High School Bites

by Rachael Alcobia

  “I think there’s more we need to discuss, Kodi.” He jumped to the floor and ran out the door, making me think he’d disagreed. Several seconds later, he strolled in wearing a black t-shirt and green cargo shorts and watched me carefully. I gave him a reassuring smile.

  “It’s okay Kodi. It actually makes a lot of sense that you were my wolf.” I froze. Heat flushed my face. “I’m sorry, I have to break that habit.” He laughed.

  “Only if you want to.” The look in his eyes was one that I couldn’t read.

  “Kodi, why did the wolf-you come to my tent that night? If you wanted beef jerky you could have asked for it as a human.”

  He looked down shamefully. “I was cheating. When Stephen said that the smell on you had resembled that of his grandfather’s cancer, I panicked. Stephen said you’d be on medications if that was it, so I was going through your backpack to see if there were any, but you caught me before I could.”

  I didn’t know what to feel. Anger at the invasion of privacy or flattered that he cared so much. Why did he care so much?

  “Kodi. We’ve known each other for years. Why is it so different between us this year?” His eye twitched and I knew I’d struck a nerve.

  Kodi sighed. “Meghan, I know we’ve agreed to keep no secrets, but I ask that you leave that one for later. I don’t think you’re ready to hear that explanation and honestly, I’m just not ready to tell you, as I’m still struggling with it.”

  Struggling with being closer to me? I chose to remain silent and just nodded in agreement. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know anymore either but seriously…how do your top werewolf? As I looked at his stern face, I’d have given anything to put a smile on it.

  “How about a pizza?” He looked at me in shock and when I smiled at him, his face lit up. He could turn into a wolf. If he says I’m not sick, then I was more than willing to put it to the test. Besides, something was definitely different if I still wanted food after that bowl of soup.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said as he stalked out of the room. I readjusted my position on the bed and a twinge of pain shot to my shoulder. Curious, I decided to investigate. For the first time, I noticed that someone had cut the strap of the tank top on the injured side, probably to eliminate any pressure on the wound. That was smart thinking. I slowly peeled back the tape on one side of the large gauze bandage and peeked underneath it. It was ugly. My shoulder was shredded with several jagged wounds that were held together by black stitches. Dr. Thomas did good work. The skin was swollen and tinted with green and purple hues. There was dried blood in every crevice.

  “We need to change that.” I looked up to find Dr. Thomas with a smile on his face. “I’m glad to see that you’re still with us, Meghan. Good help is so hard to come by these days. Also, Jane would have killed me if I’d let you die on my watch.”

  I laughed, “Hey Dr. Thomas. I’m glad I’m still here too. Thank you for that.”

  He shook his head, “You’ve got Jack to thank for that, dear.”

  “Jack?” I asked. “Kodi’s father?” A hazy memory pushed itself forward in my mind. The older version of Kodi leaning over me as I lay dying. His hands were grasping my head and he was making me look at him. Dr. Thomas’s voice dragged me back to the present.

  “Yep, that’d be him. Do you remember much of last night?” he looked down his glasses at me.

  “He was talking to me. He held my head still.” I waited to see if I’d answered correctly.

  “I don’t quite understand the metaphysics of it all, but from what I do know, it takes eye contact for Jack to do what he did. I also know that if Kodi’s father wasn’t Alpha, you would have died last night.” His smile had faded to a frown and I didn’t blame him. His words didn’t make me very happy either. They also confused me.

  “What did he do?” Dr. Thomas strode further into the room and sat down in the rocking chair that Kodi had occupied.

  “Being Alpha of a werewolf pack comes with certain perks. Since you were bitten by a werewolf, you now carry that DNA strain in you. Jack was able to push his own power to strengthen that dormant strain temporarily to speed your healing considerably. It took a lot of effort and power to do it and he’s paying for it today. He’ll need his rest and lots of food, much like you. I suspect that’s why Kodi just ordered twelve large pizzas for a house that only has five people.”

