Shadowed Instincts (2 page)

The next morning, Melanie decided to stay home from school.
Darren spent the night on the couch and he and her mother wanted to talk. She
didn’t argue, however uncomfortable the situation made her. She wasn’t ready to
go back. There were going to be so many questions and rumors at school about Mr.
Hughes, the attack, and his arrest. She just wasn’t ready to face it yet.

They sat at the kitchen table, silently eating breakfast. No
one had spoken and the tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
Melanie didn’t even glance up from her plate, afraid to make eye contact. She
wasn’t sure what to say or if she even wanted to talk about it yet.

“This is ridiculous.” Elaine’s voice was so sudden, it made
Melanie jump.

“What?” Melanie asked, deciding to play dumb.

Her mom levelled and impatient glance at her. “If you don’t
have any questions for me or your father, then I have a few for you. How is it
that Jeremy is a cynanthrope and why am I just now finding out about it?”

“What did you expect me to say, Mom? ‘Jeremy and I are
dating and, oh, by the way, he turns into a dog whenever he wants’?”

“Don’t catch an attitude with me, Melanie. Just explain.”

Melanie sighed loudly. “Okay. Jeremy is Ace.”

Elaine’s eyebrows raised high. “Ace? As in that black beast
that rescued you…twice?”

“He’s not a beast, but yes.”

“How long have you known? Since the beginning?”

“No. He told me after we got together, a few weeks ago.”

“Wait a minute!” Elaine exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes at
Melanie. “Did you know the night I found him in your closet?”

Melanie felt her face heat up. She nodded her head and kept
her eyes glued to her plate.

“Melanie!”

“Elaine,” her father interjected, “let it go. We have bigger
issues here.”

Melanie looked up at Darren, unwanted gratitude blooming in
her chest. He gave her a wink and took a bite of eggs. Melanie tried to hide
her smile, but wasn’t entirely successful.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll let it go, for now, but I’ve got your
number young lady.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Melanie said, grateful she was dropping it.
“Anyway, he told me after he showed up in the yard as Ace a couple of times. I
didn’t believe him, of course. I thought it was some huge joke he cooked up
with his friends to humiliate me. I turned to leave, then changed my mind. When
I turned back, Ace was sitting there.”

Darren and Elaine looked at each other and smiled. “That’s
pretty much the exact story of how your father told me.” After a brief pause,
she continued, “Is that why you broke up with him?”

 “Of course not! I love him, no matter what!”

“Then why?” Elaine asked, ignoring the declaration of love.

“Um, well, it was to protect him.”

“From what?”

“Well, I told you how Mr. Hughes was harassing me and I was
too scared to tell anyone.” At her mom’s nod, she continued, “I may have left
out a few minor details.”

“I don’t like the sound of this. What didn’t you tell me?”

“Okay. So, Mr. Hughes threatened to hurt Jeremy. He said he
would break his arms if he saw Jeremy touch me. I panicked. I broke things off
to protect him, but I told him it was because I couldn’t handle the whole dog
thing. That’s why I got so mad when Sissy came at me, telling me that he never
loved me and that she would get him back.”

“And you got suspended for attacking her.”

“I didn’t intend to do it. I guess it was a symptom of my
impending change. But I have to admit, that whole show I put on with the
principal was to make sure I got suspended. I couldn’t be there anymore,
knowing that my stalker was Mr. Hughes. I would have had to serve detention in
his classroom and I couldn’t even bear the thought.” Under her breath, she
added “Besides, I needed time to come up with a plan.”

“You should have told me. We could have called the police.”

“There was no proof. It would be my word against his. He
would have been released and things would have gotten even worse for me. Don’t
you understand?”

“Yes. I get it.” Melanie could see the anger brimming in her
mom’s eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was directed toward herself or Mr. Hughes and
before she could ask, Elaine continued, “But, what’s this about a plan?”

“Oh, did I say that out loud?” She grimaced. “Um, well, that
whole party was a set up.”

“What?”

“Jeremy and I set it all up. We made sure Mr. Hughes knew I
would be there and that Jeremy wouldn’t. We made sure Sissy showed up to drive
me out into the parking lot. Jeremy was there as Ace. He found Mr. Hughes’
hiding spot and showed me the way. I called the police and got Mr. Hughes to
admit everything he’d done. Then Ace incapacitated him until the cops showed
up.”

“Melanie! How could you? Anything could have gone wrong! He
could have kidnapped you, or worse.”

Melanie’s gaze landed on to Darren as he growled softly. He
looked furious. Unsure whether or not his anger was directed her, Melanie
shifted her attention back to Elaine.

“Mom, please understand. I had to end it. I was going crazy.
I had this overwhelming fear and anxiety that was at war with the uncontrollable
anger building inside of me. It had to end.”

“But-”

“Elaine,” Darren interrupted. Elaine looked at him. They had
some kind of silent conversation before she turned back to Melanie.

“Okay. It’s over. I’ll let it go.”

