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  “Hey, Jess, Sleeping Beauty's awake.” He turned to glower at me. “Feeling better now, dog-meat?” I wasn’t going to pretend to imagine that he gave a damn, and so politely, I gave him a curt nod.

  “Hey, um, Alastair... where's that douche, Tristan?” I asked sheepishly, although I wasn’t technically scared of Alastair, I still felt uncomfortable talking to him.

  Alastair scoffed. “I have him out running patrol, we're expecting company, and he delayed things with you enough already.” He rubbed some remnants of milk from his face, dropping his spoon in the empty bowl.

  Shortly afterward, Jessica walked into the kitchen, exchanging a glance with Alastair; he stood up, throwing his bowl in the sink and pulled out a cigarette as he walked outside through a gauzed shutter door at the side of the kitchen. It protested with a creak as it was flung back.

  “Si, how are you feeling, little brother?” Jessica was glowing, she swooped down picking up the saucepan; she examined it and put it on the rack by the sink above me.

  “So, what's his deal?” I asked, although part of me thought I already knew.

  “Alastair? Don’t worry; he's just stressed because things are wound tight enough as it is, and now with having to break you in too... It makes things more challenging, and while our pack leader is unconscious, it just makes things even more, well... Like I said... stretched.” She said the words softly, and looked at me; a slight grimace took hold of her face. She closed both her eyes and guffawed. Recomposing herself she poured herself a drink of water.

  “I really hope you’re a quick learner.” She held the glass out for me, “Here drink this, it's just water, I promise.” She nodded to me encouragingly. I wasn’t about to refuse a glass of water; my mouth felt like it was as dry as the Gobi desert.

  “Star, thanks for keeping an eye on him.” Jess turned and yelled through the window, I could hear some incoherent mumbling. The only part that I could make out was “freaking” and “idiot”. I could assume he wasn't saying anything that I wanted to hear.

  “So, uh, what's the deal here; can I go?” I asked, cautiously.

  Jess paused, clearly taken off guard, pausing for a moment; she let out a heartfelt sigh as she leant on the nearby counter.

  “You’re not being held against your will, if that's what you’re asking, Si.” Jessica had lost her upbeat attitude as she spoke, in fact she sounded deflated.

  “To be honest with you, yeah that was kind of what I was ask-” Before I had a chance to finish, Jessica interjected.

  “I'm sorry, Simon, like I said, you are not a prisoner, but you can't go until you learn to control your gift.” A very serious note was being struck with her words, although me being the idiot that I am, I was not one hundred percent what it was.

  “Wait didn't you jus-” I tried to speak, but she interrupted me again.

  “Please, Si, you have to understand. We have risked a lot to get you here, and so you’re our responsibility. That means, that if you get over excited again, and change, you are not only at risk of losing yourself, but everyone around you at the time. How you didn't kill everyone on your way to Michigan, I don't know. Where is it you're from?” She was distracting me with questions.

  I tried to remain as tolerant and polite as I could, but could I really be that dangerous? Well at least I didn’t feel that I could.

  The next words that I spoke were barely audible. My head was still radiating with pain as I attempted to recall my transition in the alley. I was remembering more parts of what happened, and could remember feeling the pain constantly increasing up to a point... Right around the time my organs began to swell, and my bones began to crack from the internal pressure.

  “As soon as the pain got intense, it was as if I was locked away in the back of my head, and my instincts took over...” I wasn't sure about mentioning the voice roaring in my head for blood, and god knows what else. If I did, it would probably end with a phone call to the men in white coats. I pictured the awkward conversation in my head.

  “So, you, never felt it?” Her comment snapped me out of my mental flunk.

  “Felt what?” I snappily replied.

  “You know what; we'll get you to that point later. So now could you answer something else? Where are you from?” Jessica was still leant over the sink washing the various dishes cluttering the washing bowl, she handed me a towel and nodded for me to stand next to her and dry.

