I opened my eyes to see Jeremy crouched in front of me, his hands gripping my arms tightly. Concern had been painted all over his face with a thick brush as he searched me diligently for injuries. It was only until he wiped my cheeks with his thumbs that I realized I was still crying. My entire body trembled like a plucked harp string. My heart was still unsteady, and the only think I could think about was the desire to get away. I wanted to run back home to my father where he would hold me, and tell me everything was all right. I would have to believe him because you have to believe everything is all right when a parent tells you so.
Clayton circled the room, checking for something I could not see. Slowly, after sniffing my curtains, he approached Jeremy from behind, his eyes trained on me. I was not sure whether to be thrilled or not that he was also here. My heart was still racing a mile a minute, and I felt a sudden wage of nausea rake through my being. I felt scared and tired.
"Is she okay?" Clayton asked Jeremy, also crouching down next to his cousin, his sky blue eyes analyzing me from head to toe. Genuine concern from Clayton meant this was really serious.
"She seems okay for now." Jeremy replied, brushing my matted hair out of my face. I was speechless and fear struck. I could not formulate a single word. I could not move.
"He was definitely here. He's gone now though." Clayton said. He turned, half towards Jeremy as if expecting an instruction to be said to him to be carried out. Licking my lips, I looked from one to the other.
"Who was here? There was no way in hell that that thing was human." I managed, gaining some control over my trembling form. Both stared at me. There was something they were not telling me. It was blatantly obvious and frustrating. "Who was here?"
"Malcolm" Clayton said. Jeremy turned sharply to look at him. "I am sorry Jeremy, but someone needs to tell her. I don't want you or her to get injured." He looked at me then with what could be considered remote fondness. "She makes you happy, and that makes me happy. It is about time she knew the truth."
Jeremy looked shocked for a short moment, but nodded after some thought. He took my hand and helped me stand. I waddled over to my bed and sat there, waiting for an explanation. Jeremy breathed in deeply and began.
"You know how you are different from regular humans? Hell, you might not even be human-" he began, choosing his words slowly and wisely.
"I don't know if I would necessarily categorize myself as non-human. That's a bit harsh, but I definitely do have exceptionalities." I looked at Clay then who nodded slowly.
"Nikita, there is no way you are remotely 100% human. Don't interject; let me finish. Since you are not genetically a full human being, you need to remain open to the fact that there might be others exactly like you, and some with further mutated DNA. Clayton and myself fall into the latter category."
"So you have a genetic mutation? Like… the X-Men?"
"Yes, it is what has helped us over the years, and what has kept us alive. My father has the same mutation… Nikita, we are werewolves." I gawked at him. Was he being serious?
"Jeremy… I think you slipped and hit your head… Wait; are you feeding into your own father's delusions?"
"Nikita, I am territorial, selective, analytical… I love red meat."
"So do a lot of people in this world."
"It took me a total of a month to fall in love with you. I am hardwired to find a mate for life. I've imprinted on you. Is this normal behaviour for a regular guy?"
"Show her" Clayton said, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. Jeremy sighed and nodded. He walked over to the bathroom and closed the door. "Nikita," My eyes settled on Clayton. "He really likes you, and I can see why. It is imperative that you listen, accept, and cooperate for all of our sakes. If not, you and your baby might end up dead." I really did not like how things were progressing.
There was a groan of pain from the bathroom. I stood up abruptly; ready to spring to Jeremy's side. Clayton stepped in front of me, shaking his head. Whatever was going on behind that closed door, I was not privy to. I was forced to wait. Five minutes passed until the shuffling and scratching began. It was the same sound that had frightened me before, but different. It was quiet, gentler. Clayton opened the bathroom door and I stared at what emerged from it. A giant black dog padded into my room, its tongue lolling. It sat on its haunches a few feet away from me, ears up and listening. From my basic knowledge of animals and my sudden unexplained obsession with drawing the canis lupus specie, I knew this was no dog. It was a wolf.
I peeked inside my bathroom quickly. Jeremy was nowhere to be seen, and his clothes were neatly folded on the toilet seat. I turned to look back at the wolf sitting on my bedroom floor. My heart jumped back into my throat. This could not be happening. This could not be real. The wolf whined slowly, and approached me. I backed away as it came closer. My brain stopped functioning at that exact moment. I could not do this. I could not. I loved Jeremy to no end, but this was beyond me.
"I can't… I can't… Jeremy…" I fought for words, but none came. Clayton's face softened instantly. He walked up to me and took my hand. The wolf – Jeremy –whined again. I could see the pain in his deep brown eyes, Jeremy's eyes.
"Nikita, this is very difficult to accept, but Jeremy has been dealing with this for a long time. He has been struggling with the truth." Clayton explained.
"So you are like this too?" I inquired. He nodded his blond head, his blue eyes earnest. You could tell he truly cared about Jeremy. "Why tell me now?"
"Malcolm wants you and your daughter dead." He said simply. Jeremy nuzzled my hand. I had not realized he had bridged the gap between us and that my hand was absentmindedly stroking his fur.
"Jeremy… Clayton... you both need to leave." I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted. I walked away. I walked towards my studio entrance, and I grabbed my keys from their hook. I walked out without turning to look back at the man I loved, or the little boy looking at me as though everything was falling apart. I walked out on both of them without looking back.