Lost Wolf
Chapter 12
"There are a lot more people here at night for some reason. Probably the concerts." Alex led the small group of Wolves down the Boardwalk. This was, basically, part of his home territory and the boys' hunting grounds. A large number of people were out, visiting the amusement park, shopping, eating, making their way to the beaches or just hanging out. A number of people approached Alex, asking if he was alright, as he'd been missing along with Marko for a few days/nights. He explained that he and Marko had found out that Alex had living family and had been getting connected with them. Alex was rarely seen with people other than The Lost Boys, and people were curious about his new companions as well. The news that he'd found living relatives quickly spread around the Boardwalk. A number of people congratulated him, happy that he now had a family to care for him.
As they walked along a few people were heard whispering about The Lonely Wolf, The Night of Wolves and Alex finally finding his family. There had been people who suspected Alex to be The Lonely Wolf even before the Frogs started ranting about him, and this seemed to confirm their theories. Thankfully, no one seemed inclined to do anything about it. Besides, of course, the Frogs.
He looked over at the Frog's comic shop, not surprised to find it closed. The boys worked during the night, due to school and the fact that even they had to sleep sometime.
"It seems like a nice place, during the day, of course." Alpha Winther noted, taking in the Ferris wheel and many lights that lit up the Boardwalk at night. "If a bit crowded."
"Don't let your guards down too much. The Surf Nazis have figured that out, too. The ones who come here during the day aren't as open about causing trouble, with all of the witnesses and families around, but they're still dangerous." He nodded slightly towards a group of young men in punk gear, a few skinheads and a couple of punks, "The place is really beautiful at night, but dangerous. And not just because of the you-know-who."
"I can't imagine them being responsible for all of these..." Sean was glancing at the many, many missing posters hanging everywhere.
"There are a lot of people who go missing for other reasons. A lot of people get drunk at parties and decide to try the waves, some commit suicide, some just leave... Sometimes it's the Surf Nazis, and we've had some pretty nasty folks pass through here too. Like that doctor."
Alpha Winther looked at him, "What actually happened...?"
"Marko." He answered simply.
"That makes sense." Jan added equally simply.
"Marko may not act like it, but he's big on 'community service', specifically, he tends to deal with problems before they become worse, if you understand my meaning." He took a deep breath, "There are monsters in Santa Carla, monsters of the more mundane kind than the Frog brothers worry about. Though they probably should worry..."
"They were your friends?"
"Yeah, until they tried to murder Marko. To be fair, I did scratch Alan pretty badly and bruised Edgar up. I can understand wanting to protect people, but those two are obsessed, especially Edgar. And now that they know about me... I wonder if they would have been so upset, had I not been involved with the boys? Just with who I am, I mean?" He let out a soft sigh, "Probably. Everything is black and white to them, no grey at all. Slaying monsters in the name of Truth, Justice and The American Way."
Sean shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry man, that must be tough."
"Thanks, but there's nothing we can do about it. It was their decision, not mine."
"Why do people keep coming here, when it's so dangerous?"
"It's warm and beautiful here, and people think bad things only happen to other people." Alex looked out over the crowded beach and shimmering blue waters, "Most people can't even conceive of themselves dying. Others don't believe there's anything dangerous out here. Some people actually come looking for danger and excitement. A few even know what's going on, and want to become a part of it. The boys aren't the only ones who want to stay young and strong forever."
They stepped out onto the sand and moved away from the Boardwalk, onto the beach itself.
"And then there are people like you, who just find yourselves here, with no idea what's going on." Mattias took in the sight of all the happy families basking in the sun and playing in the surf, oblivious to the inhuman creatures around them. "California is popular with the homeless, as they generally don't have to worry about freezing to death in the winter."
"True." Alex's voice was tinged with sadness, "But it's not just Santa Carla, is it? People go missing all the time, everywhere, and the homeless are usually not even noticed." He paused for a moment, remembering what his life had been like before, "When I was homeless, I didn't exist to the rest of the world. People who saw me would look away and pretend that they didn't. Pretend that life was fair and people, children, weren't suffering a few feet away. I was nobody, until the boys found me. If they had killed me, no one would have even known that I had existed. But they didn't, they took me in, protected me, loved me..."
Alpha Winther looked away in shame. He was sure Alex wasn't trying to shame him, but thinking about his mistake, a mistake that cost this boy years of his life, living devoid of Pack, love, affection. Safety. He couldn't imagine the fear and loneliness he'd endured. The horrors he'd seen. That Matthias himself would lose his position, had already lost all respect among his kind, was of no consequence compared to the suffering this Cub had endured for his mistake. He would never be an ordinary Werewolf, or even an ordinary human. He'd lost too much, suffered too long to truly adapt back into his Pack or human society.
