by Cheree Alsop
“Stay here,” Aleric told her.
He crossed toward the men. “You need to leave, now.”
Both men turned their guns on Aleric.
“Or else what?” the first man asked. “You planning to be a hero? You don’t have any weapons. What’s to keep me from shooting you right now?”
“The fact that if you do, one bullet won’t be enough to kill me. I’ll will hunt you down and tear you to pieces,” Aleric replied calmly.
The man glared at him. “I’ll shoot you, your girlfriend, and this guy. I don’t care.”
“You’re not going to shoot anyone,” Aleric said.
“Try to stop me,” the man replied. He leveled his gun at the cashier, his finger tight on the trigger.
Aleric pulled off his shirt and phased. The moment his paws touched the floor, a growled rolled from his throat, reverberating off the walls and shaking the windows.
“W-what is that?” the man closest to the door asked.
Tiny claws dug into Aleric’s shoulder. He glanced up. The little minky gave a hiss from her perch, her wings spread and tiny teeth showing.
The first man backed away from Aleric. “Get out of here!” he shouted to his comrade.
They both burst out the door. The men took off down the street so fast the first one tripped on the curb. The second pulled him back up and they darted around the corner out of sight.
“D-don’t hurt me,” the cashier pleaded.
Aleric met the man’s gaze. His face was washed pale, his eyes wide, and his fingers shook as he clutched them in front of his chest in a pleading gesture. The fear drove straight to Aleric’s heart with the force of a dagger. He glanced to the right and found the same fear on Lilian’s face. Her eyes were wide and terror was easy to see in the depths of her blue gaze. The look hurt more than Aleric had thought it would.
He grabbed his scrubs shirt and pants in his fangs and limped around the end of the aisle. Grateful for the adrenaline that dulled the pain in his shoulder, Aleric willed the change to come. He thought of the sensation of gravel beneath his shoes and the feeling of scrubbing his hands in the O.R. sinks. Willing his heartbeat to slow, Aleric remembered the soft brush of Lilian’s fingers against his neck when she adjusted the strap of his sling.
The phase pulled at his shoulder when the bones rolled back, repositioning themselves for his human form. Aleric bit back a gasp at the pain. He crouched, leaning against the shelves for a moment. His bandages were long gone and the flesh of the wound was red and raw where Dr. Worthen had burned it. Aleric opened and closed his left hand. His fingers moved sluggishly and the gash along his palm pulled against the flesh. It felt as if his ability to heal quickly as a werewolf warred against the silver that had caused the wounds. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
Aleric pulled on his pants. He worked his shirt gingerly over his shoulder and glanced up. His heart slowed. In the corner of the small convenience store was a convex mirror to show what was happening within the aisles. His eyes locked on Lilian’s from where she waited with the minky in her arms near the cashier. The thought that she had seen him at his weakest, hunched over in pain, bothered Aleric. He dropped his gaze and pulled on his shoes.
Aleric reached Lilian’s side and maneuvered the sling over his head. She moved to help him, but he turned away and eased his arm inside the mesh. She wordlessly held up the minky; the kitten settled in his sling once more.
Aleric grabbed the bars, cheese, and crackers from the shelf where he had set them during the confrontation and placed the items on the counter.
“You’re that Dr. Wolf,” the man behind the cash register said. He looked calmer now as if whatever he and Lilian had spoken of while Aleric dressed had calmed him. “You’re from the hospital!”
“You saw me on television?” Aleric asked. He had seen the fear on the man’s face when he phased. The fact that he was willing to talk made Aleric grateful for the reporters who had put his actions on their stations.
The man nodded quickly. “Several times. I saw that you were a good man; now I know for sure.”
That brought a smile to Aleric’s face. “I’m glad you think so.”
“I know so,” the cashier replied. When Aleric attempted to pay, he waved his hand. “It’s on the house. You saved me money and probably my life. Anything you want here is yours.”
“I can pay,” Aleric replied. “Really. You don’t have to do that.”
