she reached up and kissed Jamie.
“Lets get going I’m starving.” Jamie quickly jumped up and began dressing and putting the chains up. He knew what he wanted, but he refused to let his wants rule him. “Race you to the pub.” He said as he started jogging and pulling on the back pack.
“Loser buys breakfast!” Rachel called out pulling ahead of him, as she broke into a run. Rachel had always enjoyed running, but this was even more exhilarating. Was it the wolf taking over?
They both got to the pub door way at the same time. Neither of them was out of breath. “Guess we go Dutch, looks like a tie.” Jamie laughed as he opened the door for her.
Since the library was closed they enjoyed a large and leisurely breakfast. “So what’s on the agenda for the day?”
“I was thinking we gather up a picnic basket and go back to the spring we passed on the way back. Maybe talk some more, or something, or even go through your notes.” Rachel said with a smirk. She was thinking something else, but she wasn’t sure if it was herself anymore, or the animalistic urges that came with her new powers? New curse? She wasn’t even sure what it was she should call this. “Do we have another full moon, or can we sleep in the rooms we are paying for?”
“We are safe for a few weeks now. So nice soft comfy beds tonight. Picnic sounds wonderful. I’ll have the waitress fix us up some sandwiches and stuff to go. I could use a shower before we head back out there though.” He grabbed up his back pack, and Rachel grabbed the bag for their lunch.
While he waited on Rachel to finish her shower, Jamie wrote his grandparents a letter and explained about Rachel.
“Well, sounds like Jamie’s has found something in Ireland, though I’m fairly certain its not what he was looking for.” Belinda grinned slyly over to Harry.
Even if he can’t find what he is looking for, perhaps he found what he needs... A good woman to help him.” Harry grabbed Belinda by the hand as they sat side by side at the computer.
“Sounds like she needs him as much as he needs her to me.” Harry replied.
After lunch they went for a long run. They discussed the carious theories of modern scientist on Lycanthropy, as well as the different myths from all over the world. “What about silver, or silver bullets? Is there any truth to that.” Rachel asked.
“No, well except the bullet part. We can die just like anyone else, it just takes a direct hit to the brain, or heart to do it. Whether the bullet is silver or lead makes no difference.” He leaned against a tree.
Night approached and they headed back to the boarding house for quick showers and then off to the pub for supper. The next two weeks was more of the same. Go for a morning run, breakfast, research in the library, run again, then supper at the pub. Jamie emailed his grandparents every few days to let them know all was well, but so far nothing of any use had been found. Rachel called her Aunt every night to check on William, who missed his mom, but was getting on good with Aunt Lynda.
“Listen to this one,” Rachel was almost beside herself with amusement. “The Danish believe that a stern scolding of the man wolf will revert him back to his human form.”
“If it was that simple Pop’s, dad, and Uncle Donald would have already been cured by Grams!” Jamie laughed
“Hmmm...Exorcism?” Rachel queried.
“Nope, Uncle Donald traveled to Germany for that one, it didn’t work, he made a mess of the monastery, but no one got hurt, well not badly.”
It seemed that all they did was run and read, Rachel was becoming melancholy, but she supposed that was why they were here... and it could be worse, she could be alone in this. At least she had someone here to talk to, and that had the same problem.
“Well conversion to Christianity is out, I’m already a Catholic.” Rachel laughed.
“Here’s another one from the Schleswig-Holstein area of Germany, call the werewolf by his Christian name three times and he will be a wolf no more. That one is out too. Well for a family of werewolves, I suppose it might work on you since you were bitten.” Jamie said in amusement.
“Hey its not my fault I wasn’t born one. Hey wait a minute... I didn’t want to be one in the first place. Next time I change... try that one on me!” Jamie almost fell out of his seat he laughed so hard. It was a good thing no one was on this floor with them to shush them, as most librarians do.
“Ouch, this one sounds painful... Piercing the hand with an iron nail right before transformation will stop the transformation from occurring. Doesn’t say if it stops it permanently though.” Jamie called out to Rachel as she went to the stacks to get another book.
“Put that one on the try on you first list.” She replied.
