The Legacy of Kilkenny (12 page)

“Show off,” I say and throw my first punch.
 
 
He catches my hand and pulls it up behind my back.
 
It’s going to be a long day
.
 
I think to myself.

The rest of the day is me being blocked and knocked to the ground.
 
I had to balance on a balance beam and kick a balloon he held in his hand.
 
Finally I am saved by Pru when she stands in the doorway staring at Oakley with her wide gray eyes.
 
She isn’t there to check on me, it is to enjoy the show.
 
It is hard to watch her watch him, but I can’t make someone feel something for me if they don’t.
 

Before I leave, I stop to talk to Parker.

“Hey man, I am wondering about something.
 
Were you in the woods today?”

Parker shakes his head no and leans up against the wall like he is bored.

“Funny, but they were intent on finding some woods that you guys don’t run in, but I could smell you out there.
 
Are you following me?”

“Interesting question, following you?
 
Let’s just say, I run where I want.
 
I think your mom is expecting you for dinner.
 
Drive safe.”
 
He turned and walked out of the room.

Oh Parker has a way of pissing me off with his attitude, why do they keep him around?
 
I can feel it, one day I am going to punch him… hopefully I’ll get better at fighting because if I tried that right now, I’d have to run for my life.
 
He scares me just a little… all that I have heard about him being unstable and all.

It is going to be hard to explain to my mom the nurse how I got so many bruises, good thing it is still a little cold outside so my long sleeves and jeans will cover up most of them.
 
I have some scratches on my face from running through the woods but I’ll tell her we went hiking.

‘Hey mom, I’m home, told
ya
I’d be home for dinner.” I walk over to her and give her a kiss.
 
“That smells good, is Allie here?
 
I smelled her perfume when I came in.”

“She is, don’t stress her out okay, her boyfriend and her got in a fight and she wanted to come home for the weekend.
 
Did they give you something today?”

“Huh?
 
Give me something?
 
What?”
 
She is easy to fool.

“Oh, never mind.” She pulls a lasagna from the oven.

“The Mustang?
 
Yeah, it’s so cool, after dinner let me take you on a drive, we’ll go
cruisin
’ and you’ll be my date.”
 
It’s going to be so hard to leave her one day.
 
My throat clenched up and the heaviness in my chest feels like an elephant.
 
How am I going to break her heart?
 
It is going to hurt her so much, who am I kidding; I’m going to miss times like this.

“I didn’t know it was a Mustang, they just asked if they could give you a car.
 
At first dad and I were against it, but they said they were getting a good deal on a car and knew how good of a friend you are being to Pru.
 
Is it new?”

We talked while I set the table.
 
Allie came down the stairs and I see she had been crying.
 

“Hey Cat, you flunk out of school?”
 
It is easy to get her goat.

“No, can you not be a jack ass for five minutes?” She flopped herself in a chair and of course she doesn’t do anything to help get things ready for dinner.
 
When she is in one of her moods, nothing can make her happy.
 
It looks like she is in one of those moods.
 

“Mom and I are going out cruising later, you
wanna
come with?
 
Oh yeah, mom, can you take a look at this scratch on my forehead and see if I need some of that tape they use instead of stitches?”

“What scratch?
 
I don’t see anything except some dirt, you might want to go wash it off, we’re about to eat.”
 

I run up to my room, after looking in the mirror I realize she is right, I don’t have any scratches.
 
I pull up my pant legs to see if I still have all of the bruises from kicking and falling off the balance beam.
 
Nothing.
 
I send Pru a text telling her that I’m healing from the fighting session today.

Werewolves have a remarkable healing ability.
 
You’ll never find a
were
wearing glasses or a cast for more than a week.
 
I hear they only wear a cast to make sure it lines up straight if it’s a major break.
 
If they are in a car accident they are usually healed before the ambulance arrives.
 
There is a
were
stationed at every major doctor office practice and every hospital and lab.
 
It is to ensure blood samples are run only for things that wouldn’t give away our genetic code.
 
Apparently high cholesterol doesn’t run in
weres
, even though they eat so much meat.
 
But they can get arthritis; all of the running is hard on their hips and spine from all of the rough and tumble play fighting.
 
It isn’t as debilitating as it is for humans but they still have to take a little Tylenol for it.
 
I’ve seen a couple of the guys had hangovers every once in a while, but they party hard.

I grab the keys and yell out I’ll meet them in the car.
 
My car!
 
I can’t believe it is all mine.
 
Allie decided she is going with us, she crawls into the back seat fussing about how cramped it is.
 
Mom flipped through the stations finding one dedicated to Prince.
 
She made us listen to his music my entire childhood and I know every word to every song.
 
  
Dad is always working so he misses out on a lot of the family stuff, but we have a strong bond and he doesn’t make me listen to Prince.

PRU

My dreams had become more vivid since the announcement of the O’Connell Pack coming for a visit.
 
Dad was on edge and the rest of the Pack was irritated with the whole situation.
 
We had meeting after meeting about the training of Abel. His abilities were coming on faster and if we didn’t get him trained the right way, he could become some type of soulless rogue wolf that would have to be hunted and killed by their own Pack just to keep him from harming humans.