“And you didn’t have to risk your life for a stranger,” the man told him. He held out a hand. “I’m Truman. This is my store.” He placed the items Aleric wanted into a bag. “Whatever you need, you take. I won’t accept payment. My wife would kill me if I charged the man who saved my life for anything.”
Touched by the man’s gesture, Aleric picked up the plastic sack.
“What if they come back?” he asked.
Truman smiled. “Did you see the looks on their faces? I’d be amazed if I see them for a very long time.”
“Good,” Aleric replied. “If they do come to bother you again, let me know.”
“Gladly,” Truman replied.
Aleric walked down the street in silence. Mixed emotions filled him at the sound of Lilian’s footsteps following behind. He didn’t speak and she seemed to respect his silence. He had seen the fear on her face when he changed into a wolf. He couldn’t blame her; a huge wolf in the place of a man was terrifying, especially when one wasn’t used to such a thing. A part of him wanted to ask her what she was thinking, but the other side noted that he was probably better off not knowing.
When he took a street a few blocks from the hospital, he caught Lilian’s curious look. “Where are we going?”
“I have a promise I need to keep,” Aleric replied shortly.
He paused at the mouth of the alley near the hospital and looked at her. “You can wait here if you prefer.”
“I’ll come,” she replied.
Aleric entered the alley. It was quiet. He crouched, listening to the sound of two bated breaths within the cardboard boxes. The grims had found several more to cover the front of their roughly-made home and disguise it. Aleric approved of their additions.
“It’s Dr. Wolf,” he said. “I’ve brought a friend.”
Silence met his words.
He continued with, “I brought cheese.”
The boxes flew apart and the two six-year-olds appeared eagerly in front of Aleric. He heard Lilian’s breath catch.
“Grimma, Grimsli, this is my friend Lilian,” he said. He turned to find that she had crouched beside him. There was a kind smile on her face that made Aleric’s heart give a double-beat. He willed it to calm.
“Hello,” Grimma said.
“Pleased to meet you,” Grimsli echoed.
“It’s good to meet you both,” Lilian told them.
Their cat-like eyes kept straying to the bag Aleric held. He opened it and pulled out the block of cheese. “I keep my promises,” he told them.
Grimsli gave a yip of excitement and watched as his twin sister eagerly took the cheese from Aleric’s hand.
“I brought you some more bars and some cheese crackers as well,” Aleric told them.
The twins took the food from him and were about to return to their cardboard house when the minky gave a little meow.
“What was that?” Grimma asked.
Aleric pulled the minky from his sling. “Meet Diablo,” he told the children.
Lilian gave a little laugh at the name.
“It’s so cute!” Grimma gushed. She handed her brother the cheese and rushed back to Aleric. “Can I hold it?”
Aleric gave the kitten to her. Grimma ran her fingers over the creature’s silky black fur.
“She’s so soft,” the grim said. She touched the feathers along the kitten’s wings.
“Maybe she can stay with you,” Aleric suggested.
Grimma giggled when the kitten rubbed its head against her chin. “That would be fun!”
Relieved he di
dn’t have to worry about the minky anymore, Aleric rose to his feet.
“Is there anything else you guys need?” he asked Grimsli.
The boy shook his head. “We’re happy here.”
“It’s supposed to rain tonight or tomorrow,” Lilian said. “My dad has an old tent we don’t use. I could bring it to keep the rain off of you.”
“That would be amazing!” Grimsli replied.
Aleric gave Lilian a grateful smile. She smiled back.
“I’ll see you both later,” Aleric promised. “I’ll bring some more water.”
“Thank you,” Grimsli called from inside the cardboard house.
“Bye, Dr. Wolf,” Grimma said.
Aleric was nearly to the mouth of the alley again when Grimma gave a little squeak. He looked back to see the little minky galloping toward him across the asphalt. Meows sounded from the tiny animal and her wings flapped as she pushed herself faster.
