The Werewolf Whisperer Page 6

  “Oh you think.” I grabbed Lena’s arms after her last punch nearly got me in the chin. I had a sister growing up so I knew how to be physical with a girl without being rough. In one quick motion I turned her body around so her back was pressed against me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight in a bear hug. Not, too hard, but I was definitely in control.

  “Oh, big, bad, Josiah has to prove his manhood.”

  “I don’t need to prove anything. Don’t forget I’m kind of special.” I loosened my grip. As I did, Lena paused and then backed into me as if to say, “don’t let go.” That through me off a little bit. But I definitely liked it. It was a subtle gesture. I leaned into her and my grip became a hug. I rested my head on the top of hers. She felt nice in my arms.

  We stood there in my kitchen just swaying almost as if we were slow dancing. Neither one of us said a word. We were two people, two new vampires, having a moment. One thing that hasn’t changed since becoming a Mani was my heart and my soul. I loved the same, maybe even more. It is like I can see truth in another light. Lena was my truth. She was my salvation in the midst of all this madness.

  Lena turned around. “Josiah.” She cupped my face. “What have we gotten ourselves into?”

  “I don’t know.” I looked at her and stared into her eyes. I felt her love towards me. My love for her was overwhelming. Why was I an open book to this woman? “This is hard,” I said. “I’m trying to be strong, but it’s damn hard.”

  Lena turned around and now she was facing me. She was a foot smaller than me so I crouched a little. She touched my face with the back of her right hand. I could feel tears burning my eyes.

  “Sweet, Josiah,” Lena whispered. “How did you of all people get caught up in this?”

  “I’m a little more than just caught up in it. I’m being consumed by it.” I felt the warmth of Lena’s breath on my neck. She wrapped her arms around my waste.

  “I’m not upset about Atticai. I need you to know that.” She looked up at me and tightened her grip around my waist. I need you to know that I am very grateful that you saved my life.”

  I looked down on this petite, delicate woman. She had my heart. “I’m glad you understand, because I would do it all over again.”

  “I know you would.”

  “Lena, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “A lot of weird stuff happened last night during my fight. I knocked the first guy quickly, but the second guy was a beast. And I was using powers by accident.”

  “What kind of powers?”

  I stepped back and Lena let go of my waist. I went back into the kitchen to the sink. I grabbed a glass and poured myself a cup of water. “Okay, tonight… during the fight, I was able to move a 400 pound boulder using just my mind.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “No, I’m not kidding. I was able to move this gigantic rock just using my thoughts.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “I really don’t know. I was getting the crap beat out of me by this gorilla.”

  “You were?” Lena seemed concerned.

  “Obviously, I’m okay. I’m here with you now.”

  “Alright,” Lena hesitated. “Go on.”

  “This 500 pound man was on top of me and I had my face in the dirt. He was beating on me something fierce and I was running out of options. I could see a giant white boulder about 20 feet away. I could also see to the left of me a group of Carni laughing and mocking me. I remembered just wishing in my heart that somehow that boulder would lift off the ground and fly into the crowd to shut them up.

  “Did it?”

  “Not at first. I stared at the boulder as a point of focus. That’s something you learn from fighting on the streets. Whenever you’re getting the crap beat out of you, the way you don’t pass out is maintaining a point of focus.

  “Okay, go on.” Lena did not like this story.

  “I stared at the boulder and then wished in my heart this thing would lift up. I shot my eyes at the crowd. Then, as if the hand of God himself picked up the boulder. It rose off the ground and catapulted 20 yards in the air and crashed into the crowd.”

  Lena looked at me with absolute amazement. “I have never heard of that. That’s telekinesis. That is unprecedented. No Mani has ever been able to do that. At least it hasn’t been documented.”

  “That wasn’t the only thing. Every time I jumped. I would float.”

  “Float?”

  “Yeah, float like a helium balloon.”

  “Not fly, but float.” Lena was even more bewildered.

  “No, I flew too, but at first, I floated. I floated a few times until I realized my body was trying to fly.”

  “Josiah, do you understand what this means?”

  “No, not really.”

  “I think the Triat has given you all the Mani gifts and more.”

  “What are the gifts?” I asked.

  “Most Mani are given one. It is up to them to find out what it is.”

  “Just one?”

  “Some Mani’s only gift is transitioning. But transitioning is what makes Mani who we are, so it’s not really a gift.”

  “I have never heard of a Mani flying in their Mani form, nor to being able to move things with their mind.”

  “Never?” I asked.

  “I have only been in the know for a couple of years. There are a lot of legends and rumors.”

  I walked back into the living room and sat in the big chair. Lena looked at me and grinned at the satisfied look I had as I eased into the chair. “Men and their chairs.” I closed my eyes and enjoyed the comfort of the chair.

  Lena smiled. “Did you try to do what I told you to do when you went to bed last night?”

  “Which was what?” I asked.

  “Did you listen? Did you open yourself up to all of this?”

  I smiled at Lena. “Actually I did.”

  “You did?”

  “Yep, I did. And you know what? I think I had my first vision.”

  “Really?” Lena was surprised.

  “Uh huh.”

  “Anything you like to share?”

