by Tiki Kos
She scowled.
Mom grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the door, slamming it once I was inside.
“Why did you kill him? What are you trying to do, start a war? You will not win.”
“Why aren’t you asking why he attacked me?”
She bit down on her lip and looked away.
“You know why, don’t you?”
After a few heart beats of silence, Mom whispered a barely audible “Yes.”
“He said I killed Cindy. I don’t even know anyone named Cindy.”
Mom grabbed a mug off the coffee table and drank a lengthy gulp. I could smell the faint whiff of alcohol. “You do know her. You scratched her, and she didn’t survive.”
It all clicked. How could I have been so selfish?
“The girl with the blue hair,” I whispered.
“She was his second cousin, and girlfriend, I guess?” She didn’t look very impressed by that, but I didn’t put it past Caleb. He was strange one.
“Wait, that doesn’t make any sense. Sho said his friend was going to bring over the Wolfsbane tea.”
“The Nokado tribe help a Disciple? Don’t make me laugh.”
“He told me…”
“Did I really raise you to be this naïve?” she snarled.
“But the truce?”
“The truce was a joke. A means to punish Wolfmere for the sins of its founders. They used us for their dirty work, and tossed us aside like trash.”
“What?”
“Come, Sunny, use your brain. Have you ever seen the news articles or pictures on the internet about other reservations?”
“No.”
“Some of them have no clean water, no tarred roads. What makes the Nokado so special to have brand new buildings, and money for campaigning?”
“I don’t know? They’re better at allocating their funds?”
“Are you that dumb?” She ran a hand through her blonde hair. “It’s blood money. They’re working with the Paganos, not the Disciples. We were, but they pushed us out and took control.”
I didn’t care about the business end of things, but it made sense.
“Who killed Dad?” I tried to steady my breathing, but everything that slipped out of my mouth sounded shaky.
“Why don’t you ask your little shifter boyfriend?”
“He isn’t my boyfriend. I barely know Sho.”
“That’s for sure.”
“Why should I believe anything you say?” I snapped.
“I grew you in my body and suffered for 24 hours to get you out. You were so stubborn, you had to be cut out of me. That is love.”
“Love? You don’t know the first thing about love.”
“I never once claimed to be perfect. I say shitty things and I have the temper of a wolverine. But I love you, no matter what.”
“Even when you hit me?”
The wrinkles on her face deepened, and I knew what I’d said stung.
“Listen to me. I’ve got a lot baggage I’m trying to work on, and sometimes you and Dad took the blunt end of it. “
“You say you love us, but you didn’t care about Dad. You didn’t even cry when he died.”
“I did. Karl and I have been crushed, but we had to put on a brave front for the Disciples. And for you.”
“What the fuck does Karl have to do with it?”
“Karl and your dad were best friends.”
“What?” I gulped. “Since when?”
“They went to university together in Riverview. Those two were inseparable. Karl’s dad was the alpha of the pack at the time, and your Papi Morgan was the lieutenant.”
“And then what happened? Dad never told me about this.”
“He didn’t like talking about it.”
“Dad told me everything.” At least, I’d thought he did.
“Come on, you’re just a kid. There’s no way he would tell you every single detail of his life.”
“Then you tell me.”
“Morgan and Jack had this obsession about trying to turn women into werewolves. They kidnapped and infected so many girls, but every single one of them died. Your Papi turned on me. Once your dad and Karl figured out what had happened, they killed them.”
“Dad killed someone?”
“Yes, but he saved my life as well.”
“How?” I whispered.
“They made a deal with the Nokado and got me the cure. Without your dad, I would have died just like the other girls. Karl would take over the Disciples, and your dad would take over the finances. Both of them would work for the Nokado. Your dad found out that the Nokado and Paganos were working together, bringing a synthetic drug to the streets.”
“Why would they do it?”
“Why does anyone do anything? Power and money.” She looked worried. Her body swayed and her fingers fumbled together into a giant knot.
“Two out of three shifters are born blue. Their numbers are dwindling, and if this drug is perfected, they will have an army at their disposal.”
Exhaling slowly, I took a step forward. “Okay,” I said, trying to take in the massive amount of information spinning around in my head. “Why did the Disciples kill Dad?”
My stomach tightened at the idea of my mom playing a role in this whole situation. I braced myself for yet another blow.
“They promised…” Her voice trailed off as she shook her hands out and took a deep breath in. “They promised if we went with the Nokado and dealt with your father, they would stop killing us and leave the Disciples alone.”
“They didn’t stop killing Disciples.” I steadied myself and grabbed Mom’s arm. “They’ve been picking you off one by one.”
“Yes, and the Paganos have stepped up their presence in Wolfmere.”
“And the evidence?” I muttered. “Is it gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you know, Mom?” I asked her bitterly.
“I know you need to leave.” She cleared her throat. Mom went to the closet, pulled out her purse, and handed me a wad of cash.
“If you don’t leave Wolfmere, Karl will kill you.”
“Maybe I’ll kill him.”
