by E Gregory
Finally, he made the turn onto Oak Street where he still had a room in his dad’s house. His room was at the back of the house looking out on their little backyard from a huge window complete with a window seat his dad had built. He’d curled up there as a child and read all the best adventure novels like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Treasure Island. Niki could pretend he was anything he wanted to be rather than the awkward dorky kid he really was.
His closet was the place where he and Michael used to play fort and while his bed was old, the headboard had been his mother’s when she was little. He wouldn’t trade it for anything. The ceiling was still covered in glow in the dark stars from his tenth birthday and his bookshelves were bursting with everything from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos to Harry Potter. He even still had his bulletin board from when his mom had tried to get him on a schedule which was now filled with scraps of newspaper articles about strange occurrences around town and pictures of his friends. Most importantly though, his room was his and he still loved it. There was nothing quite like coming home.
Besides, it was kind of hard to fully move out while still in college. And it wasn’t like he could move in with Michael. He was living with his girlfriend, Elaine Foster, an EMT, and the two of them were as bad as newlyweds. They had no sense of public spaces or public decency. Elaine would sit in Michael’s lap and they would just happily make out in front of anyone. At the park, at the mall in Portland. At pack meetings. He couldn’t live with them if he’d wanted to. In fact, in two packs of werewolves and humans, there wasn’t a single extra room to be had.
That wasn’t entirely true though. There was a guest bed at the Birns house, but then he’d have to deal with Ethan’s creepy cousin, Liam, and that was something he could only do in small doses. And preferably in daylight. Liam was a good deal older than Ethan and unmarried. He’d had one child, almost Niki’s age, but hadn’t even raised her himself. In fact, he was so weird that his own daughter had switched over to Michael’s pack just to get away from him. He was unsettling in the best of times, and downright scary the rest. Ethan said he trusted him, but Niki always kept an eye on him any time he went to the house. Something wasn’t right with Liam, but Niki could never put his finger on it.
Besides, there was no way he could keep his crush on Ethan under wraps around that many born werewolf noses. Thankfully his friend Michael was a made wolf and therefore couldn’t sniff out his every thought. That didn’t stop him from knowing about the crush though. Niki was pretty sure he’d known before Niki had. Ethan was sort of perfect and wonderful and grouchy in the best way and Niki loved to rile him up just to see his control slip. He was a fireman of all things and the alpha of the Birns's pack so he never truly lost control with Niki, but he’d pushed Niki up against several walls and hauled him through the forest more times than Niki could count. Niki ate it all up. He wanted Ethan bad and loved to hang out with him, but yeah, living with him would just be too much. Niki wasn’t ready for Ethan to know how he felt and he didn’t know if he ever would be.
Up ahead, finally, his house came into view. It was a little one-story built in the fifties so it probably was due yet another fresh coat of paint, but it had yellow siding with white trim and looked wonderful to Niki’s eyes. The little white picket fence that lined the front yard always needed tending to and Niki felt he’d probably have to get the packs over to help paint everything, but the stone path to the front porch looked perfect as Niki got closer. The tree they’d planted out front when his mother passed was looking good too, and Niki’s heart clenched at the sight of it.
Chapter Two
Niki pulled into the drive and turned the car off with a relieved sigh. He’d made it home and it was only eight. Still enough time to grab a bite to eat and see Michael and Elaine before he crashed. He grabbed his backpack and his still damp hoodie from the passenger seat, then pulled his suitcase out of the back. He practically ran up the steps to the porch and walked in through the door.
Doors were rarely locked here in Rush Creek. People on people violence was almost non-existent. Still, his dad knew about the other things out there and he needed to be more careful. Owning a gun wasn’t enough to deter a rabid werewolf or other creature that might come through those doors. Niki had seen some things, that was for sure. He’d have to remind his dad.
“Son, is that you?” His dad called from the vicinity of the kitchen.
“No, it’s the bogeyman or an omega wolf or something equally as dangerous just walking in the unlocked door,” Niki called back as he headed for the kitchen.
His dad met him with a smile all the same. “You know we haven’t had any trouble with the two packs here keeping us safe.” He pulled Niki into a hug.
His dad smelled like Old Spice and spaghetti sauce, a weirdly comforting mix. He hugged his dad back before saying, “You live with the pack’s mage. If anyone ever wanted to target me specifically they’d come here.”
“And they’d run right into your wards which would alert your packs and all would be well. Besides, you know I’m armed.” His dad said, pulling back. “Come on. Enough of this. Let’s eat. I waited for you and you’re running late.”
“Fine. I’ll stop. For now.” Niki agreed. He went to sit at the kitchen table, pulling out one of the mismatched chairs for himself. “It smells amazing. Just tell me there’s no hidden sausage and that you’re using the whole wheat pasta.”
“Yes, yes.” His dad said, waving a hand at him. The yellow chrome top table was already set with two plates and bowls, a nice green salad, and what looked like whole-wheat rolls. Then his dad carried over the pot of spaghetti and set it down in the middle. “I’m not compromising with your mom’s sauce though. She made the best and you agreed olive oil wasn’t the worst thing in the world.”
