Silver (11 page)

Brock sighed. “From one job to the next,
huh?”

“
All in the line of duty
for a werewolf,” I replied.

He grinned. “Got anything to eat?”

That night was another of Mom’s late nights
at work. I felt bad that she worked so hard to support us, but was
also relieved because it kept her out of Mason’s way for a while.
After Brock’s mom picked him up, I called Mom’s sister,
Samantha.

“
Hey darling, good to hear
your voice. Did you guys get all moved in okay?”

“
Yeah, mostly.”

She laughed, and it was good to hear. Aunt
Samantha and my mom were only a year apart, and sometimes they
reminded me so much of each other it was like they were twins.
Samantha was the only one that knew Mom had married a werewolf. And
she got credit for supporting Mom in her decision. Aunt Sam was
definitely my favorite relation. “Still a lot of boxes left to
unpack?”

“
I could make a fort out of
them,” I replied with a laugh.

“
And you probably should,”
she said, her tone sobering slightly. “Don’t want you to get in a
tangle with those city wolves.”

I didn’t answer.

Her voice softened. “There’s trouble, isn’t
there.”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me.
“Lots of trouble, Aunt Sam. I’ve got to get Mom outta here before
it gets worse.”
“Is it going to get worse?”

“
It could, a lot worse. I’m
worried she’s going to get caught in the middle of it.”

I could almost hear her planning. “Well,
you’re caught in the middle of it then, too. Can’t you come with
Vicki?”

Part of me ached to be away from all of
this, to leave the werewolf mess behind and never look back. But
now that I knew what Mason was up to, I couldn’t walk away, not if
I could stop him before he hurt someone else. “I can’t. I need to
be here to clear up some things.”

She fell silent for a minute, than spoke
quietly, her voice full of concern. “It sounds dangerous.”

I never pulled any punches with Aunt Sam.
“It is. But I can handle it.”

Silence fell again and I gave her the time
she needed. Aunt Sam was a compulsive planner. I knew if I could
get her on my side, things would be a lot easier. She finally
spoke. “Okay, I’m telling Vicki that Brody’s sick and I need her
help with the kids. Think she’ll go for that?”

“
I do.” Uncle Brody had
immune system problems and when he was sick he couldn’t do
anything. Mom would feel obligated to help out like she had done
many times before. “That would be perfect. Thank you so
much.”

“
No problem. And
Jaze?”

I paused. “Yeah?”

Her voice warmed. “Take care of yourself.
You shouldn’t have to deal with all of this on your own and I worry
about you.”

I worry about me, too, I thought, but didn’t
say it out loud. “Thanks, Aunt Sam. I really appreciate your
help.”

“
Love you,” she
replied.

“
Love you, too,
bye.”

When I hung up the phone, I felt relieved
and more stressed at the same time. Knowing Aunt Sam, she would
have plane tickets purchased and Mom on her way within the next day
or two. I dreaded being alone. Already, the darkness of the house
closed in like a coffin. I pushed back my chair and stepped
outside. The humid night air didn’t help much, reminding me that I
was in an unfamiliar city fighting what could easily be a losing
battle. I turned to go back inside when I heard the neighbor’s door
slide open.

The breeze told of Nikki and my heart
slowed. I cursed myself for what I had said to her. She reached out
to me, and out of fear of her parents I had shot her down. I
listened to her cross the lawn and sit at the foot of one of their
maple trees. I opened our door and closed it as if I had just come
out, then crossed the yard and sat with my back against the fence a
few feet from her. Just being near her made my heart beat faster,
and I had to force my mind to think clearly.

I took a deep breath and let it out in a
dramatic sigh, then hit my head back against the fence. “Just
stupid,” I said softly but loud enough for her to hear.

The grass moved slightly as she shifted her
weight.

I sighed again and put my head in my hands.
After a moment, I faked an Oscar-worthy sob.

“
Jaze, are you okay?” she
asked, unable to stay silent any longer.

I shook my head. “It’s just horrible. I
can’t believe it.”

