Hello all! Again, I apologize for how long this took me to write. Please understand that I am in college, and that comes before this story. I am updating when I can though. Also, I just finished up finals and the first semester of sophomore year; finals have really kept me busy! Thank you to those who have given support! This chapter was more difficult for me to write, because of the lack of action at the start. Basically, serious writer's block. I apologize if this chapter is not up to par, but I wanted to get something written and published for you guys. Thank you for your patience though!
Kate POV (where it was before)
As we approached the front door, I couldn't help but to feel a little nervous. I didn't know how his mother would react to me, or to my wolves. Would she be okay with a literal wolf in her home? Scott and Isaac both seemed to sense my apprehension, as did my wolves. "Hey, you okay?" Scott placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly, "Yea, it's just been like a year and a half since I was last inside a house." The two boys looked surprised by this, but Scott broke from the state of shock first and reached into his pockets to fish for his keys. But, just as Scott was getting ready to insert the key into the lock, the door was opened by a woman, who I assume to be his mother. An awkward look of surprise shown on her face as she noticed me and my wolves, here goes nothing.
"Scott, who is this?" "Mom, this is Kate. I invited her to stay with us, she has nowhere to go; she's homeless, I couldn't just leave her to sleep in the park." His mother looked surprised, "Come inside, but, umm, the wolves?" "Uhh, one has to be with me at all times. I mean, I can be alone for short periods of time, but I'm talking really short, like only a few minutes. They won't let me sleep by myself; they consider me to be their alpha female, so to speak. I promise no harm will come to anyone, it is my duty, and theirs as well, to protect the innocent." Scott's mom smiled, a kind of awkward laugh-smile, but opened the door wider so we could step inside. I snapped my fingers once at my pack, and they knew to stay outside and guard the house, while Mohegan stepped inside with me.
"Thank you misses…" "McCall; or you can call me Melissa. And what is the name of the wolf who is staying with you?" I smile, "This is Mohegan; he is the alpha male." I pat his head, which is relatively soft compared to the course fur that covers the rest of his body. "You can pet him if you'd like." I smile when Scott's mom reaches forward and pets Mohegan's large head; Mohegan responds by licking her hand and wagging his fluffy tail.
"So, how long have you been homeless, Kate?" "I have been on my own for about a year and a half." Mrs. McCall's eyebrows shot up at my statement, I simply shrugged in response. "Would you like a shower? Not that you smell bad or anything, but…" "I would love one, actually." I laugh. Mrs. McCall had Scott show me to the bathroom, where he proceeded to hand me towels and some of his mother's old clothes that she told him to give to me to wear.
As Scott turned to leave, I instructed Mohegan to leave with him, I just wanted a few minutes to myself. The large wolf respected my wish and left the room with Scott; although I am sure he just laid down outside the door after it was closed.
Scott POV
"I gave Kate some of your old clothes, like you asked me to. She appreciated them, like, a lot. She also had sent Mohegan out of the bathroom with me, but he laid next to the door after I shut it." I sat down next to my mom on the couch; she was shaking her head as she tried to decipher the situation. "Scott, Isaac; are either of you two going to explain what is going on here? I get Kate is homeless, but there has to be more to her story since she has a literal wolf pack following her around." "Scott and I pet a T Rex! Um, Kate somehow summoned one…" I looked at Isaac before letting my head drop into my lap. When I looked back up, I was met with the alarmed gaze of my mother. "Uh, Kate has some sort of ability, one that I have never seen or heard of before. Because of this, Deucalion is after her."
The distraught gaze was now replaced with one of understanding; she now realizes that Isaac and I brought Kate here to try to hide her from Deucalion. "So, what exactly is this ability? She's not a werewolf is she?" "No, she's not a werewolf. Her ability, I am not sure how exactly to explain without you thinking of me as being absolutely crazy. So, maybe when she is done with her shower and has settled in a little more, she can demonstrate her ability to you." I looked to Isaac for some support; "You need to see her ability, it is so freaking cool!" My mom finally laughed a bit, something that is always good to see.
