Werewolf Summer

"Lots of things," Laren said, eating half an egg in one bite. "It's a Sturgeon Moon. Plenty of fish in the rivers. Sometimes they call it a Red Moon. Summer has almost used itself up now. You can smell it in the air."

"I meant what's going to happen to me?"

"You're going to behave yourself while I'm out. And make sure you use the bathroom before sundown, because you're going to be in here alone all night."

The eggs were gone in less than two minutes. Randy looked like he regretted not eating, but she wasn't about to make more. She put the dishes in the sink.

"The truth is, lover boy, I haven't really decided what I should do with you. It's your own fault you're in this mess."

"I know," he said, having by now learned not to argue about this.

"You should have just left for the night like I told you."

"I know."

"Boundaries are important. Everybody has a right to privacy. People keep secrets even in relationships."

"I know. ...is this a relationship?"

"Haven't decided that either. Want to go for a walk? I'll cuff your hands and leave your feet free if you promise not to run. Or kick me. Or ask any stupid questions."

"What are you?"

"That's a stupid question."

"No, really. I mean, how did you get like this?"

There were deer in the meadow again, a buck and a doe. Laren went to the window to watch them.

"I've told you: I honestly have no idea. One day I just changed. Now it's who I am. I mean, how did you get the way you are? Do you know?"

"It's not the same thing."

"Being you doesn't seem strange to you because you're you. It's the same for me. You don't want to take a walk? All right, I'll be back in an hour. Remember that the bed is bolted down."

"Hey wait!" Randy said, but she was already out the door.

It was a gray day, neither sunny nor dark. That was summer sometimes, not one thing or another.

What to do about the problem of Randy, she thought as she walked. That had been the question all summer.

His predicament really was his own fault, she reminded herself, as she began hiking toward the pine ridge. He never should have showed up in the first place, and he shouldn't have hit on her the first day or tried to spy on her last month instead of listening to her.

But really, what else could she have expected?

When she got to the ridge she started climbing one of the trees; she'd been a natural tree climber all of her life and never outgrew it. Back home, at night, she'd climb in the parks near her apartment and spend hours in the branches. Police had asked her to stop more than once.

These pines were all loose bark and weak branches, but she managed. From up here, most of the mountain was visible; so, too, was the unfortunate black ribbon of the highway, and the speck of the nearby town miles away. She wished she could will these things out of existence, but even the town had to stay true to its nature, like everything else.

Laren put a hand on her chin and thought. It would have been smarter to just get rid of Randy. That had been smart thing to do all along, but she never did it, which must mean that she'd never really wanted to.

He was an idiot, of course. And only good for one thing. And too young, and he'd only become more of a nuisance in the future.

But she wanted him around anyway. Which made her a bit of an idiot herself. Well, fools rush in, she thought...

It was almost two o'clock when she came back to the cabin. He yelled when she opened the door. "Thank crap you're back. I have to pee like hell."

Laren didn't answer. Instead she stood over the bed, looking him up and down in silence. Her expression must have given something away, because he started to tremble.

"Laren? What...what are you going to do?"

Instead of answering she bent over him. He flinched and turned away, not wanting to see whatever was coming next. She reached out with one hand...

The handcuffs came off with a click, first one and then the other. His wrists were bruised, but that was his own fault for struggling all the time, like she always told him.

She tossed the cuffs and the keys on the bed and stood back with arms folded. A few more seconds passed with him frozen in place before he finally jumped up and ran to the couch, finding his pants and fumbling in the pockets for his phone.

"It's dead," she told him. "I took the battery out weeks ago."

He grabbed his car keys and ran for the door.

"Get dressed," she said. "You're not going to drive all the way to town naked, are you?"

Keeping his eyes glued to her the entire time he hopped into jeans, a shirt, and shoes. But, after running to his truck, he found it wouldn't start. He gunned the motor again and again while Laren stood on the porch and shook her head.

"Won't work," she said. "Here, try mine."

She threw her keys on the ground. Randy snatched them up and hustled to her car, but it didn't start either. "What'd you do?" he said, getting out.

"Broke it."

"How are you going to get out of here?"

"I'll fix it later. I know how, but you don't."

He kept the driver's door open, using it as a shield. Laren stayed on the porch. "What is this?" Randy said, squinting at her.

"I'm letting you go," Laren said, shrugging. "So go."

"But...we're in the middle of nowhere."

"Yep. That's why I rented this place, remember? Solitude, all summer long."

"What...what are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing at first. I want to give you a good head start. But tonight, when the moon comes up and I feel like finding you again? Well, then I'll chase you, of course. Between you and me, I hope I don't catch you. I'd like to keep you around."

She saw all of his hairs standing on end. "Then why are you doing this to me now?" he said.

Sighing, Laren tilted her head and put a hand to the side of his scruffy cheek. "You sure are pretty. But boy are you dumb." And she went in for a kiss so fast he didn't have time to get out of the way, and he jumped as if her lips had shocked him. Then she whispered in his ear:

"Don't you see? I love it when you play hard to get..."

Turning, Randy ran. She could already smell him: blood pumping, palms sweating, dirt packed tight into the soles of his shoes from forceful steps, running too fast on sore ankles. The smell of panicked prey on the run.

To Laren, it was the smell of summer love.