by A. D. McLain
Suddenly, Nicole’s head start to hurt again, and the pain slowly spread through the rest of her body. Everything became blurred, everything except the man’s strange eyes. Their color changed creating a hypnotic pattern she couldn’t draw her gaze away from. She found herself lost in those colors, forgetting everything but the color. Then, even his eyes blurred.
She heard a noise, somewhere off in the distance. It was soft at first, but it slowly grew louder. Nicole focused on the sound, unable to grasp any other coherent thoughts.
The man’s shadowy image left the room, but she couldn’t move. She had no thoughts or abilities to do anything. Her willpower was gone, leaving only perception. All she could see was a blur, and all she could feel was pain.
The sound grew, stopping only after another blurry figure entered the room, his footsteps pounding. Nicole suspected her head was going to explode, his every step seemed like a sledgehammer slamming into her brain.
Something settled on her shoulder and it felt like a thousand knives, cutting into her skin. Her throbbing head was filled with a sound so loud, her hands flew up to cover her ears, to try and protect herself. With the sound dulled, she realized what she was hearing was a voice – David’s voice – but she couldn’t concentrate enough to work out what he was saying. She found herself being lowered onto a soft surface. Unable to stand the pain, she slipped into oblivion.
19
The first thing she noticed was a cool towel on her forehead. She was still in pain, but it was nowhere near as severe as it had been. There was a presence beside her, and for one absurd moment, she thought the wolf was near her, but the touch of a hand against her face quickly dismissed that thought.
Her eyes blinked open. Everything was blurry, the way it normally was when she wasn’t wearing her glasses. She wondered briefly if she’d only imagined being able to see, but it had seemed too real to disregard, hadn’t it? She looked around as much as she could, trying to avoid any sudden movements. It appeared she was back in her room at David’s house. David was sitting beside her, gently rubbing a finger up and down along the side of her face. She could just make out the worry creasing his forehead.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, sounding relieved..
She looked up into his deep, blue-green eyes and thought again of the wolf. Why was she thinking about him so much all of a sudden? Maybe it was because she hadn’t seen him in a couple of days. She focused her attention back on David, on the question he’d asked. “Okay, I guess. A bit drained, as if all my energy was sapped right out of me. Everything is sore.”
“What happened in your apartment?”
“My apartment?” Nicole couldn’t remember going to her apartment. The last thing she remembered was waking up after the explosion and being able to see without her glasses, or at least, thinking she could see. She still wasn’t sure which one it was.
“You went into your apartment to get some of your things. You were in there for a while. When I came looking for you, you were standing in your bedroom in a daze. I tried to get through to you, but it seemed like everything I did caused you more pain. You passed out shortly afterward.” David shook his head. He should never have let her go up there alone, but she’d needed time to herself Still, he should have pressed the issue and insisted he go up with her.
What David said sounded familiar, but she couldn’t seem to remember. It was exactly like it had been the day the man in the sunglasses followed her.
Thinking about him struck a memory. She could see him standing in her room, but she couldn’t remember what he’d said or done. She ran the image through her mind several times, trying to spark another memory.
She was concentrating so hard, she didn’t notice when she started to be surrounded by light, or when her head started to clear and the pain faded. The memory started to piece together in her mind like a half-forgotten dream. “The man wearing the sunglasses was in my apartment,” she started slowly. “He said he was there to help me, but I didn’t buy it. I told him as much. Then he took off his sunglasses and watched me with those strange eyes, and my head started throbbing, and everything blurred. It felt as if every nerve ending was burning with pain. I couldn’t think or move.”
“He stole your energy before you had a chance to completely heal. That’s why the pain hit you so hard. You didn’t have enough energy to fight it,” David said, more to himself than to Nicole.
She looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know all of that?”
He sighed. “Does it really matter right now?”
She stared at him and propped herself up on her elbows. “Yes, it matters! I— ” It suddenly occurred to Nicole that she could see his face clearly. Everything in the room was clear again. “I can see again!”
The corner of David’s lip curved up in amusement despite his efforts to stop it. She was so excited, but she had no idea about her healing abilities. The grin left his face. She was completely oblivious to what was happening to her. He should tell her what was going on, he’d let this situation go on for too long. The wolf was coming out, and she didn’t know the first thing about it. He needed to find a way to explain all of this to Nicole. “Your energy has had a chance to build up again,” he began, starting with what was easiest to explain.
“Years of myopia don’t just clear up because someone gets a good night’s sleep,” she pointed out.
“I’m not talking about that kind of energy. You’re beginning to tap into a different energy source.” The ringing of the doorbell echoed through the house. “I’ll be right back.”
David sighed in relief. He needed a minute or two to gather his thoughts before he basically destroyed Nicole’s entire concept of reality. Yeah, a minute would be nice.
Nicole watched in frustration when David left the room. It wasn’t long before curiosity got the better of her. She was feeling a lot better, so it wasn’t as if she really needed to stay in bed. She might as well find out what was going on, she reasoned. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall. Peeking around the corner, she discovered David talking to Officer Stevenson at the bottom of the stairs.
