Hope(less) (Judgment of the Six) Read online

  When we got home, I went right to my room to change. Clay stayed with Rachel as she praised his good behavior and good sense to trip Scott when he started following us. No doubt, he’d get the other half of her burger before I finished. Tossing the shirt into the closet, vowing never to wear it again, I pulled on the comfortable clothes I slept in.

  Shaking off my mood, I walked into the kitchen asking, “Where’s my chocolate?”

  Clay moved to my side and I patted him again. I’d asked a lot of him tonight and he deserved a real reward. He’d been surviving on leftovers from Rachel and sandwiches. Tomorrow, we’d go to the store and I’d buy him a big steak.

  Rachel handed me my pint with a spoon already in it. She’d already dug into hers. After eating another spoonful with a blissful groan, she said, “I’m going to go change,” and set her container of ice cream on the table. “Want to watch a movie or something?” Rachel asked as she stripped out of her shirt on her way to her bedroom.

  I looked at the wall clock savoring another spoonful of ice cream. It was only seven, but I was tired. With a sigh, I put the lid back on and tucked it in the near empty freezer.

  “What do you think?” I asked Clay, noting he watched me and not the strip tease Rachel unknowingly put on, or the chocolate ice cream she’d left unguarded. “Stay up and watch a movie, or go to bed early? Lead the way.” I waved him forward and he trotted through the living room to my room.

  “Rach, we’re just going to go to bed early. ‘K?” I leaned against the wall in the living room waiting for her answer.

  “It’s okay. Go ahead. I won’t keep you up with a movie, will I?” She glided past me to flop on the couch wearing short shorts and a tank top for bed.

  “I’m so tired I doubt anything will keep me from sleeping.”

  “Night, hun. Thanks for going with me even if it did suck.” She turned on the movie and I walked into my room closing the door behind me.

  Clay lay on the foot of the bed, his usual spot. His head rested on his paws with his eyes open waiting for me.

  “Thanks Clay,” I said walking into the room. As I passed him, I stopped to kiss the top of his furry head. He made a funny grunt noise making me smile. Probably his wolf version of, ‘no problem’. I crawled under the covers wiggling my feet under his body to the spot he already warmed.

  I felt Clay relax a moment before he let out a gusty sigh. He started to breathe deeply and I tried to relax as well. Going on a double date hadn’t turned out as bad as it could have.

  Chapter 8

  It was still dark when I woke. Not only dark, but also colder. The mild weather we’d enjoyed last night while eating outside fled with the sun. I nestled under the covers trying to avoid the chill in the air. Definitely not getting out of bed. Stretching my legs for Clay’s weighted warmth, I felt nothing, his spot cool.

  “Clay?” I whispered in the dark wondering where he’d gone. My bedroom door creaked open and he jumped up on the mattress causing it to bounce. He settled on my feet, his heat immediately warming the bed. “Thanks.”

  Laying my head back down on the pillow, I burrowed deeper. The warm nights of summer, of sleeping with the window open, had retired for the year. Soon, going outside during the day would require a jacket. I didn’t really care for the cold.

  I tried closing my eyes wanting to sleep longer, but they popped back open on their own. Clearly awake, I knew I should really get out of bed and do something. The thought made me cringe until inspiration struck. I owed Clay for last night. This early, there’d be no one around outside, especially with this first cold snap. We needed to take advantage of the still above freezing weather and do something together. He’d like spending time together.

  “Hey, Clay,” I whispered again. “Wanna go get breakfast with me?”

  With a sigh, he jumped down off the bed once more. I laughed softly and rolled out from under the covers. “You could have said no.”

  Grabbing my clothes, I tiptoed to the bathroom. When I stepped back out, fully dressed, Clay sat next to the back door waiting patiently. I glanced at the car keys debating. Drive or walk? Walking would save money and I enjoyed it.

  “You up for a walk?” I kept my voice low not wanting to wake Rachel.

  Walking outside before dawn would have given me the creeps if I didn’t have him with me. He looked like a beast. Any sane person would keep their distance. When he didn’t move away, I clipped on his leash, loosely looping it around his collar so I wouldn’t need to hold it. He turned to me with a questioning look.

