The Keeping

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Oh this is just great. I’m locked in a room with a wannabe wolf-boy and some psycho lawyer is trying to ‘persuade’ me to hand over a report about said wolf-boy.”

  “Stop with the wolf-boy crap and get rid of the attitude.” Ryne felt his patience wearing thin. It had never been one of his strong points, and Melody’s mocking was stretching it to the limits. “This situation is serious. A lot of lives are at stake, not just ours, and we don’t have that much time before that fucking Aldrich returns. There are werewolves. I’m one. You are becoming one and Aldrich wants that report so he can find other packs and do God only knows what to them.”

  His tone of voice caught her attention and she sobered. “You really believe this stuff, don’t you?”

  “Not only do I believe it, I live it, every day. And soon you will, too.” He saw her open her mouth to comment but headed her off with stern words. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’ll do a little demo. You will not scream or pass out or do anything else clichéd. You will sit, watch and then we’ll discuss the situation in a calm, rational manner. Got it?”

  She nodded and Ryne couldn’t help but allow a fleeting smile at the way she just shut up and listened when he went into Alpha mode. Damn, but that made for a nice change. Stepping back, he brought forth his wolf. Around him, the air seemed to shimmer, his vision temporarily blurred, then just as quickly, it cleared and he was looking up at Melody’s gaping face. He couldn’t help but give a delighted yip and wag of his tail at being able to rub her face in her disbelief. However, the situation was too serious to spend time on such childish actions. Quickly, he transformed back and sat back down.

  “Wow.”

  He raised his eyebrows at her bland response and waited expectantly for further comment. When none came, he frowned. “That’s it? Just ‘wow?’ No questions? No ‘how’d you do that?’”

  “Oh, I have questions. Lots and lots of questions. Like, what kind of drug did you or Aldrich slip me? And why? I mean, sure you might have this fantasy life thing about werewolves, but why do you have to drag me into it?”

  Ryne growled in frustration. “You weren’t drugged. You really did see me change into a wolf and as for why I’m dragging you into this… well… you’re becoming a werewolf, too.”

  “Right.” She snorted. Her disbelief was obvious and irritated him no end.

  “Think about it! You’ve been inexplicably ill for the past few days—”

  “It’s not inexplicable. It’s from the cut on my arm.”

  “Well, the cut was part of it, but didn’t you notice how quickly it healed? And haven’t you wondered why, if the cut is gone, that area of your arm is still sensitive? And what about the fevers that come and go? Or what about this—have you been hearing voices in your head?”

  That one got to her. Ryne noticed how she paled at the mention of voices. So her wolf had been awakening and trying to make itself known. She probably thought she was losing her mind. Little wonder she was in denial right now. Melody probably thought her grip on sanity was rapidly slipping away and she was fighting it tooth and nail. The thought of her distress softened his attitude towards her. He inched closer and spoke softly.

  “It was an accident. A freaky accident that mixed my blood with yours and awakened some hidden werewolf genes in your system.”

  “I don’t have werewolf genes—” There was a touch of anger in her tone that let Ryne know he might be getting through to her.

  “I beg to differ. Somewhere in your family tree there must be a werewolf; maybe a parent or a grandparent.” Melody started to speak but then paused and seemed to be thinking. Good, at least she wasn’t totally rejecting the idea. He pressed his advantage. “The genes might have stayed dormant for your entire life and you would have shown only trace characteristics, if you hadn’t become involved with me.”

  “Trace characteristics?” She spoke distractedly and Ryne wasn’t really sure how much she was taking in, or if she was in shock and just operating on autopilot. He suspected the latter. Whichever it was, he didn’t have time to waste and ploughed onward delivering even more information.

  “Trace characteristics include better than normal eyesight, acute hearing, and sensitivity to smells. A strong immune system—I bet you were hardly ever sick as a child and never visited the doctor.” He watched carefully and caught her slight flinch. “There’s also a tendency to instinctively submit to alpha personalities even when you don’t want to and you tilt your head a bit to the side exposing your throat… ”

  Ryne could tell her mind was racing, sifting through past incidents that had seemed trivial at the time, but in the light of the information he was delivering, became significant.

