Detective Ramirez jammed a finger into Dayton’s chest. “Listen, I don’t care what you say. This is the way it’s gonna be—”
“Terminum!”
Everybody turned to face Aunt Rose. A hush fell over the room as they realized the little old lady was the source of the great big noise. The fire in the hearth crackled, the only sound in the living room.
Colonel Dayton and Detective Ramirez stared at each other, both wearing faces that made it clear they wondered what they’d been shouting about only moments ago.
“Dixie, may I speak to you alone?” Aunt Rose held a hand out.
Dixie hesitated before taking her aunt’s hand and following her into the hallway. As they passed the kitchen, she glanced in at Adam. Another man sat at the kitchen table next to him. He was about Adam’s age, with a similar build. She couldn’t help but notice a certain similarity in their eyes, not only in color, but intensity—passion?
Aunt Rose tugged at her hand and pulled her along.
Dixie entered her aunt’s bedroom and sat down on the edge of the large queen-sized bed.
“My Dixie,” Aunt Rose said, “where do I begin? There’s so much to tell you, and so little time.”
“Who was that man in the kitchen with Adam?”
“Oh, that was Ivan. I managed to summon him here. He is in tune with our needs.”
Dixie stood up, but was settled back onto the bed with a gentle push.
“Who’s Ivan?”
“I’ll tell you as much as I can, and then we must form a plan. All is not lost; the bridges have not yet been crossed.”
“You’re rhyming. Why are you rhyming?”
“Yes, I do that.” A small chuckle. “We all tend to do that now and again.”
“We, who?”
Aunt Rose told her about the Daemon, about The Convergence, and what led them all to be at her house tonight. Dixie sat quietly, enthralled by the story, not once questioning its veracity—Adam’s very existence proved it was true. She remained silent well after her aunt finished.
“Did my parents know about you, I mean, what you are?” The question came all at once, and with tears.
“Oh, my little one, your parents were incredible; they were my dearest friends; we were inseparable. Have I ever told you that your mother could have been your twin? The same color hair, eyes—and your laugh: identical. When I close my eyes and you laugh, I almost think she’s in the room with us. Did you know she majored in journalism?”
Dixie nodded.
“Honestly, every time I look at you…” It was Aunt Rose’s turn to wipe away a tear. “Did I ever tell you she and I played tennis every chance we got? Can you believe it? She had the meanest serve, wicked fast with a lively spin. And cards. And bowling. And hiking—”
Dixie laughed and Aunt Rose closed her eyes.
“It’s as if we fed off each other’s energy. She was more of a sister to me than a friend. If we thought about something, we’d do it. Dancing, and roller skating, and golf—”
“And my father?”
“And your father. He was over the moon for you; you were the diamond in his eyes. He told me one night, ‘Rosalyn, I only want three things for Dixie, just three things.’ ‘And what would that be?’ I asked. ‘I want her to go to the finest school, I want her to have a remarkable career, but most of all I want her to be happy.’” Her voice trailed off and she stared at the floor. “Not long after he told me his three wishes for you, when you were just four years old, they died in that terrible fire. If only I could have seen it coming. But, of course, no one can see into the future, not even Daemons.”
“Sometimes, in the back of my mind, I think I remember that night. I have dreams about it, about the fire. I want to tell the world my house is burning down—I want to shout it out. But I can’t. I can’t open my mouth. I’m not even able to tell Mom and Dad to get out of the house. It’s as if, I don’t know, as if—”
“As if you were under a spell. And you were, sweetie, you were. The Daemon killed your parents. They started the fire.”
“What? Why did they kill my parents?”
Aunt Rose sighed, a heavy burden kept for years. “The battle between good and evil is always at work. An evil Daemon, one known as Gorgeous, killed your parents. She is the driving force behind The Convergence. Your parents stopped The Convergence years ago. Your parents were killed because of it.”
“But The Convergence is happening again. That means they died for nothing.”
“Nonsense. Don’t ever think that. Without their sacrifice, who knows what would have happened. It’s up to us to stop The Convergence now. And with your friend Adam, I think we just might be able to do it.”
