How are we going to find these guys?" I asked Brandon in the parking lot after school.
"You said they were hanging out in the woods near your house. Let's start there."
I hopped into Brandon's Jeep and he drove me to my neighborhood. As we got close, I wondered what we'd find. Would they still be there? And if so, how would they react to Brandon hunting for them?
Brandon parked the Jeep on the street near the wooded area and we got out. I pointed to the location where I had seen Ryder and his gang emerge before. Brandon headed down the hill to the woods, and I followed close behind. He stepped in and quickly disappeared. He was walking so fast, I had trouble keeping up with him. Once inside, he paused. He glanced around. It seemed like he was using his lycan sense to track their scent.
"Over there - " he said, gesturing to the left.
Brandon started again, walking briskly through the grass and twigs and over fallen branches. I had to jog to keep up with him.
Within a few minutes, Brandon had found their hangout. "Look," he said.
There were three sleeping bags, a cooler, and a filled green garbage bag.
"So they've been sleeping out in the woods?" I said, mortified.
"They've been here for a few days," he said.
Brandon noticed a book on one of the sleeping bags. He bent down and picked it up and flipped through it. "It's a journal," he said.
Then he stood up.
"What is it?" I asked.
"They're coming."
My heart felt like it stopped. I could barely breathe, and I froze in my position. He didn't have time to replace the journal and instead handed it to me. I held on to it as Brandon grabbed me and pulled me behind a tree. We waited as snapping branches and voices were heard coming our way.
We both tried to breathe as quietly as we could.
I couldn't make out their conversation until they reached the campsite, where their jovial mood quickly changed.
"Hey, someone was here," Ryder said.
"Goldilocks?" Leopold asked with a laugh.
"I think someone like us," Ryder said cryptically.
"It could just be a wolf," Hunter said. "They do have them in this town, you know."
"We know," Leopold replied. "But we aren't worried about wolves finding us here."
"My journal is missing," Ryder said.
"I hope you didn't write about our plans in it," Hunter said.
"I'm not stupid - " Ryder shot back. "I just use it for notes."
"Shh," Leopold said. "They might still be here."
They all paused, listening carefully, trying to sense if someone else was in the area.
"I think it might be deer - " Hunter said.
"I don't sense deer. I sense human."
The sound of his footsteps grew louder as he inched our way, ever so slowly approaching the tree we were hiding behind.
"Don't move," Brandon whispered in my ear. "They can't know you are here, too." His soft voice sent goose bumps through me, but they were mixed with feelings of fear.
Brandon suddenly jumped out from behind the tree and faced Ryder head-on.
"Hey - " Ryder shouted.
The others rushed over. I heard scuffling, and I hoped everything was okay.
I tried my best to listen to what was happening.
"What's going on, man?" Leopold charged.
Brandon didn't respond. I could feel the tension of his sudden appearance all the way to the tree that I was hiding behind.
"Hey, I know you - " Ryder said.
"I don't think you do," Brandon said firmly.
"I do. I know I do."
"Yes, it's that dude you checked in the championship game," Hunter said.
"Yes," Ryder said. "Maddox. From Miller's Glen."
"Don't you remember us?" Leopold asked sarcastically.
"How could he forget?" Ryder pressed.
"What are you doing here?" Brandon asked. From Brandon's tense tone I guessed they weren't friends.
"What are you doing here?" Hunter asked.
"This is a private community," Brandon said. "Not a campsite."
"What are you, the Housing Authority?" Ryder asked.
His cohorts laughed.
"I've heard you are harassing some girls," Brandon said, his voice still firm. "And I'm here to stop it."
Then Ryder paused. "Maddox. You live around here?"
Brandon didn't answer.
"I thought you were in Miller's Glen," Ryder said.
"I thought you lived in Huntington," Brandon said. It was a neighboring town to both Legend's Run and Miller's Glen.
"We are. We are just visiting. What about you?"
Brandon didn't respond.
"Weird that you'd leave a town where you are the most popular jock," Ryder told him. "It must have been that championship game that you lost. I guess you had to run away from the pain?"
Brandon was the most popular jock in Miller's Glen? I could see how he could be - I always thought he was unrecognized for his handsome good looks here just because he lived on the Westside. It was just like Brandon, so humble and endearing, that he never let on about his popularity back home while he sat alone here at school.
I leaned in a little more but still made sure I remained hidden by the leaves on the tree.
"So, you couldn't take the heat from the community?" he said. "It must have melted the very ice you stood on."
