Chapter 4.
ABEL
I’ve been running for at least twenty minutes. That damned wolf won’t quit chasing me, I’m tired of running. I looked down at my leg, it is bloody. Why don’t I have any shoes on? I never go out for a run without my shoes. Oh, look there is Mr. Jones’ dog Jessie. “Jessie, here boy!” He pulled back his gums and bared his teeth at me. “Hey boy, it’s me, come on, you want to run with me?” Jessie was growling at me, man that sucks; you walk a dog for two years straight and he growls at you, dogs can be so dumb. Oh shit, was that gun fire? “Run Jessie, get out of here!”
I sit up drenched in sweat.
It’s been three days since Pru told me about werewolves. She keeps texting me and leaving voice mail but I don’t want to talk to her right now. I’m not really mad at her, I’m more upset that I didn’t have any clue about this. I’ve had the same dream every single time I fall asleep; poor Jessie is always mad and the gun shots scare me every time.
Another text from Pru, R U OK =)
I finally reply. TTYL
I hate blowing her off like I have for three days but I just can’t deal with it right now. The wolf has been in my yard every night, and in my dreams. It’s getting old but I have to be able to talk to her without wigging out.
My phone buzzes. “Come on, plez call me”
And again, “we have 2 talk, we have to train”
After five minutes “ABEL, stop ignoring me, we have 2 talk.”
I reply, “Not yet”
Women can be such pains in the ass because half an hour later I get a text from her “Hey, I’m walking up ur driveway. Ready or not here I come.”
I write. “WTH” Oh hell, women are insufferable pains.
“I got it! I got it!” I yell as I run down the stairs. I hear my mom asking what I got. “The door! Pru’s here.”
“Oh great, have her come in, there is plenty for dinner. Be careful though, if you want to kiss her, remember you’ve been sick the past few days and you don’t want her to get sick too,” my mom yells out.
“Jeez mom, I’m not going to get her sick and I’m not having her stay for dinner, you’ll have us having children before the dinner dishes are washed.” I pop a cherry tomato in my mouth as I sling open the front door.
“Why are you here?” I ask with my mouth full of cherry tomato.
“Come on Abe, we’ve got to talk. My family really needs to see you’re okay. You haven’t been at school, you haven’t returned my calls. You’re totally blowing me off.”
She looks me straight in the eye. I can’t help myself, I look away like a scorned kid. “I’ll talk to you, but not right here. Where is your car, we’ll talk out there.” I didn’t hear her car pull up when I got the text message.
“I parked down the street so you wouldn’t hear me pull up. I like the element of surprise. Surprise!” she says.
I snag a hoodie and head out the front door. “Mom, we’re going to sit in her car and listen to music, I’ll be in soon.” There is no way I am going to have my parents overhear us talking about supernatural stuff. My mom would freak out.
“I brought bribes, Snickers, your favorite. I figure I can always get you with food,” she lowers her voice “are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, I just needed to think, but I guess you don’t believe in giving anyone some time to think.” It came out a little snarky, maybe a lot snarky but seriously.
“I’d let you have more time, but I can’t Abe, listen, we have to train and until you know exactly what is going on. You’re in danger of getting hurt.”
“By who?” I turn to face her and see how sincere she is.
“Look, I really need you to come to the farm, we’ll explain it. Please?” She tilts her head to the side and gives me her sweet innocent girl look that she excels in.
How do they do that, make you agree to what they want just by a tilt of the head and a big smile? Damn.
“Yes. Yes. Yes. I’ll go if that will get you off my ass for five minutes!”
“Okay Mr. Smart Ass, I know you’re stressed about this and about meeting my family but you don’t have to get all high and mighty with me. I told you that I’m here for you and that I’m the one that is going to train you but I’m not going to waste my time if you’re going to be King Dingaling about it. Here’s the deal, I know already, and I’m already trained but you’re not. You’re the one that will suffer without my training. You’re the one that won’t know the Truth and will end up dead without a soul. So, you make up your mind how you want it to go. I’m done. Here’s your Snickers, just go. Send me a text when you think you and your almighty self will be ready.” She turns her head to look out the driver’s side window. Her pretty delicate hand with the short black nails grips the steering wheel.
“I’m sorry Pru. I’ll go with you, come on in and have dinner with us, and then you and I can go out to your farm when we’re done.”
I see her face loosen up and a smile creep in.
“Cool, do you have any dog chow?” She turns to look at me and grins from ear to ear.
“Uh, no. You don’t eat human food?” I ask.
“You should see your face! Ha! Of course I eat human food nitwit, you’ve had lunch with me every day, dork”
Like that, we are fine.
“Do you like cats?” I ask.
“Yeah, they’re delicious,” she swats my arm and says, “of course I like cats, I have a pet cat.”
“Does it like you? I mean, does it know what you are?”
“Yes, Snuggles knows what I am, I’ll explain about cats later. We need to get the other stuff understood before I tell you all of the extras.”
Dinner is uneventful, my mom doesn’t harass us about our nonexistent relationship and Pru is her charming self. That girl will be the death of me one day. Literally.
I love riding in her car, we crank up the music and haul tail to Choctaw. The fall leaves cover the street to her house like a brown and gold blanket. The sun is setting; I’ll never get over an Oklahoma sunset, with the oranges and pinks streaking across the sky like giant brush strokes. The lands may be flat, but that makes the sunset that more inspiring.
