by Mac Flynn
Adam leaned back and his eyes widened. "Cain," he whispered.
"Mind putting me down?" the man requested.
"You know this guy?" I asked my fiance.
Adam shook himself and glared at the man. "What are you doing here?" he questioned him.
The man known as Cain sheepishly grinned. "Funny thing about that. I was just in the neighborhood and-" Adam gave him a hard shake.
"None of your lies, Cain. You don't go anywhere where you don't have a reason, especially to a place of no consequence where there has been werewolf trouble," Adam pointed out.
Cain sighed. "You're right, as always. I've been here longer than you. It was I who changed that old woodsman, and let me tell you he wasn't fun to bite. His bathing habits are-"
Adam growled and slammed Cain's back into the wall. "You'll have to fix that!" my dad shouted.
"Honey!" Mom scolded him.
"Are you senile in your ancient age?" Adam growled to our guest as his eyes narrowed. "He was not capable of controlling the beast!"
"But you handled him decently well, and I needed to see if you'd grown soft in your domestication," Cain insisted.
Adam stuck his face in Cain's and snarled. "What if that werewolf had bitten someone? What would you have done then?" he growled.
Cain nervously smiled. "But it didn't because you were here to protect everyone, and I need you to do the same for me. You see, I'm in desperate need of a friend," he pleaded.
I raised my hand. "Wait a sec. You bit Eb why? So you could get us here?" I asked him.
Cain shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"It wasn't," Adam snarled.
Cain leaned his head away from Adam and held up his hands. "I know that, but I'm desperate. I've been accused of killing another of our kind, and you know what that means."
Adam started back and raised an eyebrow. "Who are you accused of killing?"
Cain's face fell and he closed his eyes. His voice came out in a soft whisper. "Abel."
Adam's eyes widened. "Abel is dead?"
His captive gave a nod. "Yes, and worse yet everyone believes I am responsible."
"Are you?" Adam asked him.
Cain whipped his head forward and glared at Adam. "You dare ask that of me?" he shot back.
"You did loose a werewolf on my hometown who almost killed us," I reminded him.
Cain paused and frowned. "Point taken, but that is in the past. What I need is for you to solve my present dilemma. There is no one else I can go to for help."
Oh man. More trouble. I sighed and set a hand on one of Adam's arms. "He can't cause any more trouble than he already has, so you may as well let him down so we can hear what he has to say," I advised Adam.
Adam snarled one final time and opened his hands. Cain dropped to the floor in a bundle of his filthy clothes. He stood and brushed himself off. "I must say I'm glad-"
Dad strode up and socked Cain in the cheek. Cain stumbled back against the wall. "Dear!" Mom scolded him.
Dad rubbed his sore knuckles and glared at Cain. "He deserved worse for getting our family into this mess. Who does he think he is?"
"My mentor," Adam spoke up.
I glanced between Adam and the ragged man, and I jerked a thumb at the stranger. "This guy's your master? The mighty one who trained you after you were bitten?"
"The one and only," Cain spoke up. He straightened against the wall and rubbed his jaw. "You have a nice punch for a human," he commented to my dad.
"Wait until you see my gun," Dad threatened.
"I think I can wait because what I have to say can't." Cain's eyes flickered to Adam. "When I told you you're the only one I can trust, I wasn't lying. Everyone believes I murdered Abel, even-" he paused to sigh, "-even Lilith. She insisted I run away from the house when I came to her covered in Abel's blood and holding that weapon."
Adam frowned and held up his hand. "If you wish for me to help you then you must start at the beginning."
Cain glanced past him at the living room. "Mind if we sit down? I haven't had a comfortable place to sit for two months."
My mom came up behind him and took his arm. She smiled into his dirty face. "Of course. Here, let's put you in the comfortable chair."
"Annie, that's mine!" Dad protested.
"Behave, Ralph. Can't you see he's tired?" she scolded him.
"And an accused murderer!" he countered.
"Innocent until proven guilty," she mildly reprimanded as she led Cain into the living room.