"I don't need to explain to you why I'm here."
"So you live in this posh area, do you?" Ryder asked. "Rich boy doesn't get what he wanted and moves to another town to escape."
Rich boy - I wondered. Brandon never gave me the impression he was a rich kid.
"So you are Mr. Popular in this town, too?" Ryder suggested adamantly. "Playing the part of the young hero. Doesn't seem fitting, though. I guess this town doesn't know about you being a loser."
Brandon didn't answer. I wasn't sure what they were referring to.
"Do you still have the scar?" Ryder asked.
"I should have ended this with you when I had the chance," Brandon said.
"With a hockey stick? Or fists?"
"I don't need to resort to such tactics," Brandon said.
"Well, we have the trophy," Ryder said.
"And I have my integrity."
"Integrity is overrated," Ryder said. "That can't sit on your shelf or be displayed at your school."
"It's time you leave. You can harass me all you want, but my friends? That's another story."
"You know those girls?" Ryder asked.
Now I really perked up. I scooted a smidge more behind the tree but still safely out of view.
"They were mighty cute," Leopold commented.
"Are they all your girlfriends?" Hunter wondered.
"I think it's time for you to go," Brandon said.
"I think it's time for you to go," Ryder said vehemently.
Brandon didn't back down. "You can pack up and move on - or you can stay here, actually. The police in this area don't have much to do. I'm sure they'd love to pick up a few vagrant trespassers."
I wondered what Brandon was up to. The guys were too close for comfort. But if they were moved, who knows where they'd go?
"We came for the Werewolf Fest," Ryder said, not moving. "After that, we'll be gone. In fact, you might even miss us."
"You are interested in werewolves?" Brandon asked.
"It's something in our blood," Hunter said.
"Really?" Brandon said.
"Yes," Ryder said. "Something we feel greatly connected to."
Brandon paused. I could feel the tension he was feeling from where I was standing.
"We won't be here for long," Ryder said. "You don't have to worry about that. We're just here to see the fest and pick up a few things."
"'Pick up a few things?'"
"Yes, some things we can't find in Huntington. And we thought the Werewolf Fest would be a good place to find it."
"You can't stay here," Brandon said firmly. "You'll be kicked out for sure."
"But we are so close to some things we love."
I felt a chill go through me.
"You are in the middle of the suburbs," Brandon said. "That doesn't sound like a great place to camp."
"We happen to like the people here," Ryder said.
"You can't stay here," Brandon reiterated. "I found you. So will others."
"You might be right," Ryder said, resigned. "Now we'll have to find a place that no one knows about. Let's pack up our things."
Leopold and Hunter reluctantly began to roll up their sleeping bags.
"So where are you going?" Brandon wondered.
"You'll never know, will you?" Ryder asked. "And why does it matter so much to you?"
Brandon didn't answer.
"Why don't you guys stay in a hotel or something?"
"We like the outdoors. Seems natural to us."
"I can point you to some campsites," Brandon said. "Away from the burbs."
"We can find something on our own. Someplace where no one will find us," he said strangely.
"I might know where you can stay."
"Again, we can find something ourselves. We kind of have a sixth sense for such things."
"No, I mean I have a great place to camp. It's behind my guesthouse. There is a huge wooded area there."
"Really?" Ryder wondered skeptically.
"Yes. Just what you are looking for," Brandon confirmed.
"You'd do that for us?" Ryder asked. "Even after that fight at the game? And you'd let me stay at your home? Is this a trick?"
Brandon shrugged his shoulders. "What choice do you have? Get caught by the police or stay on my property and wonder if I'm tricking you?" Then Brandon grabbed the cooler.
"Always the good guy," Hunter said. "Some things never change."
"Change?" Brandon said. "I'm all about change since I moved here."
"Keeping friends close but enemies even closer," Ryder said, patting Brandon on the back.
"Yes, something like that," Brandon replied.
What was Brandon doing? Inviting these guys to camp out at his house?
They gathered their belongings, and when the others weren't looking, Brandon turned back to me. He held up an imaginary phone to his ear and mouthed, "I'll call you."
I nodded as they made their way out of the woods.
I heard them close the doors to their cars and I began making my own way out, past their former campsite and through some thorny brush. When I saw the Jeep and the car following it leave my community, I stepped out of the woods and headed up the hill toward my house, holding Ryder's journal close to my chest. I couldn't wait to devour it.