“Do you have any questions for me, Melanie?” Darren asked
quietly.

“Yes, actually.” After a brief pause to collect her
thoughts, Melanie continued, “Yesterday, when I got mad and tried to leave, you
told me to sit down. I felt like I lost all control of my body. You said sit
and I
had
to sit. Can you explain that to me, please?”

“It’s because I’m the alpha. I can infuse power into my
commands and no cynanthrope in my pack can deny me. I can control them physically
as well as mentally, making them forget things that have happened should the
need arise.”

“But I’m not in your pack!”

“You’re my daughter, my blood,” he said with a serious
expression. “Believe me when I tell you, Melanie, you are most definitely in my
pack.”

“This is insane. I can’t believe…There is no way you can
control me by…”

Melanie’s words trailed off as a pressure built in her chest
and she lost the power to speak. She patted her chest and grabbed her throat,
but no words could escape her mouth. After a few seconds, she felt the pressure
ease and gasped.

“What the hell was that?” she asked incredulously.

“I am your alpha. I commanded you to stop speaking and you
had to obey.”

“But you didn’t say anything!”

“I don’t have to say the command out loud. I can send it
mentally…if I’m within close proximity.”

“This is crap! So what, now I have to do whatever you say or
think? All the time?”

“Melanie, I only did that to show you that I could. I don’t
indiscriminately use my power over my pack. I only use it when it’s necessary,
which isn’t often.”

“Well, it still sucks,” she responded with her eyes downcast.

“We are animals, Melanie, with animal instincts. Yours are
just barely starting to surface and you physically attacked a girl for saying
something that you didn’t like. Can you imagine, for just a moment, an entire
community of people with that kind of anger and lack of control ingrained in
them? Imagine what it would be like if there were no one to help control them.”

“Chaos,” she whispered. Her eyes widened a bit with
understanding.

“Exactly. I only invoke the power when it is necessary. I
don’t make a habit of interfering in personal squabbles, but if it gets out of
hand, I take control.”

“Okay. I get it,” she said grudgingly. “Just don’t use it on
me anymore, okay?”

“I won’t. Unless I have to.”

Melanie decided that was the best she was going to get. She
glanced over at her mom and narrowed her eyes. Elaine was staring at Darren. There
was a happy glow on her face that Melanie had never seen there before. A glow
that she
had
seen when she looked in the mirror after time spent with
Jeremy. Especially after he told her he loved her.

“Mom?”

Elaine’s eyes jerked to Melanie and her face flushed. “Yes?”
she answered with a squeak in her voice.

“Are you guys getting back together now?”

“Melanie, I don’t…I mean…”

“Yes,” Darren interjected. “We are.”

Elaine’s face got even redder as she glanced down at her
barely touched breakfast. She looked embarrassed, but Melanie saw her lips lift
with a small smile. Melanie started to smile too, but was hit with a horrible
thought.

“But you’re the alpha.”

“Yes.”

“That means you have to live with the pack in Kentucky.”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re going to have a long distance relationship?
Travelling back and forth between here and there?”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“I mean,” he said as he stared deep into her eyes, “that you
and your mother will be moving home with me.”

Melanie slammed her bedroom door shut and barely resisted
the urge to scream. After Darren’s proclamation, she hadn’t said a word. She
stared at her mom for several beats, but there was no help there. Elaine hadn’t
even looked at her. Melanie had stood abruptly and pounded her fist on the
table. When Elaine still refused to make eye contact, Melanie flew from the
kitchen and stomped as loud as possible up the stairs.

“No way,” she said aloud. “There is no way in hell I am
moving to Kentucky.”

She threw herself down on her bed and picked up her phone.
Jeremy was at school, so she couldn’t call him. Tara was, too. Dropping the
phone with disgust, she closed her eyes and counted to one hundred. Her anger
was just starting to fade when there was a knock on her door.

“Go away!” she yelled.

“Melanie, please.”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk to you right now!”

Her door creaked softly as it opened a crack. Elaine stuck
her head through and gave Melanie a sad look.

“Melanie, please talk to me, baby.”

“You really don’t want me to, Mom. Not right now.”

Elaine walked into the room and shut the door behind her. She
walked over to Melanie’s bed and sat gingerly on the edge. Melanie refused to
look at her, keeping her eyes trained on the ceiling.

“Melanie.”

“Mom, don’t. I’m too mad and I don’t know if I can control
it right now.”

“Just listen, baby. I know this sounds like a terrible idea,
but I only agreed to move because I thought it was for the best.”

“For the best? I have a life here! What about Tara and the
rest of my friends? I’m a junior! You want me to start a new school my senior
year?”

“Why don’t you just say what’s really bothering you?”

“Fine! I can’t leave Jeremy! I won’t! I love him!”

“You’re so young, Mel. You have your whole life ahead of you
and you’ll find lots of boys to love.”

