When Nick knocked on my door, he looked like an amateur researcher with a flashlight strapped to his pants, backpack with snacks, and thick hiking boots. I made him change into a pair of sneakers, ditch the pack, and lose the flashlight before explaining how to pop the screen on the window and climb down without making noise.
That was just the beginning of my grievances.
"Can you slow down?" Nick called behind me as he trampled a flower bed.
I let him catch up before pulling him down, out of view of the campus windows. "You need to be quiet. Walk on the tips of your feet and focus on the path in front of you."
"How are you walking so fast?"
"My home has a lot of acreages, and my cousins love to hunt." I spent enough of my childhood tramping after wolves in the woods.
I loved the rush of wandering around the wilderness, the fresh air, and the smell of mud. It wasn't glamorous by any means, but there was something refreshing about going back to nature, back to the raw parts of the world.
"You know, this is why people think you're a Coth," Nick grumbled as he followed me into the woods. "My God, can you see in the dark?"
I bristled. "If I'd known you would ask so many questions and risk getting us caught, I would have let you go by yourself." I spun on him, watching with relief as his mouth snapped shut.
Nick nodded as he followed me, his imaginary tail between his legs like a scolded puppy. I had been blunt, but I needed to focus on the mission and not getting caught. I couldn't find it in myself to talk, not when my heart was trying to beat out of my chest. If we were caught it would only spiral into a situation I wasn't sure I could control. Not on my own.
We splashed through a narrow tributary of the river, the mental path through the woods carved in my mind. Another few meters and we would meet a small ridge then follow that to the clearing where Anya would meet us.
He'd thank me when I managed to draw his wolf out and connected him to his legacy. I had faith that his father passed on the gift. And if not, he'd probably be allowed to meet his father's pack, even if he couldn't live with them or interact with their world.
The trees began thinking, turning from lush vegetation to a few, screwy trees fighting for space among the thick undergrowth. Anya had selected a perfect location. A steady rise to a clearing and a fair amount of moonlight to help the interaction. I did not doubt that once Nick focused, his innate instincts would surface.
"Why did you stop?" Nick appeared at my shoulder as I stood at the edge of the clearing. When he tried to pass me, I grabbed him.
"Do you hear that?" My fingers tightened on his arm, and I forced him to the ground, cupping my hand over his mouth as Anya crept into the clearing.
She wore a pair of jeans and a jacket, feet completely bare. She made eye contact with me before slinking back into the underbrush. A few minutes later, a black-haired wolf crept forward.
She sat in the middle of the clearing, eyes trained on the brush that hid us. With her teeth exposed, she released a low growl, but I had the feeling that was more for show than anything.
"We should go say hi," I said, bumping Nick's shoulder. "You go first. You wanted to meet a Coth."
"What?" Nick gaped as he looked between us. I could almost feel his heart rate hitch through his coat. "I can't just walk up to her...it...her."
"My God" I stood and Nick scrambled behind me.
"Hello, werewolf." I sounded like a children's cartoon character. "My name is Lexi Smith, and this is Nick Tristen. We won't tell anyone we saw you. Could we talk to you as a person?"
I sat down, making sure my hands remained in view. Nick did the same, although he raised his in surrender.
Anya looked from me to Nick, her tongue lolling in her canine mouth. She seemed to be laughing as if she didn't believe I thought he was a werewolf.
Was it so hard to think Nick was a wolf? He did look a bit long and boney, but so did a lot of wolves.
I gave Anya a dead-eyed look, and she relented, trotting back into the bushes. This time, it only took a moment for the tip of her head to appear above the foliage.
"Yeah, Lexi. He's got a wolf in there. You were right."
"Oh, thank god," I sighed, falling back to rest comfortably. "I thought this might have been for nothing."
It was true, thank goodness. I had confidence that Nick was a wolf, but knowing it wasn't a misplaced hope was euphoric. He needed to be a wolf, to have what I didn't.
"What the hell is going on?" Nick was on his feet, nearly petrified as he stared between us.
"Nick, it's alright," I said. "We're not going to hurt you."
He let out a high-pitched scream, and I leaped to my feet, ready to chase him down. But running didn't seem to be his first thought after meeting a notorious predator.
I watched as he broke into a small dance, hands thrown in the air as he turned to Anya. "I knew it. I knew it all along. I can't believe I'm meeting a real werewolf. I've been trying to make people understand that you're so much more than they think. God, I can finally tell you how cool you are."
He held out his hand, rocking on the balls of his feet as he sucked in air. I blinked and turned to Anya, who offered a smirk before jabbing her thumb in Nick's direction.
"He didn't take in any of that, did he?"
