Call of the Wild - Pt. 03

"I... I don't think I can fit any more cum in me, daddy."

"Well, we're going to find out."

Natalie gasped as he rolled his hips, thrusting his rapidly hardening cock deeper even as the knot remained engorged inside her.

###

Chapter 45

Allison stepped off the bus at the edge of town, the late morning reflecting her dour mood. It had been a miracle that Kal had even agreed to talk, much less meet.

She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. Her gums itched, her skin burned and froze, her toes tingled. Had her dad felt this? Had he known all along? Had he just wanted a few more moments with her?

She shook off the thoughts that plagued her mind and checked her phone. The new message pointed her to the dingy gas station across the street. Was this yet another switch? Did she have to get a car this time? She'd already changed transportation three times to appease him.

Allison crossed the deserted street, grimacing as her arm was jolted. It was disconcerting that it already felt better. Bones didn't heal that fast. Not for humans, at least.

Her phone chimed again.

Grab a six-pack and go out back.

What the hell were they on about now?

She followed the instructions, dropping a few bills to cover the cheapest beer she could get. She carried it around the corner to find an empty lot.

The fine hairs on her nape stood on end. It was like a low hum hung in the air, barely perceptible.

"Hands out, don't drop the drinks," a female voice growled from behind her.

There hadn't been anything there a moment ago. She'd checked.

Allison held out her arm, the drinks weighing heavily on her wrist. It would be awkward to try and draw a weapon, even if she were wearing one.

Hands patted her down from behind. Experienced. They checked everywhere. They took her phone.

"She's clean," the feminine voice said.

A deeper rumbling filled the air. Her body involuntarily quaked. She could feel the looming presence of something behind her. It cast a wide shadow in her mind.

"Turn around." The voice was quiet, but it cut like a razor through her.

Allison turned slowly, seeing the glowering face of Kal.

She'd faced down uncountable numbers of creatures, but she'd never felt this kind of pressure. It was stifling. Like trying to breath underwater. A murderous aura covered her.

"Speak."

"I... I just want to plead for the town," she stuttered. "Please. Don't hurt anyone. Don't let the werewolves turn here."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

Allison forcefully gulped down air, withering under his gaze. "We just... wanted to protect people. We didn't know what you were. Just... that you were dangerous. That you were turning people."

Her knees shook when he stepped forward.

"I haven't done anything," he growled. "I'm just trying to figure out what I am. And you put a bullet through me."

Her teeth rattled. She grit them and took another shuddering breath through her nose.

"We thought you'd had Trent killed. And his friends. We thought you were raising an army of werewolves."

The blonde beside him, likely Natalie, spoke up. "He was an accident. Not a day goes by where I don't regret it. I couldn't control it, but I can now. You should know well what happens to us when we lose control."

"He's still dead. Did you tell Melissa it was you?" Natalie didn't respond. "And maybe you can control it now, but what about your family? What happens tonight? Or next week? What happens when they lose control at school? What happens to me if I lose control?"

Allison's breathing came easier now, that horrible drowning pressure slowly receding.

"And what exactly are you suggesting?" Kal asked.

"Leave. Go somewhere, anywhere, but away from people. You can't possibly know how they are controlling themselves, and if you really are removing their need for the full moon to change, then they're walking time bombs. Please. Everyone is in danger."

"And you hunters are just going to let us go?" Natalie asked sarcastically. "We know that you've seen us all. You'll just send more after us. We'll never be safe."

It was the only leverage they had on the werewolves, the fact that all their faces were on video.

"We won't. If you leave, and don't hurt anyone, we'll leave you alone. We won't spread the photos. We won't chase after you."

"And you? You're one of us now."

"...I don't know. My job is to save people. Now I have to save them from myself..."

Maybe she deserved this. Her punishment for killing her father.

"Alright, we've heard you out," Kal said quietly. "Go back to your friends. We'll let you know our decision." He glanced at Natalie before looking at Allison again. "But you're right. It's dangerous. We'll consider closely what to do. The last thing we want is to hurt people."

Allison gave a shuddering sigh as the oppressive air finally receded. She gulped down air, letting the cold fill her lungs again.

