Howl (Howl #1)

by Jody Morse

  Samara felt a sense of accomplishment. She had changed; the first part of her mission was complete. Now, she just had to work on what she had set out to do. Samara walked over to where she had been sitting the night before when the gray wolf had talked to her. Sniffing the ground where he had stood, she instantly picked up on his scent: a strange mixture of pineapple and peppermints.

  Now, Samara had to find him.

  Running through the woods behind her house, Samara searched for the gray wolf. Finding him wasn’t going to be nearly as difficult as she thought it was going to be. Dogs (she could consider herself a dog, right?) really did have a good sense of smell. She got a whiff of him near the lake dock, but she could tell that his scent had faded; he had already left.

  Samara pranced up a hill that led her deeper into the forest. She couldn’t help but wag her tail; the gray wolf was nearby, and she was proud of herself for knowing this information simply by smelling him down.

  When she reached the top of the hill, Samara spotted him. He was sitting in front of a fire that looked like it should be surrounded by a circle of people roasting marshmallows and drinking spiked hot chocolate.

  What are you doing here? Samara asked.

  The wolf stood up and turned to look at her. I should ask you the same thing.

  Well, I asked you first.

  The wolf let out a low growl, obviously annoyed at her. I like to come here to think. The pack can get a little hard to handle sometimes. It’s therapeutic for me.

  Are you like the king of the pack or whatever? Samara asked. She had never really been interested in werewolves, so she hadn’t learned much about werewolf mythology. She assumed that it was probably similar to the way lions were kings of the jungle, though.

  The wolf stared at her intently, his eyes full of amusement. We call the ‘king of the pack’ the Alpha. And, yes, that would be me.

  Are you the Alpha of my pack? Samara asked.

  Yes, you are one of us, the wolf replied, seeming to hesitate.

  Samara sat down on the ground across from him, watching him through the burning flames. What determines whose pack I’m on?

  You’re on our pack because I bit you. It made you one of us.

  Why did you bite me? Samara asked.

  The wolf stared at her with his icy blue eyes. She noted a look of desperation in them. Our pack needs you.

  Samara felt a wave of anger pass over her. A growl that she couldn’t control escaped from her throat. She had been hoping that the wolf would tell her that he had no control over biting her. Somehow, she had known that it was intentional, that he had bitten her for a reason. So, who are you? If you need me, you must have known who I am.

  I’ve always known that we would need you one day, even before I met you, the wolf answered slowly. But yes, I do know you in my human form.

  Luke? Samara asked, her mind flashing back to the mental exchange he had made with her the night of Emma’s party. If he could communicate with her mentally as a human, maybe it meant that he was a werewolf, too? The situation was crazy either way, but it would feel slightly less crazy if Samara knew that Luke was also a werewolf.

  The wolf stared at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to say that he was, in fact, Luke. The wolf shook his head. I don’t want you to know who I am. Not yet.

  So, let me get this straight, Samara began. You think that it’s okay for you to bite me and turn me into a werewolf without my permission because your pack needs me, but you refuse to tell me who you are? You ruined my life, and now you won’t even show yourself to me. I think you’re a selfish coward.

  The gray wolf snorted loudly. Don’t get so testy. I want to tell you, trust me. If I tell you right now, though, I’m going to seem less . . . authoritative. I am your Alpha. You need to learn to respect me as a wolf before I can tell who I am in human form.

  Samara shook her head. No, I need to know. You know what? It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I’m going to stay here all night until you turn back into a human. Then, I’ll know who you are. She didn’t want to tell him that’s what she had been planning to do all along. It was what she had been planning when she found him tonight in the first place.

  The gray wolf chuckled in his head. It’s a smart plan, Samara, but it’s not going to work. You have no control over the wolf inside of you right now.

  How do you know? Samara snapped. I think I have lots of control. I morphed into a wolf all on my own tonight.

  You wake up in the morning without your clothes on, don’t you?

  Samara stared at him. So?

  So, that’s because you haven’t figured out how to control your inner wolf yet. I’ve been a wolf longer than you. I can choose when I want to be a human and when I want to be a wolf. You’ll get to that point, in time. It just takes some practice.

  Samara felt relieved. She had no idea that she would be able to control this. It was nice to know that she eventually wouldn’t have to worry about someone besides her mom finding her lying on the ground naked after she turned into a wolf one night. How do you control it?

  It’s about controlling your emotions. You’ll also need to keep your wolf emotions separate from your human emotions. If you become angry as a human, you’re going to turn into a wolf.

  But it’s all about the moon, isn’t it? The moon makes us turn into wolves, Samara said, matter-of-factly. She didn’t care what he would say; the moon had major pull over her wolf. There was no way she would be able to control her inner wolf when the moon was out. It had complete and total control over her.

  Sort of, the gray wolf answered. Ever hear the old saying, “it’s because of the full moon?” Well, the truth is that humans do tend to get crazy when there’s a full moon. They lose touch with their emotions, and we’re more likely to turn into wolves because of this. You can overcome it, though. It’s also possible for your inner wolf to come out at other times of the month, too.