“No, baby. He’s stronger and older than you. Just go, hide, and live your life away from here. You need to find somewhere safe, or he will hunt you down and make you wish you were dead.” There was something in her voice that made me believe her. I’d killed one of his sons; he would be out for my blood.
I nodded. “I will, and I won’t let him kill me.”
“Good.” She gave me the ghost of a smile before wrapping her hands around me tightly.
“Baby, I love you. Even though I wasn’t the best person ever, I still love you.” She kissed my head.
I nodded. “I love you too, Mom.”
Chapter Sixteen
The minute I stepped through the den’s door, my heart stopped. I squinted as I took everything in, from the brown stain crusted against the wooden floorboards to the pile of papers scattered across the desk.
The room began to spin, but I braced myself against the wooden frame and steadied my body.
“I have to do this,” I muttered. “I need to finish what Dad was trying to do.”
I wiped the stray tears that were rolling down my cheek and gave myself a couple of minutes to regain my composure before digging through the massive piles of papers in a fury, unaware of what I was looking for.
“Where did you hide them?” I screamed, then kicked his desk, which flew against the wall. The drawers opened and spilled out pens, papers, and a necklace.
I grabbed the golden chain. There was a flicker of recognition. The tree. Sho’s tree.
Mom was right, and this was the proof I needed. He was involved with my dad’s death. I wanted to hurl.
“Hey babe. What are you doing here?” Sho stepped through the door, looking like a ghost. He was dressed all in black, and his hair was braided off to the side. He had a flicker of a smile on his face. He slammed the door and
came up behind me, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling my hips against his pelvis.
“Babe?” I said tartly.
He spun me around and entwined a hand into my hair, placing a kiss on my lips. Not just any kind of kiss—a melt your skin hell of a kiss.
“How could you?” My voice was filled with hate.
“How could I what?” Sho snapped.
“How could you kill my dad and then act like everything’s sunshine and rainbows between us?” I was barely holding it together; the tears continued to stream down my face.
“Your father got in the way.” He sounded as if it were no big deal. “And look, you endured. Now you have these abilities no other woman possesses. I would say that was a triumph. You were nothing before me, just the town slut. Now, they will tremble in your glory.”
“I gave myself to you. I was actually starting to really like you.”
Sho shrugged and let out a chuckle. “Next time you shouldn’t just spread your legs for anyone who gives you an ounce of attention.”
“Who are you?” I whispered.
“I’m just a realist. This town was a junkyard before my father took over. He’s guarding what was left of our tribe and this land.”
“At what cost?”
“You would choose your father’s life over the hundreds that live in Wolfmere and the survival of the shifters?”
“Yes.”
“You’re just a selfish little girl who doesn’t understand what we need.”
I scoffed. “What about the men and women treated no better than guinea pigs? Who’ve died after taking the Hybrid drug? Do their lives not matter? What about their families?” I was so angry, tears kept streaming down my face.
“Everyone has to make sacrifices for the sake of the greater good.”
“And what have you sacrificed for this greater good? Your humanity? Your conscience? Your soul?”
“My tribe was slaughtered, raped, and eaten. It’s our time to shine, and no one is going to get in the way of that. Not the Disciples, and definitely not you.”
I glanced at Sho’s face. He was almost close enough to kiss. His warm breath brushed against my cheeks. I was disappointed it had to end like this. We’d had fun. I would even admit he was the closest I’d ever gotten to love.
“I’m sorry.” I sniffled, wiping the wetness of tears on my sleeve.
Sho looked at me a little oddly. “Sorry for what?”
“This.” I raised my claw into the air and drove it right underneath his ribcage, my arm diving elbow deep before hitting his heart. I could feel it beating, and I was actually surprised how warm his blood was. I wasn’t expecting that.
I twisted the organ with all my strength and pulled it out. Blood cascaded down my arm.
His dark eyes rolled backwards into his skull. His body crumpled to the ground, twisted and utterly still.
I gasped, looking down at the heart in my hand. Blood pooled down my wrists, soaking my shirt. I chucked it against the floor. Bile rose from my stomach, spewing into the pool of bloody remains of Sho.
My stomach wrenched and twisted like someone shoving burning hot coals down the lining of my esophagus. I screamed. My claws dragged against the skin on my face, pulling perfect strips off.
The change took over. My bones snapped and popped into place This time, it was effortless. The convulsions quickened, and I could feel the fur sprouting across my body. My brain told me that it was going to be okay, that this was the right thing to do.
When I stopped fighting, the pain ended quickly. I looked down at the broken body of Sho and at the bloodied heart. I dove into the organ, ripping apart the muscles and consuming the whole thing within seconds. He’d eaten my dad, and I ate his heart. It was bittersweet, but it felt good to finally end this.
After I was finished, I ran down the mountain and promised myself I would never come back here again.
I took two steps forward on the highway. I counted one, two paw, three paw, four paws. I panted. I took a deep breath as my chest relaxed.
My tail wagged. I caught a glimpse of it and ran in a circle to catch it. I just wanted to try it once, but now I knew why dogs always did that. It was fun and meaningless, forgetting everything that had just happened for a split second.