  “What? I’m following the law… you’re on a leash. Let’s go.”

  I opened the door and we soundlessly slipped outside. As expected, crisp air engulfed us, but the lack of wind made it tolerable. After pulling the hood up over my loose hair, I tucked my hands into the pockets of my hoodie and stepped off the porch, suspiciously testing the air to see if my breath clouded. Clay trudged next to me still looking a little tired.

  We walked away from the house in the direction of the campus toward a small diner open all day, six days a week, closed Sundays. Well known on campus, Ma’s Kitchen served good cheap food for the perpetually broke college kid. With ten dollars in my pocket, I figured we could stuff ourselves before walking back home.

  The walk to campus offered an eclectic array of buildings. Businesses jumbled in with residences. Some so close together their shadows merged creating perfect places for hiding. Clay’s calm presence allowed me to enjoy the walk.

  The sidewalks remained empty. Streetlights buzzed overhead. The soft scrape of Clay’s nails on the pavement comforted me and I filled my lungs with the cool air, relaxing. Very few cars passed us as we made our way from one pool of light to the next. The quiet of the night cocooned us.

  We walked in companionable silence for a few minutes before I spoke up. “So what do you like for breakfast? Oatmeal?” I teased. He laughed making me smile in return. “Yeah, I was thinking you’re more a steak and eggs kinda guy.”

  “Who you talking to dar’lin?” a man called stepping out from the shadows across the narrow street. The suddenness of his appearance made my heart race. That he appeared just after I thought how well the shadows could hide a person made me wonder.

  Even though I considered this area safe, it paid to be smart. “My dog,” I called back with ease immediately whispering to Clay asking him to bark. He obliged with a deep resonating woof that almost scared me. The sound bounced off the surrounding buildings. I hoped it wouldn’t wake anyone.

  “Damn,” the man called back, keeping pace with us on the opposite sidewalk. “That thing on a leash?”

  “Yep, but if he really wants to go, there’s no holding him back. I’m safer letting him go or he’d just drag me along.”

  The man laughed. “I bet. Have a good morning,” he called in farewell before turning at the next corner to walk around the block.

  “You trust that?” I asked Clay softly watching the man’s retreating form as we continued. Clay harrumphed. “Me neither. And thanks for warning me there was someone close by,” I added sarcastically. He made a noise I interpreted between a snort and a laugh.

  “Brat.” I smiled down at him.

  Night sounds began to fade, and I heard the occasional bird call out, dawn still an hour away. He continued to alertly pace at my side until we reached the diner. Judging from the empty parking lot, they didn’t get much business this early. Still, the air outside smelled delicious, like frying breakfast sausage. Beside me, Clay’s stomach rumbled.

  “Since they don’t allow dogs, I’ll go in and get our food carryout,” I said pulling open the door. He obediently sat just outside the glass door watching me.

  When I entered, the waitress set down the basket of jellies she’d been using to refill the jelly holders on the tables and moved to the register.

  “Morning,” she said with a chipper smile waiting for my order.

  Wow. A people-person and a morning-person. I smiled back weakly and ordered.

  I got our breakfast without trouble and brought it out to Clay. We sat together on the curb of the sidewalk in front of the building. This early the traffic crept along quietly keeping the illusion of solitude.

  Opening his container, I started to cut up his steak, shushing him when he laughed at me again. He could laugh all he wanted. He usually ate so fast I worried he’d choke. I set his container on the ground for him when I finished. He dug in making it hard to think of him as a man.

  “I hope you’re a slower eater when you’re in your skin,” I commented causing him to stop eating and look at me.

  Too late, I realized how critical my comment had sounded. I tried to soften it. “It’s just that you eat faster than me. That’s all.” It sounded lame.

  I felt even worse when he made an effort to eat slower. Although, he still finished first. In an attempt to make up for my thoughtless comment, I offered him the rest of my breakfast too. When he finished, I threw our containers away in the parking lot trash can.

