by Renee Carr
Sliding the trophy case door open, very carefully, I reached inside and pulled the Little League trophy to the front. As I did, it hooked on one of the other pieces and toppled over. “Shit.”
As I scrambled to pick it up, a coin rolled out from the inside and spiraled in circles until it heavily clunked on the bottom of the case. Curious, I picked it up and held it in my hand. It was bigger than a quarter and heavy. On one side was a picture of the Great Lakes. When I turned it over, that was when things started to get interesting. I stared at this image etched into the other side, very familiar with it. Holding it up in the air to get a better look, I pictured the charm on Lily’s bracelet and compared the two. I knew they were identical, I would bet on it. It looked as if her charm was simply made by cutting out the image on the medallion I was holding up.
The coincidence was more than curious, but even more so, the fact that my father had that, hidden in the Little League trophy at the back of the case, was suspicious as hell. Brighton had told me that our family had wolf blood in it which was why I transformed when I was scratched, but I had a hard time believing that my father knew that and never told any of us. It was a secretive world, I got that, but if his sons were possible carriers, why wouldn’t he explain everything going on?
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, finding the text from Lily. She had gotten her grandmother home and settled and said she would meet me at the bar in an hour. My mind was racing, so I put everything back in the case, closed it as it was, and headed out. I wanted to be at the bar early, otherwise, the information that I had just found out would eat me from the inside out.
23
Brighton
Opening the door to the bar, a wave of bad cologne and stale beer hit me right in the face. I walked up to the bar and pulled up a stool, climbing on. Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out my phone, nodding at the bartender who had already grabbed a Heineken. I dialed Christian’s number and glanced around the room as I waited for him to answer.
“Little brother,” he said. “What are you doing right now?”
“I’m going to meet Lily in about an hour at the pub by your store,” I replied. “But I was wondering if you had a second?”
“For you,” Christian chuckled, “I have two seconds.”
“Went over to the main part of the house today, planning on making a sandwich. I walked past the study and decided to go inside. I looked at a bunch of pictures of Mom, and then moved over to the trophy case. That thing was always so interesting to me, remnants of our childhood packed away neatly in a glass case in our father’s room.”
“And to think, when our father leaves this earth, we get to split that up. Or, Eric and I will just dump it all on you,” he laughed.
“You probably don’t want to do that,” I replied with a chuckle. “I’ll melt that stuff down and make weird things out of it, but leave your names on it when I do it.”
“Why do I get the feeling that enormous metal phalluses are in our future?”
I grinned. “Because you’re my brother, and you can read my mind.”
We both laughed, and I could hear Libby in the background. “Tell Libby I said hi. But seriously, I don’t want to take up your time. I was calling for a reason. I opened up the trophy cabinet and went to pull my Little League trophy out from the back. When I did, it toppled over and a medallion came rolling out. At first, it seemed like nothing special, a big, heavy coin that had the Great Lakes on the back. But on the other side was a wolf. And it wasn’t just any wolf—it was exactly like a charm that Lily has that hangs from her bracelet.”
Christian was silent for a moment. “That is interesting. I have to admit I always assumed that it was Mom’s side of the family that we got our wolves from. But if you really think about that side of the family, I guess it makes more sense.”
I took a sip of my beer. “It does, actually. How old was Grandpa when he died? Like, in his 90s? And not only that, but he had been through hell and back. He was in the war, got shot there, came home, and was part of a civil rights protest that ended with him getting beat up by the cops, and then all the accidents he had been in through the years. The guy should’ve not made it past 40.”
Christian chuckled. “Not to mention that I can remember Dad telling us that our great grandfather, and his father, and his father all lived to be over 100 years old. It was crazy to me, though, because I can remember seeing pictures of them and they always looked so young. Dad definitely has that short-tempered wolf personality. It wouldn’t shock me at all to know that it came from his side.”
“Yeah, but it would shock me that he knew about something like that and never told us. You would think with how serious the situation was, he would want his sons to know what was going on,” I said, shaking my head.
Christian grunted. “You gotta think about it, though—would we really have believed him if he told us? We would’ve thought he was losing his mind. I’m assuming that now he just figures it’s too late to tell us and we all turned out okay, so he doesn’t see the reason for it. But then again, it might not even be his medallion. You know how Dad holds on to things. He might’ve just thought it was cool.”
As I listened to Christian talk, the bell on the door of the bar rang out and I glanced over to see five tall guys walk in the door. They were all broad-shouldered, had long, black hair and dark features, and were wearing all dark colors. The one at the end glared at me with a snarl and they went behind me to sit down at the table. The bartender glanced at me and shrugged. It wasn’t a group of guys that we were used to seeing in that area.
As Christian told me about the possible history of my ancestors, I made sure to keep an eye on them, even if it was just out of the corner of my eye. One of the guys ordered for everyone else, the cheapest draft on tap. As soon as the guy spoke, my hand came up to my chest and I gripped my shirt. There was a strong burning sensation and it felt like it was coursing through my veins.
