CALL OF THE MOON

Chapter 7

I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times. I looked around and saw that I was in my room.

Was it all a dream? I thought to myself as I saw a balloon and followed the ribbon streamer down to my dresser.

It had ‘Get Well’ cards and a few vases of flowers on it. Looking down at my clothes, I saw I was in a tank top and cotton shorts, and I sat up and flexed my muscles. Everything seemed a little stiff, but nothing really hurt. A small laugh escaped my mouth.

Maybe it was all just a dream. I mean, I know that something happened to me, but maybe all the strange things I remembered were part of a dream I had when I was sick. Suddenly, there was a faint knock at the door.

“Sammy honey, are you alright?” My dad asked from the other side of the door.

I jumped out of bed, flung the door open, and I wrapped my arms around him.

“Daddy!” I hugged him tight, and I felt him sob.

“Dad, I’m alright,” I said reassuringly.

He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

“Of course you are.”

He hugged me tightly and let me go.

“Are you up to going to the Clearwater’s picnic?” He asked, and I looked at him in surprise.

“That’s today?”

If I remembered correctly, Sam, Jacob, and Corey had asked me to the picnic just the day before.

Was I sick for a couple of days? I wondered as I looked at my dad.

“Yes, they had postponed it for a couple of weeks, because of a family emergency,” he explained, and I looked at him oddly.

At that moment, I looked at the calendar.

“Wait, what day is it? How long was I sick?” I asked, and my dad scratched the back of his head.

“About two weeks. You came home a couple of days ago, but honey, you were not sick. A man assaulted you at the party you went to, down at the beach,” my dad explained.

Assaulted? Two weeks! I thought as I shook my head. What happened to me that would cause me to be sick for two weeks? I had to have been really sick, because there was no sign of physical trauma anywhere on my body.

“Really?” I asked in disbelief. He nodded, and I thought for a moment.

If everything was real, then the Clearwater’s would have answers for me, and I definitely wanted answers. I looked at my dad.

“Yes, I will go.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard, and I will be there after work.”

I nodded and kissed him on the cheek. He headed downstairs, and I ran into my room and shut the door. I went into my closet and took my tank top off. Suddenly, as I looked into my full-length mirror, I noticed something on my back. It almost looked like a scar. The mark started from the top of my shoulder and went sideways to the middle of my back.

I felt it, as I twisted in the mirror to get a better look, and it looked like an animal bite. Memories of the night of the party flooded my mind. The struggle Collin and I had, and the wolves, along with my wolf friend, were there as well. Immediately, I grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of running pants. I was going to get some answers, I thought, as I grabbed a light jacket and my purse and headed out the door.

When I stepped outside, the smell of the forest potently invaded my nostrils. It also had a whisper, like it was calling to me.

That's weird, I thought as I walked out to my truck and opened the door.

Suddenly, I stopped when I saw my torn jacket from the other night, and it still had blood on it. Evidently, I sighed as I saw that the blood got on the seat and stained it. An unfamiliar smell hit my nose, a pungent odor that smelled like death, and it was coming from my jacket. It made my nose wrinkle, and a grumble came from my chest. I grabbed the jacket and flung it into the forest. I shook my head as I got in the truck and headed for Corey's house.

**************

I pulled up to the Clearwater’s blue house on the reservation, and there were vehicles already parked everywhere. Noticeably, they saved a parking spot just for me by their truck, and I pulled in, parked, and I went inside. Marta was in the kitchen, and Izzy and Carly were with her, pulling stuff out of the oven. They turned and their mouths dropped open, and Izzy was the first to squeal.

“Sammy!”

They both ran to me and threw their arms around me. Carly and Izzy came at me with such force that they almost knocked me to the floor.

“I’m glad that you are okay,” Izzy said.

“The prodigal daughter has returned from the dead,” said Carly, with a smile on her face.

Wait, I died? I thought to myself as I looked at her oddly.

Marta turned to me and smiled a sad smile as she approached me.

