“Logan, I am sorry! You have no idea how badly I wanted to tell you right away or never have to tell you at all. I was confused.”
“But, why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“Your father asked me not to. But, I couldn’t take it anymore and knew I was losing more of your trust with every moment that passed, so instead of telling you, I showed you. I thought if I told you, I’d lose you forever because you would have thought it was a joke or that I was crazy. That’s why everyone else was there, already changed. They were coming to stop me.”
“Am I not supposed to know?”
“You are supposed to know everything. It’s just that your father wanted to tell you himself when the time was right. He wanted to explain the whole story instead of being left to pick up the pieces.”
Luke looked down at the ring on his thumb, twirling it around his finger. His fidgeting made him seem so human. I felt like my emotions were doing back flips and cartwheels at the same time. Luke let go of his ring and reached for my hand, lacing his fingers in between mine. I didn’t have a good reason why, but I wanted things to work between us. He’d given me his deepest, darkest secret and jeopardized himself because I had asked.
“Logan, I will tell you anything you want to know about me. Please give me the chance. Your father can fill in the rest of the blanks at dinner. Then, if you still want nothing to do with me, I’ll leave you be.”
“Luke,” I paused, collecting my thoughts. “You have no idea how badly I want to trust you. I have no one and it hurt when you betrayed me because I felt like you were the only one I could trust. I have no one to lean on in what seems like a never ending bad dream. Maybe I should’ve been more upfront in saying this, but I was counting on my family to see me through this nightmare.”
“But, that’s just it,” Luke cut in, “you did tell me and you showed me. You told me that day in the car at school.”
“Well then, I guess we’re both sorry,” I finished. He squeezed my fingers tighter.
We sat quietly for a few moments. I knew he wanted to talk as much as I wanted to listen. But, I think we both also just wanted to be in each other’s presence again without fighting and that was enough for the moment.
After an immeasurable amount of time passed, Luke took a slow and steady breath.
“Today is my brother Lance’s birthday,” he said flatly.
I didn’t know what to say, thinking about Jack and Jesse.
“Lance would’ve been one-hundred and twenty-seven years old. Sounds silly, right?” Luke asked, though I wasn’t certain if he was asking me or questioning himself.
Sure, it sounded silly, but I was hung up on the ‘would’ve been’ part. I didn’t answer his question, just squeezed his fingers back, encouraging him to continue.
“I had a younger brother named Lance. We grew up in Tombstone, Arizona where my dad and your dad had moved to mine silver. It’s also where they met our mothers.” Luke paused as if he knew I was going to need a break after he brought up my mother.
I hadn’t put much thought into the reality my mother had also been a werewolf. It seemed surreal; hard to imagine. She was a model, an actress and… a werewolf? A part of me didn’t believe it or didn’t want to believe it.
“It’s okay,” I finally said, “Go on.”
“Our parents were very close; even getting married on the same day. Tombstone became a silver mining town in the late 1870’s, so people flocked to settle there. Our parents purchased ranchland beside each other where my brothers and I grew up working our land.
“But the land belonged to the Apache first and it wasn’t long until hostility broke out. Of course, my parents never told me about any of this until after everything happened.”
He stopped. His emphasis on the word, ‘happened,’ felt like a fork in the road. Aside from the timeframe, talking about his parents, his brothers, their work, and the ranch seemed normal. With anyone else he might have told his life story as if there wasn’t a hundred years between it and the present.
I took a deep breath to swallow the information he’d given so far and to make room for what was next. I knew he was about to take me down a twisted path.
“My family and I were captured and taken away from our home into the nearby mountains. The Apache separated us from my mother and Lance. My dad knew a little of the language and didn’t argue with them, just offered to do whatever he could as long as our family stayed together.”
My stomach dropped at the thought.
“I don’t remember any of this happening, but I’ve had over a hundred years to think about that day. No one in my family remembers the transformation, but I’m pretty certain it lasted at least a day. Once we woke up, we began changing back and forth between human and wolf. We realized what was happening because we witnessed each other changing.
