THE STOLEN PIECE

CHAPTER 25 - HUMANS

GABRIEL

I left the room and went to the car. I couldn’t see Luca’s but his scent was still lingering in the air, so he had to be close by. I just waited near the car until I saw him, he had a box in his hand. He gave me the box.

    -Take this phone to Maria, so we can communicate with them.

    -Where did you?

    -I just bought it, there's a*****e close by, it’s not a luxury phone but it will work perfectly for what we need it for. They just need to charge it and add the sim card that is at the front.

    -Okay I will go and give this to them.

    -Give me the car keys, I will get the car going.

I hurled the keys to him and started walking up. I knocked on the door and no one opened… I knocked again.

    -It's me.

They took their time opening the door. When Maria opened it I saw Eva on the bed, the atmosphere was tense… “I don't know what they were talking about but I really don’t want to know.” Zeus was also intrigued and frightened by their serious faces.

    -I just came to give you this phone, Lucas has one so this way we can communicate and…

    -It’s okay Gabe I get the idea, have a safe trip.

And with those words the door was closed. “That was strange.” “It was Zeus, even for Eva and our sister.” I looked around and saw no one near. I jumped through the railing of the second floor and landed in the parking lot. I was tired of circling the hotel to take the stairs… I didn’t need them at all.  

    -That’s not very human on your part.

    -Shut up Lucas I’m tired of acting weak.

As I said those words I saw his face change. That’s when it hit me, he had the abilities of a human, by suppressing his wolf his strength, velocity and senses were just like a human.

    -I’m sorry Lucas I didn’t mean it like that.

    -Don’t worry Gabe, I know what you meant.

We drove away from the city, he drove through all the night. We barely spoke, I was afraid to say something that will hurt him, and I was afraid that he asked me about Maria and I don't know what to say about that. I looked at him and he had changed, his expression wasn't what I remember, the time when we spoke all day and we lived as if nothing else mattered complaining about the responsibilities of our future… We were just two carefree kids at that time. He turned the music up and the sound of the songs relaxed me and decreased the tension in the car.

    -You can sleep, I can wake you up when we arrive.

    -Okay.

I closed my eyes and felt Zeus unsure. “What’s wrong Zeus?” “I don’t know Gabe, don’t sleep.” “What’s wrong with you Zeus, we like him.” “But we trust him?” “Of course we do! He is our best friend.” “How can you be like that!” “What are you thinking Zeus! It’s Lucas, he is our best friend.” “He was our best friend Gabe! When he lost Asher… He wasn’t himself…” “Just like Maria…” “He is not our sister! Don’t put him in the same category as her!” “Why not he takes the same..” “He betrayed us! He was mated to our sister! He always said she was annoying and that he didn’t see what all the other guys did!” “He meant that stuff, he…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, I felt betrayed when… “He could have said that, but I heard Asher defending our sister from other wolves! He probably told you he didn't see her that way but he scared some wolves that tried to court her.” “What and you never told me that!” “I just thought he saw her as a sister at that time, or that the wolves that were trying to court her were players or just not good enough or with bad reputation… My point is that maybe he was interested in her all the time, and he was just lying to us.” “Are you sure about that?” “I… don’t now I just know Lucas by what he speaks to you… I don’t trust him.” I looked at Lucas. He did look different, and our communication lately hasn’t been… daily or merely existing. I closed my eyes but I stayed alert. I felt the car speed moving and opened my eyes. The area looked spooky, I saw the clock and it was way past midnight.

    -Where are we?

    -I’m just picking some stuff then we can go.

“I told you he is planning something!” I was definitely on alert, it was dark, we were parked in a parking lot alone and the smell of the city wasn’t helping. Minutes passed and then he left the car as I was going to get out he looked at the window.

    -You stay in here, I will handle this alone.

    -I don’t…

    -Let me handle this Gabe.

A car appeared and stopped near us. “Zeus…” “On it” I felt the heat on my head and I could definitely feel my senses getting sharper. “It’s just one person… it’s a human… male… with an awful breath.” “I don’t care for his breath, are you sure it’s just one? There is no one else close? Is he really human?” “Yes, no, and yes.” I heard the door of the other car opening.

    -You got the money?

    -Yes.

I saw the man passing Lucas a package. 

    -The money?

    -I will just check if everything is in order.

    -I assure you everything is in order and that I did a high-quality product.

    -Everything looks good.

    -I told you everything would be of your liking.

    -Here you go.

Then Lucas passed him an envelope, and he started walking back to the car with the package. He entered the car and put the package on the back seat.

    -What was all that?

    -What was what?

    -That? Who was that person and what are you plotting?