“Ewwww... here’s one for the origins notes... ‘If a woman has difficulty and pains during childbirth, if she stretches out the membrane that wraps a foal between 4 posts and walks through it while naked, she will be able to bear children with no pain, but her children shall be cursed. The boys will be werewolves, and the girls maras.’”
“That one could explain a family of werewolves like mine!” Jamie quickly reached for the appropriate notebook and jotted down the quote and the sour.
An hour passed and both read in silence. “This cure sounds simple enough, its of Sicilian belief and Arabic origins... ‘Tapping or Piercing the afflicted on the forehead three times will cure the man of his wolf tendencies.’”
“You can tap me on the forehead, but if that doesn’t work, you get to be pierced.” Rachel laughed as Jamie mimed stabbing someone’s head.
“Looks like that was the last text on the subject. Now what?” Rachel asked.
“Well looks like all the cures have to happen either when we are transforming, or when we are wolves, which means we are gonna need someone to help us.” Jamie answered as he packed up his notes.
“So now what?”
“Care to go home and meet my grandparents?”
“Huh?”
“Well we are gonna need help, and you don’t want your aunt or son involved. So, looks like our best bet is to go to my home, and get help there, unless there’s someone else you trust.”
“Oh, yea your absolutely right.” Rachel was thinking in a whole other direction. Like the meeting the parents thing that you do when you start dating someone.
“I don’t really like planes,” Jamie began, “but it will take to long to get home by ship, there’s a full moon coming up, and if we take the ship then we will change there on the ocean. I hope you don’t mind flying.”
“You took a boat here?” Rachel was blown back that anyone now a days would take a boat unless it was a cruise for vacation.
“Yea, but looks like its gotta be a plane back, unless we wanna stay here an extra week and a half, which would mean another month to go to wait to try the cures.”
“I don’t want to wait. Planes it is!”
“I’ll call the airlines and get us booked.”
Two days later they headed back to the airport for the long flights back to America. Grams and Pop’s met them at the Boston airport. They greeted Jamie as if he had been gone for years instead of a month. Immediately they liked Rachel and treated her as part of the family.
“Hope your don’t mind a long drive. Our tiny little island is about three hours north of here.” Harry said as he loaded Rachel’s bags into the truck.
“As long as you do the driving, its all good!” Rachel said as Jamie helped her into the back of the extended cab truck.
Rachel pushed herself away from the table as Belinda brought over a hot blueberry pie. “I couldn’t possibly, I am too stuffed.” Rachel said, while the men dug in.
“How about some ice cream to go with the pie Grams?” Jamie asked.
“I’ll get it,” Harry said as Belinda served out the pie.
“Are you sure you don’t want a slice Rachel?” Belinda held the pie plate next to Rachel’s plate.
“Absolutely positively certain. Maybe after while.” Rachel said with as smile.
“Alright t
hen.” Belinda wasn’t one to force, well not too much.
They talked until late that night. Jamie and Rachel taking turns filling in Jamie’s grandparents on everything that they had found. “I’d dare say, that you two are experts on the subject.” Belinda commented. She felt a bit left out, being the only human in the room, but that was okay, If it was her job to take care of this “pack” then so be it.
The week passed quickly, and Rachel settled into Jamie’s routine of running, and helping him do chores around the light house for his grandparents. They talked about their past, and of course the curse. Neither daring to approach the subject of the future, whether it would be together, as they both wanted, but didn’t vocalize.
Finally, the first full moon was to come since they arrival from Ireland. Jamie explained to Belinda what she would need to do while Belinda chained Harry in place, and Jamie chained Rachel in Dennis’s former area. Then Belinda locked Jamie’s chains.
“As soon as the change is done, tap me on the forehead three times with this knife. If that doesn’t work, I suppose we wait until tomorrow. The other ‘cure’ is piercing my hands with nails. I’d prefer if we didn’t have to do that, as it sounds rather painful. Oh, and just in case I get a bit nasty, here’s a muzzle. Slip it on as soon as I change.” Jamie handed his grandmother a new muzzle he had picked up at the pet store yesterday.
“Well I certainly hope no one walks in on this, would look bad for me don’t you think?” Belinda said as she looked over the