Howl (Howl Book 1) Page 2

  "Gabriel and Cassiel will be over soon." Gregory, who was around Josh's age, spoke next.

  I closed my eyes and concentrated on their voices. I didn't want to miss a thing!

  "They're not very happy about being left behind." Michael sighed, though there was some amusement in his voice.

  Dad sighed too, "Neither is Elaine."

  "She's trying to grow up too fast." Michael pondered aloud.

  I snapped my eyes open and glared at the wall. I did not like Michael's assumption. It was stupid and not thought out. How would he like it if everyone else went to fight and left him behind?

  I froze when Greg cleared his throat. I gave him my full attention. "I can see where she's coming from, though. She just wants to help."

  I rapidly nodded my head and smiled. I always got along with Greg. He wasn't like most of the male werewolves. He actually listened to me.

  "It doesn't matter if that is her intention or not." Dad grunted, "She needs to learn to listen and take my orders with questioning me."

  My brother started laughing and I rolled my eyes.

  "She's too stubborn." Josh interjected.

  I crawled across the floor and peered through the posts of the banister. I could see them all standing around the foyer. They were all ready for battle. Michael and Greg both wore the sign of the Luperco on their arms, which they kept open for all to see.

  Michael was the head of The Luperco and tattoo was aligned with gold ink.

  "Yeah, she hung out with you too much growing up." Dad frowned lightly at Josh, which shut the male up.

  There was a minute of silence before the front door opened again. I crouched down further so I wouldn't be seen, and crawled over to the banister.

  The first thing I saw was a head of blond hair – Cassiel, which was closely followed by black hair – Gabriel.

  I did know how old they were. Gabriel was born in the late middle 1700's, during the Revolution with the United States. That makes him incredibly old to me, but young to a lot of other werewolves. His age is a very touchy subject with him. He hated there being such a gap between him, Michael, and Nathaniel.

  Then there was Cassiel. He was in the same boat as me. He was mostly human, considering the fact that both of us were practically raised by the television, and was fourteen years old. He was two years younger than me and insanely younger than all of his siblings.

  He was my best friend. Growing up we were the only ones who were outcasts to the rest of the pack: me, being female, and him being the youngest of European werewolf legends.

  As kids we kept each other sane. We still do that, but not in the same way.

  "Elizabeth," Dad called up the stairs for mom, "They're ready."

  In unison with dad, as he looked upstairs, I stood up. I leaned against the banister and locked eyes with him. I wasn't sure if he knew that I had been standing there. He didn't say anything, so I didn't either.

  "I'll be one minute." Mom called back.

  I glanced over my shoulder at mom and dad's bedroom door, before walking down the stairs. I kept my face carefully neutral. I didn't need any of these guys lecturing me, or prying into my feelings.

  When Michael met my gaze I stoned up even more out of reflex. I didn't do that because I didn't like him, I did it because of who he was.

  Michael, being Beta, could be a hard ass. He normally wasn't, at least with me and Cassiel, but I knew he could change to his duel personality as fast as I could flip a coin.

  As soon as I reached the foyer I dropped to my right knee and touched the floor with the tips of my fingers. It might sound medieval, but that was how we greeted the Alpha and Beta pairs.

  I raised my gaze from the wooden floor as I stood. My eyes went straight to Michael's. I saw a light grin tugging at the edges of his lips, but I couldn't return the gesture.

  "We'll be alright, El." Greg tried to assure me. He was leaning against the wall beside the way. His dark hair normally hung around his ears, but he had it hidden under his bandana. "We've done this plenty of times before."

  He had the end of his sword on the floor, and was spinning the weapon around in a bored fashion. I recognized that as his nervous habit. Greg always had a problem with staying still for too long, especially on days like today.

  "That just means you could get cocky." I hadn't meant to snap at him, but it was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

  I stood beside Cassiel, who was backed against the stairs, and folded my arms stubbornly over my chest.

  "We'll come back." Greg turned serious.

  I couldn't say anything. He didn't know that they would come back. He could only hope that they did. Greg had no more control over what happened on that battlefield than I did.

  "El," Greg's eyes were normally olive, but at that moment his wolf was coming out and his eyes lightened until they were hazel. That was a sign that he was losing control of his anger.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Michael move. He stood next to his son and put a hand firmly on Greg's shoulder.

  Greg stared at me for a second and I watched his eyes return to normal. It was like watching ink being poured into water. It swirled, making the eyes cloudy, before going back to its original color.

  He told me once that he had two colors in his eyes because his mom had such vibrant green eyes, that they couldn't remain dormant even though his wolf demanded that he have the golden eyes of a predator.

  Greg stepped out from under his father's hand and walked over to me.

  I hated to admit it, even to myself, but I could feel tears entering my eyes. The tears were hot and large, and were begging to be let out.

  I glanced down at my hands and furiously blinked back my sadness.

  Greg wrapped his arms around me and I was instantly surrounded by a blanket of warmth. His arms were long and full of muscle and held me tight against him.

  "Howl for us tonight." He whispered to my ear. His voice was deep, and smooth, and everything that a man's voice should be.