  My eyes widened. I hope he didn’t plan on having me eat more than a slice or two. How he managed to get anyone to deliver out way out here was beyond me. The rest of his words sank in and I fought off a wave of anxiety. I had werewolf DNA? Wow. Simone was a real bitch. I decided to come out straight with it.

  “Am I going to become a werewolf?” I didn’t like the look he gave me.

  “Kodi has asked to be the one to explain everything else to you. He still blames himself for what happened. I believe he chooses to be your personal deliverer of bad news to punish himself. He thinks you should be angry with him if anyone.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that. Kodi dove into a raging river at night to get to me. To rescue me. I could never be angry with him.

  “Why does he blame himself?” I asked incredulously.

  Dr. Thomas gave a sympathetic shrug, “You’ll have to ask him that.”

  We made small talk for the next several minutes while he gently cleaned and redressed my shoulder. As careful as he’d been, I’d needed another pain pill when he was finished. Unfortunately, the medication made me drowsy again so, tucked into the warm blanket on Kodi’s bed, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  I was dreaming. Thankfully, I was finally out of the woods behind Kodi’s house and was instead looking down at the crystal blue of the Mountain Falls High School swimming pool. I longed to dive into it and feel my limbs slicing through the water, but my injury put a stop to any plans to do so.

  “Go ahead.”

  Thinking I’d been alone, I jumped at the voice. Kodi walked down the steps of the bleachers that I hadn’t noticed before.

  I nodded to him. “Back again, I see.”

  He smiled and motioned toward the pool. “You going in?”

  I snorted. “Yeah, right. Swim with one arm and bleed out into the water. Great idea.”

  “Meghan, this is a dream. Your arm is fine here.” What was he talking about? I looked to my shoulder and saw that he was right. I wore the same top as before, only the strap wasn’t cut anymore and there was no wound.

  “How is this possible?” I asked him as I rotated my arm, testing his words. He was right. It felt as good as new.

  “In a dream, you can do all sorts of things. First, I need you to understand that even though it’s a dream, it’s the real us. When we wake up, we’ll both remember everything like an actual memory. Last time I kissed you, then you ran away and tripped over a rock.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I changed the subject.

  “Kodi, am I going to be a werewolf?” he sighed, as if he’d known I was going to ask sooner or later and had hoped it was later. He hesitated so I put my hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey. You said we would be honest. That still applies in dreams, right?”

  He smirked and nodded before looking at me.

  “If you survive the first change, you will be a werewolf.”

  His words were like a slap in the face. “If I survive? What’s the first change?” I asked.

  He looked at the rippling water. “There are two ways to become a werewolf. You’re either Born or you’re Changed. A Born werewolf has their first change at age thirteen, sort of like hitting puberty. It’s very painful but tolerable and our lives are not at risk. Being Changed is different. Your body wasn’t meant for the shift. It will be longer, excruciating. It will test you.”

  Maggie’s words echoed through my mind then. “You will be tested,” she’d said. This must be what she’d meant. I remained silent as Kodi continued.

  “Your first change will happen on the first full moon after you w
ere bitten. To endure the pain, you will need strength of will as well as strength of the body. If your mind weakens too much or your body gives up, you will die.” He hesitated on that last part and I didn’t blame him.

  My heart pounded in my chest as he quickly strode toward me and cupped my face in his hands.

  “I know you can do this.”

  I wasn’t so sure. “What if I survive? What then?”

  He dropped his hands back to his sides and turned away from me.

  “Then you’ll be like me. A werewolf,” he said solemnly.

  I think he was waiting for the same horrified outburst that I’d been expecting from myself, but it never came and neither did the urge to do so. Did I want to be a werewolf? Maybe not. But would I rather be dead, be it by bite or cancer? Definitely not.

  “Kodi, I have a chance to live. I didn’t have that with cancer. I know the chance is small, but it’s still a chance. Don’t you think that gaining the ability to become a majestic animal is a small price to pay?”