Cain smiled at my mom as she set him in my dad's favorite chair. "You're very kind. I've seen a lot of that in your daughter."
I frowned and hurried after him to stand before the chair. "Wait, what? You've been watching me?" I questioned him.
Cain sheepishly grinned and shrugged. "Within propriety, of course. I only wished to ascertain how close was your relationship with Adam."
"Close enough that if something had happened to her with your new creation you would not be worrying about the murder charge," Adam spoke up as he followed us into the room
My dad brought up the rear and scowled at the chair interloper. "Would someone mind explaining to me what in the world is going on?" he demanded.
"Does anyone want cocoa?" Mom spoke up. I had to admire my mom for her ability to smile in the face of a tense situation.
"A tempting proposition, Mrs. Monet, but perhaps later. I owe my young student and your family an explanation for my actions," Cain told her.
"All right, but don't hesitate to ask," she insisted. She took a seat on the couch and my dad grudgingly joined her. Adam and I stood off to one side and glared at the troublemaker.
Cain cleared his throat and turned to my fiance and me. "Let me start by first apologizing. I have been watching you both for a month, studying your relationship and Adam's skills to judge my next move. I hit upon a plan to test Adam and his relationship with you by causing the werewolf trouble you remedied several days ago. With the conclusion of my test, I have made my presence known to you."
"That was all just some stupid test to see if Adam could beat up another werewolf?" I questioned him.
Cain smiled and nodded. "Yes, and he passed, though his tracking skills could use some improvement."
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. "You could have just asked him if he'd beaten the crap out of a werewolf recently. He just had to kill a rabid one a few months back!"
Cain raised an eyebrow and his eyes flickered to Adam. "Is this true? You've killed another of our kind?"
"A werewolf by the name of Ashton," Adam confirmed. "He nearly revealed our existence to a number of humans and tried to kill several people, myself included."
Cain relaxed and smiled. "I see, self-defense. Well, you have me beat. The evidence against me is pretty firm, and even I'm not sure if I'm not guilty."
I tilted my head to one side and frowned. "Don't you know if you killed this Abel guy?"
Our guest shrugged. "I can't really remember that night. It's all one big blur."
"Perhaps you should start from the beginning," Mom suggested.
"Yeah, like who the hell you are exactly," Dad agreed.
Cain bowed his head to them. "You are quite right. I shall tell you my tale."
Chapter 2
"First, let me properly introduce myself. I am Cain Dayton, and I have been a werewolf for eight centuries," the man told us.
My mom gasped and my dad's mouth dropped open. "Eight centuries?" he repeated.
Cain nodded. "Yes. You can imagine what I've seen, or perhaps you can't, but my age isn't important. I am the master of young Adam here." He gestured with one hand at my fiance. "I trained him and guided him into our world of werewolves, and when the time was right we parted ways. That was what? A century ago?" he asked Adam.
"Half that time," Adam corrected him.
Cain shrugged. "I was always poor with math. But where was I? Oh yes, the present. My mate, Lilith, and I visited an old acq
uaintance of ours, a man by the name of Abel Knight. You remember him, don't you, Adam?"
Adam nodded. "Yes. He was nearly as old as you, if I recall."
"About that. It was two months ago that I visited him on the occasion of his birthday. He has-or rather had-a fine piece of property in the upper part of the state with an old manor house brought from Europe stone-by-stone. It was quite an architectural feat, let me tell you. It took him-"
"Cain, focus," Adam scolded him.
Cain coughed. "Yes, well, as I was saying, we planned a weekend visit and arrived Friday night. Abel greeted us with his usual welcome of scaring us to death with a prank that he'd hanged himself from his own entrance hall rafters."
My mom wrinkled her nose. "What a horrible welcome."
"Yes, we thought the same. Lilith was so angry she nearly strangled him. She always disliked him. Fortunately, Abel and I calmed her down enough that she entrusted her jewels to him-that was a habit of his, that all precious items be given over to him for safekeeping in his safe- and we joined him for dinner. It was a really delicious salmon-"
"Cain," Adam warned him.
