Chapter Two
Bad Day

The next morning I got up as usual, showered and dressed choosing some jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a beige shirt to wear over the top, it looked pretty nice outside so I doubted whether or not I’d need a coat so I left it in my room.  I grabbed my satchel and my black notebook from my desk then headed down stairs.
As always Linda had poured me a bowl of cereal and a rack of toast stood waiting in the middle of the table.  I never had the heart to tell Linda it wasn’t enough.  See we werewolves burn energy something chronic and so have to eat a lot.   Like as if our bodies burn through food really quickly.  It’s pretty cool actually I can eat crappy junk food and never really worry about putting on any weight; then again I could probably do with bulking up a little.  On the other hand normal people see you eating loads of food and think you’re some kind of disgusting freak with an eating disorder, after all even a kid of my age can only eat so much before the I’m-a-growing-boy-excuse stops being believable.  Of course the amount of food varies.  If we’re having a lazy day then we can get away with pretty average meals like anyone else.  But it isn’t often werewolves have lazy days.
I ate my cereal along with two slices of toast (it’d have to do for now – I could grab something else on the way to school, I normally did) whilst Linda told me her plans for the day.  This isn’t the most thrilling of subjects I know but I humoured her and besides I needed some normal areas to my life.
When I set off on the thirty minute walk to school I went past the coffee shop and called in to grab a few… snacks.  Once again I was given funny looks due to the amount I bought so I made some excuse about having bought for my family and then scurried out of the door.  During the rest of the journey I ate my way through two croissants, a Danish and a rather large chocolate chip muffin.  To see me you wouldn’t think I could eat so much.  I’m pretty lean, scrawny Nate and some of the others say but only to annoy me.  I think.  Like I said before it’s something to do with a werewolf’s physiology, we have to eat a lot to keep up our strength and energy.  If we don’t eat regular we become lethargic and withdrawn – eventually even becoming ill.
By the time I reached school a few drops of rain had fallen from clouds that hadn’t been there when I’d set off from home.  That’s when I began to regret having left my coat in my room, guess I should have known what with the time of year and all.  Well with any luck it would clear before the time for walking home came.
Walking through the halls half the school seemed to be milling around chatting or pulling things from their lockers.  There was still five minutes till homeroom so I grabbed my physics book from my locker and headed to registration.  On my way there I spotted a group of senior guys standing a few lockers away from the door to my homeroom class, the same guys who had been so amused in Mr. Stephens class.  I guess they’re what most people think of when they refer to “jocks” though I don’t use stereotypes like that as a rule – hello! Werewolf here.  They’re the big guys who are on the football team.  Everyone in the school wants to be them, be friends with them or are just plain scared of them.  Now one thing these kind of guys don’t like is some kid two years younger than them showing them up in anyway.  So what did I have to do – skip two and show how much smarter than them I am.  Big mistake.  Now they hate me and I mean physically hate me.  It’s not my fault they’re dumb shits but to them that’s not the point.  I guess it serves me right for doing well… it’s no way to make friends apparently.  I mean my best friend lives out of state, I have a few friends at school but not many and none as good as her.  Then again she has an advantage over the others, she knows what I am so I can be myself around her.
As I approached I saw the looks of contempt, looks I had seen so many times before, as they turned one-by-one to glare maliciously at me.  It was the same every time I came near them – god forbid I should ever actually have to speak to one of them.  I did my best to ignore them but as I passed by one of them must have stuck out their foot because I suddenly felt myself plummeting to the ground.  I landed with a sharp jolt on my elbows and I’m sure if I had been a normal human it would have caused some damage.
I waited there a while as I reigned in my own anger as I felt the overwhelming desire to lash out.  I don’t think Nate or Leon would be too impressed if I suddenly revealed the existence of werewolves in the middle of a high school over someone tripping me up.  Not that all the Pack would be mad if I did it, some would undoubtedly think it was well deserved but even they’d be disappointed I didn’t just rough them up in a more private place.  The only thing worse than knowing I could kick their asses if I were allowed is knowing that as a werewolf I should have been able to catch myself and stop my fall with my heightened reflexes; I obviously have a lot to learn from the others still.  Maybe I couldn’t have kicked ALL their asses, but most of them I’m sure.