Dixie sat on the bed, trying to digest everything Aunt Rose said. “So, my parents were Daemons? Does that mean I’m a—”
Aunt Rose held Dixie’s hand and smiled. “Of course. I adopted you. I couldn’t have gone on living without you. I wouldn’t want to. And you did go to one of the finest schools in the country.”
Dixie nodded. “Harvard.”
“And you have begun a remarkable career.”
With a quick laugh, she said, “I have indeed.”
“But, are you happy?”
“What?”
“A simple question, my dear. Your father’s final wish: are you happy?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow, if there is a tomorrow.”
Aunt Rose stood, drawing Dixie up with her. “Oh, tomorrow will come. You’ll see. Have a little faith. It will come.”
Dixie blushed. “I hope you’re right but, you said so yourself, no one can see into the future. And that’s okay with me. I don’t know how many more surprises I can take.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, let’s see: I find out my parents, and me, are something called Daemons; that the end of the world is scheduled for tonight, and the man I love is a dog—enough surprises for one night, wouldn’t you say?”
“Canine,” Adam said from the hallway with a grin. “I’m not a dog, I’m a canine.”
Aunt Rose gave Dixie a hug. “I’ll leave you two alone, but only for a moment or two. All too soon we’ll have much to do.”
Dixie smiled and sat down on the bed. “You’re rhyming again.”
Adam shuffled into the room, past Aunt Rose, and sat next to Dixie. “Did I hear the word love?”
“I must be crazy, but you heard it because I said it.”
Adam smiled. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. “You know, I still have so much to learn about the human world. But one good thing about canines is we tend to give love unconditionally.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Well now,” Aunt Rose said to the gathering in the living room, “I think it’s time we put our heads together and discuss our plan.”
“Our plan?” Colonel Dayton said, glancing away from the TV. Aerial shots of Claremont Estates from a news helicopter delivered scenes of soldiers spreading out and shooting into the night. A reporter’s voice in the background sounded nervous giving a hesitant description of events half seen by the camera. “The only plan that makes any sense is to call in an air strike.”
“Oh that would have been an excellent idea,” Aunt Rose said, “about three hours ago.”
Colonel Dayton turned red in the face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I have it on good authority that the perimeter established by the National Guard has been breached. The wolfhounds are now advancing on the city.”
“And how the hell would you know that?”
“Hey, that’s my aunt,” Dixie said, “and this is her house. Show a little respect.”
Aunt Rose put her hand on Dixie’s shoulder. “Thank you, sweetie. But I think I can handle this one on my own.”
Dayton leaned forward. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
With a snap of her fingers, Colonel Dayton sat down and closed his mouth. A smile planted itself across his face. Major Ransom crouched down a
nd stared into his eyes.
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” Aunt Rose said as if describing a medical condition, “he’s in a happy place.”
“Set him free,” Major Ransom said.
Aunt Rose approached Colonel Dayton. “If he promises to listen more and speak less, then the spell will be removed—and stop cussing, young man. I don’t like that kind of language in my house.”
Colonel Dayton, still smiling and staring forward, nodded.
Aunt Rose snapped her fingers. “Good. Now time is growing old. Adam and Ivan will infiltrate the wolfhound packs. That will be easy for them. The hard part is for you, Marco.”
“Me? What’s my role?”
“An essential role: You will be their Alpha.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh yes, very much so. The two of them would be under immediate suspicion from the other packs if they appeared to have no tie to an Alpha.” She held up a hand as both Dixie and Ramirez began to speak. “It’s how they know who to trust. Those without an Alpha are suspect, seen as interlopers, and cast out.”
Dixie shook her head. “Cast out?”
Aunt Rose steadied her gaze on her niece. “Killed. But we needn’t dwell on that. I will form the bond. It’s a simple matter.” She closed her eyes and placed her right hand on Adam’s head, then on Ivan’s, then Detective Ramirez’s. “There,” she said with a laugh, “it’s done.” She glanced at Colonel Dayton who held his hand up in the air.