  He turned to me with doubt clouding his features. “You don’t think I’m a monster?”

  I laughed and it caused him to frown. “A monster?” I asked incredulously. “You saved my life, Kodi. I met you in grade school when you defended a student to a bully for no other reason than to help. I almost died and you know what? I’d have rather died with you holding my hand like you did that night, than to do so alone in some shoddy hospital bed.” I watched the movement his throat made when he swallowed before returning my eyes to his face. “You could never be a monster, Kodi.”

  I never even saw him move. One second, he was standing a few feet away from me and in the next, his arms were just suddenly around me and his lips were on mine. My period of shock was short-lived before my arms curled around his neck and I kissed him back. Something occurred to me. He’d remembered kissing me and he’d said we shared dreams. How common was that among werewolves? And how had it happened before I’d even been bitten? I remembered then when I’d gone to his mother’s classroom to get my bag that I’d left there, they had been talking about that very same thing. He’d also said later that there was something else he needed to tell me but wasn’t ready to. As Kodi’s mouth sizzled against mine, all of my questions faded away. This time, I didn’t try to run but it didn’t matter. I was falling.

  Nine

  “Meghan.”

  I woke to find Mrs. Barrett standing over me.

  “Meghan, I’ve prepared a hot bath for you and I left clean clothes on the counter. Jack is waking Kodi up. We are having a meeting in the kitchen as soon as you kids are ready.”

  I politely thanked her, and she gave my non-injured shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room. I wondered where Kodi had slept since I’d been occupying his bedroom. Pulling back the covers, I slowly rose to my fee. Thankfully, the pain in my shoulder was currently no worse than a dull ache. Glancing at the clock, it read nine o’clock and it was still dark. That meant I’d only taken an hour-long nap so the pain meds I took earlier were still in effect. Having not spent much time outside of Kodi’s bed, I needed a good stretch before I made it outside of the bedroom. Entering the bathroom across the hall, I found a pile of clothes with a fresh towel folded atop them. I didn’t bother checking out the clothes. There was no way that with her slim, statuesque figure, that I’d fit into anything she owned. Carefully stripping out of Kodi’s tank and shorts, my first step into the hot water was a small taste of heaven. The bath was clouded with bubbles and I could smell lavender. I sat down into the water and let out an involuntary groan. I went boneless immediately and allowed my body to sag into the heat of the soothing water. As much as I wished that I could stay in the tub until the water had grown cold, I didn’t want to keep anyone waiting. After spending the next eleven minutes scrubbing my body, washing my hair, and replacing my bandages like Dr. Thomas had shown me, it was time to see what clothes I had to work with. Grabbing them from the counter I unfolded them and met with a pleasant surprise. The clothes were mine. Someone must have gone back for my things and for that I was grateful. Once I was dressed in a clean set of jeans and a black t-shirt with a metal band pictured on the front, I noticed my brush, deodorant stick, and toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter. Wow. These people really went all out for their guests. Feeling fresher than I had in days, I made my way downstairs and the smell of pizza made my mouth water. I met Mrs. Barrett at the bottom of the stairs.

  “This way, Meghan,” she said with a warm smile as she led me into a large foyer around the corner from the dining room table that I’d bled all over. Jack Barrett sat on a brown leather couch looking a little paler than I remembered. He greeted me with a smile, and I returned it in kind. There was a love seat and a bar with three stools, two of which were occupied by a man and a woman. They were there that night, in the dining room. They’d helped keep me alive. The way they sat so close and the wedding bands on their entwined fingers led me to the assumption that they were a couple. I nodded politely and hoped my gratitude showed on my face before I headed to the empty love seat and sat down. I was a little uncomfortable being surrounded by people I didn’t really know and sitting alone to gather my wits seemed like a wise decision. There was movement on the stairs and then rustling in the kitchen. Kodi emerged looking sleepy and wielded two plates with a few slices of pizza on each. He handed one to me and plopped next to me on the small couch and the warmth of his thigh against mine gave me comfort. I smiled and thanked him for the food. He had ordered extra pepperoni. I bit my lip to hide my smile. Mrs. Barrett joined us and sat next to her husband. There was a small end table next to the couch on my side and I sat the plate of pizza on top of it. I was hungry but I refused to eat when most of the room was staring at me. There was also still a small fear that I’d be puking it all up afterward. A quick glance to Kodi let me know that he didn’t have the same issues. Somehow, he only had half of a slice left on his plate.