“Are you kidding me with that?” she shouted angrily, sitting
up to glare into her mom’s eyes. “Is that what you told yourself after dad? You
were young, too and I don’t seem to remember you ever having a date, much less
finding someone else to love.”

“That was different. I had you.”

“Oh, don’t you dare blame your lack of relationships on me.
Be honest. You never tried because you are still in love with Dad! I can see it
all over your face!”

“I’m sorry, honey,” Elaine said with regret. “I didn’t mean
to make it sound like I was blaming you. You are the best thing that ever
happened to me. And…you’re right. I do still love your dad.”

Elaine turned her head to stare at the floor. Whether it was
with embarrassment or remorse, Melanie wasn’t sure. She reached out and placed
her hand on her mom’s cheek. Elaine looked back into her eyes with the gesture.

“Is it so hard to believe that I have the same thing with
Jeremy? That it would destroy me to leave him?” Her eyes hardened a little. “We
are, after all, the same species.”

Melanie’s voice trailed off. She couldn’t imagine leaving
Georgia, leaving Jeremy and Tara and her life. She laid back down and sobbed
into her pillow for a few minutes while Elaine rubbed her back. Suddenly, an
idea occurred to her and she sat up.

“I know! I could stay with Tara and you could go to Kentucky
with Dad.”

“Melanie, don’t be ridiculous. I am not leaving you here.”

“But, Mom-”

“No,” Elaine interrupted. “That’s my final answer. I am not
leaving my daughter. Besides, this move isn’t just about me and Darren. It’s
about you, too. You are going through some major changes right now and you need
support. Darren’s community can help you. They can teach you what it means to
be a cynanthrope.”

“So can Jeremy.”

“Melanie.”

“No, Mom. I. Am. Not. Moving. You need to figure something
else out.”

The door to Melanie’s bedroom opened and Darren walked in.
He had a determined look on his face as he stalked toward Melanie’s bed.

“Don’t. Don’t you dare use your freaky mind control on me to
make me go with you! I would never forgive you.”

A stricken look crossed his face before he masked it. “I
wouldn’t do that, Melanie. I told you that I only use that when necessary.”

“Desperate times. Desperate measures. I am not moving and
that’s all there is to it.”

“I have a deal for you,” he said gently as he pulled her
desk chair over to the bed and sat down. “If you’re mother agrees, we can
compromise.”

“I’m listening,” Melanie said. Her voice was filled with
doubt.

“You and your mom can come visit me for the summer. We can
square things away with your school so you can wrap up early. We’ll leave Saturday
morning.”

He looked at Elaine and she smiled. “That sounds good to
me,” she replied.

Darren looked back at Melanie and continued, “You can stay
for a few months, meet the community, and have everyone there to support you
during your transition and first shift. Then you can decide if you want to stay
or come back here. I’ll support your decision and travel back and forth to see
you and your mom until you graduate, if that’s what you decide.”

“A few months? I don’t know.”

“What’s the problem? Your boyfriend?” Melanie blushed and he
said, “I thought so. And I anticipated this. He is a shifter. He’s one of us.
He will be welcome in Wilkes.”

“Wilkes? The town is named after you?”

“My family,
our
family, founded it about a hundred
years ago. It’s named after your great-great-great grandparents, Simon and Emma
Wilkes.”

“Okay,” she said, dragging out the word. “So Jeremy can come
see me whenever he wants? Great.” After that bit of sarcasm, she frowned and
continued, “I still don’t like it.”

“You misunderstood, Melanie. I meant he can come with us. If
his parents agree, and, of course your mom as well, he can make the trip with
us and stay all summer.”

Melanie felt hope bloom in her chest and looked at Elaine
expectantly. She saw indecision etched on Elaine’s face and was quick to beg.

“Please, Mom. Please! I can’t leave him behind. I’ll go and I
promise I will keep an open mind if you just say yes.”

Elaine sighed. “Okay,” she started but was interrupted by a
squeal as Melanie jumped into her arms. “But listen to me, Melanie. You will
stay in separate rooms.” She pulled back to look into Melanie’s face. “Do you
understand me?”

Blushing, Melanie nodded. “Of course. You know I, uh…we
haven’t…”

She trailed off and Elaine smiled. “Good. Then it’s settled.
You’ll finish out the week and we’ll arrange for your teachers to give you your
finals now. Jeremy can talk to his parents…are they back in town yet?”

“They come back tonight.”

“Okay. He can talk to his parents and if they agree, we will
all leave Saturday morning.”

“And if they don’t agree?”

“Then you’re going without him.”

No I am not,
Melanie thought, but she just smiled and
hugged her mom again.
I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Now Jeremy
just has to convince his parents.

“Thanks Mom. Thanks…Darren.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he said with a sad smile.

He turned to leave, holding out a hand to Elaine, which she
quickly grabbed and followed him out. After the door clicked shut behind them,
Melanie stared at it for a while, thinking about the trip, her parents and what
their newly rekindled romance would mean for her in the long-term.