  I buried my face into his chest and squeezed my eyes tightly together.

  "Always." I whispered my promise into his chest. The leather of his waist coat was warm and soft, and I didn't want to let go of him.

  But, I let go of him first.

  After a peck on the cheek, and giving Cassiel a one-armed man hug, Greg shoved his sword back into his belt and left.

  I felt Josh's arm brush against mine, but I didn't turn to him. I knew that he wouldn't say his goodbye until the Beta took his leave as well.

  "Take care of yourself." Michael scolded me, playfully.

  I forced myself to laugh, "You take care of Josh." I was secretly glad that Michael wanted to make light of the situation. There were only so many teary goodbyes that I could handle.

  "Not myself?" He chuckled at the familiar line of banter. These lines were the same ones we had exchanged the last time he had left.

  "I don't worry about you." I told him, as if reading off a script.

  I hated to admit that I did fear for the Beta. I'd just never tell him that.

  Michael stood tall, as tall as dad, and held out his arm. I stared at it for two seconds before walking up to him and grasping his forearm. We stood like that for a moment before Michael nodded tightly and released me.

  I was about to take a step back, but Josh was directly behind me.

  Michael nodded to my dad once before taking his leave. I let out a shaking breath and closed my eyes for a second. I hated goodbyes. All I wanted to do was run up to my bedroom, hide under my bed, and scream until this damn war was over.

  After a few seconds I turned around. I expected Josh to say something, but his attention wasn't on me. I followed his gaze and found myself staring into my father's hazel eyes.

  He stood like a stone for a second. His eyes were flaring and I knew that this was as hard for him as it was for me, even if he didn't show it.

  Like father like daughter, I guessed.

  Then he pushed himself off the wal
l. He closed in the space between us in less than two strides. Then, he loosely took hold of my arm similarly to how Michael had.

  "I love you." He whispered against my hair as he kissed my head. "Be good."

  For one second his eyes were soft. He looked like any other father who was saying goodbye to his daughter. However, after exactly two seconds, his edge returned. He straightened his back and dropped my arm.

  He grabbed his sword, which was leaning against the wall, and swung open the front door. "You have two minutes." He told Josh without glancing back. Then, without any more tender moments he left the house.

  I could hear his boots pound on the deck. I subconsciously memorized every step he took before I could no longer hear him, because he had jumped onto the grass.

  He hated goodbyes more than me. He hated any kind of emotional moments. He hated showing any kind of weakness.

  But the look in his eyes, no matter how brief it had been, made tears come back into my eyes and throat.

  "Hey,"

  I forced myself to smile as I turned around to face my brother. He nicked my shoulder with his knuckles, "You can't forget about me."

  "No one can forget about you, Josh." Gabriel grunted, "You're never quiet long enough." I jumped inwardly. I hadn't even seen him standing in the shadows of the dining room archway. He looked right at home in the shadows. He was adorned in a black beater and cargo pants. His black hair was messy, like he had just ran his hand through it that morning, and his usual frown was etched into his features.

  Josh narrowed his eyes at him, but ignored the comment.

  I took a second to take in my brother. He looked so much like our father. He had the same strong build, height, and hard rugged look to his features. He was definitely a warrior through and through.

  "Be safe."

  Josh chuckled and hooked his arm around my neck. "I'd be more concerned about you. You're spending all this time, practically alone, with Gabriel."

  That broke through some of the built up tension and I cracked a real smile.

  Gabriel resembled a brick wall; not only in strength, but in his personality. There was no moving him. He was solid and just as stubborn as I was. Because of that we clashed a lot.

  That didn't mean we didn't like each other. Hell, I thought of Gabriel like another brother. We annoyed each other like siblings did. That was just our relationship. We were each other's outlets.

  I wiped away the two tears that had fallen down my face. I hoped that no one had noticed them.

  I had no such luck.

  "Hey," Josh drew me closer. He wrapped his other arm around me and rested his head beside mine. "No fear." He whispered into my ear.

  There was such a big age gap between Josh and me that we never had a normal brother-sister relationship. We didn't fight a lot. Most of the time, growing up, I thought of Josh more like a favorite uncle that spoiled me with car rides and candy than an older brother.

  Then, after one last hug, Josh followed his packmates.

  I choked up.

  The next pair of arms that wrapped around me belonged to Cassiel or Cassie as I called him.

  Even though he was two years younger than me, he was still a head or so taller than me. I always picked on him about it.

  I turned into his embrace, but only stayed there for a few seconds. Cassiel and I shared moments like that. I wasn't afraid to cry in front of him. But that wasn't the time. I'd melt down later.

  I picked myself up and mentally put on a mask. Hopefully I wouldn't really cry until later that night, when I would be alone, in the dark, and under my bed.

  I turned and Gabriel was right there.

  He opened his mouth and I waited for a snide remark.

  "You want a stiff drink?" I think that he was only partly joking, because he walked past Cassiel and I, into the kitchen. Faintly, I heard the refrigerator door swing open.

  Cassiel gave me a small smile before walking out onto the deck. I looked past him, crossing my arms protectively over my chest, and watched the men of the pack form three sections near the tree line.

