The Lonely Wolf

18

Roderick

I did call my dad, but he did not seem to care much. He thought it was great that I questioned her. It showed I took my birthright seriously. Everything else he told me to leave it alone because it wasn't our problem.

Watching her walk the halls looking so somber this week, I realized she really didn’t have anyone. I know I'm supposed to stay away, but I just want a small way to show here that I'll be there for her. No matter what, we are blood. Blood...

I overheard Sonia and Stephanie talking about how they volunteered to use their blood to show familial markers in Stephanie's biology class. Stephanie is in the same class as Ronnie. I am going to skip my English class to have Ronnie do the test with me. It's just around the corner.

I walked into the class and saw Ronnie sitting alone on the far side of the class. I make my way over towards her.

“Well, hello Mr Jackson. What do we owe this visit?” the teacher asked.

“I heard you were examining blood markers that could show people are related,” I said.

“Yes we are. It's nice that you are interested, but you will learn all about that when you are in my class next year,” she says, trying to send me away.

“I want to volunteer my blood,” I said.

“And who would you like to compare your DNA to?” she asked.

“Veronica’s,” I said, the class began laughing as I was walking over to sit next to her. She appears calm, but her leg bouncing is a tell-tell that she's nervous about me here but doesn't want to make a scene.

"Roderick, I’m not sure if this is a time for games. Ronnie doesn’t seem to be in the best spirits right now,” she says, thinking I'm just saying that to mess with her.

“She will be after this test. She will know why I will always have her back, no matter what she’s going through and regardless of what anyone says,” I say, putting my hand over hers to calm her.

This gesture causes her to tear up some. She gives a slight smile before moving her hand away. The rest of the class began to laugh, thinking I was joking.

“Ronnie, will you be okay with Roddy filling in as your lab partner for the day?” the teacher asks.

She looks at me and I give her my best puppy dog eyes. She rolls her eyes, then nods her head yes.

The teacher then gives the instructions. Ronnie really does look like a scientist, being so precise with every instruction.

She starts off by carefully wiping my finger with an alcohol wipe, then pricks it with a little needle that’s in a plastic holder. She uses a tiny straw to pull the blood from my finger and puts it on to a microscope slide glasses. She then takes another straw full and drips the blood in a glass bowl. Next, she uses fresh tools and does the same to herself.

Okay, so you may notice that for most of you, when you add the solution, the drops of blood in the bowl separate. Those of you that are related, even distant, blood comes near each other. And the siblings' blood will blend." Then she stops besides me looking at our sample and whispered, "Did that just blend?"

“Almost all the way,“ I say, holding the bowl up to show her.

“Let me get you a pass to go back to your class," she says, taking the bowl and looking at it before pouring it out.

Just seeing that verified for me that we are siblings. I hope it eases Ronnie's mind some also. I take the pass and go to my class. I feel good hoping I made a difference for her.

My parents apparently did not think it was a good idea at all. After school, I get a surprise visit from them. I met them in the front courtyard of the school since not many students would be there, and I knew this would be a private conversation.

“What were you thinking? Volunteering your blood to match hers?” My mother asked, pissed.

“I was thinking I needed to confirm whether she’s my sister or not,” I replied.

“No, you weren't thinking at all. Are you trying to bring scandal to our pack?” My dad asked me.

" I’m not the one that brought the scandal. She’s not my child that I’m denying,” I said, looking him in the eyes, knowing that would set him. With that direct challenge of authority, he growls and grabs me, forcing me to bare my neck for him.

“DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT ME LIKE THAT!” he growls using his alpha tone.

“Ron, there she is.” My mother says, pointing at Ronnie at the counter, signing out a bike.

“Hey Ronnie. Where are you going?” I yelled across the courtyard, getting her attention. She's been leaving a lot on a bike.

She looked at me and my parents before yelling “Work!” and riding off.

“Where does she work?" my mom asked me.

“I don’t know. I’ve been forbidden to talk to her, remember,” I say, rolling my eyes, causing her to smack the back of my head.

“Well, remember that and stop doing dumb things like public DNA tests. Ms West covered this time but don't let anything else happen,” my mom snarled.

“You can go to practice now, son," my dad says as he and my mom walk back to their car.

Veronica

I just got to work and was setting up for the dinner rush.

“Ronnie, that guy was asking for you.” Nicole points to a customer sitting at a table in the back. He turns and I see that it’s him. The guy in the photo I’m arranged to marry. He stands and holds his hand out for mine. I give him my hand and he kisses it.

