The Werewolf Whoops

by Amanda M. Lee

  He was offering an olive branch, and I knew I should take it. “Okay. Then I’m sorry for jumping on you all the time when you say I didn’t see the Chupacabra.”

  “Great.” Jack exhaled heavily and stared at the Jeep’s ceiling. “What do you think we should do now? I’m not sure where to look.”

  “I want to go back to the scene.” The words were out of my mouth before I realized it. Once I had time to reflect, I understood that was probably our best move. “I want to look around again when there aren’t so many people trampling around.”

  “And what is it you think you’ll find?”

  “I don’t know. Probably nothing.”

  “But you need to do it.”

  I bobbed my head. “We don’t have anything else pressing tying up our day. We can take a look, right?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  THE WOODS WERE QUIET, almost stuffy and overbearing in the heat and humidity. The police tape remained up, although it sagged in places. The tent still stood, tattered and leaning, and the other remnants of a simple camping trip remained scattered around the site.

  “What do you think it was like?” I prowled close to the tent, dragging my fingers over the shredded material in the hope I would be hit with a psychic flash.

  “What do I think what was like?” Jack knelt next to the abandoned campfire pit and used a stick to dig in the ashes.

  “The scene here that night.” I wanted to get a picture, and Jack was good at exploring crime scenes. “How do you think it happened?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t here.”

  “You can read things.”

  Jack exhaled heavily as he lifted his head. “I’ve been following the footprints and paying close attention to the way things are scattered. I think I have an idea.”

  “Tell me.”

  “It’s not fact.”

  “I still want to know.”

  “Fine.” Jack licked his lips and snagged my gaze. It was almost as if he was about to tell a ghost story by the campfire and wanted to make sure he had my full attention before he started. “I think they were in the tent. From the looks of it, they had two sleeping bags zipped together.”

  “So they could get it on,” I mused, nodding. “They were newlyweds. That makes sense.”

  Jack snorted. “I like how you immediately went there. But that’s true. I have no way of knowing if they were awake or asleep, but they obviously heard something. Someone … or some thing … came in from that direction.” He pointed to the east. “He stopped by the campfire long enough to leave prints, and then he went to the side of the tent.”

  “They were animal prints, right?” I didn’t want to box Jack into a corner, but I needed clarification. “Whatever walked by the campfire and approached the tent was an animal.”

  “There was an animal here, but that doesn’t mean an animal did this. There were human prints, too.”

  “But only two sets.”

  Jack shook his head. “Three. There were three sets of shoe prints here. One was for a woman, size eight shoe. One was for a man, size eleven shoe. The other was for a man, size thirteen shoe. I isolated all three prints. I’m positive about that.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You haven’t mentioned that before.” It seemed a little convenient that he would bring it up now. “Why is that?”

  “Because I can’t be sure where the third footprint came from.” Jack groaned as he stood. Apparently his hangover was still slowing him. I’d almost forgotten about it because he bounced back so quickly. “It might’ve come from someone the night of the attack. It also might have come from someone tromping through the campsite after they disappeared. And yet still, it most likely came from a cop or rescuer who walked through an area he shouldn’t have walked through.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned. What he said made sense. I hated that. “So you think an animal could’ve been here but maybe it was just a wolf or something, and that I’m a spaz for no good reason.”

  “I find you amusing when you’re a spaz.” Jack winked before sobering. “There are paw prints. The thing is, I don’t know what to make of them. There shouldn’t be wolves in this area, but there has been a resurgence of wolves in northern Michigan in recent years. It’s possible one migrated this far south.”

  “Or it could be a werewolf.”

  Jack’s smile slipped. “You’re trying to drive me crazy, aren’t you?”

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t take that much effort. In fact … .” My hand brushed against the tent flap as I stood, and an image of a woman screaming in terror as she fled the tent filled my senses. I almost toppled over as I tried to comprehend the vision.

  And then I began to fall.

  As I fell, images flashed in quick succession.

  Lisa Savage waking to a noise.

  Her sleepy husband telling her she’s imagining things and to go back to sleep.

  A ripping sound as the tent wall gives way.

  Screaming.

  Lisa scrambling against the cold ground to make her way through the tent opening.

  More screaming.

  Ethan yelling for his wife to run as he prepared to fight … something.

  Cold yellow eyes in the darkness.

  Snarling.

  More screaming.

  I heard Lisa wailing as she disappeared into the forest and it wasn’t a sound I was likely to forget anytime soon.

  Jack caught my arm and jerked me up before I hit the ground. I widened my eyes as my downward momentum ceased and I was harshly yanked out of the visions. “What the … ?”

  “That was about to be my reaction.” Jack’s face flooded with worry as he cupped my chin and forced my eyes to him. “Did you faint?”

  Hmm. That would probably be better to claim instead of owning up to a psychic vision. Of course, it also would make me look weak. I hated looking weak. “I’m not sure.” I moved to shove away Jack’s hands, but he refused to budge. “I just felt lightheaded. I didn’t faint.”

  “You came freaking close.” Jack’s expression was pained. “Charlie, what just happened?”

