Koda smiled at me then stepped closer to Darren and whispered quickly into his ear. Darren’s face fell and he nodded once, very short and quick as if he were afraid to make any other movement. Koda walked away without glancing back. The waiters came back and took our orders. Darren smiled quickly and shook his head. “It has been too long since I’ve seen him. So, how does gambling for a few hours, then a trip to the hottest dance club in town sound?”
Bret smiled. “Awesome!”
I groaned. “A dance club? Why don’t you just stab me in the eye with this fork?”
Bret and Darren talked excitedly about the night to come, but I couldn’t listen to them. I stared in the direction Koda had disappeared and wished I could find a way to speak to him further. I remembered the strange tingling and wondered what had caused it. My ruminations ended as our food came and I ate my medium rare steak quickly. I ate the fries and salad as fast as my steak then downed my beer. I looked at Darren and Bret. “I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” I started to get up then realized I had no clue where the bathroom was.
Darren noticed my problem. “Straight back and to the left.”
I walked in the direction he had told me and felt butterflies as I realized it was the same way Koda had gone. I turned right down a dark hallway and ran into the back of Koda. I hadn’t seen him in the darkness. He spun around and his shock turned into a warm smile. “Hello, Artemis. Get tired of your friend so soon?”
I laughed. “Hi, Koda. Sorry, I was just going to the bathroom and wasn’t paying attention.”
Koda shrugged. “No harm done.”
He stepped to the side to allow me to pass him, but I stayed still. “Koda, what did my dad mean about not telling me about his past?”
Koda’s eyes squinted in anger. “I’m sorry Artemis, but it’s not my place to discuss your father’s past with you. Your father will have to tell you.”
I sighed. “Alright.” I continued past Koda and into the bathroom. I hurriedly went pee then washed my hands and walked out of the bathroom. Koda stood in the same spot as before, talking quietly on his cell phone. I hurried to the table where Darren and Bret had already finished their food. “Time to gamble?” I asked.
Bret nodded his head. “Let’s go!”
Darren rolled his eyes. “So eager to waste my money?”
“It was your idea.” I pointed out.
Darren laughed. “True, very true.”
We started to walk out of the restaurant when I felt someone’s hand on me. A quick rush of heat raced up my arm, making me gasp. I spun around and stared in shock at Koda. He dropped my arm and the heat stopped. “My apologies, Artemis, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
I smiled. “It’s alright. No harm done.”
His smile widened at my reminder of his comment. He held out a small piece of white paper. “Take this. If you ever need anything feel free to call me.”
I slowly took the paper and nodded my head. “Th…Thanks.”
He winked at me. “No problem.” I couldn’t help but stare at his backside as he walked away. Darren cleared his throat and I hid the piece of paper in my hand and turned to him.
Darren asked, “What was that about?”
I shrugged. “He was just saying bye.”
Darren stared at me for a second then shrugged. “He’s a nice guy.” We started walking out of the restaurant again and I put the piece of paper in my pants’ pocket. There were so many questions about Darren that I wanted answers to. Maybe I would call Koda and see if he could answer them. Darren stopped in the middle of the gambling area and turned to us. He pulled out his wallet and made three piles of bills. He handed one pile to me and one pile to Bret before pocketing the third pile for himself. “Now make this last at least two hours.”
“I’m sure I can do that, but Bret will probably spend it in ten minutes,” I said sarcastically.
Bret rolled his eyes. “You only spend it slowly because you play slots.”
I shrugged. “I think slots are fun.”
Darren laughed. “Play nice kids. I’ll meet you back here in two hours.” He walked away quickly towards the blackjack tables.
I turned to Bret and smiled. “See you in two hours.”
He rolled his eyes again. “Have fun with the slots.”
“I will,” I said. I walked slowly towards the slot machines when I got the feeling that someone was staring at me. I looked around, but couldn’t see anyone. I shrugged it off and walked faster towards the five cent slot machines. I felt a warm tingling sensation spread over me and turned to my right.
