The Wolves

Chapter 10

Iku showed the painting to Boss and he complimented everyone on their good job done. I stood away from everyone else like I usually do. I looked up to see an air vent blasting down on me as I rubbed my arms and let out a big sigh.

"Here," Kyo threw his jacket over my shoulders.

I looked over to see him standing there with his arms folded across his chest in a dark T-shirt and pants. His muscles flexed making him look strong and tempting. His bright blonde hair lit up his face in shadows. His lips look so soft I couldn't stop myself from staring. He's such a good kisser and his hands felt amazing as they traveled up and down my body; I wanted to feel it all again.

"What are you staring at me for?" he glared at me.

"Oh was I?" I quickly looked away not knowing what to do. I can be such a hormonal teenager sometimes. But Kyo is gorgeous and I do want to kiss him. Things have been a little awkward between us since the other night at my place. Nothing too exciting happened but still... something seems different. Almost like he's pushing me away for some reason. Maybe he doesn't know how to depend on me.

"I can't place it but something about this particular painting is off. Something's different and its driving me crazy." Ichigo said. This peeked my interest so I wedged my way through the boys and came to be standing before the beautiful painting of brilliant, blue dolphins. I picked it up and placed it beside the other one we got the other night. They went together perfectly. It was one story spread across two canvas.

"Is this what was bothering you?" I asked.

"No... I could tell they went together but it's something else." Ichigo said as he scrutinized the paintings. "Don't you see something different about the one we got tonight than the other one?" I stood next to Ichigo and looked at it closely.

"You're right something is different but I just can't tell. This is really going to bother me now too." I sighed. "They were definitely painted at the same time but that doesn't explain why this one is so different. It just doesn't make sense!" Ichigo and I threw our arms up in annoyance. Kyo and Boss walked down stairs then came back with some equipment.

"How could tell they went together?" Iku asked me.

"I've been surrounded in art for years now. I know a lot about it." I smiled at him. Kyo hooked up the equipment and Boss shut off the lights. Kyo turned on the black light he set up and held it over the paintings. A number appeared written underneath the paint spread across the painting.

"What is that?" I stared down at the number studying it. It was too long for a phone number or location but just shy of a bank number. "Dolphins, an odd painting style, and a mysterious number. Dolphins..." I whispered over and over again. "Can I get a pen and paper?" I asked.

"Sure, here." Joji handed them to me and started jotting down the number right away. Then I wrote down the word dolphin and then I wrote the word Delphinidae.

"What is that?" Boss asked looking over my shoulder. I lined up the numbers with the letters in Delphinidae. I did this a dozen times over again with different numbers under different letters never in the same sequence.

"I think it's an anagram." I said.

"A what?" Joji asked.

"An anagram. You know, same letters different meanings." He doesn't get it. "Anyway, Gramps was afraid of the water, well not water in general more like oceans. Pools and spas and baths he was fine with. He could handle it if he could see the ground. If not then he wouldn't go in so I find it very hard to believe he would suddenly take up and interest in sea creatures unless it meant something." I explained.