Her voice filled with concern and I heard
her move closer to the fence. “What? Can I help?”

I turned with a smile she couldn’t see in
the dark. “I don’t know. Can you help me make up with this girl who
I totally shot down and was rude to, and who didn’t deserve it at
all?”

She threw a handful of grass through the
slot in the fence. “Oh, Jaze. Grow up,” she said with a laugh.

“
I really do feel
horrible,” I told her honestly. “You reached out to me and I acted
like an idiot.”

“
I shouldn’t have told you
those things,” she said, her voice quieter.

I shook my head. “You needed to talk to
someone, and why not me. It’s not like I’ve got anywhere to
go.”

She stuck her hand through the slot in the
fence and tried to slap me. I laughed and grabbed it, then on
impulse turned her hand over and kissed it softly on the back. “I
really am sorry,” I whispered; my lips brushed her soft skin. My
heart raced at her touch and I grew still, forcing myself to stay
focused.

She stopped fighting to pull her hand back
and I listened to her breathe softly on the other side of the
fence. The moment lengthened with unspoken questions, dangerous
questions. I finally let go of her hand and sat back on my
heels.

“
So, werewolf Hunters,
huh?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could.

She pulled her hand back and I could hear
the smile in her voice. “Yeah, you must think I’m crazy.”

I shook my head, thinking quickly. “No, not
really. I mean, when I came to this city I could tell something was
strange.”

“
Really?” The fence creaked
as she turned around and sat with her back to it. “How
so?”

“
Well, the school for one.”
I forced a laugh. “I’ve never seen so many metal detectors. And
security guards? Isn’t that a little overboard?”

She laughed, soft and sweet. “Yeah, I guess
people know something’s wrong.”

I nodded but kept silent. After a minute I
turned so that our backs were to each other on opposite sides of
the fence.

I swallowed past the dread that filled my
chest since she told me her parents killed werewolves; I had to
know if they were the Hunters who killed my dad. “So. . . have your
parents killed many werewolves?”

Her shoulders slid against the wood in a
shrug. “I don’t know. I guess so. We go wherever they hear
rumors.”

“
Where have you
been?”

“
New York and New Jersey,
mostly, then Florida and the Dakotas. We spent some time along the
Oregon coast, but they didn’t find anything.” She sighed. “It’s all
they talk about now. I’ve finally stopped listening.”

I sighed inwardly, muscles easing that I
didn’t realize had been tense. “You’re not into hunting?”

She shook her head and the perfume of her
hair wafted over to me. I closed my eyes. “No, not really. I
couldn’t kill anything, even if it was a blood-thirsty
werewolf.”

I closed my eyes tighter and rubbed them.
“You don’t feel the need to avenge your brother?”

She let out her breath slowly and I heard
her lean her head back against the fence with an almost inaudible
sigh. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Some demon creature kills
your brother, your parents are all gung-ho about wiping them from
the face of the earth, and you’re left wondering what happened to
living life.” She reached up a hand and I wondered if she wiped
away tears. “The thing is,” she said with a sniff, “I think Randy
would be sad about the way they’ve handled all of this.”

I sat up slowly and turned around to face
the fence. “What do you mean?”
Strands of her black hair had drifted between the planks and stood
out in contrast to the lighter wood. She shook her head and they
waved in the light night breeze like seaweed caught in an ocean
current. “I don’t know. It’s just. . . .” She fell silent, and then
rushed on as though she had been holding the words back for a long
time. “Randy wouldn’t have wanted them to throw their lives away
like this. He always lived each day to its fullest, always went on
adventures, on his quests.” Her voice fell. “That’s how he found
the werewolves, his search for ‘alternate forms of life’.”

“
Sounds like quite the
guy,” I said sincerely.

She nodded and sat up. “He really was.”

I frowned, curious now. “How long ago was he
killed?”
“Ten years ago; he was fifteen.”
My heart stilled. “You mean you’ve been chasing werewolves after
your parents since you were seven?”

“
Like I said, crazy,
huh?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “Definitely
crazy.”

