Dark of kNight (9 page)

Tears welled in my eyes. Yes, I missed my father. I didn’t want to talk anymore about my mother, because it brought back fond memories of my father. I knew he loved her more than life itself. In a way, I wondered if he ever came to terms with losing her.

“So tell me something more about the werewolf or Lycan legends,” I managed to strain out, hoping to change the subject.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Can their bite turn a human into a werewolf?”

“Oh, I see.” He paused and took a sip of his drink. “Well, of course, Hollywood has blown all the legends about werewolves, vampires and such out of proportion. According to legend, if a werewolf bites a person he or she could die or turn into a werewolf. Theory has it, that if the person carries the predisposition of the genetic gene, then they will turn into a werewolf. If they do not, then the body will reject the bacterium and it will eventually kill them, usually in three days.”

“So what about Lycans? If a person is bitten by them?”

“Well, Lycans as I said before are similar to werewolves. The bacterium within the Lycan saliva acts as an antidote to the person who has been bitten by a werewolf, but only within the three-day period. On the second note, if a Lycan has bitten a person the body reacts in the same way as it would if it is fighting a virus. Kind of like a severe flu virus.”

“It sounds like you have done your research well,” I added. “Like you have studied them up close and personal.”

“Quite a few years ago, Dr. Miller ran into a young man, who apparently had been attacked by a wild animal. According to the records, he described it as a human-like looking wolf. The young man was running such a high fever; none of the treatments Dr. Miller was giving him was working. That is when he decided to run a series of tests on the young man to determine what exactly was going on inside of him. He deliberated for hours. After the DNA results came back, he made a decision to try something unorthodox to save the young man. He worked closely with your father to make an antidote. Within hours, it worked. By the third day, the fever had broken and the young man was well again.”

“So this is why Dr. Miller was so interested in DNA?” The breaking news was more than what I had hoped to gain.

“Yes and no. He has always had a passion for DNA research. His beliefs were treating patients on a cellular level, not just the symptoms.”

“That was the reason he treated my mom then. Because of the DNA.”

“Exactly. It was just one of those conditions. Your mom and dad loved you very much. They wanted you.”

Tears threatened my eyes again. I blinked them back and took a deep breath. Daniel gently smiled at me. His attention turned to his cell phone which hummed softly.

“Hello Casey. Yes. Okay we will see you soon. Bye.” He said flipping the phone closed. “Well, that was Casey, and she has finished her paper. She is ready to be picked up.”

He motioned for the waitress.

Daniel and I left the restaurant and walked back past Thomas's office building toward the garage where he had parked. Through the next few hours my mind was occupied by thoughts of my mother and father again. I was satisfied to know my mother wasn’t a strange and mystical creature. The question remained as to what my father and now the Maxwell’s were hiding from me. I guess the question would be better suited for another time.

Charlotte cooked dinner again, which meant her level of stress rose to an all time high. My hopes of returning to my home faded when I realized dinner would be late. At least the information I acquired today with Daniel tamed my urge for the time being. Mentally exhausted, I decided to shower and go to bed early. Tomorrow I would try a new form of escape.

FIVE

Sleep came quickly for me that night. The next morning just as quickly, when my eyes opened to the bright sunshine that peered through the window. Squinting, I let my eyes adapt to the light while I tried to focus on the alarm clock. Rolling back on my pillow, I realized I slept well last night with no nightmares of horrific creatures chasing me.

Daniel consumed my dreams last night, much to my satisfaction.

Since the news reported no recent animal attacks, chances of me making it back to the house were very good. Peering out the window, it looked as though it would be a perfect day. Clear sky all the way.

Dressing quickly, I grabbed my keys from the dresser and then headed out the bedroom toward the stairs. I paused briefly to take note of any loud conversations. The only voice I heard was Charlotte’s, discussing something about roses to one of her friends on the phone. Of course, I didn’t make it very far when her attention turned toward me.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” I replied. “Where’s everyone?” Mostly I wanted to make sure I had the day to myself.