  Mel gave a short laugh, shook her head, and rubbed her temples with her fingers. She seemed to be talking to herself. “This is just so weird. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. I am awake, aren’t I? It’s not just another dream, is it? Because sometimes I have these really real dreams. There was this one about wolves and then the wolf became a man and… ” She stopped and blushed.

  Ryne knew exactly what dream she was talking about and tried hard to keep a straight face. Somehow he didn’t feel this was the time for confessions of that nature. “We’re awake. It’s not a dream. You haven’t been drugged. Now listen while I explain… ”

  Chapter 36

  “Cassandra! I told you to stay away from the windows. It’s still light out and the sunshine could bring on another migraine.” Greyson stood in the doorway, looking at the young woman who occupied the upper room in the west wing of his mansion. Her dark hair was pulled back in a long braid, revealing the paleness of her skin. Her cheeks were slightly sunken and dark shadows showed under her eyes. He tried to not let his worry show.

  “I’m sorry, Uncle. It’s just such a sunny day, I thought it would be nice to go outside.” She obediently moved back and let the heavy velvet curtains fall shut.

  Greyson stepped into the room and gently took her by the elbow, leading her back to bed. “In a few more days, when the danger of another migraine has passed, you can go outside. Did you take your medication? I’m surprised to see you awake.”

  She looked up at him with a tentative smile. “I forgot.”

  He cupped her cheek, noting the stark difference between his gnarled hand and her soft youthful skin. She was such a beauty, just like her mother. “You know what the doctor said. Prevention is the key. It’s a monthly treatment; five days of pills and then you’re fine for the rest of the month.”

  Cassandra reached out and squeezed his hand before stepping away. “I know. It’s just… ” She blushed. “Maybe I should see another doctor.”

  “Doctor Friedrich is the finest physician money can buy. You know what he told you. Every girl’s body is different. This is how you react to the monthly changes—”

  “All right, Uncle! Stop, just stop.” Her face was flushed with embarrassment. “I’ll take the darn pill. Anything to keep from having this conversation again.”

  “Cassandra, I’ve known you since you were a baby—.”

  “But I’m not a baby anymore. And my bodily functions aren’t a subject I wish to discuss with you.”

  Greyson chuckled. “Of course. At seventeen, you’re so very, very old.”

  “Almost eighteen.”

  “I stand corrected.” He kept his voice even, resisting the urge to chuckle. Ah, the young. Always wishing to be older.

  “Old enough to want some privacy in certain areas.” She folded her arms and pouted.

  “And you shall have it, once you take your pill and get back in bed.” Greyson kept his voice gentle, but firm. For a moment, she stared at him defiantly and he noted how the green in her eyes darkened when she was upset. After a moment, she looked away, sighing.

  “One of these days… ” She muttered under her breath and she went to the bedside table, swallowing the disputed medication.

  He nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll be
back to check on you later. Rest, like you’re supposed to.”

  “That’s all I can do when I’m on these pills. They make me so sleepy and I have the strangest dreams.”

  “An unfortunate side effect, but well worth the benefits achieved.”

  Cassandra stuck her tongue out at him, but quickly changed the childish reaction to a grin, she hopped into bed and picking up a book.

  Greyson closed the door and rested his palm on the handle for a moment while shaking his head. She was a minx, but the light of his life. Who would have thought that a crusty old man such as himself would have been blessed with the care of one such as her? He smiled reminiscently, thinking of the joy she’d brought him over the years.

  At first, he’d been unsure of how to handle the tot, but with the help a few trusted employees, he’d muddled through. He made sure Cassandra had the finest of everything; clothing, private tutors, individualized lessons for sports and art, vacations around the world… And all along, he’d managed to keep her out of the public eye. Only a few hand-picked employees interacted with her; she always travelled separately from him. It had worked perfectly until two years ago. Then, as she approached adulthood, he found that he needed to have a closer hand in her supervision. Unfortunately, even this situation wouldn’t work for much longer, and then what?