I feel a sense of calm. I’m barely out of the car when I see Alistar is traipsing over to us to get a better look. I swear he is the biggest dog I’ve ever seen!
Out of nowhere there are at least 10 guys standing out in front of the house. Any normal guy would feel insecure around a bunch of buff chiseled-looking guys. Thankfully, I’ve never claimed to be normal.
Pru was telling everyone to mind their own business and in about three seconds they all head in different directions.
“Wow, that is a pretty cool trick making them all leave. Are they relatives of yours?” I bumped her shoulder with mine trying to let her know I am okay.
“Uh, yeah. You heard me?” she looks a little surprised.
“Yeah, I can hear just fine, you can hear me too? Right? Oh, let me guess, this is some type of lesson?”
“That’s amazing, I didn’t speak words out loud. We need to get on with training pretty fast or you’re going to be bombarded with a bunch of new abilities and not be prepared for them.”
In the doorway stands a man, maybe 5’10”, 175 lbs, but I know who he is the moment I see him. He doesn’t look very old, actually he looks like he is maybe 30, but I know he is older. Pru explained to me that weres don’t age as fast as humans, although they do age. I feel his eyes on me, staring a hole through me, before I know it I am walking straight to him, compelled with no control by me. The guys that disappeared reappear all around us. Pru about breaks her neck trying to reach me and grabs my shoulder, I hear her warning but continue to my destination. Alistar gives me a warning bark but steps back whimpering and moves to the other end of the porch.
“Hi sir, I’m Abel, you’re Pru’s dad, the chief?” I extend my hand out to him and he just looks at m
e.
“Don’t stare at him.” Pru says.
“Uh, I’m sorry Sir, I don’t mean to stare.” I shift my eyes and look over his shoulder.
“I’m not a chief. So you’re my replacement, hmph. Well, come on, we have work to do, I’m not getting any younger,” he grumbles.
“Replacement?” What the hell? I think to myself.
I lean over to Pru and whisper to her trying to find out her dad’s title or name but she bumps me with her shoulder. “He can hear you, big dummy. We’re wolves, we have amazing hearing. His name is Ernie but you need to call him Mr. Phelan or General until he tells you differently. He doesn’t bite, oh yeah, he does, sorry just a phrase.”
“You’re freakin’ hilarious. I thought there was going to be some family meeting to talk to me, why are you sending me in there alone?”
“You’re not alone, my dad will be right there with you,” she nudges me forward.
“Smartass,” I whisper.
As we walked across the enormous house, I can’t help but notice all of the pictures of Pru. She is definitely the apple of her daddy’s eye. He led me into a giant room with dark wood floors, burnt orange walls and book shelves from floor to ceiling. I notice there is a drop-down screen and a state-of-the-art projector mounted on the ceiling. The theatre seating is’ awesome, my dad would be very impressed. Who am I kidding? I’m impressed.
“I like your man cave,” I say as we sit down at the big English style bar that overlooks the pool table. There was something regal about him, yet something very ordinary. His light brown hair is longer than most men his age, and a lot shaggier than my dad would ever wear. I think it is interesting that he is dressed in a work shirt and jeans, and I smell the outdoors on him. It is obvious he works his own garden and I respect him for it.
“Man cave, ha, I guess that’s a good way to describe it. I like everyone to have a good time, so we need a good place to relax and unwind.” His authoritative tone doesn’t scare me, well maybe a little. He spreads his arms out and says, “This room is for everyone. As long as you are part of the Pack, this room is yours too. And from what Pru’s visions tell us, you are a part of the Pack. You simply being able to enter a room that has been charmed to keep humans out, means she is on target with you.”
“Yeah, about that, don’t I need to be a werewolf to be in a Pack?” I ask apprehensively. I sit back in the stool trying to give the illusion that I’m totally calm and relaxed…I’m not.
“You are a werewolf silly boy,” he grumbles.
“So, if I’m a werewolf, how come I don’t turn into a wolf? I can touch silver; my mom makes me polish our silver every Thanksgiving. I don’t chase cats and I’m not excessively hairy.”
“Oh, Lord, Pru has her work cut out for her. You haven’t changed yet because you haven’t been around the pheromones released by weres. Not that you won’t change on your own, but those that aren’t around weres all of the time are delayed in their abilities. Some, actually most that do, will die in their human life and live the rest of their existence as a wolf. If they aren’t fully trained before their first shift they will be rogue wolves and it is our responsibility to see if they can be rehabilitated enough to live amongst the Pack, and if they are capable of shifting back to their human form. If they don’t learn how to control it, sadly it is our duty to kill them.”
I cringe and ask, “You kill your own kind? That seems a little harsh.”
“It might seem harsh to someone who is just learning about our culture, but trust me, you don’t want rogue wolves out there, they are more dangerous to the humans and to anyone that ever wronged them. Rogues have a tendency to remember anyone that ever pissed them off and they go after them and won’t stop until they mangle them to death. We don’t thrill kill, not us civilized Pack wolves. By the way, the silver thing? Mostly myth, we can touch it, but it can’t touch our insides, it will cause a form of blood poisoning that can be treated but it must be done almost immediately. Don’t always believe what you read in books, or see in movies, and the internet. Erase everything you have previously thought about werewolves and let Pru and the rest of us teach you the right way,” he takes a sip of his Coke. “Would you like something to drink?”