Natalie paused before leaving, turning back one last time. "The first time is going to be rough. Cuffs and manacles will just cause damage. Best case they crack your bones and you'll change back crippled. Worst case they'll snap and loose you. Find a cage or dig a pit. Leave a deer carcass." She hesitated again. "We'll let you know if we find a way to reliably control it."

They left her in the empty lot behind the station.

Allison sank to the ground, the cold seeping through her jeans. She yanked a can from the six-pack, cracking it open and chugging the cheap beer.

###

Chapter 46

"Melissa? Could I talk with you?" Natalie stood awkwardly in front of Melissa, casting glances nervously to Kal. "In private? Please?"

"Um, sure."

Melissa shot her sisters a confused glance, but they both shook their heads, though Kal looked conflicted. A seed of worry sprouted in her heart as she walked into the adjoining room with Natalie. She sat on the bed while Natalie fidgeted after closing the door.

"What's the matter?"

Natalie took a deep breath.

"So, you know that I'm a werewolf. You saw me as a wolf, right?"

"Yeah. A golden wolf. I was kind of preoccupied at the time, but yeah."

"Well, I wasn't always like that. Werewolves, we aren't, well, we're not really like that."

"...okay?"

"What I mean is when we change, we aren't in control. We're monsters. Driven purely by instinct. We have no memory and no control. We wake up wherever the wolf lay down the next morning. And we aren't wolves either. We're like, some horrific combination of every nightmare. Hulking brutes that you'd see in the movies."

"But that's not what you were."

"Right. Ever since I met Kal, I've been, I don't know, suppressing it? Do you remember the pizza? Where I got all weird and started asking about it?"

"Um, kinda? You were really into the store brand, right?"

"Yes. Well, no, but it was because of Kal. Being near him lets me stay in control. Lets me taste and feel like I'm supposed to. Keeps me from changing in the moonlight. But it's not perfect. It takes a while to really get control. I've only recently been able to change at will. Before this, it would just happen when I was emotional, or agitated. And I wasn't the wolf, I was the monster."

"Where are you going with this?"

Natalie's shoulders slumped.

"It was me. I killed them."

Silence filled the room as Melissa tried to process the sentence.

Killed the hunters? Would she really be this worried about that? It was self-defense. Unless she meant someone else. Like...

Trent.

Her stomach twisted in knots. It had been in the back of her mind for a while now, but the more immediate issues of Kal and her sisters had overridden it. But here she stood. The werewolf that had killed him.

"You?"

Natalie shrank back and burst into tears. She sank to the floor, covering her face.

"It was me. I... I was running. And I got upset. And I started changing. I couldn't get away. The last thing I remember was Noah screaming something before the pain took me. Melissa, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt him."

Images of the wake flashed before her eyes. Memories of her trying to put herself back together after his death. She lowered her head into her palms, too shocked to speak.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't control it. I'm the reason the hunters came. I'm the reason this happened to you. I'm responsible for it all."

The only sound in the room was Natalie's crying.

Monsters were real. Allison had shown her that. But they weren't all monsters. Kal didn't choose to be one. And neither did Natalie. Nor her family. They were people, trying to live with their conditions.

"Swear to me. Swear to me that you aren't lying." There was a hard edge to Melissa's voice. "That you couldn't control it."

"I swear. Yesterday was the first time I could finally control it."

"Natalie. I've lost so much. I've felt abandoned and alone. I've barely pulled myself back together. And every time I think I'm okay, I fall apart again. I can't live like this. Promise me. Promise me you'll never let this happen again."

"I promise. It will never happen again. We'll get my family to control it too. We won't let people get hurt. We... we don't want to be monsters."

Melissa cradled her head, taking long breaths. Her hands shook.

"How long have you been a werewolf?" Melissa finally asked.

"All my life. I've only ever known this. Every full moon since puberty, I would change."

"And you never remember anything?"

"No. I'd usually have to piece together what happened from my surroundings."

Melissa finally looked at her again. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, but they were steady.

"I'd like to hear about it. What it was like."

###

Chapter 47

Kal grimaced, soft murmurs and crying coming from the adjoining room. Natalie and Melissa had been in there for ten minutes. Allison had been right to point it out. They couldn't keep hiding things from Melissa. She had to know. As much as it might hurt. The fact that they were still quietly speaking gave him hope that Melissa could understand.

