Chapter 10: BLOOD MOON RISING PART III.
As the next several weeks wore on, the full extent of Dr. Ahmed's plan became more and more clear. He really did have plans for a UN controlled army of werewolf shock troops. However, at the same time, I came to realize that Tottenstein was reluctantly working for someone other than the doctor. There was another force at work within the UN, one of which, the doctor seemed to be unaware. I could never get the full story from Tottenstein- for a 'brick' he had an extremely disciplined mind.
On the romance front, Trey and I tended to "experiment" more and more with our shapeshifting powers, just as his mother had predicted we'd do two years earlier. The combinations became rather interesting on the whole, and it definitely kept him entertained. However, this was peppered with the occasional sense of dread from him. It seemed that between his weekly Dungeons and Dragons game- which Tanya convinced me to join in order to keep Trey playing- and the incident at the beginning of the school year with Crystal Marie, he was still besieged by the local what he called "the God Squad".
There really wasn't much I could do to help him with it either. My presence just seemed to reinforce the idea that he was some kind Satan worshipping pervert, and I was right in there beside him. I tried to talk to James Daniel about the situation, but in the end, I really couldn't understand what he was trying to say. There were some definite cultural differences that were starting to come into play, and as another outsider, I had my own troubles grasping the nuances of what was happening. Evangelicals in the Southern United States were like nothing I'd ever dealt with before.
At one point, it had gone so far as to have Trey be the major topic of discussion at James Daniel's own church. He was forced to try to defend his best friend from a youth minister determined to save the souls of the community. That was the turning point for James Daniel, he began to realize that Trey had not brought the grief onto himself. I believe that if it weren't for the pack, and his gaming group, poor Trey would have been left without a single friend in the community. Worst of all, was that the school's counselor actually went so far as to try to include the incident at the beginning of the school year in his permanent record that they sent to the Naval Academy. It was a good thing that Trey's appointment came from his father's military service, and not from a general application, otherwise he could have found it withdrawn.
During all of this, I found myself only capable of giving him moral support, and nothing tangible. Very well, that's not entirely true. A few well-placed spells did manage to exact at least a modicum of revenge on some of the people involved. But even there, I had to be careful. Trey had already warned me about James Daniel's attitude toward using magic on people.
As the weeks rolled by, we settled into a routine. I would spend most of my days working in the lab and the occasional evening on field research. James Daniel's father was working hard to shuffle the pack around to keep them from actually being discovered. I was able to replace the vast majority of the silver ammunition the doctor and his hunter was using, and sabotage what was left so it wouldn't actually fire.
During the first full moon in November, Trey and I took some time off on a Friday night. We travelled to Birmingham to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was actually rather good. I had of course seen the play in London, but this was the first chance I'd had to see the movie. The best part was that we won first prize for our costumes. It wasn't hard, Trey managed to make himself look exactly like Rocky-hmmm Trey in gold lame` briefs, yum- and I pulled off a passable Columbia.
Afterwards we changed our clothes and then had a late meal at something called a Waffle House. It's really a charming little chain of restaurants specializing in breakfast at any hour in the tradition of the old fashioned diners featured in so many films. They have their own language for their orders and food which was quite entertaining. Trey once again managed to astound me with the amount of food he is capable of consuming. Three eggs, steak, ham, two waffles, fried potatoes, grits, toast, orange juice and enough coffee to keep an entire football team awake is enough to surprise even me.
When our meal was over, we took our time driving back to his parents' place. Fortunately, it was a Friday night, so being out that late wasn't a problem. His parents didn't seem to mind as long as they knew where he was and that he was safe. Of course the idea of most things hurting Trey, or even me was usually not an issue, but as Trey had pointed out in the past, Birmingham was the home territory of the transhuman known as Night Angel, so there was a fairly active villainous population to the city.
We didn't go directly back to the house however. Instead, we took a detour down Warrior River, to a cabin he his folks kept. Trey said that he was supposed to stop and check on the place for James Daniel and his father to use the next week for a fishing trip.
It was a quaint little log building sitting on a concrete block foundation. It was very neat and ordered, complete with a white gravel walkway. There was a long porch along the front, complete with several rocking chairs.
Trey let us into the building and began to bring in wood from the front porch. "If you start a fire now, it'll be out by next weekend," I told him.