Alex barely noted that they were all standing still now, his mind was elsewhere.
"You probably wonder how I can do this?" He smiled bitterly, "How I can be nice and friendly to people who may end up..." He swallowed, and turned to look at his companions, "I don't like it, you know. People dying. Sometimes, people like that doctor, he deserved what he got. But most people don't. They just... Wrong place, wrong time. Deciding to throw a bonfire on the beach when the boys are hungry. Picking the wrong place to sleep. Following a pretty face into the darkness. Some are too drunk or high to see any danger, I guess they're lucky... But the boys have to eat. They have to live as they were created to live, they can't change that. That's what I tell myself. It's their nature, and you can't fight nature..." He hunched a bit, shoved his hands into his pockets, eyes on the ground.
"No, you can't." Matthias put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Having met them, I can see that you care for each other. Werewolves are social creatures, and, even if they deny it, so are Vampires. There are exceptions, of course, but the bonds of a Coven are as strong as the bonds of a Pack. Without a Pack," He winced, remembering how this whole twisted situation began, and his own role in it, "You found the closest thing you could. Or, rather, they found you." We should have found you long ago, he added mentally. And you wouldn't have to live like this. Among killers...
Sean grinned, trying to change the mood, "Hey, did you ever see a movie called 'Solarbabies'? The main character looks just like Michael!"
Alex's eyes widened, "Yeah, I did, and yeah, he does. His girlfriend looks just like Star, too! I didn't even think of it! It's crazy!"
"I didn't see Star, but I'll take your word for it."
"I wonder if Adrian Pasdar is legal yet?" Siobhan remarked, "He's pretty easy on the eyes." The Alpha Werewolf gave a wolf-whistle.
Jan grinned, "Have none of you seen 'The Goonies'?"
"'The Goonies'?!" Sean laughed, "Oh man! If I didn't know better I'd say Edgar Frog was Corey Feldman!"
"People were asking for his autograph for months! It was a riot!" Alex was about to fall over laughing. "And Sam Emerson looks exactly like Corey Haim..."
"No way!"
"He does, I saw him!" Alpha McLaren was laughing too, "Identical twins..."
All of them were laughing now. To the people around them they probably looked crazy, but it was funny. Alex was already making plans for Michael to see 'Solarbabies'.
XXXX
A Vampire's den is not the natural place to find a Werewolf. Werewolves aren't meant to be alone. A Wolf by nature is a social creature, and a lone wolf doesn't last long. Without a Pack, a Werewolf will seek the closest thing he can find to Pack. Even if that Pack is a Pack of Vampires.
They began walking down the beach in a random direction. The Wolves knew that the Vampires' lair was somewhere near here, but Alex wasn't about to lead anyone there while they were asleep. The Wolves could smell the lair on the wind, unlike the humans. If they could, this beach would be deserted. Blood, death, fear, sex, Vampires, pigeons, beer, moldy food, tobacco, marijuana, motorcycles, dust, a Hellhound and Alex.
Alex turned and looked in the direction the scent was coming from, "It's pretty obvious to everybody that our lair is nearby, but I'm waiting until nightfall before I bring anyone. I have to warn you, the smell only gets worse, I can only handle it because I've been here so long, and lived on the streets before that, and still it sometimes gets to me, too."
"I can get most of it, but... Pigeons?"
"Marko. He loves animals, especially birds. People look down on pigeons, but they're loyal and always come back. Marko told me about the Passenger Pigeons, how, when he was a kid he'd lay back and watch as they covered the sky. Humans wiped them out completely, the last one died in, what... 1906? Wait, no, it was 1914, the year World War I started. 1906 was the big earthquake..." He looked up at the sky and sighed, "Dwayne can tell you about the bison. Not buffalo, despite what people say. Real buffalo live in Africa and Asia, Bison live in North America. How they used to cover the plains as far as the human eye could see. He and David remember both, the Passenger Pigeons and the bison. But Dwayne's people depended on the bison, that's one of the reasons people wiped them out, to starve the Indians. Some did it just for fun."
"There are still a few bison left. Just like with wolves."
"In a way, it seems like humans are far more dangerous than either Werewolves or Vampires. When it comes to the environment, there's no contest, humans are much, much worse." Jan looked out over the sea, "Now they're after the sharks..."
