by Joe Fowler
Alicia nearly tackled me when I got out at Seth’s. We didn’t speak at first, we just stood there with our arms around each other. The rest of the pack unloaded and went inside. I wouldn’t have been able to let her go so soon, but the sight of Sarah and Crystal standing there watching us broke through my haze.
“Please tell me that you are both okay. They didn’t hurt you did they?” I asked while I was looking them over.
“We are fine, Josh. Thanks to you.” Sarah said. She and Crystal came and hugged me. “When I saw how they were changing the plans, I just knew we were done. You got us away from them.”
“Well, it was my fault you two were involved. I did what I could to make sure you made it out.” I said. Turning to Crystal, I took a deep breath and told her. “Your mom is dead. I am sorry Crystal.”
“How?” Crystal’s hand came up to her mouth and tears formed in her eyes.
“You might not want to know. It may be better for you to just accept the story Keith gives to the police.” I hoped she would accept that.
“No. I know it might be bad, but I need the closure.” She seemed sure.
“Toward the end, Seth and I, well mostly Seth, had beaten my father down. Seth had just been shot and was hurt, but I was moving in to kill the demon.” I stopped for a second. I knew what I was about to say might ruin any good memories she had of her mother, but I decided to go ahead and tell her. “Your mother shot me three times in the chest. She was protecting him. My mother shot your mother to protect me. She didn’t suffer, if that helps.”
Crystal leaned into Sarah but didn’t break down. The four of us made our way into the house to join the others. Seth was going to give a summary of what we could expect over the next few days. Keith would fill in more details later. All the wolves in the pack were quiet and withdrawn. Having lost an integral part of their family was going to hurt for some time. That he had died so well, fighting for a good cause, was the only salve to soothe their wounds. He would be missed.
Due to lack of room, Alicia sat in my lap as Seth spoke. That suited me just fine. I needed the strength she was giving me. The pack members who had not taken part had been called to hear the news. There were eighteen pack members, Alicia, Sarah, Crystal and me, sitting or standing while Seth brought them up to speed on all that happened as well as what the next several days would bring. At first, the wolves didn’t like that Sarah and Crystal were taking part in this. Once the pack heard of the bravery of these two girls to knowingly allow themselves to be kidnapped in the hopes of saving a friend, they eased up and welcomed them.
Once Seth had finished speaking, his pack members wanted to hear a detailed description of what had happened before they had arrived to help me. They listened as I gave a guarded version of what happened. I hit the important parts without telling them some of the finer points of the story. Naturally, they all cheered when I spoke of how the demon who had kicked my ass all day, was no match for Seth. Jimmy and others gave descriptions of the fight as they saw it, too. Many weighed in heavily about how Seth and I tore through the vampires that might have overwhelmed them otherwise. Of course, Carl was put on a pedestal for his bravery and deeds during the fight.
Lots of hugs and many tears later, some of the pack began to leave Seth’s. Even Kyle shook my hand and wished me the best when he left. It helped to know the pack held no grudge against me for my part in all of this. Their support of me made me really start to believe that I wasn’t to blame for Carl’s death. When it finally got down to Sarah, Crystal, Alicia, me, Seth and Anna, we loaded up and went to Waffle House.
We were all starving. With all the pecan waffles and patty melts with triple hash browns that I ate, I was feeling a little more like myself when we left. We all went back to Seth’s since that was where Keith would go when he was finished with the police.
That Keith was the one dealing with the police, was just one more puzzling piece. I was looking forward to his explanation of himself. Why had an eighteen year old kid been the one who apparently was going to tell the surviving cult members as well as the police what to do?
Keith finally did show up. He told us when to expect the bodies to be available for funerals. Keith offered to arrange for my mother’s funeral for me. After he thought for a few minutes he offered to do the same for Crystal. Neither of us had other family members to lean on, so he took that burden from us.
The official story was going to be of a party gone terribly wrong. As most of the cult members were wealthy, it was going to be made out as a robbery attempt. Four of the cult’s armed guards who had died would be framed for the murder of Carl, my mother, Crystal’s mother and the other three cult members who had died. It would go down as if the police had stormed the house killing the four criminals, while saving thirty-two innocent lives. Keith expected there to be a media circus for a couple of days, but he said it would die down quickly. I believed him.
“We will talk after you get some sleep. You just had the longest day of your life. Go, take Alicia with you and go home.” Keith wasn’t avoiding telling me, he was still taking care of me. I knew the difference.
“All right but soon.” I said. He turned to go talk to Seth but I stopped him. “Keith, thank you.”
“You’re welcome Josh. In the end maybe it should be me thanking you. We will talk soon, my friend.” Keith turned to Seth and I turned to Alicia. Keith was right, it was time to go home and rest.
Chapter 16
It was after noon when I woke up. I heard laughter downstairs. My brain was still not functioning well. I stumbled into the bathroom for a quick shower, hoping to wash away some bad dreams. When I finally made it downstairs, Sarah and Crystal were on the couch cuddling. They pointed me to the kitchen. Alicia was cooking, God bless her. I couldn’t remember ever being so hungry. Without a word I went and kissed her.