  We began the long walk back, each lost in our own thoughts. Well, I was lost in mine anyway. I didn’t know what to say to take away the sting of my criticism. Why didn’t I think before I spoke to him? I sometimes forgot about the man beneath the fur and tended to just… talk, letting anything flow from my mouth without much thought. Sure, I may have meant what I said, but I could have found a better, nicer, way to say it. Maybe.

  Distracted and dwelling on my own thoughts, I paid no attention to my surroundings until Clay began to growl next to me. My head snapped up in surprise at his softly menacing sound. Clay abruptly stopped walking. His head turned, looking between two houses to our left. Dawn still hadn’t lightened the sky so I saw nothing but shadows.

  I closed my eyes and focused, depending on my other sight to see what my eyes couldn’t. The yellow-green sparks of the people in the houses around us glowed softly. To the left, closing in fast, a blue-grey light surged. I blinked at it, quickly checking Clay’s coloring. Blue-grey compared to his blue-green. Another color variation.

  Still in a residential area, the approaching light came at us through people’s yards.

  “What is it Clay?” I whispered taking a step back, confused. The colors I saw classified into werewolves, humans, and anomalies like Charlene and I. It moved too fast for a human. So, a werewolf.

  Clay remained alert to the other werewolf’s advance. Hearing more than I could.

  “What should I do Clay?” I tried not to panic, but I could think of only one reason a werewolf would run at us like that. It wanted to challenge Clay.

  If I walked away, it might think I rejected Clay’s claim. As much as I didn’t want to claim Clay, I didn’t want a tie to anyone else. I’d stay close to Clay and trust him to keep me safe.

  Clay’s growl increased in volume. I looked at the darkened houses around us. Perhaps I could use that to our advantage.

  Clay tensed in front of me. I took a few more steps back stepping into the road, no more than five feet from Clay. From the darkness ahead, I faintly heard the rapid thud of its paws hitting the ground. I tracked its spark. It sped forward closing in on us even though my eyes hadn’t yet spotted anything. The rhythmic sound of its paws striking the ground suddenly stopped even though its spark continued toward us.

  In that moment, an enormous object flew from the darkness toward us, jumping the last twenty feet. Its large body rivaled Clay for size. I scrambled back further while the newcomer’s dark grey fur and bright blue eyes burned into my memory.

  Clay braced himself. Focused on each other, neither looked my way. The flying mass hit Clay hard, sending them skidding toward me as they grappled, swiping claws and snapping jaws. Clay let loose an aggressive snarl, twisting, trying to keep his back legs under him. His claws dug into the asphalt, scrapping and scrabbling to slow their skid.

  Eyes wide, I continued to maintain my view of the sparks, watching for people, while watching the fight before me.

  The challenger scuttled out of Clay’s reach, regaining his own footing. Clay lunged forward, using his teeth to clamp down on the other’s muzzle, his sharp teeth ripping into the other werewolf’s tender flesh. It yelped loudly in pain. They broke apart. Clay continued to growl viciously. The challenger responded with his own snarl, but didn’t attempt another offense. Instead, he sidestepped looking for an opening.

  I moved maintaining a small distance from both of them.

  The noise escalated as they stalked each other. The challenger feinted toward Clay, lips drawn back and teeth parted. Clay gave no ground, carefully keeping himself between the newcomer and me while I tried to stay out of the way. The dogs in the neighborhood started to bark. The continued use of my sight began to strain me, but I saw a spark moving in a nearby house.

  Time to take the offensive.

  “Hey!” I yelled loudly.

  Clay didn’t jump, but the other werewolf did. His bright blue gaze flicked to me. A light turned on in the house.

  “Whose dog is this! Get him off my dog! Someone help me!” Another light went on in the house.

  Clay took advantage of his opponent’s momentary distraction and went for its throat. The other wolf dodged the attack, but just barely. Bleeding freely from Clay’s first strike, red began to color its muzzle.

  With a deep-throated bark, it lunged again refocusing its efforts. The lunge caught Clay in the shoulders almost knocking him off balance. Clay exposed his neck to bite his opponent’s front leg rather than spin away leaving me unprotected. The other wolf grunted in pain and went for Clay’s neck. Seeking to sink his teeth into flesh, he instead clicked against the metal studding of Clay’s collar. Letting loose his hold, Clay backed away as did his limping adversary.

