Red Moon, White Moon

Chapter 15: Training Day

The car ride was long and silent. The tension was so thick that even with the air conditioner running at full blast, the cabin of the old Dodge was musty at best. As I pulled into the long driveway leading up to Bear's house, the group of outcasts who had become very special to me all looked around like little children going to the park for the first time. They really did not know what to expect, and they were eager to get a glimpse of where I was taking them. I parked the car next to Bear's truck, and we all piled out. I led them towards the house where the others were waiting on the porch.

"Come on, guys, it will be fine," I said, waving at Hayden and the others.

"I hope you're right, Connell. They don't seem too happy to see us," Xavier said.

I turned and smiled at him. "Actually, that is them in a good mood. Don't worry about it. It took me a while to get used to them, especially Hayden."

"Which one is Hayden?" Greta asked.

"The one with the dark hair and the scars on his face, eating the apple." I pointed.

Prisha grimaced and asked, "What happened to his face?"

"You'll understand in a minute." I whispered to myself, "I hope."

Tossing the half-eaten apple into the flowerbed, Hayden started to make his way towards us. "What is this, pansy?"

Looking back at my friends one more time with a smile to reassure them, I turned and answered, "They're what I went to Chamberlain for." I put my hand on Hayden's shoulder and said, "By the way, thank you for standing up to Jack for me, but I could have handled it."

He pushed my arm off his shoulder and walked past me. "I don't know what you're talking about, and we will leave it at that." He looked at each of them up and down and asked them all, "Do you even know why he brought you out here?"

Xavier stepped forward. "Werewolf hunting."

Bear and the others who had joined us overheard Xavier and started to snort. "Y'all think ya have what it takes to kill some critters, do ya?" he asked.

Pointing at Bear, Santiago asked, "¿Por que este hombre grande habla tan gracioso?"

Bear, caught off guard, leaned in with his eyes wide open and asked, "Say what now?"

Greta rolled her eyes and quickly answered, "He was wondering why you talk funny." She turned to Hayden and said, "And you, please spare us the tough guy image—we get that all day, every day at Chamberlain. I'm here to help Connell, so either accept it or do not."

Hayden was speechless for a second. Then, he cracked a smile and extended a hand to her. "Okay, you got it. I am Hayden."

Greta smiled at him and shook his hand. "I'm Greta, nice to meet you."

After a few minutes of introductions, while I wondered why I didn't get the same treatment from Hayden in the beginning, we all went over to the barn where Hayden had been working on a plan based on what Lilly had told him about Chamberlain. Walking in, Xavier went right over to the map and started to look it over while we were still making small talk. He immediately grabbed a marker and his scenario book and started to make changes to what Hayden had already done, adding a few twists of his own.

"Son, perhaps you're as confused as a termite in a yo-yo right now, but I would stop mucking around with that board if I were you," Bear shouted from across the barn.

Hayden turned to see what Xavier was doing, marched over to him and took the marker out of his hand. "Pansy, I guess you have not explained to your friend how things work around here."