“Well, good morning to you too.” She was smiling when she said it.
“How long have you been awake?” She looked rested and happy. Looking at her smile made the hell I went through yesterday worthwhile.
“I got up early. The girls came over around ten o’clock. We’ve been laughing and watching tv.” She said.
“You should have woke me up.” I said it, but I was very glad she didn’t.
“No, you needed to recharge. The speed healing is nice but it takes a lot out of you. You were having to heal over and over again, which makes it worse.” Her words got me to laughing. Sarah and Crystal came and joined us then.
“What’s he laughing at? Crystal asked.
“I don’t know. We didn’t say anything funny.” She smiled. “Maybe he lost his mind, it was small enough to slip through the cracks.” That got a laugh from everyone.
“I was just laughing at the fact that I am supposed to be an alpha. My first turn was less than a week ago, and I know almost nothing about werewolves.” I smiled and continued. “At least it’s only a two person pack right now.”
“Aren’t you going to make more?” Sarah was asking. “You will need more than just two wolves to make a real pack.”
“Maybe, but I will have to find people that I would want to be around for that long. Did we explain the aging thing to you two?” Crystal and Sarah were shaking their heads. “Well, it’s different from person to person, or should I say wolf to wolf. Alicia here is seventy-three years old but looks twenty-two to twenty-three. She was turned when she was seventeen.” The girls’ jaws dropped to the floor.
“No fucking way! You can’t possibly be that old!” Sarah was nearly shouting. “How the hell is that possible?”
“Sarah, you have seen me turn into a wolf. If you have seen that, why is the age thing so hard to understand?” Alicia was smiling.
“It’s just so hard to imagine.” Sarah was still flabbergasted.
“Near as I can tell, she ages one year for every ten or eleven years that she lives. Seth was telling me that there is no way to know. Some werewolves age like normal humans. Seth himself is over four hundred years
old.” I tried to explain it the way that Seth had to me the day of the cookout.
“Four hundred years old. This is too much.” Sarah sat down with a thump.
Crystal and I sat at the table with Sarah while Alicia finished cooking the spaghetti. She had gotten the girls to stop by the grocery store on their way over, since we never kept real food at my house. I looked at Crystal to see how she was handling everything. There was a sadness in her eyes but she was trying to be strong.
“How are you holding up, Crystal?” I asked.
“I know she was bad, and you know I hate what she did to you, but she was my mom. I am going to need some time to get over it.” She had tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
“I told my parents that her mom had died and she needed me today. That’s how I got out of going to church.” Sarah took Crystal’s hand. “We had planned on telling my parents about us today, but that can wait.”
“Do you think they will be supportive of you two?” I asked.
“No. They are the old fashioned hellfire and brimstone types. I don’t know how bad it will be, but it won’t be good.” Sarah hung her head.
“We all have some troubles right now. Let’s just try to be there for each other. We can get through these bad times together.” I tried to give them a warm smile.
Alicia announced that the food was ready. We ate spaghetti and garlic bread while we mulled over our circumstances. Alicia would be putting in a notice at work tomorrow, since we still had to leave town in a few weeks. It looked like Tuesday would be funeral day for Mom. I still needed to go through the household stuff to find out the money situation. Keith had commandeered my mom’s Audi. That made me wonder what Crystal’s money situation would be as well. She had no family and her mother had not been as well off as my mom had been. There were a lot of questions left to be answered.
It was a little while later when I made the trip to the study to find out about my finances. Crystal and Sarah had gone to Crystal’s house. Alicia had gone to her apartment to get some clothes and personal items. I figured now was as good a time as any. Though I never found a life insurance policy or a will, I did find the deed to the house and the titles to our cars. All were paid off, thankfully. According to a bank statement I found, Mom had just over four hundred thousand dollars in her bank accounts. I breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever else happened, I wouldn’t be broke.
After I left the study, I stretched out on the couch with the remote control. I was hoping for a few hours of relaxation. I knew Monday would have funeral problems and a lot of going and doing. Today I needed regrouping and recharging. Alicia came back with her stuff and a bunch of groceries. She obviously didn’t subscribe to the junk food diet like my mom and I had. We enjoyed tv for a while and were about to go to bed when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Josh, my parents kicked me out. They disowned me.” Sarah was crying. “Crystal came home with me and we told them about us. They took my car, wouldn’t let me gather my clothes, and told me I was no longer welcome in their home.”
“I’m so sorry, Sarah. Do you need me to come get you?” I asked.
“Yes. We are just down the street from my house.” Sarah sounded so bad.
“I am walking out the door now. Give me five to ten minutes.” I looked at Alicia who could hear both sides of the conversation as well. She was grabbing her purse and walking with me to the car. “We are on our way.”
This was breaking my heart. Sarah was such a sweet, giving person. Her parents were so ingrained in their ways that they would only support her as long as she lived within the structure of their narrow minds. I had a bad idea of going to Sarah’s house and telling her parents how stupid they were. If I had thought it would do any good, then I would have done it. I drove as fast as I could.