Cain sighed. "Digressing again, am I? Well, I hate to admit it, but I drank heartily and don't recall any of the rest of that night. When I awoke it was the next morning and I found myself lying on the pool table in the billiard room with a bloodied wrench in my hand and my shirt covered in the same blood."
I snorted. "This sounds like a board game."
"A terribly real board game," Cain corrected me. "You see, the blood was Abel's, as I found out when I rolled off the table and fell onto the floor. He lay beneath the table with his head bashed in to the point where I couldn't recognize him except from his clothes and the ring on his finger. It showed his family crest. Well, you can imagine I panicked. Before I knew what I was doing I'd called the proper werewolf authorities to inform them what happened. That is, until I realized I would be the prime suspect."
"Werewolf authorities?" I repeated.
Cain nodded. "Those who patrol the area looking for werewolf troubles. Abel was very paranoid so they kept a patrol to handle his constant stream of calls."
"Then what did you do?" Adam asked him.
Cain sighed and shook his head. "I hung up on them, but the damage was done. They were coming. I hurried to our room-Lilith and mine, that is-and awoke her. She thought it was a prank with the blood all over me until I showed her the body. She insisted I leave immediately, and she was very upset when I told her I had called the authorities. We smelled them coming and, knowing Lilith would not be suspected and thus would be safe from them, I raced to-well, to a secret place I knew they wouldn't find me. That allowed me to escape into the woods with nothing but the clothes in which you see me now. Then I made my way south to you." Cain's shoulders slumped and he set his head in his hands. "And that is that. I am a fugitive with the charge of murder over my head, and I need your help to clear my name."
I noticed my dad scooted in front of my mom and his eyes didn't blink as they looked at Cain. I couldn't blame him, this sounded like my mom had welcomed a murderer into our home.
"Are you sure it was Abel's blood?" Adam asked him.
"Positive. His scent was always very sweet because he was fond of chocolate and other sweets. We always teased him about having blood in his sugar stream," Cain explained.
"You didn't believe it was better to stay at the manor?" Adam wondered.
Cain shuddered. "There was that option, but you know the punishment for killing another of our kind in cold blood."
"I don't," I spoke up.
"It is death, but the charge must first be proven," Adam told me.
"And there was enough there to convince me, especially since the traveling judge right now is Gideon Hawthorne. He would have my head on a platter now if I hadn't escaped and searched you out," Cain told him.
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Why have I not been approached by anyone looking for you?"
"You're not an easy wolf to find. I only knew your whereabouts because I keep track of you," he explained. Cain looked up and I noticed his face was worn with the last few months of cares. "Adam, you are the only one I can trust to keep me safe and help clear my name. Please, you must help me."
My dad jumped to his feet and stepped in front of my mom. "I think I've heard enough. You need to leave here right now before you bring more werewolves to bother us."
Mom pulled on his sleeve. "Ralph, he needs help," she whispered.
"No, what he needs is to be turned over to the authorities like that werewolf judge he mentioned. Let them deal with the trouble," Dad suggested.
Adam sighed and shook his head. "I must disagree with you, sir. I have personal experience with Judge Hawthorne, and I know him to be a rather ruthless executioner of his duties. My friend wouldn't be given a fair hearing."
"Well, whatever happens he can't stay here," Dad insisted.
"That is fine. I will take him to the upper part of the state and see what we might find," Adam offered.
Cain's face lit up with hope. "Don't jest with an old wolf, Adam. You really mean you'll help me?"
"I keep to my word," Adam affirmed.
"And I'm going, too," I chimed in.
My dad whipped his head to me and glowered. "You certainly will not! You're staying right here and staying out of this trouble."
I put my hands on my hips and glared at my parent. "Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. You can't tell me where I can and can't go."
"I can and I stick by what I say. You're not going with them," Dad insisted.