“Thomas and Daniel left over an hour ago. Casey made a run to the store for me. Would you like breakfast?”

“No.” My hopes shot to an all-time high. “I’m going to head over to the house.”

“Okay, be careful. The roads may still be a little wet.” Surprised by her tone, I couldn’t believe that my wish had come true.

“I’ll be careful. See you later.” I dashed for the door.

For years it had been just my father and me. Truly, I loved the Maxwell’s with all my heart, but they were just a bit over protective for my taste. My father always allowed me the freedom to breathe. I suppose I learned to appreciate that a little too late.

Slowly, I pulled the car out the garage, heading down the driveway to my destination. The sporty little car grew on me the more I drove it. Once I made it to the main road, I applied more pressure on the accelerator and reached the top of the hill in no time. I realized the speed trap was just ahead. Slowing the car down to a safe speed, I passed by the officer with no problems.

Excitement burst inside of me when I turned left down the wooded driveway towards my home. Never before did I pay attention to the details to the house until now. The sun touched the glass wall windows reflecting shimmer rays of bright light. The glass house I called home.

Stopping the car in front of the house, I jumped out and headed to the front door. Unlocking it, relief washed over me, finally I made it home.

Of course the first place I wanted to visit was the kitchen. Walking toward the refrigerator, I paused and turned on the TV underneath the kitchen counter. The words from the TV caught my attention;
this is channel three news with a weather update. Tropical storm Charlie has now become a category one hurricane with sustained winds at seventy-five miles per hour.

Hurricane Charlie is moving north-north east and is expected to reach a category four hurricane status by the time it reaches landfall somewhere around the panhandle of Florida. Florida residents are
already preparing for the storm. The authorities have already announced a major evacuation….”
The voice trailed behind my own thoughts. I decided to pour myself a glass of tea and head toward my father’s office.

Consumed with the thoughts of the recent days, I needed to sort through them; the stories and legends were true concerning werewolves and that they do exist. Satisfied to know that my mother was human added to my relief, but somehow I wasn’t satisfied by Daniel’s statement that Charlotte overreacted. Not to mention the fact that there was something they were still hiding from me. Something that Charlotte was against them telling me. Something my father wanted me to know. Soon enough I would find out the truth. One way or the other, I decided if I didn’t find the truth here, the final confrontation would be with the whole Maxwell family.

After an hour of sorting through papers and files, I concluded my answers wouldn’t be found here. There was no information on my mother. I found no information on my birth and especially no information on anything that pertained to Lycans or werewolves. Sitting behind my father’s desk, I felt that maybe I overreacted. I shoved the papers and folders back into the desk and sat still. My eyes traveled around the room still in thought. Not looking for anything anymore, I decided to give up the idea that there may have been something strange with my family.

The dream I had of my father flashed over my eyes, sending a cold chill down my spine. The thought of werewolves and Lycans existing haunted me more than I wanted to admit. I considered this newfound knowledge the secret that had been hidden from me. I looked at the facts: Charlotte was concerned for me; Daniel and Thomas thought I should know; and there was Daniel’s honesty concerning the werewolf and Lycan legends. They probably knew these secrets and thought I couldn’t accept them.

Satisfied with my conclusions, it was time to work on my new decisions. I still had one semester of college left in Virginia. My heart urged me to move back home. Even after the completion of college, I still had no idea of what I wanted to do. My thoughts flashed back to the interest in DNA. Maybe that was it. Maybe I could continue my father’s work in saving lives. This conversation was one that would probably be something that I would save for Thomas and Charlotte.

The conflicting thoughts, I left behind in my father’s office, trailing my way back into the large living room. Sunlight filled the large room with its rays of hope for a brighter day. To make my day brighter, it would take a shopping trip with Casey. Rummaging through my purse, I found my cell phone and dialed her.