The beach was quieter now, more secluded.
"Well, enough cheerful talk of extinction," Sean grinned, "Let's go back."
"Might as well. It's almost lunchtime anyway."
XXXX
"In a way, it's like the whole world has turned on it's head; Michael joining the boys, The Frogs attacking Marko and finding out about me, Max dying and David taking over, Star and Laddie leaving, the Emersons, and finally, finally finding my own people... Or you finding me. Finding my own family... Everything's changing so quickly, it's hard to process it all."
Alex was sitting with the others in a small Chinese restaurant the boys frequented, mainly for take-out. He'd already been asked several times about Marko by the staff, as he was usually the one to pick up dinner for everyone.
"It has been a... confusing time for everyone. There's so much we need to work through, and it's hard to figure out where to start." Alpha Winther leaned forward slightly, "We can never make things right, not really, but we can do what we can to insure that you don't have to be alone like that again."
The Lost Boys had agreed to allow a few Wolves to move into their territory, provided they approved of said Wolves. At the moment, the Werewolf Alex was closest to wasn't even of his Pack, and Sean had a life of his own with his own Pack. He hadn't ruled out the idea of staying, however, and the boys hadn't ruled out having a small Pack moving in, as long as they kept out of their way. They'd even offered Max's house, as they preferred to live in less domestic surroundings.
And with Thorne guarding the lair, Alex's presence wasn't so necessary to their safety anymore. He didn't know how to feel about that, but it meant he could spend more time with his own people.
A few members of the Winther Pack had come with their Alpha, but only a few, to avoid making things more difficult for Alex. Of those who'd came the Santa Carla, Mary was certainly out of the running, not that she would want to stay. Jan was a real possibility, provided he didn't have anything to keep him from taking long breaks from his own Pack. The boys still didn't like Alpha Winther, but they were at least a bit more civil now.
"Aside from the Frog boys, have you had much trouble from hunters?"
"The only other one I know of in the area is Charlie Emerson, and he's retired. Of course, considering that his grandson just got turned, he might change his mind. Sam might decide to join the Frogs, but I'd hate for him to become an enemy too... Someone once nailed crosses up and down the Boardwalk, but that was more passive than outright attacking. Before I arrived, there were a few hunters who came down, and they didn't get to leave."
"I wonder what people will think when they start hearing multiple Wolves howling into the night?"
"As long as no one or their pets are attacked, they'll probably just take it in stride. There's too much weirdness in this town to bother chasing after a little harmless howling."
"What about the other Cov-... I mean groups?" Alpha Winther asked, "There are at least two groups here besides The Lost Boys?"
"Well, The Widow was the one who led us here in the first place, so I doubt she'll mind," Sean explained, "The others, I don't know. They haven't tried anything yet, and between the Packs and the boys, I doubt they'd risk anything. That's assuming they even care..."
"Regardless of how they feel, they probably won't bother us because none of them are crazy enough to risk the wrath of two Wolf Packs."
"You know, you can come visit us, if you want. Our Pack as a whole, on the East coast. There are a lot of people who really want to see you again."
Alex considered this. He hadn't left Santa Carla since he'd arrived eight years ago, and it was hard to imagine being a continent away from the boys. He had no idea how long he'd want to stay, or even if he would want to be there at all. After all, these people were all strangers, and they might not want him around. But still, the chance to see his family, his birth Pack, touched something in his soul. He could never connect with the boys in such an intimate way as they did with each other, sharing their very thoughts and feelings, but he could see that the bonds of a Werewolf Pack were powerful in a way he had long forgotten, making him crave that feeling again. His bond with the boys was powerful, and he would never willingly break that bond, but to bond with his own people, his own family as well, to live among the Living. Could he truly do both?
The Alpha hesitated, then spoke, "Do you remember any other family members? Any that weren't killed?"
"I just barely remember a woman... I think she was my aunt. She wore a silver bracelet with turquoise in it, I think she bought it in New Mexico..."
"Your aunt Elsa, your mother's sister. She moved to Sweden after the attack, to the Winther Pack there. She just couldn't stay here anymore. Last I heard she was getting ready to fly back to the states, now that we know you're alive."
Not just a blood relative, but a close relative. It was exciting and painful. He could barely remember her. Was she married? Did he have other aunts and uncles?
A harsh, gravelly voice interrupted his thoughts, "Hey, didn't you see the sign? No Dogs Allowed!"