Koda stood a few feet away from me talking to someone whose back was towards me. Koda’s eyes widened when he saw me and he whispered something to the man he was with. I smiled at Koda and waved, starting to walk away when the man turned around. I gasped and stopped moving. The man with Koda smiled politely at me, but I stood dumbfounded. He was the man from my dreams, the werewolf man.
Koda walked quickly to my side and whispered, “Breathe!”
I inhaled a big breath and then stopped breathing again as the man walked towards me. I started to ask his name when Darren grabbed my arm and yanked me behind him. The man growled softly at Darren and I gasped at his wolf-like growl. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I’m just projecting my thoughts into what I want to hear.
The man seemed angry and stood in a loose stance usually taken when preparing for an attack. “What are you doing Darren?” His voice was tinted with anger as he glared at Darren.
“Leave my daughter alone,” Darren said with menace in his voice as he pushed me father behind him and away from the man.
The man smiled. “I haven’t done anything and you know I would never hurt our kind, especially not one as beautiful as her.” My cheeks instantly flushed.
Darren’s lips twitched up in a snarl. “Are you here for what I think you are here for?”
The man frowned. “Darius sent us here to continue our mission, yes.”
Darren sighed then walked backwards and grabbed my arm. “Come on, Artemis. We’re leaving.”
I shook my head and stared at the gorgeous man in front of us. “I don’t want to leave.” I could feel the man’s dangerous potential and yet I could tell he was good. How did I know this? I have no idea.
Darren looked from me to the man and then back again. He shook his head and dragged me away by the arm. “We are leaving.”
I grabbed at my stomach so that I wouldn’t reach out towards the man from my dreams like I wanted to. The man blew a kiss at me and I felt my blush intensify. I forced myself to turn away from him and followed Darren. Darren grabbed Bret and we hurried to our rooms. We traveled in silence until we reached our rooms, and then Darren turned to us suddenly. “I can’t explain this, Artemis, but you two need to trust me. We have to leave, now.”
I nodded my head and hurried into the hotel room to pack my bag. Bret grumbled about being on a streak as he packed his bag too. I turned to walk out of the room and stopped dead. Koda stood at the end of the hallway by the elevators staring at me. I dropped my bag and hurried to him. He frowned. “I wanted to make sure that you did as your father says and leave. Do not come back.”
“Who was that man? I…I’ve had dreams about him,” I said nervously.
Koda’s face dropped in shock and he shook his head. “Just leave. If you want to call me later you can, but do not try to call me for at least two days.”
I started to ask him why when the elevator opened and Koda hurried inside staring at the back of the elevator. The elevator doors closed a few moments before Darren spoke from his room. “Where’s your bag?”
I turned around and smiled. “Sorry, I was trying to catch the elevator and dropped it by the door.” I rushed back down the hallway and grabbed my bag as Bret followed me out, shutting the door and handing Darren the keycard. Darren watched me curiously, but didn’t say anything. We took the elevator down and Darren paid the front desk clerk. I walked quickly tow
ards the doors which led to the valet area, but I felt someone looking at me again and turned around, raising my eyes to the second story of the lobby. The man from my dreams stood on the upper level staring at me. He started to move towards the escalators and Koda and another man grabbed him and held him back. I hurried out the door and inhaled the cool refreshing night air. Darren walked out just as the valet brought the truck up.
I threw my bag to Bret and climbed into the truck, quickly shutting my door and putting on my seatbelt. Darren climbed into the truck and started it, sighing as the motor started up. I looked back in the hotel and saw the man and Koda inside the lobby. Koda was holding onto the man’s arm and talking sternly to him. The man was yelling at Koda, but he stopped in mid-rant and turned to look at me. I stared into his beautiful blue eyes and wanted nothing more than to have him hold me.
Darren yelled, “Artemis!” I stopped moving and realized that I had unbuckled my seatbelt and was opening my door. I slammed the door closed and put my belt back on facing forward. Darren put the truck in gear and raced away from the hotel leaving Koda and the mystery man behind. We drove in silence for an hour, and then Darren pulled into a small diner. We got out and I numbly followed them into the diner. Darren ordered a burger for me and shoved a soda under my chin.