I looked up and saw that my notebook, which I had still been carrying, had flung open as it had fallen from my grip.  Several loose pages including the pages of sheet music I had been working on were sprawled over the floor.  Bet you weren’t expecting that were you?  A werewolf that plays piano, not like the movies ever show that.  No!  We’re always savage beasts.  Vampires – they might be able to play piano but not an uncivilised, savage monster like a werewolf.  Hell, even a sixteen year old that plays piano.  It’s not like they’re big on the central character roles of films or anything these days.  See what I mean about stereotyping it’s totally unfair.
Anyway, getting to my knees I reached out to gather my notebook and sheets up only to see one of the “jock’s” feet come down on some of my work in a large sandy boot.  The rest all followed and I was prevented from collecting my stuff as they all walked straight over it.  Just to make things worse and to make sure there was no mistake in their pure, unadulterated hatred of me they twisted their feet as they walked to screw up the paper and dropped big, intelligent words like “dick” and “shithead” in my direction as they went, each one laughing proudly.  Today’s education used to it’s finest.
By the time they had all passed by me my papers were pretty screwed up.  Looking at the dishevelled mess of paper and the crumpled sheet music that I’d been working on for so long I was forced to let out a long, calming breath to force myself to stay where I was instead of running after them and bashing their heads together; though the image of me kicking their butts was very satisfying it was followed once again by the image of Nate telling me I’d done something stupid and Leon standing stoically behind him simply looking at me in disappointment.  I couldn’t bear either to be honest.
I simply collected up my things sorting and smoothing them as best I could and headed to homeroom.

That afternoon I headed home through the park but made sure to walk more quickly than I had the day before for two reasons.  
1) Nate would kill me if I missed two calls two days in a row – he always called at 4.15, knowing that’s when I should be home by.  
2) Dark clouds filled the sky and a downpour was due to start anytime.  I think I may have actually rushed a little.
I reached the end of my street just as the rain started, it was a pretty light drizzle to start with but quickly got a lot heavier.  I pulled the collar of my shirt up as a cold wind started blowing and quickened my step.
Nearing the gate to my house a particularly strong gust of wind brought a rather odd smell to my attention.  See as a werewolf my hearing and sense of smell is pretty acute compared to normal humans, like yesterday when I could hear all those people that weren’t anywhere near me.
The smell, the scent, ran a shiver down my spine.  As soon as it had hit me I knew what it was, I’d smelled it before on the few occasions I’d been allowed to follow the hunts at Dawn Croft – I’d never been allowed to actually take part in the kill, they all said I was too young.  It was like having a large number of brothers, uncles and father-figures being in the Pack, particularly as the youngest – they were great fun at times but they were always so over protective.  Nate was the worst.  Surprisingly Leon was the most lax and had been the one to “suggest” I go out on the hunts – a suggestion from the Pack Alpha wasn’t really a suggestion.  He had said I needed exposing to certain things, things that I would need to know as a werewolf.  Surprisingly the girls were a lot more open to the idea than some of the guys.  One of those things was coming in handy now, with the scent because it was the scent of blood.  
On the hunts I’d smelled rabbit and deer blood, and this was neither.  After the hunts I’d been able to find blood in the smallest amounts and found out how different species have different scents in their blood as well as on their bodies.  This was human blood.  I knew because I’d smelled human blood before I mean from nose bleeds and cuts and stuff, maybe I should be a crime scene investigator I could easily find any sign of blood.  What I smelled now was a much larger amount than came from a little cut, I could tell from the strength of it and what was more worrying was that I recognised the human scent.  It was familiar, really familiar, so familiar that I had spoken to the human just this morning.  I could smell Linda’s blood.
