The Altering (Coywolf Series Book 1)

by Abby Tyson

  A single photo was taped to the inside of the lid. On each shoulder of a handsome man stood a little boy. The two boys appeared identical, but Savi thought she could distinguish Marley's rounder face. He was as she remembered him as a child, except his soft cheeks indicated that he was younger here, maybe four or five. A strong gust of wind must have blown at the moment the picture was taken, because the blond hair on all three was trailing behind them, spiking vertically on the top of their heads. Each face was alight with the thrill of the wind: eyes smiling, mouths wide open in exclamation and laughter. Ren's grin was even bigger than Marley's, and Savi wondered if the stern Ren she'd seen over the past day even knew how to smile like that anymore. Like a family of acrobats practicing their stance, each brother clutched one of his father's hands with one of their own, while clasping each other's hands over their father's head. Warren appeared so healthy and relaxed, it was hard to believe he was the same fragile, frail man she'd seen that morning. Marley was a year older than her, so that meant this photo was from around fifteen years ago. Savi was shocked that their father had deteriorated so severely in such a short time.

  Grabbing a long sleeve thermal, Savi went in the bathroom and turned on the shower. Something dark moved out of the corner of her eye, and she jumped at the sight of her reflection. Her black curls were snarly, encrusted with a layer of dirt and dried blood that stuck to the dark welt on her forehead. It got worse as she took off her clothes, revealing her swollen back, lined with long scratches as if she'd been whipped.

  Staring at her raw, chafed wrists, she thought, How am I going to hide all of this from my mom?

  Her mom always knew when Savi was lying. She didn't say anything, but she'd make an I-know-you're-lying-but-I-trust-you-to-make-the-right-decision kind of face that never failed to fill Savi with shame. There was undoubtedly a limited number of times her mom would give her such a free pass, so Savi didn't lie to her mother often.

  The hot water both stung and soothed her sore body. Under cover of the running water, Savi gave in to her misery, crying until her stomach ached.

  She'd ruined everything. Not only had she failed to rescue Hettie, who was now going to wake up naked, lost, and most likely alone in the woods, she'd condemned Warren to a painful death by inadvertently thwarting Marley and Ren's plan to get the silver wolf.

  Maybe if you'd been less distracted by Marley, said a snide voice, you could have had a conversation with him in the woods instead of feeling him up.

  That won't be a problem anymore, Savi thought, hiding her face in the hot water until she couldn't hold her breath anymore.

  She wished she could hide in the steamy water forever, but Marley would be wanting to rid himself of the night as well. Savi finished up, putting her scuffed but undamaged jeans back on, along with Marley's thermal, which fit nicely except for the long arms. Wishing she had her no-frizz conditioner, she combed her hair with her fingers. She looked a little less haggard after her shower, but Jameson's claw marks were no longer hidden by grime, and the lump on her forehead stood out even more against her clean skin.

  After brushing her teeth with her finger, and ignoring the scent of Marley that enveloped her, Savi knocked on Warren's door as she toweled her hair.

  "I'm all set," she said.

  "Okay," Marley rasped, then cleared his throat. "Okay," he repeated, his voice stronger.

  Savi went in the kitchen. After eating a spoonful of peanut butter, she started making four PB&J sandwiches. Marley went in the bathroom without a word. Once again her guilt threatened to overwhelm her.

  Without thinking about why she was doing it, Savi lay the knife down mid-spread and started searching the cabinets. Her agitation grew with each shelf full of snack bars, canned food, and dusty spices. Frantically she made her way through the kitchen, until every cabinet and drawer was hanging open. Her body was imploding. Her chest felt too tight to breathe, her throat was swollen, her head was giving way to a crushing pressure. There was only one thing that could help her, only one thing that could bury all of these emotions.

  The refrigerator was nearly empty, and the freezer held only raw meat. But as she slammed it shut, she noticed small cabinets above that she hadn't searched yet. Jerking the metal garden chair back against the fridge, Savi opened the doors and cried out with relief. She listened for Marley as she removed the bottle. The water was still running. Not even bothering to get a glass, Savi pressed her lips to the mouth of the bottle.

