Spirit Wolves - 19. Chapter 19

Elijah gazed out the window of Wayne’s truck absentmindedly, looking at, but not really seeing the scenery as it passed by. His mind had been in a constant whirlwind ever since Ben and Zev walked through the door of the diner where he worked. He'd been brought up knowing the existence of other supernatural beings. Considering that he was one himself, it wasn’t a huge deal in his family. His parents originally wanted a large brood, but as soon as he started popping into other shapes around six months of age, both his mom and dad noped out of the idea. The thought of possibly having multiple kids who could switch their appearance at will totally squashed their plan of a big family. There were times growing up when Elijah wished he had siblings. It would have been fun to play good natured pranks, but now that he was older, he could understand why his parents made the decision that they did.

He loved his mom and dad and was grateful for their support and thankful for how they raised him. Having a kid with unusual abilities was uniquely challenging. It’s not like there was a support group they could join. Even with the alphabet soup of letters nowadays, shapeshifter just didn’t fall into the same category as LGBTQIA+. Well, maybe that was what the plus was for, but somehow he doubted it.

Up until a few weeks ago, Elijah didn’t realize how expansive the supernatural world was. Unlike animal shifters, vampires and a few other species, he had no external sense that could tell the difference between humans and non-humans. It was a serious disadvantage, especially when he was about to enter the lion’s den. Discovering that there was a whole secret population of non-humans was a little overwhelming.

His parents were merely carriers of the supernatural genes that were needed to create a shapeshifter. In fact, it had been pure luck that the right combination had been created with his conception. He had beaten astronomical odds in just existing. Even though both parents had supernaturals in their ancestry, neither of them had any sort of non-human ability, Unless you counted his mom’s uncanny knack at staying one step ahead of both her son and husband. Neither he, nor his dad could get away with anything, his mom somehow always knew when they were up to something. She even knew when they tried to throw a surprise birthday party for her one year. She told her friends to make sure they had plenty of food, because Elijah’s dad sucked at party planning. When the woman said she had eyes in the back of her head, Elijah and his dad believed her.

Elijah had been surprised when Zev and Ben had approached him after his shift at the diner. He remembered Ben from his previous visit. Elijah was still trying to figure out where he landed on the whole sexuality spectrum and he remembered Ben because of how cute he was. On the other hand, he also thought Reilly’s sister was pretty. In all likelihood he was bi, but never really got up the nerve to ever ask anyone out. His shapeshifter ability had always made him feel a little awkward when it came to socializing. It wasn’t exactly a party trick that you could pull out like being able to touch your nose with your tongue or wiggle your ears.

“You doing okay back there?”

Elijah blinked, his brain taking a few extra seconds to process the fact that Wayne had just spoken to him.

“Um, yeah, just got a little spacey there for a bit.”

Sandi turned slightly in her seat and gave Elijah a reassuring smile. “You’re going to do fine, Elijah. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Your parents must be very proud of you,”

“Yeah, they are. I can’t complain. I really lucked out in the parent department. I just hope they don’t worry too much. I talked to them last night and told them the basics of what was going on. They’re worried, but at the same time they both told me they were proud of me for helping out. It’s going to be hard not being able to talk to them for a while.”

Elijah explained to his parents that he wouldn’t be able to call them until this whole thing was over. He let them know that he was going to pose as an adolescent wolf shifter, but he had withheld the fact that he was going to try to be deliberately kidnapped. He knew they would probably try to talk him out of that part of the plan.

“Wayne and I are both here for you Elijah. If you need to vent, or just want to talk, don’t be afraid to reach out. I think your help is going to be pivotal. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you and it means the world to us to have a chance at finding out what happened to Vann and Milo. If there’s even the slightest chance that they’re still alive, we need to take it.”

Elijah nodded in agreement and glanced out the window again.

“How about we stop for some lunch? We’ll be in Nichols' territory soon and may not get a chance for a while. There’s a town a couple of miles ahead.”

“Sure,” Elijah agreed. Getting out and stretching his legs sounded like the best idea ever. They had been traveling for several hours and he had never been great with long car rides. He didn’t get carsick, he just hated staying still for so long. He was antsy enough as it was, the truck was roomy, but he still felt the need to move around.

