A Month with Werewolves (5 page)

“Do you mind?” I asked, holding up the
camera.

“No, ma'am.” Devon shook his head. “Let me
know what you want me to do so that you can get the best
pictures.”

I maneuvered his arm so that I could
photograph the entire wound. The sheer size of it never ceased to
amaze me.

“I bet you were absolutely horrified when you
got attacked,” I commented.

“Oh, I was. Scariest moment of me life,
ma'am. The damn thing was huge. It still blows my mind that I
transform into something that hideous and menacing. I mean, can you
imagine, lil' ol' me, a big scary mean werewolf?” Devon batted his
eyes in exaggeration, and I found it a bit disturbing.

I leaned back, releasing his arm to him. “So,
tell me exactly what happened the night you were bitten. It did
happen at night, did it not? Werewolves can only transform during
the full moon.”

“That's correct, ma'am,” he said and then
quickly cleared his throat before beginning his story. “I was
watching a Big Bang Theory marathon.” Devon snorted as if he
thought I'd find his geekiness amusing. “The dogs were making an
awful racket outside. I was home by myself. You see, my parents
were out to dinner. It was a Friday night.” A nervous look crept
across his tanned face as he backtracked over the details he
thought I wanted to know. “I tried to ignore them. You see, we
lived out in the country, so the dogs tended to fuss anytime a
raccoon or a possum would come into our yard. Finally, I heard one
of the dogs yelp. It was Bessie. She was my favorite.” Concern
filled his eyes as he stared blankly at my notebook, reliving the
event in his head. “I ran to the backdoor to peer outside, and this
ginormous wolf had her in its mouth. I can still remember the
bastard. All white, with glowing red eyes, huge bloody fangs . . .
and my dog, crying in its jaws, being crushed to death.”

Devon's eyes darted back up to me, wiping
away the vivid memory before it caused him to tear. “I know I look
like a coward, but in that moment, all that mattered to me was
saving my dog's life.” He shook his head. “When I think about it
now, it was a stupid decision. She was already dead. I mean, I
could see her tongue hanging out from the side of her mouth, blood
dripping down from her muzzle. One of the beast's teeth was planted
deep into her gut. It was a lost cause. But I was so emotionally
overwhelmed that I knew I would feel guilty for the rest of my life
if I didn't try to do something to save her. I mean, isn't that
what any good dog owner would do?” The look he gave me was
questioning, so I just nodded.

To be honest, I couldn't even imagine what I
would have done in that situation. Outside your window, you see a
great beast mauling your beloved pet, but you already know it's too
late. Do you stay inside your house and keep safe? Or do you
bravely try to save your pet? It would definitely be a tough call
for an animal lover.

“Did you know it was a werewolf?” I
asked.

“Yes . . . and no,” Devon replied softly,
returning to the memory. “I think, at the time, I knew it was but
hoped that it wasn't. I hoped it was just a really big dog. You
see, there aren't no wolves in Texas. Wildcats are our only large
natural predator.” He looked down at his fingernails, pulling off a
piece of dead skin and tossing it to the floor without regard for
the fact that I was watching him. “It was stupid. Dogs don't get
that big. No breed gets that big.”

“What happened next?”

A short laugh escaped Devon's lips. “I
grabbed a broom by the door and ran outside, screaming and flailing
my arms wildly. The wolf looked up at me, and he dropped the dog.”
He slowed down in thought. “I didn't even have time to raise the
broom at him before he was on me. All I remember was fur and saliva
and pain. Its hot breath on my face. Apparently, I shielded my face
with my arm, and that's how he got me. I thought I was a goner. But
no sooner than he grabbed me did he let me go. I remember when he
stepped away from me, that the moon was disappearing behind the
clouds. It must have affected him somehow, otherwise I think I
would be dead. He would have finished me off. I know he would
have.” Devon sighed. “My parents came home to find me bleeding to
death on the lawn. I was so in shock that I couldn't muster up the
courage to move. They took me to the hospital, and after I was
released, I was brought here. Bessie died. But Mocha, our black
lab, was saved. I truly believe that the monster would have killed
him next had I not gone out there.”

I watched as a solemn smile crossed his face,
wondering how accurate that last statement was. Surely, telling
himself he had saved the other dog's life gave some validity to his
actions though, and I dare not take that away from him.

“And what of the werewolf that bit you?” I
asked.

“Never found.” Devon shook his head. “Did you
know that for every werewolf in captivity, there's said to be at
least three more roaming free?”

“No, I didn't know that.”

“You probably came in here thinking that the
reservation would be full of attackers and victims, that everyone
would be filled with resentment towards each other, but the truth
is that there are only three pairs in here that can be linked
together in such a way. Everyone else that has been turned, either
their attacker or lover was never found, they were murdered, or
they commit suicide.” Devon's expression was as grim as death, and
I could tell that he was on the verge of losing his composure.

“I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what it's
like to contract the disease. It must take an immense emotional
toll on a person.”

“It does.”

“What all did you leave behind when you were
sent to the reservation?”

“As in possessions?” He looked confused for a
moment. “No, you mean people. I left behind my parents and an older
brother, two dogs . . . I mean, one dog, and some fish.”

“No girlfriend?”

“No.” Devon's face sulked a bit. “I've never
been particularly popular with the ladies.”

That was certainly not an issue I wanted to
tackle. Moving on. “How do you feel about the reservation in terms
of how you were treated when you first got here, the detainment
process in the compound, how you were integrated into the pack,
becoming omega, and how you feel about pack life now that you've
been here for a while?”

