The next day Ashley woke up with a yawn a little after ten. It was a Friday and she was suspended. By the end of the night her dad had been assured by a number of people both she and Nathaniel would get minimal punishment when they went back to school. They’d probably have some detention, but that was nothing in the face of Nathaniel’s expulsion. Everyone’s single day suspension was more to keep them away from each other than seriously punish them.
The smallest layer of snow covered the street outside. The weather still wasn’t quite cold enough for snow yet. It was still cold enough so she bundled herself up and went for anything hot. Ashley laughed when she found the same box for muffins that she’d burned when she was sick.
This time she paid very close attention to them. They came out of the oven twenty minutes later and the whole house smelled delicious. They were barely cool before she promptly popped one out. Up close they smelled of cinnamon and saliva filled her mouth. Her first bite filled her with delight and she laughed like a small child. She ate it triumphantly and promptly had a second. She was so proud of herself she did a small dance in the kitchen. An hour later she received a phone call from Nathaniel.
“Hi,” she said cheerfully.
“You’re awful bright for a girl who is kicked out of school today.”
“I did something right this morning.”
“What was that?”
“I’ll tell you later. You won’t believe me over the phone.”
“Well how about you come meet me for a walk?”
“Sure, where are you?”
“I’m on the third path leading up to the north plateau.” Ashley frowned.
“Where is that?”
“Do you have one of those tourist trail maps?” She scavenged through her dad’s drawer of maps until she found one of the mountain.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, it’s one of the red lines marked number 3. Just go to the main parking lot and I’ll meet you there.”
“Alright. When do you want to meet me?”
“Is an hour okay for you?”
“Of course. I’ll see you there”
“I’ll see you soon.” She hung up the phone and smiled. A wonderful idea occurred to her.
Nathaniel was waiting for her as she pulled into the small parking lot set aside for hikers. He stood in his long brown coat and waited for her with a smile on his face. She had a bigger one as she stepped out of her jeep.
“Hi,” he said as he came towards her.
“Hi.” She tossed one of the muffins towards him. He caught it easily and looked at it.
“What’s this?”
“Proof that I can cook.” He gave the muffin a sniff and took a bite. His eyes raised and he gave a mock salute to her.
“Well I’ll be.” She laughed and kissed him. His lips were covered in crumbs and her boyfriend now tasted of cinnamon. She licked her lips at the delightful addition.
“Told you.”
He put his arm around her and popped the rest of the muffin into his mouth. They walked away into the forest and headed up the trail. Ashley kicked up the little bits of snow as they walked. Nathaniel kept quiet as he munched away on the muffin. He seemed to be savoring each bite just like she had.
“Alright, that was delicious,” he finally said before kissing her on the forehead. “You can cook for me any day.”
“Thanks, but you’re still better. I can only cook things out of the box.”
“We all have to start somewhere.”
Ashley grinned and kept close to him. The forest was colder now but somehow so much more beautiful than before. Even though the snow was thin, it still covered the trees. The snow was very early so some trees were green, others deep brown and orange, and a small few were packed with snow. It provided a beautiful collection of colors for them to walk in.
“So I’ve noticed something,” said Nathaniel. “You may act like a good student, but you seem to have something against school.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well think about it. You got out of school for a week for being sick. You barely go back and then you get into a boxing match with the popular girl and get kicked right back out.”
“I’m not trying to avoid school, it just happens.”
“Well I’m glad one of us does. I’m not a big fan.”
“Strange,” said Ashley. “You always pay attention in history and seem to do well.”
“I like learning, but school just isn’t my thing. I like working with my hands and learning things through experience, not textbooks.”
“Do you plan to go to college?” Nathaniel shrugged.
“I don’t know. I may just work with cars my whole life like my dad does. It’s what I’ve grown up with and it’s what I like. I could make a decent living off it too with my experience.”
Ashley nodded and pressed herself a little closer to Nathaniel. Despite the fact the sun was up and they were wearing winter clothes, it was still chilly. The snow grew thicker the higher they went and the wind was pushing at their backs. That was the real killer. She could handle the cold. It was the cursed wind brushing along any of the bare skin it could find on her. Nathaniel was always so warm she couldn’t understand it. She decided it didn’t matter as long as he shared the wealth.
“Is that all you want in life?” she asked.
“Yeah. Why? It doesn’t sound good to you?”
“It sounds good, but what about going out and becoming wealthy or famous? What about getting a huge house and everything you’ve dreamed of?”
