by Jen Haeger
A man of average height and build stood next to Marcus. He wore a bright yellow polo shirt and khaki pants, and looked very much like he should be surfing in California somewhere, except for his pale skin. Next to Marcus’s weathered tan, the man looked luminescent, and his very yellow blond hair and dull blue-grey eyes also contrasted violently with Marcus’s features. His manner was calm, confident, and arrogant, and he eyed David and Evelyn with a look of disdain. David nodded to him politely, but Evelyn was in no mood to be polite, so she simply ignored him.
“Marcus, what’s going on?” she demanded.
Marcus still did not look up from the screen, but instead sighed and slowly shut the computer. He rubbed his eyes and finally looked up at David.
“Good to see you again, David,” he said politely. “Evelyn,” he added with a brief glance in her direction. “This is Zachary Harchem, Gamma of the Wahya pack,” he continued with a small gesture towards the blond man.
Evelyn continued to ignore him, and stared straight into Marcus’s dark brown eyes. “Where’s Clem?”
David noted that Zachary tensed visibly at the mention of Clem’s name, and the Gamma now appeared even more unfriendly than he had originally. Zachary really looked like he wanted to say something to Evelyn, but glanced at Marcus and clenched his jaw. Marcus didn’t seem to notice.
“Clem made an unfortunate decision, and his whereabouts are currently unknown,” Marcus began. “Please sit down.”
Evelyn didn’t feel like sitting after their long car ride, but David took her arm gently and led her to one of the chairs before seating himself in the other. She sighed and tried to calm herself, but Zachary’s negative presence was grating on her already-frayed nerves. She tried to focus on Marcus and bit her tongue to give him the chance to explain himself.
Once they were both seated, Marcus continued. “There is a pack matter that Clem wanted to inform you of, but that I felt was both unnecessary and unproductive, as you have taken little interest in pack matters since you officially became the Inali.”
Evelyn felt a slight twinge of guilt at Marcus’s words, since it was true that she and David had distanced themselves from the Wahya since becoming their own pack. The Wahya had, in fact, saved their lives when the Vulke had been actively trying to kill them and she had felt bad about turning her back on them lately. Unfortunately, they couldn’t risk the Wahya finding out about the lab or that they were still researching a cure, so they had snubbed the Wahya’s invitations on the few occasions where there had been reason to meet with them. They had even fallen somewhat out of touch with Clem of late. She avoided looking Marcus in the eyes and nodded slightly. She glanced at David and he also appeared chagrined.
“In any case, Clem went against my decision and left to make contact with you. No one has seen him since,” Marcus finished gravely.
“What was the pack matter he wanted to tell us about?” David pressed.
Marcus looked up at Zachary, who shook his head scowling.
“Sire, there is really no need to involve them. There isn’t anything…productive that they can do,” he protested.
Marcus considered a moment, but then shook his head slowly.
“No, this could be a problem for all packs regardless of…size.” He gazed at David and Evelyn, then back to Zachary. “Please bring her in, Zachary.”
Zachary glared at David and Evelyn with a look that could have wilted flowers, but said, “As you wish,” then nodded curtly before swiftly exiting the room.
Marcus watched him go with a distant look in his eyes then he turned back to David and Evelyn.
“I am sure that you both realize that adding numbers to a pack is a strict and serious matter and that all packs, save perhaps the Vulke, take the utmost care in explaining the process and consequences of becoming a pack member,” he said sternly.
Evelyn looked at David, who seemed as confused as she felt.
“Of course, Marcus. You know we aren’t planning on expanding our pack.”
Marcus raised a hand to silence her.
“Mistakes have occasionally been made, especially with younger pups.” He gave them both a long, hard look. “Do you have nothing to say?”
“We don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” David said firmly, returning Marcus’s gaze.
Marcus nodded and leaned back in his chair, apparently satisfied.
“Then brace yourselves.”
