Lone Wolf

Chapter Two

TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE FULL MOON

Neil had long ago lost count of how many bus terminals he'd seen. Whatever insane number it was, he'd never gotten comfortable in them. There were too many people to keep an eye on, and turning had made it worse. The scent of so many human bodies and the disjointed thumps of their hearts made his head spin. His mother had helped- leading him with a firm grip on his shoulder to their terminal every time and leaving no room for second-guesses.

He'd never been through the Eugene station, but the frenzied pace of people around him was familiar. Students commuting to campus for the last weeks before the end of the term made their way through the fray of professionals heading to work and the homeless.

By comparison, Cottage Grove's stop was a ghost town. He stood off to the side of the stop for almost a full minute after the bus had carried on. Only two others had gotten off the bus with him- a young man with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes, and an elderly woman. Both had already wandered off. Downtown Cottage Grove spanned only three or four blocks in each direction, and was made up of small, short buildings painted in bright colors. From what Neil had read online, it was a popular spot to stop for tourists driving down to California, getting crowded in the warmer months. Neil was sure that the information on the town's website was outdated, because downtown was deserted.

Here and there, lights in storefronts had been turned on and signs had been flipped to 'open', but there were few people on the streets. Motion caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to find a flier stapled to a nearby pole.

                                                                                     WARNING

                                                                WOLVES SPOTTED IN THIS AREA.

                                   IF SEEN, RETREAT SLOWLY AND CONTACT ANIMAL CONTROL.

                                                KEEP CHILDREN AND PETS INSIDE AFTER DARK.

Beneath the words was the number to call, along with a website to learn more about wolf populations in Oregon. Neil stared, captivated, at the words 'retreat slowly' and 'animal control'. He pressed a palm to the side of his ribs where the indent of teeth marked him forever.

Finally, he followed street signs to wind up on the west side of town. There was more traffic over here, likely due to the Mcdonald's across the street. Friday at lunchtime meant the line was backed up into the street. Neil snorted, then turned away from the tantalizing smell of fried food. The traffic should have meant it would be hard for the ride Wymack had set up to reach him, but spotting it was easier than Neil had expected.

It was the weight of Andrew's stare that brought Neil's gaze straight to him. He looked calm, lounging against the brick wall of a bar. In the daylight, he hardly resembled the monster Neil had first seen and, as he drew closer, he noted Andrew's eyes had faded to a warm amber hue.

His scent was the same, though, Neil realized as he crossed the street to meet him. His heart skipped in his chest, though he kept his face blank. As he drew closer, he realized he was taller than Andrew by a few inches, something he hadn't been able to tell the night before when Andrew had knocked him on his ass. The all-black ensemble Andrew wore did nothing to make him look any taller, and Neil wondered how on Earth he could stand to wear long sleeves in June. Neil felt hot just looking at him.

"Neil," Andrew said in lieu of hello, and he pointed at Neil's backpack. "You do know you're staying the whole summer, yes?"

"Just this." Neil shrugged, fingers tightening for a moment on the strap of his back. It was small enough to stow under seats and large enough to fit all his belongings.