by Lewis, D. C.
Kiera had not anticipated this but it did make sense. Farmer Albright was carrying the burden of too many years to continue to have the energy to keep unwanted guests off his property. Dogs would be the perfect guards, working simply for a scratch behind the ear and a bowl of kibble.
Dark shapes raced on the edge of the pasture closest to the house. Kiera could make out three canine shapes that looked large even at this distance, and closing in on her fast. The combination of thunder and loud barking had disturbed the cows' slumber and they were starting to mill around.
The festivities for the night were over. Deciding to waste no time, Kiera turned around to head back to the car. On the top of the largest hill stood Brandon, looking back her way. Wanting to shout at him to run to the car but knowing it would only draw the dogs' attention to her, Kiera frantically started waving her arms. Seeming to understand, Brandon turned and ran down the hill.
Feeling some relief that she had kept her promise and that Brandon would be safe, Kiera started the trek back to the car. She felt no need to rush. The dogs hadn't caught her scent yet and the pasture was big. She should have plenty of time to make it back to the car. Although she did quicken her pace just a tad.
As she was climbing the second to last hill before the tree line, the barking changed. The dogs somehow had gotten her scent, and they were on her trail, running fast.
Panic. Kiera went through the list of things she could not do. She could outrun the dogs, but that was not an option with Brandon around. Neither was confronting the hostile animals and possibly getting hurt. Climbing a tree would accomplish would trap her until more than likely Farmer Albright came to her rescue.
All she did was pick up her pace a little more. Maybe she could just make it back to the car before they were upon her. She was very glad that she had opted to leave her flipflops.
The dogs were gaining.
Picking up her pace a little more, Kiera was engaged in an easy jog. Nothing out of the ordinary. A pace that wouldn't look suspicious if Brandon were to see her. But still the dogs were gaining and she was running out of time.
Over her shoulder, she could easily make them out now. Some breed of pitbull and they looked determined. The panic she was feeling earlier returned tenfold and before she knew it, she was running with the speed that only a Lycoan could achieve with two legs. Even though her feet sank into the spongy earth, Kiera was as fast as the wind. Her plan was to make it to the crest of the big hill with enough time to slow down before descending to the car. If she were lucky, Brandon would be waiting in the car and wouldn't see her at top speed.
The hill and her salvation were quickly approaching. Kiera was in full stride, a ground- eating pace that put her further ahead with each stride. The barking was starting to get farther away but Kiera wasn't prepared when it stopped altogether. It came so suddenly that she ran another thirty feet before it fully registered that the dogs weren't chasing her anymore.
Slowing her pace, she looked over her shoulder to see nothing behind her. The dogs were gone. Where they had gone she couldn't say, but they were no longer there. Stopping entirely, she turned and scanned the area behind her, looking for her pursuers to see nothing but wet grass and sleepy cows. Of the dogs there was no sign. It was as if they had instantaneously disappeared.
"Abducted by aliens," Kiera mused.
While she was glad that the potential crisis had been averted, there was something unsettling about the fact that they had so abruptly vanished.
Climbing up the last hill before the car, she was met at the top by a mud-covered Brandon, holding an umbrella like a sword.
Kiera burst out laughing. He looked like a pig that had been enjoying itself wallowing in a mudhole.
"What in the world happened to you?" she asked, trying to catch her breath between guffaws.
Looking embarrassed, Brandon let out a deep sigh. "When I heard the dogs, I went running for the car to get the umbrella. Coming down the hill I slipped on the wet grass, fell, and rolled all the way to the bottom. Of course where I ended up, there was a newly filled mud puddle and I landed right in it."
Kiera's laughing intensified, her mind played a vision of Brandon rolling down the hill, head over heels, arms flying everywhere. It was then that she realized something he had just said.
"Brandon, if you heard the dogs, why were you running to go get the umbrella?"
"Well, you know," he said, looking sheepish. He then thrust the air with the umbrella, using it like a fencing sword, as if that explained everything. "I figured I could use it to protect you."
"Protect me? From the massive dogs?" she asked.
Brandon simply nodded his head in assent.
"Brandon Phelan, I would hug you if I had any desire to get muddy," so instead she gave him a light tap on the arm.
"Ouch, that hurt!" he exclaimed.
"You big sissy, you were going to fend off a roving pack of vicious animals with a beaten up old umbrella but a friendly tap on the arm hurts you."
At that moment, the thunder boomed again and the rain started beating down in torrents, as if someone had opened a floodgate.
Smirking, Brandon opened his umbrella and held it over Kiera, diverting the deluge from her body, while he stood out in the elements, the water washing the mud from his clothes surprisingly fast until he was no longer muddy, just wet.
"Besides, I was supposed to be the one protecting you tonight," she reminded him as she grabbed his arm and pulled him under the umbrella with her. "And I intend to keep that promise."
Putting her arm around him so that there would be more room for the both of them under the umbrella, they made their way down the hill towards the car. The festivities for the night were officially over and Kiera needed to get home before Katrina.
"And if you think I am going to let you sit on my leather seat with those wet clothes, you have another thing coming. Looks like you will be taking the ride back naked," she commented, trying to keep her tone as serious as possible.