He smiled over at me and said, "I'm not starting the fire for JD and his dad. I'm bringing in wood so that it'll be sure to be dry when they get here. Weather forecast is calling for rain toward the end of the week. This way, they'll at least have enough to get the fire started, and then that can dry out whatever wood they put in it."
"Ah," I nodded. "So this isn't an effort to get me alone and warm at the same time?" I teased.
He shrugged and said, "Well, now that you mention it that would be a good idea."
I smiled, pulled him to his feet and kissed him. It started playful, but as his mouth opened and the kissed deepened, I felt a burning begin inside me. I hadn't realized it, but I wanted more. I felt myself probing his mouth with my tongue. I could feel his body shift against me, his teeth sharpened and elongated into fangs, his tongue became rough against mine as he responded to my advances.
I opened my eyes to see that he'd begun to shift into his natural form, complete with tail. He smiled over at me and began to run his hands under my blouse. I could feel the soft pads of his fingers push under my bra and brush my nipples to stiffness.
I began to return the favor. I pulled his shirt from under his belt and ran my fingers along the hardness of his abs, and up to his chest. I could feel the fine hair of his fur against my fingertips. It was exciting, and for some reason, more so tonight. "Mmmmm," I moaned into his mouth as he kissed me again and pulled me tight against him.
I could feel the excitement in him grow as my fingers began to brush the fur around his nipples. He leaned into me, nibbled on my ear and whispered, "You have no idea how that feels."
A thought hit me and I said, "Maybe I should find out."
He smiled, "Maybe you should."
I remembered the first time I shifted that I had taken his natural form, and then shifted to female. Since then, I'd mastered my shifting powers a great deal more. I called up the memory of that form, and then projected myself into it. I could feel my skin tingle A fine dusting of fur began to coat my body. Where it brushed against my nipples set my breasts on fire. My ears melted up to the top of my head, and suddenly I felt my undergarments rip as a tail extruded from the base of my spine. A furnace suddenly flared inside me and began to spread from nether regions outward.
Something animalistic began to grow inside me. A powerful need for physical contact suddenly exploded in my mind. I extended my claws from their sheathes in the tips of my fingers. I raked them along Trey's back and felt the fabric of his shirt rip under my hands. I pulled myself up into his arms and locked my legs around his waist.
"I want you inside me, Trey" I growled into his mouth. "Now!"
He smiled at me and chewed on my lower lip. "I always wondered what this would be like." I could feel electricity running down my body to gather at the entrance of my sex. I honestly don't remember undressing, or Trey undressing for that matter. One minute he was holding me up as I ground myself into the hardness I felt in his jeans, and the next I was on my back with his face buried between my legs.
As he took long wet swipes from the base of my opening to the hot vibrating nub of my clitoris, I felt my body flood his mouth with my fluids. I locked my thighs around his head and bucked against his face. This was a whole new realm of animal lust. I could smell his desire and mine as well on the cool November air. It was intoxicating and sent me over the edge.
As my body slowly came back under my control, and I came down off the force of my first orgasm, Trey flipped me over onto my stomach. Instinctively, I raised my bottom and arched my tail behind me. Suddenly I felt Trey's member pressing at the entrance to my body. I pushed back against him as he sheathed himself in my body. I felt the rise of the animal in me again and thrashed my head from side to side as he leaned over me.
I felt his claws against my arms and his hot breath against my neck. I could feel his fangs bite deep into my shoulder and neck as he pounded me from behind for long minutes. His body was hard against mine and I could feel the force of each of his thrusts. His pendulous furry balls slapped forward against the front of my sex, stimulating me further.
As our passions built, I could smell my own blood as it ran down my breasts. I finally understood the cat within Trey as it came alive in me too. Without realizing it, I threw my head back and screamed into the night as he exploded inside me.
Later we lay curled up on the floor, his body wrapped around mine, his sex still buried deep inside mine. I could smell the sex, the fluids, and the blood in the air. As we slowly roused from the lethargy that had taken a hold of us, I absently wondered how I would explain the bruises in the morning.
I had no idea what the world would throw our way, but for the time being, I was content. We would deal with the UN, with Dr. Ahmed, and with the jerks in Trey's school later. For now we were there, it was then, and all was right with us and the world.
