A Wolf's Call Chapter 2, a harry potter fanfic

Noticing that Brent still didn't understand, or care, Adam continued on, "Look, I never had the chance to know my mom, and my brother is gone. As far as I know, my mom has no brothers or sisters, and both of her parents are dead as well. At least, that's what my dad told me. His side of the family wants nothing to do with us because apparently they're still angry over my dad's decision to marry my mom. And as much as I hate him, my dad is all I have left."

Brent opened his mouth, and then shut it. He had nothing to say to that. "Fine, whatever. Keep your misplace loyalty, but if you ever change your mind, you know where I'll be. Anyways, since you're stupid enough to go out in the woods alone, I think you should take this. You still hear stories of wolves attacking people, after all." Brent slowly pulled out a gun from the inside pocket of his trench coat and handed it to Adam. "This is my pride and joy, so don't lose it. And don't you dare get caught with it!"

"Pfff, wolves attacking people isn't as common as you think, you know."

"Yeah, and I'm sure your brother said the same."

Pausing for a second, contemplating the truth of Brent's words, he said, "But I'll keep it just in case."

"Yeah, you do that. I'm taking the rest of the beer, kid." With that, Brent hauled up what was left of the twelve-pack and stumbled away. Looking back, he said in all seriousness, "Don't turn out like your brother, Adam Callaghan," and then walked on.

Adam waited until shadows of the night embraced Brent before heading off in the opposite direction. He could hear Brent softly whistling a song that sounded suspiciously like the Jeopardy tune, although he couldn't be sure with Brent's atrocious whistling skill. Mirroring Brent, Adam unconsciously began to hum as he easily fell into the rhythm of running. He followed along the river for awhile before turning on a pathway that would lead him into town. It didn't take long for him to speed up to a pace just below a sprint. Oh, how he loved to run, the familiar burn of it. It calmed him down tremendously, enough to where he could think straight. One thought stuck in his mind more than anything else.

Don't turn out like your brother, Adam.

Very wise advice, considering. Four years ago, a pack of savage wolves killed his brother, who was partying at a bonfire at the time. Adam's brother wasn't the only one to die that night; all five of his brother's friends, including his brother's girlfriend, were also killed. The police found them a day earlier, ripped apart and partially eaten. Some of them were completely gone all together. Adam supposed that since the wolves' population escalated so quickly there wasn't enough food to feed on so the wolves had to resort to feasting on humans.

He remembered so clearly that night four years ago when he got the call saying his brother dead. He didn't believe it at first, couldn't have believed it until he saw the body. But he was refused even that for all that remained from his brother was a hand. He may have been able to deny it was his brother's hand, deny that he was dead, but the Japanese symbol on his brother's wrist proved otherwise. The DNA tests only confirmed what was already apparent. His brother was dead.

He knew he should be glad the police found something; some of the other families didn't even have that much to comfort them. They never did find the rest of his brother's body and Adam often wondered what happened to it. The police speculated that the wolves either ate it completely or hid it in the melting snow. Either way, he distinctly remembered the huge snow storm that came later that day, and with it, destroyed all hopes of tracking his brother's body down.

Most of all, he remembered the night before his brother died, the last time he saw him. They were bickering over some trivial matter that shouldn't have escalated into the fight it did. God, the argument was so insignificant he couldn't even remember what it was about. And the words he said to Nathan, words he could never take back, that led Nathan into joining his friends at the bonfire…god, he didn't want to think about that now.

Speeding up to a full-blown sprint, pushing himself to the limit, he raced his way back home. When he ran like this, nothing important mattered-all that mattered was keeping his breathing steady and strong, swinging his arms rapidly back and forth, and widening his stride to the maximum. His mind completely cleared in moments.

Finally, he reached his home, fully winded. The words Wolf's Lair stood out brilliantly in the twilight hours like a guide of light to lost travelers. Going around to the back door, he entered the building. The fresh smell of Pine-Sol swiftly infiltrated his nostrils and from the doorway on the right he could see chairs upended on square tables. Wet streaks covered the floor from where someone had just mopped, and he smiled at the thought that he wouldn't have to do it. Usually Jacob left the clean-up to him. Going on past the door, he climbed the steps to the apartment above.