“I’ve never dreamed of those things. Makes all you’ve worked for in life nothing more than a waste of space. Living in a warm house with a good family of my own and having the time to spend with them is my dream. I wouldn’t have it any other way. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, it’s just so…different from what everybody else thinks.”
“So I should be like everyone else?”
“No it’s just…grrr. You know what I mean.”
“I do. I’m just saying I don’t see the point in it.”
The path started to move uphill again. The snow was firmer here, sinking under her feet instead of crunching. Her boots weren’t slipping but Nathaniel still made a wonderful crutch. As they started to get near the top of the hill she felt Nathaniel tense. The wind changed and started to go against them. Nathaniel started to say something else, but suddenly went quiet. Laughter flew down with the wind. Ashley knew this area pretty well and she could understand why more people would like it. Another few steps and they’d be on a flat ridge overlooking some of the forest. She’d been there a couple of times and she was eager to see what it looked like with some snow.
As soon as they cleared the hill though, she felt something was wrong. There were five boys on the plateau. They could’ve passed as kids at their school. Four of them were sitting in the trees around the edge and one was standing on the ground like the ringleader. They were dressed in assorted winter clothing and not one of them looked out of place, only all five pairs of eyes were staring at them.
“What’s up?” asked the one on the ground. The other four snickered in that stupid way only teenagers can. Nathaniel took a step in front of Ashley.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. Ashley was surprised by the tone of his voice. It spoke of an ugly history with these boys. “You’re not allowed here.”
“We go where we want,” said one in the trees. “We’ve been hanging out here for a week or so.”
“You going to stop us?” asked another.
“I think not,” said the first one. “Especially not with that little flower there.”
They started laughing again. Nathaniel stepped forward and brought his hands low to his sides. An unnatural growl left his throat. Ashley and the boys looked at Nathaniel in surprise.
“Looks like he means business,” said one of the boys.
“I’ll not ask you again.” threatened Nathaniel.
Ashley wondered suddenly what she should do. Things were going downhill quick and she didn’t like the odds. The boys were smaller, but there were five of them!
“I don’t think he’ll do it,” said the lead boy. “I don’t think you want the girl to know where you got your title.”
“Title?” breathed Ashley.
“Yeah. He might be your boy, but out here we call him the winter wolf.”
“You know what happens when you corner a wolf?” snarled Nathaniel.
“No, but I’d like to see it. I’d like her to see that too. How about you show her what you truly look like,” said the boy. He grinned maliciously and his voice deepened. “Go ahead and do it. Do it or we’ll tear the girl limb from limb.”
Ashley flinched in real terror. She thought the boys had been messing around. Now she knew they were serious. What did they mean show her what he really looked like? She clung to Nathaniel’s side and looked to his face for comfort. But there was no comfort there. He looked scarier than any of the boys. He was snarling at them like a dog and only just now did she realize how large his canines were.
“Say another word and I’ll kill you.” His voice was deep and serious. Ashley quivered at his side, but didn’t move. Where could she run to?
“You’ve been threatening us for all this time. Maybe this time you’ll realize we can hurt you Nathaniel. You and all your little friends.”
“Flee now. It’s the last day you have. Enjoy it before I hunt you.”
“Well as long as we’re committed. Might as well go for it.” The boys let out chorus of high-pitched laughter. It continued into fits of giggles like a pack of hyenas. The four dropped out of their treetop perches like the fifteen foot drop was nothing. Nathaniel squeezed Ashley’s shoulder.
In horror, she watched as their bodies began to crack and twist. They laughed hideously as their bodies grew. They were changing somehow. Only Nathaniel’s strength kept her from screaming. He kissed her head and whispered.
“I’m sorry. I’d ask you not to be afraid but I don’t think you can be brave here. I didn’t want you to see this.”
He let go of her and took a few steps forward. Despite the fact he stood between her and the five boys, she’d never felt more vulnerable in her life. It felt so much more comforting with his arm around her. The boys continued to turn into monsters in front of them. Their clothes bulged and ripped apart. Dark matted fur covered their bodies and their muscles swelled. Hands turned into claws and their heads made them look like wolves. She didn’t want to believe what she saw but she knew they were real. They looked like werewolves out of a bad horror film. Nathaniel took off his long coat and let it fall to the ground as the five advanced on him.
“Run Ashley. Run faster than you’ve ever run before.”