I sat on my bed and opened Ryder's journal. It was black leather and slightly worn on the binding and edges. There was a lot of writing in its pages, and he must have reread the last portion of its contents, as the pages seemed to have been turned a lot. The entries were in black marker, and his handwriting was slightly erratic. It seemed appropriate for him.
Day oneI don't know what is happening to me. I've been having such strange dreams ever since that horrible accident last night. I feel so strange, as if I'm living in the woods instead of inside my home. I feel so restless. I don't know what is going on with me.Then I skipped to the parts where the pages had been turned a lot to get a glimpse of what he was so interested in rereading.
Day fifty-threeArrived in Legend's Run. We only have a week to find someone. I am hoping we can do this.Saw a cute girl at convenience store.Medium-blonde hair. Smile to die for. Pink headband.Ryder was talking about me.Feisty, in a good way. Beauty that makes the heart race. Sense of good and sweetness. That is something that would be great for someone as tortured as me.Day fifty-fourSpotted a group of girls outside a fast-food restaurant. One stood out. Heidi is her name. She's so hot I could imagine myself with her. But for the rest of my life? She was very stuck up and reeked of designer perfume.Still can't get that girl with the pink headband off my mind.Leopold and Hunter not sure if she is right. But who are they to question me anyway?The moon is approaching. I can already feel it rage inside me. When will this end? If I can't be cured, who will love me? The only way is to find someone sympathetic and loving who would be able to accept me - and become like me.That evening, I was trying to do my history homework in my room. But how could I concentrate? The full moon would begin a week from tonight, and not only were Nash and Brandon going to become werewolves, but there was a possibility that Ryder and his gang would, too. And if they were wanting to add girls to their pack, how were we going to stop that from happening? I was trying my best to finish my work, but when I glanced at the presidential portraits on my computer, all I saw were werewolves staring back at me. Then I heard Sinatra sing "Fly Me to the Moon" and I was shaken out of my trance. I grabbed my phone and read the text:
I'm outside.
I jumped out of my chair, hurried downstairs, and opened the front door. I didn't see anyone. "Brandon?" I called.
Then I heard Champ barking at the back door. I shut the front door and flew through the house to the kitchen. I held Champ at bay so he wouldn't run out and opened the door. Brandon was standing on the deck.
"I'm so glad to see you," I said, running to him.
"I'm sorry I had to leave you alone," he said, hugging me. "But you have to understand I couldn't let them know you were there."
"Of course," I agreed.
"And I knew we were so close to your house that you could walk."
"It's okay," I tried to assure him. "You didn't have to drive me the one block."
We both laughed.
He leaned in and kissed me. "I've been waiting all day to do that," he said.
Brandon's kisses were so wonderful; I was so happy when we could get a moment to be together.
He fell into my embrace. I knew I was distracted, but Brandon was the werewolf; he had to deal with the full moon way more than I did. And to top that off, he was taking on the responsibility of getting a cure for Nash and now keeping an eye out on three new werewolves.
"I know you are going through a lot," I said.
Brandon gave me a funny look as if he was so distracted with Ryder that he didn't even have time to process what he was juggling.
"Thanks," he said, rubbing my shoulder. "You always know what to say."
We grabbed hands and sat on the glider. I curled my legs up next to me and scooted as close to Brandon as physically possible. The crickets chirped and lightning bugs flashed around us. I stroked his thick, dark hair as we talked.
"So what happened?" I asked. "Are they really staying with you?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Out back."
"You think that's best?" I wondered. "They are there alone now?"
"My grandparents' house is locked, and so is my guesthouse. There's nothing they can really do in the woods. Besides, I don't have a choice. I have to keep as much an eye out for them as I can. If they are loose in town, who knows where they'll show up, and when? And if they are werewolves..."
"You did the right thing. You always do."
"I know it seems weird - Ryder's the last person I want to help out. But having him close to me, I can try to make sure he doesn't bother you again."
I squeezed his hand.
"What was he talking about - losing a game and a fight?"
"Oh, that. He was talking about hockey. I was on the team at my old school in Miller's Glen. We played Huntington in the championship game."
"And what scar?"
"It's gone." He held out his palm. "In fact, I have a new one there."
"He cut your hand?"
"Kind of. It was the final period of the championship game. I was coming in on goal, and he cross-checked me - he came at me with his stick."
"But you didn't hit him - he hit you."
"Right, I blocked the stick with my hand. He was thrown out of the game, and I was hurt - I had to get stitches. But it was the only way he knew how to win - to have me sitting on the bench."