Everything however, came to a head during Yule. Actually, looking back on it, I have to say that in spite of the problems that arose, that Yule was one of the most pleasant holiday seasons that I'd spent since my parents died. The Greenboughs knew how to make a guest feel welcome, and the large celebration at their home made me feel like part of the family.
Mrs. Greenbough knew that things were going to get hectic for Trey's friends right after Mother's Night, so she threw a huge party for the pack. It was a mild December evening, with the temperatures hovering in the upper thirties when everyone started arriving. There was a forecast for snow that had everyone excited, but for the most part I paid it no mind. That was a mistake on my part. Steven McNeal however, managed to shock everyone when he got out of his dad's Ram Charger with of all people on his arm, Crystal Marie.
As everyone stared at him, he simply shrugged. Trey acted as if nothing was amiss, and the Greenboughs treated her with the utmost of courtesy. Mrs. Greenbough met her at the door like every other guest with a steaming hot cup of mulled cider and welcomed her. This gathering was more of something for Trey and the pack than it was really any religious gathering, so I knew there wasn't going to be too much of a chance for a disagreement. Still it was somewhat rude of Steven to invite an outsider into Trey's home, especially one that had given Trey so much grief.
Crystal was surprisingly on her best behavior as well. She seemed to understand that she was a guest of a guest and that any religious objections were to be put aside. I have to give Southerners credit on that point- they know when to be polite and when to be rude, and they can be vicious when somebody crosses the boundaries. They, especially the ladies, see social functions as a form of battle, and they are as skilled as field marshals at it.
I watched the dumpy girl as she entered the Greenbough home for the first time. She actually looked better this night than she had the night of the homecoming dance. The jeans and sweater she wore did more for her complexion and build than that dress she wore to the dance ever did. Her limp blonde hair was pulled back out of her face by barrettes, and she looked around the outside of the house with just a little bit of awe in her eyes. The Greenboughs were and are a family of means, and their home reflected that fact.
It was an old home by the local standards, dating back to the American Civil War, and the family had lovingly restored it. The architecture was very Georgian in design and the huge wide porch flanked on either side by tall white marble columns was very impressive. Steven looked guiltily over at Trey and James Daniel. "Hi guys. I brought a date. I hope that's okay."
James Daniel was almost sputtering in his anger. He started down the stairs toward Steven, his fists clenched, but Trey laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "It's okay, JD," he said quietly. Then smiling he turned back to Steven and said, "Of course it's okay. This is the Yuletide and we welcome guests into our steading." He nodded to the blonde and said, "Hello Crystal, welcome."
His genteel mood seemed to take the girl by surprise, as she nodded to Trey and said, "Thank you." She then took the offered cup of hot cider from Mrs. Greenbough and repeated, "Thank you, ma'am." As she entered the main living room where the party was gathering, she looked around at the luxurious surroundings in something akin to awe and said, "You have a very lovely home, Mrs. Greenbough."
"Thank you dear," Mrs. G said as she handed Steven a cup of cider as well. "Welcome to our home." The look she gave him however spoke volumes and reminded him that he was responsible for his guest's behavior.
Steven took the cup nervously and said, "Thanks Mrs. G." He then slipped past the tall Nordic woman and joined his date.
Crystal's eyes eventually reached me where I was standing with Tanya at the buffet. I knew about Trey's arrangement with Tanya and her boyfriend Tommy, but wasn't bothered by it. We both understood that situation and actually got along rather well. It helped that, since I had revealed my little trick to Trey that our experimentations had kept his attention quite focused on me.
Tanya and I had talked quite a bit over the past few months, and it didn't take me long to realize that she wasn't quite the mundane that Trey and the rest of the pack thought she was. She was a low-level telepath, and quite the powerful empath. She knew exactly what was going on with her friends, and decided that they would tell her about it when they were ready. We'd actually become pretty good friends.
She had come over earlier in the day with Kevin and Amy and had been helping Trey's mom in the kitchen. Mrs. Greenbough had asked the two of us to keep Trey's Dad out of the sausage balls until the guests had arrived.
"Hello, Emory," Crystal said with a smile. I could sense the nervousness from the girl. "How've you been?"