Wayne pulled into a diner similar to Sandi’s and they all stretched their stiff limbs as soon as they exited the truck. It was the tail end of the lunch rush and they snagged a booth half way down the length of the diner. An older woman, probably in her mid 60s greeted them, dropped menus on the table and took their drink orders.

Elijah looked over the menus and noticed a lot of similarities to the one Sandi offered. “The menu sort of looks like yours.”

“Nope, they don’t have Sandi’s chicken pot pie or homemade meat pie,” Wayne shook his head in disappointment.

Sandi chuckled. “I’ll make you one of each as soon as we’re back home.”

Elijah settled on a bacon cheeseburger with fries. Wayne got the stare of death from Sandi when he said he might get the same. When the waitress came back he switched to the ham and turkey sandwich on whole wheat, requesting double meat at the last second, getting another glare from his wife. High metabolism, or not, Sandi tried to keep her mate on the straight and narrow path of healthy eating.

As they waited for their food, the diner gradually emptied of most of the lunchtime rush patrons. Typical of a small town establishment, the waitress acknowledged all of them by name as they left.

“Where are you folks headed to?” she asked when she came by to refill Wayne’s coffee.

Wayne and Sandi had already confirmed that there were no shifters in the diner, only humans, so they knew her question was just plain curiosity.

“We’re heading up to Banff for some pre-holiday skiing. We have family in that area and figured we’d hit the slopes before they got too crowded,” Wayne answered.

“Smart idea, the first couple of weeks of December are pretty quiet. Not many folks want to travel in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Your meals should be up in a minute or two,” she said.

True to her word, it wasn’t long before she was back, two plates balanced precariously on one arm, and one in each hand, as only a truly seasoned server can pull off. Elijah wondered if Sandi was tempted to offer her a job.

“If you need anything else, just let me know,” she said after placing the last plate on the table. Elijah’s mouth watered as the smell of beef and bacon hit his nose. He could’ve swore he heard a low whimper from Wayne. He grinned as he wrapped his hands around the huge bun and sunk his teeth in, a small amount of grease smearing the side of his mouth.

“Just because you have a good metabolism doesn’t mean you can’t ruin your arteries with greasy burgers all the time,” Sandi reminded him.

“But I don’t get greasy burgers all the time,” Wayne whined under his breath, this time earning himself a kick in the shin from Sandi under the table.

“You’ll thank me someday when you have a pup of your own to chase after,” she reasoned.

“Awww, you guys will make great parents,” Elijah smiled.

“Thanks Sweetie, we’re not in any hurry. Quite frankly the idea terrifies me a little. Being responsible for a baby is a huge responsibility, and I don’t feel like I’m ready,” Sandi admitted.

“Well, you can practice handling the teenage years with me. I’ll make sure I have a couple of hissy fits for you to deal with,” Elijah teased.

“You better watch it boy, you make Sandi upset and you’ll be dealing with me,” Wayne threatened lightly.

Elijah snorted. “I’ll take my chances.” This time it was his shin that got a good-natured light kick from Wayne’s boot, which made him laugh even more.

They finished their food and declined dessert. Wayne took care of the check while Sandi and Elijah stretched their legs outside.

Getting back into the truck, Wayne turned around before buckling his seat belt. “We’re about twenty miles outside Nichol’s territory. Why don’t you go ahead and shift once we’re out of town? That way we can make sure there are no issues before we get there. At least we know your scent pills are working, you smell all teenage-y, wolfie-ish.”

Sandi turned to him, the look on her face identical to his own mom’s when she was concerned about him, “You’re still sure you want to do this? There’s still time to turn around.”

Elijah nodded his head. “I’m ready. We have to find out what happened to your pups. What about you two? Are you ready?”

“Nervous, but ready.”

“Okay then, let’s go,” Wayne turned around and backed out of the parking spot and turned back onto the main road.

Not long after, Elijah shifted seamlessly into a teenager with a strong resemblance to Wayne. They were winding along the state road when they passed the boundary that was invisible to the eye, but not to a wolf shifter’s nose. This was it, they were in enemy territory and there was no turning back.

Wayne was surprised when they made it as far as the town of Bonners Ferry before being intercepted. Not long after they passed a golf course, a black Ford Expedition pulled in behind them from one of the side roads. Glancing in the rearview mirror he warned,
“We’ve got company.”

