No matter my response, we were bound to argue. He wouldn't agree with me and I would just get more irritated at him. The cycle always repeated this way.
"What did you tell him, Abigail."
"Well, I had just finished telling him about how I met the leaders of the Southern Wolf Pa-"
"The wolves? Oh, Abigail!"
The disgust in his voice made my heart slam in my chest. It's not like we hadn't had this conversation or some variant of it before. I tried to tell him everything when I first got back, but he refused to believe me. He was too stubborn. Yet, with every denial of it, my heart still ached.
"Do you realize what you've done?"
"Told my story to someone who genuinely seems to believe me? A story that you and everyone else refuse to."
"How can anyone believe that fairytale? Abigail, this boy will make a fool out of you and this family! We'll be made into a laughing stock!"
"I've already been called a fool! I've been called insane by my own father!"
"You'd put your family through this humiliation? Me, your brothers - just for your own self-satisfaction?"
"You're the only one who's worried about it! Claude could care less and Alex is a child," I hissed out, still trying to keep my voice as low as I could manage, "And don't you dare question me about loyalty to this family, when you haven't even been a part of it!"
We both fell into silence when he didn't respond. I stared at him for a moment and he looked away before heading into the dining hall. I let out a noise of disgust and made my way back to the study. I stepped in just enough to alert Mr. Reeves that I had returned and put on a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, but do you mind if we go somewhere else? I've lost my appetite for the moment."
"Of course," he started, standing and following me to the door, "Is everything alright?"
"Things are very… Unstable with my father right now," I laughed half-heartedly, handing him his still damp coat and pulling my own from the rack.
Mr. Reeves only nodded and didn't pry any further. We managed our way down to Central Park in silence. It was rather late so there weren't many people out. It made the silence even more unbearable. I clutched my arms to my chest as the night air nipped across me. As if the que he was waiting for, Mr. Reeves finally broke our silence.
"Your father," he started softly, "He doesn't believe you, does he?"
"You caught on to that," I laughed before my voice grew more distant, "No, he doesn't… But I don't entirely blame him. It isn't exactly a practical story… I still wish he would though..."
"I believe that's what makes your story so interesting… The fact that it's unusual, I feel brings a sense of wonder to it. And I feel like people need something like that to get them through the bleakness of all things "practical"."
For a moment, I looked up at him and caught a glimpse of the light shining in his blue eyes. It reminded me of an old friend. I let out a soft relieved sigh.
"There ought to be more people like you in this world, Mr. Reeves."
"I could say the same of you, Ms. Moon."
We came across a park bench, that was dry for the most part, and continued on in idle chatter. The world was ticking by without us and we were none the wiser. I took a deep breath and looked around the park with a tired sigh.
"I miss home…," I whispered out.
I hadn't really meant to say it aloud, but realized I did when Mr. Reeves gave me a puzzled look. I tried to change the subject, but curiosity had already peaked.
"You mean back with the wolves," he asked softly, and continued, after a soft nod from me, "What was it like?"
"Oh, it was like a paradise to me… The grass was soft and lush, glistening like emeralds in the sunlight… The wind danced through the blades, through the branches of the trees like it was alive… Trees stood tall and strong, protecting the smaller lives beneath them... It was quiet, but it was never silent. You could always hear the sounds of everything around you. But all the noises and sounds seem to sing together in their own perfect melody…"
Mr. Reeves sighed in awe and looked up at the sky. He looked lost in thought, seemingly trying to create the image in his head. I smiled at the thought and then a darker thought crossed my mind. My heart sank in my chest slightly.
"Mr. Reeves," I choked out as he looked my way, "… Do you really believe me? Or is this just a story to turn for profit?"
He paused, looking up to the sky again. For a moment there was silence again. And, with it, the pit in my stomach grew.
"It's complicated, Ms. Moon…"
And when I thought my heart would drop into my stomach, he continued.