  Samara dug at the dirt underneath of her and planted her body into a hole in the ground. The dirt seemed to cool down her feverish body. I’m going to control my inner wolf tonight. I’m going to wait here to find out who you are. When you change back into a human, I’ll know who you are. If I want it bad enough, it can happen.

  Good luck, the wolf replied. I’d like to see it work, honestly. We need you to mature faster than the other pups.

  I’m not a puppy, Samara growled.

  New werewolves are called pups. Even though you don’t look like a puppy, you’re not as mature as an older werewolf.

  Why do you need me to mature faster than the other pups? Are you an old werewolf?

  I am not an old werewolf. I am a pup but because I have been appointed Alpha due to my family history, I have developed my powers quicker than the other pups will. The wolf stood up and circled around her, staring into her eyes. Samara got the feeling that he was trying to intimidate her, but it wasn’t working. The vibes that he gave off told her that even if she did do something wrong, he wasn’t going to hurt her. Besides, why would he hurt her if he really needed her to be on his pack that bad? It wouldn’t make sense.

  You need to mature faster for three reasons. The first reason is you’re the only girl in our pack. You need to mature so that the other pups don’t try to push you around. Keep in mind that since the female to male werewolf ratio in our area is very low, they’re also in desperate need of mates, so they may get a bit rowdy at times. You need to be able to stand your ground when you’re around them.

  Great, Samara groaned. She thought that part of her life was over when she dropped out of the high school band. All of the nerdy high school boys were constantly trying to get her attention, but Samara had never been interested in any of them. She had a feeling that being in a pack of all male werewolves was going to be the same way.

  Secondly, we need to work on building our pack up so that we can be strong and powerful. And we need to do it soon, the gray wolf went on. There’s another pack who’s trying to move into our a
rea. In the very near future, there’s going to be a fight between our packs, and we need to be as prepared as we possibly can be.

  The gray wolf paused and looked at the lake. Samara glanced in the direction he was looking in. When he didn’t answer after a few minutes, she assumed that he was just as mesmerized by the moon as she was.

  What’s the third reason? Samara pressed. She didn’t want to be vain, but it was kind of flattering to know that she was needed by the pack, but so far, her Alpha hadn’t given her any reason that was specific to her. It sounded like he just needed numbers in his pack; it seemed like he just wanted to increase the size so that his pack wouldn’t be beaten.

  The wolf turned around and looked at her. I can’t tell you the third reason. Not until you’re better adjusted to this change in your life. It’s going to be a lot to take in. It’s why we need you on our pack. It’s the reason I bit you. I’ll tell you when you’re ready.

  Chapter 10

  ****

  When Samara woke up the next morning, she glanced around. She was lying in the same area of the forest where she had been talking to the gray wolf the night before. The looming trees casted a dark shadow over her bare skin.

  Samara wanted to scream at someone, but she wasn’t sure who. She was angry at herself, but in a way, she was angrier at her Alpha for not letting her know who he was. Samara had tried to stay awake until the gray wolf returned to human form, but it hadn’t worked. She’d fallen asleep or whatever it was that happened to her before she turned back into a human herself. The gray wolf had been right; she didn’t have enough control over her inner wolf yet.

  Getting up, Samara tried her best to cover her body and darted through the woods that led to her backyard. Just as she was about to run into the yard, she noticed her brother coming out the back door.

  Samara crouched behind the McKinley’s shed, peering around the corner to make sure that Seth wasn’t coming towards her.

  When she saw him go to his car, which was parked in the driveway, she ran towards her bedroom window and climbed in. As she was closing it behind her, there was a knock at her bedroom door. “Who is it?” Samara called.

  “Me,” Mrs. McKinley called back. “Can I come in?”

  “Hold on. I’m changing.” Samara quickly pulled her clothes on and flung her bedroom door open. “What?”

  “Good morning to you, too,” Mrs. McKinley replied sarcastically. She came into the room and sat down on Samara’s bed. She began smoothing out the white down comforter. “I think we need to talk.”

  Samara sighed. She hoped that her mom at least wanted to talk about something important, like enrolling Seth in anger management classes. “What is it?”

  “You’ve been acting very different lately,” Mrs. McKinley replied. “Is everything okay at school?”

  Samara nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine at school.”

  “Are you and Emma getting along?”

  Samara nodded again. Even though she wasn’t sure if Emma and she really were getting along, she really didn’t feel like talking to her mom about that. Not until she was completely sure of what was going on. She didn’t want to say something that made her mom think less of Emma and then realize that nothing was that bad between them.

  “It’s just that there was that sleepwalking incident. You’ve been sleeping later than usual and your eating habits have changed. All of a sudden, you’re eating meat like it’s going out of style. That’s not like you, honey,” Mrs. McKinley said, her voice filled with concern. “If there’s something going on, you can tell me.”

  “Mom, everything’s fine,” Samara snapped. “If this is all you want to talk about, I’d rather just go back to bed.”

  When she saw the saddened expression on her mom’s face as she walked out of her room, Samara felt bad. She couldn’t help it, though. Her mom was making her angry, and she felt a weird tingling sensation running up and down her spine. She was afraid that what the gray wolf said was true – that if she didn’t control her anger, she was going to turn into her wolf form right in front of her mom. That was the last thing Samara needed right now.