I smiled at her and said, "Rather well. And you?" Never let it be said that I can't be just as gracious as Trey and his family.
She nodded, "About the same." She looked around the house and said, "I have to admit to being surprised at being asked to come tonight. I didn't think that Trey's friends would have anything to do with me."
I handed her a plate and said, "It was Steven's idea. I don't think he cleared it with JD or Trey first. I suspect that he and James Daniel will be having quite a long talk after tonight."
She frowned and bit her lower lip. "I didn't mean to cause Steven any problems." She stopped and thought for a moment, "Why would JD be talking to Stephen about tonight?"
"Because James Daniel is very protective of the way Trey gets treated after the recent problems at school," I gave her a bit of a warning. "It has to do with best friends looking out for each other."
"Steven is usually capable of causing his own problems," Tanya said next to me. "Please tell me you're not going to cause any tonight." She could be rather blunt at times, in many ways I found it rather refreshing.
"I know my manners Tanya. I'm only here because Steven wanted to prove to me that Trey and his family are good people; for some reason that's important to him. I'll be honest, it's not what I expected."
I raised an eyebrow at that. Steven was not very ambitious as far as pack hierarchy was concerned so he was not usually that interested in keeping the peace in the pack. "What did you expect then, Crystal?"
She shrugged and blushed slightly, "I don't know, something out of the Addams Family maybe." She looked over at the main window to where a great cedar tree was decorated with bows and apples and lights, "You even have a tree. That does surprise me."
I chuckled, and said, "Why not? It's a Nordic tradition that was adopted by the Christians because they couldn't sell their religion to our ancestors without adopting the Nordic trappings of a tree, gift giving, and other Yule-tide celebrations." She gave me a hard and flinty stare, and I felt Tanya gently elbow me in the ribs. "But tonight is not a night to discuss comparative theology. It's a party for Trey's friends who are going away to camp."
That of course was the story that the pack was spreading among the general population. What they were telling was that they were all going to a winter camp up in the mountains as sort of a youth retreat. It explained their two-week disappearance, and kept the questions down. "Why aren't you and Trey going?" Crystal asked.
"Because I still have my duties with Dr. Ahmed and the research camp, and it's not Trey's tradition." That seemed to placate her curiosity. I let her assume that the tradition was religion, because I knew she wasn't likely to be very comfortable knowing that it was a werewolf tradition as opposed to a magecat one. Of course, I also didn't tell her that her date was a werewolf too. I think that would have gone over even worse.
I felt someone coming up behind the table and without even turning, I said aloud, "Mr. Greenbough, if you want a sausage ball come around front and get one. You don't need to sneak up behind me."
"That takes all the fun out of it, Em," he said playfully as be began to dollop a large helping of something on his plate. I did notice that he used my uncles favorite pet name for me. In the end, I guess he was entitled to. After all, he would eventually be my father-in-law. "Besides, I thought I'd just have a little of that crab salad to hold me over."
"You already ate half a bowl of it in the kitchen this afternoon," Tanya accused teasing him.
He smiled and patted her hand saying, "That was hours ago. I'm hungry again." He piled some crackers on his plate and refilled his cup of cider. I just shook my head. Trey's dad was an enigma to me. Trey and his mom were always so very serious and focused, but his dad was quite and usually very easy going. I wondered about that occasionally. I knew he like his son, was a magecat, and according to my uncle a very powerful one, but he just didn't seem threatening, and that probably made him all the more dangerous.
"You are always hungry Mr. G.," Tanya told him.
"Never claimed not to be Tanya," he replied. "And nobody can resist my wife's crab salad."
I just shook my head. If I live to be a thousand- and considering my heritage, there's a very good chance of that- I'll never understand that man; and somehow I get the feeling that he likes it that way. In some ways he's more enigmatic than his wife, and considering that she has lived for a thousand or more years, that's saying something.
I watched the party as it slowly came alive and each of the pack members arrived. Luckily, Crystal Marie wasn't the only mundane present and everyone knew that, so there wasn't too much of a problem with giving away secrets. Still there was some apprehension over what lay ahead of the pack members, so there was a tension that cut through the air. James Daniel was particularly nervous about his friends. I could feel his sense of concern over his pack, and slowly came to realize just how good a pack leader he'd eventually be.