“It was violent. We couldn’t control the shifting like we can now. We were ill and weak. The Apache members returned at some point and realized we were in no condition to fight, so they left us for dead. My father told me later they needed warriors – fighters to protect them and their land, but something went wrong. Very wrong. By the next morning, Lance was gone,”
Luke stopped and closed his eyes.
I couldn’t begin to think of what images raced through his mind.
“My father knew we needed to get help or we were all going to die. Still unstable, we left Lance where he lay. That’s when your father found us, nearly dead.
“Kevin took us back to his ranch, and hid us in the horse barn. He didn’t call a doctor, because he didn’t know how the other settlers would react. Once we stabilized and could hold off shifting for longer periods of time, your mother consulted an Apache Elder. Even then, your mother was well-liked and had made friends throughout the town including the widow. We explained the details of the ceremony the best we could remember. The Elder told us we had been cursed and there was nothing she would do for us.”
“Nothing she would do?” I asked, feeling anxious.
Luke squeezed my hand and I didn’t know whether to feel comforted or more fearful.
“There is no cure. We are and always will be werewolves. Forever.”
“Forever?”
I immediately thought of my mother.
Luke continued but I wasn’t paying attention. I couldn’t. He called it a curse but it would’ve allowed me to know my mother until the day I died. It should have. Without thinking, I pulled my hand away from Luke’s.
“What’s wrong?” he questioned.
“I’m sorry… I just…”
“It’s a lot to take in,” Luke offered.
“No, keep going. I’m tired of not knowing the truth.”
Luke took a deep breath.
“Please,” I pressed.
“In human form everything stays pretty much the same,” Luke continued. “Some of our natural senses, such as sight and smell are heightened. Other than that, when we aren’t in wolf form, nothing gives us totally away.”
“Totally away?” I questioned.
“I’ve noticed people can sense something’s not right when I’m near. We were designed to be killing machines. It’s a natural instinct for others to be wary of us, something they don’t even consciously realize. No different than the fear you feel if you’re around a bear or a shark. You may have never seen a bear or shark attack in your life, but you know something’s not right and you avoid being alone with one. Although, maybe that’s a bad example,” he smirked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re sitting here with me now. I’m holding your hand. I’ve taken you to dinner…or at least tried. Maybe you wouldn’t be afraid of a bear or shark,” he joked.
“I’m not afraid of you,” I said with hesitation.
“Good, I don’t want you to be afraid of me,” he said softly but matter-of-factly.
“Have you ever killed anything or anyone before?” I asked. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer, but the questi
on spilled out.
“I have.”
“What?” Surely I didn’t want to know, but my brain was on vomit mode, spitting out whatever it was thinking.
“Well, I’ve killed other animals. And, other werewolves.”
“Other werewolves?” I whispered slowly enough that I drew out each word. He didn’t reply.
“The Elder warned my parents that no one was to ever know we were werewolves. We weren’t alone and if discovered, we’d have to answer to Xavier, an older, more powerful European wolf, and his pack. But, the Apache woman already knew we were in danger because your mother and father knew our secret. She refused to leave the ranch until the matter was resolved. So, she cursed Kevin and Michelle…”
His voice went on, but I didn’t hear the words. I was lost again as soon as he said ‘Michelle.’ My mother could have lived forever.
“Was my mother killed by werewolves?” I asked boldly, interrupting Luke mid-sentence.
Luke tilted his head and stared. I had either missed by a mile or hit a home run, but couldn’t tell. I started to go numb, fearing the latter. I felt light-headed, sick to my stomach.
“Are you all right, Logan?” he asked frantically, locking his eyes on mine.
“What time is it?” I asked faintly.
I couldn’t hear Luke’s answer. The last thing I remember was the grey sky.