“How’s she doing?” he asked.
This was getting stranger by the minute. Why would David be talking to the police officer? She vaguely recalled hearing David tell John he should only talk to Officer Stevenson, but that only confused her more.
The voices downstairs faded, and another voice filled her head. “Nicole,” the voice repeated several times. She found herself inexplicably drawn to that voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. She found she was compelled to follow the voice, needed to go to it.
Nicole walked back into her room, automatically opening the balcony door and stepping out. Following the voice, she walked quickly down the circular staircase, hardly aware of the cold metal. She padded across the dew damp grass, only coming to a stop when she reached a clearing in the woods.
A figure stepped from the shadows and Nicole snapped out of her daze. “What am I doing here?” She glanced around the clearing, noticing for the first time how cold she was in her thin clothing and bare feet.
The man who’d been in her apartment came walking toward her. “Now, perhaps we can talk without interruption.”
When he stepped into the moonlight, Nicole noticed he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses. Even in this dim light, she could see his eyes changing color. Her thoughts started to cloud, but Nicole shook it off. “Oh no, I’m not going to let you mess with my mind, again.”
“You don’t even know who, or what, you are.”
He took another step closer, and she retreated another step. “Stay away from me.” She tried to surreptitiously work out in which direction the house lay, but she couldn’t figure it out. The trees blocked too much of her view, and she didn’t recognize her surroundings.
“Now, is that any way to treat your uncle?”
Nicole stared at him for a second. “Uncle?”
“Yes, before his unfortun
ate death, your father was my brother. I’ve been looking for you for many years. I feared you might have died as well.”
“How did he die?” Nicole found herself asking.
“A plane crash,” he whispered softly.
Thoughts of the nightmare came to Nicole’s mind: lighting, thunder, jolting movements, and surroundings which appeared to be the interior of a plane. What if he was telling the truth? Then something else he’d said came to the forefront of her mind. “What did you mean, when you said I don’t know what I am?”
Time for the clincher. He came a few steps closer and leaned in. “You’re a werewolf,” he whispered.
“What?” Nicole backed up several steps. He was obviously insane, it was the only explanation that made sense. “Look, I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but I’m out of here.” She turned around and started walking, hoping she was picking the right direction to reach the house.
“What I say is the truth.” His words followed her. “You’ve felt different lately, as if all of your senses were heightened.”
She froze mid step. How could he know about that?
“Strange things have been happening to you,” he said in measured tones. “You heal faster… your eyesight has improved.”. He knew he’d truly hit home when he saw her back stiffen. He smiled. Now he had her full attention.
Nicole turned around slowly and watched him guardedly. “It’s not possible.”
“Why not? You know it’s true. You can feel it. You are a werewolf, just like your father, just like your mother, and just like me.” He took another step toward her. “Don’t be afraid.” His voice was gentle, and he stared pointedly into her eyes. The colors swirled around his irises.
Nicole struggled to clear her thoughts. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
He hid his frustration. This was proving to be much more difficult that it should be. He poured more energy into his efforts. “I could show you, if you’ll come with me.”
She almost agreed, her head starting to throb, but then, she heard David’s voice inside her head, calling her name. “David. I have to get back to the house before he gets too worried.”
“Forget about David!” he growled. He took a slow breath, and his voice became low and gentle again. “David has known what you are all along. He just hasn’t told you the truth.”
“What are you talking about?”
“David is a werewolf, too, but he wants to use you. That’s why he hasn’t said anything. Our family is very powerful, which in turn makes you very powerful. David wants to exploit that power.”
Nicole narrowed her eyes. “What kind of power?”
“It’s manifested itself in different ways throughout the years. The generations of our family have been filled with those whose strength was unparalleled; those so quick, their movements could not be seen, even by our own kind. There have been strong psychics, and healers also. The stories are endless. David Coverton is an evil man, not someone to be trusted. He killed his own family, set their house on fire while everyone was asleep.”
Nicole shook her head. "David wouldn’t do that. He’s not like that.” She pressed a hand against her temple, the pain was starting to affect her, making it difficult to think clearly.
“Why, because he saved you a few times? It was all part of his plan. You don’t mean anything to him, Nicole. You’re just a means to an end.”
“No, no, I don’t believe that.” Nicole shook her head again and backed up. What he was saying couldn’t be true. She knew it, felt it in her heart. Still, the words nagged at her insecurities.
He could feel her resistance weakening and hid a triumphant smile.
“Leave her alone, Artemis.”
David stepped out of the darkness. Nicole’s mind instantly began to clear. She looked from David to the strange man who claimed to be her uncle and noticed his eyes had stopped changing colors. Maybe it had only been her imagination.
She returned her attention to David. Nicole had never seen so much veiled anger in his eyes before. It emanated from his body and was clearly focused on the other man. David took a few steps closer to them. “So, you’re the one who’s been tormenting Nicole.”
