The Waking (The Upturned Hourglass) (24 page)

Shane narrowed her bright eyes. “Fine.” She stalked off ahead of them and entered the house. 

“What is her problem?” Jack muttered to himself, though Noah answered. Standing outside the car Noah was now wide awake thanks to Shane’s rude awakening.

“She doesn’t like change, Jack. Valie is changing everything for us. Can you blame her for being a little defensive of our way of life?”

“She gets to stay with her best friend for awhile. Doesn’t that count for something?” Jack sighed. 

“Oh that’s right,” Noah said unenthusiastically. “That means the only thing filling the fridge is blood.”

“O neg., to be precise,” a woman’s voice interjected as the foursome entered into the large living room. The heavy shutters on the windows were closed. In the far corner of the room, a single floor lamp dimly lit the interior. “And that isn’t true. I always keep some goodies around for you guys.”

“Hey, there, Max,” Jack greeted, a little less enthusiastically than his pack-mate. Maxine—Max for short—was a slender, leggy young woman with long, copper-colored hair, which hung straight down to her decidedly curvy hips. The pack had known Max for several years now, but she never looked a day over twenty—and she never would. It was obvious she’d been out on the town all night. In her black stilettos and slinky black dress, she was every guy’s fantasy. Tinkling silver bracelets ran up half the length of both arms. Max was striking and graceful, even for a Vampyre, and her tinkling bracelets seemed to mesmerize the eyes with her sinuous movements. Her dark, alluring makeup enhanced her angular features, and luscious red lipstick accentuated her full, enticing lips. Jack knew exactly what lay behind the mask of perfection, however—deadly fangs.

Max was surprised by the prize in his arms. “I didn’t know you were that kind of guy, Jack Haden. I thought you could get any girl to come back to your place without drugging them.”

Jack scowled at her. “I didn’t drug her, Maxine,” he growled.

“Easy boy; I didn’t mean any harm. Who is this child that she has the big bad wolf all out of sorts?” The Vampyre noticed his protective posture and her black-red eyes turned inquisitive.

“Her name is Valentine,” Shane replied and with a wave of a hand dismissed the girl’s presence.  Her tone made Valie name sound like yesterday’s fashion. “Sorry to impose, but we need to crash here for a little while.”

Max shrugged and accepted the momentary change of topic, but never took her shining, hawk-like eyes from the helpless girl tucked in Jack’s arms. Instinctively, Jack had the urge to back away, even though he knew Max to be harmless—well, for the most part.

“No problem. You all are always welcome.” She grinned exposing her needle-like fangs, fully extended.

“Have you fed recently?” Shane asked, seeming to read Jack’s thoughts. “You have a little blood right there.” She gestured with her fingers at the side of her own mouth.

“Yes. Oh, thanks.” Max mirrored Shane’s action, wiping away the tiny splotch of blood. Then, politely, she slowly retracted her fangs while wearing a diffident expression as if she had forgotten they were out. 

“Sorry.” The beautiful Vampyre directed her apology toward Jack.

He just nodded, still tense.

Maxine sighed, exasperated. “I’m not going to eat your pet, Jack.  You can set her down.”  Jack looked at Maxine skeptically. She rolled her crimson eyes. For some reason, Jack always liked it better when Vampyres wore contacts; it was less disconcerting. He would have to ask her to put some on with Valie around.

After another moment’s hesitation, Jack turned away and lay the sleeping girl on the long, oversized leather sofa. He arranged her limbs as best he could without appearing obsessive.

“She looks pretty out of it,” Max commented as she watched Jack’s performance. 

He didn’t respond.

“Are you staying here tonight or at the club?” Shane asked, once again distracting the Vampyre. Despite the differing species, these two were very good friends. She was really glad to see Max.

And the feeling was mutual, but Max hesitated for only an instant before she replied, “The club. I need to get to work early tonight. Besides, if the rest of your pack is going to be dropping by, then I really don’t want to stick around. It puts me on edge to sleep with them around.”

Isaac and the other members of their clan had never been fond of Maxine. They assumed the traditional, less-than-friendly werewolf attitude toward Vampyres and, despite Maxine’s lack of prejudice toward the opposing species, she did not want to push that deeply rooted boundary too far.

“Oh, they’re not. . .stopping by,” Shane murmured quietly, suddenly hesitant to speak.

Maxine didn’t fail to notice Shane’s nervous change in demeanor. She looked from face to face.  “What’s up?” When her friend wouldn’t meet her eyes, she looked at Jack for an answer. “What’s going on guys? You can tell me.”

Earnestly, Jack pled, “Not tonight, Max. Please. It’s been a very long couple of days and we’re all exhausted. Thank you so much for letting us crash here, but can we please talk later?” Jack needed some time to rest his body and mind before trying to tackle the ramifications of what exactly they had just done. Though, they were going to need all the friends they could get.

Max assessed the situation for
herself and knew that this story was going to be good—but she couldn’t press for more. Whatever Jack left out, Shane would tell her, anyway. The Vampyre slowly nodded in concession. “Alright, but only because the sun will be up in an hour or so.” She looked at Jack in mock disapproval. “I’m not giving up on that explanation, though. Visit the club tonight. It’s a mixer night, so you’ll be more welcome.” 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he responded, shaking his head tiredly.

The Vampyre waved goodbye as she waltzed silently out of the house—not even a stiletto-ed footstep heard—though the bracelets clinked merrily. One of these days, Jack would figure out how Vampyres walked like that, like ghosts.

When the door closed firmly, he turned to Shane. “Did you find any clothes?”  She glared and pouted.  Jack sighed.
“Never mind.  I’ll use some of my own. Will you at least watch her?”

