Silent Shadows

Apparently Matt had sent word to George, Dylan and Jordan, who had their own small pack together about twenty miles away from the base of the mountain, to ask for back up. I think he realized that since I was useless and a target, we’d need a few more wolves on our side.

My leg had finally unstiffened and my wrist was useable again, which made me so incredibly happy. I hated being crippled and eating with my left hand made such a mess.
Today’s problem was my back. I’d ended up sleeping with my hips twisted a different direction than the rest of me and I needed to crack my back. So I asked Danny if he’d crack it for me, figuring he’d be the best for it. I was not expecting to be lifted off my feet and bent backwards against him, and I was not expecting Matt to walk in just as three different vertebrae in my spine cracked all at once and I moaned like Danny had been touching me in inappropriate places.

“Good God, I thought I covered all the bases.” Matt sighed. “Do I need to put more restrictions on you two?”

“He just cracked my back Matt.” I could barely feel my legs, that’s how good it felt. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear all the popping sounds of my spine.”

“Whatever. No touching in the kitchen, okay? People eat in here.” Matt sat down with his food and the newspaper and was quiet.

I went to shower before the line got horrendously long like it always did once everyone was up. After I got out I realized I had forgotten to bring clean clothes in with me, so I wrapped a towel around myself securely and fucking sprinted down the hall to my room. It would figure that just as I dropped the towel, Danny would walk in.

“Jesus Christ!” I jumped about a foot in the air before grabbing the towel. He’d been frozen in the doorway until I finished covering myself up again.

“I really needa knock first.” He groaned, leaning against the wall.

“I swear, by the time I shift you’re gonna have died from blue balls.” I shook my head.

“Probably. I gotta go out on patrol.” He gave me a quick peck on the lips. “I just wanted to tell you I was leaving and give you this.” He handed me a letter and headed out. My name and the number of the pack P.O. box were written neatly in a handwriting that seemed eerily familiar. I could feel something hard in the envelope, and when I turned it upside down a cross on a gold chain fell into my hand.

I knew the pendant as well as I knew my own face. It was a plain gold cross with a small sunburst where the two pieces intersected. It had belonged to my mother. I unfolded the piece of paper, wiping a tear off my face.

124 Maple Avenue, Arcadia, California
Hurry.

It was written in my mother’s handwriting, just like the envelope was. I recognized it now. I wiped away the tears roughly with the back of my hand and grabbed my backpack, shoving some clothes and my knives into it. Then I went down the hall to where they kept some weapons and found a gun I could actually lift. It was a small pistol and I couldn’t have told you what type it was. I picked up a couple of clips that fit into the gun, adding them to the bag.

I opened the door to the SUV and stuck my head under the wheel. I knew how to hotwire a car well enough to get it started. Now if I could just figure out how to do it on this one I’d be able to get out of here.

“Going somewhere?” I jumped at the sound of Danny’s voice and hit my head on the steering wheel. “There are easier ways to get into town.”

“I’m not coming back.” I had no idea what to do if he tried to stop me. He’d probably win.

“Why?” Trust Danny to stay completely calm. I pulled the letter out of my back pocket and showed him the cross.

“If there’s any chance that my mom is still alive, I have to go.” I hadn’t stuck around to see if anyone got out of the house alive. “I can’t stay here. She could be hurt and needs my help.”

“It’s been a month and a half. Why would she send it now?”

“Maybe she just figured out where I might have been?” I shook my head. “I have to go Danny.”

“One second.” He vanished back into the house and I went back to trying to hotwire the car frantically. I thought he was going to tell Matt what I was doing.

But when he came back with the keys to the SUV, I smiled to myself. I should have known he wouldn’t rat me out.

“I can’t let you go alone.” He threw a backpack into the back seat with mine. “I’ll drive.”
--

Checking into a motel with no luggage is only a tiny bit shady. The clerk gave us a knowing wink before he handed me the room key. I was surprised Danny didn’t knock his lights out, being a male wolf and all.

“I should have punched him.” Danny seethed when we got to the room. The floor was nasty industrial carpet and the shower had mold in it when I peeked in. The bed on the other hand looked relatively new and clean. I had a feeling I knew what this motel was used for. Too bad we couldn’t use it for that same purpose.

“I’m gonna go shower.” Danny said, stretching. We’d been driving most of the day and I was pretty damn tired. It took only a few minutes of me lying on the bed for me to get bored. I walked into the bathroom and shucked my clothes, slipping into the shower behind Danny.

He jumped when he felt my arms go around him. “Jesus Ronnie.” I just laughed and kissed his shoulder.

“You want me to do your back for you?” I reached around him to grab the soap from the little tray.

“Are you naked?” He sounded so surprised I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes Danny, that’s how showers normally work. I was serious about the back thing by the way. I’m gonna need you to do mine.”

“Ronnie, you’re pushing it.” He warned.

“I’m always pushing things, didn’t ya know?” I needed to distract myself and Danny was the perfect opportunity. “You know all you have to do is not stop me. Doesn’t matter if you freeze up, as long as you don’t push me off.” I slid my hand down his stomach, heading south.

“Ronnie, don’t.” He shook me off.

That sick feeling of rejection swept over me and I got dressed quickly, before he could get out of the shower. By the time he got out I was curled on my side, facing away from him and pretending to be asleep.

“Ronnie you can quit faking. I know you aren’t asleep.” I didn’t move. He sighed and got onto the bed. “You know I can’t. I don’t know why you did that.” I still didn’t move and it seemed to frustrate him more. “Will you just look at me for god’s sake?”

I curled into a tighter ball and wished he’d just leave me alone. He rolled me over onto my back and held me down by my shoulders so I couldn’t roll back over.

“You think I don’t want you so bad it hurts?” His eyes burned when he looked at me. “If it wasn’t for the goddamned order I wouldn’t have pushed you away. I would have pulled you as close as I could. But I can’t and it’s killing us both.” He paced across the room, his animal side starting to show.

I sat up on the bed, watching him go back and forth. The next time he passed by me I caught him around the waist and pulled him down on the bed. I straddled his hips so I could hold him in place while I yanked my shirt over my head.

“Ronnie, what did I just finish telling you?” He started to squirm away. I pulled his shirt off with some degree of difficulty and lay down so we were skin to skin.

“This is enough for now.” I sighed, resting my head on his chest. I fell asleep lying on top of him like that.