I opened my mouth to object, but Adam set a hand on my shoulder. I looked up into his serious face. "Your father is right. You should remain here while we investigate the matter."
I snorted and waved away his hand. "Like hell I am. I haven't been left out of any of these crazy adventures yet and I'm not about to start now." I looked to Cain. "When do we go?"
Adam grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. "Chris, this isn't like the others. This is far more dangerous. A werewolf was murdered and Judge Hawthorne is a persistent executor of his justice. He won't stop until he has caught Cain. If that happens and we don't have evidence to clear him then I will be accused of accessory to murder."
I gulped. "And what's the sentence for that?"
"Death," Cain spoke up.
I rolled my eyes. "You guys just can't do anything halfway, can you? It's gotta be death or nothing, huh?"
"The laws of the werewolves are very Draconian," Cain agreed.
"If that's the case then I really don't want you going," my dad insisted.
My mom grabbed his arm and yanked him back onto the couch. "Ralph, if Chrissy wants to go with Adam then we should let her. I would go with you if I were in her place," she pointed out.
"But that's different," he argued.
She frowned and folded her arms over her chest. "How, might I ask is that different?"
My dad winced and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, she's-um, she's our daughter, not you."
"Good, then she'll be doubly able to weather whatever storms they come upon," Mom insisted.
"But Annie-"
"Don't 'but Annie' me, Ralph. She's old enough to know what she wants, now you just let her do it," Mom countered.
"Mrs. Monet, I must agree with your husband," Adam spoke up. "This is far more-"
"It's Annie, Adam, and I trust you and your friend can take care of my daughter in any circumstance," she told him.
I snorted and patted Adam on the shoulder. "There's no winning, Adam, there's only giving in to the Mom-side," I teased him.
Mom did the same to Dad's shoulder, and he sighed. "It seems we don't have a choice in the matter."
"So it seems," Adam reluctantly agreed.
"Wonderful! The more the merrier!" Cain spoke up.
Adam looked to him and frowned. "I expect you to guard her as I guard her," he snapped.
Cain jumped to his feet and bowed at the waist t
o Adam. "If you can get me out of this mess then I will be your servant, and you my master."
"That remains to be seen, but we should prepare. The distance to Abel's house is quite far," Adam commented.
"Why go today?" Cain wondered as he straightened. "We could stay here for today, or maybe for a week. No one knows I'm here."
"Your method of attracting us may bring other inquisitive werewolves," Adam pointed out.
The color drained from Cain's face. "Oh dear."
"That is an understatement, but we are fortunate that others have not yet arrived. We will leave today within the hour and travel as far as we can via the roads until we reach Abel's home," Adam told our small group.
My mom jumped to her feet and smiled. "That gives me some of time to fix up some food for your trip."
"They're not going for a picnic, Annie," Dad scolded her.
"No, but they still have to eat, and I'll make sure they have plenty of food," she insisted. She turned her attention to me and grabbed my hand. "Come, Chrissy, I'm going to need all the help I can get."
"But-" My objection was overruled when she yanked me out of the room and to the kitchen.
Mom plopped me down in one of the stools around the island and walked over to the cupboards. She opened the doors and inspected the contents. "Now let's see, a few days journey at-"
"Mom," I spoke up.
"-a couple of pounds a day in case you hike-"
"Mom!" I persisted.
She turned to me. "Yes, Chrissy?"
"What did you want to talk to me about? You never drag me away from Dad unless you want to talk to me about something," I reminded her.
My mom sighed and closed the cupboard doors. She slipped into the stool beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I know what I said in the living room, but-well, like your father I'm a little worried. This sounds very dangerous."
"So why are you letting me go? I mean, you could lock me up in the attic and feed me until I fell through the floor," I pointed out.
Her eyes swept over me and she smiled. "Because you're not our little girl anymore. You have your own life and a fiance who's willing to save you from any trouble, but it doesn't mean we don't worry about you. Are. . .are you sure you want to go through with this? Nobody would blame you if you stayed behind."