Chapter 12

A full day and night had passed.

The moment that Lucan dreaded had finally arrived, Prentiss came and knocked on D.W. Banner's door.

Lucan and Sarah quickly hid in the cellar that was artfully concealed behind a stuffed pantry wall. Helen spoke with the man to divert him and get him to leave, but Prentiss stood his ground with many questions. Meanwhile, David had taken D.W. out for a long walk around the property, wearing a bandana and cowboy hat to help keep his face concealed from the farmhands or any spying neighbors. D.W. loved the outdoors and the feeling that he was still in charge of his own land and farmers. David felt it would be the last time he would spend alone with his father.

It was a risk letting David wander around too far, but they also couldn't chance that Prentiss might recognize David somehow and start investigating him. They also didn't want to risk D.W. letting something slip about Lucan or any of the abnormal events that had gone on recently. Any other stranger might be easily convinced that D.W.s mumblings about werewolves or green creatures were just the result of senility and dementia. Still, they couldn't take any chances with someone like Prentiss.

"So you're really leaving?" Sarah asked as they tried to get comfortable in the cellar. Lucan sat cross-legged on the dry, stone floor.

Lucan nodded. "After Prentiss is far enough from the farm area, yes."

Sarah glumly crouched on an old haystack. "Where will you go?"

"I've been meaning to tell you, I'm meeting Don Hoagland in Texas. We're going to investigate Dr. Esben Hansen's lab."

"You're going there?" Sarah exclaimed. The mere thought of the place sent chills up and down her spine. "Why in the world would you do that?"

"To see if he had any information that could help me find my father. Esben must have used werewolf DNA to create hybrids. It's harder to cross pure human and pure animal DNA."

Sarah nodded slowly. "I guess so. I don't know much about science. And if my parents were still alive and I didn't know where they were, I suppose I'd want to find them too."

"You had a good life with them. Remember, they live on in here," he tapped his temple, then over his heart, "and in here."

She smiled warmly. "Maybe the reason why you're having such a hard time finding your father is that he needs to stay hidden. He is a natural werewolf, so he can't let anyone see him."

"I always figured a natural werewolf could blend into society? They only change during the full moon. My mother felt it affected his personality, and she eventually feared him," Lucan said thoughtfully, indicating the journal in his bag.

"So, if your father is as bad as she says, why do you want to even meet him?" Sarah wondered.

Lucan's expression darkened, and Sarah sensed the wolf in him itching to break free. She hadn't seen the mild young man like this before. "It is vital to me, Sarah. I need to know where I came from, and my history, and despite the horrors, he may have committed, I need to know why … if there's a reason at all."

Sarah nodded. She imagined herself in Lucan's shoes and felt she would also want to know the truth. "And your Mom, Marian, was she born in the U.S?" Sarah mused.

"Yes, in Minnesota. But she had big dreams and talent, and she went overseas to study art in Europe. My mom went to the University of Oslo in Norway. She wanted to study Scandinavian art and culture for a while because my grandfather and his family were Norwegian and proud of their heritage. She hoped to see the Aurora Borealis too." Lucan explained.

"Did your grandfather know about your father? What did he think?"

Lucan paced. "My Grandfather told me whatever he could before he died. But my mother never spoke much about my father. If my grandfather knew about my dad being a werewolf, then he tried to hide it. I think he suspected, considering how … mutilated … my mother was found in the woods and by her obsession with werewolves weeks up until that point."

Sarah shivered at the thought. She hoped never to harm a person in that manner. "I guess Marian got scared and came back to the United States when she found out she was pregnant. She wanted to protect her baby,… you."

Lucan and Sarah heard scuffling just above them, as though someone was moving a heavy piece of furniture upstairs and raised muffled voices. Perhaps Prentiss insisted on searching the house to wonder if Lucan was hiding under a table or in a wardrobe.

"Doesn't that guy need a search warrant? He is as bad and persistent as Jack McGee," Sarah grumbled while trying to keep her voice down.