Realisation set in and turned quickly to panic over Linda.  There really did smell like there was an enormous amount of blood.  I was tempted, no drawn into running into the house until I saw the black SUV parked in the driveway.  It wasn’t familiar with its tinted windows and Linda hadn’t mentioned any friends coming over.  That was when I really thought about the situation.  Linda had lost a lot of blood some how and a strange car I’d never seen before was parked in the drive.  I came to two conclusions; either the owner of the car was helping Linda, or was the cause of whatever injury Linda had.  Still panicked I thought the worst and so decided not to barge in the front door, after all if the car was still here it stood to reason that the owner still was too.
Hurrying along the street I went down to Mrs. Carson’s four houses down and went into her back yard.  I then headed back, climbing over the fences separating each of the gardens.  In each yard I was sure to stay low to avoid any confrontations with the neighbours.  I didn’t much fancy explaining what I was doing and why – I’m sneaking into my own house because I smelled the blood of my house keeper from the down the street…  Would you believe that?  No.  You would think I was nuts just for suggesting it - jokingly.  When I reached the last fence, the one that would lead to my own back yard I peeked over first to make sure the coast was clear.  I know it makes me sound paranoid but I’d been told things by some of the Pack that made this necessary.
Certain no one was in the yard or at the back windows I slid over the fence and crouched low to the ground as I made my way up to the house.  Reaching the back door I slowly peeked in through the glass panes.  There was no one there.  What was that?  A shadow crossed the doorway.  I waited a second and checked again.  At the other side of the kitchen I could see a blurred shape standing in the doorway.  I crawled along the wall until I came to the column that held up the canopy of the porch.  Luckily I had snuck in and out of the house so many times to change that I could get into my room noiselessly.  Of course no one knew I ever changed in the park, Nate would kill me if he so much as thought I was doing it.
Climbing up the thick wooden beam that worked as a pillar to support the roofing of the porch I pulled myself up onto the top making sure to take care with what I was doing.  I didn’t want to kick something and make unwanted noise now did I?  My bedroom window was there in front of me, luckily it had been left open but not by much, Linda did that when she was making the beds to air out the rooms of the house or something.  She told me about it over breakfast once but I wasn’t really interested I was just glad she did it.  Edging it open as quietly as possible I made it barely big enough for me to climb through before stopping.  I knew from personal experience that any higher and it started to squeak.
I posted my bag through the opening, lowering it gently to the floor before sliding through headfirst and silently pulling myself through.  I picked up my bag again; if for nothing else it had my cell phone in it.  Making my way to my bedroom door I noticed things that were out of place, most obvious was the fact that several of my drawers were open and even my wardrobe door was slightly ajar.  Linda wouldn’t have done that, she was intense when it came to neatness; that must mean someone had gone through my room.  As I reached the door I opened it a crack and looked out onto the landing where I could see no one but became aware that the scent of blood suddenly intensified from out in the hall.  Forcing back the tears that started since I became sure that Linda could not have survived so much blood loss I went out onto the landing and tiptoed over to the banister that stood at the top of the stairs and prevented anyone from falling down to the bottom.
Peeking over the edge I saw shadows moving on the floor, but worse was the edge of the red pool that was clearly visible.  Pulling back I took a deep breath before looking again, leaning further over the banister this time.  That’s when I saw her.  Linda’s face was pale and full of fear, as she lay lifeless in the pool of her own blood.  I had to bite my lip to stop myself from sobbing there and then.
Suddenly the silence was broken by a deep, throaty voice.  “I thought the kid was meant to be home by now.”  Whoever had spoken was evidently growing impatient with having to wait.  Having to wait for me.
“Intel says he gets home from school at around 4pm normally.  Yesterday he was late though.”  The second voice was slightly younger than the first and had more of a sharp, harshness to it.
My eyes went wide as they had mentioned ‘the kid’, obviously referring to me unless they had the wrong house.  Some how I doubted that anyone would barge into a house and kill someone without knowing for sure it was the right one.  But how did they know I got home by 4pm?  More worrying was the fact that they knew I was late yesterday.  The only way they could know would be if they had been watching the house.  That or Nate had told them but I seriously didn’t think that Nate would send two guys to kill Linda just to get to me.    