“I’m not the one who’s been keeping things from her. I’m just concerned for the well being of my niece.”
“I want you off of my property, Artemis.”
“Your property?” Artemis’ voice boomed. Anger filled him, his purpose here momentarily forgotten. How dare this upstart say such things to him? “You have no right to this land, and you know it.”
“I have more right to it than you do. You hated Richard.”
“He was my little brother! You were just a common thief who somehow wormed his way into Richard’s good graces. Then again, Richard always did care too much for those damned servants, so I guess his bad judgment where you were concerned shouldn’t be so surprising.”
Nicole saw David stiffen. “My past is my past. Now, you can either leave on your own, or I can remove you.”
Artemis was about to argue the point further when he noticed Nicole glancing back and forth between the two of them and remembered his reason for coming here. If he wanted to get on her good side, he needed to be more careful and not let his anger get out of hand. Better to go peacefully now and come back later, when Mr. Coverton wasn’t around to get in the way. At least he’d already planted the seeds of mistrust in her, he could see it in her eyes. If only he could stay and watch that street slime trying to explain all his lies. Artemis almost grinned. It would be fun to watch. He dusted off his sleeves and tilted his head to each side, cracking his neck audibly. “Fine, I’ll go.” He walked toward Nicole and paused, looking into her eyes. “Remember what I said.”
Nicole’s eyes widened. His lips hadn’t moved, but she’d clearly heard him speak.
The corners of Artemis’ lips turned up in a smile. He continued past her, disappearing into the shadows.
David came across to her as the second Artemis was gone. “Are you alright?” He reached a hand out to her.
Nicole took a quick step backwards, and put her hands up, palms facing outward. “Who are you?”
David sighed. The time for secrets was over. He’d waited for too long. Now that he knew Artemis was the one who’d been approaching her, he knew he had to tell her everything, now more than ever. “Why don’t we get out of the cold?”
Nicole shook her head adamantly. “I’m not moving until you tell me the truth.”
He took a deep breath and began. “My name is David Coverton, or at least, that’s the name I use now. David has always been my first name, but I’ve changed my surname a couple of times. I was born in 1814, not far from here actually. I met Richard, your father, when I was a kid. I was alone, living on the streets, and he took me in. What I told you before was true. He was the one who gave me a chance. He took care of me and gave me a home and a job. I’d never known that type of kindness before.” His voice roughened with emotion. He hadn’t talked about this in a while, but the memories were still very clear in his mind. It was almost as though it had only happened last week. “He taught me almost everything I know. When I was eighteen, he told me what he was.”
“Which was?” She was nearly too afraid to ask, but she forced the question out.
“The best way to describe it… is a werewolf,” he said, repeating what Artemis had told her.
She couldn’t believe her ears, but she forced herself to stay still and listen to the rest of his words. She needed to hear what he had to say. “It’s not the same as the ones you see in the movies. Richard explained he was more like a shape shifter than anything else. The wolf is a part of the person. It comes to their aid in times of trouble, or whenever it’s called. It doesn’t force the person to go out and kill during a full moon, or any of that crap. Richard was a natural born werewolf, and he told me he came from a long line of natural werewolves.” David ran his hand across the back of his neck. “You see, there are two ways a person can b
ecome a werewolf. They can be born one if their parents are both werewolves, or they can be changed through a transfer of blood. Natural werewolves are usually stronger, and they’re able to reach the wolf and the abilities it grants them at different times, depending on training and necessity.”
“Necessity?” she questioned, despite the voice in her head saying this was crazy.
“In a dangerous situation, sometimes the wolf will reveal itself in order to protect the person. Sometimes the abilities reveal themselves over time, and sometimes it happens far more quickly. In your case, some of your abilities – heightened hearing and smell, as well as resistance to the cold – manifested early. It’s only been recently, since you’ve had so many threats against your life, that the rest of your abilities have begun to reveal themselves. That’s why your eyesight improved, and the injuries from the explosion healed so quickly.”
Despite her doubt, Nicole found herself thinking that part made sense. It had seemed odd that she’d healed so quickly. The same thing had happened after her car brakes were sabotaged. She’d been sore and achy one minute, but when they’d reached the doctor’s, nothing hurt. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to believe all of this without thinking it over a little more. “That man said my family was very powerful.”
“That’s true,” David conceded. “It’s thought that yours could be the oldest werewolf family. No one knows how far back your lineage goes, but it’s unquestionably up there as one of the oldest. There are stories of extremely powerful werewolves coming from your line. You heal quicker, run faster, have sharper intellects – everything you can possibly imagine has been said about them.”
“Is it true?” She almost laughed. She wasn’t even sure if she believed any of this. She should probably decide if werewolves were real before she started debating the truth of individual details about their family line. But she kept her mouth shut. If this was a delusion, she might as well have her details straight so she could tell them all to the nice man with the white lab coat and the padded room later.