Jack had almost forgotten Noah’s presence. Sitting next to Valie’s feet on the long couch, the young werewolf suddenly interjected, “Do you think we should take her to see
Jericho? She hasn’t woken up for hours.”

They all stared at the unconscious teen. “Not tonight. Besides, none of us are in any condition to
do
anything. We’ve been up for what? Three, four days straight? We need rest badly; honestly, I think Valie’s got the right idea.”

“Then, you think she’s just sleeping.” Noah’s mouth opened wide in a noisy yawn.

Jack nodded. “Yes. She hasn’t had an easy couple of days. I’ll take her to Jericho later today if she doesn’t wake up on her own by morning.”

When he finished speaking, he glanced at Noah. Already, the boy had fallen asleep on the
couch, his head tilted back, mouth wide open.

Jack chuckled.

“He’s tired,” Shane pointed out, her eyes starting to droop slightly.

“We all are,” Jack replied. He stretched, his arms reaching up toward the high ceiling. “Go get some sleep, Shane. I get the feeling we’re going to need it.” 

For a brief moment, the blonde beauty turned her sad blue eyes on him, her misery apparent from the tears welling in the corners.

Jack shook his head in regret as he spoke. “I know. I know and I’m so sorry. Just go get some sleep, okay? It’ll help. I swear we’ll figure this out.”

Shane looked away, her gaze falling first on Noah and then lingering on Valie. “I’m not sure anything will,” she whispered, and walked down the hallway into her own room on the left and softly closed the door.

Jack dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubbed hard. Who was he kidding? This was not working out the way he had planned. He
had
no plan. It all seemed so clear twenty-four hours ago, but at this point he was completely out of his league, and worse than that, he had taken his friends with him. Now they were depending on him. Now he was a leader. What a joke! They looked to him to guide them when he couldn’t even see the way. Why had he done this?

Jack caught himself looking longingly down at Valie, her lips parted sweetly in restful sleep, but he shook himself and returned to the business at hand. The poor girl still needed fresh clothes. He went into his own room on the opposite side of the main room and fumbled around for a clean shirt and pajama pants. The clothes would swallow the slender girl, but at least they were warm and dry.

As Jack reentered the living room with the clothes, he was confronted with a new dilemma.

Idiot,
he thought to himself.             

Jack had assumed Shane would help change the girl’s clothing. Certainly, werewolves had no inhibitions with each other about their physiques, neither in wolf or human form. Transformation took place constantly, both privately and publicly.
But Valie? Somehow, he didn’t think that her easy acceptance of the wolf in her included a state of undress, in Jack’s presence at least. Would Valie forgive him if he undressed her, even if it were for her own good?

No.

Jack padded over to Shane’s room and rapped on the door.

The door opened quickly enough.  The pretty blond stood there in her underwear, a toothbrush suspended in her mouth. Jack was used to seeing Shane this way. She was his sister.

“Whaya wahnt?”

He held up the clothes. Shane rolled her baby blue eyes.

“Please?”

Without a word, she walked back into the bedroom. He could hear a spitting noise and the running of the faucet before she reappeared.

“You owe me.”

“Yes.”

“Big time.”

“Yes.”

She sighed and grabbed the clothes.

Politely, Jack waited in his own room, and took a few minutes to clean himself up a little. He hadn’t a second thought about the unconscious Noah being in the room with the girls. The boy was like a rock when he slept.

Finally, Shane entered Jack’s room unceremoniously with Valie’s damp clothes in her hands. In one motion, she tossed them at Jack and turned to leave.

“Your clothes look ridiculous on her,” she informed him as she passed through the door.
“But at least their dry. She
was
still sort of cold.” Even that small hint of benevolence in Shane’s voice stunned Jack into silence. Maybe she wouldn’t resent Valentine forever. Jack walked back into the living room to check on the girl. He found her wrapped snugly in two new blankets.  

No. Not forever.

EXPLANATIONS

Jack took first watch until the sun rose a few hours later. He couldn’t just assume that Isaac hadn’t traced their movements. Valie was too dangerous to him. No, Jack knew the old Lycan—or he thought he did. 

But the day passed uneventfully. The young werewolf paced constantly throughout the morning, almost falling asleep on his feet several times. At some point, Valie became fitful, tossing and turning in her sleep which caused him worry that she was having nightmares.  A part of the boy ached to reassure her that everything was alright, but what was he to do? She didn’t trust him.

When the sun rose and began to ascend to its full height, Jack was practically dead on his feet. He woke the slumbering Noah and asked him to take the next watch which the boy, upon seeing Jack’s bedraggled state, quickly agreed to.

Wandering into his room, Jack crashed on his bed with a dull thud. He was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow.

A strong hand shook Jack roughly awake.  He knocked it away.

“Jack!” the voice intruded on his consciousness. “Jack! Wake up.”

It was Noah.

“What?” he asked gruffly.
Squinting his eyes open reluctantly, he found Noah standing directly over him.

Jack looked around, still disoriented.
One benefit to being a werewolf?  One never needed a clock or watch—werewolves could sense time almost to the second without the use of even a shadow.  That’s how Jack knew it was too late in the day; Noah had let him sleep longer than he’d intended.

“Valie’s awake,” Noah declared.

That was all Jack needed to hear. He was up and dressed in a flash.

“Can I go back to sleep now?” the younger asked tiredly. Jack almost laughed. Noah had only been on watch for a few hours.

“Sure,” he replied, as he hurriedly followed his pack-mate out of the room.