Among Wolves (2 page)

Right before the clouds drew closed over him,
he spotted a full moon, white as a spotlight and perfectly
rounded.

His skin rose with goose bumps, and a strange
chill rushed over him. The dark, thick clouds obscured the moon and
flurries began brushing his windshield. Roman cranked up
Chasing
Cars
, loving the lyrics.

A familiar feeling began to permeate Roman's
senses.

He hadn't felt it in two years, and hoped
he'd never feel it again.

As the hair stood on his forearms, Roman
began to become afraid. He felt his teeth ache. It always seemed to
hit his teeth, then his gut.

"No…" he muttered, knowing he had to make it
home, fast, before he felt too sick.

His focus on the road ahead, the red tail
lights from the other cars in front of him, Roman shook his head to
clear a sense of doom, and began singing the lyrics of the song,
forcing himself to concentrate.

Image flashes hit him.

Being on the ATF team, searching an abandoned
factory for explosives…

"No…" Roman had no idea why he was thinking
of this now. Why after two years of peace and quiet did he feel
this way?

Inside the factory, in an area at the top of
a steel staircase, he had entered a room alone, his rifle in hand,
flashlight lit. It was that fateful night raid that brought him so
much grief, so much agony.

As the moon became obscured by the thick snow
clouds, Roman was able to battle the sensation that was close to
surfacing. He had to make it home to Charlie and Butch. Had to.

~

Charlie stirred a pot of chili he had made
for dinner as Butch set the table. He glanced at the wall clock and
it read six-thirty. The snow was whipping outside the kitchen
window, frosting the sill. Charlie hoped the roads remained clear,
and knew Roman had a four-wheel drive SUV. Still, ice would
certainly slow the traffic down.

"Should I pour something for him,
Charlie?"

Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Butch.
"Sure. I have a feeling he's had a long week."

Butch opened a cabinet and filled a shot
glass with whiskey.

Charlie tasted the chili and lowered the
flame under it to keep it warm. He opened the oven and removed the
homemade cornbread. His former boss' wife, Connie, had given him
her favorite recipes for some of her home cooking. Charlie didn't
mind preparing their meals. It was easier than driving to town to
eat out all the time.

One of the neighbor's dogs went into a
barking fit.

Charlie washed his hands at the sink. "That
must be Roman arriving home." They had gotten rid of the Border
collie they had bought when they purchased this ranch. He had
gotten nasty and snapped at him and Roman all the time. So, he had
to go.

Butch nodded, placing the shot glass on the
table where Roman usually sat. "Hope he had a good day." Butch met
Charlie's eyes.

"I'd hate his job." Charlie began making his
way to the front door. "Dealing with the scum of the earth every
day."

"Yeah. Me too."

~

Roman shut off the engine of his SUV and
began feeling extremely ill. Above him the snow fell and spun
around like a miniature tornado, in dizzying spiral flakes. He had
no idea how he had made it home. The drive was a blur now, and he
touched the pistol which was in a shoulder holster inside his
leather jacket. "Fuck!" Roman looked through the windshield. The
clouds opened, just a gap big enough to see the full moon
again.

Pain overcame him and he grabbed his stomach
and curled up, hitting the steering wheel as he cringed in
agony.

~

Charlie looked out of the front window at
Roman's vehicle. The headlamps were off and yet he was not
emerging. He felt Butch stand beside him.

"Is he on his way in?" Butch asked.

"No." Charlie moved to the front door and
opened it. He looked out, feeling the icy wind and snow hitting his
cheeks. Up above, the full moon showed its face and made the clouds
glow with an eerie light. A chill rushed over Charlie's skin and he
rubbed his face to rid the sensation of nausea.

"I'll go out and see what's up." Butch
reached for his coat on the rack.

Charlie stopped him. "Let me. Go watch over
dinner."

"You sure?" Butch obviously appeared
concerned.

"Yes." Charlie took his coat off the stand
and put it on as he walked outside, the snow already mounting on
the ground and coating their evergreens and the dried grass.

After a glance over his shoulder, seeing
Butch watching him from the front door, Charlie stood near Roman's
car. He was just about to open the passenger's door when white
fangs and glowing green eyes attacking the inside of the glass,
scaring the life out of him.