Once Mrs. Greenbough gave me the all clear sign, I drifted across the room where James Daniel, Steven, and Trey were all talking. Steven was saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you Trey. I just thought that it might make the situation with you and the God Squad a little better if they got a chance to know you like me and the rest of the pack do."
Trey chuckled, but James Daniel spoke rather sharply, "That wasn't your place to decide, Steven. You should have cleared it with him first, or at least me. You shouldn't just assume things."
"It's okay," Trey said holding his hand up. "Steven didn't mean any harm, and she's minding her manners, so it's not a problem. Actually, I appreciate the concern. He might be right about this, but I'm not going to hold my breath." He seemed to think for a moment, and then smiled, "And at least she's not the only mundane here, so everyone knows to be on their best behavior anyway. In addition, the moon isn't full yet, so we don't have to worry about anyone wolfing out on us. That would send her into fits."
It was James Daniel's turn to chuckle as I came up and stood next to Trey. "That would twist her panties into a wad, wouldn't it?"
"Boys," I said carefully, "keep in mind that there is a biologist out there with plans to turn your pack into shock troops for the UN to use to take over the US. I wouldn't be joking too much about "wolfing" or "catting" out right now if I were you." I saw and felt the embarrassment from James Daniel when he realized I had caught that particular expression.
That wiped the grins off both their faces. "I realize that this is a tight knit community and all but trust me, Crystal Marie Guthrie would turn you both over to him in a heartbeat."
Both of them looked at me as if I'd suddenly grown a second head or something. "We'll just have to make sure that she doesn't get that chance then," James Daniel replied. "Everyone in the pack has been told to be on their best behavior tonight, and nobody is supposed to even come close to changing until we go into the woods for our proving on the twenty-sixth."
"Well, let's keep it that way," I suggested.
The rest of the evening went quite well. There was a lot of joking around, some singing, and a little bit of dancing, and for the most part an enjoyable evening. Around ten o'clock the party started to break off and everyone headed toward their homes. It had begun to spit snow slightly, and for some reason that sent most of the people at the party to worrying. It really wasn't more than half an inch or so, but you'd have thought it was a blizzard by the way everyone around us was reacting.
Trey came up beside me as we watched the first of the guest leaving for fear of being snowed-in. He must have seen the look of confusion on my face because he said, "You have to understand. Around here we don't get a lot of snow, and when we do, it makes people sort of panic."
Before I could reply, Kevin came up to Trey and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I talk to you for a moment, Trey?" Kevin was a sandy-haired rather rotund friend of Trey's who was part of the weekly Friday night gaming group. He was also rather shy, and completely a mundane. I actually rather liked him, even though I got the feeling that I made him nervous for some reason.
Trey looked at him and then over at me. He said, "Excuse me, Emory." He then went off a ways, and the two of them spoke for some length. Finally Trey said, "I don't think it'll be a problem. I'll ask."
He came back over to me and said, "Emory, Kevin sort of needs a favor, and he asked me to see if you'd be willing to oblige." He leaned in and said, "He's actually kind of embarrassed to ask, so he asked me to ask you."
He'd intrigued me. "What is it?" I asked.
"He has to take Amy to her grandmothers over at the other side of Blackwater. It's not really far, but Amy's parents don't want her riding with Kevin alone." He blushed slightly, "It has to do with the same incident that gave me such a bad reputation. Tanya already left with her mom, and he was wondering if you'd be willing to ride out there and back with him. I would do it, but in her dad's eyes, I'm worse than Kevin."
I smiled and said, "I'd be honored to be Amy's lady in waiting. After all, with two rakes like the two of you, a girl can't be too careful," I teased him. I caught a slight sense of shock and a little bit of hurt through the link that Trey and I shared. He immediately crushed it, but I could sense that I'd hit a nerve that I hadn't intended to. I reached out and touched his face gently and said, "I'm sorry, Trey, that was uncalled for."
He just smiled at me and said, "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it."
I reached up and kissed him lightly and said, "Tell Kevin that I'll get my coat. When I get back we'll talk."