Out the corner of her eye, Kiera could see the blood drain from Brandon's face.
Sixteen
The rain was pouring like water from a bucket as Kiera and Brandon got to the car. Much to Brandon's relief, Kiera had found some beach towels in her trunk that she coated her seat with, thus preventing Brandon's naked ride and saving his dignity. She failed to tell him that she knew those towels had been there the entire time, instead choosing to watch him squirm. He wasn't sure if she would have lived up to that threat or not and that was causing him some distress, until she unveiled the treasure in the trunk. He was visibly relaxed at the discovery.
Turning the car around in its tight parking spot, Kiera looked up ahead to see a near- flooded road, the soil not having enough time to soak up all the moisture. Kiera was questioning the intelligence of this little outing as she started down the road. If they didn't get stuck it would be a miracle. Trying to see the positive side of the situation, at least hard rain would wash off the majority of the mud that had accumulated on the ride in.
Splashing along the dirt road, the car slid from side to side, forcing Kiera to use all her focus to maintain the car's line. Once they finally reached pavement she realized that she had been holding her breath the entire time, and let it out in an explosive release.
Even though the highway was easier to drive on, visibility was near zero, the rain a sheet of liquid drenching everything including her vision. Brandon had not said a word the entire time, still pleased that he was fully clothed in the car. The only movement he made was to make sure his seatbelt was firmly fastened.
The entire night, Kiera had tried to keep her mind from what was going to occur later that evening, a lecture from her mother. Now, on the road to take Brandon home, the upcoming confrontation with her mother was looming greatly on her mind. The inevitability of it made her want to scream. This was another thing she felt like she had no control over, these little talks with her mother. They played out like a broken record. Same stuf
f every single time. It got tiring listening to Katrina talk about responsibility and birthright, never with any consideration that maybe, possibly, Kiera had plans for her own future. From her mother's behavior earlier that evening, Kiera feared that this talk would be worse than usual. Katrina was at a level of annoyance that Kiera had rarely, if ever, seen. She felt sympathy for the person that Katrina's annoyance was directed towards for she knew they wouldn't leave unscathed.
As it always seemed to do when there was something upcoming that you wished to avoid, time flew by on the way back to Brandon's house. This put Kiera one step closer to having to see her mother. The childish part of her wanted to just run away, get out of town, but she knew the consequences of such action would be dire. Like it or not, she was dependent upon Katrina for the time being, and like it or not, she would be home before Katrina that evening.
As she pulled into his driveway, Brandon looked over at her with a concern.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Attempting a smile to lighten the mood, Kiera looked over at him, her eyes momentarily resting on his lips, the electricity threatening to make itself known again so she immediately looked away.
"It’s nothing. Mother wants to have one of her 'talks' tonight and I am just not in the mood. You know how it goes, it will be the same old story about me taking over the business. About not going back to school next year because I have responsibilities, blah, blah, blah. Just so sick of hearing about it."
She was right, Brandon did know all about it, having heard the same story from Kiera countless times during the course of their friendship. Katrina had plans as to what she thought Kiera's life should be and Kiera, being the strong, independent woman she was, rebelled at every turn.
"I wish I knew what to say that would make it all better," he responded, "I really wish I did." Seemingly at a loss for words, he just let out a deep sigh and slumped his shoulders. "Just do what makes you happy is all I can tell you."
Wishing it were all that easy, Kiera allowed herself a moment to fantasize what it would be like to not have to worry about her future.
Forcing herself to smile, she looked over at Brandon and said, "It will be ok. I have suffered her talks before, I can suffer through this one. Besides, I was treated to a wonderful evening, full of excitement and danger. It will give me something to think about while I am being told what I am supposed to do with my life."
Brandon picked up on the slight note of humor in her voice and couldn't help but smile, the first smile that had crossed his face since Kiera told him what they would be doing as their entertainment.
"Now get out the car so I can go to my execution," she joked.
Still smiling, Brandon unbuckled himself from the "Death Machine," as he had nicknamed it, grabbed his umbrella, and headed into his house. Kiera watched him go, his clothes still damp and clinging to his body. His scent was lingering heavily in the car and it was very pleasant to Kiera, very soothing. Closing her eyes, she could almost feel his presence in the car, once more allowing herself the opportunity to relive the kiss they shared earlier. Opening her eyes and forcing herself back to reality, Kiera backed out of the driveway and headed towards home.
The drive really did feel like she was going to her execution. A movie reference of "walking the Green Mile" came to mind as the car made its way home. Kiera almost hoped that she would get into an accident on the way but doubted even that would keep her mother from having their "talk." It was as inevitable as getting wet when standing in the rain without Brandon's trusty umbrella, but that fact didn't make it any less unpleasant.
Much to her relief, Katrina wasn't home when Kiera pulled into the driveway. The last thing Kiera wanted was to lengthen her interaction with her mother tonight. In fact, her plan was just to sit there and listen to whatever Katrina had to say, and to keep her mouth closed. "No need to prolong it," she thought.