  He wanted her to remain an innocent, naive little girl as long as possible, but she was tugging at the reins, becoming headstrong, questioning… Even taking her medication was becoming a source of friction. He grimaced. The nurse should have been watching her more closely. Who knows what could happen, if Cassandra missed a dose?

  Letting go of the handle, he strode down the hallway, in search of the nurse. He’d have to remind the woman that if she didn’t carry out her duties any better than this, then she might have to be… dismissed.

  *****

  Cassandra listened to her uncle’s retreating footsteps and then grinned. She reached into her mouth and pulled the hated pill out from its location between her cheek and gum. There was a nasty taste in her mouth since it had partially dissolved. Rats! Her plans to make it through the cycle un-medicated were going sadly awry.

  The nurse her uncle hired never left the room until at least half an hour after each pill was taken. Obviously the woman was suspicious and wanted to ensure that even if her charge did manage to keep from swallowing the pill, it would dissolve in her mouth. It was only by surreptitiously resetting the clocks and ‘accidentally’ breaking the woman’s watch, that Cassie had managed to get her out of the room believing that there was still an hour before medication time. She’d planned on flushing the pill down the toilet and then claiming she’d taken it on her own when the nurse returned. Unfortunately, her uncle had appeared first and Cassie had never been able to lie to the man. Well, at least she wouldn’t be quite as muzzy headed as usual.

  Not for the first time did she wonder about the mysterious migraines everyone insisted that she had. Honestly, she couldn’t recall being sick the first time it happened, but apparently she had been, for suddenly her uncle had her meeting with a doctor who talked in medical babble, gave her a few cursory pokes and prods and then issued instructions for monthly treatments.

  She didn’t have many friends and there was really no one to talk to about the situation, but her research on the internet led her to believe that something wasn’t normal. She’d started her monthly cycles quite late for modern females—just around her sixteenth birthday. And strangely enough, they only occurred every three months, with only minor spotting in between. Migraines could accompany menstruation, but the medications she took made her almost comatose, too groggy to do anything and strangely unaware of what was going on around her. Somehow, that just didn’t seem right.

  Dr. Friedrich, in her estimation, wasn’t much of a doctor either. He hadn’t really examined her. Not that she wanted him too—the man gave her the creeps—but looking in her eyes and ears and poking her stomach through her clothing really couldn’t give him much of an idea as to her internal functions, could it?

  Cassie knew her uncle loved her and spared no expense when it came to her care, but… Something wasn’t right and she was determined to figure out what it was. Her first step was supposed to be going without her medication, but so far that wasn’t working. Still, she’d managed to avoid most of this dose. Hopefully, she’d be able to figure out a way to miss the next one as well.

  Cocking her head to the side, she listened carefully. Good. No one was coming. She climbed out of bed and made her way to the window. Carefully easing the curtain aside, she took a peek. What was happening at the small hut near the back of the property? Earlier in the day, a car had been there and her uncle’s lawyer had carried something inside. Then her uncle had talked to Mr. Aldrich for awhile and the man had left, leaving the bundle behind. Her curiosity was piqued and she longed to sneak out and see what was going on.

  She chuckled, thinking about how her ‘spying abilities’ had served her in the past. Uncle tried to keep her sheltered from the world and his life, but she knew more than he suspected. For example, she knew about Mr. Aldrich even though Mr. Aldrich knew nothing of her. She’d spied on several of their meetings, not really understanding what was going on, but enjoying the trick she was playing on them. As of late, her spying wasn’t so much a game as a desire for knowledge. There was a mystery surrounding her very existence and she was determined to find out what it was.