Isaac broke the silence when he asked; "So, where will Kate sleep tonight?" My mom looked between us. "Well, I was thinking she could sleep in your room Isaac. You can have a sleeping bag and an extra pillow since you will sleep in Scott's room. Don't give me that look Isaac, Kate has a huge wolf that she must share the room with, plus it will be the first time sleeping in a comfortable bed for a year and a half. I think you can use a sleeping bag for a bit, don't you? Be the gentleman?" I laughed as Isaac threw his hands up in surrender; my mom gave a good argument for Kate to get his room.
Kate POV
I finished my shower, got dressed, and decided to let my hair air-dry. When I opened the door, I was greeted enthusiastically by Mohegan. I waited for him to relax before heading out to the front room with him by my side. Scott got up from his place on the couch and made his way over to me, "Kate, my mom has decided that you will sleep in Isaac's room tonight. Don't worry, he's being sent to share my room; all he gets is a sleeping bag and pillow to make the floor more comfortable. And don't argue it; you deserve a comfortable place to rest. Mohegan can sleep there too." I couldn't help but smile at the kindness being offered to me by Scott, his friend, and his mother.
"Thank you for your kindness, I greatly appreciate it." I began to scratch Mohegan behind his ear, eliciting a smile in response. "So, Kate, I have been informed that you have some sort of ability?" I raise my eyebrow at Scott, who just smiles guiltily before going to sit beside his mother on the couch. "Yea, um, I can control animals and change their shapes. For example, I tend to turn Mohegan into an Andrewsarchus; an extinct wolf-like animal that stands 6-ft tall, is like 15-ft long, and has a head that is 3-ft long. Then, I can shift him back to his normal wolf state." I place my hand on Mohegan's shoulder, close my eyes and smile as I feel my hand slip down as he grows in size.
When I open my eyes, I am greeted with shocked faces all around. I smile at Mrs. McCall's expression of shock, as well as Mohegan's frustrated look (he barely fits in the room). "Oh, here's something cool. Look at his feet, what do you see?" I ask, looking between the boys and Scott's mom as I wait for a reply. "Uh, big claws?" I look to Isaac and smile. "Close, but not quite. They are not claws, they are actually hooves... Andrewsarchus's closest living relatives are sheep and goats!" (That is a fun fact I always enjoy sharing). I couldn't help but laugh more at all the jaws that were dropped to the floor. "Are you serious?! Sheep and goats!?" I giggled at Scott's exclamation and nodded my head before closing my eyes and focusing. I felt Mohegan's shoulders getting lower as I shifted him back to his normal state.
After some more displays of my ability to Scott, Isaac, and Mrs. McCall, I was ready for bed. I was shown to Isaac's room, where I would be staying, by Mrs. McCall. She made sure they boys had anything from Isaac's room that they would need before the door was shut. Isaac only grabbed a pillow and a blanket from his closet before he left the room.
I actually had a good night's sleep, the first in a year and a half. I was so used to sleeping on the hard ground or a bench, that the bed was a welcome relief. Yes, I absolutely loved being surrounded by my pack at night, but the hard ground gets to you after a while. Although Mohegan was always my "pillow" while the rest of the pack surrounded me and laid on me slightly to keep me warm, I appreciate the cozy blanket and soft pillow. I smiled throughout the night, not just because of the coziness of the bed, but also because Mohegan was so comfortable on the bed too that he was yiffing, smiling, and twitching in his sleep. The tranquility of the house, and the soft light of the moon shining in through the window soothed me, allowing me to quickly drift into a deep sleep.
