A Soul of my Own

Chapter 24

"Louie! NO!" I shouted, and before I could even stop to consider what might happen I quickly darted between him and Nico my arms spread wide. 

Nico froze. 

Louie, his beastly wolfish face, snarled at me but then let a low whine as he hung his head and stepped a few inches back. 

Well, at least he knew who I was. I sighed with relief. 

"What the hell -?" Nico gasped. 

"It's fine. It's all fine." I told Nico, but I was staring at Louie. His dark green eyes flashed again and I swallowed hard knowing what was coming next. "N,Nico. Get out of here. Now." I ordered him, stepping back to force him to back out the garage door. 

"But -. Webby -." Nico began. 

Louie's head turned sharply at Nico who's eyes wide when Louie's mouth opened wide showing off his pointed teeth. 

"NOW. NICO!"I bellowed. 

I was not going to let another person get hurt because of me today. 

Nico scrambled to his feet and bolted out the door without a second glance back. Louie's muscle's suddenly became less tense, and he snorted in disgust before he cocked his head over towards me. I forced a smile. 

"Come now, Louie." I whispered. "Why not change back, eh? Please? Whatever it was that happened, we can deal with it. Together..." 

Rather if it was my choice in words or the fact that he can sense my uneasiness his eyes darted from me to Dewey's limp body a few inches away. His eyes flashed once again and this time he tilted his wolf head back and howled loudly. 

I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut and cover my ears but I knew I had to be calm and collective if I wanted to get Louie back to normal. So far, I was the only one I knew who can... 

"Louie!" I snapped. Louie stopped mid howl and growled at me, and smirked when it was caught in a weak drift. "I know, Dewey's hurt. But you being this way isn't going to help him. Snap out of it, now Louie!" I ordered. 

Louie blinked at my sudden harsh tone but suddenly shrank back. He sat on his hinge legs and stared at me confused. I sighed deeply. 

"Come on, Louie." I pleaded. I reached out a shaky hand to him and rubbed behind his ears. His tail thumbed and his tongue hung out as if he was drunk on me touching him in this matter. I groaned irritable and rolled my eyes at the thought.  "Not as afraid to show how you really feel about me in this form, now, are you?" I snickered. 

Louie stopped wagging his tail and his tongue slowly slipped back in his mouth as his eyes narrowed at me. 

"I know, Louie. I've know since that day, that day I was arrested." I told him. 

Louie whine pitifully and his head tilted to Dewey.

"Yes. I'm with Dewey." I tell him. "I'm having his child, Louie." I reminded him. 

Louie hung his head. 

"But you," I said, removing my hand from behind his ears and lifting his furry muzzle to make him look at me. "You have someone who loves you dearly, in that way, you know that." I tell him. He snorted and did shooked himself. "Lena does love you, you know. She's hurting that you still have feelings for me and don't have any yet for her, because you are to much of a coward to let go." I tell him. 

His snipped gently at me irritably. 

"Prove me wrong then." I urged him, ignoring the glare in his eyes. "Change back, and prove to her that you love her, and help me with your brother! Stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself. This has gone on long enough. Don't you think?" I tell him. 

He blinked once, twice, and a third time before he backed away from me, stretched out as far as he could go and slowly, very slowly began to change back into his former self. He groaned and rolled over on his side, his face red with embarrassment and shame. 

I rolled my eyes. 

"Come on, Louie." I tell him. "Help me with Dewey." 

He nodded and slowly forced himself to stand. He didn't say a word as we lifted Dewey up and draped both his arms over each of our shoulders as he hauled him off over to the couch and laid him down gently on it. 

"Call her." I tell him. 

He sighed deeply, got out his phone and dialed her number. His eyes widen in surprise as she answered after the second ring.  He removed it from his ear and pressed the speaker button. 

"Louie? What do you want?" Lena slurred. 

Louie and I glanced at each other. 

"Lena? Are you drunk?" Louie demanded to know. 

"So what if I am? What's it to you?" Lena snapped at him. 

"I -." Louie began then stopped. He looked over at me and I titled my head towards him encouragingly at him. "Because I care about you?" He asked a bit uncertainly which made me close my eyes quickly and smack my forehead in disbelief when I opened them again Louie was making a sour face at me. 

"Yeah. Right." Lena spat. 

"Look, can, can you please just met me at the safe house? It's rather urgent." He insisted. 

A long pause then -. 

"Yeah, sure guess I'll met with you one last time before I leave." Lena drawled. 

"Wait -. What -? You're leaving?" Louie asked, his face turning from sour to panic. 

"I'll be there in a few." Lena told him and hung up. 

Louie stared at the phone his hand trembling. We stood side by side watching over Dewey. Louie probably feeling worried, concern, and panicked while I; of course, felt nothing. 

No souls. 

No emotions. 

I can't even feel sad for how Dewey's condition was and that thought I might loose him like this didn't even graze the surface of my emotions. 

No tears. No fear. No.... 

Nothing... 

I sighed deeply. 

"Well, that could have gone better." I say. 

"She's.... Leaving...." Louie whispered. 

"Now is your chance to stop her and tell her how you feel." I tell him. 

"I, I'm not good with feelings, Webbs." Louie tell me.    

I rolled my eyes. 

"Yeah. I know. Had to find out for myself that you still have feelings for me while I'm dating your brother." I quipped up, punching him playfully in the arm. 

"Yeah." Louie said, glumly. "Guess I missed that chance when you ended up pregnant." He tells me. I rolled my eyes. 

"You missed that chance the moment Dewey and I had our first kiss. Lou." I shot at him. He smiled sheepishly at me. 

"Yeah. Guess I did." He said.  "I... I just don't want Lena to think that she's a rebound because I can't have you." He admits. 

"You seem to have no problems telling me how you feel." I pointed out. "Why not tell Lena that? Let her know she's not?" 

"That's the problem..." Louie grumbled. 

I stared at him not understanding as the door to the garage opened and Lena strolled in with Violet. She was staring at the floor and it looks like she had been crying.  I stared at her. 

"Where's Huey?" I asked her my heart thudding against my chest. 

Violet's head snapped up and she choked back a sob. 

"Huey's.... He's...." Violet choked out and she reached out for Lena and clinched her arm not able to say the rest of her sentence. 

"Been captured." Lena answered.