  *****

  Melody had listened in stunned disbelief as Ryne spouted information about werewolves, the mixing of body fluids and genetic heritage. It was preposterous of course. Her father, whoever and wherever he might be, wasn’t a werewolf. Her mother and grandparents weren’t either. Nor was she turning into one. Yet, Ryne sounded so sincere and there was the weird hallucination she’d just had where he’d changed into a wolf… She’d pinched herself several times, trying to wake herself up, but of course that only worked in fiction.

  The whole situation made her head spin, and she was starting to ache all over again. If he said another word on the topic, she was sure she’d scream. She leaned her head back against the wall. “Ryne, stop it. Please. I can’t take any more of this.”

  Immediately he stopped the pacing around the room that he’d been doing while lecturing her. Sitting beside her, he felt her forehead. “You’re pale and getting fevered again.”

  “Yeah. This infection or ’flu or whatever—”

  “I already told you what it was. Your body is undergoing changes at the cellular level.” He sounded almost angry with her that she didn’t believe his tall tale.

  She licked her lips, suddenly too tired to argue. “Sure. Whatever. I hurt. My head is swimming. Even my vision is blurring.”

  Ryne suddenly gripped her shoulders and made her sit up straight. “Blurred vision? Any tingling?”

  Melody frowned and thought about it. “A bit. My hands and feet.”

  “That’s a sign that you’re about to transform. Fight it! Don’t give in. It’s too dangerous for you to shift yet. Your body isn’t ready.”

  “Fight it? Fight what? And how?”

  “It’s a full moon tonight. Like I was telling you, the moon has an effect on us. The younger you are, or the closer you are to your first change, the greater the pull. You have to hold off as long as possible until your body is able to handle it.”

  “Easy for you to say. How do you propose I do that?” Mel bit her lip as a wave of sensation swept over her. It was strange, like someone was pouring sand all over her, bringing to awareness nerve endings she’d never realized existed.

  “Concentrate on being human. Think about your body as it is in a human state; how it feels and moves. Don’t focus on the tingling, that will only quicken the transformation.”

  As soon as Ryne said to not think about it, her traitorous mind began to concentrate on nothing else. The strange feelings slowly began to build inside her. Her limbs began to tremble.

  “Melody!” Ryne gave he
r a shake. “I said don’t think about it!”

  “I’m trying, but I need a distraction! When you say don’t think about, I can’t help but think about it.”

  “Fine.” He made a rumbling sound and the next thing Mel knew, she was in his arms, his lips locked on hers. At first, she stiffened in surprise, but then as he slid his tongue over hers, she began to relax, kissing him in return. The sensations that had been crawling up her arms and legs faded from awareness as Ryne caressed her back.

  Mmm, it felt so good to have his warm, hard body pressed close, to have his tongue stroking hers while his hand cupped her breast. She inhaled the scent of him, the taste of him, the rumbling sound in his chest… Mel popped her eyes open. Rumbling, growling… The wolf by the river… The paw prints around her cabin… !

  She pulled her mouth from his and pushed him away. “You’re a wolf!”

  “Yeah. I’m a werewolf. That’s what I’ve been telling you.” He moved to pull her close again, but she braced her hands on his chest.

  “No. I mean you really are a wolf; a furry, four legged, howling-at-the-moon wolf!”

  “So?”

  “I saw you. At the river. And those were your paw prints around my cabin. And… Oh my God! You snuck into my cabin one night, didn’t you?” When he looked away, she shrieked and hit him. “Pervert!”

  Ryne winced and covered his ears. “Hey! No screaming. My ears are sensitive.”

  “But you molested me in my sleep.” She smacked him again and he caught her hands holding them to his chest.

  “I just stopped by to check on you because you’d hit your head. I didn’t like the idea of you being by yourself, but when I arrived, you were having a bad dream. My wolf sort of took over and tried to offer you some comfort.”

  “Comfort! Is that what you call it?” She struggled against him, glaring. “I could have you arrested! And don’t give me any of that ‘he made me do it’ stuff. That’s so juvenile.”

  “When you’re wolf is fully formed, you’ll be amazed at what it can do, if you don’t keep it under control.”