Mayhem pulled to a stop in back of the cabin and got out. He carried in the groceries and his other purchases that he had made at the mall before going to the grocery store then unpacked everything; positive Joe hadn't awoken.
He fed Fang and Goria then sat down at the computer and logged on, grateful yet again that his friend kept the utilities and phone connected on the off chance he or one of his close friends would want to use the cabin on the spur of the moment.
He went to his favorite website. It was allegedly the ultimate compendium of lycanthropy. It also had a register of self-professed werewolves. He had begun checking out the people registered but as of yet had found no true werewolf. He was, however, positive there had to be others somewhere and he intended to search until he could find at least one other. One who, hopefully, knew more about their gift than he had been able to learn.
After a little over an hour, Mayhem logged off and set about preparing dinner. He made himself a sandwich then put Joe on two steaks. One thing Mayhem had discovered, after a transformation and up to forty-eight hours before a natural transformation, the werewolf's appetite increased.
Joe had not undergone a complete transformation earlier but it had been enough to alter his senses. From his experimentation with Jonathan Ambrose, Mayhem had discovered the sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing remained heightened for two days after a transformation.
Mayhem wondered how the human mind would handle being constantly alert to the least change in atmosphere? He hoped it wouldn't drive Joe mad but if it did, he would find a way to contain him.
He had almost managed to train Ambrose and could even let him loose in the same room with him in wolf form but after that Deyman boy had wandered in and gotten bitten, Ambrose's demeanor changed. His next transformation showed he had reverted to the wild wolf he had once been. Mayhem had no choice but to use the derringer he kept on himself at all times against Ambrose. One silver bullet between the eyes and Ambrose had fallen, changed back to human form, and died.
Only a silver bullet to the heart, scoffed Mayhem as he put the steaks on a plate. Just another myth. He was quite certain any silver bullet or even a silver dagger positioned anywhere in the body would have the same effect. If only he could find another werewolf or two he could research that theory. In good time, he thought, picking up the plate and carrying it into the other room. He set it down near Joe's cage then returned for a cup of milk and a straw. He was going to have to find a better cage. This one was, he supposed, not only difficult to work through but not quite strong enough for a full moon transformation.
The aroma from the steaks wafted through Joe's nostrils and he stirred, his stomach growling loudly. This time, it took Joe only seconds to become fully alert and sit up.
"I'm afraid I'll have to feed you," Mayhem told Joe. "The plate won't go through the links of your cage."
"You could let me out," pointed out Joe. "Or open the cage door and hand it to me."
"And have you get away?" Mayhem retorted with amusement. "I think not." He cut a piece of steak and held it out to Joe. "I bought ground beef for tomorrow," he said. "I could go for meat loaf myself but if you prefer, I can fix yours as hamburgers."
"Meat loaf," Joe decided then wrapped his lips around the steak and pulled it from the fork.
"What happened to the first werewolf you had?" Joe asked. "The one who infected Craig?"
"Infected?" Mayhem asked a bit thoughtfully. "Yes, that would be a good term except there is no cure so it isn't really a disease. But, to answer your question, Craig surprised Jonathan and Jonathan snapped at him more out of fear than anything else. You see, I did have Jonathan tamed. During the full moon I could even put a leash on him and take him for walks. But once he tasted human blood I believe he reverted back to the beast nature intended him to be because the next time he transformed his eyes held the same killer instinct they had when I had first captured him.
"I found out too late, of course. Once he had changed, he came after me and wouldn't obey any of the commands I had taught him. I had no choice but to use the derringer I carry on him. I shot him between the eyes hoping to slow him down enough to drug him or contain him but, like the myth of a werewolf being immortal even in human form, the one about a silver bullet killing only if it goes through the heart is also false."
"So you intend to discern the myth from the facts?" asked Joe, realizing he had almost finished his meal as Mayhem talked.
"That is one of my goals," acknowledged Mayhem.
"And your other goals?" asked Joe.
"I want to be immortal," Mayhem stated, his green eyes taking on a far away look. "I want to be strong and powerful. I want my senses heightened to the point that there is nothing in my immediate environment that I can not identify and, if the situation allows, control."
"Then why didn't you just let Jonathan attack you?" Joe wanted to know.
"Because Jonathan, nor Craig, could control themselves. Neither can you but, hopefully, by the time I have finished my research, I will be able to control the transformation, stopping it just before my intelligence wavers and animal instinct takes over. I will be able to go anywhere and do anything without fear because I will know exactly how badly I can get hurt and come through."
"But you could still die," pointed out Joe. "A plane crash; a head on collision, even getting shot. All it would take is a few seconds in complete human form."
"I thought of that," Mayhem said, setting the now empty plate down on the floor. "A fragment of moon rock carried on me to prevent that or better yet, put the fragment into my body. I doubt it would be enough to cause a transformation but it could prevent dying, maybe even getting hurt." He smiled at Joe as he stood up. "That theory will provide us with another set of experiments to try at a later date."
Mayhem walked over to the end table and picked up a tape measure. "What are you going to do now?" asked Joe watching him warily.