"Well… There's no doubt in my mind that this would make a terrific story… And, although most would certainly find it hard to believe, there is something about all of it that makes me want to believe it all the more. I want to see it, to be immersed in it…"
I stared at him in disbelief, reading his face and trying to process what I had heard. I felt my heart flutter in my chest and quickly looked away when he turned back to me. I laughed softly and stood up, smoothing out my jacket. If it wasn't certain already, it was now. Curtis Reeves was definitely not like the others.
Mr. Reeves walked me back to the Manor and then headed home to "take care of Dex". I stood at the edge of the steps and watched as he turned the corner. With a deep sigh, I started up to the door. As I pushed it open, I heard a faint, almost ghostly howl. It seemed to ride past me on a gust of wind and I looked up into the moon. I clutched my chest and felt a tear run down my face. I knew who it was and who he was howling for…
"I miss you, too," I whispered, wiping at my face and stepping inside.
The next morning, I stayed in my room, avoiding my father. It wasn't that I was afraid of the lecture I'd get for disappearing last night; I was used to those. I just didn't want to deal with any of it. Once I was sure Father and Claude had left for the day and Alex was wrapped up in lessons, I asked Gwen to call me a cab and went to our resort home along Breezy Point Beach.
The resort home was nice, far less extravagant than the Manor. Not that I was complaining. I went into the empty house and headed to the kitchen. I found the yellow pages in one of the bottom cabinets, looking for Curtis Reeves. After about three failed attempts with others with the same name, I managed to reach him. I told him where I was staying and asked if he wanted to meet me again tonight. He agreed, surprisingly, and I went on to clean the house up a bit. It hadn't really been used since my mother died, so there was quite a bit of work to be done.
Around seven, I welcomed Mr. Reeves in. He was wearing a polo shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and the look caused me to smile slightly. He looked much more like a man in his 30's would than I had seen so far, excluding his jogging attire. He also brought a bottle of wine as a surprise for me.
"Your family has everything, doesn't it," he smiled, looking around as I escorted him into the kitchenette.
"If you consider us a real family."
I pulled two wine glasses out and offered him one, while he poured. After placing the bottle in the fridge, I suggested we go into the sunroom to appreciate the scenery. He agreed and took a seat beside me on the loveseat. The waves gently rolled upon the sand outside the window and the gull calls could faintly be heard.
"So, Ms. Moon, why did you invite me over? Not that I don't enjoy your company."
"Well, I figured our last session was more or less interrupted, so I figured you'd like it if I continued?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't," he laughed.
"Then, let's see…"
The cave was much bigger than it looked from the outside. Stalagmites decorated the ceilings beautifully, like chandeliers in a grand hall, and the ground was cool beneath my feet. I was in shock for a moment, trying to remember if I had ever seen anything so beautiful in all my life. Corbin was running around, playing with the other pups and Devon guided me to a more secluded space.
Devon said he would leave me here so that Kala could treat his wounds, but I was adamant about trying it myself. Afterall, I felt obligated to repay him somehow. After going back and forth with me about it, he sighed in defeat and then laid down. I sat beside him and, with some much needed coaching, began cleaning his wounds. He winced and continued to coach me and scold me the whole way through. I probably wasn't doing it right anyways, but he let me continue all the same.
When Devon told me I could stop, he let out a relieved sigh and thanked me. I smiled, somewhat proud of myself, but the feeling faded when I became painfully aware of the staring eyes from all around me. The other wolves in the cave watched me carefully, unsure of the strange being in their midst. The pressure was so intense I couldn't help the way my body instinctively began to cower. Devon gave me a soft reassuring smile that did make me feel somewhat easier.
"Southern Wolves," Benry started, his voice thundering through the cave, causing all others to fall silent, "One of our hunters came across this outsider on his hunt. Until we can decide how to proceed with the new information we have received, she will be a member of our pack for the time being. Rest assured, the elders and I will be looking into this matter further."
The phrase "for the time being" made me cringe slightly. Why did I feel like I had been punched in the gut. My head seemed to sink lower and my ears fell back, like they were melting to my skull. The stares didn't really stop either and, but the pups began playing once again, which broke up the silence.
"Are you hungry, Abigail," Devon's concerned voice pulled me back into awareness.