I ran in got my coat and quickly joined Kevin and Amy in his light blue Volkswagen bug. I'll admit that my thoughts really weren't on the trip to the other side of town, as I was mentally kicking myself for the comment." When we turned off the main road leading out of town onto what would by the time Trey and I were married be Country Club Drive, I wasn't paying that much attention, and found myself somewhat shocked when I heard Kevin say, "Oh shit, they're not going to make it!"
I looked up just in time to see what appeared to be an old school bus that had been painted about the same color of blue as Kevin's Volkswagen start sliding into the guard rail of a rickety old iron bridge over the black water of the narrow river below. In an almost slow motion, I watched, my brain frozen, as the bus slid on the slippery road, bounced off the concrete support at the front of the bridge, turn over on its side and slide down the embankment into the river below.
With surprising agility and speed, Kevin pulled the car over onto darkened roadside, shut off the engine, and dashed across the bridge. He skittered and slid down the wet cold Alabama clay on the far side of the bridge to where the bus was disappearing into the surprisingly deep water below. "Emory!" he shouted. "Pull the VW up and block the bridge. Turn on the flashers! Amy, run back to that house we passed about half a mile back and see if you can use the phone!" He then kicked off his shoes and dove into the icy water.
Without even thinking about it, I climbed into the front seat as Amy exited the passenger side and headed down the road behind us. I pulled the small car onto the bridge, hit the emergency flashers, and then ran across the bridge before scrambling down the embankment. I reached out with my mind, and found Kevin struggling with the emergency door. Neither he nor I could see what was blocking it, but I gave what ever it was a hard telekinetic shove and with a great cracking sound, the door came open. Seconds later, I felt Kevin gasp for oxygen in a rapidly filling air pocket in the middle of the bus. He grabbed two people by the arm and shoved them out the back door.
I was there waiting for them, and pulled the two pre-adolescents children out of the water and onto dry land. One was a boy of about six and the other was a girl of around ten or eleven. Without thinking, I pulled my own coat out off and wrapped it around the smaller boy, and sent them scrambling up the bank. "How many people are in the bus?" I asked them.
"About eight of us, plus the bus driver," the girl said.
I quickly threw my thoughts into the water. There were five others plus the bus driver. I shouted both verbally and telepathically to Kevin, "Kevin, there's five more kids and the bus driver!"
Suddenly another two burst from the water, this time two boys of around ten, and I felt Kevin come up for air under the water again. I could sense that he was getting tired, and I could feel his muscles freezing up in the cold water. As I scuttled the two boys up the bank to join the others, I whispered a quick warming spell in Old Gaelic and cast it in Kevin's general direction, hoping that his reticence of being around me wouldn't interfere with it. "Skadi give him strength," I said a quick prayer to the Snow Goddess.
Before I could finish the prayer, the water erupted with three more children scrambling out of the now sunken bus. Inside it, I could sense Kevin struggling with the unconscious bus driver.
Not willing to let one of Trey's closest and best friends die, I cast my mind out again, and grabbed them both telekinetically and pulled hard toward the back of the bus. I heard something in the bus groan and an audible snapping of bone as Kevin holding on to a young man not much older than us literally flew out of the water to land on the side of the bank next to me. I could see where the man's foot was dangling at an odd angle and bone was projecting out of the side of his leg. "Help me get him up to the bank, Emory." Kevin coughed as he continued to try to drag the man higher on the bank.
Up above, I could hear a car come to a stop, and then blue lights began to flash. An official sounding voice asked, "What are you kids doing out here?"
"The bus went off the bridge," the little boy wearing my coat chattered through shivering teeth.
"What?!" the officer asked.
"It's down there. There's some people down there trying to get everyone out," the girl said.
Suddenly a light shined down the bank, from above. "How many are still in the water?" the black silhouette of an officer asked.
I shook my head, "Nobody, sir. But this man is unconscious and his leg is broken," I called back.
"Can you wait for a minute while I call for help?" he asked.
I nodded and said, "Go, Kevin and I will try to get everybody up the bank."
Kevin and I, with the help of the kids, managed to get the bus driver to the top of the bank and leaned against a tree. His leg was bleeding badly from the wound. Surprisingly competent, in an emergency Kevin was applying direct pressure to the wound to help staunch the flow of blood while shivering in the cold night air. I grabbed his coat and laid it across his shoulders. He smiled up at me nervously and I could feel some of his reticence around me begin to melt away.