≈≈≈

It didn’t take Casey and me but an hour to complete our first wave of shopping in the crowded mall. Even though we hadn’t necessarily finished, the first purchases of summer clothing had been completed. The next wave included shoes followed by swimwear. The time we spent together reminded me of the years past, our laughter, the non-stop chattering between us and even the occasional double-takes by cute guys we passed. Of course, Casey didn’t take too much notice when one whistled at her while she was bent over fixing her shoe. I suppose if I hadn’t mouthed to the guy “She’s mine,” maybe he wouldn’t have run into the store’s window almost breaking the glass.

The Food Court was the next stop after shoe shopping, followed by the makeup counter. Testing out the latest fragrances on each other, we made a decision on two perfumes.

I chose a light floral fragrance, inspired by Givenchy called “Irresistible“. My second choice was a more sensual scent, Dolce Gabbana, “The One for Her“.

We finished the day with a makeover, pedicure and manicure. I checked my watch and realized we were going to be late for dinner. My stomach would never forgive me for such a treacherous act. This was one time I hoped dinner would be ready without delay. By the time we made it back to Casey’s home, I’d probably be starving.

Casey filled me in on her hot new love interest she met while taking a few summer classes. Nathaniel MacArthur transferred here from Oklahoma State University. Anyone could tell she really liked this guy. Every time she mentioned his name her face lit up and her eyes turned dreamy. I listened while she rambled on about his good looks and his character as a sweet person.

“Have Charlotte and Thomas met him yet?” It appeared I popped a balloon of ecstasy. Casey’s dreamy gaze turned to one of distraught.

“No, not yet. I’m a little worried they’re not going to like him. You know how Dad always stresses
good bloodlines
.” Her voice showed hints of sarcasm. “He’s so old fashioned.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s just looking out for you. Besides, it would take a special man to acquire the hand of Thomas Maxwell’s only daughter.” I tried to make it sound as a joke.

“You know many of them would be intimidated just to talk to you.”

“Yeah, family curse,” she murmured looking out the window.

“Family curse?” I repeated. I tried to keep my eyes on the road but couldn’t help from glancing over at her. With her hands neatly folded together in her lap, she turned toward me. Immediately I knew my words struck a nerve with her.

“Casey?”

“Well, it’s just you’re right,” she sighed. “Mom and Dad believe that I should marry someone within our little group. You remember what the people were like. I haven’t met anyone remotely interesting.”

As I drove, my mind traveled back in time to a few of the parties that we were required to attend. Casey and I always thought it was just the fun part of being able to dress up and socialize with the rich and famous. As for me, I guess I never realized that these parties were to be anything other than mere socializing. Apparently, to our parents it was much more. It was a match making party. Breathing in quickly, I tried to hide my slowness in perceiving the reality. Focusing hard to choose the right words wasn’t easy. In my heart, I knew how she felt. Maybe I was just slow, a late bloomer so to speak. The interest in the opposite sex had no appeal to me until recently. Shifting my thoughts again, I tried hard to concentrate on what to say to Casey.

“Well,” I paused trying to be logical. “Why don’t you give it awhile with Nathaniel and see how things go. That way if things progress between you two, then you can tell Thomas and Charlotte. So don’t worry about it right now.”

The sparkle returned to her eyes and her face brightened with a smile.

“I suppose you are right. I’ll give it a little more time to see where we go. Then if the relationship progresses, I’ll confront my parents.” She was now her chipper self again. “So what do you think of Daniel?”

The question threw me off guard. She always had this way of catching me in a situation where I didn’t have time to think about an answer. I glanced toward her, noticing the silly grin she wore. It didn’t take long before I noticed my heart fluttering from the mention of Daniel’s name.

“What?” I breathed out.

“Aw, come on Julie, even I have to admit my brother is gorgeous. You don’t think I haven’t noticed the way he looks at you. Not to mention the way you look at him. Everyone noticed it at the wake. He never left your side. Not even for one moment. I’ve never seen him this happy.”

“Well, yes, I have to admit he has grown into a handsome man.” I heard her make a huffing sound. “Okay,” I rolled my eyes. “He’s gorgeous,” I added.

“Jewels, why can’t you just admit you like him?”