"A little…," I lied, having not remembered the last time I ate, "And, you can call me "Abby"."
"Okay, "Abby", Devon laughed, "I'll find us something then."
Devon walked off into the masses and I watched until he disappeared from view. Alone, I nervously looked around the cave at all the different faces. Some smiled, some glared, and some just scoffed in disgust. A rush of emotions washed over me. These faces seemed familiar to me and it made my heart ache. Devon returned and I was cowering once more.
"Stop that," he growled, dropping a clump of meat before me, "You're a wolf. You don't show fear and you don't show weakness. You've no idea what some would do to a weak wolf. A weak wolf is a dead wolf. Remember that."
I stared up at him and saw how strong he was standing, even though he had been hurt so badly before. Just looking at him now, you would never know. Seeing him look so confident made me feel more secure and I relaxed myself. Devon gave somewhat of a smile and nudged the clump of meat towards me some more. I hesitantly sniffed at it and gagged a bit, shaking my head.
"It smells horrible!"
"It's meat. Wolves eat meat," he said flatly.
"I know that! But I don't eat meat…"
Devon kind of gave me an incredulous look before scoffing at me.
"Abby. You're a wolf now. Wolves. Eat. Meat," he scolded, "You have to eat meat."
I stared up at him, almost pleading, but it didn't phase him. My stomach growled loudly and I knew I had been defeated by my own body. I nodded slowly and took the smallest of bites, just enough to get a taste. It tasted strange, but it really wasn't all that terrible. I ate a little more and Devon had a pleased expression. He ate with me and by the time we were done, I had managed to eat more than him. He laughed at me and I looked at him with a playful glare. Then, I saw how bright his eyes were; the amusement glistening within them.
"So, you don't eat meat, huh? I couldn't tell."
"It was okay," I groaned, which only caused him to laugh again.
The laughter stopped suddenly and I looked up at Devon. I looked to see what had caused him to fall silent and saw one of the Elders headed our way.
"Leader Benry is ready to speak with you."
Devon gave a quick nod and I rose to my feet to follow. The cave was in a hushed state again, as everyone watched us follow the Elder. He led us up some rocky steps to the elevated platform where Leader Benry and the other Elders were lying. Kala gave me a reassuring smile as my eyes met hers. I felt almost at ease, until my eyes unknowingly caught Benry's. The Elder joined them and Devon and I lowered our heads to show Benry our respect.
"When you returned with this outsider, you had a severe wound around your neck. Kala tells me there was another wolf's scent upon you and it looks to have been from a fight. How did this happen?"
"After meeting Abby, I decided it would be best for her to meet with Kala. Corbin and I were guiding her here and two wolves tried to ambush us..."
"Northern wolves?"
Devon nodded and a deep growl ripped through Leader Benry's chest. Animosity and rage seared off of him like a wave of heat. Devon had a fiery passion in his eyes as well. His lip curled instinctively and then he settled himself when Kala spoke up.
"How did you young ones escape them?"
"Corbin was attacked first. I broke the other wolf off of him and was outmatched. Using this to their advantage, another wolf attempted to take me by surprise, but Abby stopped him. While protecting Corbin, she managed to overpower the other attacker. He managed to escape her and his partner must have seen they would not win. They both ran away."
"So, you were only able to escape because of our fated friend," Kala insinuated, smiling briefly at me before turning to Benry.
The other Elders muttered something amongst themselves, before Benry gave a growl to silence them. Benry had been staring at me intensely ever since we approached. I dared not look him in the eye, yet I didn't need to.
"Leader Benry," Devon started cautiously, "Abby does not know our ways… Yet she risked her life to protect my brother. She fought like a wolf… Particularly, one we know too well…"
At those last words, Benry's eyes widened in a look of offense and he jumped to his feet. Devon shrunk lower to the ground, like he was bracing for an attack, and a panic seemed to engulf me, but I could not move. Benry snarled viciously from where he stood, but did not advance. Kala carefully stood up to stand beside him and nudged him around his shoulder with her nose. Benry began to slowly calm himself and then turned away. He began heading towards the cave opening. Devon looked up cautiously and, only with Kala's approval, rose to his feet again.
