Werehuman

One Bed

Daria finally woke up just as Ralph stopped the truck in front of the house. Keith noted the building with interest, but waited for Ralph to emerge from the cab before leaving the truck bed. Daria's wolf face was swollen and bloody. I had let her rest in my lap, hoping it was less jarring.

"Where should we put ourselves?" Keith said.

"Where you find a spot, I imagine," Ralph said. "There's Conor's room, the guest room, Susie's Lynn's room and an assortment of couches. Mel said she'd scrounge up some clothes before you got here."

Keith blinked at Ralph a moment, taken aback. Aidan stretched his arms and then patted Keith's knee.

"That would be great, thanks."

Ralph nodded and went inside. Keith turned to me with puzzlement.

"Ralph knows we killed those people, right?"

I nodded.

"What is wrong with him?"

"Nothing, Keith," Aidan pointed out. "We saved his little girl at the cost of our own. I'm pretty sure this is what gratitude looks like."

I hopped out of the bed of the truck and took the familiar laundry basket from Ralph. He gave me a tired smile.

"I'll get everyone situated," I said. "Where's Katie?"

"Your room," he replied.

My new pack rummaged for appropriate clothing in the basket. I found a pair of shorts; my third set of the day.

"The guest room has the biggest bed," I said as we dressed. "Probably three could sleep there very comfortably. Susie's bed is small, but I have extra pillows and blankets if someone wants to sleep on the floor. Katie is already in my room; but someone is welcome to join us; there are also two couches in the living room."

"Casey and I will take the guest bed," Keith decided. "Daria will be in Susie's room and you boys can work out the rest. Come on."

Daria's face looked worse as a human, and Aidan was still walking stiffly. Mel had already moved bedding into Susie's room, and Brian landed on one of the couches with a sigh.

"This is fabulous," he said. "Aidan, you need anything?"

"I'm good," Aidan answered, already closing his eyes on the other couch.

Before finding my own room, I padded my way to the master bedroom and knocked softly. Ralph opened it and let me in.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She woke up briefly when we got home, but she's asleep now," Mel said.

Susie Lynn was on their bed. Mel had replaced her shirt and put a bandage on her neck. The girl looked peaceful as she slept, but I could only imagine how scared she must have been and how terrifying last night would have been.

"I don't know how this will affect her," I admitted. "I'm so sorry."

"This is not your fault," Mel told me. "Is he dead? Is that man dead?"

I nodded. I wondered if the police would find the bodies we had left behind. Nothing good would come from arresting a werewolf. I didn't like leaving Avery behind either, I understood Keith's reasoning. She deserved better.

"Avery was killed too," I said. "Casey's sister."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mel sighed. "I had hoped that we could make it back home without casualties. More than the loss of my daughter's humanity, I mean. Ralph, when is the full moon?"

"Next week," he answered. "I just checked. We have some time. My poor baby girl."

He sat next to Mel, watching his daughter sleep. I quietly left the room and headed downstairs to my own. Katie had showered and was sitting on the bed, staring down at her toes.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"My whole family is dead," she told me. "And I just ran away. I didn't help them; I didn't fight; I just ran."

"Like a wolf," I told her. "Like a real wolf, anyway."

"What is your pack going to do with me?" she asked.

"I don't know," I answered. "Keith isn't happy that you're still alive, but Casey and Brian were on my side."

"Were? What did you do?" she inquired, giving me a half smile.

"Avery was killed too," I answered. "I don't know what they'll do now."

Katie buried her face in my bare chest and began to cry. I frowned at her, uncertain how to respond. Wolves didn't cry. People did, Susie Lynn cried nearly every time we watched a movie. I wrapped my arms around her in an awkward hug and tried to suppress a yawn.

Katie sniffed once and looked up at me.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You're probably tired."

"I am," I admitted. "This was a very...trying day."

"I'm so glad you came back today," she said. "If you hadn't, who knows what would have happened. And Mel and Ralph had been so nice to me and my brother was so..."

"Katie, stop it," I interrupted. "It's over. Let's sleep; tomorrow we can worry about everything else."

Just before I was able to move to my side of the bed, someone knocked on the door. Katie shied from the sound and I reluctantly stood up and got it. Brian looked a little sheepish.

"I'm so sorry, but do you think Aidan and I could get some blankets?" he asked. "It's cooler than I was expecting and sleeping as a wolf messes up my hair."

Katie giggled behind me. Brian raised an eyebrow.

"Hello again," he said. "Are you two a couple? You look like a couple."

"No," I replied.

"Good." Brian moved past me to kneel in front of Katie. "Gives me a chance to woo her."

Katie snorted, taking her hand from his grasp. He sighed dramatically. Some blankets were still in the corner of my room, and I pulled two out of the pile. In that time, Brian was lying supine on the bed.

"Are beds weird for you?" he asked, yawning once.

"Not anymore," I answered. "At first, sure. Mainly because sleeping alone is a human thing."

"Really?"

"We'd just sleep in a pile," I explained. "My parents, the alphas, didn't, but the rest of us did."

"Sounds weird," Brian admitted.

"We could try it," Katie suggested.

She patted the bed beside her and I sat. Brian moved over a little and Katie rested her back against him. Within a couple of deep breaths, the three of us were curled in the sheets and Katie and Brian were fast asleep. It wasn't weird at all. Humans needed more connection than they would admit.

A short while later, the door was knocked again. I extricated myself from the bed and opened the door. Aidan looked concerned.

"What happened to Brian?" he asked.

"I'm here," Brian mumbled sleepily. "Come 'ere."

Aidan sidled toward Brian, who reached up and pulled protesting Aidan into the bed.

"Brian," he complained.

"Shh," Katie whispered and draped an arm around Aidan. "Conor, you moved."

Once I found a spot, the four of us didn't move until morning.