The Outcome

When I walked through the door, five heads snapped to look at me. I stood frozen in the doorframe caught like a deer in the headlights and guilty as if my fingers were still in the cookie jar. None of them were really dressed, just in cut off sweatpants and bare chests. I tried to wipe whatever stupid expression was on my face and get a grip. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I was actually doing exactly what I was supposed to, getting inside the La Push wolves.

“Um, hey guys?” I asked my greeting to the boys, waiting to hear what was going on.

“Where have you been?” Max asked me back, a grin making its way to his features.

“I’ve been at the beach…with Jacob.” I cast my eyes down to the floor, embarrassed.

“Well, while you were out, Sam paid a visit to us a visit.” Erick started his voice impossibly calm and gaze focused right into my eyes. “He’s arranged a meeting between the two packs to make sure out intentions here are innocent.”

Dammit. No wonder Jacob didn’t put up much of a fight when I asked him to take me home. “Well, let me put my book bag down and I’ll be ready to go…”

“No Macie, you can’t be there. We’ve already told their Alpha that you don’t know about us, that you’re our cover of normality. If you’re seen there, the jig is up. We’ll be home by time for school in the morning.” Donovan explained me, making his past where I stood.

The rest of the boys filed past me, one by one. I knew they were all focused on what was going to happen at this meeting, the meeting I wasn’t allowed to go to. I didn’t push though, just watched them out the back kitchen window as they phased and took off into the woods.

Taking my things upstairs, I lay down in my bed and thought about my time with Jacob. He liked me and he was able to name specific things he liked other than boobs. The shadow of doubt passed through my head. I wasn’t too sure about this new person I was becoming. The Macie I was used to was a bitch used to fighting off advances from unwanted love. The old Macie was tough from training like a werewolf, but bitter from never being a werewolf. But this new me was a blushing Tokyo school girl who couldn’t get her words out without sounding like an idiot. The new Macie just sat on the beach in the middle of autumn and discussed how much we liked each other with another boy.

What the actual fuck?

A tap sounded on my window and I instantly thought Erick had found some of his anger and was back to chew me out. When I lifted the glass and looked out over the edge, I was met with a slightly different view. The boy in the front yard was dressed like Erick was, with cut off denim shorts on and no shirt. However, this guy had wonderful tan skin, looking up at me with warm brown eyes.

“Hey, Macie! It’s me Jake!”

“Yeah, I figured that was you down there. What are you doing here?”

He smiled up at me. “I was about to on a run through the forest. Are your friends here?”

“No, they went out somewhere; they were gone by the time I got back.” I played stupid.

“Oh, cool. I just wanted to tell you I’m taking you out on a real date next wake. I’ll drive us up to the port or hang out at the beach again. I’ll see you at school tomorrow!” he sent one more grin my way, and then I got to watch his back disappear into the forest.

I didn’t have a smartass thought to voice as I closed my window. I promptly put my face into the pillow and squealed like a little girl. Still, the romance of the moment didn’t last long enough for the worry to grip me before I drifted off to sleep.

~~

Most people think there are so many differences between humans and other animals. Their lack of speech and inability to think as complexly as we do, win us the title as the supreme species. What most people don’t realize (or chose to ignore) is that we are all meat. As morbid as that may be, it’s true. We are elements that can be broken down into our purest form, blood and bone, then dust, then nothing.

Tearing into a piece of chicken or steak is satisfying for the average carnivore. The strength of teeth cutting deep until we hit the bone is hot and delicious. Ripping into the flesh and taking out chunks of something lower than you on the evolution scale is a natural evil, survival of the fittest.

When I tried to sleep I saw wolves the color of the forest coming down on the wolves with cityscape coats. I saw muscle uncoiling from bone, teeth tearing into the flesh of the boys I had grown up with. I heard the snarl of their killers, the wind of my fallen friends.

Whenever I woke up in a cold sweat, sheets sticking to my legs, I told my self these images were just worry induced nightmares, not visions. If they were, I would have never let them go in the first place. But it was 3 in the morning and the house still echoed with emptiness. There were no phone calls or text messages in my phone, the glow from the screen making my eyes squint up in the darkness. Still, there were no howls of victory or misery in the night air. I think I would know if something had actually happened.