As soon as he opened the door, he could strongly smell the scent of stale beer and the disgusting aroma of cigars. He was almost tempted to go back downstairs. His dad's blank eyes were glued to the television, not even acknowledging his presence. Careful to avoid broken beer bottles and cigar buds, Adam hurried quickly to his own room, and immediately crashed on his bed. Within moments he was sound asleep.

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The sun rose bright and cheery the next day. Intense sun-rays filtered through the curtains, wakening Adam. Not a morning person, he lingered in the bed for a time and then sluggishly got out of it. You could see the sinewy muscles as he stretched his long limbs over his head. Yawning, he began to hunt for a clean shirt among the clothes, clean mixed with dirty, that littered about the floor. Finding one that seemed clean enough, he donned it.

Despite how nice it looked outside, Adam grabbed his lightweight jacket, and wore it. It was still chilly in the mornings, though by midday it would warm up nicely. Exiting his room, he found his father still in front of the television, snoring softly in his sleep. His father held a beer precariously in his hand, and Adam took it. Seizing his car keys, he left the apartment, drinking the rest of the beer.

He saw Brent serving a cute couple when he went downstairs. Waving, he walked into the kitchen, and stealthily stole a bagel, and then got out of there. Tom, the cook and former marine, wasn't someone you messed around with.

The bright, morning sun practically blinded Adam on his way to the car. He kept meaning to get a pair of sunglasses, but he was lazy and procrastinated too much. Adam, like most people, only thought to get something useful only when he absolutely needed it, and if it happened to be convenient to get it. It would probably be the end of summer before he actually gets a pair.

He had to walk a block to reach his car and when he did, he leisurely started it up. It didn't take long for him to exit it the town but it would be another thirty minutes before he reached the forest where his brother once hosted bonfires, parties, and all kinds of fun. The forest that was his brother's final resting place.

Thirty-some minutes later, he parked in a clearing a few meters away from the highway. Surrounding him on all three sides were trees, huge and ancient. In between the trees laid a trail that led up to the glade where the youth of the town frequently held keg parties and bonfires. At least, back before the wolves killed six people. His hasn't heard of anyone coming up here since then.

The glade was a couple miles inward and Adam determinedly trudged his way on through the forest. Isolated from the rest of society and so far from the highway, the glade was the perfect place for underage drinking and all kinds of debauchery. The perfect place to be killed-no one could hear cries for help.

About halfway through, Adam came upon a fence. 'What the hell, that wasn't there before,' Adam thought to himself. 'Argh, this just makes things more difficult.' He expertly climbed the fence, but sliced his leg on the jagged top in the process. 'Son of a bitch, today is not my lucky day,' Adam reflected. Ignoring the blood flow-it wasn't all that bad-he commenced with his hike.

Soon enough, he reached his destination. It was as he remembered: an immense meadow with a huge fire pit in the middle. He spent many happy nights here during the summer with Nathan, and sometimes his dad came along for the fun. First it was innocent fun, a family cookout now and then, with s'mores and brunt marshmallows. As Nathan got older, he refused to take young Adam with him but for one time. It was when Adam first turned thirteen that Nathan took him out for his first drinking experience. It wasn't a huge party, it was only Nathan, Adam, and two of Nathan's friends, but it was the most fun Adam had, the forbidden nature of it lending it an extra thrill.

Solemnly walking to the fire pit, Adam examined his surroundings. He knew they found two of the bodies, partially eaten here, a few yards from the fire pit, as though they were trying to run away in the last moments of their lives. Walking on, he saw a tree that one of the other bodies had laid near. He wondered if this particular person tried to climb the tree instead of stupidly trying to outrun a wolf. They never found any hint of the other two bodies.

Reaching the fire pit, and walking around it, Adam found the place where the police found his brother's right hand. 'Did you see them coming? Were you afraid?' Adam pondered as he kneeled down. Adam wondered if his brother thought of him at all when it happened. Probably not-what else could you think of when wolves were eating you alive other than that you were going to die. Not for the first time, he hoped his brother died quickly and painlessly.

