again, Vince remembered Druids are vegetarians. I got a roasted cauliflower steak crusted with herbs and pecans. Dessert came in the form of miniature parfaits and a delicate lemon pastry, followed by a coffee service served in the formal living room.
While some might think this was rather stuffy, this was how Vince showed his gratitude. He firmly believed that the way to anyone's heart was through their stomach. He would say 'thank you', 'I'm sorry', or 'I care about you' through food. This wasn't only to celebrate Leo's turning, it was his way of thanking Brian for doing what he had done.
Over coffee, Vince voiced his gratitude,"I do hope you all enjoyed this. Thank you again Brian, for helping Leo. Thank you all for helping him."
Brian smiled, "It was no trouble at all. I was glad to do it."
"There's just one more thing that I need to do. A dinner like this is a good time for it." Leo placed his coffee mug on the table and turned to Chloe, "Chloe? Would you like to get an apartment together?"
"Really? Yeah!" Chloe grabbed Leo's hands with a little bounce in her chair. Then, she turned to her parents, "I mean if... Mom and Dad don't care?"
"You're nineteen." Erin laughed, "I can't tell you no."
Brian chuckled, "Congratulations you two. This is a big day for you, Leo."
"I hope it goes OK. We'll both have to work pretty hard to do this between classes and paying for everything." Leo shrugged one shoulder, suddenly a little overwhelmed with the thought of being an adult.
"No you won't." Vince stated.
"No Vince." Leo put up his hands, "Let me do this. The right way."