"I want to take your measurements," Mayhem said. Joe relaxed for a brief second until he added, "As a wolf."
He fed Fang and Goria then sat down at the computer and logged on, grateful yet again that his friend kept the utilities and phone connected on the off chance he or one of his close friends would want to use the cabin on the spur of the moment.
He went to his favorite website. It was allegedly the ultimate compendium of lycanthropy. It also had a register of self-professed werewolves. He had begun checking out the people registered but as of yet had found no true werewolf. He was, however, positive there had to be others somewhere and he intended to search until he could find at least one other. One who, hopefully, knew more about their gift than he had been able to learn.
After a little over an hour, Mayhem logged off and set about preparing dinner. He made himself a sandwich then put Joe on two steaks. One thing Mayhem had discovered, after a transformation and up to forty-eight hours before a natural transformation, the werewolf's appetite increased.
Joe had not undergone a complete transformation earlier but it had been enough to alter his senses. From his experimentation with Jonathan Ambrose, Mayhem had discovered the sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing remained heightened for two days after a transformation.
Mayhem wondered how the human mind would handle being constantly alert to the least change in atmosphere? He hoped it wouldn't drive Joe mad but if it did, he would find a way to contain him.
He had almost managed to train Ambrose and could even let him loose in the same room with him in wolf form but after that Deyman boy had wandered in and gotten bitten, Ambrose's demeanor changed. His next transformation showed he had reverted to the wild wolf he had once been. Mayhem had no choice but to use the derringer he kept on himself at all times against Ambrose. One silver bullet between the eyes and Ambrose had fallen, changed back to human form, and died.
Only a silver bullet to the heart, scoffed Mayhem as he put the steaks on a plate. Just another myth. He was quite certain any silver bullet or even a silver dagger positioned anywhere in the body would have the same effect. If only he could find another werewolf or two he could research that theory. In good time, he thought, picking up the plate and carrying it into the other room. He set it down near Joe's cage then returned for a cup of milk and a straw. He was going to have to find a better cage. This one was, he supposed, not only difficult to work through but not quite strong enough for a full moon transformation.
The aroma from the steaks wafted through Joe's nostrils and he stirred, his stomach growling loudly. This time, it took Joe only seconds to become fully alert and sit up.
"I'm afraid I'll have to feed you," Mayhem told Joe. "The plate won't go through the links of your cage."
"You could let me out," pointed out Joe. "Or open the cage door and hand it to me."
"And have you get away?" Mayhem retorted with amusement. "I think not." He cut a piece of steak and held it out to Joe. "I bought ground beef for tomorrow," he said. "I could go for meat loaf myself but if you prefer, I can fix yours as hamburgers."
"Meat loaf," Joe decided then wrapped his lips around the steak and pulled it from the fork.
"What happened to the first werewolf you had?" Joe asked. "The one who infected Craig?"
"Infected?" Mayhem asked a bit thoughtfully. "Yes, that would be a good term except there is no cure so it isn't really a disease. But, to answer your question, Craig surprised Jonathan and Jonathan snapped at him more out of fear than anything else. You see, I did have Jonathan tamed. During the full moon I could even put a leash on him and take him for walks. But once he tasted human blood I believe he reverted back to the beast nature intended him to be because the next time he transformed his eyes held the same killer instinct they had when I had first captured him.
"I found out too late, of course. Once he had changed, he came after me and wouldn't obey any of the commands I had taught him. I had no choice but to use the derringer I carry on him. I shot him between the eyes hoping to slow him down enough to drug him or contain him but, like the myth of a werewolf being immortal even in human form, the one about a silver bullet killing only if it goes through the heart is also false."
"So you intend to discern the myth from the facts?" asked Joe, realizing he had almost finished his meal as Mayhem talked.
"That is one of my goals," acknowledged Mayhem.
"And your other goals?" asked Joe.
"I want to be immortal," Mayhem stated, his green eyes taking on a far away look. "I want to be strong and powerful. I want my senses heightened to the point that there is nothing in my immediate environment that I can not identify and, if the situation allows, control."
"Then why didn't you just let Jonathan attack you?" Joe wanted to know.
"Because Jonathan, nor Craig, could control themselves. Neither can you but, hopefully, by the time I have finished my research, I will be able to control the transformation, stopping it just before my intelligence wavers and animal instinct takes over. I will be able to go anywhere and do anything without fear because I will know exactly how badly I can get hurt and come through."
"But you could still die," pointed out Joe. "A plane crash; a head on collision, even getting shot. All it would take is a few seconds in complete human form."
"I thought of that," Mayhem said, setting the now empty plate down on the floor. "A fragment of moon rock carried on me to prevent that or better yet, put the fragment into my body. I doubt it would be enough to cause a transformation but it could prevent dying, maybe even getting hurt." He smiled at Joe as he stood up. "That theory will provide us with another set of experiments to try at a later date."
Mayhem walked over to the end table and picked up a tape measure. "What are you going to do now?" asked Joe watching him warily.
"I want to take your measurements," Mayhem said. Joe relaxed for a brief second until he added, "As a wolf."