“We really thought we lost you. You fought hard for your life,” said Marta as tears rolled down her cheeks, and I hugged her tight.

“Mama Clearwater, I am not going anywhere,” I whispered, and she pulled back as she touched my face.

“That’s right my girl.”

I smiled at her as we held each other's gaze.

“The boys are out back, cooking on the grill,” she chimed, and went back to the counter by the stove.

I took a deep breath and I guess Marta heard me, because she turned towards me.

“It is okay, my child, you will understand soon enough,” she said, and turned back to the stove.

I just stood there in awe.

So, something did happen to me, I thought as Marta's words rolled around in my head.

“Sammy, you should at least go say hi. The boys were worried you would not come,” stated Carly as she pulled a muffin off the cooling rack. Dazed, I looked at her and then blinked a few times.

"Hmm, yeah, of course," I said, and she giggled.

“Especially Corey,” added Izzy, and I nodded.

It was time to face the ones that could not lie to me anymore. I knew that there was something they were not telling me, and now I felt like I was not going to give them a choice. They were going to tell me what was going on, and furthermore, what I was!

“Okay,” I sighed.

“I will do just that.”

I walked out onto the back porch and there were guests everywhere. I assumed that these people were family members. I looked around the crowd and caught Sam’s eye. He was standing by the grill with Jacob. Nonchalantly, Sam nudged Jacob's arm and pointed toward me. They both grinned as they ran over to me and hugged me.

“Sammy, I am so glad you came,” said Sam, happily.

“You better now?” asked Jacob, and I nodded.

“For the moment,” I said.

There was an edge to my voice, but neither Sam nor Jacob seemed to notice. Jacob smiled at me. I scanned the crowd for the one face I missed the most, and then I spotted him, talking to a girl who was obviously flirting with him. She put her hand on his arm, and they were laughing. All I thought was wow, when a burning sensation built in my core. At that moment, I quivered, and I felt like I was going to burst out of my skin. The feeling shocked me and felt weird. It didn't hurt, but I felt a slight burning sensation as my anger built.

“Oh s**t, Sam,” said Jacob.

Sam looked at me, surprised, and he and Jacob grabbed my arms. I looked up at Sam for help, and he had a stern but soft look on his face.

“Calm down, Sammy,” he commanded.

Suddenly, the urge to burst out of my skin and the burning sensation faded, and I stopped shaking.

“Go get our brother,” Sam told Jacob.

He nodded and headed over to Corey.

“What’s happening to me?” I asked Sam, as my voice cracked, and he looked softly down at me.

“We will explain honey, I promise,” he whispered, and I searched his eyes.

“You better,” I said, annoyed.

I didn’t know where this attitude was coming from, but I felt like I had no control over it. Jacob returned with Corey and I looked at him. I hugged him tightly and aggressively kissed him. He seemed to surrender and kiss me back, but he then pulled back.

“Sammy, I thought I lost you forever.”

He cradled my head to his chest.

“Well, you didn’t,” I said, and he took my hand.

“Come on, let me introduce you to some people.”

I nodded, even though I really didn't want to mingle with his family. I hoped Corey would soon answer my questions. Maybe it was best not to say anything in front of his family. Maybe it was only a certain family that knew of what was happening to me. I was unsure about the entire situation, but I decided to go along with Corey for now.

*****************

We walked around talking to aunts, uncles, and many distant relatives. They were all very nice, and all smiled at me in a welcoming way. I tried to keep my attitude in check while we were around his family, but I was starting to get more and more irritated. Angrily, I thought Corey was avoiding telling me the truth, and I wasn't going to let this go on for much longer.

I was about to tell him we needed to talk, but he then led me to an elderly couple, who were sitting by themselves towards the beach. The older woman had floor-length white hair, and the man had shoulder-length white hair. They seemed to be at peace in their own little paradise as they looked out onto the water.

“Grandmother,” said Corey as we approached them and the woman reached out and took his hand.

She looked up at us and her eyes were pure white, and it startled me a little. There were no pupils in them, and I thought it was creepy.

