Hackles rose on the back of Nat's neck at every blurred shadow. The wounds in his shoulders ached and throbbed, but the wolf inside supported him through the pain. The city left the group unsettled in the slow onset of twilight. The chill nipped at their heels. The sun was setting in the distance, and they were still in the midst of the town. They kept their eyes open for shelter.
The creature glanced at the small woman cradled in Yeller's arms. Her breathing had evened out. He glanced to Deck, whose wolf limped strangely. He'd ask the man about that later. For now, an empty doorway into a tiny suburban bungalow looked promising. He motioned the wolves over to it.
At the door, Yeller handed Nat Hana. He tried to jiggle the knob, but it protested, locked tight. He tapped on the rotting wood and listened for motion from within. It was resoundingly empty. "Well, if it's vacant, then no one'll mind." He pressed the door until there was a crunch of wood on the jam breaking. The door swung inwardly to reveal a shabby 1970's green wallpaper and gold shag-carpeted living room. The furniture was rotting, and moths fluttered about under the disturbance.
"Think it's a museum?" Sun Hee peeked in around the doorframe.
"People can be super weird. Probably a collector." Benj stepped over the threshold and walked over to an old record player on top of a tube tv.
"Says the guy who literally wore shirts based on two hundred-year-old patterns, for funzies." Sun Hee ran a finger along the window sill, knocking off a thick layer of dust.
"You liked the hoodies," Benj countered.
"I thought your shirts always looked nice." A blush ran across Zola's cheeks up to her ears.
"That's because you look good in boyfriend shirts, Zoe." Sun Hee ribbed her with an elbow.
"If he'd ever let me have one." Zola clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes going wide. Benj stalled, fingers deep in the back of a Kit-Cat Klock.
"I'm...just gonna circle the house and let you three figure that one out." Deck walked through the front living room, past a doorframe and disappeared, leaving the group to stare at each other in silence.
"At least it's warmer and maybe safer than out there. God, I can't wait for spring to come again." Deck's voice echoed down a hallway.
"Nat, sit. You're swaying." Yeller nudged the man toward the one armchair in the room.
The white-haired man nodded quietly and settled in, Hana curled in his arms. "Thanks."
Yeller leaned over, testing the woman's forehead with his hand. "Not hot. Not cold. You doing okay holding her like that? Your shoulders doing okay?"
"Been better. Been hella worse. My fingers are prickly, but the creature's growling about me putting her down." Nat kept his voice to Yeller and himself.
"Tell me if you need me to take her so you can rest. Even that beast has to understand those wounds aren't going to heal at this rate." Yeller squatted down next to the armchair and checked Hana's pupillary reaction.
Sun Hee and Zola found clothes stuffed into a back closet. Moth holes permeated some of the softer sweaters, but everyone was able to outfit themselves in varying decades of wearables, save for the fact Yeller's newly acquired pants rode high on his ankles. Benj came out of it dressed in a full three-piece tailed suit. Deck managed a pair of worn jeans and an angel-winged brown button-up. The girls slipped into long jersey dresses and cashmere shawls.
Yeller crashed on the sofa, and the couch subsequently crashed to the floor. "Oops." He sprawled across the cushions.
"You auf!" Zola jumped onto the sofa, bouncing on what remained of the springs.
YOU ARE READING
Polaris Skies
WerewolfNat can't even qualify himself as a regular college student. Not with the Grey Monster and subsequent world war scrubbing most of the earth of its population. Then there's the werewolves. More to be exact, being possessed by werewolves. And not in t...