“It’s not. Her sauce is pretty healthy all things considered. Thanks for this dad. It’s nice to come back to a home-cooked meal.”
His dad sat opposite him and dished out some salad for both of them and then some spaghetti. “Now then, tell me how it went! I see you have your first mage mark. Did I get that right?” His dad said, indicating the little mark on the inside of his wrist.
“Yeah, Dad. You did.” He held out his wrist to show off the mark. “It was awesome, really. I mean you know I can’t give away any of the like, deep secrets, but I can tell you a few things. Like my teacher was kind of a humorless hard ass, but he really pushed me to become more focused. I’m glad they paired me with him because he didn’t let me get away with anything. In the end, I think he grew to like me too.”
“Sounds like you found what you were looking for down there. I think the gang’s really missed you though. Quite a few of them spent a lot of time hanging around here wishing you were home already.”
“What were they doing hanging around here?”
His dad took a bite of dinner and shrugged one shoulder. “Stopping by to check in on me I suppose, but then I’d convince them to stay for dinner or to watch the game on TV. The usual. Asking if I’d heard from you.”
Niki laughed. “I can just see that. So this basically became the summer hangout for the packs? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Something like that. We did have a barbecue at one point and everyone came. Even Liam and you know how he is about pack affairs.”
“Oh my god. How did that go?” Niki wanted to know. Liam was dour and withdrawn and downright creepy. Ethan’s cousin was a good decade older than Ethan and he made them all a little leery.
“About as you might imagine.” His dad said with a laugh. “He sat in the corner drinking that beer Ethan and Michael have been trying to brew all summer, the one for werewolves, and looked down on the rest of us.”
That made Niki laugh too. He could easily picture it. “It seems I’ve missed out on a lot,” Niki said with a shake of his head. He knew he was missing things by being gone, but that was the price he was willing to pay in order to be useful to the pack. He was the one born with a touch of mag
ic, so it was his duty to study and grow stronger. Still, he would have loved to have seen Liam at his dad’s barbecue.
They continued to talk through dinner, but then Niki had to rush off. It was getting late but he’d promised to go see Michael and Elaine no matter the time.
“I’m locking this door!” He told his dad as he was leaving. He could hear the laughter from the kitchen in return.
Michael and Elaine had a little apartment on the east side of town, but since the town wasn’t very big he only had about an eight-minute drive to get there. He turned on the radio, shot a text to Michael to let him know he was on his way, and headed out into the night.
Niki and Michael had been friends since the first grade. Best friends even. They’d grown up next door to each other and had been there for every major life event since. Including when Niki’s mother passed away when he was eight and when Michael’s father left when he was twelve. Like any best friends might, they’d wanted their parents to end up together, but it just wasn’t in the cards. And then, in ninth grade, the craziest thing happened to Michael.
They’d been in the woods after curfew just sort of dicking around, there may have been a stolen bottle of whiskey with them, but Niki left that part out when retelling the tale around his father. Niki and Michael had one of their rare fights so Niki was heading out of the woods when he heard a scream. It was Michael! He ran back to find Michael bleeding. He’d been bitten by what he swore was a wolf! Wolves hadn’t been seen in their part of the state in a long time. But he swore on his life it was a wolf that bit him. A huge brown wolf.
Michael refused to go to the emergency room because they’d be caught drinking and out after curfew. So they’d wrapped up his hand and called it a night. Michael promised to wash the wound when he got home, but of course, by the time he got home there was no wound. He showed Niki the next day at school and both of them were confused. But Niki wasn’t confused for long. Michael had a set of very particular symptoms after that day. He was sensitive to loud noises. He was easily angered and he was restless at night. They were fast approaching the full moon and Niki was only half kidding when he told Michael he must have been bitten by a werewolf.
They’d laughed, but sure enough the first night of the full moon neither of them were laughing as Michael made his first painful transition into a wolf. First his eyes glowed with an eerie green light. Michael had thrown his head back with the force of the pain that was tearing through him, changing his body. He grew long claws and fangs. Niki knew he should run then, but he hadn’t been able to move an inch, he’d been so transfixed on Michael. Then he fell to the ground, body twisting and bones cracking as they broke only to reform. One moment he was writhing on the floor of his bedroom tearing at his clothes and the next he was a wolf standing there panting at Niki.
Niki would never forget that first night and he was sure Michael wouldn’t either. They learned later that the first transformation is the hardest and that he should have been locked up that first time. Neither of them knew to do that, so instead, Niki had watched in silent horror as Michael hopped out the window and ran into the night. Niki didn’t see him until the next day.
A werewolf without a pack is called an omega. That was the first thing Ethan taught Niki when they met after Niki found Michael, naked and bloody in the forest on the edge of the Birns's property the next day. The second thing he taught him was that a newly formed omega wolf like Michael should be locked up for the three days of their first full moon because their behavior was totally unpredictable. Thankfully all Michael had done was hunt rabbits apparently. They were lucky.
After that, Niki became something of an expert on all things werewolf. Ethan wasn’t very patient with them, though. He expected Michael to join his pack and fall under his leadership, but that didn’t sit well with Michael. After all, what did they really know about him? At the time, nothing.