She laughed and stood up. “Well, I’d better
go in and study. Mrs. Beetle’s test is tomorrow, you know.”

I rose as well. “Yeah, looking forward to
it.”

I could make out her smile in the darkness.
“Liar.”

“
Yeah.”

She laughed again and made her way to the
house. She paused at the door. “Jaze?”
“What?”
She hesitated, then said, “Thanks for listening, and for not
laughing.”
I shrugged. “It’s the least I could do after how I treated you
yesterday.”

She nodded. “Yes, it is. But you didn’t just
listen.” When I waited, she continued, “You really listened. You
cared, and that means a lot to me.”

She turned and went into the house, sliding
the door quietly shut behind her. “I really do care,” I whispered.
I shook my head, took one last deep breath of the humid night air,
and went back inside.

Chapter 11

The next three days passed surprisingly
quietly. My uneasiness grew as the pack continued to ignore me, and
I wondered what it meant. Brock and I planned on our walks to and
from school, and Nikki and I met in the alley and went to the swap
meet grounds at night with what seemed like most of the student
body. We didn’t run into Mr. Sathing, the security guard, and I
wondered what had happened to him.

Mom didn’t bring up going to Aunt Samantha’s
house until Monday night.

“
You have to go, Mom. They
need you or Aunt Sam wouldn’t have asked,” I pushed
mercilessly.

“
I don’t want to leave you
here alone. This is a new state, a new city, and you’ve not even
been at that school a week yet.”

“
But Aunt Sam needs you.
Besides, things here are fine.”

Mom’s resolve faltered slightly, then she
shook her head. “I worry, Jaze. Maybe you should come with me.”

“
We both know I can’t
afford to skip school. I’ll be lucky to pass the eleventh grade as
it is. Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “There hasn’t been any pack
trouble, I’m doing fine in my classes, and I’ve made some friends.
It’s not like I’ll be alone.” I forced my face to remain
expressionless on the last part.

Mom sighed and her tone softened. She looked
at me across the fried chicken and mashed potatoes she had picked
up on her way home. “I don’t want to leave until after
Wednesday.”

“
Why Wednesday?” I asked,
though we both knew. My bones ached, longing to phase and
run.

“
I don’t want you to be
alone for your first phase in a new city.”

I didn’t point out that I had already phased
in order to save Brock. Reminding her that there were hostile
werewolves in the area would only make matters worse. “It’ll be
okay, Mom. I have a plan.”

“
You do?” she asked
skeptically.

I nodded. “I’m going to lock myself in the
basement. That way when I phase I can’t get out anyway. There’s no
way I can get into trouble.”

She looked me over carefully, then finally
said, “Sam bought me a ticket for tomorrow before she even spoke to
me. I don’t know why she does that.”

“
She must really need you,”
I replied; I inwardly thanked Aunt Sam for her
foresight.

Mom sighed. “I guess so. I can’t really turn
her down now, can I?”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be
fine. You can call me whenever you want.”

She rose from the table and started packing
away the remaining pieces of uneaten chicken. I scooped the mashed
potatoes back into their Styrofoam container and poured the gravy
on top.

“
I’ll leave you some money
for food, and you’ll have the car. If there’s an emergency or you
get bored you can go to Brock’s,” she said, her eyebrows pulled
together in worry.

I smiled at her. “I’ll be fine.”

She shook her head. “It’s just bad timing.
And after what happened to your father, I don’t like to leave you
alone.” She fidgeted with the chicken bucket.

I grabbed her hand and held it until she
looked at me. “Mom, I’ll be okay,” I said, softer now. “You need a
break, too, you know.”

She gave me a small smile. “Maybe you’re
right. It’s been so hard with the new job and everything. I’m lucky
they’ll let me work long distance for a week or so. My boss’
brother has the same condition Brody does, so he’s sympathetic.”
Her voice wavered, “A break would be nice.”

“
Go, Mom. You deserve it.
And you’d have a good time with Sam and the kids.”

She nodded in agreement and smiled at me.
“You’re a good son, you know?”