"He doesn't play fair," I said.
"That's why I thought it was best for me to keep them close, so I can keep an eye out. He's too sneaky." He was quiet for a moment. "That guy. I can't believe he's in Legend's Run. And to think he might be like me?"
"He's not like you - by day or by night," I reassured him.
He leaned his head on my shoulder. For a moment, we just sat quietly, holding hands and listening to the sounds of nature.
We gazed up at the stars, the moon shining down at us.
"It will be full soon," Brandon said, sitting up.
"I know...." I said, facing him.
"I have to figure out so many things before then. But I don't have enough time."
"Brandon, I read Ryder's journal."
Brandon perked up. He smiled as brightly as the moon. "What did you find out?"
"He's looking for a girl to join his gang."
"You were right."
"I want you to see it."
Brandon waited while I left him and returned with the journal.
I opened the book and pointed to one of the entries.
He read it under the floodlight. His expression grew surprised, then angry.
"A girl with a pink headband at the convenience store? That's you."
He flipped through the journal, reading other passages. "He's in love with you."
"He thinks he is. He doesn't even know me."
"He thinks he's coming for you. And I'm letting him stay in my backyard? I should kick him to the curb."
"No - what you did was perfect. It really is the only way."
"When he finds out we are together, he'll try to be with you even more. I have to do something," he thought aloud as he gazed up again at the moon. "Maybe I can convince them to go home before the full moon hits."
"How are you going to be able to do that?"
"I'm not sure." Brandon was thoughtful. "Why wouldn't he just pick someone in Huntington?"
Then I showed him the passage that tied it all together.
The Legend's Run Werewolf Festival. The perfect time to find and take my mate. With everyone acting like werewolves, no one will know that I really am one. I can walk proudly underneath the moon and stars - for one full night - and go unnoticed. It will be that night that I'll find her - and when no one sees, I'll take her as my own.And her name is Celeste.Brandon slammed the book shut. He stood up and gripped the book so tightly I thought it was going to break into pieces.
"It's okay," I said, rising, too.
"No, it's not. It's so not okay! I have to stop them from going to the festival." He began pacing.
"But how?"
He stopped. "Maybe tell them I'm a werewolf, too."
"You can't, Brandon. Who knows who they'll tell?"
"I don't know, Celeste. I'm not sure what to do. The full moon is coming, and all I know is I have to do something."
I'd never seen Brandon so distraught. I knew he grappled with being a werewolf himself, but he was having a hard time with the knowledge that someone would want to change me.
"What if you go somewhere?" he asked.
"Leave town?"
"Yes." He was excited by his idea. "It's the best solution."
"I can't just go out of town. What would I tell my parents?"
"We could think of something."
"Where would I go?" I wondered. "And how would I get there?"
"We can work out all those details."
"I can't miss school. I have so many tests next week."
"You can make them up. This is more important. My grandma has a sister in Madison you can stay with. I'll get you a bus ticket."
"Brandon," I began. "I really appreciate it, but I'm not going to leave. I'm going to face this thing with you. I'm not leaving you alone."
"Me?" he said. "You are worried about me?" He stroked the top of my hair and kissed my forehead. "You are always thinking of others. Can't you just once think of yourself?"
"No, I'm not going to just run off and leave you here to deal with these guys by yourself." I stood firm.
He gazed at me proudly. Then he felt he needed to defend his own pride.
"I didn't run away, either," he said. "From Miller's Glen."
"I know that."
"You heard Ryder say I did. But that's not what happened."
"I know," I said. "It was because of your father. He went to Europe, and you couldn't stay there yourself. Anyway, it was just a game," I continued. "That's all."
"But this isn't. This is so much more."
I took his hand and led him back to the glider. "So, you were like Nash at your old school? The popular jock?"
"Yes, even after we lost. We were upset - but most thought I was even cooler than I'd been before."
"Then how did you deal with it here? Sitting alone, having no friends?"
"It was hard. Really. But there was something about it that was really good for me: I got to see a side of life I didn't see when I was home. Everything in my old life was about sports and parties. And here, I got to spend more time outdoors. But mostly, I got to meet the one person who mattered to me more than anyone I'd ever met before."
"You are so sweet," I said, giving him a squeeze. "I am so glad you came to Legend's Run."
"Me, too," he said. "However, I'm not so happy Ryder came as well."
"I double that," I said.
"But know this," Brandon said. "You don't have to worry. This is one game against Ryder that I will win."