“Sammy, this is my great-grandmother, Killena and my great-grandfather Kesmer,” introduced Corey.

The old man just smiled at me, so I smiled back politely.

“Hello,” I said. Killena let go of Corey’s hand and reached for mine.

I placed my hand in hers.

“Why hello dear, you…” she trailed off as soon as her hand closed around mine.

She shot her blank stare at Corey.

“What have you done, my grandson?” I looked at Corey and then back at her. He sighed.

“Grandmother, it was an accident!” he said defensively.

“You better thank the spirits she pulled through, like she did.”

Corey bowed his head. I stared at them in disbelief.

How did she even know I was sick or whatever? I wondered. I was starting to get a little more irritated with the situation, and I had waited long enough for him to tell me what was going on.

“I have a million times,” he said gratefully.

She turned her gaze on me and patted my hand with her other hand. I tried my best to hide my building anger.

“You, dear child, have a pure heart, a powerful soul, and a determined will. The spirits have chosen you to become part of my family. Welcome, little one.”

She let go of my hand and turned back to Corey.

“You take care of her, no matter what lies ahead of you, treat her well. She is yours and you are hers. The spirits have accepted the bond between you two,” she said as she folded her hands in her lap and turned her gaze towards the beach.

“For as long as she will have me,” said Corey as he smiled.

His grandmother nodded once.

What are you smiling about? I thought angrily as I looked at him.

“Go now, enjoy your party,” said Killena, and Corey bowed his head.

Then he took me by the hand and led me away.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” I growled as we walked away.

Quickly, he glanced at me.

“Yes, I know.” He said, almost sounding annoyed, and he led me into the forest.

The smell was breathtaking and so inviting. My anger subsided a little as I inhaled the moist dirt smell and the wet and dry leaves. The sound of the forest was amazing, and I never knew the forest had a sound. It called to me in a way I had never felt before. I looked at Corey, and he looked back at me sadly. He sighed heavily, and I waited patiently.

“Sammy, I have got something to tell you that our entire family has been keeping from everyone. But now that you are a part of it...I can tell you,” he stuttered.

He sounded like he was babbling nonsense. I just looked at him. He sighed. He knew that he had lost me at the first try of an explanation.

“The night you went to that beach party,” he said, and I winced at the memory.

“I was there. I was the one who stopped you from hitting the ground when that vampire launched you in the air,” Corey explained, and I took the time to process what he said and looked at him.

“Vampire?” I asked, and he nodded.

Obviously, I knew there was no such thing as a vampire, but I let him finish.

“I followed you to your truck, and Sam nudged you to your feet,” he explained carefully.

I thought about that night for a moment. If what he was saying was true, that would mean he and his brother were werewolves? This sounds absurd. I tried to piece everything together in my head, and I sighed in frustration.

“The reason you feel the way you do, is because I accidentally bit you when I caught you,” he explained, cautiously, and I looked at him, confused.

“So you're telling me, you did this to me?” I asked as I pulled my t-shirt up, revealing the scar.

He swallowed hard and nodded. Evidently, I could see regret on his face. Was he really telling me that vampires and werewolves existed, and he and I are one of them? I shook my head in disbelief and looked up at him.

“You’re a wolf man, or werewolf, er, whatever?” I asked as I stumbled over my words.

He nodded again and then watched me. I thought for a moment. None of this was real. This isn’t really happening. I told myself, I probably whacked my head so hard that I was hallucinating, and I was going insane, that’s what it is. I thought as I laughed out loud.

“You know you sound ridiculous?” I laughed.

Corey’s face was serious, and I stopped laughing. He was serious! I scratched my head. How can this be real? No, this can't be happening! My brain refused to accept the things that he was saying were true.

“How?” I asked, and I didn’t know if I was truly sure if I wanted to know.

“That night, when I caught you, my teeth didn’t just grab your jacket, and I accidentally broke the skin.”

I twisted and showed him the scar.

“That’s what you call just breaking the skin? That’s what I call torn flesh and a deep bite wound,” I yelled as my anger built again.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. He put his hands up. Suddenly, the urge to burst out of my skin came back, and I fought it as hard as I could.