We went by Crystal’s house on the way back to my house. Crystal got some clothes and things she would need. She grabbed some clothes that Sarah could wear until we could find a way to buy her new ones. I had no way to get to the money in my mom’s accounts yet. I would have to wait for a death certificate to be able to transfer the money into an account in my name. For now, we would make do however we needed to.
“I don’t know what I am going to do now. My life had been planned out for so long. I would finish high school, go to college, and become a nurse.” Sarah and Crystal were back in my living room with Alicia and me. “Now what? There’s no money for college now and I no longer have a home.”
“I was going to ask Josh about this later, but now might be a better time. Would the two of you like to join Josh’s pack?” Alicia said. “You could sleep on it tonight. This isn’t something you will want to just jump into, but it is something to think about.”
“I wasn’t planning on college. I just have to find a job and try to work.” Crystal added. She had been in tears since we picked the girls up.
I sat quietly through this, wondering if we could pull it off. I would be buying a house soon for me and Alicia. Having Sarah and Crystal live with us wouldn’t be a problem. With the money from selling this house, I would have the money to put Sarah through college, maybe Crystal too. I couldn’t see a down side, except the worry over biting them. Would they get any of my demon problems if I were the one to bite them?
“It sounds like a good idea to me. I could pay for your college, Sarah. It might have to be a smaller, less expensive one but sometimes those are just as good. You and Crystal would have a home with me and Alicia for as long as you needed.” I said, feeling better about it by the minute.
“Really? You would do that for us?” Sarah sounded hopeful. Crystal even stopped crying for a minute.
“The two of you would be welcome in our home, with or without joining the pack.” I told them. “Take a few days to think things through and let me know what you decide. We will go from there.”
Chapter 17
Monday morning was not much fun either. Although we had an obvious excuse, Crystal and I went to school so we could get started taking finals with everyone else. We set up arrangements to take Tuesday’s exams on Wednesday, since we would be attending our moms’ funerals. Word of Sarah and Crystal being together spread quickly to mixed reviews. Some were mean and teased them, while others supported and encouraged them. I pulled Keith to the side at lunch for a few questions.
“Keith, do you think my demon side would interfere if I bit someone to turn them into a wolf?” That had been my primary concern. I had even thought I might have to make Alicia do it just in case.
“No, it won’t be a problem. The demon part of you isn’t contagious. The wolf gene would be passed normally. Let me guess, you want to turn the girls.” He said. That was a relief. I knew I could trust him.
“Yes. They are both out on their own now. If all goes right, I will have enough money to get the four of us set up somewhere and get Sarah going in college.” I looked at Keith to see his reaction.
“I think that is a wonderful idea. Have you asked them what they thought about it yet?” He was excited about it.
“Alicia told them to think about it last night. It seems to be the best solution. I wanted to run it by you first but I liked the idea.”
“I think it would be great for all of you.” Keith looked around sadly. “Tell the girls I will be riding with you after school and they will need to drive your mother’s Audi. We need to get your money straightened out at the bank, go see your mother’s lawyer, and we have a long talk that is way past due.”
“I need to know, but part of me feels sad without knowing why. Everything was so simple just a few weeks ago. Now…” I trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentiment. I’m sure Mr. Iknoweverything understands.
“It wasn’t as simple as you think it was. Come on, let’s go join the girls. We will talk tonight.” Keith was definitely sad. He put his hand on my shoulder and we walked over to where the girls were sitting.
The afternoon flew by with only one hiccup. I was in the gym s
itting on the bleachers, having begged out of today’s activities since I was mourning my mother. I had been just looking around and trying not to think too much when I saw something weird. There was a kid I didn’t recognize sitting on the bleachers down from me. He seemed to be paying close attention to a volleyball game that was being played. As I watched him, he flickered. It was like a bad frame on a movie reel. He was clear, then for a second he was gone, only to reappear the same as he had been. I went to the boys’ locker room and splashed some cold water on my face. I spent the rest of the day trying to make myself believe it hadn’t happened.
Keith and I made our rounds at the bank and at the lawyers. I withdrew a few thousand to last until my new bank card came in the mail. We went back to my house and gave the girls some shopping money so Sarah could buy some clothes to last until we left Mobile. I sent Alicia with them so Keith and I could talk.
“I have been wondering what you could be. I don’t know how long the questions have been building inside of me, but I think I have known you weren’t human for a while.” We were sitting in the living room. I was almost dreading this now. “Instead of being excited to find out, now I’m wishing I didn’t need to know.”
“I know. We have been friends for a long time now. While we will always be friends, we won’t be in contact anymore after graduation. You may see Keith on Saturdays when Alabama is playing and eventually, maybe on Sundays too. But it won’t be me.” Keith was losing me here.
“Either you have started to refer to yourself in the third person or you are about to blow my mind.” I was confused.
“I made a deal with the real Keith Goodman, his parents too. I took over his body when he was five years old. I needed to be close to you and this was the best way to do it. I needed to know if you started showing demon traits. I mainly had to be aware of when Adramelech was going to make his move, so I could stop him from succeeding.” Keith talked and I listened, but I was still befuddled.