    -What am I plotting?

    -Don’t try to change the subject… Who was that person?

    -I don’t know him, I called the guy that got our IDs and he passed me his contact.

    -Why? 

    -We need IDs to rent a place…

    -Why would we rent a place?

    -Are you really planning on staying at that hotel next to the road that isn’t even close to the town?

    -What isn't in the city?

    -Not even on the town.

    -How is that possible, the pace looks just as when he lived near your pack?

    -That’s kind of offensive… you are staying near the road and just compared that to my town.

    -There is a supermarket, a hotel, humans, cars, a restaurant…

    -Is that what you think of the town?

    -Yes, Mom went shopping, Sometimes we went to a restaurant, my uncles worked in the garage. What else do a city needs?

    -You never went to one?

    -Why would I?

    -This is going to be harder than I thought.  

He started driving away from the parking lot.

    -Where are we going now?

    -We are going to sell the car.

    -Didn't that was the plan in the first place?

    -Yes it is, but we need papers to sell this car.

    -We have papers…

    -But as I checked they were not in your name, so they aren’t useful.

    -I don’t understand.

    -Humans have laws and protocols…

    -That’s not true they don’t even have a hierarchy…

    -They have one, of rulers but not that implicit for the rest, but they respect to power, money, talent, fame, followers…

    -Like pack members?

    -Yes it's similar.

I looked at the window and we were leaving the buildings and the lights. 

    -Are we going far?

    -Not that far, just enough so we are not near the place we are really going to be.

I was lost, he spoke but I wasn't getting the point. I was more intrigued by what he said about humans having rules and a hierarchy. If we are looking for Sam shouldn't we be with the higher-ups and find out what they know? Lucas said that money gives you a high rank so we should be in a high rank right? “We don’t know the rules of the humans… whatever type of order they have.” “It can’t be that difficult, we were in charge of the kingdom and they were human with wolves involved so I think that we can handle just some humans.” “I don’t know Gabe, the wolves respect and obey, humans are more impulsive and without a need of order… I think it can be difficult.” “Don’t worry Zeus, I will handle them.” He didn’t say anything more. I just kept looking through the window. The light of the sun was already out and the birds were waking up.

    -Are we there yet?

    -You see the lights over there?

    -Yes.

    -That’s our destination.

    -Why that city?

    -Because it’s far away.

I didn’t ask more. I just wanted to be back with my sister. I was not comfortable being alone without… well my pack. I know Lucas is my friend and part of the kingdom, but since Asher was out, I didn’t feel the connection with him. But with my sister, there's something else. Her presence always relaxed me, even without her cat. Lucas entered a parking lot with a bunch of cars with balloons on them.

    -I will go talk to a guy, wait in here.

And then Lucas left the car. I waited for a while but I got bored so I opened the door and heard something hit the door. I looked and a small child started to cry. I didn’t know what to do. Then a woman came running and picked the kid up.

    -I’m really sorry, I wasn’t looking and he is at that age where they just run like crazy.

She spoke as she hugged the kid and smiled at me.

    -Why are…

    -Don’t worry there's no problem, is the kid alright?

    -Yes he is, I’m glad everything is alright.

Then the lady took the kid and walked away. I looked at Lucas.

    -Why did she apologize? Did I hit her kid? She should have gone nuts! The females that have small pups when someone approaches them that are not pack members turn crazy and growl and attack…

    -She is a human, not a wolf.

    -Still, I should have at least evaded a punch for hurting the kid!

    -Did you do it on purpose?

    -No.

    -Then it’s alright…

    -What if I did it on purpose?

    -What? You did?

    -No, but she doesn't know I didn't.

    -Gabe, the rules here are different.

    -If a lady hit me with a car door my Mom would have made her apologize to me at least!

    -Your Mom is not a human.

    -She was.

    -She wasn’t!

    -I’m not discussing this anymore with you, I know I’m right.

A man with a funny necktie walked towards us.

    -Everything seems right, so we gladly accept the offer.

    -That's great.

    -Join me and we can sign the contracts.

    -Like a blood contract?

The guy looked at me and then he started laughing.

    -Your boyfriend is funny.

    -Boyfriend?

    -Sorry I thought you were a couple.

    -Don’t worry about common mistakes, but let’s go and sign those papers.

Lucas started walking and the man followed him. I looked around and people were walking and cars passed really near them. “That looks dangerous, what if a car loses control it would injure the people walking near the road.” Zeus was also concerned.

    -Well we sold the car, now we need to go back and teach everyone a bit about real life.

Lucas said, but I was afraid and I was realizing that my plan was just about to turn more complicated than I thought.