The Wolfs Maine (9 page)

Then out of nowhere something comes straight through the window and right at Nicholas and knocks him off of me.  I gasp for air as I am now free.  Trying to regain my composure I look up but my vision is still blurry.  All I see is something that looks like an animal attacking Nicholas, a big animal.  It begins to remind me of the wolf I saw outside the club except before it was gentle now it was a beast trying to rip Nicholas to shreds but Nicholas wasn't having it.  I've never seen him fight off anything let alone an animal like this.  As my vision cleared it did look exactly like the wolf I saw that night.  Same figure, same coloring, but vicious.   The wolf got a few bites in before Nicholas threw it across the room and then they both stood and looked at each other. 

Something was urging me to go to the wolf and not run for my life.  Why on Earth would I do that?  I started to walk towards the wolf and it looked at me with those eyes and snarled like it was telling me to stay back.  Nicholas looked over at me with an evil grin like he knew he had already won. 

"Yes Ava. Listen to him. Stay where you are. I'll be right over and I will pick up where I left off. Is this the creature you love dear Ava?"  What was he talking about?  That obviously flicked a switch for the wolf because he pounced at Nicholas, I should have been terrified but I wasn't.  I was more worried for Nicholas because the wolf looked like he could not be stopped. He was there to kill Nicholas just as Nicholas was there to kill me.  You could just see murder in both of their eyes.  I knew it was time for me to go. 

I saw my cell across the room so I grabbed it and ran out the front door.  I would call someone as soon as I got somewhere safer, somewhere a good distance away from this house.  I just did not want to know the outcome of what was happening.  Either the wolf was going to kill Nicholas and I would be free or Nicholas would kill the wolf and come after me.  I had to get somewhere he couldn't find me.  I got to my car and in the driver’s seat before I realized I had no keys.  That's just great.  So it was time to run even though I was barefoot I could hopefully get somewhere so I could call Jaci. 

I ran through the trees thinking and hoping I was going to right direction.  By now it was pitch black outside, it was so hard to see anything.  I thought I saw the road just up ahead.  I could get up there and call Jaci to come pick me up.  Just then I heard something behind me.  I couldn't help but pray it wasn't Nicholas.  I don't r
eally know if I want it to be the wolf either but for some reason I felt safer with the wolf idea.  

Chapter Eight

I turned slowly, scared to death to know what I was turning around to see.  It was either going to be Nicholas or a wolf that just killed him.  There was no way I was coming out of this unharmed. I turned but I didn't see anything.  I knew I felt something or someone behind me or maybe I'm just freaking out and imagining things. I begin to turn back around when I hear something. I swing around and still nothing until I look down and I see someone lying on the ground naked and bleeding so I bend over slowly to check. It's definitely not Nicholas; this man’s hair was much darker.  I move the hair away from his eyes and realize its John!  John was lying in front of me completely naked, curled up in a ball with cuts and scrapes all over him; he looked like he had just been through a war. 

"John! Oh my God! John!"  How was I going to help him?  I couldn't carry him. I lifted my cell phone and began to dial 911 but no signal.  I had to get him help and fast.  Just then I heard rustling like someone running towards us.  It can't be Nicholas; the man would kill us both.  I had no idea what to do other than sit down in front of John and pray.  Before I knew it a man was rushing towards me, it was Michael. 

"Michael! What are you doing here?"  Why I asked I'll never know. 

"I sensed something was going on and then I called John twice and he didn't answer. It's not like him not to answer at least the second time I call so I came to the first place I could think of."  He immediately bent down to examine John, looking him over carefully.  He was checking his head,
his back, his arms, his chest.  Once satisfied he looked over at me. 

"John will be fine Avalon. Are you okay?" 

"No. I'm not okay. I'm freaking out."  I couldn't stop shaking.

"I don't know what the hell is going on anymore! Why is John here? Why are you here? Why was there a wolf trying to kill
Nicholas in my house? Not that I'm not grateful but it just doesn't make any sense."  Michael was up and in front of me in the blink of an eye then he put my hands in his own. 

"Avalon, everything is going to be fine.  I need you to stop freaking out just for right now.  All your questions will be answered very soon but right now we need to get John somewhere safe.  Nicholas could very well still be fine and could head this direction any second.  Let’s get you and John to his house and then we'll begin with your questions once everyone has rested."  I don't know if it was the warmth of his hands or the calmness in his eyes but I immediately calmed down and thought about John.  We needed to get him somewhere safe, especially if Nicholas is still out here. 

"Okay Michael but how are we going to get him anywhere?  He's hurt and not to mention naked. I tried calling for help but I don't have a signal."  Michael bent down to John then began to lift him up into his strong arms.  There was no way he was going to try to carry John was there? Michael picked John up like he was nothing.

"No worries Avalon.  My car is just up the way, past those trees."  He nodded towards the road I was headed for. 

"But you can't carry John the entire way." 

"Yes I can, i
f we go now."  Michael started walking and I could hear him talking to John. 

"You are one lucky bastard that I drove my car this time."  I had no idea what Michael was talking about.
What did he mean by ‘
this time’
? 

He surely wouldn't have run the whole way here.  Men and their stupid inside jokes.
We made it to Michael’s car; he placed John in the back very carefully and then opened the passenger side door for me.  I looked back at John to make sure he was okay as Michael got in the car and started to drive away. 

The further away we got the better I felt.  Nicholas would have no idea where John lives so we would be safe there.  We could get to Johns house and I could help him heal.  How on Earth did he get hurt so badly?  Had he gone to the house and tried to fight Nicholas or fight off the wolf and why was he naked? I had so many questions running through my head and nothing I could think of made any sense. 