  Caustic, smoky, rapturous vodka filled her mouth. But as a trickle burned its way down her throat, it ignited a firestorm of self-loathing. She held the scalding liquid in her mouth until she gagged. Barely making it to the sink in time, her stomach emptied its contents for the second time that night -- luckily it was nearly empty to begin with.

  Eyes watering, Savi rinsed her mouth and returned the bottle to the cabinet. As she resumed making sandwiches, she noticed the shower was off. Marley would be out any minute. She forced her thoughts from her shame spiral.

  Marley's not going to catch me crying a second time, she vowed. It's over. There's nothing I can do about any of it now.

  But even as she thought it, a pebble of an idea fell from above. The more she considered it, the larger and heavier it became, sinking deeper into her body, settling low and heavy in her gut.

  "Nice shirt," said Marley, coming into the kitchen behind her.

  Placing the final sandwich, she turned to put the plate on the table, but nearly dropped it when she saw Marley.

  Shirtless, he stood by the fridge, towel drying his hair. He'd gotten his fair share of nicks and bruises as well. Both of his eyes were swollen, one more than the other, and his lip was split and puffy in two places.

  His soft smile faded when he saw the bump on her head. Draping the towel around his neck, he crossed the small kitchen in three steps to inspect her injury. He radiated heat, his soapy scent coming at her in warm, humid waves.

  "I didn't see that before," he said, gently tipping her head back.

  Savi didn't want to look at his face, but she couldn't look down at his bare chest either. "I whacked it when the van crashed," she said, stepping to the side and walking around him to put the plate of sandwiches on the table. "My mom's going to think I have a secret abusive boyfriend." She sat down, feeling Marley's eyes on her from behind.

  "We've got something that can fix that, if you want," he said, walking past her and sitting in the opposite chair.

  "Yeah, I should probably put some ice on it at least." She grabbed a sandwich and took a bite.

  Marley did the same. "No, something else. Something stronger. It will make that disappear by tomorrow," he said with his mouth full.

  Hiding her surprise at his childish manners, she asked, "Werewolf tears?" At Marley's incredulity, she added, "Baxter used them to heal his bullet wound."

  Frowning, he nodded.

  "If you're taking care of that," Savi pointed to her head, "maybe you can clean up my back and wrists too while you're at it." She lay her arms across the table, exposing the red rings around her wrists.

  He reached for her arm, but didn't touch her. "What the hell did they do to you?"

  Keeping her voice light, she said, "Bondage, experimentation, more bondage... you know, the usual." Unable to endure his concern, she said, "Thanks for the shirt. Fits nice. I might just keep it."

  Marley's lips remained tight, but he arched an eyebrow, his eyes brightening with humor. He took another bite and leaned back in his chair. "That's one of my favorites."

  "You're welcome to the one I was wearing. You must have seen it -- it's in the trash in the bathroom."

  "I'm good, thanks," he said with a lopsided smile. Studying his sandwich, he added, "You can go ahead and keep that."

  "Oh," said Savi, her shield of humor disappearing. "No, that's okay. I was just --"

  Marley's hand fell hard on the table. "Just take the shirt!"

  Savi jumped at his outburst, but it was clear he already regretted it, s
o she didn't say anything. He let out a short but heavy breath, slumping his bare shoulders.

  "Sorry," he said, taking a large bite.

  They ate in an uncomfortable silence, looking anywhere except at each other. Although Savi had nearly emptied their dish soap in her attempt to rid the kitchen of the smell of alcohol, she kept catching whiffs of it. But if Marley noticed, he didn't say anything.

  Questions kept piling up in Savi's mind: How did you guys get the silver wolf back? What's the deal with Nissa being super old? Who took the picture that's in your trunk? But most of all, Savi wanted to tell him her idea. She was desperate to redeem herself at least partially, but at the same time terrified that he would agree.

  Finally, when he was almost done with his second sandwich, Savi blurted, "I think I can help your dad."

  Marley paused mid-bite, looking at her as if he had forgotten she was there.

  "I don't know if it'll work though," she said, uncomfortable under his close stare. "I need to talk to Nissa. She may know how it works."

