Imprint of Mate

Chapter 10

—Nothing is off-limits, except for some vacation stories—. The pause. —Specifically Las Vegas—, he added, shrugging his shoulders. —My wife probably wouldn't like that. She can be a bit rigid at times—.

My cheeks flushed. —Where is she?— I asked, taking a sip of coffee and trying to think of something else, besides the elephant with tusks in the middle of the room, but that's all my mind could register.

—She's traveling for work. She's a wildlife professor and researcher. She'll be back in a few weeks—, he explained, before returning with a plate in hand. He set it in front of me: perfectly scrambled eggs, cheese inside a thick slice of toast, and crispy, caramelized bacon accenting the side of the plate. Although the bacon itself was never just a decorative piece.

I began to cut the food; the eggs were soft as butter.

—How did you find me? You said wolves bit me, but Levi said they were rogue wolves? That it worsened my chances?

Derek returned to the coffee maker. —At the moment, we're in pack land. Which means there's a pack of wolves that owns and protects this land; think of it as if it were their own little city. Anyway, someone from the patrol alerted us to the activity on the night you were attacked. Levi found you first...

—But he pointed out another camp and left?

Derek filled his mug with coffee. —I don't know, the only thing I know is that when he came back he was irritated. He wanted to go back and check if you were still there. When we got there, well, you know the rest—. He took a long sip of coffee and looked at me with curiosity. —If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up here?

—I was looking for my friend's cabin. I was going to stay there while... I paused and looked at my plate. My fingers involuntarily touched my face where my bruised eye was fading.

—Whoever did that deserves to be buried—.

I licked my lips, not daring to look him in the eyes. —Apparently I'm bad with maps and took the wrong path.

There was a fork in the road and I, well, I... . . I was very tired—, I explained, my voice choked. My eyes fell when tears threatened to spill. I hadn't allowed myself to cry properly for days and that was also affecting me. I breathed deeply and looked at Derek. —I hadn't slept for days, just drove, drove and drove. It seems like I have the worst luck—.

He gave me an understanding smile, not disagreeing, which I found refreshingly unsettling. Even if I had bad luck, at least it wasn't Jhon.

He returned to the table and sat beside me. —They can't find you here. This place, pack land, is protected by magic. They can't harm you—.

That's where he was wrong. Maybe Jhon couldn't lay a hand on me, but he could still hurt me.

I didn't respond because I wasn't ready to open that door to a stranger.

—And the rogue wolves?

Derek nodded. —Some wolves get sick. It usually happens when something tragic occurs; think of it as if someone split their soul in two. Their mind goes mad and their body deteriorates with it. They usually try to go away and die in peace—.

—The ones who attacked me didn't seem crazy—. In fact, they were all calculated. Incredibly coherent.

—I know—, he agreed, taking another sip of coffee. I opened my mouth to push, but Derek said: —Then, your transformation—.

I let the cheeky topic go but saved it for later.

—How does it work?

—On the third full moon after your bite, you will change.

With each full moon from here on out, it will take a step towards you, so to speak. The moon will call to the beast, but you must keep it at bay. You're not ready and if it comes out too soon, it will kill you—.

—The moon? Like the full moon? I asked.

—Wolves are tied to the moon. We all are—.

I put more food in my mouth, savoring the buttery taste of the toast combined with the creaminess of the eggs.

—I can do more than that—, he said, looking at me cautiously.

I wanted to say no. I was used to saying no. To Jhon, my curves were only liked up to a certain point, but not what came out of my mouth, a quiet woman looks prettier, he used to say.

I wiped my mouth, my cheeks flooded with embarrassment.

—Uh—I don't want you to—.

—No problem, Cristine. If you're hungry, then you should eat—.

—Alright—, I reluctantly replied. —Thank you.—

He took another sip of coffee and headed to the kitchen.

I hadn't realized how old it was, how everything in this cabin seemed a piece of history. All the furniture seemed handmade and showed their age after years of use. On a side table were some framed photographs of two men that looked like they were taken in the early 1900s. The stove Derek was cooking on was old. Gas. Creamy white color, like taken from a 1950s-inspired movie.

I shook my head. I had dozens of questions, but there was one that burned in my mind.

—Is it true? Do most humans die?

—They do—, he admitted, more easily than I would have liked. —Humans aren't made for the change. It's not easy. A werewolf, well, a born werewolf, has a DNA chain that helps it be what it is. They're born with a biology capable of facing the change. They might look human from time to time, but their DNA is quite different—, he explained while putting a slice of toast in the pan.

—How does it happen?

—I'm afraid it's long and painful. Even for born werewolves. When Levi changed for the first time, I think it took him just over four hours from start to finish. With the few humans I've seen, I remember it took much longer and was much more brutal. It's not easy—, he added.

—So, do you change?

—Yes, I do—. He nodded and mixed cheese into the balanced egg bowl. —Your body basically takes a step, becomes more Beast and less human—.

The sounds of Levi's bones breaking during the transformation resonated in my mind.

—But have you done this?— I asked.

—Only a few times. Honestly, I've just been watching. Levi did...

—So, you're saying...

—He is what you will become. He's done this many times with both naturally born individuals and humans—.

—He wants to kill me. He pointed a shotgun at me. How can you be so sure he won't?

He put the eggs in the middle of the toast. The pan sizzled with joy. —It could be said that he's slightly homicidal with everyone, even with me. But he won't kill you. Besides, it's the law and he knows it—.

—Right. The Law. What's that about?