"Jack McGee? Oh yes," Lucan remembered, "he's the Journalist who writes about the Hulk."

"Yeah. McGee never stops hunting David. I mean, he doesn't know David is still alive. McGee is after the Hulk and the John Doe that turns into him. And David even saved his life more than once." Sarah scowled, still feeling anger and disappointment at James for calling McGee to their family house. It was all moot now, and she felt terrible for harboring ill feelings toward her late brother, but part of her couldn't help it. Sarah went back to the subject.

"Lucan, did your Mom's diary mention your dad's name or anything?"

"Yes. My father's name was Danior Nelus Lupei. He was a Gypsy or Roma. Funnily enough, his first name means "born with teeth," and his last name means "wolf" in Romanian. My mom sometimes just called him Dan."

Sarah smiled. "Those are convenient names. He must've been born to Werewolves. So your name would be Lucan Lupei. Interesting."

"Lucan isn't my real name. I learned from my grandfather that my mother named me Jonas after him. That's a Nordic name. Now I use Lucan Jonas on my identification cards."

Sarah scooted closer to him. "Did your mom write any other details about Danior?"

Lucan pulled the diary from his Duffel bag and thumbed through the well-worn pages. "Mom wrote that he ran off to stay with other werewolves twice a year for a month at a time in Europe. He greatly looked forward to, and in their third year of marriage, he planned to bring her. She didn't trust him by that point and did her own digging. Somewhere along the line, she suspected a wolf cult. When she confronted Danior, he told her the truth, and he wanted her to join. She refused. Danior said on the next full moon she would whether she liked it or not."

Lucan carefully turned a few more pages. "A week later, mom found out she was finally pregnant and fled the country. Mom roamed around Europe for a while, selling paintings and doing portraits to make ends meet. Finally, mom knew she had to get home. Danior tracked her back to Minnesota. When I was a few months old, Mom was … teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and my grandfather said she would constantly talk about wolves and draw them in her artwork. In her last diary entries, she felt threatened by Daniors presence and …"

Lucan's eyes misted up, and he handed Sarah the Journal to show her the final two pages. Sarah read them in a quiet voice.

Danior is here. I know he has found me. I sense him everywhere I go. He has a mystic pull over me that is getting harder to fight. I do not want to become a monster. I am scared for baby Jonas. For now, he is a normal baby, but he is condemned to be a wolf thanks to his bloodline. In some ways, I still love Danior, despite his coldness and harsh treatment at times. I realize it is animal nature that compels him to behave a certain way. But I do not want that life for Jonas or me! I have obtained silver bullets, but will I have the strength of heart to use them? Will I have to use them on Jonas? I sound like an awful mother. There has to be a way to keep Jonas alive and away from him. Tonight is the Full Moon, and there is no telling what will happen …

Sarah closed the book carefully. "Lucan, how did you survive?" She asked. Her heart went out to him when she noticed his sad expression.

Lucan smiled wearily. I am not sure, but my mother wasn't in her right mind and ran into the deep forest. Don tried to piece my history together. I investigated and found my old baby blankets and toys deep in a cave. Don believes mom hid me inside a wolf den because somehow she felt they might not harm me if they sense the wolf in me."

Sarah couldn't resist asking more personal questions. "What about your grandfather? What did he know?"

Lucan sighed. "I don't think my grandfather ever fully believed I am a half-werewolf. He just kept saying that monsters didn't exist, his daughter would never marry one, and that I carried a lot of 'fool notions' in my head because I was raised by timber wolves."

"He may have only wanted to believe you were… normal, and try to make you believe it too," Sarah said, wondering if she could ever admit to being a werewolf around any of her own family. Could she ever bear to face her aunts and uncles, or her cousins and their children, and say she was a werewolf? It had been bad enough when James found out.

"Sometimes, people need to imagine those closest to them as nothing more than what they need them to be. I think grandfather was frightened at the idea, especially if one killed his daughter." Said Lucan knowingly. "I told Don everything when I discovered the truth."