  "How what works?" he asked, his mouth thick with peanut butter.

  "Marcia said that I was probably something called a hollow one. I don't know what that means exactly, but the werewolf that bit me the other night didn't change into a wolf the following sunset."

  Savi had expected him to be excited. Instead, he looked almost scared. "It didn't?" he asked, barely audible.

  "No. And he wasn't happy about it." Savi shivered at the memory, lightly touching the bite wound through the shirt. "I thought that maybe, if we could get your dad to bite me, he might not change anymore either."

  Her fear escalated as a glimmer of hope returned to his eyes. But then he put the remaining bite of his sandwich on the table and stared at it. "You're not doing that."

  "I stopped you from getting the silver wolf -- twice -- and now it's gone. This is the least I can do."

  Marley shook his head. "No."

  Even though she'd been partly hoping for him to talk her out of it, Savi bristled at his unilaterally making the decision for her.

  "Is it possible to get him to do it?" she asked.

  Marley picked up his sandwich, then put it down again and started pacing the kitchen. "No."

  "Why not?"

  The door to the apartment opened and Ren came in, carrying Nissa. She was pressed against him, clinging to his neck like she was his child. The sweetness of the image was made surreal when Savi remembered this girl could be hundreds of years old.

  "Is she awake?" Savi whispered.

  "No, Savi," Marley said firmly.

  Ren lowered Nissa to her feet.

  "Nissa," Savi said, walking toward her, "Do you know what a hollow one is?"

  Nissa's eyes flickered to meet Ren's before answering, "Yes." Her voice was deep and scratchy, much more like what Savi expected someone her age -- whatever it was -- to sound like.

  "I think that's what I am. The wolf who bit me at the barn the other night stayed human tonight, but I didn't change into a werewolf after he bit me. Do you think if Warren bit me, he would be cured?"

  Ren, still standing by the closed door, was looking at her curiously.

  "What?" asked Savi.

  "She had the same idea," Ren said, nodding at Nissa.

  "You can't do this," Marley protested. "He's a wild wolf, not caged and tame like Marcia's animals. You saw what they did to her crew -- and they liked them. It's too dangerous."

  "It may not work at all," Nissa said, lying down on the couch and closing her eyes. "I've heard that the longer someone has been ona, the less likely the power of the veru malar will be effective. How long has your father been a werewolf?"

  "Twenty-six years," said Ren, his face dark.

  "Veru malar?" asked Savi. "That means hollow one?"

  "Yes," Nissa sighed.

  Savi looked at Ren. "I'm willing to try."

  Ren threw the keys to his brother. "Go move the car across town in case it's reported stolen. I'll go with her."

  "You can't be serious!" Marley cried, running his hands through his hair. "A wolf's jaw is strong enough to snap the leg of a moose." He pointed to Savi's leg. "Your bones are a lot smaller than that. Werewolves aren't any stronger than regular wolves but they fight dirtier. What if he goes for your face? Or neck?"

  Ignoring his brother, Ren took off his pack. "I'll bring the dart gun and make sure he's off you immediately."

  Marley laughed at the ceiling, shaking his head. "The dart can take up to ten seconds to work. You could be dead by then."

  Ren stood. Turning to Savi, he said, "It's up to you."

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  His eyes held no warmth, but Savi was surprised to see Ren's fear so plainly. Whether he was afraid for her safety, or that she might say no, was unclear.

  "I'm willing to try," she repeated, although less resolute this time.

  Marley walked swiftly over to them, looking so angry that Savi thought he was going to hit Ren. But instead, he grabbed for the gun. When Ren pulled away, Marley held out his hand and said, "I'm going."

  Seeing them right next to each other, staring the other down, Savi couldn't help but contrast these two grown up brothers with the two smiling boys she'd seen in the picture. Of course the physical differences were obvious, not the least of which were their darker hair and lean faces. But the warmth and love that pervaded that captured moment was nowhere to be found here. Savi had assumed, because they were twins, that they were close. Thinking back on it, however, she'd never seen them exchange anything resembling affection. Was that because they had been under so much stress? Or did these two just not get along? Ren may not have been shirtless, but his arms bulged with as much muscle as Marley's. And there was something rougher, something raw about Ren that made Savi wonder if Marley would win in a fight against his brother.