Right now I would just focus on getting John well then I'm sure he could tell me everything.  I look over at Michael knowing damn well he wasn't going to answer my questions before John could so I just looked ahead as he drove.

It had to be midnight by now.  It was completely dark with no life in sight.  With the street lights on you couldn't even see the stars which was a shame because those were my favorite part about night time.  I always preferred night anyway, not sure why.  There was just something calming about the night. Everyone was usually asleep and/or tucked away in their homes, very little cars were on the road, and it was just quiet.  Michael looked over at me; I could tell he was concerned. 

"I know you must have a million questions right now Avalon."  None he was going to answer.

"I do but I know John needs to be the one to answer them.  I can wait.  Right now I just want to get him home so I can take care of him." 

"He is lucky to have found you."  He smiled then went back to paying attention to the road.  He kept pushing all kinds of buttons on the car none of which I had any idea what they were.  Come to think of it I didn't know what this man did for a living but he had a very nice car.  It was completely black, on the outside.  On the inside was beautiful tan leather which John was now bleeding all over and there was wood grain all up and down the car, it was down the sides of the doors and across the dash it was very elegant looking.  I would have never pictured him driving something like this, especially since he was a jeans and t-shirt wearing kind of guy.  I couldn't help but wonder if he was single.  He was very sweet and would make a nice partner for Jaci.  He was tall, like John but instead of dark hair he had dirty blonde.  He was very well built, like John and was about six feet tall.  Instead of gray eyes he had blue and just one dimple.  Him and John seem to match pretty well in the body department, almost to the point to if you put them side by side and put a bag over their head it would be hard to tell one from the other.  Of course I would be able to tell I knew that for a fact. 

Suddenly I recognized John's long driveway and knew we were almost there.  Thank goodness because I was about to come unglued.  As we pulled up Michael tossed me his keys so I could go open the door while he got John.  I still couldn't believe he just picked up John like he was nothing. 

We walked into the house and he set John down in the living room while I went to fetch towels and bandages but when I returned I noticed John had stopped bleeding and had already start to heal.  It made no sense to me.  The way he looked when we were leaving looked as though we should be going to the hospital.  I just knew we would get here and I would have to bandage him up and call Jaci to come look him over but now he looked fine, just cuts and bruises that were quickly fading, and he was actually starting to wake up. 

"Ava?" 

"Yes John I'm here. Everything is okay."  He sat up quicker than I could blink around the same time Michael came back in with clothes that he tossed to John. 

"Cover yourself up man. You’re making me jealous and probably turning her on."  I hadn't even thought of that but now that Michael mentione
d it, wait what was I thinking?  John looked up at Michael and then down at himself and realized he was still naked. 

"What the hell happened?  Ava, are you okay?"  Michael looked at me then looked at John.

"Ava is fine.  She found you in the woods not far from her house.  You were hurt and lucky for you I was nearby in my car.  We got you and brought you home.  We figured you two would be safer here."  John was putting his clothes on as he listened to Michael obviously taking it all in and trying to remember what had happened. 

"I was in such a rage."  John sat back down; I could tell his mind must have been racing. 

"John, we don't need to talk about this right now.  Let’s talk later."  Michael didn't think I noticed but of course I did, his eyes went to me as he was talking to John.  What would they need to talk about without me?  I could tell John wasn't finished though.  He looked like he was struggling to remember something important. 

"The last thing I remember was seeing Nicholas attacking Ava and then everything goes blank after that."  That woke me up.

"Wait, you what?  What were you doing there?"   I could tell John realized he just gave something away. 

"Were you there when the wolf came in? Is that why you were hurt so badly? Did you try to fight off the wolf?"  John and Michael just looked at each other and I was getting aggravated. 

"What?"  Michael then looked at me and back at John. 

"John, my friend, I think it's time to tell her."

What would they possibly need to tell me?  I was definitely aggravated and I hated feeling like there were things going on that I didn't know about.  John took me by the hand and led me over to the couch where we all sat down. 

"Alright Ava dear.  I need to talk to you and I need you to one have an open mind and two, Stay calm.  Can you do
that?"  I looked at Michael then John and nodded. 

"Open mind, check.  Stay calm, I'll try."  John took my hand in his and the first thing he did was kiss my cheek.

"Okay, here it goes.  I did not fight the wolf, I was the wolf."  He gave me a minute to let that register then continued. 

"I was worried about you and got a funny feeling after talking to Michael and decided that I would just check on you.  If you were okay I would go back home but then I saw Nicholas and you through your window and I saw Nicholas just throw you across the room like you were nothing and I went off.  I bust through the window and it was me attacking Nicholas.  I was the wolf Ava. Me."  I looked at
John, at first thought he must be joking but I could tell from his eyes that he most definitely was not. 

"You were the wolf."  It was half a question and half a statement, I knew the answer. 

"Yes my love. I was the wolf."  John squeezed my hand as if reassuring me but my mind was racing. 

"So was this a one-time thing or can you always turn into a wolf?"  He took a breath as if glad I hadn't gone running for the door and began to explain. 

"Actually I can turn into anything I wish, whenever I want.  I usually choose the wolf because the wolf is my favorite animal. Ava, I am a shape shifter.  I can shift into anything.  Just like Michael."  He looked up at Michael as if in agreement then Michael looked at me. 

"Yes, I am a shape shifter as well.  My favorite animal varies on the situation. I tend to favor the wolf on most occasions though myself."  So John and Michael were shape shifters.  I didn't quite know how to process this.  You grow up thinking these things are not real and then you find out they are it makes you wonder what else is real and what is fake.  Then it hit me.