Diablo reached Aleric and scaled up his pants. Her sharp claws dug into his skin as she pulled herself back up to his sling and climbed inside. She settled on his arm once more. A moment later, a contented purr emanated from the kitten.
“I think she wants to go with you,” Grimma said.
“I don’t need a minky,” Aleric protested.
Diablo gave a loud meow.
Grimma giggled. “I don’t think you have a choice.”
Aleric looked back at Lilian. “Help me here,” he pleaded.
She shook her head with a laugh. “I think Grimma’s right. Diablo’s picked you.”
Aleric gave a dramatic sigh and everyone laughed.
“Fine,” he said. “But as soon as this sling’s gone, she’s going to leave me. She’s just comfortable.”
“You tell yourself that,” Lilian told him.
“Come on, Grimma,” Grimsli called from inside their little home. “I’ve got the cheese open.”
“Coming,” Grimma replied. She dove into the boxes.
“Catch you guys later,” Aleric called out.
The only sounds in reply were chewing and laughter from inside the boxes.
Aleric and Lilian had walked a block when she said, “You’re a surprising person.”
Aleric glanced at her. “Is that a good thing?”
She nodded. “Definitely.” She met his gaze. “I guess I didn’t know what to expect.”
Aleric couldn’t read her tone. “From the big bad werewolf?” he asked.
“From the man who saved my life,” she replied.
Aleric turned his gaze back to the sidewalk in front of them. Vehicles rushed by without care for the pedestrians that walked beside the road. Many of those Aleric and Lilian passed barely glanced at them; a few, upon seeing Aleric’s scrubs, did a double-take. He heard one man whisper, “Was that the guy from Channel Five?”
“Where I’m from, most people don’t trust werewolves,” Aleric admitted after a few minutes had gone by.
“Why?” Lilian asked. “There must be a reason for that.” She gave Aleric a questioning look.
He walked several more steps before he said, “In Blays, the fae are divided into Light and Dark. The Dark fae generally either don’t like the sun or are physically unable to survive in sunlight. The Light fae fear darkness because of those who roam it.” He studied the pattern of the bricks that made up the building beside them. “Werewolves are called Ashstock, one of the few races who are in between because of our animal side, like the grims.” He glanced at Lilian. “The other fae fear us because they wonder if we’re more animal than man.”
“Are you?”
Lilian’s question hung in the air between them.
Aleric let out a breath. He could lie. It would be easy to pretend to forget the past. Yet those days had a lot to do with who he was, and for some reason he couldn’t explain, it felt important to him that she know that.
“Sometimes,” Aleric said. He appreciated the way she gave him time to gather his thoughts.
They passed a mother and father with two blond, curly-haired boys. The boys stared at him as they walked by and Aleric heard them whisper, “That’s him!”
Aleric’s thoughts went to other little boys living in alleys together, struggling to survive, fending for each other like the mismatched pack they were.
“Can I show you something?”
Lilian’s question caught him by surprise. Aleric nodded.
“Come this way,” Lilian told him.
She led the way between the rows of apartments just before the hospital. Aleric followed her down two blocks to a wooden fence. Lilian looked around, then pulled up a loose slat and ducked inside. Bemused by her actions, Aleric reached his fingers through the slats and followed. The minky in his sling gave a little meow at the unexpected movement. Aleric straightened on the other side of the fence and paused.
Flowers and vines wove a tapestry of beauty within the small, sunlit garden. Rose bushes taller than Aleric showed every color of rose imaginable. Lilian had disappeared from sight. Aleric followed the small rock pathway between the bushes. It turned to the left to reveal a circle of flowers with a bench in the middle. Lilian met Aleric with a shy look from her seat on the bench.
“I’ve never shown anyone this place before, not even my dad,” she admitted.
“Why show me?” Aleric asked her.
Lilian watched him, her gaze searching. “I’m not really sure. I guess I felt like you needed it.” She patted the bench beside her. “Just like you need a break. Come join me.”
Aleric sat on the stone bench. The silence that fell around them was comfortable like the sunshine. Lilian didn’t rush what he was going to tell her, and he appreciated her patience.