"Who is Don to you, anyway?"

"Don Hoagland is the closest man I've ever known to a father," Lucan smiled fondly with warmth in his voice. "He's a wonderful Anthropologist, and he and his expedition team found me in the woods when I was ten. Don practically raised me on the campus. He taught me everything I needed to know about how to be a man … a human being. There were a few candidates who were considered for the teaching position," he added, remembering one of his conversations with David. "Did you know that David was considered for the Wild Boy project?"

"David?" Sarah blinked, shocked. "You met him when you were a kid?"

"No, but he told me a couple days ago that he examined me for a few hours through the glass at the institute. However, Don had already grown attached, and so did I. It wasn't easy training me, and I didn't trust anyone but him for at least a year. Out of all the applicants, David was the best person for the job, but he realized how close Don and I were, and he changed his mind."

"Wow, so David could've been your teacher, and he knows Don. It's really a small world."

"Sure is. I didn't tell Don that David is still alive, though, or about the Hulk. Some things he doesn't need to know unless he has to, but I did tell him a little about you."

"Wait, why did you tell him about me and not David?" Sarah asked, her eyes tightened slightly.

Lucan ignored her accusatory gazes. "I promised Don I would tell him if I ever met a werewolf or found out more about them."

"What did you say?"

"Don't worry, not much. Don won't hurt you, and he'll keep your secret, Sarah." Lucan looked fast when a loud door slammed upstairs, indicating Prentiss had finally left. Sarah sniffed the air and let out a sigh.

"I guess he's gone, Lucan. I know his natural scent, but he also carries the scent of the forests nearby. He's been searching really hard for you."

Within moments, the cellar door opened, and Helen peered inside. "Mr. Prentiss has gone. It's safe for both of you to come back up now. He had warrant paperwork that allowed him to do minor searches for Lucan. I'm sorry." She called out.

"We'll be up in a minute, Helen," Sarah said, clutching lightly to the arm of Lucan's leather jacket.

Helen raised an eyebrow and came down the steps a little further to peer at them for a moment, almost as though making sure they still had all of their clothes on and that she could see daylight between them.

"Alright, but don't be too long. David and Dad will be back soon." She went up and left the cellar door slightly ajar.

"Are you leaving now, Lucan?" Sarah asked, tears stinging her eyes.

"Soon, yes, after I say goodbye to everyone and give Prentiss some time to really leave the premises." Lucan met her eyes evenly, feeling his heart sting in response to her emotions. He had already deduced that she liked him on some level. Lucan already had some experience with girls over the years that never went too far. Lucan didn't want to hurt the women or make commitments he wasn't prepared to keep, not like his father.

Sarah found herself hugging him. She rested her head on his chest and sensed his heartbeat thudding in a quiet rhythm against her ear, a heartbeat that almost matched her own. She finally pulled back, just to look up at his face.

She reached up and ran her hand through his long hair, satisfying her longing to know what it felt like between her fingers – Feather soft. Lucan didn't move much, but he didn't push her away either. She stared into his face for a moment longer, then did something she'd never done before, something that would have shocked her Christian, chaste-opinionated mother:

Sarah closed her eyes and jumped up and kissed Lucan on the lips. He didn't fully encourage the kiss, but Sarah didn't want to pull away. Lucan leaned down, and his lips slowly roved over hers. His warm hands slowly clasped around her back and drew her even closer. Sarah followed his lead and tentatively raised her arms over his neck. Their kiss deepened, and she felt his heart flutter at the same time as hers.

There came a loud, throat-clearing sound and Sarah pulled back, suddenly spotting David standing on the cellar's staircase with folded arms. Helen lingered just behind him. Their eyes trained on her and Lucan, a mixture of mildly stern reproach and amusement.

Sarah gave Lucan a light push on the chest and stood away from him. Lucan pursed his lips and rubbed the back of his neck, failing to meet their gazes. Sarah growled under her breath as her cheeks flushed bright red.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dylan Hunter gradually awoke utterly naked in the middle of the woods. It had happened so many times by now that he had gotten used to it… as much as anyone could "get used to" transforming into a wild creature with no memory.