Kaylie seemed to be of the same mindset as she squeezed his hand.

"It'll be okay."

He wasn't sure that he believed that, but he could hope.

"What Allison, that hunter, said... I think she's right. Natalie didn't change with the moon, but she also couldn't control it. If the others don't change tonight, then that just means we have a bigger problem. Rather than knowing when they have to lock themselves up, they'll be live grenades that could go off at any time."

"Well, maybe this works out for us," Hana said from the table. "We don't know how Erolyn made you, but it seems pretty obvious it has something to do with werewolves. What if we go to that mountain and look for answers? We could keep Natalie's family close to us, keep away from people, while we figure it out."

"Either way, we can't stay here," Kaylie added. "Those hunters will keep coming for us."

Kal tapped his fingers on his legs, weighing the options.

"Of course, we're forgetting one minor detail," he said. "Do you remember how much tickets to Finland cost? And for twelve of us?"

"Well, we do know someone who's stinking rich who wants to take you abroad anyway," Kaylie said. "Sure, he wants to use us, but that doesn't mean we can't use him too. Plus, Elina could smooth things over. Probably even get us some secure place for Natalie's family to change. If they change."

Hana scrunched her face. "What about Pasha? I'd infinitely prefer her."

"I think that would just cause more issues between the families," Kal said. "She seems happy enough to help with the wandering realm, but I think the moment she moves to support us here, things will get tense."

"Well, she does have a vested interest in the research. And apparently so does Niko. They might be able to cover us from the families for a little while longer so that we can make this detour. At some point though, we'll have to meet his father and make a decision."

"Ugh, fine. I'll set up a meeting."

###

Chapter 48

The Hyalti girl was back, now with an insolent smirk as she sat on the couch beside Kal. It rankled him almost as much as Pasha's presence.

"Pasha. So wonderful to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He tried to keep his teeth from showing too much from his fake smile.

"I grew curious about my new friends. That's not a problem, is it?"

Not a problem? Why didn't she hang a sign letting the world know that Kal is the new Freiji?

"Not at all. Though it might make things a bit... challenging... when word gets out."

"Please, it'll just look like I'm trying to snipe them from you. The families are likely already keeping an eye on you. It won't be much longer before they put two and two together. Which is why I think we should move this relationship along."

Niko eased his grip on the stem of the wineglass, fearing he'd shatter it if he kept looking at her arrogant gaze.

"Yes. Fine." Niko turned to Kal, all smiles again. "You said you had some conditions?"

"We'll need to travel to Mount Waris first," Kal answered.

"Of cour--"

"We need to find that lab," Pasha interrupted him. "Once Lukas gets ahold of Kal, he won't be able to travel freely. Not without every family and elder watching him closely. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

It was times like this that he wished he was telepathic. What the hell did she think he was trying to do? Just drop him off at home and ignore the whole bloodline issue?

"As I was about to say, of course we can do that. That had been my goal all along." Niko's eye twitched as Pasha nodded in satisfaction. "Kal, do you remember something about the location?"

"No, but if I'm there, it might jog something."

That would be hoping for too much. At least he had dependable people already there to support them.

"Alright. I can stall father, especially if he knows that you're with me. I assume your... friend here... will be joining?"

Niko could feel his blood pressure increase every time he smelled her.

"Not just her," Kal corrected. "Her family as well. We'll be traveling as a group. Twelve of us."

"Right. Of course. I should have known. Anything else?"

"We'll need somewhere secure for them to potentially change," Natalie said as she brazenly matched his gaze. "Somewhere safe and hidden."

"Potentially change? Don't all Hyalti change with the full moon?"

"Oh, my dear Niko, have you been neglecting your homework?" Pasha mocked. "Apparently, Kal is able to affect werewolves. One of a number of fascinating additions to his powers. Erolyn really outdid himself."

God, he hated her.

Niko almost frowned when Elina, of all people, placed a calming hand on his shoulder. Since when had she been the touchy sort?

"Brother, this seems perfectly reasonable. If this is what they need to get comfortable with the family, why not acquiesce? It's hardly an inconvenience."

She must have taken a shine to Kal. Or their father's decision had shaken her more than he had assumed.