Everyone was assigned a task to train him.
 
We put up a big grease board with names and assignments along with length of time expected for completion of the task.
 
Josie came out to the house to stay and help me make heads or tails of some of my journals.
 
It was hard enough on me having the dreams but it was difficult when I had to relive them just to figure them out.
 
My dreams are like anyone else’s dreams but I journal them so I don’t forget.
 
Even after journaling I do forget sometimes, until I read the words and sit in a quiet space trying to bring up the feelings and the memory.
 
It has been such a huge part of my life it comes fairly easy to me, yet it can take valuable time.
 

Abel’s death has been weighing heavily on my mind and I wanted to clarify by rereading the journals to make sure we didn’t miss anything in the messages. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the cause of someone’s death?
 
I’ve put some thought into it a lot over the last several weeks.
 
When I originally wanted to be the trainer for Abel, I didn’t know him….
Now
things are different, I know his family, and friends, I’ve even had a chance to become friends with his sister.
 
I was questioning myself, is it the best way to handle him?
 
I had taken a dream walk to discuss with
  
Quinney the different options, and to find what would be the most spiritual way to end a life.
 
I wanted it to be as easy on his mom and sister as I could make it.
 
It had occurred to me I too would have to openly grieve so I wouldn’t look like a cold-hearted friend.
 

My dream with Quinney took place at a very quiet pond, the grass was green, the sun was out and one bird sat in a tree chirping.
 
To me, the place looked like an old movie set with a fake pond and a back drop, maybe he used one from TV to make this area.
 

“Quinney!”
 
I ran over and hugged him.

He held me out at arm’s length looking at me like a proud father.
 
“Prudence, you’re even more stunning today than the last time I saw that beautiful smile.
 
What troubles your heart dear?”
 
His Irish accent made everything sound so exotic.

We held hands as we walked around the creepy pond that was so still, no movement of fish or bugs and its weird food-coloring colors.
 

“
Quin
, the O’Connell’s are on their way to Oklahoma in hopes of taking the future wolf with them.
 
I’m trying to ease him into a shift, but that is much easier said than done.
 
What can I do?
 
Any advice?”
 

“Pru, I believe we need to help you first.
 
You’re not going to be any help to your family or this young man’s family if you’re unable to be clear minded.
 
Have you been meditating?”

 
Still holding his hand and keeping pace as his long legs made me feel as though I was at a slow jog.
 
“Yes, probably not as often as I should but yes I have.
 
Josie brought over some smudge sticks and I’ve been cleansing the house every evening before I go to bed.”

“
Hmmmm
, have you aligned your chakras lately?”
 
He asked as he came to a stop and a blanket was laid out on the plush green grass.
 
“Sit.”
 
He motioned me to come sit in front of him.

“What do my chakras have to do with anything?
 
I wish we could bring Abel into the dream, he is the one that could use an alignment.
 
Can you dream walk on him and align him?”
 
I’d never thought to ask if he could help me with the spiritual guidance for Abel.

I sat with my hands out in front of me palms down,
Quin
put his hands
under mine
with his palms up, we weren’t touching but we were thriving off each other’s energy.

“Prudence, I’m going to give you a list of things to do to align your chakras, you’re talented enough to perform it for your friend.
 
It has been delightful seeing you again.
 
Please tell that gorgeous friend Josie she still owes me one and I miss her.”
 
He leaned and kissed me on both cheeks.
 
“Sorry darling’ I have a polo match to attend.
 
You’ll be fine, much love.”

Well, that sure wasn’t as helpful as I’d hoped.
 
Didn’t anybody understand…I need help?
 
I can’t do it all by myself and I wanted to talk to someone that has ever done it this way.
 
The more I was around Abe, the more I realized his family holds onto a strong spiritual faith, so he really is more grounded than I give him credit for.
 
Quin
was right, I need to align my chakras and then see what I can do for Abe.
 

I tip toed down the hall to sit at the counter and write down my action plan for tomorrow and then
beddy
bye time for me.

Every time I had been around Abel I grew deeper involved in his journey to become the Great Wolf.
 
Even as absurd as it sounds sometimes, having werewolves walking amongst the humans, we are real.
 
Look at the guys on those fighting circuits that are flamboyant and bigger than life personalities,
weres.
 
Nancy Grace, she is vigilante for justice, you know why?
 
Were.
 
Simon
Cowell
, the guy who was a judge on American Idol,
were.
 
Famous
weres
run the gamut at keeping the secret.
We’re all over the world, but there aren’t enough of us to help everyone.
 
We pray once the Great Wolf rises we’ll come together and use our strengths for the bettering of human kind.
 
Most myths are based on some type of truth, bent, but still the truth.
 
Maybe not so much the Easter bunny but the supernatural world is alive (so to speak) and well all around us.
 
Although Abel knew of his demise, he would not be privy to how it would happen.
 
I had to figure out a way for him to die that wouldn’t consist of an autopsy.
That
would render him the
Dead
Great Wolf.