Adam shook his head. "No, it will be as a bad dream, a long nightmare he felt he couldn't escape."
"Well, let's get this cure and get this nightmare over for all of us," Dad spoke up.
We carried Adam upstairs and he handed me one of the vials. When I returned downstairs I found Mom had propped Eb's back against a wall. The man's head swayed from side to side and he groaned. She turned to me with her serene smile. "Do you think we should mix the cure with some cocoa? It might make it go down easier." I had to admire her practicality and calm demeanor in a stressful time like this.
"He's not going to be feeling too well after this, so we may as well skip everything," I told her.
"All right." My mom grabbed his jaw and pulled it open. "Down the hatch. Here comes the airplane."
I snorted, and tipped the vial into his mouth. The thick liquid poured down his throat, and when the last drop was gone Mom shut his jaw and patted his head. "There. All better. How soon does it work?"
"He'll feel the effects in an hour or two," I replied.
"Well, we'd better make him comfortable on the couch." She glanced around the living room and sighed. The couch was overturned, and the rest of the room was in the same state. "Well, after we do some cleaning."
Nothing was permanently damaged that couldn't be replaced, and soon Eb lay on the righted couch with a quilt over him. Mom got to work on the rest of the house while I went upstairs to check on Adam. I opened the door and stepped inside the guest bedroom. My dad and Adam both sat on the end of the bed, and they both started when I entered.
My dad jumped to his feet and coughed. "Well, so long as you don't have any intention to eat my daughter then I give you my permission."
"Dad! He's not going to eat anyone!" I scolded him. I paused as his words belatedly sank in. "What permission?"
Adam looked to my dad, who nodded in return. My boyfriend pulled open the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a small, nondescript plastic bag. He pulled out a small case with the logo of a local jewelers. My heart gave a quick thu-thump as Adam got down on one knee in front of me and opened the ring case. A large, gold ring glittered in front of me.
"Christina Annie Monet, will you marry me?" he asked me.
"I-I-"
"Just say yes," my dad quipped.
I glared at him. "I was getting there!" I turned my attention back to Adam, and my smile returned. "Of course I'll marry you, you silly werewolf."
Adam grinned and pulled the ring from the case. He slid it onto my finger and I had to admire the dozen tiny crystals around a large, moon-shaped diamond. "I thought the design would be fitting," Adam explained.
I jumped him and wrapped my arms around his neck so I could rub my nose against his. "Very."
I captured his lips in a lustful, passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight against him. We were in bliss, in heaven, in-the company of both my parents. My dad coughed and brought us back to the rest of the world. I released Adam, and he released me so I slid to the floor and smiled at my dad who now stood by the door with my mom.
"You knew all about this, didn't you?" I accused them.
"Well, perhaps we knew something," Mom admitted.
"We knew everything," he gleefully replied.
"Traitors, siding with the in-law," I scolded them. For all my scolding I ran over to them and gave them each a hug. "But thanks for helping him. Sometimes Adam can be a little clumsy when being a human."
Our perfect moment was ruined by the sound of a body hitting the floor downstairs. We blinked at each other for a moment before we all rushed to the living room. There, on the floor in front of the couch, was Eb. He weakly thrashed inside his quilt cocoon which my mom effectively wrapped him inside.
"Get me out of this thing! What the hell's going on?" he growled.
I chuckled. "Looks like Eb's back to his old self," I commented.
"Where the hell am I?" He noticed us staring at him and glared at us. "Ralph Monet! What the hell am I doing here? What happened to that thing that was chasing me?" he questioned us.
Dad walked over and helped him out of the quilt. "Just a case of eating bad mushrooms. All those hallucinations made you think you were being chased by something," my dad assured him.
"Don't you use your big, fancy editor words on me! This was no hail-Lucy-anything! This was real!" Eb argued. He paused and furrowed his brow. "Wasn't it?"
Dad patted him on the shoulders. "We'll get everything straightened out. You probably just saw that wolf that got Old Greg's cows and thought it kept chasing you."
Eb frowned. "But I swear there was one chasing me. It started doing it after that shadow crept into my cabin and pricked me something fierce."
I noticed Adam stiffened by my side. "What is it?" I whispered.
"Later," he returned.
"Well, let's get you a stiff drink and some time to relax, and everything will work itself out," my dad argued. He and my mom led Eb to the kitchen, leaving me alone with Adam.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
"Eb's story of being 'pricked something fierce' is very similar to the sensation I had during my transformation," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but didn't yours last a while? Like a few weeks? And Bunny didn't act sick at all," I reminded him.