  “Kingston, Ontario is where I come from... So where do these dishes live?” I was happy to comply. After all, it wasn’t her fault; at least I didn’t think that it was her fault.

  “Just put them on the counter, Si... So... When was it, that you lost control?” Her questions were growing more and more frequent, like she was trying to sound like a cop.

  “I don't know, it was Friday. You know, the last day of school in June,” I said as I struggled with the plates, not really thinking any more of it. I determinedly searched for their correct homes. I hadn’t noticed her freeze at my comment.

  “Sorry, Si, can you say that again... I couldn't hear you over the water.” She was still motionless where she stood; a soap-sud covered hand tightly gripped a sponge.

  “Like I said... It was mid-June; we just finished up at school and hit a club to celebrate. I didn't even get a chance to get my groove on.” I paused, waiting to see if my attempt at humour got a response. Jess's expression was blank; eyeing me quizzically she turned from the sink and walked out through the shutter door. It swung with a heavy thud. I could hear her talking to Alastair, a hint of urgency had crept into her tone. She was nearly out of earshot; part of me wanted to follow to hear what was being said, but truthfully, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to. My guess was I had said something that she didn't like the sounds of.

  A moment later the doors exploded open, Alastair came in, followed by Jessica.

  “Si, tell Alastair what you just said to me,” Jessica pleaded.

  “What? That I finished school in June? Or, I went out that night to celebrate with a friend where things got crazy, and I woke up with an animal carcass draped over me like a fucking duvet? Well... What part?” I practically spat the words toward them; I hadn’t intended on speaking so vehemently.

  Alastair sniffed in an aggravated lung full of air, and they carried on their conversation, this time I could hear what was being said.

  “He was out that long and managed to regain control?” Jessica questioned Alastair; he was sharing the same questioning look as Jessica had before.

  “What?” I asked, feeling annoyed at clearly being out the loop… and the hangover… that sucked. This wasn’t what I needed right now. “What the hell is happening? Like I'm not freaked out enough as it is without you two looking at me like I just told you that I eat kittens.” I slammed the cupboard door shut as I found an adequate location for the stray plate I held in my hand.

  “Si, we are in August now... You were out of control for nearly two months, and there was no report on the news, no missing person’s reports, nothing. What the hell have you done?” Jess sounded mortified. I was unsure what to say, and that pissed me off even more because I used to always have something to say.

  “Listen closely, dog meat; one of the main rules of being a Lycanthrope is that you do not change for more than a couple of days if you have to. Any longer and you will forget how to be human, and eventually you'll forget entirely that you ever were.” Alastair was still looking at me up and down, like he was looking for a freaking tail or something. “It's a real double-edged sword, Si. We don't really have the time right now to explain everything to you, so... Now begs the question… What the hell have you been doing for the past few months, and why did we only pick your scent up last night?”

  “I don't know. Maybe you’re all just shitty werewolves?” Not very surprisingly, I didn't have a clue what to say.

  Alastair scoffed, freezing in his place; his dark eyes gleamed with malice. With a new found grim expression on his face, he turned to Jessica.

>   “Get dog-meat to Lycaon... Now, Jessica, go! Si, be ready to carry him.”

  Fluctuations of anxiety panged through me, I had no idea what was happening, then again I suppose I was getting used to not having a clue as to what was going on around me. Without further need for instructions, Jessica took me by the hand and dragged me from the room. I staggered after her, my legs still not back to normal. I wasn’t sure if it was from the booze or the drugs... It felt like it was the first time I tried to walk, let alone run.

  It was my first real opportunity to look at the building’s interior. So far, all I had seen was the basement and the kitchen. I was busting for the toilet. It looked like an old cabin; the size was impressive. Parts of the wood and plaster wall looked faded, and there were some trophies mounted on the walls in the living room, all stuffed animals of various breeds hanging over the fireplace. It looked like taxidermy was a big part of the past time up here. Several sets of eyes followed me around the room; it was kind of a surreal feeling. If what Kaitlyn had been saying was true, I could be anyone of these things.