I had to get up for school in few hours and they promised they would be back before then, so, back to sleep I went.

~~

When I was still growing up on my own reservation, I often had meetings with The Elders; they were constantly perplexed by my condition. My parents were from a pure bloodline, while my mother didn’t shift, her late brothers did. My father was an alpha of his own pack, powerful and fair, I only remember him being a dark figure that towered over me.

A lot of my time on the reservation was filled with people without faces. In my meeting with The Elders, I was never allowed to see their faces, cast in shadows, if felt like I was always talking to cardboard cutouts of real people. But they were nice enough, gentle with me and never pushing. The worst they ever put me through was a blood test, but I got a huge green lollipop at the end and a Spiderman band aid.

I remember one meeting in particular, right before we left to work in the big apple. We had already been successful in the New England town we were in for our freshman year of high school, wiping out an impressive number of leeches, but I wasn’t called to see The Elders for a congratulations.

I sat in a black swivel in the middle of a large conference room, a long desk set out in from on me; the seven seats filled and spread out across it. The room always had low light, but I could make out the lines of wisdom on their tan faces, some so old it was impossible to tell exactly how long they had been around. They sat still and solemn, not itching to spin in their chairs like I was. But I was confused; this was the first time I’d been called in without the pack since I was a little girl.

“Macie, you can relax, we just want to have a quick word with you before you depart on your next assignment.” One of the voices called out. I never knew who was speaking at these meetings; it was a factor that hadn’t changed in all these years.

“You’re growing older, Cora Belle, into quite the beautiful young woman,” another voice sounded, “It’s easy to see. What isn’t apparent; however, is how your ability in developing. It still reads as sporadic and unpredictable.”

I blushed red; I wasn’t used to anyone addressing my power so up front anymore.

“Actually, I found lots of was to control it, I know how to work around it a lot better than I used to.”

“Avoiding your power is not the same as controlling it. The way you live now is like a beaten child, the parent shows its anger and you slink around avoiding it best you can. Ducking around mirrors and not making eye contact isn’t what we want for you, Macie.”

My cheeks flushed a brighter red. There was no hiding things from them, nothing kept for myself. But, like everything in my life, it was only going to get worse.

“We’ll just get to the point. While every one in our tribe is important to us, we pay special attention to you and your ability. It troubles us because we can’t track it, we don’t know much about it, and while it isn’t a physical power, it could still be very dangerous if it evolves before we know how to use it.”

What did they mean evolve? Was it supposed to turn into something else; it seemed to me that they knew more than they let on. And their words were “use” my power. Use me. I didn’t like the sound of it and the hair rose on the back of my neck. I trusted The Elders, they’d never hurt me before, but I didn’t have a good feeling about all the things I didn’t know.

I couldn’t exactly use my power on them either. Like they said, it was subjective, and the only thing I’d mastered was how not to trigger it. And then there was the fact that I knew nothing about The Elders, all my memories of them were half shielded faces and big words I didn’t quite know the meaning of yet.

“We know about your romance with your pack alpha, Erick, and we have no problem in that. Our only concern is that you keep your innocence, Macie; in fact, it is imperative that you do. We think your virtue is the only things between you and evolution. Keep it that way. You can go and good luck.”

I stood there burning in my own skin with embarrassment. Not only did they know I was a virgin, but they’d laid down the law on how I should keep my body. It was private and embarrassing, but scary at the same time. Erick and I were getting serious, I was head over heels, but I didn’t realize it was news enough to catch attention.

Confused on the meaning of evolution and virtue, I turned and exited the room. I had been given orders and dismissed. Erick was waiting outside the door, leaning against the wall.

“So, I take it they told you the same thing they told me.” He had a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, I’m so embarrasses about it. What are you smiling for?”

“I can’t make a mess upon your innocence, but that still leaves a lot open.” He laughed at my shocked expression and turned to go outside. “Close your mouth, Mace; you might catch something in it.”

I snapped my lips shut.