"Best we give him his time," Kala said softly.
She looked to the Elders and they nodded in some sort of agreement before Kala said we could go. Seeing Benry like that made my heart feel that familiar ache again and I couldn't understand why. Devon nudged me and then I was brought back to reality. We nodded in respect to Kala and the Elders and made our way back among the pack.
I sighed and took another sip of my wine, watching as Mr. Reeves leaned back and chuckled softly to himself. He stared up at the ceiling and then looked back at me with a content smile on his face. I looked out the window and became aware of the darkness that had fallen.
"It's gotten so late," I sighed, looking to the clock, then back to him, "Are you okay to drive back home?"
"I should be fine. It's really not that long of a drive."
I nodded in response, taking both our glasses back into the kitchen. I then escorted Mr. Reeves to the door and saw him out.
"Good night, Ms. Moon."
"Please… Call me Abby…"
He smiled briefly, his eyes glistening with a twinge of amusement. My heart jumped as the familiar expression lighted his face. He saw the look of bewilderment on my face and only chuckled in response as he got in his car.
"Goodnight, "Abby"."
And, with that, I waited until his car disappeared down the driveway and out of view on the road. I lingered in the doorway under the glow of the moon and the memory of his amused face from back then played through my mind.
The next morning, I was preparing a cup of coffee in the kitchen when the phone rang. I was expecting it to be Mr. Reeves, but it wasn't.
"Ms. Abby!" Gwen's smile could be heard through the receiver, "I figured I would check in on you and see that you're okay."
"Yes, Gwen, I'm alright. I just didn't want to be around him…"
"I know, Ms. Abby, I know."
She let out a soft sigh and I perked up with a wonderful idea.
"Gwen, would you like to come stay with me here for a few days?"
"I'm not sure your father would like me to leave the house… Besides who would watch over little Alex?"
"I'm sure Claude could take care of him for a while. He's got plenty of vacation time saved up. I'll call him and let him know you'll be helping me with something," I trailed off before my voice took a sterner tone, "As for Father, leave him to me."
"Okay, Ms. Abby," Gwen said with a wary voice, "I'll be there as soon as I get everything settled here with the rest of the staff."
"See you soon."
About an hour or so later, I heard a knock on the door. I greeted Gwen and noticed she had grocery bags sitting all around her feet. The cab driver finished offloading the last few and I gave him an extra bit for the tip for his help.
"Gwen, what did you do, just buy out the whole store," I laughed, picking up a few of the bags and helping her carry them into the house.
"No, I just picked up some food and things. I know this house hasn't been used in a long time and, knowing you, Ms. Abby, you didn't even think to get any food."
"That's just like you. Thinking ahead and taking care of everybody."
"If I didn't, you wouldn't last the end of the week, and you know it," she smiled with a playful wink, "And I picked you up some more clothes, too."
We shared a laugh and put everything away. I helped Gwen get set up in one of the guest rooms and she started to unpack.
"Now, you listen to me, Gwen. You're not to do any cleaning or the like while we're here, understand? I spent the whole first day getting the place cleaned up, so there's no need," I warned, hanging up the last of her clothes, "This is like a vacation for the two of us."
"What if I like cleaning? What am I supposed to do to pass the time?"
"We're going to the movies, we'll dine at the finest restaurants, and do whatever else you want to do. Consider it a long deserved "thank you" on behalf of the family."
"That's mighty nice of you, Ms. Abby," she smiled, placing her suitcases on the floor.
I sat beside her on the bed and hugged her tightly. Gwen was the closest thing to a mother figure I had after mine had passed. There was nothing I couldn't tell her and nothing I didn't want to. She was always there for me and Claude when my father wasn't. She was arguably one of the most important people in my life, second only to Alex. There was nothing I wouldn't do for her.
***** A/N: If you like what you've read or are enjoying things so far, lemme know! I appreciate any feedback anybody wants to give! Thanks! *****