Evelyn was about to ask him just what in the Hell he meant by that when Zachary returned…with a little girl in tow. The girl was four or five years old, with butterscotch hair held in pigtails by purple ribbons. She wore a purple dress with a green sequin peace sign on the front, and purple shoes and socks. Her eyes were a shade of light brown and very wide, and she had a small scabby scratch across her forehead. The girl looked unsteadily up at David and then Evelyn, and then noticed Marcus sitting at the desk behind them and gave a squeal of delight.
“Uncle Marcus!”
She scampered over to him and climbed up onto his lap. Marcus gave her a big smile and a grandfatherly hug then turned to David and Evelyn with a more serious look.
“This is Katie, the newest member of the Wahya pack.”
6
“She’s a…a…” Evelyn sputtered in shock and outrage.
“Yes,” nodded Marcus.
“Imma what?” Katie interrupted, bouncing up and down on Marcus’s knees.
“Adorable little girl,” replied Marcus with a wink. “Tell you what, Katie. How would you like Zachary here to take you to the arcade?”
Zachary stiffened and his expression soured as Katie gave him a skeptical look.
“Oh! Can’t you take me Uncle Marcus?” she said, sticking out her lower lip.
Marcus held out his hands, palms up, and shrugged innocently.
“I don’t have any tokens. Zachary has all the tokens.”
Katie was convinced.
“Oh, O.K.”
She hopped off Marcus’s lap and shuffled more reluctantly over to Zachary, who glared at Marcus. Marcus didn’t speak, but quite clearly gave Zachary a look that said, “Go. Now.” Zachary glanced down at the girl, who had clutched a handful of his pants, let out an irritated breath, and strode awkwardly from the room with Katie hanging off his leg.
Marcus beamed at Katie until the door had shut behind them then turned to Evelyn and David, his face a mask of cold anger.
“Now, you see why I didn’t want to involve you, especially if it had been one of your…transgressions. But Clem was convinced it was not one of you, and since we were preparing another trip to The Scribe for…guidance, Clem felt strongly that you should go with him. I believe that is why he was going to meet with you.”
David opened and closed his mouth a few times, but it was Evelyn who spoke first. What she wanted to say was “How the Hell could Marcus think that she or David could do something like that?”, but she managed to rein in her anger and instead said, “What-how did you find her?”
Marcus let out a long breath and sat back slightly in his chair. As he spoke, his eyes flitted back and forth between Evelyn and David. “During the last lunar cycle there was a death that came to our attention. A fatal animal attack occurred in a rural home in Indiana. It was a canine attack that left the mother dead, but the little girl with only a scratch on her forehead. We investigated and determined that Katie was a Wolfkin. We removed her from her family for their protection.”
Marcus wouldn’t meet Evelyn’s eye, and Evelyn felt sick inside.
“Do you think whoever…did that to Katie…also did something to Clem?”
Marcus’s anger ebbed from his features and was partially replaced by confusion.
“I am not certain of anything. There have been some rumors lately coming from abroad. Rumors of strays, but after what happened two years ago…”
His voice trailed off and Marcus paused, his eyes unfocused and staring off into the past between David and Evelyn’s chairs. He stayed silent a
few moments, then shook himself and blinked, coming back to the present.
“That was a terrible strain on the packs and no one wants to be responsible for another…complication, so they may be rumors, or they may not. Katie may be related to Clem’s disappearance, or she may not. Regardless, I believe this could cause great strife if The Scribe is not again consulted.”
Marcus looked to David and Evelyn expectantly.
“What?” said Evelyn, “You want us to go now? What about Clem?!”
This time she couldn’t contain her emotions and stood. Marcus stared at her impassively.
“I assure you, I have dispatched several very capable Wahya members to locate Clem. You both have been to The Scribe before and have a certain rapport, not only with him, but with Madeline, who is one of the only people who knows how to reach The Scribe.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. She had about as much rapport with Madeline as a duck had with a Playstation, and she really wanted to be here trying to find Clem, rather than trying to decipher the riddles of a batty old werewolf in the backwoods of Canada. But then she thought of Katie. The little girl’s rosy cheeks flashed in her mind’s eye and her anger faltered. Surely they would never hurt the girl? Surely she could just be absorbed into the Wahya pack…although what about her family? Was it breaking Wolfkin law to keep her from family? It was certainly breaking the plain old regular law, but they couldn’t just let her go, since she was a danger to herself and others. And then Evelyn had another terrible thought. If the Vulke caught wind of Katie, they might cause trouble, even call for her death if the girl was not protected by an official decree by The Scribe with his knowledge of ancient werewolf customs and Wolfkin laws. Of course, there actually was no guarantee that ancient werewolf customs and Wolfkin laws would be on Katie’s side.
