The Legacy of Kilkenny (8 page)

I love riding in her car, we crank up the music and haul tail to Choctaw.
 
The fall leaves cover the street to her house like a brown and gold blanket.
 
The sun is setting; I’ll never get over an Oklahoma sunset, with the oranges and pinks streaking across the sky like giant brush strokes.
 
The lands may be flat, but that makes the sunset that more inspiring.
 

I feel a sense of calm.
 
I’m barely out of the car when I see
Alistar
is traipsing over to us to get a better look.
 
I swear he is the biggest dog I’ve ever seen!

 
Out of nowhere there are at least 10 guys standing out in front of the house.
 
Any normal guy would feel insecure around a bunch of buff chiseled-looking guys.
 
Thankfully, I’ve never claimed to be normal.
 

Pru was telling everyone to mind their own business and in about three seconds they all head in different directions.

“Wow, that is a pretty cool trick making them all leave.
 
Are they relatives of yours?”
 
I bumped her shoulder with mine trying to let her know I am okay.

“Uh, yeah.
 
You heard me?” she looks a little surprised.

“Yeah, I
can
hear just fine, you can hear me too?
 
Right?
 
Oh, let me guess, this is some type of lesson?”

“That’s amazing, I didn’t speak words out loud.
 
We need to get on with training pretty fast or you’re going to be bombarded with a bunch of new abilities and not be prepared for them.”

In the doorway stands a man, maybe 5’10”, 175 lbs, but I know who he is the moment I see him.
 
He doesn’t look very old, actually he looks like he is maybe 30, but I know he is older.
 
Pru explained to me that
weres
don’t age as fast as humans, although they do age.
 
I feel his eyes on me, staring a hole through me, before I know it I am walking straight to him, compelled with no control by me.
 
The guys that disappeared reappear all around us.
 
Pru about breaks her neck trying to reach me and grabs my shoulder, I hear her warning but continue to my destination.
 
Alistar
gives me a warning bark but steps back whimpering and moves to the other end of the porch.

“Hi sir, I’m Abel, you’re Pru’s dad, the chief?”
 
I extend my hand out to him and he just looks at me.

“Don’t stare at him.” Pru says.

“Uh, I’m sorry Sir, I don’t mean to stare.” I shift my eyes and look over his shoulder.

“I’m not a chief.
 
So you’re my replacement,
hmph
.
 
Well, come on, we have work to do, I’m not getting any younger,” he grumbles.

“Replacement?”
 
What the hell?
 
I think to myself.

I lean over to Pru and whisper to her trying to find out her dad’s title or name but she bumps me with her shoulder.
 
“He can hear you, big dummy.
 
We’re wolves, we have amazing hearing.
 
His name is Ernie but you need to call him Mr. Phelan or General until he tells you differently.
 
He doesn’t bite, oh yeah, he does, sorry just a phrase.”

“You’re
freakin
’ hilarious.
 
I thought there was going to be some family meeting to talk to me, why are you sending me in there alone?”

“You’re not alone, my dad will be right there with you,” she nudges me forward.

“Smartass,” I whisper.

As we walked across the enormous house, I can’t help but notice all of the pictures of Pru.
 
She is definitely the apple of her daddy’s eye.
  
He led me into a giant room with dark wood floors, burnt orange walls and book shelves from floor to ceiling.
 
I notice there is a drop-down screen and a state-of-the-art projector mounted on the ceiling.
 
The theatre seating is
freakin
’ awesome, my dad would be very impressed.
 
Who am I kidding?
 
I’m impressed.

 
“I like your man cave,” I say as we sit down at the big English style bar that overlooks the pool table.
 
There was something regal about him, yet something very ordinary.
 
His light brown hair is longer than most men his age, and a lot shaggier than my dad would ever wear.
 
I think it is interesting that he is dressed in a work shirt and jeans, and I smell the outdoors on him.
 
It is obvious he works his own garden and I respect him for it.
 

 
“Man cave, ha, I guess that’s a good way to describe it.
 
I like everyone to have a good time, so we need a good place to relax and unwind.”
 
His authoritative tone doesn’t scare me, well maybe a little.
 
He spreads his arms out and says, “This room is for everyone. As long as you are part of the Pack, this room is yours too.
 
And from what Pru’s visions tell us, you
are
a part of the Pack.
 
You simply being able to enter a room that has been charmed to keep humans out, means she is on target with you.”

“Yeah, about that, don’t I need to be a werewolf to be in a Pack?” I ask apprehensively.
 
I sit back in the stool trying to give the illusion that I’m totally calm and relaxed…I’m not.

“You are a werewolf silly boy,” he grumbles.

“So, if I’m a werewolf, how come I don’t turn into a wolf?
 
I can touch silver; my mom makes me polish our silver every Thanksgiving.
 
I don’t chase cats and I’m not excessively hairy.”

“Oh, Lord, Pru has her work cut out for her.
 
You haven’t changed yet because you haven’t been around the pheromones released by
weres
.
 
Not that you won’t change on your own, but those that aren’t around
weres
all of the time are delayed in their abilities.
 
Some, actually most that do, will die in their human life and live the rest of their existence as a wolf.
 