Her legs were shaking, but she couldn’t move. She stared blankly as Nathaniel took off his shirt. His well-muscled back groaned. He cracked his neck dangerously and balled his hands into fists.
“NOW!”
The suddenness of his voice made her jump. Her legs found strength and she bolted. There was barking behind her and a roar left Nathaniel’s lips. She heard their bounding feet behind her but didn’t dare look back. It was almost a mile to her jeep. She had to get help.
Cries and screams erupted behind her followed by the loud whining of a dog. She reached the ridge of the hill and began her descent. She doubted anyone could’ve beaten her in a sprint right now. Boots and snow be damned, this was going to break some kind of record. There was a loud thump and fresh snow shot up behind her. Instinctively she looked behind her, regretting it almost instantly.
One of the werewolves had crashed next to her. It was shaking its head and body in an attempt to clear the snow and mild concussion. Its snout and side were bleeding from long scratches. It sniffed the air and turned to look at her. She’d stopped to look back and lost her momentum. She wouldn’t have the speed to beat him, but she still ran. With a bark it closed the distance and leapt on her back. The weight of it forced Ashley to the ground and rolled her over. Her screams echoed in her ears as a mouth full of sharp, broken teeth came down.
A heavy roar sounded behind her and the werewolf came off her back. Amazingly it hadn’t shredded her coat in the pounce. Looking up, she found her savior standing between her and the other werewolves. It was the last thing she would’ve expected.
If the other creatures were werewolves she had no idea what to call this one. It was huge. It was hunched over yet still easily taller than her. Its body was at least twice as thick as the others, with much larger claws and teeth. The other main difference was its fur. It wasn’t tangled or matted. It was long and sleek. Instead of a dark brown, it was a beautiful white and silver. The werewolf that had grabbed her was lying at its feet. It was mewing in the snow, bleeding out of a large bite in its shoulder. The other four were still advancing, but they seemed more cautious this time. They were all bleeding somewhere but the white furred one only had blood around its mouth and claws. It stomped its foot onto the hurt one and howled loudly into the sky.
Then he was answered by not one, but many howls. The smaller wolves looked about nervously. One began to bark and snap at the others. Before it could finish rallying their courage the white furred one leapt at him. With its weight it easily barreled over the smaller one and forced it into the ground. The white wolf snapped angrily at its prey and pinned it down with one massive hand. The ringleader’s whine combined with his attacker’s snarl sent the other’s skittering back. One started to edge around and for a second Ashley thought they were going to surround him. The white one barked loudly and forced their leader deeper into the snow. No more whines escaped. The other three looked awkwardly at each other and began to back away. More howls began to echo across the mountain and the three turned tail and fled.
As soon as they were out of sight the bigger one turned to Ashley. She stiffened as it looked at her. Oddly enough she didn’t feel afraid of it. It looked like a dog who had bit its owner accidentally. Hurt and worried. And those eyes, such brilliant, blue eyes. Her heart stopped for a moment.
“Nathaniel?”
The question lingered in the air. She couldn’t deny the similarities. Those big beautiful eyes definitely belong to her boyfriend. She’d stared into them long enough to know. Even his fur reminded Ashley of Nathaniel’s hair. Beautiful white hair with barely a hint of blonde in it. Could it be?
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The white wolf let loose a long howl and then bit into the snow. It rose back out with the limp form of the pack leader in its jaws. It reached for the ground and took the other by the leg before trudging back up the hill.
She was left alone shivering in the snow. The woods were silent now. No animal stirred. No birds chirped. No wolves howled. Minutes passed and she heard nothing. When she built enough courage, she followed the wolf. But when she crested the ridge, it was gone. Nathaniel was standing alone where she’d left him. He was buttoning his long coat and was looking at the floor. There was no trace of the wolves. Only their torn clothes and the blood in the snow proved they’d ever been there. Nathaniel’s own clothes laid in ruins nearby. He turned to look at her as she approached.
“Nathaniel…” she began, but stopped at the sad look he gave her.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never wanted you to see this.”
“What are you Nathaniel?”
“I can’t tell you. For your safety I can’t give you anything now. Not even myself. Please go home.” He started down the path past her and kept his head turned away from her. He didn’t even meet her gaze as he passed by her. He was just down the hill when he heard her voice and stopped.
“No. No. I won’t let you walk away.” He turned to look back at her. Tears were streaming down her face. She sniffed. “I won’t let you go like that. I’m not letting go of the one good thing I have here.”