Unlike a lot of her friends, Kiera enjoyed coming home to an empty house. She never worried about possible intruders. Her mother's reputation was enough to prevent even the most hardened of burglars to avoid the Hemming home. Kiera also had the added protection of a keen sense of smell. She would know as soon as she walked into the door if an uninvited person was present, and could tell with a lot of accuracy if that person were still there, and where they were hiding. The house was unoccupied, quiet; perfect.
Since she was still full from dinner with Brandon, she didn't really know why she found herself in the kitchen. She figured it was because she knew that was where she would be talking to her mother, and she wanted to get to the battlefield a little early to make preparations.
Picking her seat, she wanted to be sitting down and facing Katrina, when Katrina walked in, looking as calm and collected as possible. She wanted to give the impression that she was the one who had called this meeting and that she was the elder, waiting on the irresponsible child to show up. She knew it was silly but it was the mental preparations such as this that were going to make the difference and help her get through the next few hours. She knew it would be a few hours at least before Katrina would be able to say everything that she had planned.
Kiera wasn't quite ready when she heard her mother's car pull into the driveway. The evening had been spiraling to this moment and the past few hours had felt like minutes. Looking at the clock in the kitchen, she noted that it had been an hour since she had dropped Brandon off at home, though it seemed like it had been no more than ten minutes. Hearing the car door shut, the opening of the front door and her mother's footsteps on the hardwood floor, Kiera took one last deep breath and put her game face on.
Katrina looked the same as she did when she left hours earlier. A black short-sleeved polo shirt showed off her muscled arms and her khaki shorts showed her toned legs. All these attributes were familiar to Kiera. What wasn't familiar was the look on Katrina's face. A mixture of confusion, rage, and determination were the emotions marring the otherwise flawless face. The uncertainty made Kiera feel very uncomfortable and the feeling intensified when Katrina made eye contact.
Katrina's eyes coalesced into a strengthened resolve, a look that meant she intended to get what she wanted. A look a hunter would give its prey. Unfortunately for Kiera, she was the prey this evening.
Wasting no time, Katrina marched immediately into the kitchen. "I am glad you are here," she said in a serious tone, "We have much to discuss."
Katrina grabbed a barstool and pulled it next to Kiera's by the bar. Kiera noticed that Katrina took a quick mental count and saw a chair missing.
"Where is...ahh, never mind," Katrina said, remembering the damage she caused to the chair before she left. Settling down, she once again turned her stare to her daughter. "Really important things are occurring," she started off, "Things I had hoped would be postponed for a little while. My hope was misplaced. The woman who came today is proof of that. Her name is Larissa Sinistari and is the one who is trying with all her power to displace me and take over the pack. The beginnings of her displeasure with me as a leader started decades ago. She was also the voice of disagreement when I made decisions, regardless of how large or small those decisions were. I was too soft on her, never really putting her in her place, letting those disagreements run their course. When you have been around the same people for hundreds of years, you understand that these things happen. You don't always get along, but in order to keep the peace you overlook the trivial things. It appears that I overlooked too much. All of her arguing and dissension was attracting attention from other pack members. This attention turned into support. While they were too scared to confront me directly, they lingered in the shadows, discussing, plotting, boosting each other's resolve, but not quite ready to let their presence be known until recently."
"Larissa is directing her group of followers to support her in taking over the pack. She wants everything for herself and they are too stupid to see it. She plans on supplanting me and taking over everything that I have built in the past 200 years. She wants the house, f
inances, respect - all of it! It had started to get out of hand, so I took all her possessions and banished her to living out of that broken-down van until I had a change of heart. She was supposed to stay out of sight until I called her back. Her being here today is a direct violation of that. The problem is, I don't know what it was she wanted and now I can't seem to find her. Some of those sympathizers are probably hiding her. They thought I was being overly harsh in my punishment of her defiance. It is getting harder for me to maintain control. Meetings are getting physical and I don't know how much longer I will be able to defend my position. I am weakening and Larissa knows it. She plans to challenge me at my weakest and then take over. You already know what happens to a fallen leader and her offspring. I have a few months left at best. This is why you need to take over now Kiera, I can't hold on much longer. Larissa is eventually going to get the best of me and then be in control of our fate."
Even though she had decided to keep her mouth closed, Kiera couldn't sit there and say nothing. "Why does it always come back to someone other than ourselves controlling our fate?" Kiera asked "When do we get to control it? What is the point if we can't do as we wish?! Brandon says..."
"I don't care what Brandon says!" Katrina shouted, drowning out her daughter's voice. "That kid is an outcast. As a matter of fact, you are no longer allowed to hang out with him. I should have done this a long time ago. You are forbidden to have any contact with him ever again. He fills your head with nonsense."
Fury infused Kiera's body at her mother's statement. The rebellious and strong-willed child who decided many years ago that she would never turn into a monster, reemerged. Locked in a staring battle with her mother, Kiera replied through clenched teeth. "I will spend time with who I want, when I want, and you will have no say in that. Just like you will have no say in whether or not I return to school in the Fall. My fate is controlled by me and it is my decision! Lose your pack, see if I care!"