If they aren’t fully trained before their first shift they will be rogue wolves and it is our responsibility to see if they can be rehabilitated enough to live amongst the Pack, and if they are capable of shifting back to their human form.
 
If they don’t learn how to control it, sadly it is our duty to kill them.”

I cringe and ask, “You kill your own kind?
 
That seems a little harsh.”
 

“It might seem harsh to someone that is just learning about our culture, but trust me, you don’t want rogue wolves out there, they are more dangerous to the humans and to anyone that ever wronged them.
 
Rogues have a tendency to remember anyone that ever pissed them off and they go after them and won’t stop until they mangle them to death.
 
We don’t thrill kill, not us civilized Pack wolves.
 
By the way, the silver thing? Mostly myth, we can touch it, but it can’t touch our insides, it will cause a form of blood poisoning that can be treated but it must be done almost immediately.
 
Don’t always believe what you read in books, or see in movies, and the internet.
  
Erase everything you have previously thought about werewolves and let Pru and the rest of us teach you the right way,” he takes a sip of his Coke.
 
“Would you like something to drink?”

PRU

My restless energy was prickling my skin waiting for Abel to come out of the room.
 
My dad had the room enchanted by Josie so no one could hear the conversations.
 
It was great during football season, half the Pack was OSU and the other half OU fans, and arguments in mixed company could get out of hand if you’re a wolf.

The door flew open and my dad stormed out of the room, oh no, was I wrong?
 
Was my vision wrong and Abel isn’t who we thought he was?

“Pru, it is time.
 
The first lesson begins now.”
 
With that, the conversation was over and I went to check on Abel.

“What happened?
 
Are you okay?
 
What did he say?
 
Honestly, he never tells us his plans, we just do what he tells us to do.”
 
I put my arms around him.

“Ah, I can’t really talk about it,” he said with a wide eyed puppy dog look on his face, forgive the pun.

“Well, we’ll start your first lesson; we have to go back in the room.
 
Are you thirsty? ”

ABEL

The first lesson was not exactly what I expected.
 
I thought we were going to hold hands again, and she was going to show me something cool, not so much.
 
It was more of a lecture then a lesson.

Do…. be on time.
 
Don’t discuss anything, with anyone, for any reason, at any time, including dreams.
 
She actually tells me I can’t discuss our training in my dreams.
 
Seriously?
 
Who says that?
 
I try to argue with her that I can’t control what happens in my dreams.
 
Her reply was to learn how to control them, as I don’t have the luxury of dreaming all
willy
nilly
.
 
Hot girl that is my friend, turned into hot trainer that is
kinda
bitchy.
 
I won’t dare tell her she is bitchy, she can kick my ass.
 
I’m not allowed to take my notes home with me, she will be the keeper of my notes.
 
She tells me that my house isn’t a protected zone and I can’t leave top secret information just lying around.

“My house isn’t secure? What does that mean?” I pace back and forth, hiding the fact my hands are shaking in my pockets.

She looks at me like I have lost my mind.
 
“Your house isn’t safe, we will do anything and everything to protect you, but until you die, you won’t be safe there.”

“Die? W.T.H.”
 
I fling my hands in the air, slightly more dramatic than intended.

“Abel, as long as you’re still alive, you’re in danger.
 
We have to kill you, and you will fully change after a few days.
 
If we kill you before, or someone else kills you before we do, you run the risk of losing your soul.
 
You can’t successfully lead the Pack if you’re soulless.
 
I know that is a lot to take in but you don’t have a lot of time.
 
We have to teach you everything from martial arts to business plans; you have to be able to speak two languages fluently, pick locks, hotwire cars, sew, and dance.
 
There will be a lot of long hours and a lot of sweat.
 
I hope you’re up to it.”

“You lost me at killing me.
 
I thought you don’t kill people in your Pack, and why on earth do I have to know how to sew and dance?
 
Is this some type of alternative living training?”
 

Girls are aggravating.
 

“As a full blooded
were
and the one that all of our Pack has been waiting for over the last oh I don’t know… hundred years or more, the process is more complicated.”

“But, ah…”

“Don’t interrupt me please.
 
Your mortal life has to end; you will have to sever your ties to your parents, family, and friends.
 
Don’t worry, I’ll be with you throughout it all. Your physical change will be
you
but beefed up
you.
 
During our training, you’re going to learn how to keep control of your emotions.
 
All leaders have to lead their Pack with strength, both mentally and physically,” she tosses me an orange.
 
“Good catch!
 
Where were we… oh yeah.
 
You have to know how to dance, so you can take me to prom, dork.
 
I want your mom to have some pictures of you in a tuxedo; she will treasure them and will be comforted that you got to do a real teenage activity.
 
That isn’t the only reason you need to know how to dance, you have to be able to be graceful on your feet when fighting and when courting.
 
  
Sewing?
 
Well, let’s just say, it pays to be able to piece together a couple of pieces of items to cover our
adult parts,”
  
She laughs shyly.
 
We both fidgeted a little at the mention of our adult parts.
 
It just occurred to me that she is going to be seeing
my
adult parts, geez.