“You’re even more beautiful than your pictures. I’m Orion Dampier. Your fiancée.” he says.

“Okay. Orion, how did you know I worked here?” I asked.

“You’re very easy to track. You keep the same routine. A car would be easier than a bike, don’t you think?” he asked.

“If I had my license, a car and knew how to drive,” I say.

“We’ll have to fix all that,” he says, running his index finger across my face and over my lips. I pulled back and scowled, causing him to laugh. “Your family did say you were feral. I’ll start teaching you tomorrow before classes. Can you bring me something to eat? I’m hungry,” he says, sitting back down.

I go to order him the daily special, wondering what I did to deserve this life.

“Your dad is cute in a zaddy kinda way,” Nicole says, eyeing Orion.

“That’s not my dad.” The bell for the door rings and in walks Mr and Mrs Jackson, Rodrick’s parents.

“Hi Veronica,” he says, walking up to the counter.

“Nicole will help you,” I say, walking away.

She seats them and takes their drink order while I go get the food for Orion.

“Sorry girlie. They wanted to sit with you too. I sat them next to your other guest,” she says as I exit the kitchen.

“Great,” I say, walking past her.

I set down Orion’s food in front of him.

“This is today’s special. It’s excellent. Would you like anything to drink besides water?” I asked him.

“Thanks sweets. I will have a Coke. You might make a good wife after all,” he says, winking his eye. I rolled mine and walked over to the table with Mrs and Mr Jackson.

“So did you need menus or were you just coming for coffee?” I asked.

“We really just came to talk to you about your relationship with our Roderick,” Mrs Jackson says.

“Who’s Roderick?” Orion asks from behind me.

“Their son, who goes to school with me,” I answered him. “There is no relationship between me and him. So I will get you menus, and you can let me know if you would like to order something.

“Who’s that guy?” Mr Jackson asks.

“My fiancée, Orion,” I say, grabbing menus and sitting them on their table.

“Why is he asking you questions?” Orion asks me.

“I don’t know,” I say as I grab his cup to refill it.

“I don’t like the way he looks at me. Really, who is he to you?” Orion asked.

“No one. Well, biologically, he’s my dad,” I say, handing him his coke.

“So his son is your brother. You're in a relationship with your brother?” he asks, grabbing my arm, so I can’t walk away again.

“Ewe no. They don’t want us to be friends, which we are not. We just found out we were related and hardly even talked to each other,” I said lowly to him, since people were starting to come into the restaurant.

“ Veronica!” I hear Mr Jackson call me.

“Are you ready to order?” I ask.

"No, we will be leaving. Please just listen to us. You seem like a nice enough girl. It’s just you being around that is confusing our son. We only want what’s best for him, and he seems to be more concerned about you than he is about his future and our pack. We’re not unreasonable people. We will help you leave,” Mrs Jackson says.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be married next month and once I graduate I’ll be going far, far away. I don’t want anything to do with you, your son or your pack. You can pay your bill at the counter with Nicole when you are done,” I replied to her, causing Orion to smile watching the exchange.

They leave. I greet the next customers then make a few drinks for Nicole.

“So what was all of that?” she asked.

“My bio dad and his wife and the guy my mom had just arranged for me to marry so she doesn’t have to take care of me anymore,” I said, handing her the drinks.

“And I thought my life was messed up,” she says.

Orion sat there my whole shift doing work on his laptop. After work, he insisted on driving me back to school. He put the bike in the back of his pickup.

“So what is your favorite color?” he asked as we pulled around.

“Purple. Why?”

“I’ll be here tomorrow morning 6am. I’ll have a little surprise for you, and I’d like to take you out on a proper date, so what days are you not working?” he asked, placing his hand on my thigh.

“I’m off tomorrow,” I replied.

“Okay, well, after school we will do something,” he says, trailing his hand up my body to take my phone out of my hand so he could put his number in my phone. He pressed call and waited until his phone rang before giving me my phone back.

He walks to the back and pulls the bike out of the bed of the truck. I reach to take the bike, but he pulls me flush to his body and hugs me, rubbing one hand on the small of my back and the other on my neck as he kisses my forehead.

“You really are beautiful, and I can’t wait to get to know you more,” he says. Not knowing what to do or say, I hugged him back, thanked him and grabbed the bike to return it.