Everyone turned to see Edgar Frog standing a few feet away. Everyone at the table tensed at the sight of the would-be-hunter.
"We used to be friends, Edgar. Why are you acting like this?" Alex asked wearily. He'd been trying to avoid this, especially now with everything else that was going on in his life.
Edgar pointed accusingly at Alex, "You live with bloodsuckers! You protect them while they kill people! You mauled my brother!"
"You tried to murder Marko in his sleep! And I didn't hurt Alan on purpose." There was more than a hint of anger in his voice, Alex was getting truly angry at the mouthy Frog. He was trying hard to keep it inside, but the more Edgar talked the more enraged he was becoming.
"This is not a good place to be having this kind of discussion." Jan stood, and he had several inches on Edgar, "You want to talk, we talk outside."
"You think I'm stupid enough to follow a bunch of Werewolves into some dark alley?"
Everyone in the restaurant was staring at the group, particularly at Edgar, as Alan came to his side. From the conversations they could hear it was obvious most people thought the Frog had finally snapped.
"Out! Both of you, or I'll call the police!" The owner rushed out of the back, red-faced with both embarrassment and anger.
"Call the loony bin more like it..." Someone muttered.
"Call the police! Tell them to get Dog Boy to show you where his blood-sucking friends are!"
"Edgar!" Alan growled, "Not like this! You're making us look like idiots!"
"The Truth has to come out! We can't let th-"
Most people who knew Alex Winther only casually thought him to be pretty much a good kid who ran with a bad crowd. Sure, he occasionally got into fights, but always in self-defense. He never started trouble, and he avoided fights whenever possible. So everyone was surprised when he practically leaped over the table, wrenched Edgar's right arm behind his back and put him in a chokehold worthy of Hulk Hogan.
"Listen you little bastard! You tried to murder my best friend, you shunned and insulted me, and now you're interrupting my first dinner with my family whom I haven't seen for eleven years!" He twisted Edgar's arm tighter, ignoring Alan frantically beating on his back, "You. Will. NOT. Do. This. Again."
By now Jan had slung the struggling Alan over his shoulder, ignoring his futile punches, and the whole restaurant watched as Alex dragged an increasingly red-faced Edgar to the door, picked him up, and threw him into the street, to be joined by his brother a few seconds later. The other diners sat in shocked silence before applauding the removal of the troublemaker.
Outside Alan pulled his brother up and leaned him against his shoulder. Edgar was still red-faced from the chokehold, and desperately gulping in air. Still, his eyes were filled with rage and righteous fury.
"This town is becoming some kind of beacon for Hell-Spawn!" He rasped out, "And nobody cares! The police are in on it! The mayor's in on it, everyone's working with those freaks!"
"Calm down Edgar, just calm down." Alan thought of all the howls he and Edgar had heard a few nights ago. It sounded as if a whole Pack of Werewolves was moving into Santa Carla. And if they were kin to Alex, then they were probably working with the Vamps too! They were in too deep, and Edgar didn't know when to stop digging. All they'd managed to do was embarrass themselves and piss off at least five Werewolves, assuming everyone at the table was a Werewolf.
Alan had a terrible feeling that Edgar had finally gotten them to the tipping point. The Lost Boys wouldn't let this pass.
"Edgar, we need to go set up the traps. Now."
XXXX
"What's this about Edgar trying to murder Marko?" The owner asked hesitantly, "Shouldn't you call the police or something? Those kids are nuts, and if they're trying to kill people..."
Alex was trembling slightly from slowly abating rage, "I should call them, Mr. Han, but Marko won't press charges. He doesn't trust the police."
So, everyone had heard that. He'd just accused Edgar Frog of attempted premeditated murder. Well, the brats were always accusing everyone else of some crime or another, and besides, it was true.
Jan caught sight of a few Surf Nazis across the dining room, wondering just what the Hell happened. He didn't blame them. He looked out the window, but the Frogs were already gone.
Alan didn't seem as wild, or stupid, as his brother, but that might just be because he didn't really say or do anything at the time. He was there when they tried to stake Marko, after all. But Edgar, Edgar was crazy. He was just as bloodthirsty as the Vampires he hated so much.
"I'm sorry about all of this." Mr. Han continued, "Those boys are no longer welcome in my restaurant."
"It's not your fault Edgar Frog is crazy. It's nobodies' fault. Some people just aren't right in the head..."
XXXX
Back on the beach, the Werewolves discussed the troubling incident.
"Something has to be done. They're a danger to you and your friends and us as long as we're here." Alpha Winther was disturbed by what had happened at Han's, understandably so.