I drank absentmindedly as I thought about the mystery man. Who was he? Why did I feel so strange when I was near him? The news chiming on the television brought my attention back. I stared at the news reporter as his sad face told me that it wasn’t going to be a happy report. “We know you all have heard of the devastation that is sweeping the Orient. It started in Japan and spread through China at an alarming rate…”
Darren yelled, “Can we change the channel?”
Our waitress came over smiling politely. “I’m sorry Sir, but there are more people here that want to watch it than those who don’t.”
Darren sighed loudly and stood up dragging me with him. The news reporter continued. “We just learned that Russia has been…”
Darren shoved me out of the diner so hard and fast that I fell on my face on the concrete outside. Bret rushed to my side and picked me up in his arms. Bret growled. “What the hell is wrong with you Darren?”
Darren shook his head. “Get in the truck!”
Bret set me down in the truck and got in the backseat. I stared at Darren in shock. “What’s happening? Why won’t you let us watch the news? What’s going on?!” I screamed at Darren, knowing he was up to something.
“Just do what I say.” He started the truck and took off out of the parking lot, spraying gravel from his tires as we raced out on to the highway again.
I felt my anger rising at Darren and my body began to heat up. I turned to yell at him then felt my body starting to twitch. I grunted in frustration as I had a seizure. Bret screamed, “Darren!” Darren pulled over and Bret held me down against the seat so I wouldn’t thrash around and hit my head. Darren grabbed a cold water bottle, unscrewed the lid and splashed it on my face. I closed my eyes and focused on the cold feeling, willing myself to calm down. My body slowed its convulsions and then stopped altogether. Bret sighed. “I wish I knew what the hell caused those.”
Darren just stared at me with anger and worry filling his eyes as I regained control. I whispered, “You can let go Bret. I’m fine now.”
Bret sat back in his seat and Darren started driving again. We listened to the radio in silence the rest of the way to town.
We hurried to the house and I climbed straight into bed. Bret followed me in and closed the door behind him. He set our bags down and sat on the bed next to me. “I’m sorry we had to leave so early,” I said to Bret.
Bret shrugged as he settled himself next to me. “It’s not your fault, Artemis.”
I rolled over and laid my head on his chest. We had been sleeping like this for so long that I barely thought about it. I focused on the beat of his heart and closed my eyes. Bret softly rubbed my back and I fell asleep.
The rain poured like a giant waterfall down my face as I scanned the forest. I wiped at the rain, but nothing helped. I put my hands over my eyes and screamed in frustration. I tensed as a wolf howled nearby, answering my scream. I walked backwards into the cave, pressing my back against the wall. My heart hammered against my chest, threatening to break through. I wiped the water from my eyes and stared at the black opening of the cave. Lightning flashed allowing me to see outside and my entire body stilled. A large black wolf stood in the doorway smelling the ground. The wolf turned its head towards me and sniffed three times quickly. I tried to slow my breathing, but the adrenaline was pumping too quickly to allow it. The wolf walked into the cave and whimpered. I shook my head and closed my eyes. The sound of bones snapping and popping echoed in the cave. I hugged myself tighter, fear consuming my rational thinking. A familiar male voice whispered, “It’s alright. I won’t hurt you. I’m Ares.”
I sat up in bed and focused on slowing my breathing down. I looked around the room and realized I was in my bedroom, not a forest, and Bret was sleeping soundly beside me. I crawled over the top of him and walked into the bathroom. I flipped on the light and stared at the blank wall where a normal household would have a mirror. I opened the wooden medicine cabinet and took out my nighttime contacts. I forgot to put them in, in my hurry to get to sleep. I took out the ones already in and threw them in the garbage. I let my eyes rest for a minute without any contacts in, and then put eye drops in to refresh my eyes. I slowly put in the nighttime contacts and sighed.
It took me a while to be able to put contacts in since we didn’t have a mirror, but I learned to do a lot of things without mirrors. So much so, that I never even look at one when away from home. Bret thought it was weird that I didn’t have a mirror, but to me it was just how I was raised, like the kids who didn’t have televisions. I closed the medicine cabinet and walked out into the living room. The TV was turned to the news, but Darren wasn’t there. I heard him shooting his gun in the distance and knew he was out target shooting or coyote hunting. I sat down and turned the news up so I could hear it.