  I was taken through the suite and up to Lycaon's room on the second floor.

  “Okay, Si, I have to go get some stuff together that we might need. Be ready to lift him and run,” she said as she moved to the corner, picking up a duffel bag which she began to fill with some medical supplies, fairly low tech stuff.

  “I still have no idea what the hell is happening, Jessica...” My words fell on deaf ears; I could see she was still preoccupied.

  I looked around the room and at Lycaon; he didn’t seem to badly hurt, he simply lay in the bed, dead to the world. That was until I noticed the bin in the corner was full of soiled gauze and bandages. There was no mistaking it; it was old blood.

  What on earth did Lycaon have to endure? I questioned myself. Jess saw me looking at him; she turned and spoke as she continued to pack the duffel bag.

  “If you really want to know what happened... Kaitlyn severed his spinal column, and ruptured a few of his internal organs. When I arrived with the pack, he was being held lifeless, just suspended off of the ground. She was trying to make him drown in his own blood.” She stoked his hand affectionately; there was no reaction from him. I was lost for words. What could I say that would even matter, other than the obvious? Kaitlyn is a nasty piece of work.

  The cabin shook with what sounded like an explosion. There was a twinkling sound like that of a wind chime, which was actually a chorus of broken glass hailing from the windows. The sound originated from downstairs, with worry clear on my face, I turned to Jessica. My pulse began to climb again, adrenaline flooded through my system.

  The sound of scattered footsteps crunching glass came from downstairs. Fear began to fix its deep roots in me as the staircase began to creak; without flinching, Jess threw the duffel bag to me.

  “Get out now. Take the Jeep; the keys are in the bag. If his bandages get soaked, just clean and dress them. His healing should hopefully do the rest...”

  “But, if his spinal column was-”

  She held her finger to her lips, hushing me. With an agitated sigh I paced over to Lycaon and lifted him onto my shoulders, turning to look out the window. From where I was standing, I could clearly see the Jeep. It was just feet away from the main cabin. Jess nodded towards the window; slowly I pried it open, trying to make as little noise as possible. I was halfway out when the door was forced inwards. A huge albino wolf stood in the doorway, watching me as I attempted to balance both the duffel bag and Lycaon. Before it had a chance to register that Jess was there, she exploded in white heat. Her clothes burnt to a crisp in an instant, revealing her pale grey and white coat, her sheer expanding size propelled me forwards. My steps faltered as I very nearly fell from the roof. She lunged for the wolf’s throat, slamming it into the doorway; they tumbled down the staircase in a snarling blur. With my bumbling balance, I lost grip of Lycaon. He was sliding down the grubby roof tiles, stopping inches from the gutter. I flung the bag on the floor aiming it toward the jeep. I managed to grab his arm, stopping him from sliding from the roof entirely. I sighed with relief as I once again hoisted him onto my shoulders and dropped from the roof. I expected to feel writhing agony with the wait focussed and fully expected to of shattered my ankles; fortunately, the only break was the decking below me. I stepped out, relatively unscathed. There were thunderous cracks and crunches echoing from the woods around me. I didn’t pause to look and broke into a sprint, my sight never leaving the Jeep. Managing to snatch the bag up mid stride, I manoeuvred myself to the rear of the jeep and popped the door open, carefully spreading Lycaon across the back seat, and duffel bag along the floor. I jumped into the driver’s side and rammed the key into the ignition.

  Why the hell did I not pay more attention in Drivers ED? Umm let’s see, mirrors... Fuck it.