Dream: Did I forget to mention that this guy is huge! Like 9-ft tall kind of huge! Almost as if noticing my surprise, he kneels down in front of me and smiles. Wait, he's smiling?! I notice as he reaches one fur-covered hand/paw toward me, simply extending it in a friendly gesture. But, I can't help but to cringe away. He looks disappointed, but keeps his arm extended. "Please, don't be afraid of me child." My eyes go wide as I realize he had spoken, and in such a soothing voice. My eyes remain fixed on his for a while before he breaks the look to glance over my shoulders. His gaze had gone from friendly to deadly in an instant, whatever was behind me, he didn't like. Click, click, click... I slowly turn around to find the blind man, Deucalion, standing behind me a few feet away with a smug look on his face. The wolf creature I had been with was now snarling something fierce behind me, but Deucalion seemed like he didn't even notice. "Leave her alone!" warned the beast, but Deucalion simply shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot do that, you see, she is mine now. Her forearm bares my mark, being what she is, she must oblige. If she doesn't, her gift can be revoked." I looked down at my forearm; it looked like a tattoo, this odd shape. Three "legs" in what appeared to be black ink. No no no no no! How did this happen? What does he mean by 'being what I am'? End dream
I am standing in the forest, surrounded by trees that fade to an eerie darkness. I look around quickly when I hear a twig snap, but I see nothing. The back of my neck begins to tingle, as I feel something watching me. It is then that I see several pairs of golden eyes glowing from within the depths of the dark forest. One eye begins to move toward me as I step back. Soon, he is revealed; a wolf, but not just any wolf. This one is standing upright, has hand-like paws, and a saber-tooth. You heard right, a saber-tooth, just like the famous Smilodon from the Pleistocene. Except, he has only the right one, maybe the left tooth was lost somehow, a fight maybe? He also has four scars on his right eye, although I assume he actually no longer has the eye since it remains shut. His fur is tan on top, with a white underbelly and paws. On his neck, kind of like the collar on a shirt, a patch of grey stood out from the tan.
I woke suddenly, sitting up and accidentally startling Mohegan, which led to a rather loud bang as he fell off the bed. But, with how big he is, it sounded worse than is actually was. He simply shook it off as he stood and stared at me, confused.
"Sorry Mohegan. Just had a weird dream. It had the usual wolf-thing, but then that blind guy, Deucalion showed up. It was..." I then noticed something that nearly made my heart jump out of my chest. The weird symbol in my dream that Deucalion had said was his mark, was present on my forearm... But, how?! I moved my arm as I began to panic, thinking that the dream had been real, but the shape moved. Weird. But wait, the mark is not dark, and since I moved my arm it is now resting on the blanket.
I look to the window to see the symbol painted neatly on the window. How could anyone get up there? Heck, how did they get past my wolves?
"Scott! Isaac!" Within seconds they were both in the room; although I could tell they were the typical tired teens who were woken up before they were ready. But, when they noticed the symbol on the window, they went from teen zombies in need of caffeine to wide awake wolves on high alert. "Scott, isn't that..?" Isaac asked with a hand on his head as he turned to Scott, waiting for confirmation to the question of which he already knew the answer. "Yea, that is Deucalion's pack symbol." Scott's tone was serious, and I began to feel a little bit nervous. "Weird; isn't it usually used as a mark for vendetta?" Scott and I looked to Isaac. "Yea, it is. So, why would he have a vendetta against Kate?" I am so confused right now; I have no idea what they are talking about. "Whoa, whoa, wait a sec. Vernie do what now?" I swear I am going to have a butt crease in my forehead if this keeps up.
Scott and Isaac both laughed before Scott began to explain. "A vendetta is a kind of revenge. Basically 'the eye for an eye' kind, except more extreme. Usually it is a 'life for a life.'" I mouthed an "oh" in understanding.
Should I tell them about my dream? It probably doesn't mean anything though, I don't think werewolves can influence dreams at all. I bet you they can influence you if they bit you, but since I have not been bitten, I think I should be fine. For now at least.
After everyone had breakfast, I made sure to sneak a chunk of meat from the fridge for Mohegan. The rest of the pack will have taken turns going out to hunt something small, but because he was stuck inside with me, he was unable to get something for himself.
"Kate, we have to go to school now. But before we go, there are a couple people we want you to meet. Kate, this is Allison." Scott points to a dark-haired girl as she waited in the doorway. "And this is Lydia." He points to the red head beside Allison. I smile and wave to them, and continue smiling as my gesture is returned. Another head popped between the girls, a boy. "Stiles." the boy called his name as he looked between the girls and waved at me.
The boys drove to school with the two girls. I stayed at Scott's house with my pack to stay hidden. Scott had mentioned that the twins, who are with Deucalion, attend the high school. Also, I know none of my wolves would ever be allowed in, and so I could not go to high school.
