Werehuman

Guinea of War

I was alone in the bed when I woke up, light shining through my window right across my eyes. I could hear the shower running, perhaps Katie was in there. Instead of checking, I gathered up the extra pillows and quilts that had fallen off in the night, making the bed with the mound. It did look rather like a wolf nest covered in snow.

The laundry basket Mel brought down had tipped over, and I set this on the newly made bed. Ralph had been a much thinner man at one point, I thought, holding up one shirt. Or perhaps this was Mel's.

"Oh, you awake," Katie said, toweling her hair. "I was going to come over and drip water on your face."

"No thanks," I replied. "How was your shower?"

She grinned. "Blissful. Your soap smells great."

"It doesn't really have a smell?" I said, now a little uncertain.

"It had a clean smell." She flopped on the bed, wet hair dripping on everything in its path. "I smell clean."

The clothes I was wearing smelled like yesterday. I pulled them off and headed for the shower myself.

"Once you dress, see if Mel needs help with breakfast," I called.

"Will do!" Katie replied. "Can I wear something of yours?"

I wondered if she wanted something that smelled like me, or simply something that fit better. I didn't know the answer. Human women were more complicated that wolf ones.

"Sure," I answered.

Showers were the human equivalent of waterfalls. There was a stream that ran across the southern line of my former pack's territory, we'd all bathe and play there. I scrubbed my hair and pondered my day. I guessed I would keep Katie close, I still was suspicious, and even if I wasn't, it didn't appear her pack cared for her being alive either. Better to be safe.

I heard my name dimly over the water and finished my shower quickly, wringing my hair out and pulling on clothes.

Ralph was on his way down the stairs, a concerned furrow in his brow.

"What?" I asked.

"You'd better come see," he replied.

I followed him out of the house, heading east past the drive and at the tree line. There, at the very edge of the trees, was bloody guinea.

"Oh no," said Katie, who had followed as well.

"Don't touch it," I said. "He's testing us. Just left it alone."

"It's going to start rotting," Ralph protested. "Flies, maggots, who knows what diseases."

"Don't touch it," I repeated. "It's on the east side of the property and that's not ours anymore. Ralph, if we touch it, they will kill us. All of us."

He swallowed and took a couple steps back. "Then what do we do?"

"I'll take care of it," I promised. "Tonight. For now, just let it be. Let's have breakfast and forget about it."

Ralph turned away at my insistence and walked back to the house.

"I'm worried, Conor," he sighed.

I wanted to assure him that it would all be fixed, but I had no idea how to solve this situation. I would mark the property line tonight, but there wasn't much I could do against a five-person pack with just me. I doubted Katie wanted to fight her brother. This shouldn't be my job, I thought. I wasn't an alpha. I was smaller and weaker. I was a better wolf, but that part of me wanted to run away. Who knew what would happen then.

Breakfast was a somber affair. Mel didn't ask what had happened and she didn't have to. Even Susie Lynn frowned worriedly. I didn't want her to be afraid; I wanted her to feel safe in her own home. Even so, when she raced to the bus at the end of the road, I followed her most of the way, confirming she got on the bus.

Mel and Ralph were waiting for me when I returned to the house.

"What can we do?" Mel asked. "It's a guinea today. What if it's a cow or a person they leave tomorrow?"

"We can't take them on," I answered. "I'm going to clearly mark the boundary tonight, but I don't have a plan. I'm sorry."

"This is not your fault," Mel told me sternly. "Katie, any insight into your brother would be helpful about now."

Katie shrugged, playing with the end of her borrowed shirt. "I thought things would be different up here," she said. "But they don't know how to hunt, really hunt, and your farm is the closest thing for miles."

Ralph let out a sigh. Mel ran her fingers through her hair. In the pause, I used a hair tie to pull back my own hair. Katie had an oddly hopeful expression on her face.

"Maybe we could find the pack who bit Conor, maybe get some help there?"

"What?" I questioned.

"You know, you were bit by a werewolf," she pointed out. "Obviously there are werewolves in the area that aren't my pack. It could be a lone wolf, but those are so rare, I doubt it."

"Do werewolves migrate much?" Ralph inquired.

Katie shook her head. A tiny grain of hope sparked in my chest. Any plan was good enough for me.

"I can run back to my old pack's hunting grounds and see if I can find a trail," I said. "It could take a couple of days, but if they're here, I know what I'm looking for."

"I'm going with you," Katie said.

"Katie..."

"It's my family doing this, and this is the only way I can be free of them. If they kill you, they'll kill me. I may not be good at tracking prey, but I know what a werewolf smells like. I can help."

She folded her arms defiantly, waiting for my response. I still didn't want to take her; it was bad enough I would be crossing the highway, but I didn't know how other wolves would handle Katie. Though if she could track a werewolf, that would make this more possible.

"Fine," I sighed. "Fine. Mel, could we get a ride to the highway?"

"You're leaving now?" Ralph questioned.

"Every day we put this off is another day Marcus could kill us," I said. "And that scares me. We'll be fine."