Andrea Wells – The Violet Hour
Chapter 15
I violently thrashed against the force of being shaken. The icy sensation of horror jolt through my veins as I stared up at Luke crouching over me with his hands in a death-grip around my shoulders. He didn’t say a word as I watched three wolves surround us in the grass. Luke watched the wolves move in on us, I tried to scream, but my voice was trapped. He knew I was trying to scream, because Luke looked down at me as if in pity. He began violently shaking me again, his hands sliding up to my throat.
I abruptly opened my eyes to see Kate leaning over me, her hands on my shoulders.
“Logan, are you okay?” she asked frantically.
“Where’s Luke?” I demanded.
“He left for town with your dad; he probably won’t be back for another hour. What happened, sweetie, are you okay?” she asked, anxiously.
“I had… a… bad dream…” I trailed off as I turned to look out the window, rubbing my head. Kate took her hands off me and I felt someone at the door.
“LUKE!” I screamed, knowing it was him before even turning around.
He threw his arms around me as tears filled my eyes.
“It’s okay, I’m here now,” he mumbled into my hair. Behind Luke, I faintly heard Kate explaining to my father I’d just woken.
“What happened?” I asked. I felt disoriented – what day was it and why was I in bed fully dressed?
“You passed out on the porch,” Luke paused, “…again. And, I carried you to bed. You seemed to have snapped out of it, but you said you felt nauseous, so Kate brought you a little food and water. You had a drink and just drifted to sleep.” He frowned.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t remember any of it, but I did feel nauseous. I leaned into his chest, ignoring the audience.
“What was the dream about?” my dad asked. It was the first time anyone had dared to ask about my night terrors.
“It was similar to the dream I have every night, only it seemed more real this time,” I choked.
I sat up when no one said anything.
“I know I’ve told you this before, but stick close to our house, okay? I don’t want to scare you, but you know things that could get you killed.” And with that last detail, everything slowly started clicking.
“Alexander was the guy who came up to us after the parade, right?” I asked looking at Luke for confirmation.
“Yes.”
“And, he’s a werewolf?”
“Yes,” Luke answered without hesitation.
“Do, you mean to tell me he knows that I know you’re all werewolves – and now he’s trying to kill me?”
Everyone looked at each other.
“Tell me!” I snapped. “I’m sick and tired of everyone asking me to trust them but only giving me pieces to the puzzle. Since I already know what you are, someone needs to fill in the holes of this story. If I’m in danger, I deserve to know what I could be dying for!” The words flowed freely, pushed along by weeks of pent-up anger.
“No one is going to let you get hurt, Logan!” my dad interjected. “Do you know where Jack and Jesse are right now? They’re protecting you. We all take turns patrolling the property day and night. They’ll have to get through all of us before they ever lay a hand on you.”
My dad looked to the floor and sighed deeply. It almost appeared as if he was in physical pain. Kate put her hand on his back as if to soothe him but he shook off her hand and stalked out of the room. She looked at me with worry as we listened to my dad stomp heavily down the stairs, slamming the front door.
“He will make sure everything is okay, Logan. Please trust him. He’s only upset because he wouldn’t wish this upon anyone, especially not his daughter,” Kate pleaded.
She rose without another word, and lightly walked out of the room, likely to go comfort my dad.
I pulled my knees to my chest to rest my chin on them while tears spilled through my closed eyes. When he wiped a tear from my cheek, Luke gave me a reason to open them.
“Please don’t worry. I swear on my entire life to protect you. And trust me… that’s a long time,” he tried to joke. I cracked a slight smile that faded as quickly as it came.
Luke pulled his legs onto the bed and brought his knees into his chest, resting his chin on his knees too. His face was directly in front of me as if a mirror image. Our toes were overlapping and our noses were nearly touching. He took that deep recognizable breath while I held mine.
“Logan, I love you. I don’t expect you to say it back to me now, but I have from the moment we met. I would never let anything happen to you. I’ve waited my entire life to meet someone like you and now I’ll do whatever I can to not lose you.”