"Yes, I guess that would be fine. Is there anything else Kal? A private jet? A holiday retreat perhaps?"

"Oh, I think he would love that," Pasha chirped. "It's not like you couldn't afford it."

"Uh, no, I think we're good," Kal said. "I do want to know a bit more about Freiji. And I mean how we're physically different from humans. Because..." Kal pulled up his shirt and showcased a scar an inch below his right nipple. "It seems prudent to know exactly how much I can take."

"What? When did this happen?" Pasha asked as she leaned closer.

"Last night," Natalie said. "Bunch of hunters tried to ambush him. Silver bullets."

Silver bullets? What did these humans take them for? And hunters? Here? America was a strange and savage place. He wouldn't miss it.

Elina blanched at the sight. "We're only a bit tougher and stronger than humans. How are you even alive?"

"No super speed? Super strength? Regeneration? Nothing like that?" Kaylie asked. "Because Kal tore open a door and ran like the Flash through the forest."

Silence filled the room as everyone looked owlishly at Kal.

"So..., I'm guessing that's a no." Kal put his shirt back down. "So, it's safe to say that Erolyn may have added some extra parts beyond just the Freiji."

"Well, this is rather... unexpected," Niko said sitting back in the chair.

More than a Freiji? He could see why Pasha would be so interested, even if it was a long shot for her cubs. Stronger and faster than the Vahemma, though. That could lend itself to quite a few advantageous situations.

"That just makes it more important to figure out exactly what you are," Pasha said.

"Yes," Niko said, still deep in thought. "Alright. I'll take care of everything. I'll send you the details and your Hyalti friends will be taken care of. Elina, please see to their accommodations."

"Yes, brother."

"Pasha, lovely to see you again."

"Likewise."

###

Chapter 49

Allison read the text, a sense of relief washing over her instantly.

"They've agreed. Kal is securing the family and will be leaving the country after the full moon wanes."

Bethany's hands paused before she resumed cleaning the disassembled pistol. "You trust 'em?"

"Do we really have a choice? Even if we gather everyone, we won't find them. Not if they don't change."

"What about you?"

It was a fair question. She and the others were obviously growing nervous with her here, knowing that she would be changing soon.

Allison sighed, taking another swig of beer. It didn't taste like anything. Just bubbly water.

"Maybe I can still be of help. I can ask to join them. Wherever they're stashing themselves. I'll be secure, and I can confirm with you that they are locked up."

"You really goin' to walk back into there?"

"If it will help, then yeah."

***

Who the hell was bankrolling Kal?

Allison stepped into the massive airplane hangar and stared in awe at the various cells that had been constructed on cement slabs anchored to the ground with massive chains. Thick, iron bars the size of her legs surrounded each enclosure with another concrete slab topping them. In each one was a comfortable bed, chair, tablet, books, and bin full of various meats, both cooked and raw. One even had a tire swing hanging from the ceiling.

The werewolf family stood beside the cells, deep in discussion, with a few pointing at the cell with the tire swing.

"Happy?" Kal asked behind her. "I told you we'd secure them. They'll be restricted to the hangar when not in wolf form until we leave. Heavy shipping containers are in place and only the vehicles will be able to open the way. We'll also document the changing process, what triggers it, and progress with controlling it. We'll share it, provided you leave us in peace."

"Uh, yeah, I, uh, I wasn't expecting anything quite like this, I'll be honest. I was imagining more a cave or something."

"We could still find you one," Melissa said. She hadn't been thrilled to see Allison again. "A nice hole to drop you in."

"Melissa, please?" Kal asked gently. She huffed but remained silent. He turned back to Allison. "Can I tell your partner that you approve?"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead."

They had taken her phone after another pat-down and then spoofed her number, tossing her prepaid phone into a garbage bin somewhere.

"All clear. Wolves secured. Hugs and kisses," she dictated. Kal stopped at the last part and looked at her oddly. "It's code. To let her know I'm okay and not under duress."

Kal sent the message and received a reply. "KK," he said. "What?"

"Okay, cool."

He shook his head and pointed to the cell on the end. "You can take that one. Natalie said you're the most likely to change tonight, so you may want to get comfortable."