  Cassie sat on the porch steps. His eyes were glued on the pack.

  I had a feeling that he was searching for a peak at his father before he left.

  I was about to tear myself away from my agony and join him when I heard my mom jog down the stairs. She came up behind me. I could feel her warm breath against my neck, and she wrapped her arms around my waist from behind.

  "Josh is right, sweetheart." She rested her chin on my shoulder.

  I bit down on my lip.

  Mom and I could pass for sisters. We were the same height, with the same slender and toned bodies, and long legs. At that moment the only real difference was our attire. She wore leather and armor, with weapons along her belt, and I was in jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

  You can't have any fear." She whispered, "It is bad luck. You have to believe that we're all going to be great." She, again, avoided using the word fine. None of them really thought that fine was a positive word. They only used it when they were lying; when things really weren't great.

  I nodded tightly. I was close to breaking down. This conversation was just too much.

  "I do." I sniffed, "I really do."

  Mom's lips were light and gentle against my cheek when she kissed me, "I love you, baby girl."

  Someone cleared their throat on the left side of the deck. Both mom and I glanced over to the railing. Michael was standing there. I couldn't read his face. He was in his military mode, but it was obvious that he wanted to talk to one of us.

  I glanced over at mom, who had stepped up so she was standing at my side, and saw a weird grin gracing her lips. I didn't like it and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her. She was up to something.

  She kissed my cheek again before I could even open my mouth to question her on it. "You'd better take care of my baby girl." She said as she walked off the porch.

  "I will."

  Gabriel's voice came from directly behind me. I glanced back to see him taking a long swig from a beer.

  I made a face, but didn't say anything.

  I just slowly walked away from him and went over to where the Beta was standing. He had his back pressed up against the fence that aligned the porch. His hands were holding tightly to the railing, making his arm muscles bulge.

  I wasn't sure what to do, so I just leaned against the railing next to him and waited.

  "Listen to Gabriel, okay?" Michael sounded frustrated about something. My insides melted when a dangerously low growl erupted in the center of his chest. It warmed me to my toes.

  "I will." I replied, still staring at my shoes.

  Michael made a disbelieving sound in the back of his throat, "I mean it, Elaine."

  "I said I would." I replied tightly. My head snapped up and I finally looked him in the eyes.

  He wiped his face with his hand in an irritated way, "Yeah well, I know you." He chuckled, but not in a nice way. "You'll say that, but when Gabriel gives you an order you'll agree and turn around and do whatever you want."

  "I do that with everyone." I shrugged in attempt at keeping the subject light.

  "I know." Michael growled openly.

  "Michael!"

  We both glanced over our shoulders to see Alexander standing at the head of the pack. He pointed at his son and then to the floor at his feet.

  "Two seconds!" I was shocked to hear an almost desperate tone buried in Michael's tone.

  Michael turned back to me and, like he could wait any longer, he grabbed my arm and pulled me against his chest. "Don't do anything stupid while we're gone." He growled into my ear.

  I could sense his frustration, his anger, and his annoyance and I clung to him. I held onto him as tightly as I could and remembered all the other times we had stood like this.

  I hadn't always tried to distance myself, and my emotions no matter how deep they were, from Michael. For many years he had been my rock. He had always been there when I need some
one. And most of the time he listened when I needed to vent.

  Only recently did I start pulling away from him. Things had gotten so weird between me and the males of the pack when I turned 16 last year. It was hard to explain, but no one was acting the same way around me. It bothered me. So I just kept everyone at arm's length, except for the few people that hadn't changed like Josh, Cassiel, and mom.

  Michael tensed suddenly. He gave me one last squeeze before his arms fell to his sides.

  "Take care of yourself." I choked out. I had attempted to sound upbeat, but I failed horribly.

  A light grin took some of the struggle out of Michael's features. He kissed my forehead.

  When he turned away from me I watched his military personality take control of his features. He became the Beta within seconds, and ran off the porch to where his alpha was waiting.

  My hands were trembling from the energy I was putting into not crying. I took a seat in-between Cassiel and Gabriel on the porch.

  We probably looked like a bunch of sad sacks.

  Cassie wrapped his arm around my back, "Hey," Cassiel started unsurely. I looked up until I was looking into his gold eyes. "How much do you want to bet, that if those guys walked through Hollywood in the U.S. that they'd be cast for they next Gladiator movie?"

  He succeeded in making me laugh.

  "We should reach the clearing by night fall." Both of us turned to the sound of Alex's voice. His voice made chills go down my spine. He had just a presence, an aura, about him that just made you want to obey him.

  I watched him walk out of the crowd. He was dressed in the same type of armor as my parents: leather, with brass holding the tab skirt in place, and a breastplate.

  He was a little taller than Michael, which would make Alex about 6"8, and had the same dark brown hair as his second son. From here I could see some stubble along his chin.

  Alex really resembled Russell Crowe in The Gladiator at that moment.

  I glanced past the men of the pack and saw some of the other packmates standing out of the way. They were the turned or human wives of the men going out to battle. A few teenagers were in the group as well. Most of them were following the men to the clearing, which was the farthest they were allowed to go.