  Clay’s leash unraveled from its coiled pile under his collar and trailed behind him. The other werewolf noticed it and moved forward attempting to step on it and pin Clay in place. Brown fur ruffled as Clay twisted sharply to flip the leash out of the way.

  I looked around, trying to figure out how to stop this. In the houses closest to the fight, more lights burst on. In the house across the street, someone pushed back a curtain to peer out.

  Behind me, I heard a shrill whistle. “Duke! Come here, Duke.”

  The neighborhood was waking.

  This time, the sudden interruption didn’t distract either of them. Both maintained focus on their opponent.

  “The noise has everyone waking up, whoever you are,” I hissed. “You don’t have enough time to finish this. Better to leave now when Clay won’t be able to chase you. Someone’s going to call the police and when they get here, they’ll see a dog that’s neither licensed nor leashed. You’ll either have to change and expose yourself, or let them take you away thinking you’re a dog.”

  The challenger continued his circling attack as if I hadn’t spoken.

  The front door of the house closest to us opened and a man shined a flashlight at the fighting dogs, then at me.

  “Can you help me?” I called, my voice purposefully coming out high-pitched and fearful. This had to stop now before Clay got hurt. “Do you know whose dog this is? It came running at my dog from the direction of your backyard.”

  “It’s not ours. Want me to call the police?” he yelled back to me over the snarls and growls.

  I didn’t get a chance to answer. The grey werewolf broke away from the fight and bolted back into the darkness from where he’d come. Apparently, he had heard my warning.

  Clay panting heavily stayed close to me and watched the other wolf retreat.

  “Did you see what kind of dog it was?” the man called leaving the safety of his house to look at his side yard where the wolf had disappeared. He cautiously shined his flashlight searching for it.

  In the relative quiet, the bird song increased as the sky lightened from midnight blue.

  I moved to Clay and knelt beside him on the sidewalk, wrapping my arms around him. My hands shook, the strain and fear taking their toll. The challenger conceded with his withdrawal. For now.

  Running my hands over his neck, which had the most potential for injury, I found nothing. Relieved, I leaned against him. He really was growing on me.

  “Ma’am? You okay?” The man shined his flashlight at us staying near his house.

  Any closer and he’d feel the pull. I didn’t need to deal with any more problems.

  Across the street, a door opened and a voice called out, “They okay, Mike?”

  With the man distracted, I lifted my head from Clay. “You okay?” I whispered. He turned his head and licked my cheek, reassuring me. “Next time I’ll just carry the leash,” I promised. My eyes watered. It had been too close. It would have only been a matter of time before the other wolf would have pinned him because of it.

  “We’re okay,” I said standing, keeping a hand on Clay’s head. “The dog was as big as Clay here, but had dark grey fur.”

  “Doesn’t sound like any dog from this neighborhood, but I know there are some big dogs a few blocks away. Do you want me to call the cops?” He started walking toward us.

  I picked up Clay’s loose leash and nudged him to turn toward home.

  “Nah. If no one’s done it already, I think we’re fine,” I said taking a step back getting ready to walk away. Too late. The man had gotten close enough that the pull had him. I could see the interest in his eyes.

  After a few moments of reassuring him that neither of us suffered injuries and that police involvement was no longer necessary, I grudgingly gave him my phone number just in case any did show up. Clay remained quiet and unusually calm throughout the conversation.

  Crisis averted, we hurried home attempting to beat the rising sun.

  I didn’t talk, but instead concentrated on scanning, pushing to see further than ever before. It drained me. My legs grew heavier with each step. I tried not to let it show. While I scanned, so did Clay. His eyes missed nothing and he constantly scented the air.

  The sun cleared the surrounding rooftops, its bright rays lighting the sidewalk. My hurried walk degraded to a plodding step somewhere along the way, taking us much longer to get home. No further sign of that weird light reappeared during the rest of the walk.