by Abby Tyson
They arrived at her campsite and started packing. Savi kept sneaking glances at him, trying to figure out what was different about him. The more she watched him, the more she was convinced she wasn't imagining it. It wasn't just his super strength, although that was obvious from incidents such as when he accidentally snapped her beach chair in half when trying to fold it. It was more subtle -- the way he moved, with a smoothness that she thought she would have noticed before, and his shoulders, which seemed to lift his body upward, rather than his body supporting them from below.
Finally, as she followed him to the back of her car, watching him carry both the tent pack and cooler and broken chair at the same time per his insistence, Savi saw it.
"Oh," she said, the word escaping from her.
"What?" asked Marley, shifting his burden to one hand so he could open the hatchback.
Without looking at him, she made room in her car for the gear. "Nothing. I just thought of something I forgot to tell Hettie."
She straightened up and stepped back, expecting him to put the gear away, but he was staring at her with an odd look. She thought she even saw a flush in his cheeks.
"What?" she asked.
Placing the cooler and tent in the car, he said, "I can tell when you're lying, too."
Savi's heart dropped. She expected him to get mad, but instead he turned to her, taking her hands gently in his.
"You don't have to tell me all of your secrets," he said, watching his thumb rub the back of her hand. "Just don't lie, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he let go and stood in the middle of the now empty site.
Savi shut the hatchback and moved to stand beside him.
"You're different today," she said.
"I told you I would be."
"Yeah, but... you and Ren..." She searched the trees for the right words. "I noticed it this morning, but I couldn't figure out what it was, or if it was even real. But just now, watching you, I know what it is. And honestly, I don't know you well enough to guage whether telling you is a good thing or not."
"What am I, hideous and scary?" He laughed it off, but it didn't hide his fear.
"I don't think it's possible for you to be hideous," she said. With a sigh, she met his gaze. "But you are kind of scary, actually. You and Ren exude this power and authority that's so tangible it's intimidating. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells -- that I'm going to make you angry and I'll end up like my beach chair."
"I would never hurt you," he said, missing her lousy joke.
"I know, I just... I guess it's just going to take some getting used to." She laughed nervously. "Like everything else!"
Marley's mouth twitched, but his solemn expression remained intact. Savi brought her hand to his face, still feeling awkward about initiating such intimacy. She ran the back of her fingers down his cheek. He leaned into her caress and gripped her hand in his, looking more relaxed, but still unsmiling.
"So did I just crank your ego up from self-assured to untenable?" she asked with a smirk.
Finally his eyes smiled, and he reached down, putting his hands on her waist. Savi thought he was going to hug her, but suddenly her feet were off the ground, and before she knew it she was horizontal, looking down at Marley's upturned face.
"What are you doing?" she said with a squeal. "Put me down!"
"I'm king of the world!" he shouted, throwing her up a few inches and catching her as if she were a baby.
"I belong on the ground!" she cried, clutching his hands.
Marley set her back down, and this time he did wrap his arms around her, bringing her close for a long kiss.
"You'll be at my place by 6:30?" he asked, finally giving her some air but not letting go. "I can't wait for you."
"If you let me leave," she laughed. "Hettie bought me some time, telling Mom she accidentally took my keys, but if I'm not home soon she'll flip over me leaving again already."
His expression turned serious once again. "You don't have to come at all, if you don't want to. It might even be better if you don't."
"I want to. If it's as painless as you say it is, I can handle it."
He kissed her again, then walked her to her car. As she closed the door, she said, "I'll call you if I can't make it."
Marley bent down and leaned his head through her car window. "The hour is ill which severs those it should unite."
Grinning, she said, "Shelley."
He gave her one last kiss and stepped away as she started her car. She backed out onto the dirt road.
"See you at 6:30!" she shouted out the window. When she turned the corner toward the main road, he was still in her rearview mirror, watching her leave.
Chapter Thirty-Five
At 6:36, Savi pulled into a parking space near the playground. She jumped out of her car and jogged over to Marley, who sat swinging his feet on the same tire they'd met at twelve years ago. The playground had been menacing last night, but today it was back to normal, its colors bright and inviting, even in the dimming light. She wanted to greet him with a kiss, but stood back, awkward and unsure.
"You're late," he smirked.
"Sorry. My mom was trying to get me to stay for dinner with Dave." She rolled her eyes. "She wasn't pleased when I said I was going on a date, but he talked her into letting me go."
Marley appraised her from head to toe with an impish look. "Date?"
Fighting the heat that was spreading across her face, Savi shrugged and glanced down at her clothes. She'd left her room a mess, strewn with dozens of rejected outfits. She knew they'd be walking through the woods, so it had to be practical, but she also needed to look good, obviously -- but not too good, or else her mom would have freaked out even more. Besides, Savi was only going to be with Marley for maybe half an hour, and in low light at that. She'd ended up in jean capris and a lacy pink tank top that was fitted on top but billowed at the bottom. It was fancier than her sneakers called for, but it was what she'd been wearing when she realized she was going to be late.
"What should I call it?" she asked, mirroring his expression. "Wildlife study?"