“Look, when we bite a human, they die. Our venom is deadly. My venom entered your bloodstream and made you sick for a couple of weeks. You survived, and now you are one of us,” he explained quickly, and I stood there processing everything.

Wasn't I human anymore? I was a wolf? How can this even be real? Anger, fear and confusion washed over me, causing my skin to burn. I felt the need to run, and if I didn’t, I would burst out of my skin right there. Corey saw my reaction and looked at me softly.

“Go! Sammy. So you can understand better,” he urged.

Immediately, my vision blurred, and I began to tremble. I turned and ran deeper into the forest, and I felt a sudden burn rip over my skin, but then I was flying on all fours, as I stopped in my tracks and looked at my feet. They weren’t feet at all but paws, white paws that faded into auburn fur all over my body.

‘Sammy?’ I heard Corey’s voice in my mind.

I looked up and I saw my wolf friend.

‘It is you!’ I thought.

‘You came to me the night you freaked out on me over a kiss.’ His enormous head dipped.

‘Yes, that was me.’ I couldn’t believe how exceptional this was.

I felt a new happiness as I spun in a circle. Carelessly, I felt free.

‘Okay now, think of your human form, and want it, see it, feel it.’ Instructed Corey, and I stopped spinning and looked at him oddly.

‘Are you crazy? This is amazing. This is where I belong.’ He stomped his paw, and I tilted my head to the side.

‘Sammy, you have to.’ Corey growled at me softly, and I growled at him.

‘Sammy, listen to me. You have your dad to go back to, after the way he was when you got sick, says that man needs you.’ I huffed a sound from my snout.

I knew he was right, but the defiance that crept over me was stronger.

‘He has survived without me before.’ I couldn’t take that thought back, even if I wanted to.

‘Sammy.’

I growled at him and bared my teeth. A snarl came from my snout. He growled back at me and raised up, making himself look bigger.

‘I mean it, Sammy!’ His voice was stern and even, and I snarled again.

‘Don’t you snarl at me. You phase back now!’

The power of his command was strong, it almost felt like I was six and getting scolded by my mother. The power also had me cowering on the ground with a whimper. His words penetrated the defiance in me and made me obey. I didn’t like that power he had over me.

Reluctantly, I thought about my human self and phased back easily as I stood there naked, shivering in the breeze. Suddenly, I saw him turn and run into the forest. He came back momentarily, with a pair of black sweatpants on. He had a pair of purple sweatpants and a white t-shirt in his hand.

“Here, honey, put these on.”

Angrily, I snatched the clothes and put them on. I walked through the forest where I had first phased and found my sneakers as I put them on. I understood now what I was, but I was angry at him for having that kind of power over me. Corey gave me an apologetic look.

“Listen Sammy, I am so sorry I did this to you,” he said as he walked over to me and pulled me against his chest. I wanted to push him away.

He was making my anger melt away, and I wasn’t ready to make up. He did this to me. Corey was the one who turned me into a monster. But now we were both one, and we might even be the most powerful beings on earth. I sighed and hugged him back, and he rested his head on mine.

“I will do everything I can to make this up to you,” Corey said softly, and I nodded.

I knew I now didn’t have a choice. Likewise, I had to accept this and try to make this work, I thought as I pulled back from him.

“Okay, but don’t beat yourself up about it. What’s done is done, and we can’t change that. We need to be there for each other and keep each other strong. We are stronger together,” I said with a sigh.

Corey searched my eyes and knew that I was being honest. He dipped his head and kissed me, and I kissed him back, touching his tongue with mine. His hand made its way to the small of my back, and he pulled me against his body. My hands roamed up his chest, to the back of his neck, and I pulled his hair gently. A small growl escaped his throat, and he rested his forehead against mine. We stayed there for a few moments, and then he slipped his hand into mine.

“Come on. Let’s get back to the party,” he said, and I smiled at him as we headed through the forest, back to his house.