  Hand still outstretched, Marley said, "If she's doing this, I'm going with her."

  Ren turned to Savi. "You okay with that?"

  Surprised that Ren would care about her opinion, she nodded. He gave the gun to Marley and took the keys back. As Marley picked up his pack by the door and went into his room, Ren turned once again to Savi.

  "Thank you." Even saying this, Ren's face was stony -- or perhaps he was just exhausted like the rest of them.

  "You're welcome," she said.

  Marley came back out, wearing a black thermal long sleeve identical to Savi's blue one. "You don't have to do this," he said.

  She nodded. "I do."

  Ren opened the door and Savi and Marley followed him out. Nissa lay on the couch with her eyes closed and didn't watch them as they left.

  When they reached the rear entrance of the apartment building, Ren gave them a casual, "Good luck," and headed toward the car. He may have parked in the darkest spot he could find, but Savi was still surprised it wasn't already surrounded by police, bullet ridden as it was.

  "This way," Marley said, leading her toward the woods. Lit by the parking lot street lamps, the playground was eerie rather than inviting, alive with strange shadows and darkened playsets. She sneaked a sideways glance at Marley, but he didn't seem to take note of their meeting place.

  Behind the apartment complex ran a rusty railroad track, a narrow road that the vines and brush were slowly reclaiming. Savi held her breath as they passed behind an overfilled dumpster that hid a path leading into the woods. Wary of the darkness in the thick brush, Savi stayed close behind Marley. She kept picturing Marcia or someone else from the barn jumping out and taking them back.

  At last the growth thinned, and the moonlight shone down freely, illuminating the grassy forest floor. An old mattress surrounded by beer bottles revealed that this was not as hidden a refuge as Savi had assumed. She scanned the area but didn't see anyone. Marley took no notice of the abandoned party spot, leading them deeper into the woods.

  After what must have been almost half an hour's walk, they came across an old shack about the size of a typical backyard shed. Even in daylight Savi
would have found such a dwelling spooky, but in the moonlight it was downright blood-curdling. Its rusted metal door was closed, there were no windows in the rotting wood walls, and patches of tarp hung limply, exposing the holes they were supposed to cover.

  These woods weren't as thick as those surrounding Marcia's barn. Most of the forest floor was lit, the long shadows of the trees reaching out to each other. So when Marley paused several feet from the shack to meet her gaze, Savi could see the struggle in his face clearly.

  It was the kind of moment when one of them should have spoken, but they both knew the only way to do this was to catch Warren by surprise. Savi started walking toward the building, pushing up her sleeves with shaking hands. Every instinct told her to move in the other direction, but she forced her wobbly legs to lift, praying that Marley's father both would and would not be in the shack. Without allowing herself to hesitate, she reached for the door and yanked it open. The grating creak of metal on metal echoed through the forest as she stuck her bare arms inside and winced, bracing herself for the pain.

  Nothing.

  She couldn't bear to open her eyes until she felt Marley squeeze past her into the shack, dart gun and flashlight in hand. Holding the flashlight beside the gun like she'd seen cops do in the movies, he searched the corners of the space. The small circle of light fell on a pile of clothes and two bowls, one half-full of water and one with a few bright red remnants of what she guessed was raw meat. No wolf.

  Savi hadn't realized she was holding her breath until she heard Marley breathe out and did the same. "Should we look for him?" she asked.

  "We can't hunt him." Marley walked out, scanning the woods. "He'll smell us if we wait though. It would have been easier if he were here." Looking back at the shack, he said, "I guess waiting inside is best. The scent is pretty strong in there."

  Nodding, Savi turned and went in. The shed was musty, laced with the tangy stench of the meat, but it didn't smell as bad as she thought it would, although she did sit against the wall farthest from the food bowl. Marley closed the door to where it had been before. She heard, rather than saw, him sit beside her, and when his leg bumped against hers he apologized and scooted away. A thick band of moonlight shone through the open door, but otherwise the room was in shadow. She could hardly discern the outline of her hands when she held them in front of her.