~~~~
Chapter Two
The news reporter’s face was saddened and he spoke in a monotone voice. “Just two hours ago devastation wrought the town of South Lake Tahoe.” I gasped. “So far no survivors have been found within a ten mile radius.” I stared in shock at the television channel, not wanting to believe what was being reported.
Bret walked out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing?”
I shushed him and pointed at the television. “Everyone is dead in Tahoe.”
He stared at me in shock. “What?”
I patted the seat beside me and said, “Watch.” He sat down next to me and stared at the television.
The reporter began speaking in his monotone voice again. “At full dark, something began to kill people. We do not know what it was, but the bodies were found exactly like those in Japan and Russia. Their throats torn out and…”
Darren ran into the house and turned off the television. Bret jumped up. “What the hell are you doing?”
Darren pointed his finger at us. “I said no television!”
“Now you are being stupid, Dad. Something is happening and we need to know. Why aren’t you letting us watch the news?”
Darren shook his head. “I can’t tell you. Just trust me that you do not want to watch the news.”
I snarled at him. “I do want to watch the news! I want to know what is going on!”
“It’s not safe, especially not after tonight. Now go to bed,” Darren said in his no back talk allowed tone. He was mad at me, but I hadn’t done anything that bad. I knew I wasn’t supposed to talk back to him, but he had never been this angry before. I wanted to argue more and find out what had happened in Tahoe, but Darren was not someone I liked to see mad.
I groaned at him and stomped to my room. I think at times like this it’s perfectly normal to act bratty. Bret followed me in and he laid back down and
stayed silent. Something is going on and I am going to find out what. Whether Darren likes it or not, I need to know what is going on. Bret hummed softly and rubbed my back lulling me to sleep before I wanted to fall asleep.
The sun shining in my room woke me up. I stretched and yawned, feeling refreshed. I looked beside me and realized Bret was gone. I listened and heard bacon cooking which let me know that Bret and Darren were in the kitchen. I hurried to the bathroom and changed my contacts to the daytime prescription. Apparently my eyes were so bad that I needed two different sets of prescriptions. I rushed to the kitchen and found Bret sitting at the kitchen table. I sat down next to him sipping the hot chocolate that was on the table for me. Darren finished the bacon and set it on a plate in the middle of the table. I started to reach for a piece and he smacked my hand. “You wait for the rest of us.”
I groaned. “But it smells SOOOO good!”
He smiled and started making scrambled eggs. I bounced my leg as I waited impatiently for my food. Darren scraped the eggs into a bowl then placed it on the table. Before I could move he smacked my shoulder. “Wait!”
I groaned and started bouncing both my legs at the same time. Darren opened the fridge and tossed Bret the butter tray and then the bottle of syrup. Darren then opened the freezer, which was on the bottom of the fridge, unlike most refrigerators, and took out frozen waffles.
I started bouncing on my chair. “Come on! Hurry!”
Darren rolled his eyes at me as he put ten frozen waffles in the microwave. I watched anxiously as the microwave table spun in small, slow circles. I felt my mouth watering as the eggs and bacon sat waiting on the table. The microwave dinged and I jumped up. Darren growled at me and I sat back down, sipping my hot chocolate. Bret laughed at me as I waited until Darren gave us each a waffle then he smiled. “Go on.”
I grabbed four pieces of bacon from the plate and spooned two large spoonfuls of eggs next to the bacon. Bret was holding the butter tray and spreading the butter on his waffles slowly. I groaned and started bouncing my legs again. He handed me the butter with an exaggerated slowness. I yanked it from his hand and slapped butter on my waffle then took the syrup and poured it all over my plate dousing the waffle, eggs and bacon with syrup. I set the syrup bottle down and looked up to find Darren and Bret staring at me in shock. I giggled nervously then started eating. I shoveled the food in my mouth as fast as I could chew. I groaned happily at the delicious food and ate without any more noises until my plate was empty. I sat back and sighed in contentment, resting my hands on my full stomach.
Song of The Moon Artemis Lupine Page 2