The Legacy of Kilkenny (7 page)

My parents make it in the house safe and sound, without as much as one werewolf attack.
 
It is probably prejudiced, thinking the wolf will kill my parents.
 
I’ve read a couple of werewolf books, I’ve seen movies, and they aren’t cute little puppy dogs.
 
I don’t know how I know it, but I’m certain that it wasn’t Pru, I don’t know who it was, but it wasn’t her.

PRU

The ride home was just what I needed.
 
Instead of going to our place in Piedsville I drove out to our farm.
  
Abel’s house is a good 40 miles from our farm, with the aid of a “
pikepass
” and 422 horsepower 6.2 liter SS Camero I made the trip in 33 minutes flat. Speeding is one of my dirty little secrets.
 
I kept it at ten miles over the limit, but speeding is speeding, and the police frowned at it.
 
I’d been pretty lucky by not getting a ticket, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.

Alistar
was sitting on the porch when I pulled up, he gave a welcome bark and that signaled the Pack that I was home.
 
My mom was inside rolling out some dough for cinnamon rolls. As wolves we burn up a lot of calories so we can afford to eat as much as we want without the worry of gaining too much weight.
 
Some wolves don’t get enough to eat, it makes them sickly, which puts them in danger by predators.
 
The economy can be tough on weres that aren’t in a Pack, if they live in a big city the prey isn’t as plentiful.
 
Our family works tirelessly to help the less fortunate werewolves but it is hard to help those that don’t want it.

“Hey mom, make some with extra cinnamon for me okay?
 
I
heart
me some cinnamon rolls.” I put my hands together in the shape of a heart.
 
I went up and nuzzled her shoulder and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
 
She looked so human standing in the kitchen with her sweats and t-shirt on.

“I see you’re back early, how did it go?
 
Was he mad at you?”
 
Mom asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

“No, actually he was really cool with the idea.
 
I tried to get a reading off of him but I couldn’t really sense anything other than he was okay with the whole thing.
 
I think it was the best outcome to happen.
 
I hope he isn’t in shock and freaking out at home.”
 
I snagged a roll out of a pan that just came out of the oven.
 
“Man, this is good mom.”

“Don’t let the boys see you with that or we won’t have any in the morning to go with breakfast.
 
I’m glad you’re home and he was okay.
 
I ran for about 30 minutes after you left, I could tell the guys were all nervous about him being the Great Wolf. What do you think?”
 
She plopped down on one of the counter stools.

“Honestly, I don’t really know, I guess it will be one of those things we have to wait and see.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I think he’ll be fine, but I don’t really get his being okay with everything.
 
I’m going to go read, I had some books come in from Amazon today and I can’t wait to read a good book.”
 
I leaned over and kissed her and ran up to my room.

I sent Abel a text “r u ok”

No reply.

I needed a run. I needed to exert some energy and gather my thoughts, so I ran down the stairs and out the door yelling behind me, “I’m going for a run, be back in a few” and out I went.
 
Shifting is easy for me, I usually take off my clothes first, I hate
 
ripping them up.
 
At home we don’t have to hide in the woods to shift, we have a pool house with separate quarters, the Alpha’s, the Beta’s, and the Pack room for everyone else.
 
I pulled off my clothes and shifted in the room.
 
We have ‘doggie’ doors throughout the pool house so coming and going is easy for us. We sure as hell didn’t call them ‘doggie’ doors, being called a doggie is the biggest insult to a wolf.
 

As a wolf I can smell everything, it’s hard to explain but everything is more intense.
 
I can smell the squirrel as it entered the yard, or smelly feet before the shoe came off, pine tree sap,
Alistar
, the weather.
 
Who smells weather?
 
Apparently I do.
 
On top of an excellent sense of smell, we have incredible hearing.
 
I can
hear
everything, conversations that took place in other rooms, a meadow mouse in the back yard, so many things that people don’t usually hear.
 
When humans speak to us when we are in wolf form, the words are a little harder to put together. It’s like hearing about every other word and then having to figure out exactly what they are saying.
 
We take in their scent, their body posture, and their face.
 
We don’t have any problems hearing another werewolf when they are in human form.
 
I guess something gets lost in translation when a human talks to a wolf.
 
We don’t typically hang out where humans are anyway, we’re not big fans of humans.
 

ABEL

I’ve been running for at least twenty minutes.
 
That damned wolf won’t quit chasing me, I’m tired of running.
 
I looked down at my leg, it is bloody.
 
Why don’t I have any shoes on?
 
I never go out for a run without my shoes.
 
Oh, look there is Mr. Jones’ dog Jessie.
 
“Jessie, here boy!”
 
He pulled back his gums and bared his teeth at me.
 
“Hey boy, it’s me, come on, you
wanna
run with me?”
 
Jessie was growling at me, man that sucks; you walk a dog for two years straight and he growls at you, dogs can be so dumb.
 
Oh shit, was that gun fire?
 
