NEWBORN: Book One of the Newborn Trilogy (25 page)

“Wolf?” I squeak, “Is that –”

Flipping over, Jack grabs the wolf by the
head and sinks his teeth into its neck. I scream. Howling in agony,
the wolf releases the vampire. Terror striking me, I look around
for a weapon. Nothing. So sinking to my knees, I hug the wolf. It’s
shaking – foam leaking from its mouth as black eyes glaze over.

Jack combs back his dirty blond hair. “Looks
like I won’t have to bite you,” he tells me, an evil look alive on
his face. He points to the wolf. “
He’s
going to any second.
Good thing to,” he adds, “because I was going to take you to
Mortimer – our coven leader. Mortimer likes to have his fun.
Torture you till the brink of death then bite you at the last
possible moment.”

I stare at the wolf. His fit is growing
worse, his eyes seeming to bulge from their sockets. With a whimper
he collapses to the ground. “No!” I gasp, hugging the wolf to me.
“Don’t turn! Not you! Not you!”

A maniacal laugh escapes Jack. He waves. “Bye
bye, pretty one. Hope to see you again.” He’s dashing through the
trees, not daring a backward glance, running faster than I ever
could.

Hugging the wolf, I see his eyes turn from
black to red. Watching the foam drip down his muzzle, I realize my
days have run out. I’ve lost my chance to run for it. All I can do
now is spend my last moments loving a friend.

I hug him tighter. Tears are dripping from my
eyes and down my cheeks. “This is goodbye, Wolf,” I tell him,
wiping my cheeks dry. “Thank you so much for saving me back there!
I – I wish I’d been a better friend to you. Be a good vampire
dog!”

Tears are overwhelming. So I let them flow.
Closing my eyes, I bury my face in his beautiful black coat. The
wolf nuzzles me affectionately. Shocked, I take a backward step. I
can’t believe it! He’s okay!

The wolf in front of me is out of breath.
He’s panting heavily and wiping the foam from his mouth with a paw.
But his eyes have returned to black, their seconds of fiery red
elapsed. Flipping back on his paws, the wolf stands up, nuzzling my
cheek and licking my tears away. Good as new.

“Wolf!” I gasp happily, unable to believe it.
“You’re okay!” I hug him so tightly I could burst. Let alone
him.

Nora, you moron!
says my alter ego.
He was never going to be a vampire dog!

I ignore her.

I’m too delighted to register criticism from
anybody let alone her. I won’t take her shit now. I will only take
Wolf alive and healthy before me. He is offering me a bark of good
feeling. I hug him again and he wags his tail infectiously, his
happiness spilling into mine. What don’t we have?

Then – ever so slowly – his black coat begins
to lighten. His claws shrink into his paws and their fur falls
away. His ears cave to the sides of his head and his dark face
turns russet. Only black eyes remain unchanged as slowly and
gracefully he transitions back into a boy. Now there’s no hint of
the dog left. Only human. The enormous smile on his face is as
obvious as the sun in the sky.

I’m still hugging him, holding him tight to
me. All of a sudden it turns awkward. Blushing terribly, I pull
away. As I do, a shadow crosses Wolf’s face, blocking out the sun.
Again he’s thrown into darkness.

Unsure of what to say, I lift my hand to pat
him.

No, idiot!
yells my alter ego.
You
don’t pat a person!

Geez, it’s so much easier to interact with a
dog. Aborting my pat mid step, I brush my hair over my ear instead.
This does nothing to help Wolf’s guarded expression. Eventually, I
manage, “I’m glad you’re okay!” My voice sounds falsely cheery. I
hate it. “Jack almost had you there!”

“He didn’t,” Wolf counters. “Not even close.”
His tone is sullen.

Have I angered him? How could I have? “What
do you mean, ‘not even close’?” I

repeat. “I saw everything. He bit you in the
neck. He’s a vampire, Wolf! A fucking vampire! You
could
have become one!” For some reason I’m starting to feel angry. How
did it all go to shit? Everything was joyous.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Wolf explains.
“Werewolves
can’t
become vampires. Vampire venom is
poisonous, but it only does temporary harm to wolves. It’s
debilitating for a few minutes then passes like a fever. You can’t
be a werewolf and a vampire at the same time. It’s impossible.”

“Oh,” I say. “I see.”

We are staring at each other. Both guarded.
Geez, I wish he’d stayed a wolf. We were having a happy time. Now
he’s human and telling me I was dumb for thinking him forfeit. I
feel stupid. I also feel mad at him. It’s hard to be, though. Full
maroon lips and muscular arms are calling my name.