He sometimes wondered … did he sleep at all as a werewolf? Did he eat much? If so,… what had he eaten? Hopefully, not any people. He licked his lips and spat out the remaining blood on his mouth. He didn't smell human flesh.

"Tasha … Peter!" Dylan grunted as he forced himself into a sitting position. His skin felt cold and damp. The early morning dew had formed atop the bed of grass and clovers he'd found himself on, and a thin layer covered him, too. He shivered.

"Gotta find some clothes… and get back to her," he growled. He remembered her car taking off and felt slightly secure that they were safe … at least from him. If nothing else, he would find his way to that damned shack they had agreed to rendezvous, and hopefully, he hadn't wandered too many miles from it.

As he started to rise, Dylan's hand encountered something wet and slippery with a thicker consistency than the dew. His nose picked up the scent of more blood and flesh that was just beginning to turn. His senses led him to the foliage a few feet ahead.

He saw a half-eaten, dead stag lying on the leaves. One glance at his crusted, bloodied hands and blood-splattered arms and chest made it clear that he had partaken of a grisly meal last night, right before changing back into human form. His stomach churned a little.

"Damn it … it's all over my face too," he wiped his brow with a groan.

He trudged to a nearby stream to wash the worst of it off. He learned that he had sense enough to always end his raging wolf sprees by a body of water. The stream was freezing cold but refreshing and clean to drink. Washing his body helped clear the cobwebs from his brain without a cup of strong black coffee.

Finally, he stood, and, with whatever dignity he could muster, he proceeded back in what he hoped was the general direction of the abandoned shack, trying to ignore his bare nakedness.

Thank God he still wasn't anywhere near civilization…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Lucan had already departed after giving the Banners a fond farewell, fully aware of Sarah watching him go with her hawk-like vision until even her mutant eyes couldn't see his retreating form anymore.

It had now reached the point where David strongly felt it was time for him to part company… particularly after seeing the latest edition of the National Register that Helen picked up while she was in town buying him new clothes, toiletries, and a shaving kit.

This copy of the Register contained a story that not only unnerved David but upset Sarah as well when she saw it.

Has the Hulk found a Girl Friend?

By Jack McGee

Evidence of a new mutant creature has been found at the latest two sites where the Hulk, and John Doe, the man who transforms into him, has been spotted. This reporter speculated that the second creature, who appeared to eyewitnesses as a large wolf with white fur, might be a young woman named Sarah Holtan. (See picture and full article on Page Five)

"...Please contact Jack McGee at the National Register if you have any sightings of this woman or an enormous wolf. Use extreme caution and do not attempt to approach the woman or the beast. The wolf's existence opens up an exciting new mystery and possible medical cover-up. As the remains of Dr. Esben Hansen, award-winning genetic scientist, was found at the grisly diner scene in Utah last month. Sarah Holtan may be the key to learning the true identity of John Doe and the Hulk."

After reading aloud to the others, Sarah threw the paper on the floor and stamped on it.

"Oh no," Helen said with realization. "Agatha Blackwell saw Sarah in town the other day when I was with her… and she reads this rag regularly."

David rose as his flight senses tingled. "Not to mention Agatha was at the scene of my recent Hulk-out and saw Sarah and Lucan too. It won't be long before she sniffs around here or possibly calls McGee," David said. "Sarah, both of us should leave. Today."

Sarah tensed, looking uncertain. "I had planned to stay here a while."

"Sarah, it may be too risky," David told her.

"What about my... "Sarah gulped softly. "Debt? For the damages?" She looked at Helen.

"You've already done a lot to help me out," Helen said. "It will be fixed. Sarah, please go with David for your own safety."

David had already moved to finish packing the new clothes Helen had bought for him, taking them out of the washing machine and folding them sloppily as he shoved them in his duffle bag. Helen handed him a packed lunch bag and thermos for the road. He packed it in gratefully.