  “Meghan.”

  I looked at Kodi’s father.

  “How much has Kodi told you?”

  I looked at Kodi and he nodded at me.

  “He told me that Simone is a werewolf. That he, you, and Mrs. Barrett are also werewolves. He told me the difference between Changed and Born. That I’ll either survive the change to a wolf or I’ll die. I think that’s about it.” For some reason I’d kept my eyes lowered to Jack Barrett’s chest as I spoke to him. He was wearing a shirt, so it wasn’t like I was checking him out or anything. It just seemed like something was stopping me from raising my eyes to his but felt more like it was out of respect than actual fear. Maybe a little bit of fear.

  Dr. Thomas walked in and took a seat on the vacant bar stool and gaining a little courage at seeing someone familiar to me, I spoke again.

  “Also, Dr. Thomas told me what you did for me. Thank you. All of you.” I looked from Jack to the two strangers, who smiled and nodded at me, to Dr. Thomas who sent a wink my way. Jack bowed his head for a moment.

  “There’s no need to thank us, Meghan. What was done to you was horrific and it went against our laws. It should never have happened. I promise you that it will not go unpunished. Tomorrow, the pack will meet. Simone will be brought forth by her parents, Sam and Linda. You will be in no danger.” Despite his last words, anxiety sprang to life in my chest and before I could express it, Kodi wrapped his warm hand around mine where it rested in my lap and gave it a squeeze. Bringing my eyes up to meet his, the determination on his handsome face put the anxiety to bed. He wouldn’t let anything happen to me. He didn’t need to say it. I could all but feel it coming from him. I was safe. With Kodi, I would be safe. I allowed myself to sink back into the couch and nodded at Jack. I didn’t want to see Simone. I was somewhere between terrified of her and so angry I felt I could rip her apart. The bitch had tried to kill me. A part of me wanted to wait until I had a chance to get to her as a wolf myself. On a level playing field, I’d bet my rage against her petty jealousy any day of the week. I cleared my throat before speak
ing.

  “What is the meeting for exactly?” Jack nodded as if he’d known I’d ask. Kodi had done that very same thing earlier.

  “Normally when something like this happens, we take care of the rogue wolf. Usually there’s a blood-crazed wolf and a dead body. You survived. Changed are not common among us. If a wolf hunts human, we put an end to him or her. We can’t allow the threat of exposure or to the place we call home. We don’t kill people. We adapt to survive. In most cases, a rogue is a werewolf that lets their animal side take control. They don’t generally leave a survivor, but Simone is young. She also underestimated you, and we are all thankful for that.”

  I remained silent as I soaked up all of the information I’d just gained. My first thought was that I was even more fortunate to be alive than I’d thought.

  “Am I going to school tomorrow?” I asked Mrs. Barrett.

  She shook her head, “No, Meghan. You’re not fully healed, and the pack meeting will take place at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. We’ve told the school that you and Kodi have caught a stomach bug and will be home until it’s gone away. We don’t mean to keep you from your studies. We only want what is best for you. You have all of us looking out for you now.”

  That reminded me of something. “Kodi mentioned that Jack got passes cleared with your family. You didn’t have to do that. I wouldn’t tell anyone anything.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Barrett looked at each other and gave a light chuckle. Jack leaned forward. “Meghan, we didn’t do it to protect ourselves or keep you prisoner. We did it to protect you. You are pack now and it’s my job to protect the pack. Once you return to the group home, you are always welcome to our home. After you survive the change, you should be around us as much as possible so that we can teach you to control the wolf.”