Evelyn chewed on her lower lip. She’d never been stellar at making tough decisions, especially stressful ones. Marcus continued to look at her, saying nothing. She glanced over at David, whose expression clearly read, “It’s up to you.” Finally, she threw up her hands.
“I guess we’re off to Canada again.”
*
Nicholas rushed towards the door of the stone bastion, but faltered once he reached it. He shook himself and rolled his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full height and standing tall. Everything had gone precisely according to plan. He had nothing to worry about. Taras would be pleased with him. Still, his face held no joy as he rapped on the wooden door. The knocking boomed in the still, cold night air and echoed hollowly. Moments later, a slat at eye level snapped open and cold grey eyes peered out at him.
“Ah, Nicholas, he has been waiting,” a voice sneered.
Nicholas ignored the voice and soon the door creaked open. He strode purposefully past the man at the door, who smirked and gave him a sarcastic bow with an abundance of gesticulation. He could hear the man’s low chuckle as he rounded the corner and pressed on down the long corridor. The stone passageway had no embellishments such as rugs or wall decorations, only bare rough stone and an occasional torch to provide just enough illumination to prevent one from running into a wall. Nicholas rounded a final corner and stood before two large wooden doors with heavy iron handles. There were multiple gouges and deep scratches in the door along with dark smears of old blood. He straightened his back again and knocked.
“Come!” barked a resonant, authoritative voice.
Nicholas pulled open the door and stepped into the quarters of the Vulke Alpha. It was a bare chamber with a small, barred window overlooking the moor. Just to one side of the window was a granite slab covered with papers, and in the far corner was a bed, of sorts, made of a straw pile and some scraps of cloth. Taras stood at the window staring out into the night, his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a cloak made of a real wolf hide, loose-fitting cloth pants, and natural animal skin boots. He was not an overly tall man, about average height, and had thick, straight, shoulder length black hair. His skin was pallid, and he didn’t appear to be a strong man, but Nicholas knew from first-hand experience that this was a ruse. Taras was incredibly strong, and Nicholas had seen him crush another man’s fist in his hand during a sparring match. Nicholas closed the door behind him and dropped to one knee, bowing his head.
“Sire.”
Taras didn’t turn around. “Is it done?”
“Exactly as you have bidden, Sire,” said Nicholas, choosing his words carefully.
“Reeeeallly?” Taras said in a mocking tone as he finally turned to face Nicholas. “Then call me pleasantly surprised.”
A surge of anger ripped through Nicholas.
“You doubted my abilities, Sire?!”
He looked up at Taras, and immediately wished that he hadn’t. The Alpha was testing him and his control, and he had failed the test. Taras glared at him, his single blue/green eye blazing, and the scars covering the other half of his face casting grotesque shadows in the dim torchlight.
“Nicholas, Nicholas, Nicholas,” he said with a hint of cold amusement in his voice, “What are we going to do with you?”
He sauntered over to Nicholas casually.
“So competent, but always running off your mouth!”
Without warning, Taras threw out his hand and slapped Nicholas in the mouth with such force that the kneeling man was knocked sprawling to the floor, letting out an involuntary cry. Nicholas then tried to make as little noise as possible as he got back up on one knee with his head once more bowed, blood dribbling down his chin from a split lip. Taras turned away from him and went back to staring out the window into the darkness. His voice was calm again.
“How many?”
“We estimate about two thousand, Sire.”
“And we have recruiting squads?”
“In place, Sire.”
“Good, good,” said Taras approvingly. “And our little project in France?”
“I am confident in its success, Sire.”
“Fine, fine. Since you are so confident in your abilities, I would like you to see to it personally,” Taras crooned.