“Did you mean what you said?” he asks.

My expression is blank. “What do you
mean?”

“That thing you said?”

I think back. Nothing. “What thing?”

He takes a deep breath. “That thing where you
said you wish you’d been a better friend. Did you mean it?”

Taken aback, I gaze at him in surprise. “Oh –
of course! I mean, I thought we were
both
dead. Actually, I
thought you’d become a vampire dog and eat me. People will say
anything when they’re –”

“No,” Wolf interrupts, “don’t take it back. I
don’t want you to.”

Astonished, I can’t rivet my eyes from him.
What is he on about? “I was babbling when I said those things. I
had no idea what I was saying.” As I speak, I feel my body edging
backward – away from him. I don’t know why. That’s a lie – yes I
do. Because I feel like I’m cheating on Gabriel.

“My mistake,” Wolf tells me. “I can hear you
as a wolf, you know. I have intuition when transformed. I thought
you said you wished we’d been closer. We can fix that, Nora – we’ve
been given a second chance. Sort of.”

“Not really,” I squeak. “You said so
yourself. You said I was never in real danger. Neither of us was.
Werewolves can’t become vampires. You said it’s impossible. So
there – the matter is settled.”

Expression pained, he says, “Not for me…”

Hastily, I think of a new topic. “What were
you doing in the woods before you saved me? Ha-ha,” I say, throwing
in a fake laugh. It sounds shrill and forced.

God I hate you
, my alter ego tells
me.

I know
, I tell her.
I hate me,
too.

Stretching with a grunt, Wolf stands up. “I
was hunting vampires,” he says to me. “What else would I be doing?
The question is what are
you
doing out here, so far from
Evergreen on a weekday?”

Shitballs!
Caught.

“I was with somebody,” I say, trying my best
to keep my devious answer honest. “Somebody you don’t know.”

“I know you were!” Wolf exclaims. “I saw him
right before he was about to eat you! Lucky I interrupted your
social hour.”

“Not him!” I say, exasperated. “Somebody
else
. Not a vampire. His name is Jack, by the way,” I add
haughtily. “The vampire you saw. Try and avoid him if you can,
Wolf. He’s not nice.”

“I could tell,” Wolf says, a grin shaping
full, maroon lips.

Yum! Oh – I can’t be doing this. “You should
leave, Wolf. Just point me in the direction of school. I promise I
will make it back before nightfall,” I say desperately to his
shaking head.

“No way!” he says. “Are you kidding? You were
almost mauled fifteen minutes ago! No way am I leaving you out here
to die! Not that you would,” he adds hastily upon seeing my
dissonant expression, “but I
have
to stay.”

I cross my arms. “Why?”

“Nora!” Wolf exclaims. “Seriously? You don’t
remember? We wrote an essay on this! I’m sworn to protect you from
vampires. I’m sworn to protect
all
humans from
all
vampires. You’re the human here and I know vampires are around this
area. We saw one! I’m not leaving you alone!”

If only Gabriel had been so considerate…

I exhale as though resigned. Secretly, I’m
thrilled. I don’t want to be left alone again. Gabriel will be
furious if he finds us. Oh well. He leaves me to get eaten by
vampires and this is what he gets. Somebody else hanging out with
me – somebody who actually cares about my well-being.

Going to Wolf, I hug him. The boy this time –
not the wolf. His skin smells like leather. I feel pontoon abs
beneath his tight T-shirt. Simply. Wondrous. “Thank you,” I tell
him, “for sticking by me. I
will
be a better friend.”

The shadow dissipates from his face as
surprise unfurls down it. He smiles, dazzling my eyes with white.
“Any time,” he says airily. “I’m your wolf – err – man! I’m your
man, Nora. Proud of it!”

Snuggling into his muscle, I sigh contentedly
against his chest. Geez, I could get used to this pretty fast.

A loud pop behind me.

Startled, I whisk around. But not before Wolf
has leapt into the air. He transitions so fast he’s a wolf before
he hits the ground. Barking madly, he throws himself at the
intruder with his teeth bared.

“Nullify!” Gabriel shouts, pointing his wand
at Wolf. It misses. The wizard throws himself behind a tree.
“Decimate!” This one hits Wolf’s leg and with a howl he collapses,
never ceasing to bark at Gabriel.

“Stop it!” I scream. “Stop it, Gabriel!”