  I wasn’t ready to share my vision. I wasn’t even sure if I was supposed to. “I will at another time.”

  “When you’re ready; I’ll be here.”

  “I’m counting on it.”

  “Well, you do know don’t you, the rest of us have had visions since that infamous night.”

  “Everyone has?” I asked.

  “Everyone has. Even Hector.”

  “Well, what are they?”

  Lena retracted in her body language.

  “Is it bad?” I was now concerned.

  “It’s not bad. I mean it could be if we don’t succeed.”

  “Succeed?”

  “You didn’t think this was going to end the night you turned into a vampire. That’s when all of this began. Josiah, when you’re ready to share your vision, we will all share ours with you. Otherwise, I’m afraid we will overwhelm you.”

  It’s amazing how well Lena already knew me. “Okay,” I said. She was right. I wasn’t ready for her to dump a bunch of visions on me.

  “So what are you going to do right now?”

  “I need to get some fresh air. I was thinking about going for a light jog.”

  “Don’t go to any more frat parties.”

  “Oh I won’t.” I got up from the chair and walked down the hallway into my bedroom. I went into my closet and pulled out my running shoes. I sat on my bed and took off my jeans. I decided to jump in the shower first. I removed the rest of my clothes. I stood in my bedroom looking at my naked body in the mirror. I stared at my skin. It was so pale. I use to be pinkish tan, and now I look like someone had covered me in baby powder. I grabbed a towel from my laundry basket and wrapped it around my body. I stepped out of my room and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. Lena was in there .

  “Excuse me,” I said. “I’m going to take a shower. L
ena was embarrassed that I was standing there in just a towel.

  “Oh, I ‘m sorry, I was just freshening up. Lena walked by me and I could feel her eyes scanning my body from head to toe. I hoped she likes what she saw. She shut the door and I turned on the shower. I stepped in and let the hot water just run down my body. If felt so good as if the water pressure was massaging my skin. Ever since I transformed, I had a heightened sense of touch. I cleaned off all the key areas of my body with soap and I turned off the water and stepped out. I dried off, and once again wrapped myself up in the towel.

  I stepped outside and went into my bedroom. I put on a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt. I put on my socks and running shoes. When I walked into the living room, Lena was sitting on the couch watching T.V. “I’ll be back in an hour.” I opened the front door.

  “No saving damsels in distress.”

  “Oh you will always be my first.” I stepped out of my house onto my front porch. This was when I used to see my old friend Daphne. She was always there. I miss that. I missed Yari.

  I stretched on my porch. Every joint in my body cracked as if I was setting off fireworks. I stepped onto the sidewalk and began my jog. It felt great to run. I could feel my body loosening up. I headed down towards Cal State San Bernardino. I passed the infamous frat house where this whole mess started. There was no party tonight. Not a single car parked outside the house.

  When I made it to San Bernardino Campus, I made my way to the track. I looked at my watch and decided to time myself running the 440, which is one full lap around the track. My best time in high school was 58 seconds.

  I started my way around the track. I decided to pick up speed. I began running as hard as I could. Then, something strange started to happen to my body. I was running at an accelerated speed. It felt like I was running downhill. I zipped around the track like I was going fast forward. I looked down at my time, 33 seconds. Holy Shit! That would be the world record if I were human. I was floored by my time. Not only could I fly, but I had super speed. I just might be superman after all.

  I decided to run up to the stadium. I ran up and down the stadium stairs. As I ran down the steps, my body seemed to glide, as if it was trying to fly. But I wasn’t allowing it to happen. I ran up the steps again. When I reached the top of the stadium, I looked down at the track. I could see a woman down at the bottom on the field. I recognized her. It wasn’t just any woman; it was Yari.

  Chapter Seven

  It took a few minutes for my heart to slow down. She was stunning as ever. I walked down the stairs toward her, watching her red hair blow in the wind. Not to mention her body was still in immaculate shape, which I couldn’t help but notice since she was wearing the cat woman body suit.

  “So this is what it’s going to take to see you?” she said. “I have to stalk you?”

  “How are you, Yari?”

  “Do you hate me?”

  “Of course not,” I said.

  “Then why haven’t you seen me?”

  “I needed some space. I needed time to think.”

  “Josiah, that night was intense for all of us. For you to cut me off and refuse to speak to me was awful.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  She reached out her arms to hug me, but I pulled back. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing, I’ve been in a hundred fights this past month. . . ” I stopped explaining when I saw her step closer to me.

  “Come here, I won’t hurt you.”

  I leaned in when I felt her arms wrap around me. “How are you feeling?” she asked

  “I feel good. I feel strong.”

  “That’s good.” Yari was trying hard to connect with me and I wasn’t sure how to respond. I cared about Lena and was not willing to jeopardize that any further by being physical with Yari.

  “It’s nice to see you,” I said honestly.

  “Well I was always a phone call away.”

  “I know. I just needed to figure a couple things out.”

  “You said that already. Josiah, I care about you. Do you have any idea what I have seen in the last 400 years? I’ve had every kind of relationship. I have met the most powerful men in history.”

  I looked at her, wondering where she was going with this.