  Flopping down on her bed, she tried to compose herself. Samara hadn’t made the transition from human to wolf during the day and she wasn’t actually sure if it was even possible, but she didn’t want to risk someone seeing her in wolf form. Like the boys in her biology class had pointed out, wolves weren’t that common in Grandview. Her guess was that there were even less white wolves in the area. Samara didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to herself if she didn’t have to.

  Just as she was about to get something to eat, her phone jangled from her bedside table. The caller ID said that it was Emma. Samara groaned. As much as she didn’t want to talk to Emma, she knew that she couldn’t avoid her forever. They had been best friends for years. It was going to look weird if Samara just suddenly stopped answering her phone calls. She picked up the phone. “Hello?”

  “Sam! What are you doing today?” Emma asked.

  “Umm, nothing really,” Samara replied hesitantly. She was afraid to know what Emma had in mind.

  “I want to come over there to show you something. Is that okay?”

  “That’s fine. Give me at least an hour to get ready,” Samara said before hanging up the phone. She didn’t want to see Emma, but there would be at least one good outcome: Samara’s mom wouldn’t have to question if they were getting along anymore after she saw her.

  In the kitchen, Seth was scarfing down a ham and cheese sandwich. When Samara came into the room, he looked up at her. His eyes were bloodshot again. “Are your allergies acting up?” Samara asked. “Your eyes are all red and glassy.”

  Seth shook his head.

  Samara grabbed a leftover cheeseburger from the fridge and put it in the microwave. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her brother continuing to stare at her. Samara felt tempted to ask him why he was staring, but she knew that would only make him mad. She didn’t want to be responsible for him running away again for the next week, so she decided to keep her mouth shut.

  Seth left his sandwich on the counter and, looking back at her over his shoulder, walked into the living room and out the front door.

  About ten minutes later, there was a loud knocking at the front door. Samara glanced down at her clothing. She was still wearing the purple fleece pajamas that she had put back on this morning.

  Peeking out the window to make sure that it was Emma, Samara flung the front door open. “I thought I told you to give me an hour!”

  “Sorry,” Emma replied, walking into the entryway and fixing her hair in the hallway mirror. “I would have waited, but I was so excited to show you this!”

  She stuck out her middle finger. “Look! Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Samara glanced down at her finger, which displayed a pretty blue sapphire ring. The ring, which was cushion-cut, was set in white gold and sparkled in the sunlight. “Yeah, it’s really pretty.”

  “Jason gave it to me!” Emma exclaimed.

  Samara paused, trying to choose her words wisely. “Jason gave you it? Don’t you think that it may be a little too soon for him to be giving you jewelry? I mean, you only just got involved with each other.”

  Emma’s face twisted into an expression that Samara couldn’t read. Tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder, Emma stared back at her. “You’re just jealous. Things didn’t work out with you and Luke, so you don’t want them to work out for me and Jason. Just admit it, Sam.”

  “No, that’s not it. I’m not jealous. I just don’t like Jason,” Samara blurted out. “I think you need to be careful. Something about him seems really . . . off.”

  Anger flashed through Emma’s ocean blue eyes. “Look, you’re not being a very good best friend lately. You’re supposed to be supportive of me, and you’re obviously not. So, how about we just stop being friends?”

  Before Samara could answer her, Emma had already turned around and walked out the front door.


  *

  “Did Seth say where he was going?” Mr. McKinley asked, as he chewed on a piece of asparagus at the dinner table that night.

  Samara shook her head. “Does he ever say where’s going? He just walked out of the house without saying a word.” Turning to her mom, Samara said, “I wish you would at least consider anger management or counseling for him.”

  Mrs. McKinley glanced up at her and sighed. “We’ll see. If there’s no improvement in his attitude in the next six months, we’ll put him in counseling.”

  “The next six months?” Samara asked incredulously. “That won’t be until springtime! He’ll be going off to college next year. Counseling takes time. It doesn’t just happen overnight.”

  “I agree,” Mr. McKinley chimed in. “We really should see about getting him counseling before then.”

  “Fine. He’ll go to counseling,” Mrs. McKinley gave in, angrily stuffing a green bean into her mouth. “But I’m not going to be the one to tell him he has to go.”

  “I will,” Samara volunteered. “He’s nicer to me than he is to either of you, and I think –”

  The front door opened. Samara stopped speaking, afraid that her brother would realize that they had been talking about him.

  Seth came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He just sat at the kitchen table, staring into space. A moment later, he looked over his shoulder, towards the front door.

  For a few minutes, no one said a word. Samara was busy trying to figure out how she was going to tell her brother that he had to go to counseling without making him mad.

  “Sweetie, do you want me to get you a plate so that you can eat with us?” Mrs. McKinley asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

  Seth shook his head. “There are wolves outside the house. Three of them. I was afraid that they were going to attack me when I walked from my car to the house. I waited, but it didn’t seem like they were going to leave the yard, so I just ran inside.”