Gabriel holds up his wand. “What’s it done to
you?” he yells at me. “Has it bitten you? Tell me it hasn’t bitten
you!”

“It hasn’t!” I gasp. “It’s –
he’s
– my
friend, Gabriel!”

Wolf – collapsed on the ground – is snarling
at Gabriel, black eyes turned to slits.

Gabriel steps from behind the tree, pointing
his wand at Wolf. “Tell it to calm down or I will kill it,” he says
to me. “Do it, Nora! I don’t have patience for werewolves.
Especially the uncontrollable, beastly kind! Tell it, Nora. I’ll
kill it!”

“Stop! Stop, Wolf! Surrender!” I’m shaking as
I speak. Turning to the wizard, I say, “Don’t you dare hurt him,
Gabriel!”

Gabriel is taken aback. But he continues to
advance on the wolf – wand aloft – until the fangs disappear in
Wolf’s mouth and he slumps to his rump, dejected, black ears
folding downward. Gabriel twirls his wand between fingers.
“Transition, werewolf,” he demands. “Transition now!”

I glare at Gabriel. He ignores me.

Wolf transitions back into a human. The
process looks the same as last time. First his color lightens then
his features change until nothing remains of his furry, canine
self. A boy again, Wolf jumps to his feet with a wince and points
accusatorily at the wizard, his newly human face shocked.

“What’s with you?” Wolf growls. “Why do you
look like that vampire?”

“Vampire? What vampire – where?”

“He means Jack,” I explain hastily to
Gabriel. “He’s – uh – a vampire. Almost killed me a little while
ago. It was close. I was running and he chased me and then I got
lucky because Wolf saved me and now… and now both of my protectors
are here!” I’m plainly babbling. “I’m so pleased!”

“You!” Wolf yells at Gabriel. He’s wincing as
he massages his leg. “You were supposed to protect her? What were
you thinking leaving a human girl alone in the woods on the Olympic
Peninsula? You can’t do that with their type! They’re made of
paper. How could you be so stupid?”

Geez, made of paper? What is he talking
about? Humans or girls? Both?

Swiping his blond hair to the side of his
forehead in agitation, Gabriel turns on me. “How could you leave
the clearing?” Frustration is boiling up through marble skin. “How
could
you
be so stupid? I gave you a direct order and you
disobeyed it! That’s the reason you got into trouble, Nora! You
were safe in the clearing! Safe from vampires, let alone this
moron.” He gestures to Wolf.

The werewolf bares his teeth in a doglike
manner. “Watch who you call a moron, wizard! You’ll be sorry!”

“Enough!” I shout to the whole forest. “Shut
up! Both of you!”

Silence. Now both of them are staring at me
angrily. Gabriel more so. Wolf, on the other hand, also looks hurt.
Geez, what do I do now? With both of them practically at each
other’s throat?

“Listen,” I begin, trying desperately to
control the situation, “Nothing that happened is worth fighting
over! No one is to blame.”

“Except you,” Gabriel tells me. “You left the
clearing!”

“And you!” Wolf barks at the wizard. “You
left
her
!”

I gesture wildly. “Yes and yes! If we have to
assign blame! That’s not going to get us anywhere, though. Instead,
let’s go our separate –”

“What were you doing when you
should
have been protecting her?” Wolf shoots at Gabriel. “What was so
important?”

I’m about to reprimand the werewolf like a
dog. I stop myself. Actually, I’m curious to know the answer to
this. Gabriel glances at me. When it’s clear I’m not stepping in,
he swipes his blond hair to the side of his forehead. The agitation
falls away from his face, replaced with self satisfaction.

“What?” I ask.

Turquoise eyes are bright. “I’ll tell you.
But not with the dog here.”

Wolf bares his teeth, black eyes
glinting.

I step in before things deteriorate. “Say it,
Gabriel!”

My wizard friend exhales loudly. But it’s an
ersatz sigh. His smile is way too obvious. “I’ve found their
coven.”

I gasp, “You what!”

“Yes,” he replies, grin widening. “Now I have
my wand at their throats!” He’s staring down Wolf as he speaks.
“They will all die. Each and every one of them!” His expression is
manic with fevered delight.

Wolf is shocked. “Kill
all
of
them?”

“They will get what they deserve,” Gabriel
tells him. “Nothing less.”

“
All
of them are too many!” The
werewolf’s expression is alarmed. “They don’t all deserve to die!
Just the ones attacking humans. Jack, for instance. Not
all
of them, Gabriel! You have to moderate!”