What is it, boy? I thought silently, talking to my wolf.
There was no real response, and the burning feeling in my chest loosened up just a bit. The guys talked quietly amongst themselves, before one of them, the biggest one, slammed his fist on the table. I turned and looked at them for a second, getting angry stares until I turned back.
“Hey, let me give you a call back,” I said, interrupting Christian.
“Is Lily there?” he asked.
I glanced over at the guys again and then back behind the bar. “Yeah. I just want to catch up with her because her grandma wasn’t feeling very good. I’ll see you soon.”
I hated lying to my brother, but I couldn’t really tell him that I was sitting in a bar, smelling the faint scent of wolves, and getting a severe burning in my chest. The thing about it was that the smell that I was used to was different from what these guys were sending out. There was something strange about them, something that made me uneasy, and it definitely made my wolf nervous. Very slowly, I reached up to the fan on the bar top next to me. I rotated it slightly so that it blew the air on me and away from the guys. I was hoping they wouldn’t catch my scent; whoever they were, they didn’t seem like the kind of dudes that would be welcoming to another wolf in their presence.
I was trying to hear them, but between the fan and the music, I was struggling. I closed my eyes and focused in on my wolf. I need to use your hearing. We need to figure out who these guys are.
My wolf howled in my head, and suddenly there was a pop in my ears, everything becoming clearer. I remembered what my brothers had told me about focusing in on different people so that everything else would fade to the background. When one of the guys started talking, I would quiet the rest of the place in my mind.
The largest guy leaned forward. “I don’t think they have any idea that the leader’s awake. The revolution is getting started, and though it’ll take a long while for the rest of the dark wolf army to wake up, we can start taking care of things ahead of time. If they wake up to a minimal amount of wor
k, we’ll definitely get rewarded for that.”
I could feel the gold flash over my eyes and the wolf pick up on exactly who those men were. I had to clench my fist to keep him down, knowing there was no way I could turn into my wolf in the middle of the pub. The last thing I needed to do was start a fight with five dark wolves in the center of town where the non-shifting humans could get hurt. On top of that, I knew that Lily was on her way to the bar.
Calming myself and my wolf, I focused in on them again. Another one of the guys was talking. “Yeah, the meeting starts in less than an hour. I got a hold of two other guys from the pack who left the underground. They sensed what was going on out here and it brought them back. They’re probably already there since they got in earlier today. I think the leader is filling the men in on things.”
“Good,” the larger guy said. “That old, broken-down cabin in the south part of the woods is kinda far from here. Let’s head out so that we’re not late. We know how much he hates being late.”
The sound of chairs scratching across the floor shook my wolf back. My hearing went back to normal and I quickly reached over and shifted the fan, making sure they didn’t walk right through my wolf. I didn’t look at the mess they left, but I could feel the hate and anger they were throwing in my direction. I sat there drinking my beer, chewing on my bottom lip, thinking about everything that was said. I couldn’t just let it go. The pack leader was out of hiding and I knew exactly where he was going to be.
Of all the things that could’ve happened to me that day, finding out that very important bit of information seemed almost fated. I wanted to prove to my brothers that I could do it, and what better way to do that than taking down the pack leader? All the rest of the guys in our pack could go back home. I would be a hero amongst my pack.
I reached in my pocket and tossed down some money, nodding at the bartender. He asked me a question as I left but I didn’t pay any attention to him. As I stepped outside, I glanced over at the forest, seeing the last of the five disappearing into the woods. I shoved my hands in my pockets and started to walk slowly in that direction, wanting to give them enough of a head start to not sense me. I knew my brothers would kill me, but this was my chance. This was the chance I’d been waiting for my whole life. There was no way I was going to let it pass by.
24
Lily
I stood in the kitchen, rinsing the last of the dishes off in the sink. My grandmother finally woke up, and I didn’t want her to have to worry about little things like that. I knew she could do it, but I was there to make her life a little bit easier. After getting her home, I had taken her upstairs and tucked her into bed. She was exhausted by that point and within 10 minutes, she was fast asleep. I put the phone by the bed, in case she needed anything, and started cleaning up the house. I knew I was supposed to meet Brighton, but I had enough time to do it. That way, when she woke up, her anxiety wouldn’t instantly take over.
Wiping my hands on the kitchen towel, I opened up the cabinet and glanced around for a dust rag. I found one at the back and hurried into the living room to give it a quick dusting so that my grandmother wouldn’t have to worry about allergies. With her mindset, I was pretty sure she didn’t think about those types of things. As I picked up the framed pictures sitting on the bar, I smiled, looking at one of my grandfather. He was so strong and handsome, and he was always smiling.
Turning to set it down so I could dust beneath it, something fell out of the back. I leaned down and picked it up, holding the medallion in my palm. I set my grandfather’s picture down and walked over to the window, using the streetlight outside to shine a better light on it. Instantly I recognized the image on it. On one side were the Great Lakes, but on the other side was a profile picture of a wolf. I held my charm up in the air and compared them. It was the exact same thing. I had never seen that medallion before and I wasn’t exactly sure why my grandmother had it hidden in the back of the picture frame.