"You kids did good here tonight," the officer told us a little later as the ambulance was taking everyone to the local hospital. "Most kids your age would have panicked."
Kevin just grinned up at the officer, and said in a rather bad Scottish brough, "It comes from many a Friday nights playing D and D dontcha' know. It keeps our heads a' thinkin' straight." He grinned widely at me before slipping back into his normal southern accent and adding, "To be honest though, I really do wish someone had a warmth spell right now." He was shivering under the blanket the paramedics had given him, but I knew it was more from coming down off the adrenaline high.
I reached over, laid my hand on his shoulder, and released my best version the requested spell, as I climbed down out of the ambulance and let Amy get in with him. He sighed and stopped shivering. I told him, "I think that was probably one of the bravest things I've ever seen anyone do, Kevin. Those people are lucky you came by when we did."
Amy smiled at me, and sat down next to him. "She's right you know."
Kevin just shook his head and lay back against Amy's shoulders as the paramedic closed the ambulance doors and drove off. After getting cleared by the officer I got into Kevin's VW and headed back to Trey's house. Kevin had told me he would pick his car up there tomorrow when he was feeling a little better.
The whole thing made the local papers- along with Kevin's comment to the officer. That managed to shut up a number of people about the whole "Dungeons and Dragons is satanic" thing for a while. It still didn't solve Trey's problems, but it went a long way of making things easier for the others though.
The twenty-sixth finally rolled around and the pack went out into the woods. I found myself suddenly up to my ears in lab work. Dr. Ahmed's whole attitude was that now that the unpleasantness of Christmas was over, we could get back to work. I didn't bother to tell him that I celebrated Yule, and that it wasn't over yet. I didn't see any need to make things worse with him.
The real problem is that somehow, the Doctor seemed to know that something was up with pack. He had his "staff" out in the woods, fully armed- in case there were rabid wolves out there- of course. Fortunately, by this time we'd been able to quietly replace their silver ammunition with either duds or lead bullets without them knowing it. Silver does after all tarnish rather easily.
The first few days went rather well. The pack was up between Oakman and Carbon Hill, and we had Doctor Ahmed off searching the other side of the County around the Lewis Smith Lake Dam. There were enough wolf tracks around that area to keep the good doctor occupied, and there was just enough spoor to even keep his professional hunter entertained. Problems arose however, from the area I had had least resistance up to that point- Totenstein.
It was late one evening about a day from the end of the proving, which had managed to go rather well as we had kept Doctor Ahmed focused on the North Eastern section of the county toward the Cherokee Reservation in Cullman. We had a huge party planned the following Friday to celebrate our friends officially becoming part of their greater pack.
I was coming out of the lab we'd set up in the garage of the house the service had rented for Dr. Ahmed when I felt a very powerful mystical surge snap the scrying connection I had to various rooms in the house. I don't know if you've ever had a spell broken or not, but I'll be glad to inform you that when it happens there is a very unpleasant feeling associated with it. The more powerful the spell, or the longer it's been in place, the greater the discomfort. These had been only a couple of months old, but there were enough of them, and the power that shattered them was strong enough that it sent me reeling.
I stumbled on the lighted gravel walkway and leaned against the side of the house to brace myself. As the world stopped spinning, I could hear voices speaking in German coming from the open window above me. You know in the end it was a bit ironic; our foe had shattered my scrying spells, but I still found out about his plans by good old-fashioned eavesdropping. I smiled at that thought, Trey's favorite fictional secret agent; Nick Carter couldn't have done any better himself.
"Dr. Ahmed, has men out searching for the werewolves in the northeastern quadrant of the county. He also has another team checking into another area of which we were previously not aware. The second team has set a number of traps and I suspect that we will have at least one specimen before the evening is over. Our hunter is very good." Tottenstein was saying. It worried me. I wondered if they'd discovered where the pack was hiding.
"In the end, I could care less about that Arab fool and his plans. They may succeed, and they may not. All I care about is the Nesting Stone. Have you located it yet?" a harsh masculine voice demanded. For some reason, the voice sounded familiar. I had heard it before, but I couldn't place it.