His smirk disappeared, and she caught the pain in his eyes.
"Sorry," she said, taking his hands. "That was a dumb thing to say. I didn't mean that."
He hopped off the tire and pulled her towards him, bringing her hands over his shoulders before letting go to wrap his arms around her waist. She thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he just rested his head on her shoulder. The embrace was slow and tender, not like this morning's, and it silenced the cacophonous voices telling her this was wrong. She sank into him, breathing him in.
"I prefer date," he said in her ear.
She laughed. "Me too."
He ran his hand over her hair, and Savi winced internally. She had spent far too much time finding the perfect amount of product that would keep her curls bright and defined but still look soft to the touch. Too much actual touching by Marley, though, and the luster would be lost.
"I love your hair," he said.
"I'll switch with you. I've always wanted to go pixie."
"You'd be gorgeous bald."
"Mm-hmm," she hummed skeptically.
With a glance at the six stories of windows staring down on them, she started to pull back, but Marley held her tight. "We should get going, right?" she asked.
"This is harder than I thought," he whispered.
"What is?"
His warm, deep breath made the back of Savi's neck hot. "Letting you go."
The sky was darkening. Soon it would match the gray buildings towering over them. Without knowing for sure exactly what night held for her and Marley, Savi's enjoyment of their time together was waning as quickly as the daylight.
"Alright, alright," he said, gently pushing her away. "I can't lose myself in the moment if you're freaking out about sunset."
"I am not freaking out," she said. Marley opened his mouth, but she held up her hand. "You better not be about to quote my quickening pulse or smelly f
ear again."
He smiled and kissed her hand, then bent over to pick up a pack by his feet, holding it out for her.
"What's this?" she asked, turning her back to him and pulling it on.
He took her hand and led her out of the playground. "Flashlight, snacks, dart gun."
"Dart gun?"
"In case of emergency. I'll show you how to use it."
"You think that's necessary?"
"I'd like to think not, but I really have no idea." He swung her hand back and forth in a low, wide arc. "I kinda like you, and I don't want anything to happen to you."
Failing to hold back her grin, she looked sideways at him. "I kinda like you too."
As they walked to the path behind the dumpster, Warren emerged.
"Can you give me a minute?" Marley asked.
Savi stayed upwind of the dumpster as she watched the two of them talk. Marley had said that his dad liked to stay in the woods the first day after the full moon cycle, to enjoy the forest for himself. Whether it was the fresh air or just the end of his altering, Warren looked a lot better than he had yesterday. With his hair pulled back in a low ponytail, Savi could almost see the young man from the photo behind the thin, wrinkled face.
Warren's eyes met Savi's, and Marley waved her over. His dad opened his mouth to speak as she approached, but closed it again, his eyes brimming with tears, hugging her instead. He reeked of sweat and sour body odor, but she hugged him back. When he let go, he kept a hand on her shoulder and turned to his son.
"The poets leave hell and again behold the stars." His voice was musical, like his son's.
Marley's lips tightened, tears pooling in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to speak, but couldn't find his voice.
"Dante," Savi whispered.
Warren turned to her in surprise, a warm smile spreading across his face. With a nod, and a pat on Marley's shoulder, he passed between them and walked toward their apartment.
"I wish we knew whether last night worked -- if it was worth it," said Savi.
Coughing to try and hide his sniffle, Marley turned to her. The way he looked at her made her insides melt; she wondered if she'd ever get used to it.
"We won't know until the next Eye," he said, taking her hand again. "But even if it didn't work, it was worth it."
As he led them into the woods, he said, "I need to tell you something."
"What now?" Savi said. "Please don't tell me you're a vampire too." She held up her hands in mock defense and took a step away.
Marley gave a weak chuckle, but closed the space between them, intertwining his hands with hers. "No."
"What then?"
"On Saturday, when you and George were in the kitchen, I was in my bedroom." He glanced up at her, hoping she would make the connection; it only took a moment.
"You heard?" she asked.
"Just the beginning. I wasn't trying to," he added hastily. "They're thin walls, even for human hearing."
Savi thought through their conversation. "So what did you hear exactly?" Before he could answer, she said, "And his name's actually Glenn, by the way."
"I heard that your dad died."
A rush of blood made her cheeks burn. She wasn't sure how she felt about Marley already knowing something it had taken her eighteen years to find out.
He seemed to sense her unease, because he quickly continued. "I would have blocked it out with music, but I didn't have my phone. Finally I put a pillow over my head and hummed until Ren came in."
Savi looked past him to the shadows on the forest floor, still assessing her feelings. Marley wrapped his arms around her.
"If you need to talk about that, or this weekend, or anything," he said, "know that I want to listen."
She wasn't ready to think about any of it, let alone talk. On the drive back to her campsite, he had asked about what had happened to her over the past two days when they were apart, but she'd evaded the question, not wanting to relive all that she'd endured.
But she could, at least, appreciate his gesture. Pulling gently away, she looked into his sweet green eyes. "I know," she said. "Thank you."
"How did Hettie take everything, by the way?" he asked as they started walking again.