He impulsively thought of a folklore someone once told him. That the ones we love never leave us, not totally. That they waited at the place of their death, and if one was lucky, they could communicate with their lost love ones, to say good-bye. If true, Adam wondered if Nathan would still be waiting here for him. Or would he drift away, a lost soul. Shaking his head, Adam dispelled such thoughts.

About to stand up, he spotted something that glinted in the sun. Choking a bit at the sight of it, Adam realized it was the Nathan's necklace, a special heirloom given to him by their father. The heirloom had been passed down for generations, always given to the first born son. It bore the initials MC in the middle of a Celtic five-fold symbol and it was Nathan's favorite necklace.

Adam throat tighten as his fist clenched around the heirloom. Unbidden came the idea that Nathan held it in his hand, the very same hand the police found. Perhaps, when they picked the hand up, it fell, unnoticed until now.

"You weren't supposed to die. It wasn't supposed to be like this," yelled Adam, forlorn. Memories flashed before his eyes-Nathan smiling, laughing, joking, teaching him to defend himself, comforting him. Smiling bitterly, Adam knew Nathan couldn't comfort him, protect him anymore. Once again, he felt the all-consuming emptiness of being utterly alone, emptiness that Nathan once filled. Enraged, he pounded the ground, not ceasing for a moment.

You weren't supposed to abandon me, not like this.

After some time, he stopped, suddenly drained. "Do you know how much I hate you," he asked softly, sitting back. "How much I hate myself? No, you can't know, not now, not ever." Sighing, he was about to stand up when he heard a low growl. Spinning around recklessly, his hand groping for his gun, he spotted two wolves sitting between him and the trail.

Both were huge, but the one closer was slightly larger than its companion. The bigger wolf had a beautiful salt and pepper coat, while the other one had a solid brown, and if this had been any other situation, Adam would've admired them. Both had yellowish-golden piercing eyes, but the bigger wolf's were lighter and glowed more brilliantly in the sun.

Adam backed up cautiously, showing off his gun. The bigger wolf issued out a louder growl in response, which Adam ignored. "Do you see this here?" Adam waved his gun, "Yeah, this thing can you kill you. So you stay there and I'll just leave, ok? No problems, everyone is happy, right?" Man, who has this kind of luck, thought Adam to himself. Seriously, what are the odds of two wolves wanting to kill and possibly eat him, especially after what happened to his brother? And just last night, Adam assured Brent that it was rare when wolves attacked humans. Brent would've laughed at the irony of the situation. No, no he wouldn't have.

Don't turn out like your brother, Adam.

From the bigger wolf's mouth came out a lone howl. Instantly, Adam's heart hammered at the sound of it and he felt the all too familiar eagerness. Eager for what, he didn't know, just that he hated it because he didn't understand it.

Adam gradually circled around the two wolves towards the trail, careful to keep his distance. The wolves gazed at him warningly, but were otherwise quiet. He was almost to safety and as he glanced back up the trail, the bigger wolf pounced and pinned him to the ground. In surprised, Adam pulled the trigger…and found it was empty. Brent gave him an unloaded weapon! Adam quickly promised to himself that he would kill Brent if he got out of this alive. Adam immediately smashed his gun in the wolf's skull before it could kill him. The wolf retreated, growling noisily, and Adam nimbly got back on his feet, but the other wolf pinned him down again and Adam dropped the gun.

Adam could feel its claws digging into his shoulders painfully; smell its putrid breath as it lowered its jaws to his neck. He blindly felt for his gun, a lifeline, anything that could be used as a weapon. His hand closed around a stick, and Adam immediately clobbered the wolf's cranium. This time the wolf didn't retreat fully, only shook his head, and then went for Adam's neck again. Adam was ready, and somehow the stick ended up between the wolf's teeth with Adam trying to push it away. So determine was the wolf that it simply endeavored to eat through the stick instead of backing up.