Charlie jumped back, holding his chest. Then
it hit him. "No! Oh, God no!"

Inside Roman's car was a wolf, jet black and
huge. It chewed at the glass as if trying to get at Charlie,
showing its canines and snarling.

"What the fuck?" Charlie shouted, "No!"

"What happened, Charlie?" Butch yelled from
behind.

Charlie held up his hand. "Don't come out
here! Ya hear me?"

"Charlie!" Butch put on his coat.

"I mean it!" Charlie glared at Butch who
stopped what he was doing and looked upset.

Charlie crouched by the SUV door and stared
into the cab at the massive wolf, seeing Roman's clothing scattered
on the seat and floor, a gun in a holster, and his ATF badge in a
heap.

"Why? Roman, why?" Charlie shivered in
terror. Two years had gone by and they had thought this curse, or
whatever the hell it was, had been lifted. Did he think about the
ranch and the first time he and Roman met? Yes. Constantly.

Back then Charlie had hunted Roman in wolf
form, thinking Roman was killing deer, cutting out the hearts and
was in some way part of a ritual sacrifice. But that couldn't have
been further from the truth. Roman had been a victim of a curse,
not the perpetrator.

Charlie touched the glass.

The big wolf teethed at it from the other
side, making squeaking and snarling noise.

"Calm down, Roman." Tears came to Charlie's
eyes. "Ya know if ya keep freakin' out, ya won't change back."

The black wolf sat on the passenger's seat
and began licking the glass window between them.

Charlie slowly touched the handle of the SUV
door, seeing it wasn't locked. The big black wolf's ears perked up
at the sound. Before Charlie opened the door, he heard the crunch
of the gravel behind him.

"Oh no." Butch had come outside.

Charlie spun around towards him. "Git in the
house!"

Roman went mad, biting at the inside window,
showing his large white fangs.

"No! Charlie! This was done! We were through
with this! How did this happen again?"

"Butch! I had him calm! Git inside, now! An'
don't come out 'til he's himself. Ya got it?"

"What about you? Should I get the
shotgun?"

Charlie glared at him.

Butch held up his hands in defeat and walked
back to the house as the snow fell heavier. "Jus' sayin', Mosby. Ya
know how he gets when he's like this."

Charlie waited for Butch to enter the house
and close the door. Once again he tried to calm Roman down.
"Babe…sit and stop bitin' the dang car."

The big wolf's ears flattened out and he sat,
panting, his green eyes glowing.

The heat from this big furry creature was
steaming up the SUV's interior. Charlie began lifting the car door
handle and it opened, slightly. Roman sat up and stuck his nose at
the opening, snuffling.

"Don't you bolt. I am not takin' a damn horse
out to find you naked and shiverin' in this snow. Ya got that? So,
stay!"

The big wolf stood on the seat and shook out
its fur.

"Fuckin' can't believe we're at this again."
Charlie's heart was pounding. He had already been bitten once by
Roman as a wolf, two years back. He knew how painful it
was…and…what it did to him.

The neighbor's dog was howling and going
crazy, as if it could sense or smell the wolf next door.

"Don't jump out." Charlie tried to block the
opening, but it was absurd. A wolf as big as this one would topple
him over easily. "Roman! Sit the hell down!" Charlie trembled as he
yelled, terrified that if the curse was this powerful, so strong
that two years after they had thought it was broken, it had
returned, then he was next.

The big wolf made a circle and sat on the
driver's seat, panting and creating a steam cloud from its
heat.

Slowly Charlie opened the passenger's door.
He held out his hand as if it would stop Roman from knocking him
down and bolting. Taking his life in his hands, Charlie sat on the
passenger's seat and closed himself inside.

He and the big canine stared at each
other.

"Calm down." Charlie kept his hand up to stop
an attack. He spotted the handgun in its holster on the floor.
"Roman, you have got to stop panickin' and think of somethin' to
get you back to human form. Ya got that?"

The big wolf made a noise and licked its
chops.

"How on earth did you make it home?" Charlie
began gathering Roman's clothing, moving very slowly so as not to
get bit.