  “I … it’s hot.” It was a lame excuse, but I didn’t know what else to offer.

  “It is hot,” Jack agreed. “But you’ve been in hot places before. This was something else. What?”

  “I … .”

  “Tell me.” Jack looked almost desperate. “Whatever it is, you can trust me.”

  My heart ached at his pained expression. I realized part of me wanted to tell him. It would make things easier if he could accept it. Then I heard Zoe’s words in my memory, warning me not to tell anyone and to be extremely careful about whom I trusted with my secret. She was a powerful mage who could burn down a college and get away with it. If she was that strong and lived in fear, what hope did I have?

  “I’m just hot.” I felt guilty upon uttering the words, especially given the way Jack pulled back. He released my chin and planted his hands on his hips as he regarded me. I felt exposed – something I really hated – and went on the offensive before I gave it much thought. “I’m allowed to faint. That doesn’t mean I’m weak. Don’t look at me that way.”

  “I didn’t say you were weak.” Jack’s voice was chilly, remote. “I don’t care if you almost fainted. Well, I care. I don’t care that you somehow think that makes you a weak female. I care about why it happened.”

  I smoothed the front of my shirt and averted my gaze. “It’s hot.”

  “Right. It’s hot.” Jack’s voice was distant. I was afraid to look up, so I kept staring at my shoes. “Charlie, I know you have a secret. I don’t want to push you, but something weird is going on. You had the same look on your face when I came upon you and Zoe Lake-Winters the other day. The exact same look.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.

  “Don’t. I’m going to finish this.” He squared his shoulders. “Something is bothering you. I really wish you trusted me enough to tell the truth, but I’m starting t
o think it’s my fault you don’t. Why would you tell me when I gave you so much crap after the Chupacabra thing?

  “I don’t want to force you into a situation in which you feel you have to tell me,” he continued. “That doesn’t seem fair. You don’t have to keep everything a secret, though. You don’t have to go to strangers for help. I’m right here.”

  Tears pricked the back of my eyes. “Jack … .”

  “Don’t.” He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “Just take a moment and rest. Once you’re feeling better we’ll head back to the Jeep. Think about what I said. You can trust me.”

  I wanted to trust him. I realized I wanted that more than just about anything. If he couldn’t believe in Bigfoot … the Chupacabra … or a lycanthrope, though, how could he possibly believe in me?

  20

  Twenty

  “Are you ready?”

  Jack spent the next twenty minutes ignoring me as he made his way around the campsite. I watched him, a mixture of dread and worry taking over my nerves, but remained silent because I didn’t want to set him off. Still, the way he carried himself made me think he’d discovered something while making a big show of pretending I wasn’t sharing oxygen with him in the clearing. I couldn’t just let it go.

  “What do you see?”

  Jack finally lifted his eyes and met my gaze. Instead of anger lurking in the dark depths I thought I saw sadness. It threw me for a loop. “What makes you think I saw anything?”

  I was determined as I stood, brushing off the seat of my pants and adopting a smile that I was certain didn’t make it to my eyes. “I saw the way you were studying the ground. You may think you know me best – and you very well might because you’re observant – but I’ve come to know you, too. What did you see?”

  Jack swiped at the side of his face as he regarded me. “I’m almost afraid to tell you this, because I think we should head back to the inn so you can rest.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “You almost fainted … because of the heat.”

  It was a direct challenge I couldn’t ignore. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. It wasn’t my intent. I … I can’t explain why I almost fainted. You’ll think less of me, and I don’t want that.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. I … .”

  “No, you meant something very specific, but you’re afraid to tell me.” Jack planted his hands on his hips. “Are you pregnant? Is that it? If so, it’s not the end of the world. We’ll figure a way to work through it. If you have to do office work then we can leave you behind on trips.”

  I was flabbergasted. “Pregnant?”

  “Pregnant women faint a lot.”

  “What soap operas have you been watching?”

  Jack wrinkled his brow. “I think I’m confused. I’m trying to give you a way out, be supportive, and you’re giving me nothing but grief.”

  “You’re trying to saddle me with office work,” I shot back, hopping to my feet. I was beyond livid now. “First of all, I’m not pregnant. Why you would even think that is beyond me. Apparently I need to go on a diet or something.”

  “That’s not what I said,” Jack protested. “You look fine, great even. I mean … you don’t look fat.”

  “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” I grumbled, rolling my neck. “I’m not pregnant. I am insulted you think that, and I might have to lock myself in a room to cry later because it’s upsetting in a way that makes me want to pretend it’s not upsetting and then break down later.”

  “Oh, don’t cry.” Jack gripped the top of his hair so tightly I worried he might give it a tug and yank some of it out. “I didn’t mean it the way you’re taking it.”

  “Whatever.” I sucked in a breath. What were we supposed to be talking about again? Oh, right. “Secondly, even if I were pregnant, that doesn’t mean you can just lock me in a room and cut me from the action. That’s sexist, misogynistic and altogether boneheaded thinking. I could totally continue kicking butt with a baby on my hip. That’s how rocking I am.”