  “No one, Josiah, ever made me feel the way you did!”

  “Did?” I asked.

  “Yes, did. You are a fantastic person, and I am touched to have been the one to lead you to become who you are for the Mani people. But your purpose is for greater than a school girl crush. You’re The Chosen, and all I want to do is help you achieve your destiny. Help us achieve the destiny for the Mani people.”

  I believed Yari. She had a peace about her I had not yet seen. I always knew I could trust her. In some ways, I trusted her more than Lena. “I had a vision.” I said.

  “Just one?” she asked.

  “Yes, and it happened today.”

  “What was it?” Yari asked.

  I paused and grinned at the absurdity that I was about to tell her. “A little blue man in front of a giant castle said I was to train ‘the wolf’ and then come back to see him.”

  “Are you sure it was a vision, or could it have been a bad sugar high?”

  I laughed. “It was definitely a vision. It was my first and only dream I have had since becoming a Mani.”

  “A little blue man, huh?” Yari took a few moments to think. Then she lifted her eyes and looked into the sky. I followed her gaze and saw a sea of black ravens circling us in the sky.

  “We have company, Josiah!” Yari yelled.

  “Who are they?!” I hollered back.

  “I don’t know.”

  Yari and I were caught in the middle of something that was not going to be any good. I could feel it. The ravens surrounded us in a perfect circle. Yari and I had our backs to each other. The ravens were loud and I had no idea what was going to happen. There was a slightly larger raven that had a white stripe along its wingspan. I could tell that he was the leader, and my focus was going to stay on him.

  Suddenly, in an instant, all the ravens transitioned into Mani men. The raven with the white stripe on his wingspan transitioned into a muscular Asian man that looked like what you imagine modern samurai warriors would look like.

  “Josiah? The large, samurai-looking man asked loudly, with a voice that sounded like a trumpet blaring.

  “Yes.” I said.

  “Walk up to me,” he proclaimed as if he was royalty.

  “Excuse me.” I said.

  “Come before me, boy!”

  I looked at Yari and for the first time ever she appeared to be terrified, and that wasn’t at all assuring.

  “Do you question my command!?” The samurai looking fellow yelled.

  I stood my ground. “Look Genghis, I don’t make it a habit to bend over for every raven turned Mani who asks me to come before him.”

  “Do you know who I am?” The man had a look of horror on his face.

  He obviously thought my response should have been more like Yari’s. I looked this guy up and down and had no clue. He could have been an extra in a John Woo movie. Other than that, I hadn’t the foggiest idea who he was.

  “He’s Krull,” Yari hollered at me.

  “Krull?” I asked.

  “You know, the fallen Mani.”

  “I wouldn’t say I was fallen. More like reborn,” he stated. All of the Mani men surrounding us laughed. I looked around and this was the first time I got a good look at these guys. There were at least 200 hundred of them. Boy, were they a sight for sore eyes. Some looked like body builders, while others looked as if they had been on the high seas for months at a time. They looked shaggier than the Carni men from the other night.

  “Okay, you’re Krull. Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

  “You’re a cocky little shit aren’t you?” Krull would not tolerate my disrespect. It appeared that no one had talked to him in that way for years. He seemed flustered and confused
, and I was enjoying that. “This puny little man surely isn’t the Chosen One I am to kill?” Krull yelled out to the other Mani that surrounded us. “You’re just a child—a baby.” All the Mani surrounding us laughed again. “How long have you walked the earth, boy?”

  “Walked the earth?” I asked. “What does that mean?”

  “How long have you been alive?” Krull screamed.

  “I’ve been alive for about twenty-one years.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Why? Do I look like I’m already twenty-one? There are few liquor stores that don’t card me.”

  “Jokes? To me?” Krull looked as if he was going to lose his mind.

  “Look, Krawl”

  “It’s Krull.”

  “Krull, Crawly, Night Crawler—whatever. It really doesn’t matter to me. If you think you can intimidate me you have another thing coming.”

  “You have it wrong, young Mani. My intention is not to intimidate you. My intention is to destroy you.”

  Krull then lunged at me and tackled me to the ground. I threw him off my back. He was strong, but I was stronger. Krull then came at me again and this time he glided towards me as if he could fly himself. As he did so, he kicked me straight in my chin. Damn that hurt!

  “Josiah, we need to get out of here!” Yari yelled. “There’s too many of them. They are here to kill you.”

  Now, Yari says this?

  “I figured they weren’t here to get an autograph.” I yelled back. “Who isn’t trying to kill me these days?”

  I looked up and Krull had completely jumped over me like a video game. He landed behind me, and high-kicked me in the back of my head. I fell forward. I looked around and all the Mani men had come for me. Two very large men had grabbed me and were holding my arms so I couldn’t move. All of them surrounded me. One by one they were punching me in the face as if each person could say they struck ‘The Chosen’ before he was killed. This wasn’t good. This was damn awful. Each punch was more intense and more painful. They were throwing me around like a rag doll. I knew I had to fight back, but the odds were against me.

  “Yari, get out of here,” I yelled.

  Krull laughed. “Don’t worry, Chosen Child—she ran a few minutes back, or should I say—flew away.”