"The boys will find out tonight, even if we don't tell them." Alex swallowed hard and ran his hand through his hair, "Like I said, even if I wanted the Frogs hurt, and I don't, everyone would know who was responsible, especially after that... Whatever it was." Alex was angry and afraid. Angry that things had gotten so bad with his former friends, or, at least, Edgar, afraid that this might be the final straw. After nearly staking Marko, and now publically confronting them in a crowded restaurant and outing them as Werewolves, the arguments for sparing the Frog brothers' lives were weaker and weaker.
The Werewolves were on their way to the hotel, it was almost dusk and soon the boys would wake up. The smell was getting worse and worse the closer they came to the den. Death, decay, dust and blood and the unique scent of Vampire were almost overpowering.
"Dude, they really need to air out the old lair." Sean coughed, his pale, freckled skin looking a bit grey, "How could you survive eight years of that?"
"It gets to the point were its just part of the background, but it takes a while." Alex replied as the wind picked up, mercifully blowing the scent in the opposite direction, "And believe me, if I could air out the lair, I'd have done it years ago." He looked at his companions, Alpha Winther, Sean, Jan and Alpha McLaren, "It's an old hotel, half-sunk into the ground. In 1906, when the big earthquake hit, it fell into a crack in the earth. Somehow, a lot of it survived, though it's pretty damaged in places. David holds court in the old lobby, that's where Marko's pigeons roost and the boys hold parties pretty much every night, when they're not out hunting or having fun. I warned you about Thorne, right?"
"The Hellhound. Yeah, don't want to tangle with one of those again." Jan grimaced, "I fought one when I killed that Master in Cleveland. It was like fighting another Wolf, nearly took my arm off."
"You'll have to tell us about that one of these days." Alpha McLaren said as they approached an area fenced off and covered with with DANGER and NO TRESSPASSING signs. Beyond was what looked like the entrance to a cave, but if you looked hard enough you could make out the remains of a huge doorway. The inside was pitch black.
"Marko must be holding him back. Thorne loves Marko."
"Don't we all?"
And then a fire started and moved to set something else alight, making a larger fire. Paul waved the hand not holding the torch as he and Marko began lighting the oil barrels and candles.
After being carefully guided across the rickety steps, the Werewolves entered the vampires' den.
XXXX
To Be Continued...
Notes:
Solarbabies was a sci-fi movie that came out in 1986, it starred Jason Patric, (Michael Emerson), and Jamie Gertz, (Star) and several other teen actors like Lucas Haas and Adrian Pasdar. It also had the always villainous Sarah Douglas. It was about a post-apocalyptic world where the government kept all the water stored up for themselves and took children from their families to be raised in government schools/prisons. The heroes find an alien orb, escape and go to free the water for everyone. The name came from the name of their sports team in a weird roller skating/hockey/lacrosse type game.
The Goonies, if you've never seen The Goonies, I pity you. Mobsters, Pirate Treasure, booty traps (yes, that's what he said), Chunk, Sloth... It's a must-see! Corey Haim was not in the film, but Sean Astin was, and I'm always confusing the two. Alex was referring to the fact that Corey Haim and Corey Feldman were often mentioned together.
A lot of horrible things happened to both boys in Hollywood, and Corey Feldman is still trying to get justice for the abuse they and so many other children suffered. Corey Haim, sadly, died young. Shortly before posting this chapter I learned that Alex Winter had been abused as well, and Hollywood keeps rolling on as if nothing happened. What I feel right now is more than the word 'Anger' could ever convey. Is Hollywood run by pedophiles? How many kids' lives have they destroyed? It almost makes me wish I believed in a literal Hell, because very few of these rapist bastards get punished in life. I won't say anymore because I'll just get too upset and that's not good in my mental condition.
I wrote Marko as having been sexually abused as a child, had I known that Alex Winters was in real life a victim/survivor I would not have done so.
Sean is wearing a lot of sunscreen, but I couldn't fit it into the story. If you've seen pictures of Chester Rushing you'll probably understand why. Of course, Werewolf healing prevents sunburn, but it's always good to be careful.
American Bison are called "buffaloes", but strictly speaking they are not buffalo. Bison are larger, shaggier and humped.
I don't know at what point Passenger Pigeons declined to the point of no longer filling the sky, but I have Marko as having been born in the 1880's. As a young child he might have seen such huge flocks, but as this is fiction they filled the sky until the early 1900's, until around '06 or '07.