I spent the day inside mostly, only stepping outside to allow Mohegan to relieve himself. When I was inside, I pretty much sat around on the couch with Mohegan's head on my lap, watching tv or reading some random book that was lying around. Basically quite a boring day, albeit better than what I had experienced for the last year and a half. At least here I had a tv to watch or books to read.
That evening:
I followed Isaac as he walked into Scott's room, where he was putting his jacket on and gathering his bike helmet. Apparently getting ready to leave; but to where? Deep in thought, I only heard bits and pieces of Scott and Isaac's conversation. Something about going to get food, Mexican I think? Mohegan's soft growling beside me broke me out of my thoughts. Isaac, I guess, has insisted on going with Scott. "I'm going too. Mohegan will be fine outside a restaurant as long as we have a window seat." I stated with a smile; Mohegan groaned at the idea, which earned a giggle from everyone.
Scott and Isaac left on Scott's motorcycle, while I rode on Mohegan's back. But, rather quickly, we all figured out that Scott was not intending to get food, but instead to see the Alpha Pack, namely Deucalion. Great... As if I didn't get enough of his suggestive talk yesterday...
Sensing my uneasiness, Mohegan whined softly beneath me as he ran behind the motorcycle. "I'll be fine, boy. Just keep up with Scott, okay?" Mohegan jerked his body as he pushed himself harder to move faster in an attempt to keep up with Scott as he drove toward an abandoned mall.
As Scott and Isaac pulled into the empty parking lot and shut down the bike, Mohegan continued to run to where they are now standing, only slowing down once he was close. I got off his back as soon as he came to a stop, although I may not have exactly waited for a complete stop to get off.
"So, I see we are not exactly out to eat. What's the real plan?" I ask as we all head into the dark building. "We're just here to talk, try to reason with him. As well as find out why his symbol was on the window of the bedroom you were sleeping in." Isaac and I exchanged a glance as Scott gave his reasoning for coming here. I stumbled slightly as Mohegan pressed into my side in an attempt to get as close to me as possible. I attempted to push him away a little bit, but he wouldn't budge."Fine. Be that way." Scott and Isaac stopped and stared at me, but I simply pointed down toward Mohegan, who in turn looked up at me with a look that said: what did I do?
We continued to walk in silence until we came to an open area where Deucalion was perched proudly in the middle of an escalator; a dead escalator that is. His hands were resting on the handle of his cane, and his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. "You didn't come alone." Deucalion observed calmly. "Yea, uh, this is Isaac.." "I wasn't talking about Isaac." He turned his head away. We followed his gaze to find Derek, Cora, and Boyd coming from the shadows; yes, Scott filled me in on who is who. Deucalion then returned his gaze to us, his attention apparently back on me. "Kate, once again we cross paths. I am beginning to think this may mean something." His grin returned once more, before disappearing as Derek and Scott began to talk about him being the one to die. Although, by the smug look on his face, he is not exactly convinced.
I could now sense the tension rising, Mohegan can feel it too. He is now shifting his balance constantly, waiting for the fight to occur. As everyone went on with their conversing, and Deucalion's pack began to gather in the room, I brainstormed for a solution. My only choice it seems, is to aid Scott, Isaac, and Derek's pack to fight against Deucalion's pack.
Derek made the first move, but was intercepted by Kali. I close my eyes and focus as I listen to the werewolves around me size each other up and battle. Suddenly, a metallic screech filled the air, and all fighting and bickering ceased. Behind me, a Dilophosaurus emerged from the shadows (this particular dinosaur is based on the one from 'When Dinosaurs Roamed America', when it comes to coloration and vocalizations). The crested, agile dinosaur screeched as it sized up Ennis.
The large werewolf seemed unsure of the dinosaur as it moved closer to him. Similar in height, the two would easily make for an interesting battle. Ennis roared and charged the Dilophosaurus, who in turn ran at him. But the dinosaur stopped suddenly, seeming to wait. Ennis got close and prepared to strike, when suddenly, the Dilophosaurus leapt onto the large werewolf and knocked him to the ground. As if finally realizing the danger he was in, the werewolf struck the dinosaur on the head and ran when the dinosaur was off him enough. With a screech, the Dilophosaurus chased after Ennis as he bounded for the stilled escalators from which he had entered the room originally.