“It’s the only way.”
“Bullshit. I won’t accept it. I don’t care what you are. You’re mine and I won’t let you go.”
She rushed down after him. He didn’t move until he saw she wasn’t going to hug him. Her right hand came up to slap him and he caught it barely in time. She struggled in his grip, but he was too strong. Ashley was still angry, but that didn’t stop her from letting him pull her close for a kiss. For the first time in her life, she accepted feeling weak. This man, this monster, she could live with being weak against. If there was any man she wanted to hold her this way it was this one. He pulled away from her and hugged her. She could still feel the pressure of his kiss on her lips.
“Do you forgive me?”
“For what? I don’t even know what you are.”
“What do you think I am?” Ashley let go of him and looked him top to bottom. He didn’t look any different than normal
“You look the same, but I know you’re the white wolf. It had your eyes. Those piercing eyes of yours. I know it was you. You’re stronger and faster than anyone I’ve ever met. You raise dogs, you love dogs, you act like a dog. The first day I saw you you were bathing with wolves. Are you what I think you are?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a werewolf.” Nathaniel nodded his head.
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“I am,” she said worriedly. “I’m terrified of you. I don’t know what you are or how to explain it. Because of this I’ll never be able to look at you the same.” He turned his head away in shame. She reached out and pulled his face back to her. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to look at you anymore. I just have more to see now.”
“You don’t seem that scared of me.”
“Should I be? Do you want me to be?”
“No,” he said hastily. “I’m just surprised. I’ve never met a girl like you before.”
“I’ve never met a boy like you before,” she said with a smirk. “So, have you always been this way?”
“It started when I was eleven.”
“And, what do you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you do since you’re…this?”
“A werewolf? I do everything I normally would. Then for some special nights I go running through the woods as fast as I can. I walk among other wolves as if they were my family. I howl at the moon for fun. I don’t know what else to say.” They stared at each for a moment in silence. Ashley was trying to think of new questions, but wasn’t sure what else to say. An idea suddenly came to her.
“I want to see what you look like again,” she blurted out. Nathaniel looked at her in surprise.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to frighten you.” She held his face gently.
“You’ve saved my life twice in one month. Once from a blizzard and just now from being eaten. You wouldn’t have done that if you were going to hurt me. I trust you. Now show me what you really are.”
“Okay. I need you to do something for me then.”
“What?”
“When I change I need you to put on my coat so we can keep it.”
Nathaniel stepped away from her and began to unbutton. Ashley felt a bit sheepish at her request. Nathaniel had to turn away from her because she’d essentially asked him to strip. He held his coat on by his shoulder blades alone and hunched to the ground. His head snapped up suddenly and a snarl left his lips. He cried out as his hands slapped against the ground.
Ashley watched in amazement as his hair began to grow longer and whiter. He tilted his head and she saw his mouth widen into a long snout. His teeth grew into long points and he snapped uncontrollably. His coat bulged and fell off his back. Fur was growing across his entire body rapidly. His feet and hands clawed into the ground and dug out gouges in the snow. His feet turned into large paws like a wolf, but his hands were different. They became much larger, but they didn’t fully convert into paws. They still had visible fingers with long claws on the end. When he placed them on the ground however, he seemed perfectly capable of walking on them. He gave his head a giant shake and his fur fell loose.
He was huge. Even on all four feet he stood up to her chest. He was incredibly long, nine feet from head to tail. It was hard to distinguish how big he was under that heavy fur. His long tail was bushy and as big as her leg. He put his head under her hand and nuzzled against her. Not only was his fur the purest white she’d ever seen, but it was the softest thing Ashley had ever felt. She scratched behind his ears and he groaned affectionately. He pawed around her, leaning around her entire body.
“You’re amazing,” she said affectionately. He put his head up and licked her face. It was just like getting licked by any other dog only the tongue was about as long as her face. “Oh that is so gross Nathaniel. You really are just like a dog.” He barked happily, only it was louder than any bark she’d ever heard.
“So what now? Are you going to change back?”
He shook his great head and accidentally hit her in the side. The force behind it was incredible and he almost knocked her over. She stumbled a little but Nathaniel’s head whipped around the other way and she caught herself on him.