“Yes, do you have a question? A civil question with no cussing?”
“I do, ma’am. I understand what they’ll be doing out there, but what about us?” He motioned to Major Ransom.
“As little as possible. You two wouldn’t stand a chance, being humans. And that goes for you, too, Dixie.”
“But Aunt Rose, I’m not—”
“Enough. My mind is made up about that, young lady. Major Ransom will inform us as to what’s going on. She’ll be able to communicate with Marco. Colonel Dayton will secure the house. You and I will sit tight. Any other question?”
“You said you have a source. Somebody who told you the wolfhounds had broken through the lines. Who is it?”
“One of my kind. That’s all you need to know.”
Detective Ramirez cleared his throat and wiped his forehead. “Where do we begin? I mean, what do I even do?”
Aunt Rose closed her eyes and tilted her head, as if listening to a distant voice. “The packs are venturing up Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of Silverado Ranch. The freeway has been shut down by the police. Evacuation of the hotels has begun. I suggest you three make your way south on Las Vegas Boulevard to Blue Diamond Road. That would be a good place to slip into the battle, lots of room there.” She opened her eyes and stared at Ivan and Adam. “Remember, you won’t have to kill the wolfhounds. Concentrate on removing the Alphas. Without the Alphas, the packs won’t fight—they’ll have no will, no direction.”
“And how do we recognize the Alphas?” Ramirez said.
“We’ll know who they are,” Ivan said. “They’ll be easy to spot.”
“One last question.” Ramirez stood up. He hesitated before speaking. “How do we recognize a Daemon? More importantly, how do we kill it?”
Aunt Rose wavered a bit, then. “Each Daemon has its own color, its own essence. There are as many Daemons in the world as there are colors. Also, they have their own aroma.”
“Like cinnamon and roses?”
Aunt Rose frowned. “No need to worry about all that. If you find yourself close enough to a Daemon, you’ll probably be dead.”
Dixie jumped up and hugged Adam. “You don’t have to do this.”
Adam wrapped his arms around her. “Yes. I do.”
“It is important to know a Daemon can take many forms, any form it desires. You may be able to feel the power it emits, but that may be too late.”
Colonel Dayton snickered. Aunt Rose turned to him. He cowered in his chair, a film of sweat covering his face.
She smiled at him. “You felt that, didn’t you? I wasn’t even trying.”
“Humor me, Rose,” Ramirez said. “How do we kill a Daemon?”
Aunt Rose deadpanned: “Disembowelment. Beheading. Fire.”
“Which one?”
“All three.”
****
I sit in the living room and listen to Aunt Rose along with the rest of them. I’m sure on the outside my appearance is calm and cool. On the inside—that’s an entirely different story. In the back of my mind—as a distraction—I tell myself Dixie loves me; a human woman is actually in love with me. That doesn’t help. Ivan, Detective Ramirez, and myself are about to venture into the wilds of Las Vegas and face packs of killer wolfhounds. I don’t know much about warfare strategy, only what I’ve seen on TV and in movies, but what we are about to do seems like a suicide mission. I can’t keep that thought to myself.
“Aunt Rose, I have just one question.”
“Yes, Adam? What is it?”
I almost say “when,” but I change that word at the last second. “If we’re killed, what happens to you, to Dixie?”
“You won’t be killed.”
“How do you know? Why don’t you get out of here while you can and head north? You’ve got to leave Las Vegas. Wouldn’t that be the right decision?”
She brushes my concerns aside. “You said you had just one question. That’s at least three. Besides, we have Colonel Dayton and Major Ransom here to protect us. Everything will be just fine, my boy. You’ll see.”
I wish I shared her optimism. My stomach gurgles. Is it all the meat I crammed in my gut, or is it my fear? Maybe both.
“Remember all the crap we had to put up with?” Ivan says. “The Alpha treating us like dogs? Carl taking us out on those night kills? We fight against all that. We fight for ourselves, for the humans, and for Lucy.”