“Run Jessie, get out of here!”

I sit up drenched in sweat.

It’s been three days since Pru told me about werewolves.
 
She keeps texting me and leaving voice mail but I don’t want to talk to her right now.
 
I’m not really mad at
her
, I’m more upset that I didn’t have any clue about this.
 
I’ve had the same dream every single time I fall asleep; poor Jessie is always mad and the gun shots scare me every time.
 

Another text from Pru, R U OK =)

I finally reply.
 
TTYL

I hate blowing her off like I have for three days but I just can’t deal with it right now.
 
The wolf has been in my yard every night,
and
in my dreams. It’s getting old but I have to be able to talk to her without freaking out.

My phone buzzes.
 
“Come on,
plez
call me”

And again, “we have 2 talk, we have to train”

After five minutes “ABEL, stop ignoring me, we have 2 talk.”

I reply, “Not yet”

Women can be such pains in the ass because half an hour later I get a text from her “Hey, I’m walking up
ur
driveway. Ready or not here I come.”

I write. “WTH” Oh hell, women are insufferable pains.

“I got it! I got it!” I yell as I run down the stairs.
 
I hear my mom asking what I got.
 
“The door!
 
Pru’s here.”

“Oh great, have her come in, there is plenty for dinner.
 
Be careful though, if you want to kiss her, remember you’ve been sick the past few days and you don’t want her to get sick too,” my mom yells out.

“Jeez mom, I’m not going to get her sick and I’m not having her stay for dinner, you’ll have us having children before the dinner dishes are washed.”
 
I pop a cherry tomato in my mouth as I sling open the front door.

“Why are you here?” I ask with my mouth full of cherry tomato.

“Come on Abe, we’ve got to talk.
 
My family really needs to see you’re okay.
 
You haven’t been at school, you haven’t returned my calls.
 
You’re totally blowing me off.”

She looks me straight in the eye.
 
I can’t help myself, I look away like a scorned kid.
 
“I’ll talk to you, but not right here.
 
Where is your car, we’ll talk out there.”
 
I didn’t hear her car pull up when I got the text message.

“I parked down the street so you wouldn’t hear me pull up.
 
I like the element of surprise.
 
Surprise!” she says.

I snag a
hoodie
and head out the front door.
 
“Mom, we’re going to sit in her car and listen to music, I’ll be in soon.”
 
There is no way I am going to have my parents overhear us talking about supernatural stuff.
 
My mom would freak out.

“I brought bribes, Snickers, your favorite.
 
I figure I can always get you with food,” she lowers her voice “are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just needed to think, but I guess you don’t believe in giving anyone some time to think.” It came out a little snarky, maybe a lot snarky but seriously.

“I’d let you have more time, but I can’t Abe, listen, we have to train and until you know exactly what is going on. You’re in danger of getting hurt.”

“By who?”
 
I turn to face her and see how sincere she is.

“Look, I really need you to come to the farm, we’ll explain it. Please?” She tilts her head to the side and gives me her sweet innocent girl look that she excels in.

How do they do that, make you agree to what they want just by a tilt of the head and a big smile?
 
Damn.

“Yes. Yes. Yes.
 
I’ll go if that will get you off my ass for five minutes!”

“Okay Mr. Smart Ass, I know you’re stressed about this and about meeting my family but you don’t have to get all high and mighty with me.
 
I told you that I’m here for you and that I’m the one that is going to train you but I’m not going to waste my time if you’re going to be King
Dingaling
about it.
 
Here’s the deal,
I
know
already, and I’m already trained but you’re not.
 
You’re
the one that will suffer without my training.
 
You’re
the one that won’t know the Truth and will end up dead without a soul.
 
So,
you
make up
your
mind how you want it to go.
 
I’m done.
 
Here’s your Snickers, just go.
 
Send me a text when you think you and your almighty self will be ready.” She turns her head to look out the driver’s side window.
 
Her pretty delicate hand with the short black nails grips the steering wheel.

“I’m sorry Pru.
 
I’ll go with you, come on in and have dinner with us, and then you and I can go out to your farm when we’re done.”

I see her face loosen up and a smile creep in.

“Cool, do you have any dog chow?” She turns to look at me and grins from ear to ear.

“Uh, no.
 
You don’t eat human food?”
 
I ask.

“You should see your face!
 
Ha!
 
Of course I eat human food nitwit, you’ve had lunch with me every day, dork”
 

Like that, we are fine.

“Do you like cats?” I ask.

“Yeah, they’re delicious,” she swats my arm and says, “of course I like cats, I have a pet cat.”

“Does it like you?
 
I mean, does it know what you are?”

“Yes, Snuggles knows what I am, I’ll explain about cats later.
 
We need to get the other stuff understood before I tell you all of the extras.”

Dinner is uneventful, my mom doesn’t harass us about our nonexistent relationship and Pru is her charming self.
 
That girl will be the death of me one day.
 
Literally.