The large SUV passed them, even though it was a no passing zone. The darkly tinted passenger window was rolled down and the shifter sitting there gave a twitch of his head, indicating that Wayne should follow.

Elijah did a few deep breathing exercises as they were led through town. After crossing a river, they traveled another few miles before the SUV left the main road and turned onto a recently plowed lane. It was slow going as the road was still icy and it was just about wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other if one scooted all the way over to the edge. The SUV drove down the middle, obviously not anticipating anyone coming from the opposite direction.

The narrow road led them through a thick forest, quiet and still, having weathered a typical early December snowfall of a few inches in recent days. The sun was sinking down to kiss the top of the mountains to the west. It wouldn’t be long before they would be in its shadow. The SUV veered off the plowed lane and onto what must have been a dirt road in the summer. It was now relatively smooth, the recent snowfalls had been packed down well with frequent travel. It was easy to see why they were following a huge SUV. Elijah was sure that when they stopped the vehicle in front would be outfitted with the best snow tires known to man. Or shifters.

He didn’t have long to wait. The road curved around, following a small creek on the right. Reilly had mentioned that the pack was known as the Meadow Creek Pack, so Elijah felt confident assuming that it was indeed, Meadow Creek that meandered alongside them.

Once around the bend, the forest opened up and they passed through an open gate into what could only be described as a compound. It was as if a whole suburban neighborhood had been picked up and dropped into the middle of the forest. There was a main road lined with several houses and it looked like a few side streets branched off, most likely leading to other homes. The Expedition led them to the end of the road and down a paved driveway. It stopped in front of a large, but nondescript, two story house.

Wayne pulled in behind the SUV and cut the engine. “It’s showtime.”

Reilly and Kellan’s family had given them an intense crash course on the Nichols’ family dynamics. Jack had pictures of the family members and it was easy to identify the driver who stepped out as Reilly’s eldest brother, Derek. The passenger turned out to be the youngest brother, Dustin.

Derek and Dustin approached Wayne’s window and motioned for him to put it down. A blast of icy wind swept into the vehicle, a foreboding chill shivering through them.

Derek had a fake, half-smile plastered onto his face as he greeted them. “Hello, who are you and would you care to explain why you’re on our land without permission?” While he may have had a pseudo-smile on his face, his tone indicated that they were skating on thin ice.

“I’m Wayne Saunders and this is my wife Sandi and our son Elijah. We’re actually hoping to petition for permission to be here. I’m looking for a new place to settle with my family and was wondering if I might be able to speak with your Alpha and explain our situation,” Wayne said, diplomatically.

Elijah kept himself just out of view behind Wayne’s seat. He knew they were aware of his presence, the butt-stink pills worked just fine, but he didn’t want to show his face just yet. He wanted every extra second he could get to observe.

While Derek was sizing up Wayne, Dustin was walking around the truck, most likely assessing for any threats. The heavily tinted windows made it difficult for anyone outside to see the interior and Derek stopped at Sandi’s window and rapped his knuckles on the glass. Elijah’s performance was about to get its first test.

Dustin looked at Sandi and then his eyes swept the interior of the truck. It only took a few seconds before they landed on Elijah. Elijah met his gaze and noted the slight widening of his pupils, as well as the flaring of his nostrils, when it confirmed that he was looking at an adolescent shifter. He stepped back and looked across the front of the truck to catch his brother’s eye. Elijah couldn’t see, but obviously some sort of non-verbal communication was going on.

“Roll down the back window,” Derek commanded.

The icy breeze hit Elijah right in the face as Wayne lowered his window. Derek looked him over and asked, “How old are you?”

“Tw-twelve, s-s-Sir,” Elijah didn’t have to fake his nervousness.

“Wait here,” Derek told Wayne before turning away and heading to the house. Dustin stepped back and stood guard.

It was several uncomfortably quiet minutes before Derek returned. He approached Wayne’s window and said, “All of you can follow me. Alpha Nichols has agreed to hear your petition.”

