The Secret Pull

Chapter 6 - Rescue

Jessica and I watched in horror as the four wolves gnawed at each other. I sat motionless as the violent mass of wolves moved across the asphalt oblivious to our presence. Another wolf was flung out of the pile into the air and landed against a tree and broke its back. I watched its lifeless body before turning to see one of the two remaining wolves attacking Paul land a debilitating bite. I heard a sickening crunch and a harrowing howl. I saw Paul's wolf was down in the middle of the road. His head was still violently snapping as he lay on the ground. His leg was twisted in a gruesome way and the smaller wolves were now circling him. They were going to kill him, I knew it.

I felt sick. My body jerked forward with an urge to vomit so I quickly clasped my hands over my mouth. This can't happen. My mind repeated those thoughts over and over. "I have to do something", I choked out as I leaned over and reached into my glove compartment.

I pulled out a short sawed-off shotgun that I kept hidden with my newly acquired shading skills. I also grabbed a box of ammo. This wasn't just regular ammo. These buckshots were coated in silver. I made them myself. I was always afraid of a werewolf attack. I thought maybe one day Paul and his pack would come for me. Now I was ready to fight. Jessica stared at me in shock. "Lock the door behind me," I said. Before she could stop me I hopped out of the jeep and ran toward the wolves. As soon as I exited the vehicle the spell of invisibility was broken. I would have to act fast because now we were exposed.

This is crazy! This is crazy! I am crazy!

I had no way to explain why. This was beyond rational thought. I was compelled to protect this wolf, this violent creature, from certain death. The wolves were circling and didn't notice my approach. When I got to a safe and effective firing distance, I raised my gun, aimed, and shot. I hit the wolf circling on the left, center mass. It flung back a few feet to the area at the edge of the road and didn't get up. As soon as I turned to shoot the wolf on my right, it was already leaping into the air at me. It was almost like it was happening in slow motion. I underestimated how fast these wolves can move. I held my hand up as a pathetic defense mechanism but it was as if the wolf hit an invisible wall in front of me. Its body flung away from me violently and hit the asphalt.

Did I just do that?

The werewolf on the ground shook its head, stunned. I didn't have time to focus on my shock. The wolf was dazed but it quickly recovered and turned to lunge at me again. I used the extra second of its disorientation to aim as he leaped into the air. I shot it in its face. I waited for a terrifying long long second to see if it would move before I ran to the center of the road. I stopped and stood beside Paul's wolf, not wanting to get too close. I could hear my jeep screeching down the road before stopping alongside of me. Jessica was now in the driver's seat. As the driver's side window slid down, she stuck her head out.

Jessica shouted "I can't believe you fucking did that! That was insane!" I turned toward the black wolf laying on the ground. His chest was rapidly rising and falling. He was covered in blood, dirt, and asphalt pebbles. I knelt beside him. He shifted his head to look at me. Our eyes met, and all of a sudden I felt a warm rush of affection overtake me like a splash of water to the face. It came over me so fast that I didn't know how to process it. It was so intense I was left speechless. This was more than the teenage infatuation I felt before. This was more than sympathy for an enemy. In that moment, I knew Paul was essential to my life. I don't know how but he is. The wolf's eyes looked back at me as if seeing me for the first time. Its pupils were so wide that its eyes seemed entirely black.

Because of Paul, I have been scared of werewolves my entire life. But, with Paul in his werewolf form in front of me, I didn't feel fear. I felt a sense of calm and concern. I could hear the sounds of more wolves howling in the woods. Paul's wolf raised his head slowly to howl. I didn't know if these new wolves were friends or enemies but knew I needed to protect Paul. I leaned down and spoke to him, "Can you heal yourself?" The wolf turned to look at me with pained eyes, groaned, and laid his head back down on the concrete. Without fear, I wrapped my arms around his large furry neck and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to heal you."

"Umm....what the FUCK are you doing?!" Jess shouted from the car.

"This is Paul Bennett" I turned to explain.

Jess looked down at the injured werewolf and said "Paul Bennett is a werewolf?! I fucking knew...."

"Jessica!" I snapped. I was trying to get her to focus but I couldn't ignore the panicky shrill of my voice. "I'm going to try and heal him," I interrupted, speaking low and slow. "Drive home and call my mother." I didn't want to leave Paul's wolf but I ran up to the car window and pleaded with her. "I can't have you out here with me. It's not safe, more werewolves might come." Jessica was shaking her head but I didn't have time to argue. I pleaded with her "Yes Jess!.... Don't argue, I need you to go and get help for us and fast!" She looked into my eyes and silently nodded. She put the jeep in drive and then stuck her head out of the driver's side window "Don't mess up my hoodie!" The realization that all this time I was wearing her bunny-eared hoodie hit me and I chuckled. I mouthed "I love you" and she did the same before peeling away in my car. I turned back to Paul in the middle of the road.

I scanned his wolf body only touching him lightly. I located the break on his back leg. I think it was his femur. Healing incantations would be too slow. The fastest way to heal him was hand-to-body energy transference. I placed my hands on the wolf's wounded leg. Paul's wolf initially jerked away its leg in pain but then stilled under my touch. On a human, this would take a few seconds and just a little bit of energy. With this being my first time trying to heal a werewolf I didn't know how long it would take, or if I even had the energy. I was wired on adrenaline and I hoped that would be enough.

I pressed both hands into the leg and I heard a pained whimper. All of a sudden, I heard a low growl behind me. I was struck with fear. Were there more werewolves coming to attack? I had no ammo and a wounded werewolf lying next to me. I slowly turned to see a huge blonde wolf walking towards me and others emerging from the trees. I kept my hand on Paul's wolf, willing him to get up and save me. He raised his head slightly in the direction of the looming blonde wolf and thankfully it stopped its approach. With that, all of the wolves stopped moving. It was eerily silent as they all watched me without moving. I figured they must have communicated telepathically. I hope he told them I was a friend.

I turned my attention back to the broken leg. Nothing was happening yet and I was starting to worry that maybe I couldn't heal him. I was hoping he would spring back up but it hadn't happened yet. I closed my eyes. This has to work. I was surrounded by wolves in the middle of the road in the middle of the night. Thoughts flashed through my mind.

This is crazy! I'm out of my mind!

With my hands pressed against the large werewolf, memories of the first time Paul kissed me and the first time he held my hand raced through my mind. "C'mon Paul get up" I mumbled to no one in particular as I focused all of my attention on transferring my healing energy. "Get up, get up, get up". I was repeating it aloud like a mantra. Over and over I repeated, saying it faster, almost pleading. Tears were streaming down my face. I repeated it over and over again until....I blacked out.