"I believe it's on a farm near the second team's search grid," Tottenstein said. "It is in an area between Oakman and Carbon Hill." That pretty much confirmed it for me. It also suggested that the farm they were talking about belonged to the Greenboughs.
"Don't fail me again, Tottenstein. If you do, your little playmate will pay the price." he warned harshly.
"I understand, just don't hurt Karl" Tottenstein said. I could hear the anger and the disgust in his voice. However, considering how powerful the force talking to him, I thought it best to keep my own mind tightly reeled in. I had no desire to give myself away just yet.
"You will attack the farm and take the Nesting Stone at the same time that that fool Ahmed moves against the pack of werewolves. I will also create a diversion in the nearby city of Birmingham to keep its local costumed idiots occupied. That way, no matter what happens, you should be able to get the stone," the mysterious voice said.
"I will see to it," Tottenstein replied.
"See that you do." Then the presence was gone. I moved quickly and silently past the window and toward the house. I slipped into the kitchen as if nothing had happened and began to wash my hands, just to give me something to do. I had no sooner than turned on the water than Tottenstein entered and said, "I'm going out to pick up some things we need for our research. I shouldn't be gone long." He picked up a light jacket and left.
I picked up the phone to call Trey, but got no answer. I knew his parents were spending the day in Birmingham, but Trey had plans to stay around the house today. He said he wanted to get some things done up at the Ve` in preparations for the final feast of Yule. Instead, I reached out with my mind, :Trey, I think Doctor Ahmed has discovered the pack. He's sent Wellington into the woods near your house.: I wasn't sure what to tell him about Tottenstein. If I understood what he was telling the mysterious presence I felt, then it was likely that Krieger himself was also headed in that general direction. He was one person I did not want Trey tangling with.
:I'm on it,: his voice came back through the link. :I'll find JD, and tell him to get the pack out of the area.: I realized that by sending him out to get the pack out of the area, I could make sure I kept him clear of Krieger. I did NOT want him to come into conflict with the same man who would go toe to toe with American Ace during World War Two.
My first order of business though was to protect the pack. I grabbed my jacket from the closet and checked to make sure nobody was around. Minutes later I was building a gate back to the Greenbough's home. Racing upstairs, I grabbed my cloak from my backpack and took to the skies looking for James Daniel and the other wolves.
I caught a thermal and began to circle high up over the mountains and hollows that made up the five hundred or so acres of rich forest land that the Greenboughs owned. The fading light of the evening made it difficult for me to be seen clearly, but at the same time I had problems making out forms on the ground as well. It wasn't really a very cold December night, not by the standards I was accustomed, but there was definitely a chill on the air, that high up.
Off to the side of one of the mountains, I caught a glimpse of something reflecting the rich reds and golds from the sun setting in the sky. Had it not been for that small reflection I would have missed the whole cage as it had been covered with various twigs, leaves, and such. In a nearby tree, I made out the camouflaged form of Wellington with a rifle trained on the game trail leading around the side of a hill.
The worst part of it, I saw two wolves trotting down the trail right into his sights. They were no more paying attention to where they were going than they were to me above. The two were exclusively focused on each other. I would later find out that several marriages would come out of that particular proving.
I immediately spiraled down, but knew that I wasn't going to be fast enough. My cloak wasn't designed for aerial combat, but for reconnaissance, and for removing the spirits of the dead from the battlefield. Two quick barks of the rifle, and I saw large darts appear in the shoulders of both wolves. Before I could react, Wellington spun around and fired at me. There was a brief shock of pain in my chest and the world suddenly spun out of control, and then there was darkness.
-- " I have lived my life honorably and fiercely, I have saved lives,... made lives, and changed them. I served my country, my community, and my family to the limit of my strength. I have begged for nothing, not forgiveness or favor. Not once have I stood back and let another suffer where I had strength or knowledge to save them... To others I asked, were we each to face death, knowing that neither of our Gods would sustain us, who amongst us would change a single second of our lives? To the one who cannot live with the evils they have done, or the evils they have endured, without some lord to wash them clean of their deeds, to sanctify their acceptance of the suffering they allowed others to inflict on them, oblivion would invalidate their choices. Were I an atheist, still would I change nothing from my life, and face death proud of the man that I was, the wife I have loved, the children I raised. My gods give me example, not meaning."
John T. Mainer