“What do we do if he doesn’t show?”  The throaty one asked.
“If he doesn’t show one of us waits here whilst the other goes and finds out where he is.”  The second one replied.  His companion grunted in disapproval.
“What about her?”
“The old lady?  Who cares?  She’s not our problem anymore.  Someone will find her in a day or two and think some looneytoon broke in and killed her or she was robbed.  Of course that theory might be helped along were we to take a few choice possessions.”  The younger chuckled to himself though with a second disapproving nod his companion didn’t sound too enthralled with the idea.
Somewhere in their chatter about how Linda didn’t matter and that they were just going to make this look like a robbery I let my anger win out over my panic.  I shouldn’t have I know.  I knew it then and I still know it now but seeing Linda like that and hearing them talk about her like she was a no body I simply lost control of my own rage.  I climbed over the railing and leaned back over to see where the guys were down there.  So far I’d only seen the two shadows moving and assumed that was everyone.  Of course I had been taught by the others never to assume something like that but again when full of rage it’s hard to reason with yourself.
From what I could see of the two men they were both dressed in black sweaters and dark jeans with workmen’s boots.  And the guns they carried… I’m no expert but they looked as though they could bring down an elephant with those things.  They were huge.  Not to mention smaller guns in holsters at their waists.  I must have been crazy to even consider doing something but I didn’t care.  All I wanted was for those two men to be hurting.  I saw one move not exactly towards me but as if to pass the bottom of the stairs, and so readied myself and as the guy got near the bottom step I jumped out, still holding onto the banister and swung down letting go at the last second so that my feet met solidly with the man’s head sending him flying across the room, tripping over Linda’s arm as he did so.  His head hit the wall at the other side of the hallway.
Unfortunately I hadn’t thought through what I was doing, otherwise I would have realised that there was no way for me to land without injuring myself.  I hit the stairs landing on my back sending a jarring pain up my spine.  Once again I was glad I was a werewolf, a normal human might not have recovered; of course I’d feel it in the morning.  I lost what split second surprise I might have had with the guy’s partner as he levelled his gun, pointing it at me coolly.  He raised an eyebrow expectantly, judging what he thought of me.  Apparently I was below his personal level of caution as he turned his head to look at his partner who lay slumped on the floor and groaning.  Big mistake.  The second he had taken his eyes off me I pounced from where I lay at the bottom of the stairs and leaped straight for him.  This time he didn’t get time to react as I knocked aside the barrel of his gun and grabbed him by the throat.  Even though I’m not technically a ‘full grown’ werewolf yet I’m still stronger than an ordinary kid of my age, hell I’m stronger than most men.  Tightening my grip on his throat I heard him choking and spluttering.  
I looked into his eyes as he choked and could see that though he couldn’t speak he was pleading with me to let him go.  Why should I?  I thought.  Why should I let you live when you just killed someone I care about?  As I continued holding him, his arms flailing in panic, trying to pull my hands away I could feel him losing strength, draining of life as his efforts lessened.  I don’t know what made me think of him, maybe the thought of a lost love one, but suddenly Nate’s voice filled my head telling me to be careful and to not do something stupid.  Against all the pain I wanted to cause this guy I couldn’t let Nate down, he trusted me to be responsible and not act irrationally which is exactly what I was doing.  I let go of his throat but took hold of his collar with both hands before throwing him backwards against the wall.  Turning I heard his friend groan and start to get up so I went over and kicked him in the head, unfortunately I slipped on Linda’s blood and fell on my ass, my bag beneath me.  When I finally managed to get back up, I noticed that whilst the one I had just kicked was still breathing the other one who I had choked seemed completely lifeless.  Normally I’d be able to hear his breathing at such a short distance.
My hatred for him was so much that I couldn’t bring myself to go back and see if he was alive.  Part of me didn’t care while the rest of me wanted out of there before either of them woke up.  I didn’t want to kill anyone, but if they kept coming for me someone was going to die and I would rather it be them than me.  Giving a final look to where Linda lay I mouthed a silent apology, grabbed my jacket from the hook by the door and dashed out into the rain.