"It did, but the transformation is never the same for anyone. I believe this 'prick' was what Eb felt when another werewolf infected him."
"So who was the other werewolf, and why would anyone want to make a woodsman into a werewolf?" I wondered.
He shook his head. "That is a mystery I don't believe we will solve."
I sighed and shrugged. The ring on my finger was consolation enough for this mystery. "Oh well. Guess we'll just have to get married and go on a really long honeymoon."
Adam grinned and pulled me against his side. "A very long one."
Falling For A Wolf #6
Chapter 1
"Hammer."
"Here."
"Nail."
"Here."
"Attitude."
"Definitely here," I replied.
It was a dark and cold morning as I helped my dad hang up the last of the fallen pictures. Adam and my adventure with Eb the Werewolf were long behind us, a whole two days and a half behind us. My parents had insisted we stick around for at least another few days. At least, my mom insisted. My dad demanded it. Unfortunately, it wasn't because he missed me so desperately, but because of the utter mess Adam's fight had caused to the house. All the repairs had to be done on a budget, too. Their house insurance didn't cover werewolf fights.
Thwack thwack went the hammer. My dad stepped back and admired the repaired family photo, and all the rest of the pictures on the wall in the living room. "All right, that should do it," he told me.
My shoulders slumped and I sighed. "Are you sure there isn't a loose nail or a bit of peeled wallpaper we missed?" I sarcastically asked him.
His eyes browsed the room and he shook his head. "Nope, looks good as new."
"Good, let's eat breakfast," I suggested.
I tossed off the yoke of the spare tool belt that lay around my waist and hurried to the dining room across the hall. The faint aromas of my mom's cooking wafted from the kitchen and filled the house with promises of a full stomach. I peeked into the dining room and found Adam setting the table. He sported an apron on his front that had a print of purple flowers.
"Nice apron," I teased him as I slipped into the room.
He paused and looked down at himself. "Your mother insisted. It was either this or the one with the print of her skull collection."
"I see. Didn't want to lose your appetite?" I guessed as I sat in my seat.
"I thought perhaps the small animal bodies were too apt to my situation in life," he pointed out.
I snorted. "You may be a werewolf, but I can't imagine you dining on squirrel burger."
"There has been many a cold night where I dined on worse fare," he told me as he resumed his chore.<
br />
Dad entered the room and took his seat at the head of the table. "I would rather you two not talk about such things at the table," he scolded us.
A sly grin slipped onto my lips and I leaned towards Adam. "Then why don't we talk about what we're going to do on our honeymoon?" I suggested.
"Not that, either!" Dad growled.
"Not so loud, Ralph, honey," Mom scolded him as she swept into the room with a platter of pancakes in her hands.
"They started it!" he defended himself.
"Ralph," Mom warned him.
I was saved the embarrassment of my dad sulking when I heard a knock on the door. I jumped to my feet and moved towards the dining room entrance. "Be right back," I called to them.
I slid over to the front door and opened the entrance a crack. On the porch stood the raggediest man I'd ever seen. His ragged clothes were patches of rags held together with more patches of rags. He was stooped over, but stood at a height between Adam and mine. His bent head was mostly covered by a ragged hood so that I couldn't get a good look at his face.
"Is an Adam Smith residing in this residence?" the person asked me. Judging by his voice he was male and about the same age as my dad.
I started at the name. "How do you know that?" I questioned him.
He chuckled. "I happen to have some business with him. May I come in?"
"I-I don't know about that. Let me get Adam," I suggested. I tried to shut the door, but his gnarled hand whipped out and caught the entrance before the knob caught the latch. He pushed it open with little effort and pushed past me into the house. "Adam!" I yelped as I stumbled back.
Adam and my parents stepped out of the living room. My savior took in the situation and his eyes fell on the stranger. He growled and lunged at the man. His hands wrapped around the man's ragged collar, and Adam slammed him against the wall closest to the front door.
"He knows who you are," I yelled to Adam.
Adam's eyes narrowed and he tried to study the man's face, but the stranger touched his chin to his chest and evaded Adam's inspection. "Who are you?" Adam demanded to know.
The man chuckled and raised his head. The hood fell back and revealed a man of fifty with graying temples and wrinkles about his pale cheeks. "Hello, Adam. Long time no see," he quipped.
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 a
nd 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 acquaintance 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."