“You’re going to have to be careful Nathaniel.” He tilted his head apologetically. “I’m okay just don’t do that again. And if you’re not going to turn back what are we going to do.” He nosed her hand onto his back and barked. She scratched his back a little but he shook his head. He laid down next to her on all fours and pointed at his back with his nose. “What? I already tried scratching you.” Nathaniel stood back up and walked behind her. She started to turn when she felt his head between her legs. It was so big he had to stay close to the ground to try and wriggle his way through. She leapt aside with a surprised shriek.
“What are you trying to do?” she demanded. He barked and pointed to his back again. She thought about it for a second. “You want me to get on your back?” He barked again enthusiastically and his tail began to wag. She looked at him and realized he was big enough for her to ride. The thought was kind of scary though. She weighed out the options and then shook her head.
“No. No way.” He whined a little and came closer. He licked her hand and then stood still next to her. He looked straight ahead and not up at her. “You’re not going to move until I do are you?” His head bobbed. She crossed her arms.
“Fine, but you better go slow.” He nodded again and Ashley looked for a way to get on. As if Nathaniel had read her mind, he settled down on all fours and waited. She stepped over his back. She was near his head but thought about how riding would feel that way and moved down towards the middle. Patting his side, he stood up slowly. She tried to sit upright but his back wasn’t exactly designed like a horse. She leaned forward and took his fur in her hands.
“This okay for you?” He nodded again and took a few steps forward.
Ashley found herself feeling surprisingly secure. Nathaniel may not have been as big as a horse but he was stronger than one. His body didn’t feel hindered by her at all. He started to trot further up the hill. While it was kind of nice to travel this way, she did miss the conversation.
A bit further he started to pick up the pace a little. Ashley squeezed a little harder at first, but he was being gentle. When the path was straight and clear Nathaniel would run but whenever it was rocky or curved he would slow down. Ashley began to laugh with excitement. After twenty minutes they’d covered more ground than they would’ve on foot in over an hour. Nathaniel didn’t stop until they were in a clearing high in the hills. Nathaniel paced around in a circle a few times before laying on the ground. Ashley groaned as she stood up. While it was fun, her legs were already sore.
Nathaniel rose and stood behind her and brought his head around her side. She leaned on him and scratched his head. He groaned and rubbed his head against her. He almost pushed her over again.
“Relax Nathaniel!” she laughed. “You’re a lot bigger than me. I don’t know how strong you are, but it’s too much. You could probably just roll over and squish me.” He nodded his head and she giggled. He moved away from her and looked out into the clearing. She wondered if something was there, but Nathaniel wasn’t looking for something. He was preparing.
Nathaniel pawed the ground and brought his body low. Ashley watched him as he set up like a runner on a track. He coughed three times and then took off. It was just like the day on the track only so much more impressive. When he bounded forward this time he leapt twenty feet across the open ground. He landed on all fours and ran into the field at break neck speed. Ashley had thought they were going fast when she had been on his back. It must’ve felt like a crawl if he could run this fast. He cleared the open field and disappeared into the forest. She tried to see where he’d gone, but he was too far out. Nathaniel suddenly came bolting out a hundred yards to the left of where he’d entered. He slid to a halt next to her, giving her a new appreciation for his new form.
“That was amazing!” she said. Nathaniel stood on two feet and walked over to her. Her body tingled as he came closer to her. The shape of his legs didn’t allow him to walk erect. He stood like some kind of bear wolf hybrid. Survival instincts told her to scream and run. The rest of her smiled and felt warm as he came close. As he stood before her, she put her hands on his chest.
“Alright, I’m impressed.” Nathaniel reached around her shoulders and tugged on his coat. He was so strong he practically picked her up when he pulled on the coat. “Let me take it off first! Geez Nathaniel, give me a second,” she laughed. “Do you want me to put the coat back on you too?” He nodded. She placed the coat on his back but it didn’t look as long on him anymore. She hoped she’d put it on the right area. It was hard to guess where his body would shrink to. She turned away and closed her eyes just in case. Ashley was curious how he changed back but she didn’t want to see him naked, at least not on purpose. Their first meeting didn’t count. At the sound of bones cracking and inhuman moans, she couldn’t help but peek. Nathaniel’s legs were taut and he was still growling, but he was about back to normal. His coat was more around his waist and left his chest bare. He dropped to both knees and pulled the coat over himself.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. Changing into a wolf never bothers me, but changing back always feels kind of weird.” Nathaniel rose to his feet and pulled his coat belt tight. After putting all the buttons in place he turned to Ashley. “There we go. Just like magic. I am no longer an animal, but your amazing boyfriend.” Ashley crossed her arms and grinned.