  Jack’s expression turned dark. “You just said you weren’t pregnant.”

  “I’m not. You need to have sex to have a baby. I’ve been living like a nun since joining this outfit. I don’t have time for sex.”

  Jack straightened. “That’s a little sad … and something of an overshare. I didn’t need to know that.”

  “Oh, what does it matter?” I was fed up with him and his attitude. I couldn’t take one more second of his passive aggressive Neanderthal man shtick. “We’re all up in each other’s business. You want to know the secret I’m keeping. I want to know what happened between you and Laura, although I have no idea why because it’s seriously none of my business. But I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  Jack extended a warning finger. “I told you what happened with her. Nothing happened. She’s a psycho. She believes something happened, but it didn’t. I can’t fix that.”

  “And it’s none of my business.” I meant it. “You’re still a bullying butthead when you want to be, and that is my business. You’re right. I do have a secret. That means I don’t spread it around. That secret is not that I’m pregnant, though.”

  “Well, great.” Jack threw up his hands. I could practically feel the fury rolling off him. “I was trying to be sensitive.”

  “By telling me I look fat?”

  “You don’t look fat. I never said that.”

  “You insinuated it.”

  “I did not.” Jack took three long steps and planted himself in front of me. “You are turning this into something it doesn’t need to be. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings – and you’re certainly not fat – but you are hiding something.”

  “And it just kills you that you don’t know what it is, doesn’t it?”

  “You have no idea.”

  The simple declaration took my breath away. “I … .”

  “No, I’m talking now. You need to stop flapping your lips.” Jack’s eyes were filled with fire and he squeezed my lips shut when I tried to respond. “I’m talking. You talk enough for the rest of the team combined. I’m talking now.”

  Oh, well, this was simply undignified.

  “You’re right about it not being any of my business. It’s not. But I can’t help myself from worrying about you. If you expect me to explain why, I can’t. You scare the crap out of me and I simply can’t explain why I feel the need to poke my nose in your business. It’s like an urge I can’t fight.”

  I was dumbfounded and gently nudged his fingers from my lips. “Can I talk now?” I kept my voice low.

  Jack nodded.

  “I’m not trying to hurt you, and as much as it should irritate me that you think you’re the king of the world and that means you get to watch my every move I’m absurdly touched, and I can’t explain that.” I let out a pent-up breath. “I need time to think about things. I’m not keeping secrets to be mean. I’m also not pregnant. I swear it’s not that.”

  “I … well … .” Jack uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other.

  “I just need time.” My voice was more plaintive and whiny than I would’ve liked, but I couldn’t stop that. “I’m dealing with stuff that I can’t explain, and I don’t think I should feel guilty for it.”

  “No, I don’t think so either.” Jack was morose. “Is it girl stuff?”

  “You mean like menstruation and hair braiding?”

  Jack cracked a smile. “Yeah.”

  “I guess … kind of. But I’m not pregnant.” I was still aggravated that he thought that. “Are we okay here?”

  Jack nodded. “We are.”

  “Good. Now I want to know what you were looking at.”

  Jack stilled and for a moment I thought he’d insist we return to the Jeep. Instead, he merely shrugged. “There’s a fresh set of tracks … and they look like animal tracks.”

  I couldn’t contain my excitement. “Do you think the lycanthrope came bac
k?”

  Jack sighed. “I think something was out here. I have no idea what. I’m not an animal expert. I’m going to guess it’s not a werewolf because the print is really small.”

  “Maybe it’s a baby lycanthrope.”

  “Or maybe it’s a coyote.”

  I made a face. “Jack … .”

  “I’m done arguing. I meant that.” He lifted his hands to signify defeat. “If you want to believe it was a werewolf, that’s certainly your prerogative. I think it was a coyote … or maybe a bear cub … or maybe even a domesticated dog.”

  Hmm. That hadn’t occurred to me. “Do you think we can follow it? Just for a bit, I mean. Maybe it will lead us to something.”

  “Like Ethan Savage?”

  “Like anything. I just want answers at this point.”

  Jack sighed. “Okay, but if you feel faint I want you to tell me. I don’t want to wander around the woods forever. This isn’t my area. I’m afraid we’ll get lost if we go too far.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be fine.” I wholeheartedly believed that. “You should lead the way.”

  “Yes, that sounds wonderful,” Jack muttered as she shook his head. “I’ll lead the way to the werewolf.”

  “Just don’t ask if it’s pregnant when we find it,” I called out.

  “Ha, ha.”

  WE WALKED FOR WHAT FELT like a long time, Jack’s gaze intent on the ground as I followed and pretended to see the indentations that he claimed belonged to an animal. It wasn’t until we were well into our trip that I realized something was off about his demeanor.

  I waited another hour to question him on it. He swore everything was fine.

  An hour after that, I gave voice to the fear that had been growing in the pit of my stomach throughout the afternoon.

  “We’re lost, aren’t we?”

  Jack’s hair was a matted mess thanks to the heat and humidity. When he turned, I could see the resignation and shame on his face. “It’s going to be okay.”