It was a long road to where they were now. Two separate packs both work in harmony to protect the land from dangerous predators and other supernatural foes. Along the way, Niki’s magic had made itself known and so he had begun his training, and this past summer was his first real taste of just how powerful he could be. He couldn’t wait to share the news with Michael. And Elaine, of course, Michael’s girlfriend.
She was from a family of humans sworn to protect people from evil supernatural forces. They called themselves Forest Guardians. It might sound weird, but it worked for them. Her family wasn’t too pleased with the situation, not just one werewolf pack in town, but two, but they’d eventually gotten over it. Everyone wanted the same thing: A safe town. They also weren’t terribly pleased that their only daughter had chosen a werewolf to date, but then they got to know him, they accepted that he was on their side. Niki had teased Michael and Elaine relentlessly in the beginning that they had a real life Buffy and Angel thing going on without the angst. In the end, he was just glad his best friend was so happy. Elaine was wonderful. Sweet and down to earth with dark brown hair and hazel eyes that just screamed girl next door. She and Niki had become fast friends.
He pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and parked, turning off his car. It felt like ages since he’d seen any of his friends. He hopped out of the car, locked it, and made his way toward the stairs that would take him up to number 234. When Niki reached the door he didn’t even have to knock, Michael was there already opening the door and pulling him into a bear hug. He squeezed his friend back tightly and laughed before pulling back and giving him a once over. He looked happy, his black hair sticking up ever so slightly as though it had recently had fingers gripping it tightly, probably Elaine’s. His dark eyes twinkled brightly and his wide smile made Niki feel warm all over. He was obviously as happy to see Niki as Niki was to see him. Five months was too long a time to be apart.
“I haven’t been gone that long.” He said.
“It felt like ages!”
Niki shook his head as he disentangled himself from Michael. “At least let a man come in and sit down.” He teased, reaching up to push his glasses back into place. His body had gone all loose-limbed and relaxed just being in his best friend’s presence again.
Michael laughed and stepped aside so he could come in. Elaine met him with another hug, though less fierce than her boyfriend’s, and then they all sat. Niki in the chair and Michael and Elaine together on the sofa, their hands entwined. Their one-bedroom apartment was tiny and still sparsely furnished with only a sofa and coffee table in the living room and a little table with two chairs that Niki suspected were really meant for outdoor use. They’d pulled one of the chairs from the little table for Niki to sit on. It might not be much but it belonged to them and Niki knew they were proud of it. Both attended the local college so it was something of a feat to have a place of their own already. In fact, Niki was a little jealous, even though he loved his dad and his room back home.
“So, show us the mark!” Michael demanded.
Niki shook his head but drew back his sleeve to show off the little black mark on his wrist. “It doesn’t look like much, I know, but it packs a punch when activated.
“Can we have a demonstration?” Elaine asked, leaning forward excitedly, her long brown hair falling over her shoulder.
“I don’t see why not,” Niki said. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and closed his eyes. Then he concentrated on the seat of his power, deep in his chest. He felt it there humming, waiting to be called on. So he drew against it, gathering it into his hands, and into his wrist specifically. It was like a wave of warmth cresting inside him. Something tangible that he could practically hold in his hand.
When he’d first discovered his innate magic he’d been awed and then afraid. Now it felt like a natural extension of himself. It made him feel good to know he could contribute to the packs and help keep everyone safe instead of being just the weak human all the wolves had to look out for. That hadn’t been any fun. He’d felt useless, but now he felt like an equal. He might not have the physical str
ength of the werewolves, but he had his own strength and that felt amazing.
Niki focused on the ward he’d laid around the apartment months ago and poured his power into it again. As he opened his eyes he could see that the mark was once again glowing. The colors ebbed and flowed beneath his skin as though alive and he held it out toward Elaine and Michael so they could get a closer look.
“It’s so pretty,” Elaine told him. “I wasn’t expecting that.” She admitted.
“I wasn’t either,” Niki said. “It’s pretty powerful too, for its size.”
“What does it feel like?” Michael wanted to know. He too was leaning forward on the couch now, his fingers twitching as though itching to touch.
“Like warmth. It’s the heat of my magic but focused. It looks red hot, but it’s more comforting than that. You can feel it.” Niki offered and held out his wrist even further.
Both of them touched the mark in turn and Elaine gasped. “I know,” Niki said. “I felt that way too when the mage drew it. It’s somehow surprising.”
She nodded as she sat back, her hazel eyes still wide as saucers. “It’s like I could feel your magic. Just a bit of it. I didn’t think a human would be able to.”
Michael sat back with her and ran a hand through his hair. Somehow it always settled back into the perfect coif. Not like Niki’s. If he did that his curls would be unmanageable for the rest of the day.
“Your turn,” Niki said to them. “I feel like I’ve missed everything. What were the vampire kids like and did Ethan really tell them to clean up their act or get out of town?” He asked as he tugged his sleeve back over the mark. It was cool and black once more, gone dormant, but always waiting, hungry for him to call upon it again.