Meanwhile, with a strength born from both fear and adrenaline, Adam struggled to shove the wolf off of him. Eventually he succeeded, or perhaps the wolf merely gave up, but it did withdraw. Adam leapt to his feet, breathing heavily, swinging his stick about so the wolves wouldn't be tempted to resume their attack. The wolves' ears were erect; its fur bristled, furiously snarling. Adam quickly backed up into a tree and adeptly climbed it. The bigger wolf, seeing what Adam was doing, clenched its teeth around Adam's shoe, but Adam swiftly kicked it, and continued climbing.

Adam hoped to any god that wolves couldn't climb trees as he ascended higher and higher. About half way up, he looked back down, and was amused to see that wolves couldn't climb trees all that well. That is, until he realized that they weren't leaving anytime soon. The wolves just hunkered down after too many failed attempts and stared hungrily at Adam. Adam wondered how long they could wait and if they did leave, would they be actually gone, or just be waiting to ambush Adam. He didn't have his cell-phone to call Brent either. Why is my life so fucked up, Adam questioned. Five minutes later, Adam was getting seriously bored and impatient.

"You know you stupid wolves, I'm not going to come down anytime soon so you might as well just leave." The wolves snarled again, and Adam had a sneaking suspicion they understood what he was saying. But that was impossible.

"Stupid animals. Don't you understand I want to live? I'm not going to down there while you guys are there. No, that would be stupid of me and I'm not stupid...except, I'm talking to wolves as though they understand me. That's pretty stupid."

Adam stared at the wolves, they stared back. Adam quickly got bored of staring so he began to peel the bark off the tree, and then he had the brilliant idea of throwing it at the wolves. So he did. The wolves reaction was immediate and furious; growling and howling, it temporary stunned Adam, until he remember they couldn't reach him. Then he continued on, highly entertained.

"Ah ha. How do you like this? Yeah, it's annoying isn't it? You can easily solve this problem, you know; just let me go. Except you won't, will you, because you're stupid." This persisted on for awhile, Adam mocking and throwing bark, the wolves showing their displeasure. The wolves ultimately settled down again, and except for an occasional growl, they were calm. Adam became bored again from being deprived of his entertainment.

"See, now you're learning. Just don't show any reaction and I'll eventually give up," Adam announced unhappily. It was impossible to get comfortable up in the tree branch because it was so thin that Adam had to straddle it. There were also insects crawling on the tree trunk from where Adam had picked the bark off so he couldn't even lean back and rest against it either. It was a horrible position all around.

"Jeez, I'm going to die from discomfort or boredom before starvation," Adam murmured to himself. "Seriously, how do I manage to get myself in these absurd situations? This is beyond ridiculous."

Adam contemplated his options and there weren't many. He could either wait out the wolves, scare them away, fight them, or attempt to outrun them. Granted, Adam is fast, but there's no way he could possibly outrun anything with four legs. He could try fighting them, but Adam wasn't willing to try that again anytime soon. He was lucky enough as it is. It's either scaring the wolves away or waiting for them to leave. If he had his gun and it worked like it was suppose to, he could've frightened them away. But no, he couldn't be that lucky. Again, he promised himself he would kill Brent if he ever saw him again. But only after slow, very slow, torture.

He had only one choice, and Adam groaned because it was the most boring, uneventful one. Maybe he could wait until the wolves were asleep and then try to sneak away…but no, that wouldn't work either. Wolves had excellent hearing and as soon he dropped down on the ground, they would be on him in a instant. He would have to be impossibly silent in order to escape and Adam wasn't going to risk it just yet. He would have to wait until the wolves left on their own or until Brent came looking for him.

Adam was quite grateful he had work tomorrow-one of the few times he ever was- so someone would notice he was gone by tomorrow. And then people would come looking for him. Yep, he had an exciting night of boredom to look forward to, but it wasn't so bad, he was alive after all, which was more than his brother could say. It's not like he would have to wait a few days either. But in the meantime, Adam comforted himself with thoughts of revenge. Yes, Brent was going to pay, badly.

Next chapter: Adam meets Fenrir! And thank you, Liv, for the review!

Also, who else is disappointed Susan Boyle didn't win in Britain's Got Talent?

I really need a beta. Anyone up for the job?