"No," Sarah said, surprising everyone… perhaps no more so than herself. "I won't be going with you, David."

Helen and David both turned to look at her in unison. "Are you sure?" David asked.

Sarah sighed. "I gotta start figuring this out myself. You said yourself, I can't tag along with you forever, and you need to get back to figuring out your Hulk cure. Besides," she indicated the paper that still lay on the floor, "I think… It might be a good idea if we part company for now anyway. If somebody spots me, I can honestly say I don't know where you are."

David slowly zipped up his bag. While he felt a great weight of responsibility off his shoulders, a part of him would miss traveling with a partner and friend who could understand his condition.

"Are you sure you'll be alright out there, Sarah?"

"If you can make it out there, I know I can, too. You taught me that."

David regarded her for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. Just make sure you take care and do your best not to do anything to draw attention to yourself. If you happen to transform near witnesses, be ready to move on."

"Yes, I know the drill," Sarah nodded, meeting his concerned yet firm expression with her own. She understood the seriousness of the matter. "You take care of yourself, too, okay? I don't want the next story I read in the Register to say that you're… dead." Sarah hugged David, then hugged Helen.

Then there was a sharp knock on the door. "Yoo-hoo!" a high-pitched, nasally voice called out. "Helen, dear, are you home? I want to talk to you!"

Helen grimaced as Sarah stiffened.

"Ms. Blackwell, right on time." David sighed.

"I'll keep her busy … you two slip out the back, go on now," Helen said quietly.

"Goodbye, Helen," David hugged his sister tightly. I love you. I will stay in touch. I already said my goodbyes to dad. He will probably forget by dinner." He said ruefully.

Helen returned the hug and then pulled back. "Oh, David, Dad will know. Somehow. I will try to explain it to him. Get going now, before she gets suspicious or lets herself in." Helen looked at Sarah carefully. "Please don't be a stranger, Sarah. You are like family now. I slipped my number and address into your bag, if you ever need someone to call or a place to stay, don't hesitate to call or visit."

Sarah's eyes glistened and she awkwardly swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Helen, I will … always remember that."

David tossed Sarah's knapsack to her and hoisted his duffle bag on his shoulder, then the two of them hurried toward the back door. Just as they stepped outside, Sarah's sensitive ears picked up on the annoying woman's voice, starting to chatter away to Helen about her bus stop experience and what she'd seen in the National Register. She peppered poor Helen with questions about Sarah.

Sarah and David cut across the field until they reached one of the back roads, where the two of them jogged on and off for a few miles until they were reasonably confident they wouldn't be followed.

They finally stopped to catch their wind and rest for a moment under a large oak tree near the road. David shared his lunch with her. Helen had packed a few sandwiches and cold mixed vegetables to munch on. After a few minutes of silence, they each regarded the other for the final time.

"I better get going," Sarah said as she stood from the grass patch where she had been sitting. "We don't want some passing car to spot me and recognize me, not while my face is fresh in the paper." She grimaced.

David gave her shoulder a familial squeeze. "Whatever you do, wherever you go… I wish you all the best, Sarah. I hope you find your cure."

She reached up and removed his hand from her shoulder, just to give it a warm squeeze before letting it go. "Yeah, you find your cure too, David. I'm sure you can do it."

They regarded each other for a long moment, then they finally turned away from each other, and David continued down the road while Sarah headed off into the woods. He paused after several strides to glance over his shoulder at her, seeing her look in his direction one last time as well. They waved at each other, then Sarah vanished into the thickest part of the trees, as though she knew that if she stayed in visual range, she might be tempted to turn back.

Once again alone, with nothing ahead but the hopes of settling into a new town and continuing his search for a cure, David found himself relieved. This was the first time in weeks that he wouldn't have to think of anyone other than himself or serve as a partial caretaker.

David had an optimistic hunch that Sarah would make it, and she would find her own way. A small part of him would worry about her, but he would keep checking the Register… as he was sure she would do on his behalf too.