The Chinese food was getting cold. Roberto dialed Gladys' number for the sixth time. There was no answer. He had started to get worried after missed call number three. It didn't matter that he had made all of the calls consecutively. He grabbed his keys and headed towards his car.
Ten minutes later he was parked at King High. He saw Gladys' car and a wave of relief fanned over him. She had to still be inside the building. She was running late but he would wait.
"Thirty more minutes Gladys and then I call the Calvary," he said to reassure himself.
He sat in the car and watched the double doors of the high school, waiting for them to open and reveal his beloved wife.
-------------------
Dani walked down the corridor of her apartment building after working a double-shift. Jax would be coming over soon with what he called "date supplies." She laughed at how he told her not to do anything. He had everything planned.
How much planning does Netflix take?
"D-Dani?" a voice called out to her.
Dani turned around to see her new neighbor behind her, "Hi there."
"I-I have y-your m-mail."
"What?"
Calvin walked past her, opened his apartment door and reached in. He had retrieved some envelopes with her name on them, "You dr-dropped th-these."
Dani reached forward to grab the envelopes and Calvin grabbed onto her hand to carefully place them in her palm. Dani jerked her hand back as though someone had burned her and unconsciously rubbed her hand against her skirt, "What are you doing?"
He didn't answer, just pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, reminding her again of Billy.
Dani frowned before looking at the familiar envelopes, "Listen, I have to go. Thanks for my mail. I must've dropped these the other day."
Calvin watched her enter her apartment, wondering if she was afraid of him.
------------------
Meanwhile, in a secluded area of town, a lone wolf was studying his prey.
She was pregnant. He could tell by the way she held her stomach...not that she was showing. Still, it was an instinctive gesture all expecting mothers did when they felt threatened.
He snickered.
"This can't be happening," she whispered.
He couldn't help but smile. They all went through this or at least most of them did. Denial always came first.
It had been a struggle to get her in the van after she had left work late. Luckily for him, there were no security cameras at the school she taught at. A perk of teaching in a poor neighborhood. He had to admit this one had guts. She tried fighting him. She even landed a punch which was more than the others had ever been able to do. If he had to bet money, he'd say someone had taught her some decent self-defense moves. Maybe her husband or her brother.
Not decent enough.
He watched her lift her chin, "You won't get away with this, you bastard."
Then there was anger.
She was funny, this one. He took a few steps forward before responding, "Who said I wanted to get away?"
He saw her eyes widen as panic set in. He should've tied her up while she was still unconscious but he had already been running late. She woke up sooner than he expected.
"Please don't do this. I'm pregnant. I have a husband. I'll give you money. Everything I have in my purse...just please let me go."
Now she was bargaining. He felt his hand tighten around the gun he held in his hand, "I'm not interested in what's in your purse."
"You're not?" she seemed comforted by that somehow.
"No. I'm interested in what's inside you."
A wave of horror ran through her, "You mean my...my baby?"
He couldn't help but laugh. Yeah. She was a funny one alright. He waved the hand with the gun towards her, "You're so funny. I wish I could keep you around. No. I'm not interested in your baby."
"Then what is it?"
He didn't answer her question. Instead he held the gun against his cheek as if it could caress him, "What do you know about wolves?"
"Wo-wolves?"
"That's right," he repeated, a smile forming across his face. "Wo-wolves." He laughed at how he repeated her stuttering question.
"That...that they're dangerous."
"That's what most people think. I'm slightly disappointed that you don't know any better. Wolves serve a purpose. Did you know that? I was watching this show on some animal channel and do you know what they said about wolves?"
She shook her head.
"They said that wolves help keep the ecosystem in check by killing off the deer and elk. They serve an important...no a vital role. So I must be serving a vital role as well, don't you think?"
"You're not killing a deer or an elk...I'm a human and you're not a wolf."
His laughter rumbled in his belly, "You ever think about becoming a comedian?"
She kept her eyes on the gun in his hand while the tattoo of the wolf, blatantly kept an eye on her. He took a few steps forward and placed the barrel of the gun against her temple.
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" she whimpered.
Acceptance.
He smirked, "Is that what you want me to do?"
She shook her head.
"Did you know in a pack of wolves there's usually an alpha male and an alpha female."
He could see her eyes widen with the growing fear that was consuming her.
"Wh-why are you telling me this?"
"Because I'm the alpha male. All I need is an alpha female."