Wolves among men (3 page)

“
Of course it wasn’t, Ethan, you
were mugged,” she reminded me. I felt the frustration welling up in
me again.

“
No, I mean...” I sighed and
closed my eyes for a quick second. “Yes it was but it wasn’t.” I
thought about what I had just said, if she wasn’t confused already
that did it for sure. I looked into her face and immediately knew I
was right. She was puzzled. I remembered the scar and a light came
on for just a second. I could show her, I could make her see what I
was trying to say.

I stood up and lifted my shirt over my head,
tossing it onto the bed next to her.

“
Look.” I pointed to the jagged
scar on my shoulder. “I wasn’t just mugged, Cordillia,” I tried to
explain. “This thing came out of nowhere, it saved my life and it
left me with this.”

The puzzled look on her face turned into
horror as she stared up at me.

“
What?” she asked more shocked
than questioning.

“
I don’t know, Cordy, I don’t
know.” I paused. For the first time she didn’t say anything about
my pet name for her she just stood up and walked over to me, taking
a closer look at the scar on my shoulder.

“
I was at the hospital with you,”
she stammered. “How did I not know about this?”

“
Because it was healed over by the
time you got there.” She shot back slightly, her face stained with
disbelief.

“
No, that’s not possible.” She
shook her head. “I came as soon as I got the call as soon as you
were admitted to the ICU.”

“
You’re telling me.” I smirked as
I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. “The paramedics said
it should have taken my arm off, damn near did but it was healed
before the doctor even saw me.” She stared at me as I spoke
quickly, “He probably thought it was old and didn’t see the point
in telling you. Believe me, Cordillia, I’ve gone over this a
million times in my mind. If there was a better explanation, I
would give it to you.”

“
Okay so wait,” She closed her
eyes as she processed what I had just said. “What does this have to
do with you leaving?” I groaned and sat back down.

“
A lot.”

“
You do realize you’re not making
much sense here.” I nodded as a smile crossed my face.

“
You think this is confusing and
fucked up?” I chuckled. “Imagine being me here...” She threw
herself back down on the bed and shot me a weary glance.

“
I think I was better off just
thinking you were sick of California,” she muttered as she ran her
hands over her face with a groan.

“
Why do you think I did what I
did?”

“
Okay,” She looked up at me. “So
you left California because you were mugged and some...” She
motioned to my shoulder. “I don’t know, wild animal gave you a
scar? Why does that not make any Goddamn sense?” She glared at me
as she leaned forward and rested herself on her knees.

“
It wasn’t an animal.”

“
Okay then what the hell was it,
spider man?” she sat up as she shouted at me. She was furious and
there was nothing I could do to change it.

“
I don’t know,” I growled, trying
the best I could to contain myself. “All I know is that after it
happened I haven’t been the same and I really thought it was best
for you if I just took off.”

“
Oh really? I’m nineteen years
old, Ethan, not a child...”

“
I know that,” I
barked.

“
So do me a favor and maybe stop
treating me like one and tell me the truth.”

“
I’m trying,” my voice was sharp
but it didn’t seem to faze her as she looked at me, expecting an
answer. “What do you want me to say, Cordillia? That my hair grows
too fast, I’m getting stronger every day, that I’m changing in
horrible ways and I don’t even know how to believe it let alone
explain it to the one person who deserves an explanation? God I
didn’t want to do this!” I screamed. I had to gain control of my
temper and fast. My thoughts flashed back to Jenna and what could
have happened if I hadn’t left the apartment when I did.

“
Then I’ll go with you to a doctor
and we can-”

“
No doctors!” I screamed as I put
my fist through the oak table by the door. She shot back slightly,
frozen with fear and so was I. My strength was growing and I was
slowly losing control of it. “No doctors,” I did my best to speak
calmly as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “They wouldn’t
help, they would treat me like some, I don’t know, freak show or
something.” My breath relaxed and I began to feel my pulse slow
back down.

“
Okay,” she said in barely more
than a whisper. Her body relaxed as she stared at the floor and I
couldn’t blame her for not looking at me. After that I didn’t want
to ether.

“
So what do you think is going
on?” she asked me quietly. There was a long pause, a silence
between us before she looked up and met my eyes. I smiled. How
could I not? She was so sweet, so caring. She smiled back at me in
a way to let me know that everything was alright.

“
I’ve thought about a lot of
things.” I sighed. “At first I thought I was crazy and then the
night Jenna left me-” the pain in my voice was more than obvious. I
still missed her. It would be a while until that pain went away I
was sure.

“
You never did tell me what
happened,” she spoke quietly as she twisted her fingers together
nervously. “But I remember it was the first time I saw you cry, the
first time I saw you scared.”

“
We got into a fight that much you
know. I got angry and I felt like I needed to leave.” I sighed as I
sat back down and leaned forward on my knees. “I guess I kind of
knew that if I didn’t something bad would happen.” I looked over at
her, my heart pounding in my chest as I thought carefully about
what I was going to say.

“
I left the apartment and went for
a walk,” I continued, stopping every so often to read her face. “I
got a few blocks away and all I remember was being in so much pain
I couldn’t stand.” She shot me a confused glance as I looked over
at her. “My stomach,” I explained. “It was like it was on fire. So
I ducked into an alley and hid behind a dumpster.”

“
That bad?”