“Of course, Sire,” Nicholas said without emotion.
“You may go, but I’ll expect to hear from you again soon.”
Taras waved his arm vaguely as a dismissal.
Nicholas rose, but kept his head bowed until he had exited into the hallway and closed the door firmly behind him. He wiped the blood from his face, annoyed. He had done his part and done it well, but Taras was never satisfied. Maybe after the army was raised Taras would appreciate what he had done, Nicholas thought as he strode back down the hallway. But for now, he was off to France.
*
Since they couldn’t leave until the next day anyway, David and Evelyn had time to drive home and pack, and for Evelyn to make provision for Peko’s care. Normally, he would be fine over a weekend, but Evelyn had no idea how long she would be gone, so she packed him and his litter box up and drove over to Sylvia’s apartment. Sylvia was Evelyn’s best friend and had always been there for her in a pinch. She was good people, as they say, but just self-involved enough that she didn’t pry or try to mother Evelyn. Evelyn did have to promise Sylvia a girls’ night out when she got back from her “unexpected veterinary conference”.
Work was another issue. She dared not actually inform Dr. Alverez that she wouldn’t be there for a while, but instead just called in a relief vet and informed the office manager to pay him out of her salary for the week. Shane seemed put out about the whole thing and Evelyn knew that Dr. Alverez would take out his wrath on him in her absence, but Shane was laid back enough and liked Evelyn enough that he didn’t protest.
Evelyn wished that she could get a good night’s sleep that night, but had to settle for a brief, restless afternoon cat nap. David had insisted on coming back and being with her during the change that night, even though Evelyn typically didn’t need him the second night after the full moon. Logically, with everything that was going on she understood his concern for her, but emotionally she was still irr
itated.
During the night they ran into two Wahya pack members, who were presumably trying to track Clem. They hadn’t actually met them before, but they definitely had the Wahya scent. When Evelyn tried to follow them, David wouldn’t let her, which led to a growling and snarling match. Evelyn wanted to hunt to take out her frustrations and they ended up taking some rabbits a few miles out of town before returning to Evelyn’s apartment at dawn.
*
Things moved swiftly and smoothly then, with little time for idle chit-chat. Before she knew it, Evelyn and David were once again in the tiny plane with Madeline, flying over the Canadian wilderness. Only this time, it was David, and not Clem, in the co-pilot’s seat and Evelyn alone in the rear of the plane. She was much better prepared this time, and was bundled up with thermal clothing for the cold, hiking boots, and hiking pants. The déjà vu factor was so high that Evelyn had to constantly remind herself that she and David were not in any real danger this time. David attempted to make some polite conversation at first, but then gave up and closed his eyes. Evelyn felt very alone in the back seats of the plane, remembering when she and David had been close and whispering to each other in those same seats. She hugged herself and tried to get more comfortable, hoping that sleep would obviate the memories, at least for a while.
Evelyn slipped into a fitful slumber, fueled by exhaustion. In her dream, she was wandering alone deep the woods. In the distance, she heard the sounds of children laughing, and she followed the sound to a clearing. In it was a playground laden with happy children, and Evelyn spotted David pushing a little girl on a swing. He began waving at her just as the sun set and a huge, bright harvest moon began to rise. The children started screaming and Evelyn watched in horror as, one by one, they transformed into werewolves. The girl David had been pushing on the swing turned and leapt at David’s throat, her miniature jaws biting and tearing with animalistic glee. Evelyn tried to run to him, but as soon as she moved, the other wolf children spotted her and sprinted towards her with hungry, red eyes. She turned to flee, heading back into the dark forest. Suddenly, she recognized the area and knew that she was near the lab in Tennessee, so she ran for the hidden entrance to get away from the children. She finally reached the door, but it was hanging off its hinges and a mauled and decaying Christoff, former Alpha of the Vulke, was blocking the way. His skin was crawling with maggots and he only had one filmy eye left in his poorly-skinned skull. He grinned, revealing a grotesquely elongated mouth filled with jagged, fetid teeth and looked back over his shoulder into the lab.