He laughed nervously. “Wow, that's a whole
lot of questions rolled up into one. Let's see. Naturally, I didn't
like the detainment process. I mean, who does? Being stuck in
solitary for a month and then having your testicles snipped.”

I couldn't help but smirk at the way he said
it, as if they had castrated him instead of giving him a vasectomy.
It was no laughing matter though, and I did my best to keep my
amusement to myself.

“None of us will ever father children now,
you know?” he told me.

I nodded in reply.

“I mean, sure, vasectomies are reversible,
but only if you haven't had them for a long time. After a few
years, it's almost impossible to reverse them. I wanted children
someday. I think it's one of the worst parts of the process. It
makes you feel like some dog, you know? Like some fucking pet,
neutered and stuck inside a giant dog park,” Devon's voice elevated
and then softened almost as quickly. “I'm sorry that I cursed.”

“It's alright. I can certainly understand
your anger.”

Sensing that I didn't mind this sudden change
in him, Devon continued with his angsty rant. “And those fucking
pricks Emmett and Rick. They act all friendly to your face,
especially when you first get here. They'll show you around and be
nice. But behind your back.” He shook his head, and I could feel
the anger building around him, waning when he looked back up at me.
“Again, I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk about them like that around
you.”

“No. Please, don't stop. I want to know
everything about how you feel. Everything you say to me in this
room is confidential.”

“Until someone reads that report.” Devon
looked to my notebook.

“I'm not going to let anyone in here read
what is written in this notebook. I promise.”

“How are you going to stop them? There are no
locks on the doors. And don't think that the people in here won't
want to know what you wrote down about them. Mark my words, by the
end of your stay here, someone will have their hands on that
notebook without your permission. Don't trust these people, Ms.
Raveen. They are not your friends,” the seriousness in his words
took me by surprise.

Devon was staring directly into my eyes, the
nervous twitches completely gone from his body as he drove his
point home. This was a warning, and for the first time ever, I felt
what I feared I would feel all along before coming here. It wasn't
safe. All the happiness around me was a charade to keep me content
and fooled.

“Are you my friend?” I asked cautiously.

“I don't know.” He shrugged. “I could be. But
for now, I'm just your guide.”

“I would like to be your friend.”

“And I would like to get out of here, as
would the rest of us. Only time will tell if that will ever
happen.”

The tension in the room seemed to build with
each word that left Devon's mouth, and I suddenly felt unwelcome.
Still, it was important to finish up my interview so that I could
have at least one out of the way.

“Does everyone secretly hate it here?” I
questioned.

“No, not everyone.” His answer surprised me.
“Some have flourished here, like Emmett and Margaret and Terry and
Rick. Some think that life here is better than on the outside. But
those are few and far between. A few flourish. Most just tolerate
this life . . . and there are a few that absolutely detest it,
unable to cope with their loss.”

“Do you think that you detest it more because
you're an omega?”

“Probably,” Devon admitted. “No one likes to
be the one served a shit sandwich every day of their life. It sucks
because I get picked on a lot. In fact, in this made-up werewolf
society, it's encouraged to pick on the omega. Not like in your
world where there are anti-bullying laws. That makes my shitty life
all the more shitty. To be honest, I was never happier when they
said they were going to bring you on, not because I gave a shit
about escorting you around, but because I knew no one else would
want to do it, and that meant I got out of shit scooping duty for
an entire month. So, even if I do end up omega again after the
hierarchy trials, I'll at least have a few more weeks of easy
living. Plus, when I'm by your side, the pack has been instructed
not to bully me. In essence, you're pretty much like a one-month
vacation for me.”

While I should have been offended by what
Devon was saying, I couldn't help but sympathize with his position.
He certainly had it a lot harder than the other werewolves and was
fully entitled to his bitterness.

“Then I would have you by my side at all
times.” I smiled at him, feeling a strong need to protect him from
the cruelty of the other wolves.

Devon's expression softened, and he returned
my gesture with a grin. “You must think I'm a real asshole
now.”

“No. The exact opposite, actually. I
appreciate your honesty. It's rather refreshing.”

“I can only be a puppet for so long, and not
very long, apparently. Just please, don't let word get out about
what I've told you. Remember that when you leave, things return to
normal for me, and I wouldn't want them to get any worse than they
already are.”

“I won't say a word.”

“And try to avoid writing anything negative
in that notebook of yours. It could make things harder for you
during your stay here. Keep the bad stuff to memory, and put it in
your report once you leave this place.”

“I appreciate the advice.”

“Well, despite my words, I would like for
your stay here to be pleasant.”

It was strange how much Devon had changed
since we had begun the interview. At first, he had been jittery and
annoying, but now, he seemed just as calm and intelligent as most
of the other people I had met on the reservation.

With the vast majority of my questions
answered, I decided to take my leave. Despite having told Devon
that he could follow me wherever I went, I knew that he would not
want to follow me to my next interview. After lunch, I would be
taking Emmett for a one on one, and I was very interested to see
how the story and outlook of the alpha were different from that of
the omega.

To further support this author, please post a
review after you finish reading this book.

To find out when K. Matthew has new books
available and to be informed of free promotions being run by this
author, please sign up for the newsletter.

K. Matthew's
Newsletter

Other Serials

A Month with Werewolves

A Week with Werewolves

A Day with Werewolves

A Night with Werewolves

A Life with Werewolves

A Love with Werewolves

With Werewolves Novels

A Month with Werewolves (A With
Werewolves Novel, Book 1)

A Spy with Werewolves (A With
Werewolves Novel, Book 2)