"Not at all." I buried my face in my hands, wondering how I got stuck in such an absurd situation. Neither of them was taking this seriously.
"Okay." Nick pulled his hand back, giving us a look as his smile grew. "What are you two playing at? Why would you bring me into the middle of the woods to show me a wolf? Isn't that against the law or something? And what was with that whole ominous thing about me?"
Anya went to speak, but I held up a hand, giving Nick a moment to process what he just said. It took a minute, but his smile fell into an exaggerated circle, and he reached up to grasp his scalp.
I knew he was smart enough to get this, his brain was just malfunctioning.
"You think I'm a werewolf?" His voice sounded small and fragile.
"I brought Anya here to read you, Nick. You might want to sit down for this." I looked around the clearing, checking for unwanted spies. "We all should sit."
Anya plopped to the ground, Nick following her slower. "Lexi, you're making me nervous."
"I have no kind way of saying this, but your father wasn't who you thought he was. Anya is part of the local pack. The pack your father belonged to."
"My father?" The color faded from Nick's face. "He was a wolf? I'm a wolf?" Mouth agape, he clenched his fingers in his hair, eyes wide.
"You have the potential to be." Anya glanced at me. "Sorry, but I have more experience in this."
I nodded and waved her on. Anya was the lead expert here. I only knew what came from books and the occasional fact I picked up from my family.
"When a werewolf mates with a human, there is about a sixty percent chance that their kid will have the potential to be a shifter. I can feel yours. It's likely that you'll shift before your eighteenth birthday. Lexi's family only recently found out who you were, so they sent her to help."
This was new information to me. I thought I knew more about the dynamics of wolf life. Witches, or any other species for that matter, didn't bother studying how lineage affected the child. The wolves were so connected, entwined in each other's lives. There was a spark about it.
"You've shown some of the trademark signs," I said to him. "Your eyes glint like a wolf, and I have never seen anyone eat that much red meat without having serious stomach problems. You're also crazy when it comes to the conspiracies around the Coth's, but that's probably a result of your instincts to rejoin the pack. I had a cousin like that. He went abroad and had to return home."
"The Morill pack is not a good example." Anya laughed.
"It's the only real example I have." I shrugged.
Once again, a reminder of how little I knew of the wolf packs. I needed to study more, but not in a library surrounded by dusty books and dim lighting. I needed to see them in the world, really listen to them.
"So, I'm a werewolf?" Nick was still pale, and he still looked awestruck. His hands were stretched in front of him, joints moving as though he expected to see something different. Maybe he was. "And you're werewolves?"
"Only me. Lexi is here to help you transition. When you do, you'll be the pack's responsibility."
"So, I have a pack? Does that mean I have a family too? My dad? My mom said he died. Did she lie to me?" His questions came so fast I thought he might choke. The excitement in his eyes. The wonder.
I shook my head, and Nick's hopeful face turned sullen. "He died while she was pregnant, probably before she told him. That's why the pack didn't know."
Anya's smile was bright as she took Nick's hand "No blood relatives, but the pack is your new family. You'll be treated well if you want to be with us. And your mother won't know anything about you if you don't want her to."
"I can't believe she never told me. After all the years I spent fascinated with the Coth. All she ever did was tell me to stop obsessing."
"It's possible she never knew." I chimed in, feeling it was a good place to. "Coth usually don't tell others unless they are in a serious relationship, and even then it can be a hard thing to explain." Nick just stared and I hurriedly added, "I've got the resources to answer any questions you might need."
"Lexi, could you give us some time?" Anya asked. "Enough to talk and perhaps give me a chance to explain werewolf secrets?"
"I'll leave you alone to talk. I'm sure there is a lot you'd like to ask Anya." I turned to Anya. "You'll make sure he gets back safely?"
"I will." Anya gave me a thumbs-up as I made to leave, her teeth shining in the moonlight.
"Lexi." I looked over my shoulder to see Nick standing, the faint breeze whipping through his hair. "Thanks for helping. I think your arrival is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"It's my job, Nick." It was the part of my job I loved. The part where I helped the Coth population and reunited them. It was the better part of my family's duty.
As I slipped away, I couldn't help the bitter feeling of resentment blooming in my chest.
I understand the need for a private talk. Many of the Coth had secrets among the races. The woods always reminded me of that.
Unfortunately, I was cut off from most of them. It was said among witches that the forest could talk to a strong witch and give energy to an injured one. While they didn't know I couldn't feel those things, it was always a source of personal shame.
Every time I fixed life for a Coth, it reminded me how much I didn't fit in. My mother was renowned as a witch, known even among human groups. It seemed preposterous that her daughter wouldn't inherit her power. And the more time passed, it was apparent that I wouldn't take after her. Not all stories had happy endings.