Elijah opened his door and slid out, his breath a visible cloud in the cold air. He and Wayne followed Derek and Sandi joined them at the front of the truck. He was glad it was a short walk to the house. The wind had picked up and the bitter cold nipped at his exposed skin and had started to make his nose run. As they entered the welcome warmth of the house he dragged his coat sleeve across his nose, not really caring that it was gross. Sandi gave him a chastising look, rummaged in her purse and handed him a couple of tissues. He smiled sheepishly.

Derek led them down a hallway, past the kitchen and dining room to a decent sized living room. The whole back wall was floor to ceiling windows and the house looked over a large meadow and the looming slope that ascended into the mountains. The top of the mountain was obscured in cloud cover.

To their left was a set of French doors that were open, letting them see into what must be the Alpha’s office. Indeed, Peter Nichols was sitting behind a sleek black desk, looking them over as they approached. His eyes lingered a little bit longer on Elijah.

“Please, sit down,” Nichols said, more of a command than an actual invitation, even though it was accompanied by a smile.

They each took a seat in one of the chairs lined up in front of the desk. The chairs were lower than the one Nichols sat in, subtly raising him above them, an assertion of assumed superiority. Elijah sat between Wayne and Sandi, placing himself under their protection.

Once they were settled, Nichols asked, “So my son tells me you are looking for a new place to settle. Why?”

Wayne cleared his throat and relayed the story that they had settled on, explaining his dissatisfaction with trying to help manage such a large pack and how Sandi wanted more time to focus on raising Elijah. He expressed an appropriate level of sadness at leaving Caleb and his pack, and managed to interject just the right amount of enthusiasm for a new opportunity with a capable Alpha.

Elijah could see the slight flaring of the Alpha’s nose as he tested Wayne’s scent for lies. Wayne certainly was doing a fantastic job of selling their story and so far no alarm bells seemed to be ringing.

Peter questioned Wayne and Sandi about their skills. He seemed pleased when Sandi mentioned that she ran a diner. Reilly had mentioned that his father and brothers were terrible cooks. Jack and Connie had informed them that for the past three or four years Nichols had the entire pack share meals together. They had converted the empty house next to his into a dining hall. The one story house had been gutted and now had a large, industrial kitchen capable of cooking enough food to feed the eighty or so people that the pack had expanded to. They served meals cafeteria style, trays and plates stacked up along one end of the buffet area which was connected directly to the kitchen. Those who volunteered to cook would make sure the serving bins were kept filled with whatever culinary items they had whipped up.

Elijah remained quiet as Wayne told Nichols that he knew his way around general contracting work pretty well. It had been Jack’s suggestion, knowing the pack was self-reliant, that Wayne take advantage of knowing the fundamentals of carpentry, plumbing and electric. He wasn’t an expert in any one particular area, but he was more than capable of handling basic stuff, skills which could be put to good use.

Nichols kept his expression neutral, although he often looked over at Elijah, who silently willed his heart to beat at a normal pace. After hearing them out, he leaned back in his chair, elbows on the arm rests, hands steepled in front of him. “Tell you what, I’ll let you stay on a trial basis. One month, you prove your worth. At the end of the month I’ll reassess the situation and we can take it from there,” he offered.

Wayne and Sandi looked at each other, mentally communicating in that way that married couples have and Wayne answered, “Thank you Alpha Nichols, we appreciate the opportunity.”

“Yes, well, I’ve been expanding my pack the past few years and you three seem like you’ll fit in. We don’t have a lot of youngsters right now. There’s about fifteen or so, varying in age from a couple of toddlers to a few older teenagers. The majority of the kids are probably between ages eight and thirteen. There’s three women who teach all of them. We have set up our own little schoolhouse. I’m sure they’ll keep young Elijah here busy with his studies,” Nichols said to Wayne and Sandi before pinning Elijah in his gaze.

“Are you a good student? he asked.

Elijah averted his eyes, tilted his neck appropriately and nodded.

“Have you had your first shift yet?”

“Yes, sir, just a few weeks ago,” he replied, which was the reply that they had all agreed on, knowing that the question would be asked.

Nichols' eyes narrowed slightly and a sly smile appeared on his face, making it seem a little sinister. “Wonderful, it’s always a welcome event when a pup has his first shift.”

Nichols turned to his sons. “Derek, Dustin, take our guests to the empty house and get them settled. Make sure they have what they need for tonight. You can get them more supplies tomorrow.”