"Not well." She kept her eyes on the dirt path and the thick growth that lined it. Although the light was ebbing, it was brighter than it had been last night. Small flowers, rising on scrawny stems above the choking vines and matted grass, spattered the dark green backdrop with their pinks, whites, and yellows, somehow vivid even in the low light.
"She really didn't want to believe that Marcia and her crew would treat me like that," she continued. "Having some bumps and bruises probably would have helped convince her, but hiding all of that from my mom would have been impossible." Savi touched the spot on her head where the welt had been. "I still can't believe how fast that stuff works."
She stopped, staring at Marley's leg for the first time, watching him walk without effort. Taking his chin in her hand, she inspected his grinning face. "You're totally healed." Even the light marks that had been present that morning were gone.
Marley pecked her lips and tugged her onward.
"I don't remember you ever using the tears on yourself," she said.
Shaking his head, he said, "Ren and I heal rapidly on our own when it's not downtime."
"Downtime?"
"That's what we call it when we're not... superheroes."
"Anyway," she said, "Hettie eventually came around. There was just too much detail, and too much destruction at the barn for her not to believe me. She still wants to work on finding a cure for those already altered, but hopefully she'll start to understand that it's a curse and not a blessing."
She and Hettie had also spent a considerable amount of time giggling about Marley and Colby, but Savi wasn't going to tell him that. "It was weird telling her some stuff," she said. "I'm not big on the whole talking about feelings and whatnot."
Marley's cough sounded suspiciously like a stifled laugh.
"But," she continued, drawing out the word, "I felt a lot better afterward -- better than I have in a long time."
He stopped walking and moved in close to her, giving her a long, sweet kiss. When his lips parted from hers, her eyes fluttered open to see him smiling mischievously.
"Better than that?" he asked.
Savi returned his smile. "Different, certainly."
They went to the same shack they'd gone to the night before.
"This is your last chance," he said, taking her hands in his. "You don't have to see this so soon."
Looking at their joined fingers, she said, "I don't want any secrets. I want to know what it's like for you -- what you look like, and how you act."
"You don't think you'll be creeped out, or turned off by it?"
With a chuckle she said, "I wouldn't say I'm turned on by it." Seeing his face fall slightly, she said, "You know what I mean. I like you as you are now. Just because you're something different at night doesn't change who you are right now. I don't get when you sleep though. Do you sleep during the day? Will I ever actually see you?"
"You won't be able to get rid of me." He pulled her in for a kiss. "And I sleep when I'm tired, which isn't often."
He glanced at the shack, then up at the darkening sky. "Remember, stay behind that tree over there. I have no memories of the day or my human life. Even though we usually avoid people, there's no telling what we'll do. We're wild animals."
Savi thought of Marley's father, the wild wolf, and a thought occurred to her. "What would happen if you bit me?"
He seemed so troubled by her question that she waved it away. "I wasn't asking because I want to try it, or change you, or anything. I was just thinking out loud. I'm sorry. I'll be over here now." She started to turn away, but Marley pulled her back.
With a tender hand on her cheek, his eyes locked on hers. "When earth slips out from under her blanket of night, eager to be arrayed in her velvet dress of rose and marigold, I will turn
my back on her cheap vanity. Chin raised, arms open, I will bask in the glowing beauty of your sunrise."
Unnerved by his earnest intensity, Savi just stared at him, trying to think of a worthy reply. All she could come up with was a pathetic, "Who wrote that?"
"Do you like it?" he asked.
She usually didn't read love poems, but the vulnerability in his question was evident, and being on the receiving end of such words was not the same as reading them alone.
"It was beautiful," she said truthfully, and was rewarded with a dazzling smile and a long kiss that left her breathless.
Pressing his forehead to hers, he said, "Be careful," and walked toward the shack.
"Who wrote it?" Savi called after him.
"I'll tell you tomorrow," he said, disappearing through the rusty door. She frowned at the shack before going to her designated lookout spot.
The sky wasn't as clear tonight, but the gray remnants of sunlight hadn't disappeared completely when the brothers emerged. Marley had said that the transition was painless, but Savi had expected to hear something, so she almost missed the muzzle poke out of the dark shack, followed by bright yellow eyes, furry ears, a tawny body, and a long bushy tail with a black tip. The animal lifted its nose to the wind, surveying the woods. Her breath caught at the beauty of the animal, so similar to the wolves she had been surrounded by all weekend.
The second came bounding out and jumped playfully on his brother, tugging at his ear. The first nipped at his careless brother, but then gave in, hopping and dancing around. Savi couldn't help her breathy chuckle.
They started to run away, but one of them paused and stared toward the spot where she was hiding. She couldn't tell which it was, with the sunlight nearly gone and the two so similar in appearance. It took a few steps in her direction.
Mindful of Marley's warning, a faint fear sparked inside her. She should have gotten the dart gun out well before now, she realized.
But she needn't have worried. The animal just snorted, then turned and raced after his brother, who was well on his way to some mischief. After making sure they weren't going to return, Savi took out the flashlight Marley had given her and started back. Shaking her head, she wondered what she'd gotten herself into, falling for a coywolf.