My ears caught the sound of a nearby car. I could smell gasoline drawing near. I didn’t know if someone was after me, if they knew what I’d done, but I was smart enough not to stick around to find out.
I broke into a full run. Adrenaline made its way through my body, pushing me to run faster than I ever had before.
The sun was saying goodbye, the sky painted with pinks, yellows and oranges. I loved this feeling. This was what it meant to be truly free. I jumped into the trees but still followed the road. I didn’t know what direction the safe house was, so I just picked a direction and prayed it wasn’t too far off.
The screeching of tires filled the air, followed by three honks.
The car stopped and the sound of the door creaked open.
“Sunny? Sunny Armstrong…are ye out there?”
I recognized the voice. It was Oisin. There weren’t many others around these parts with such a thick Irish accent.
I took a careful step out of the forest, but kept my hind legs with the trees in case I needed a quick getaway.
“Ah, there you are.” Oisin smiled. “I’ve been yellin’ through this forest for over an hour. The animals think I’m a little mental.”
I tilted my head towards him, my tail swishing high into the air. I let out a tiny whine.
How did he know it was me?
“It’s not often you see a wolf with such vibrant colors. You surely stick out of the crowd.”
Did he hear me?
“Aye, I did.” Oisin grinned, then pulled the passenger door open. “It’s all a part of me Druid abilities.”
Do you know what I did?
“Yes, but it’s no matter. You need to get out of ‘ere. They will be coming, and I know one place that would be safe you.”
Mary’s?
“Right.” He nodded. “We better get a move on. I wouldn’t want anyone to see me drivin’ around with a wolf.”
I rushed towards the black car, and in one leap hopped into the passenger seat. Oisin gently shut the door, then headed to his seat. He turned the ignition on and nodded at the back.
“There’s a pile of clothing if you want to turn back.”
I wasn’t ready yet. I was afraid that if I shifted back, the reality of what I did would hit and I wouldn’t be able to deal with it.
“Now don’t go scratching these leather seats. It’s a rental, and I didn’t buy insurance.”
I growled.
He snickered. “It was only a joke; you don’t need to get your tail in a knot.”
I wondered what Irishman tasted like. My tongue ran a circle around my lips. I hadn’t eaten in a couple of hours.
“Now, now. You wouldn’t like it. We taste like whiskey and regret.”
What the hell does regret taste like?
Oisin shrugged his shoulders. “Beats me. But I know you wouldn’t like it.”
We continued with the bickering until we reached the outskirts of Riverview. The landscape changed into an urban setting. The trees were sparse, making way for buildings or new neighbourhoods. The bright lights made the city glow.
An elaborate sign welcoming us to the city read ‘Riverview, the city of saints and sinners, population 1.6 million’.
Instead of turning towards the city, Oisin took the left lane and continued driving around Riverview until we reached the other end of the Blackpine forest. I hadn’t spent too much time this way before. The trees were bent and twisted. Ones with no leaves looked like fingers reaching for the sky. A swamp was wrapped around the bottoms of the trees, soaking everything in sight. I could hear crickets and frogs singing their nighttime songs.
He turned off the main road onto a dirt path that led deeper into the swamp. There were no lights n
or signs to lead the way. The road rattled and shook the car with every little movement.
After 20 minutes of bumps, Mary’s house sprang into clearer view. On both sides of the road was a trail of Victorian street lamps.
It had elongated pointed towers and a curved entranceway to the porch. From what I could tell, the house was a deep purple. A small light glowed against the yellow front door. Big bustling bushes with tiny white flowers hugged the staircase. This surprised me. There was not a single snowflake in sight. Even though the snow had already melted in Wolfmere, the grass wouldn’t recover for at least another month.
This grass was a deep green, like you would expect in the summer.
“And here we are,” Oisin announced. “Whut do ya think?”
How did people find out about this place?
“The ones who need help the most find their way here.”
You sure like being cryptic.
“That’s the fun part of bein’ an adult…isn’t it?”
I needed to shift back. I didn’t want to make a strange first impression on Mary.
“Believe me, you won’t freak her out.”
The change began. My bones snapped back, and the fur began to fall all over the seat.
I could hear Oisin groan as he opened the door and jumped out of the car. “Come on. I told you this was a rental; you couldn’t have shifted outside?”
My body convulsed. It came fast, and before I knew it, I was naked. I grabbed the pile of clothing from the back seat. Oisin had left me black yoga pants and a purple t-shirt in the right size as well.
I opened the door, and began to brush off the excess bits of fur and a little piece of skin. I tossed them to the ground.
“You feel any better?” Oisin asked.
“Much better, and don’t worry about the car. It just needs a little wipe down.” I smirked.
“And who is goin’ to do that?”
“You?” I stuck out my tongue.
The thumping of hooves came closer to us and a neigh sounded in the air. I jumped a little. I definitely wasn’t expecting a horse around these parts.
My body jerked around to see where the sound was coming from. I had to squint and close my eyes again to make sure what I was seeing was real.