“I don’t know. I think I might like the wolf better.” Nathaniel frowned a little which made her laugh. She leaned in to kiss him. “I’m just kidding.”
“I can’t believe you’re okay with this.”
“Well to be honest I still don’t know what to think of this. I think my choices are accept it or run away screaming. I’ve got a million questions to ask you.” He shrugged and put his arm around her side.
“You already know the main secret so not much else is going to hurt to tell you. What do you want to know?”
“Everything. How long have you been like this? Do all werewolves look like you? Do you know any others? How strong are you?” Nathaniel put a finger over her mouth.
“One question at a time please.” He took his finger away. “I already told you I’ve been like this since I was eleven. No, all werewolves don’t look like me. I know many others and as for my strength.” He let go of her and sprinted towards a large tree. He kicked off it and leapt thirty feet through the air. He twisted his body around and landed on all fours near her. When he stood up he gave her a look of “that was easy.”
“Wow.” She stared in awe before a shiver passed through her. The shock was still there, but her adrenaline rush was not. She wasn’t sitting on a warm fuzzy wolf anymore either. Nathaniel came back over and held her. She put her head on his chest and tried to get as close to him as she could. Looking down she realized his feet were bare. He was only wearing his long coat and nothing else underneath. “Don’t you get cold?”
“Yes, but not very easily.”
“Are you cold now?”
“Only a little. Let’s walk to warm up.” He took her by the side and they started down the trail.
“Why did you bring me out so far?” she asked. “It’s going to take a while to get back now.”
“I know. I figured you would have a lot of questions so I brought us out here. There’s nobody out here so you can ask me whatever you want and I can show you anything you want.” She could see the excited expression had left his face and was replaced by worry.
“You really don’t want anyone to find out do you?” she asked quietly.
“No one. If word of this leaked out I could be in a lot of trouble.”
“How?”
“I’d have to leave town for starts. I could put my whole family, friends, even you in danger. Anyone who has a connection to me could be the target of hunters.”
“Hunters? You mean werewolf hunters?”
“Sort of. Human hunters who seek out anything they believe is unnatural. They say they’re exterminating us to balance the world. Sometimes they’re right. There are werewolves out there who can’t control themselves and attack people. There are others like me who don’t do anything wrong, but they hunt us all the same.”
“Have you ever had to hurt anyone before?” she asked worriedly.
“I just did.”
“I mean as a werewolf. Have you ever had to…you know?” Ashley wasn’t sure how to say what she needed to ask.
“Have I ever had to kill?” The words sounded so cold and emotionless when he said them. He made Ashley afraid of the answer. “No. I’ve never killed anyone.” Ashley let out a small sigh of relief. “I’ve had to fight before. I was really worried when those five attacked, but they backed off easily enough.”
“So why did those other werewolves attack you?”
“Oh those boys weren’t werewolves. If you ever told any wolf but me that they’d be insulted. Those are what we call jackals.”
“What’s a jackal?”
“They’re a subspecies of werewolf. Like all living creatures, we’ve grown and evolved over time. Jackals follow most of the same rules as werewolves, but they’re usually smaller. Their fur isn’t as nice and their claws and teeth chip easier. It’s all basically stuff like that. They’re more of scavengers than hunters. They prey on the weak and attack only the easiest targets.”
“Why did they come after us?”
“A lot of jackals have problems with werewolves. We fight for territory and my side has the natural advantages of size. It generally means we’re stronger and better fighters so they usually leave us alone. Once in a while though, they see a moment to strike. Today they had numbers on their side and had an easy win.”
“How was that an easy win? From what I saw you beat them all and didn’t get a scratch on you.”
“They didn’t attack me seriously, but they did get me to change. Odds were you’d stop being my girlfriend once you found out what I was. After that I’d either have to let you go or kill you to protect my secret. Since I wouldn’t hurt you, you’d get back to town safe. If you told anyone I was a werewolf they’d probably laugh, but someone might look into it. That’s dangerous for me. You don’t realize how dangerous it is for you to know my secret. If it got out...” Nathaniel stopped talking, but his eyes finished his sentence.
“I know how important it is.” Ashley gave a sly smile. “It gives me a sense of empowerment over you.” Nathaniel grabbed her sides and started to tickle her. Ashley shrieked but couldn’t get away.
“Be serious.”