“
Yeah,” I smirked. “It didn’t take
long before the rest of my body felt like it was on fire and the
next thing I know I’m screaming and I can’t stop.” I chuckled
slightly, I didn’t know why. Maybe it was the relief of finally
being able to tell someone, to make it real in a way.

“
I tried to be as quiet as I
could, let everything just happen, you know,” I continued. “I felt
my body change. I remember closing my eyes because I didn’t want to
see what was happening and after that it all gets kind of hazy but
I do remember blacking out not long after.” I paused and took a
breath as I looked at Cordillia her face was white, her expression
blank. I didn’t want to but I knew I had to continue, “This is
where it gets crazy.” I sighed. “When the pain stopped and I opened
my eyes, I wasn’t...” I stopped and searched for the right word to
use. “I wasn’t human anymore, I was...” I shook my head. I didn’t
know what to say.

“
What?” she asked defensively. She
didn’t believe me, it was written on her face and to be honest I
hadn’t expected her to.

“
I don’t know.” I searched myself
for what to say, what would make it right but I came up empty with
an exasperated sigh. “I could show you,” I offered. She looked up
at me, her eyebrow raised as she shrugged.

“
Really?” she mocked.

“
I know you don’t believe
me.”

“
That is the understatement of the
century.” She chuckled lightly. “Okay then, show me.” I stood from
the chair and reluctantly and walked to the foot of the bed, the
only open space that my tiny room had to offer. I didn’t know how
to do this, if it was even a good idea but I had to do something.
She watched on as I took off my shirt and tossed it onto the bed,
looking away from her as she stared up at me, her lips twisted in a
mocking grin.

“
Promise me you won’t
run.”

“
Sure.” She chuckled as I readied
myself. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on
what it was I needed to do. It took longer than expected and I
could hear her sigh impatiently from the bed as I focused
everything I had on the task at hand.

My body began to burn and I could feel the
change taking over as the same searing pain ripped through me,
dropping me to my knees. I closed my eyes tight and let it take
over, trying the best I could not to scream as my bones began to
shift and change under my skin. I could hear Cordillia stifle her
own cries from somewhere far away as I opened my eyes and watched
as thick patches of gray fur began to sprout over my mangled and
misshapen arm.

There are no words for the feeling that washed
over me as writhed and growled on the carpet, no real way for me to
describe the amount of pain that ripped through me as my body
changed in ways it was never meant to. It wasn’t long after that I
felt a sweet wave of relief wash over me and I was able to breathe,
able to steady myself. I looked up and it took a moment before my
eyes could really adjust but as I did, I saw Cordillia’s scared
figure as she pressed herself tight against the wall behind the bed
as far away from me as she could get. I stood my ground, my eyes
lowered as I waited and hoped for any sign that she was
okay.

“
What the....” she mouthed as she
stared at me in disbelief, her breath labored and I could hear her
heart racing in her chest from where I sat. “You, you weren’t
lying.” She began looking around the room frantically. “I thought
you were bullshitting me but you weren’t you were telling the
truth...” I closed my eyes and allowed myself to phase back, hoping
that it would make it easier for her if she didn’t have to look at
me that way. “What the hell are you?” she snapped. I popped my neck
loudly and sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed.

“
I told you, if I had a good
answer I would give it to you.”

“
Think of one, give me something,
Ethan.”

“
I can’t!” I groaned. “I wish I
could, Cordillia. Do you see why I wanted to leave?” She nodded
slightly as she brought her knees to her chest and stared out at me
curiously.

“
This is messed up.” She sighed as
she dropped her forehead onto her knees and took a deep
breath.

“
You’re telling me.” I
smirked.

“
I know,” She smiled slightly.
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it was like to figure this out on
your own.”

“
I still haven’t figured it out.”
I yawned.

“
Are you still planning on
leaving?”

“
Yeah.” I nodded, looking up at
her as she relaxed and stretched herself across the bed.

“
Then I’m coming too.”

“
No.” I barked, eying her sternly.
“It’s not safe for you.”

“
Ethan,” she groaned. “Don’t give
me that I’m doing what’s best for you routine.”

“
It’s true,” I argued.

“
No, if you’re so intent on
leaving then I’m coming with you.”

“
Were your eyes closed a minute
ago?” I barked as I jumped to my feet. “Did you not see what just
happened?”

“
Yes I did and that’s why I’m
coming.” She crossed her arms at her chest and looked up at me with
a scowl.

“
It’s not safe!”

“
Like you’re in a better
position!” she screamed as she jumped up off the bed and moved
toward me. “I want to help.”

“
And how do you think you’re gonna
manage that if you’re dead?” Her eyes turned to the ground and she
chewed at her lip as the gears began turning in her
head.

“
What makes you think I’m gonna
die? You didn’t attack me.”

“
I’m your brother.” I
smirked.

“
So you were logical and had the
ability to reason?” I’d never really thought about it but she was
right. I nodded. “Who’s to say that others like you aren’t the
same?” I sighed heavily and ran my hands over my face as she waited
for me to give in. I really didn’t want to agree but I knew if I
sent her packing she would just follow me, it was her way. She
wasn’t the type to take no for an answer.

“
Fine,” I grumbled, wanting
nothing more than for this conversation to be over with. “But if I
ask you to leave or do anything for that matter please promise
you’ll listen.”