Glancing down at my watch, I realized I was going to be late. I looked up at the stairs and then back at the medallion before sticking it in the picture and putting it back where it had been. I would have to remember to ask my grandmother about it. I hurried back to the kitchen and put everything away, shut off all the lights, and headed out. I locked the door behind me just to make sure my grandmother was safe and wrapped my coat tightly around me as I jogged down the sidewalk toward the pub.
It was darker out than it had been the last few nights, and I glanced up at the clouds moving over the moon. It felt eerie, especially with all the Halloween decorations everywhere. It wasn’t that late, but there was nobody out, no cars on the streets, and it felt like an abandoned town. I grabbed the door of the pub and hurried in, putting on a smile before I even entered so that Brighton wouldn’t think I was stressed. But as I trotted up to the bar, I found the place nearly empty. I looked around, but Brighton wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“Hey, my other Heineken drinker,” the bartender said with a smile. “Can I get you one?”
I twisted my lips, confused as to why Brighton hadn’t shown up. “The other Heineken drinker, Brighton, did he come in here tonight?”
The bartender nodded as he dried his hands off with a towel. “Sure, he was in here just 10 minutes ago. He was sitting here drinking a beer, and then he left.”
I lowered my brow, pulling my phone out, but pausing as I turned toward one of the tables and stared at it. There were empty mugs there, and a lingering smell of sweat. “Did he leave with anyone?”
The bartender put his hands up in the air. “If this is a lovers’ quarrel…”
I shook my head. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just want to make sure he’s safe.”
The bartender looked suspicious but he shrugged his shoulders. “No, he didn’t leave with anyone. But there were five other guys in here at that table. They left right before him. I didn’t know who they were. We’ve never seen them in town before. They looked like a rough bunch.”
I stepped toward the bar. “How so?”
The bartender started washing glasses again. “They were just all wearing black, all about the same giant height, and all with the same long, black hair. I thought maybe a biker gang at first, but they didn’t come in any cars or bikes.”
My stomach dropped and I nodded, turning back toward the bar door. I swung it open and stepped out on the sidewalk, looking left and then right. A flash of something caught my attention and I started walking toward the woods. As I watched, Brighton pulled his shirt over his head right inside the wood line and tossed it to the ground. He did the same with his pants and then took off at a jog, heading further into the forest.
It didn’t make any sense to me. If he was supposed to meet me there for a beer, why would he head into the woods? He didn’t look frantic like his wolf was desperately trying to get out. In fact, he looked determined and calm. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to get my mind straight. I had a really bad feeling about what was going on, but I didn’t want to make a move until I knew for sure.
My hair whipped around me as a wind came funneling out of the woods and across the town. I shivered, wrapping my arms around my body, but keeping my eyes closed. I felt like it was partially my fault, like I should’ve been there, but my mind had been somewhere else. As the wind whipped through again, I froze and my eyes opened wide. My hand slowly slinked down into my coat pocket and I pulled out my phone.
I dialed and then put it to my ear, staring at the woods. “Hello?”
“Grandma,” I said. “How are you feeling?”
“As good as new,” she replied. “I guess the wolf in me isn’t all gone yet.”
I gave a stern nod. “Good. I need your help. The dark shifters are back and I think Brighton just went after them.”
My grandmother was silent for a moment. “Come over. I have something to show you.”
I hung up the phone, looked back and forth for a moment, and when the coast was clear, I took off. I zigzagged
through the side streets, not wanting anybody to catch sight of me moving so fast. Coming up from behind my grandmother’s house, I ducked beneath a tree limb in the backyard of her adjoining neighbor, and leaped high into the air, clearing the 6-foot privacy fence and landing on the other side. When I looked up, I caught a reflection of myself in the patio’s glass door. My eyes shimmered a bright yellow, something I hadn’t seen in quite a while.
My grandmother opened the door for me as I walked in, shutting it quickly behind me. She glanced back and forth out of the doors and pulled the curtains closed. Turning toward me, she walked forward, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the living room. She picked up the picture of my grandfather and pulled the medallion from the back. Walking over to me, she unfolded my hand and placed it inside. “Your grandfather and I were two of the founding members of the Galena wolf shifter pack. Every so often, a new pack will form and I’ve been sensing that for the last couple of years, really. It happens whenever the dark wolves come back.”
I creased my brow, looking down at the medallion. “What does this have to do with that?”
My grandmother looked nervous, but a whole lot better than she did when I left her. In fact, she looked as if she had dropped 10 years from the wrinkles on her face. “When your mom was just a baby, we were fighting the dark wolves. When the leader of the pack was killed, the second-in-command surrendered. We made a deal. Each of the founding members was given a medallion, an identical one to that. We could pass them down through our family but to no one else other than our blood. It became a rule that if a new dark shifter leader came, each member could use a medallion to free one captive that the dark wolves had taken. It would be a cease-fire until that person was retrieved.”