Roman lay down, his paws on Charlie's lap,
letting out a deep wolf sigh.

Charlie caressed him, holding him tight.
"Babe, why? Did somethin' happen at work?" He pressed his face into
Roman's fur, closing his eyes, remembering…

Remembering the sensation of abandon and
freedom he and Roman had while in wolf form. But— it was so
unpredictable, that they ended up naked and freezing in the snowy
mountains after changing back. They simply could not control the
transformation.

Not to mention, Charlie thought once the
witch's curse had been lifted…this chapter in his life was done.
Gone. But deep inside, he and Roman knew it would never leave.
Maybe it had gone into some kind of 'remission'.

He sat up, wiped his eyes with the back of
his hand as they grew teary, and kept petting Roman's black thick
fur. "I made chili. Butch has a shot of whiskey poured for
you."

Roman began licking Charlie's hand.

"And…I reckon we'll spend a few days up at
Vernon's for Christmas. Don't that sound nice?"

A loud whine of pain came from the big
wolf.

Charlie knew what was happening. "Okay, baby.
Hang in there."

The wolf backed itself up into the driver's
door and Charlie could see him convulse in pain. It was miserable
to watch so he covered his eyes and faced the passenger's window,
which was now completely steamed up from their heat and the outside
cold.

The noise of whelps changed to "Oh fuck! Oh,
God, no!"

Charlie peeked. Roman, sat limp, slouching
naked on the seat, drenched in sweat.

Blowing out a loud exhale, Charlie held
Roman's clothing on his lap, waiting for Roman to be able to
function and get dressed. "What the hell happened?"

Roman ran his hand back through his jet black
hair, looking worn out. He reached for his briefs and put them on.
"I have no idea. I simply left work, and it hit."

"How the hell did you drive home?" Charlie
held Roman's gun and cell phone as he managed to get dressed in the
tight space. The neighbor's dog finally shut up.

"I fought it. I fought it with everything I
had." Roman put on his coat and said, "I need to get the hell out
of this car." He opened the driver's door.

Charlie held the gun and phone, climbing out
of the SUV, seeing the snow had accumulated even while they sat.
The walkway to the house was covered.

As they approached Butch opened the front
door and his expression was apprehensive. "He goin' to bite
me?"

"Don't start." Charlie nudged him out of the
way and brought the gun and phone to the kitchen counter. When he
spun back to look, Roman and Butch were staring at each other. "I
said, stop it!"

Roman took off his coat and hung it on the
tree stand, brushing the snow from his black hair.

"What the fuck, Roman?" Butch asked, throwing
up his hands. "We gotta go through all this shit again?"

"Shut up." Roman snarled.

"Butch, do not get him angry." Charlie tossed
his jacket on a chair and washed his hands. "Dinner's done."

Roman left the room and Butch stood beside
Charlie to whisper, "He's done somethin' to bring it back."

"No. No way." Charlie dried his hands. "He
hated it."

"Yeah? Then why now? Nearly two years to the
day?"

Charlie was about to answer with a snide
comment, but he thought about it. Why now?

~

Roman stripped off his work clothing and
stood in the bathroom, staring in the mirror.

He touched his face, his coarse, black five
o'clock shadow, and then ran his hand over his thick black hair.
With both hands on the sink vanity, Roman leaned closer to his
reflection, staring at his green eyes. Why? What happened?

Full moon? We've had hundreds of full moons
over the past two years. It couldn't be that. The anniversary date?
Again, two years have gone by, nothing.

"I thought I was done with this." He opened
his mouth to look at his teeth. Normal. Nothing appeared odd.

Starting the shower, Roman held his hand
under the spray as it warmed. The house was heated but the furnace
had its work cut out for it during these cold months. He wondered
why a fire wasn't lit in the hearth in the living room.

Stepping under the spray, Roman wet down,
closing his eyes.

When he did, an image flash of being a wolf
on the ranch in Heber, Utah swept over him. Dizzy, Roman placed his
hands on the tile wall to steady himself.

Running in the snow on all fours at the Deer
Creek reservoir, bounding over the deep silky drifts, chasing
Charlie around, two crazy wolves frolicking in the winter
wonderland.