  There was a sawn off shot gun in the passenger foot-well and a box of cartridges on the dash. My heart was still pounding away in my head. I reached for the gun, shakily. I checked the rear view mirror, struggling with the gear-stick as I forced it into reverse. Looking in the rear-view mirror, ready to move the cold disbelief that rocked me, a gigantic wolf was glaring at me with its piercing amber eyes. I could see blood smeared along its snout, and I couldn't tell if it was friendly or not, and quite frankly I didn't want to hang around to find out.

  The engine roared to life, to my relief. I knew I was okay with the first three gears. It was the fourth and fifth I would sometimes get muddled up, along with reverse. I tried to thumb the gun as slyly as I could, loading shells into the chamber. Keeping my eyes locked on the werewolf, I dropped a cartridge on the floor in my haste, momentarily taking my eyes off the wolf. When I looked back, it had disappeared. I prayed to myself quietly that it was an ally and not one of the attackers. I floored it and sped off along the dirt track in front of me. I gazed around warily; I couldn't see anything pursuing us. My thoughts were fixed on where the hell I could go... One idea sprung to mind; I had to go home. It looked like Lycaon was coming with me so I toyed over taking him to a hospital, and I think it was out of fear that I decided against it.

  Chapter 7

  After a really hairy, twenty minutes of psychotic driving with me still getting used to the jeep, we finally made it out of the woodland and off the dirt onto a main road. Fortunately, it only took me about another five minutes before we were in a populated area; so I took the opportunity to pull over, check on Lycaon, the shotgun, all the while I rummaged around in the glove-box for shotgun cartridges. I found a map which could really help in the immediate situation.

  Werewolves… they can spend money on guns and ammo, but they won’t shell out for a damn GPS.

  I could feel that my heart-rate was beginning to settle; the absence of the endorphins was making me a little drowsy, to be honest. I had spent nearly the entire time feeling terrified. Now when I looked at Lycaon, it was less with concern for his wellbeing and more of a kind of envy. I guess this was because he got to sleep through it… It was probably childish to say, I know.

  After we had been back on the road for a few hours, I was growing concerned with the gas issues. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to ditch the car and drag Lycaon around, or just drop him off at a hospital.

  As soon as the amber light turned on, letting me know the jeep was just running on fumes, I began to really panic. I had to take a breather and figure out my next move. Stretching my legs seemed like a good idea, too; so I pulled off into the gravel, hopped out, and stretched. It was probably the best time to change some of Lycaon’s bandages, at least the ones that looked spoiled. It took a second rifling through the duffel bag before I found something more than medical gauze.

  There was a wad of cash that looked like it was at least a grand. It was the most money I had held, and I found myself making squeaking sounds out of excitement, this means the next gas station I can get what I want… Usually that idea would feel appealing, but I didn’t want to rest until I got home. I also found a sack
of blue, powdery stuff, which I wasn’t sure if it was some kind of narcotic, medicine, or heck, even a sack of pool cue chalk. It was more than I had seen in my life, let alone held. Not counting movies of course.

  When I eventually found the town, it was sundown. I hoped the several hundred miles we had traversed was enough to throw the wolves off... There was heavy rain hammering down on the Jeep when we pulled up at a motel. After securing a room, I dragged Lycaon in when it was dark enough. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep for fear of it all, but as soon as I parked my butt on the mattress, I was out for the count. The following morning I learnt a whole new kind of grossness. You really don’t want the details, but let’s just say that Lycaon was unconscious for a while, and it had to go somewhere.

  I spoke to the motel's manager. He gave me directions to possibly the handiest thing you could get for a car, peripheral wise. There was a store in town that held in stock a handy GPS. With my new best friend, grating voice aside, I found my way home.

  The light was fading as we finally pulled up at my place. My butt was killing me. On the bright side of things, I didn't get stopped at the border. Hell, I even managed to go the whole trip without getting pulled over. I think I was really getting the hang of this driving thing. It was touch and go for a while, when I would slam my foot on the clutch instead of the brakes, but I quickly corrected the mistake. A, B, C, I kept telling myself; Accelerator, Brake, Clutch.