“The boys will make sure you’re taken care of. Dinner is in the house next door from five to seven. Tomorrow we’ll sit down again and decide what jobs you would like to do. I have no doubt you’ll fit right in,” Nichols said, once more sporting the sinister grin.

Elijah took in a deep breath as silently as he could, trying to suppress the shiver that wanted to crawl across his skin.

They followed Derek and Dustin back outside, got back in the truck and drove about a mile down the main road to a well kept colonial style house the brothers stopped in front of. Elijah noticed that above the front door was an elaborately scrolled letter ‘P’. Holy shit, this was the Porter’s old home. It looked exactly how Jack and Connie described it.

Wayne parked in the driveway and turned off the truck. Elijah got out and went to the back where Wayne pushed up the cover he had installed over the bed. They grabbed their suitcases, each taking two and rolled them to the front stoop where Dustin was opening up the door. It was chilly inside, Derek showed them where the thermostat was and within a couple of minutes warm air was pumping through the furnace. Derek gave them a quick tour of the downstairs, which consisted of a large, warm feeling kitchen. Elijah could easily picture the Porters filling the room with laughter and good food. There was a utility room that connected to the garage. It housed a washer and dryer, storage cabinets and a small area for coats and boots to be kept. A bathroom was conveniently located next to the utility room.

The kitchen and dining area were open to the large family room. A well made stone fireplace took up nearly the entire side wall of the room. The mantle was hand carved, intricate scrolls and details attested to the labor and love that had gone into making it. Jack had told them it had been carved by his father in the early 1800’s. It was the one thing he wished he could have taken with them.

Upstairs there were four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Wayne and Sandi put their suitcases in the master bedroom. It was connected to the master bathroom by a large walk-in closet.

Two of the other bedrooms were connected by a Jack and Jill bathroom and the fourth bedroom had a small bathroom with just a shower, sink and toilet next to it. This is the room that Elijah took. It must have been Hollie’s as the walls were a pale, creamy color similar to French vanilla ice cream. A queen size bed with a white headboard and footboard had a comforter that was a sunny yellow with thin royal blue stripes. Matching curtains hung over the windows. There was a white dresser that matched the bed.

The other two bedrooms were similarly set up. Elijah had chosen Hollie’s old room because it was the furthest from the master where Wayne and Sandi would be sleeping. If he was going to get kidnapped, he figured it might as well make it as easy as possible if they decided to abduct him while he slept. The stairs were closest to this room too.

He dropped his two suitcases near the closet. During the planning process Sandi and Connie had hit up a few thrift stores and gotten a bunch of secondhand clothes for all of them. If they ran into trouble and had to leave in a hurry it wouldn’t be a hardship to leave it all behind.

He glanced around again before heading downstairs, making sure to thump his way down, typical teenage style. He'd grown up in a two story house and his mom always wondered how one kid could sound like a herd of elephants.

Wayne and Sandi were in the kitchen with Derek and Dustin. Dustin was telling Sandi to make a list of anything that they might need for the next week or so. Even though the main meals were communal, everyone, especially those with kids, kept their cupboards stocked. Teenagers, as all parents knew, could be bottomless pits.

Derek explained that the pack kept a main storehouse for all household staples. They ordered cleaning supplies, paper products and groceries in bulk and had them delivered twice a month. Pack members were free to come and get what they needed. A few times a week someone would make a trip into Bonners Ferry to pick up Amazon, FedEx or UPS deliveries, which were held at the post office there.

“We’ll see you at the dining hall,” Derek said as he and Dustin left.

It was almost six o’clock, and even though they had just eaten a few hours ago, Wayne thought it wise to show up. It only took a couple of minutes to get there and he parked his truck along the side of the building, next to a few other vehicles.

Wayne pulled Elijah close as they walked to the door. “They planted a listening device in the truck, so let’s assume they’ve got the house wired too. Watch yourself, okay?” he whispered.

Elijah nodded.

The dining hall wasn’t full, but there were a fair amount of shifters seated at the tables in the dining area. The general din of conversation got quieter as their presence was noticed.

Nichols was already there and he stood and addressed his pack. “This is Wayne and Sandi Saunders and their son Elijah. They are our guests on a trial basis and may be interested in petitioning for acceptance into our pack. Please make them feel welcome.” He sat back down, that weird, creepy little smile on his face.