“I am.” He tickled her again. She squirmed a little before reaching up for his face. “I would never do anything to drive you away,” she said as she caressed his cheek.
“I know.” He bent down and kissed her nose. “I don’t know what I’d do without you now.”
“Me either. The night of the accident changed my life. Before that I didn’t know what to think of this town or my new life. Then after the accident you started coming by and my dad relaxed more. The kids at school have even become nicer. Well, except for Monica.” Nathaniel laughed.
“Well yeah school became easier, but not because of me. You punched out one of the most popular girls at school and she was the one who was reprimanded. You’re pretty much set as far as high school reputation goes.”
“And I’m dating you now,” she added.
“That shouldn’t change anything.”
“I’m no longer single and believe me, in girl world, it means a lot. On top of that almost every guy is intimidated by you. I’ve only got one thing left to worry about.”
“What’s that? The fact that your boyfriend is a supernatural creature of legend?”
“No, I think I can deal with that.”
“Then what.” Ashley tightened her fingers on his arms.
“You’re handsome and have never been mean to a girl before. Every girl out there knows how good you are and now that you’re dating, they may try and steal you from me.” Nathaniel threw back his head and laughed.
“No faith in me?” he asked.
“I have lots of faith in you. It’s just the other girls I worry about. Unlike other girlfriends, I actually have to worry about you being a dog.”
“Hey, dogs are the most loyal companions you can have.”
“No, dogs are man’s best friend,” she teased. “Ever seen a dog around a bunch of girls?”
“Like I would ever be that way.”
“I know. It’s just one of those jealous fears we girls have.”
“Maybe this will ease them.”
Ashley looked up to see Nathaniel take something off from around his neck. He dangled a necklace in front of her with a small piece of wood on it. It was covered in strange symbols she couldn’t understand. It was octagonal shaped and the nine designs met in the center.
“What is it?” she asked.
“A gift. It’s called a wolf pendant. The symbols are some old reference to werewolves and I can’t remember exactly what they mean. I believe it’s something along the lines, let the moon guide you with her light and always reveal the path.” She smiled and felt it in her hands. The wood felt soft despite how firm it was.
“Where did you get this?” she asked.
“My uncle gave it to me as a kid.” Ashley frowned and held it back to him.
“I can’t take this. It’s a family gift.” Nathaniel smiled and pushed it back.
“I don’t need it. I know my family will always be there for me same as wolves know the moon will never leave us.”
She pushed it back into his hands anyway. It wasn’t something she could take from him. Suddenly he kissed her hard enough to push her head back. She moved closer and his arms came around her. He separated just as quickly and looped the necklace around her neck. She started to argue, but his lips locked on hers again. Ashley couldn’t help but relax in his arms. When they came apart, Nathaniel was grinning.
“Keep it, don’t argue.” She gave him a small smile and tucked it into her shirt.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He gave her a big hug. She nuzzled her head into his warm chest. It was strange to feel his skin where the coat didn’t cover him. Even in the freezing cold he was a furnace. She leaned back and looked into his eyes.
“Nathaniel, I want you to know I’ll never tell anyone. I couldn’t live with myself if I drove you out of town or got you hurt.”
“I hope not. I’m glad you realize how serious this is. The consequences for myself and everyone else are more than I want to say if this got out.”
“Don’t worry. Besides, who would I tell that would believe me? My dad? He likes you but he’s too down to earth to believe me. Liz? Not a chance. Kara? Well she probably would believe me, but nobody would believe her.” Nathaniel threw back his head and laughed.
“Oh I can’t wait to explain this one to my family.” Ashley shivered.
“Your family?”
“Of course. Now they’re really going to want to meet you.”
“They know you’re a werewolf?”
“Of course. We all are.” Ashley took a step back. The shock returned and she wasn’t sure how to react.
“Everybody in your family is a werewolf?”
“Born and raised. You didn’t know it, but you’ve known three since the first day you came into the shop.” He took her hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah this is just a lot to take in. So you weren’t bit, but born this way?”
“That’s what I said. Come on, let’s keep walking. You should come by my house and have dinner sometime.”
“Yeah, sure,” said Ashley slowly. “Just give me a little bit okay? I need to get used to just one of you first before I see all of you together.” Nathaniel laughed.
“Trust me. Dinner with my family is always entertaining.” Ashley wrapped her arm around Nathaniel and smiled.
“Somehow I don’t doubt that.”