His voice was shaky and low. His sweet breath rolled across my face and my senses were overpowered.
“Breathe,” he whispered.
I swallowed a gulp of air and leaned close to his lips, gazing deep into his eyes.
He closed his eyes and pressed his lips deliberately against mine.
The kiss was soft and slow, but the longer we kissed the greater I thirsted for more. I leaned closer to him, pulling him tight against me and ran my fingers lightly along the exposed skin of his neck. I felt him shiver and he pulled away quickly, putting distance between us.
“I have to take care of a few things in the barn, I’ll be outside if you need me,” he stuttered softly.
“What if I need you now?” I asked.
He chuckled devilishly and pecked my cheek quickly, not allowing himself to linger too long. A mix of disappointment and happiness washed over me when he closed the door behind him. Though I wanted him to stay, I wanted him to go. I needed time to clear my head. I usually didn’t have a weak stomach or react to things so transparently, but then again, no one had ever told me they were a werewolf before. He’d given me so much to think about that my brain was about to give up. I needed time to let it sink in.
As I propped myself against the window I reached for my copy of Romeo and Juliet. I was ahead in class still, but we had a test Monday morning. More importantly, reading would help me not think about wolves. Just as I opened the book, my phone started buzzing on the nightstand. I reached for it but didn’t answer when I saw Lindsey’s name highlighted on the screen. I let it roll to voicemail.
“Logan? It’s Lindsey. Look, I know you’re screening your calls and I’ve said I’m sorry over and over again to your voicemail and I’m sure you haven’t listened to any of them, but I’m saying it again. I’m sorry. I miss you and we need to talk because I want to come see you for your birthday. Call me back. Please.”
>
She sounded slurred and genuinely upset. I missed her too, but was not about to let that overshadow what she’d done. I certainly wasn’t going to let her come to Wyoming either. There was too much going on and her drama was the last thing I needed. I deleted her voicemail like I had every other and placed my phone back on the nightstand.
I started reading and a few paragraphs in, my phone went off again. I rolled my eyes when I saw it was Brody calling instead of the other normal suspect. What a joke! She probably called him, or better yet, they were probably together. The thought angered me enough to pick up the call.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey, it’s Brody. What’s up?”
“Not much, just doing homework. What about you?” I asked casually, waiting for the truth to come out.
“I’m on my way to lunch. What are you doing right now?” he pried.
“Working on homework, like I just said. What do you want, Brody?”
“I just called to see how you’re doing, that’s all. Have you made any friends yet or met any guys?”
“I have met some guys…and some girls. They usually come in either one form or the other,” I hissed, not realizing until I said the words how untrue that statement really was.
“Jeez, you don’t have to get testy. I just haven’t talked to you today and wanted to see what the deal was. You were on your way to a high school football game last night which isn’t something you normally do… so I thought I’d check up on you. Don’t get angry at me for caring, Logan,” he snapped. I knew him better than that.
“Did Lindsey call you?” I pressed.
“No, what makes you think that?”
“Because she just called and I didn’t answer. Then, magically, you call a few minutes later.”
He didn’t respond. She must’ve been with him.
“Brody, look… I told you I am not going to play games with you or her. You and I can be decent and have a normal conversation, but what goes on – or doesn’t go on – between Lindsey and I is between us. And don’t call me when you’re with her.” I hung up before he could respond.
Now that my reading had been interrupted twice, I decided to give up before I ruined the chapter. I tossed the phone back onto my nightstand as it started vibrating again and pulled open the top drawer, grabbing the notes Luke had written. It seemed like there was one in there for every day I’d been in Wyoming. I read through each one again. Some of them he’d written while we weren’t speaking. Some of them were short, some quite longer. I carefully put the notes back, my heart a flutter.
The Violet Hour (The Violet Hour Series) Page 13