While everyone was distracted by that lovely dinosaur, I focused once more as the twins made their way toward me. They stopped when a roar filled the room. Behind me, a Cryolophosaurus emerged. Its small crest looked like a little wave upon its head. This guy is a little bigger than Dilophosaurus, so I think he can manage the twins if they morph together. With another roar the Cryolophosaurus took off toward the twins as they merged. I watch as the twins back up, with the dinosaur ramming them and snapping aggressively, they are seeming to have a difficult time.
A new roar caught my attention; Kali. Staring me down I knew I only had seconds before she would... And here she comes... I closed my eyes once more and smiled with satisfaction as. I heard Kali come to a halt. I opened my eyes to see the large shark fin as it seemed to swim through the concrete floor. "Kali, meet Megalodon... The ancient relative of the Great White Shark, but much bigger. In fact, I believe this guy is near 80 feet in length. I would run, or get to high ground, if I were you." She looked to me, as if tempted to attack, but decided against doing so as the large fin moved toward her quickly. I watch as she jumps up the pillar she had come down on, and smile when she got to the next floor just in time to evade the enormous jaws of the Megalodon as it leapt up to try to grab her. "Duuun dun... Duuuun duun... Dun dun dun dun... Dun dun dun dun dun dun!" I giggled as the fin moved around the floor before slipping beneath the surface.
I stopped when I heard roars of pain sounding out, Kali had attacked the Cryolophosaurus, and the twins are now helping her to bring him down. Ennis had gotten the upper hand with the Dilophosaurus, as he got it to a side where he pushed it off the ledge where it fell to its death. The werewolves resumed fighting, I stood back, unsure how to help. A T-Rex maybe? No, too big; it wouldn't be able to turn around fast enough. A Sabertooth? No, too small; powerful, but small enough that the werewolves could finish one off within minutes or even seconds. Entelodont? No, the big pig may be mean and a meat-eater, but I think it would have been too slow. Andrewsarchus is big and powerful, but once again, too slow when turning; better suited for head-on collisions. I was so lost in my own world that I hadn't noticed Deucalion making his way toward me, until he was within a few feet. How did he get past all that ruckus up there?
"You never cease to impress me, Kate. Even I had taken a step back when you brought in the Megalodon; didn't feel like being shark bait." I watched carefully as the man removed his sunglasses; Mohegan, I noticed, is still pressed closely to my side. "Why was your pack symbol-thing painted on my window? What do you want with me?" He grinned at my questions. "I want you in my pack, and I am willing to go to extreme measures to make sure that you are mine; a part of my pack. How far I go is up to you. But make no mistake about this, I will have you in the end; no one else can have you but me. Now, what do you say Kate? Just how far are you willing to make me go?" Geez, talk about being straight forward and to the point. "Uh, I think you need to back off just a tad. No offense or anything, but I just got introduced to the world of werewolves yesterday. Sorry, but I ain't ready to be joining anyone just yet." The grin disappeared as his mouth formed a straight line. Oh, shit.
Noises caught both our attentions, and I watched in shock as Derek and Ennis both fell off the edge. Mohegan grabbed my hand in his mouth as he darted forward, thank goodness, and headed to Scott. The boy is injured, but also emotionally hurt as he had just witnessed what was possibly the death of Derek. I turned to look over my shoulder, and noticed that Deucalion was nowhere to be seen. Maybe I just imagined that whole creepy encounter... But then again, maybe not...
Reviews please, I love them! I know Deuc may be a bit creepy at the end there, but I kinda liked the idea. But like Kate said, she may have just thought it happened since she had been so lost in thought. I hope to update really soon (in fact, I am working on it right now!), and the next chapter will reveal a hint as to what Kate is, but don't worry... All will be revealed soon! I hope the chapter was written well enough, I had almost lost interest in it when I was preparing for finals, but I kept the interest in Deucalion and essentially kept an interest in writing my story.