“I found this place shortly after my mother died,” Lilian said. She ran her fingers along the petals of a rose that grew near the bench. “I spent a lot of time at the hospital because my father was still busy and there wasn’t much for a little girl to do. He hated when I wandered, but I couldn’t help myself.” She waved her hand. “When I found this garden, I began to sneak away here all the time.” She smiled. “Mrs. Fadden, who owns the house, found me back here once. When I told her about my mom, she said I could come here whenever I wanted.”
“That was nice of her,” Aleric replied. He bent gingerly and picked up a twig. When Diablo gave a meow of protest, he said, “Oh hush, freeloader.” He straightened and she settled in the sling again. A quiet purr resonated from her.
Aleric studied the twig. “I wished I’d had a garden like this to go to when my mom died.” He thought about it. “That’s the answer to your question, really. When I ran away to live in the streets of Drake City, I was four years old, without any survival skills, and at the mercy of anything in the city that wanted to either eat me or put me to work, which was pretty much everything.” Aleric snapped the twig between his fingers. “I found that people were far more likely to give a starving wolf pup scraps than a street urchin, so I stayed in wolf form. I eventually found others hiding out and we joined together. I’d beg for scraps, others would steal, and we’d pool our findings so we could all survive.”
“No wonder you care for those children in the alley,” Lilian said.
“Children need someone they can count on,” Aleric replied. He snapped the pieces of the stick. The movement hurt his injured hand, but he didn’t care. “Sometimes it was easier to just be a wolf, to be an animal, to pretend that I wasn’t one of those people who could just walk by in the streets and ignore children who were supposed to look to adults for protection and love. I couldn’t understand it.”
He looked at her and found compassion and sorrow in her gaze. “I’ve never told this to anyone.”
“I’m glad you told me,” she replied. “It’s got to be hard to be so far away from home.”
Aleric slipped his hand into the sling and petted the little kitten. Its purr rose until the creature practically vibrated. “This feels more like home than that ever did.” The admission caught him by surprise. If a
nyone had told him he would be bearing his soul to Lilian in a secret garden in the middle of Edge City, he wouldn’t have believed them. He gave her a self-conscious glance. “That’s enough about me. We’d better get back and see to the plague victims.”
Lilian rose with him. She followed him to the fence. Before he could push through the slats, she stopped him with a hand on his good arm. It took a surprising amount of strength to meet her gaze after all he had said. When he did, the compassionate smile on her face filled him with warmth.
“I’m glad you trust me. I promise to keep your secrets.”
“They’re all I have,” Aleric replied.
Her smile deepened. “I don’t believe that.”
That brought a smile to Aleric’s face as well. He ducked under the slat and held it up.
“Thank you,” she said when she rose.
They made their way in amiable silence to the hospital.
Aleric glanced at Lilian. “As much as I like to tangle with death, I think it’d be better if we pretend like you didn’t just meet the First Horseman.”
“Agreed,” Lilian replied. “I’ll sneak around back, but only to save you from Dad’s wrath.”
“I appreciate it,” Aleric told her.
She walked to the back and waved at him before she disappeared around the side. Her scent, a mixture of jasmine and sunshine, lingered in the air. It was hard for Aleric to turn away. He did so with a shake of his head and walked toward the Emergency Room. Aleric’s instincts tingled, setting him on edge by the time he reached the doors. Inside, he found nurses and orderlies scrambling.
Aleric caught Gregory’s arm. “What’s going on?”
“The EMTs are on their way with a patient,” Gregory replied breathlessly, “But the patient attacked them. Dr. Worthen said to prepare for the worst.”
Chapter Four
“The patient attacked them?” Aleric repeated. “Like with a knife?”
“Claws,” Nurse Eastwick said. She reached them with a wheeled stretcher. “That’s all we could hear, someone shouting out ‘Watch for the claws!’”
A siren caught Aleric’s ears. “They’re coming,” he warned them.