Elijah peered around the room, noting that nearly every set of eyes had landed on them. He saw a family of four sitting at a table close by and the father leaned over to say something to a boy who looked about the same age that Elijah was supposed to be, maybe a year or so older. The boy’s eyes snapped shut and he shook his head, obviously not liking whatever he was hearing. When his eyes opened again they locked onto Elijah’s. For a brief second there was a flash of pity alongside fear.

Elijah froze as goosebumps journeyed across his body, which he tamped down almost as quickly as they came. His skin shimmered for the merest nanosecond. The boy cocked his head to the side, as if he was not quite sure of what he saw.

Elijah turned his attention to the plate of food in front of him. He wasn’t very hungry and just grabbed some fruit and a couple of dinner rolls. It was a good thing too as they were frequently interrupted by pack members stopping to introduce themselves.

He made polite conversation with everyone who spoke to him, sticking to the details that they had drilled into each other, making sure their stories matched. So far, so good.

After they had finished eating, Elijah gathered his plate and utensils and walked over to the bins for trash and dirty dishes. Most of the others had already cleared their tables and left after introducing themselves.The boy at the next table came up beside him.

“Hi, I’m Zander.”

“Elijah.”

Zander smiled. “Yeah, um, I know. Alpha Nichols said your name.”

Elijah blushed. “Right.”

“What grade are you in?” Zander asked.

“Uh, sev-seventh?”

“Hey! Me too! Have you shifted yet?” The other boy’s enthusiasm was contagious.

“Yeah, a couple of weeks ago. How ‘bout you?”

“Not yet. My mom said that my dad didn’t shift until he was almost fourteen. I hope I don’t have to wait that long. I just turned thirteen. So are you gonna be at school tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure. We just got here, so I’m not sure if San-s-s-s-someone told my mom what to do,” Elijah caught himself quickly, and made his face turn red. Hopefully Zander would just think he was dense.

To his surprise, the other boy reached out and touched his arm. “It’s okay. If you stutter, I mean. It’s no big deal. My little sister does too. Miss Shay at school is working with her and it’s getting better. I’m sure she’d work with you if you want.”

Elijah recognized an opportunity when he saw it. A slight stuttering problem was easy enough to fake, and it would be the perfect cover for when his nerves hit him.

“I’ll t-talk to my parents about it. Th-thanks.”

“Where are you guys staying?”

“Um, some house about a mile or so from here? It’s a two-story with a ‘P’ in fancy writing over the d-door,” he answered, deliberately being vague.

“That’s the Porter’s old house. They left a couple of months ago.”

Behind him, Wayne cleared his throat.

“I gotta go.”

“No problem. I hope I see you in school tomorrow!” Zander turned as his mom called his name and quickly walked over to where his parents and sister were waiting for him.

“Made a friend already?” Wayne asked.

“Maybe. Just so you know, he thinks I have a little stuttering problem. I’m going to go with it. Hopefully it will cover it if I screw up. My nerves just won’t settle down.”

“I think that’s a good idea. I’m kinda worn out myself. Let’s clear out while we have the chance,” Wayne suggested.

The trip back to the house was quick and even though it was still early, Elijah got ready for bed. He said goodnight to Wayne and Sandi and settled under the covers with his new phone. Sebastian had given him one of the burner phones with the numbers for the other burner phones pre-programmed. Everyone’s names had been changed. Sebastian was Steve. Reilly was Ryan, Kellan was Kyle, Hunter was Hank, Zev was just Z, and poor Ben got stuck with his given name, Ruben.

Sebastian had also set him up with the typical apps for a teenager, and with his background in security had even managed to create a fake history going back a few years to add credibility to his persona.

Elijah played around for a while until his eyes started to get droopy and he nearly hit himself in the face more than once with his phone. He closed the app and plugged the phone into the charger, setting it down on the nightstand next to the bed.

His eyes closed and it seemed like only a moment had passed when he was suddenly jerked from a sound sleep by rough hands pulling him out from under the covers. Before he could draw a breath to yell, his mouth was covered and in the next instant he felt a stinging sensation in his neck.

‘Shit, that was fast,’ he thought as his brain slid into inky darkness.