“For the Gipper?”
“Who?”
Ivan had embraced his human side, but not as much as I had. My reference was not in his scope of understanding. I smile at him, a grim, stiff-upper-lip type smile. “For Lucy.”
He pats my shoulder. “We would not kill then, when that was what they wanted. But they will not stop us now.”
His confidence is infectious. And that’s just what I need. I need to think about Lucy. I need to remember what I want for my life. I give him a “follow-me” nod. “We’ll be right back. C’mon, Detective. If we’re going to be a pack, we need to practice.”
Detective Ramirez hesitates. “What are we gonna to do?”
“Let’s go out to the backyard and try a few transformations. I’ve never caused it on my own before, not without a world of pain.”
Ivan grins. “You can do it, Adam. There’s nothing to it, just follow my lead.”
We race out the back door with Detective Ramirez in tow. I keep my eyes on Ivan. The three-quarter moon gives us a little light, enough to stumble over a couple of lawn chairs. In a few seconds, Ivan is out of his clothes and his wolfhound is pushing through his human skin. His snout elongates, and his paws form. I hear the cracking of his bones, but he isn’t in any pain—not that’s apparent to me, anyway. It takes about half a minute for his transformation to be complete. He stands before the detective and me as a Giant Irish Wolfhound, and howls.
Fear of the pain—of the unknown—stops me. I take off my shirt in slow motion. Ivan barks, urging me on. Lucy’s words echo in my head, “You have to really, really want to change.” With a last look at Ramirez, I drop my pants and concentrate on the change. The first thing I notice is my skin slipping off me like a heavy sheet blowing in the wind. My feet slide out of my shoes as my paws form. I hear my bones crack and reform as well, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m standing on all fours. I’ve transformed in a few seconds. There is no pain. I howl.
“Oh my God,” Detective Ramirez says.
I hear him say this; I understand the words coming out of his mouth. Ivan brushes up against me, and we tear around t
he yard. For the first time in my life, the first time I can ever remember, I know what it is to be a canine. I’m free.
Ivan and I sit on our haunches, just in front of Detective Ramirez. The connection Aunt Rose has woven between the three of us is something I’ve never felt before. Even though I know he’s not my true Alpha, he’s the Alpha I want. I’d do anything for this man. The feeling isn’t forced, it’s natural. This is a bond, not bondage.
I sense Detective Ramirez getting a little flustered. I’m sure he’s never been in this position before, and he’s at a loss for what to do. I take it upon myself to help him out. With a nudge at Ivan, I convince my brother to back up a few paces. He follows me around to the side of the house, out of the detective’s sight. Ramirez needs to call for us so we can give him the confidence of being in charge.
We wait around the corner. Nothing. What the heck is the detective doing? I glance around the corner and see him. Ramirez stands with his back to the door, doing nothing. He looks confused. He notices me and just stares. I back around the corner again and wait for him to call. He needs to call Ivan and me so we can respond—do what he commands, but he’s got to command first. Nothing.
Training humans proves to be more difficult than I’d imagined.
Ivan prances straight to the detective, rises up on his hind legs, and leans forward putting his full weight on the man. Ramirez extends his arms and yells, “Get off!” Ivan complies immediately, sitting perfectly still at the detective’s feet. Or is he on the detective’s feet?
“Back off.” Ramirez starts to get it. “Come here, Adam.”
Ivan scampers back about a yard, sits down, and glances up at Ramirez. His tail is wagging. What more does Ramirez need to see that he’s in charge? I follow Ivan’s lead and jump up, leaning onto Ramirez’s chest. Again, “Down. Move back.” I comply as quickly as I can.
I must admit, I enjoy the feel of the wind running through my fur, the freedom to dash around the yard as I please, and the security of knowing the Alpha has got my back. For a brief moment, I think about what my life would have been like if I’d had a devoted Alpha, one with my best interests at heart. Maybe my longing for the human world would not have been so strong. It’s hard to tell. After all, this is the first time in my life I’ve ever enjoyed being a canine.
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