The Legacy of Kilkenny by Devyn Dawson
We had exactly one week before the next new moon on April 14th. I was certain Arien intended on biting her then. Oakley and I figured she was originally bitten on Feb 14, Valentine’s Day, but who did the original bite if it wasn’t Arien. Can another vampire bite someone and another vampire take over? Or does it have to be three bites from the same vampire. One thing for sure, we had to keep her from being bit next Wednesday.
“Hello, earth to Pru.” He waved his hand in front of Pru’s face. “What has you so deep in thought over there?
“That was incredibly dumb Abel. You’re not a werewolf yet, he could have killed you and no one would have been the wiser. You think he wouldn’t kill your sister? He would! He’s a vampire, and you went in there blind without any back up. You need the Pack to believe in you, and they have to trust you as you have to trust us, Abe.” I looked over at him and could see his jaw clenching. “I don’t know why you’re sitting there acting like you’re mad at me, I’m the one that has gone out of my way to protect you and you’re running around like a mutt. Pardon the pun but that is what we call immature weres. As the Great Wolf, we expect more from you.”
“Okay! I get it. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at me, I should have known there were other supernaturals out there and it was dumb of me to think I could go up against a vampire. I’m sure some of the things you see in movies are right since they’re obviously real.” He shook his head. “Pru, really, I am sorry.”
“Actually, I don’t know if you remember me talking about my friend Quinney, but I spoke with him today and he e-mailed me some information that will help us. I’ll let you read it when we get back to Piedsville.” I turn and look out the passenger window, watching the lights in the side mirror disappear into the dark Oklahoma night. I look at the waning crescent moon, a little less than half illuminated, wondering how the moon affects so many creatures on earth. “I guess there have been some rumors about the vamps migrating to places that are not known for them to have existed in the past. Teams have been dispatched to different regions to find out more information. He actually dispatched a group to Louisiana so they may come here to the farm and debrief the Pack.” I lean towards him and put my hand on his and I say, “Abe, I know you’re sorry and I know you wouldn’t intentionally put your sister in harm, and I know you know if I catch you doing something stupid like that again, I’ll kick your ass. Understood?”
“Eh?” He smiles, that big dimpled grin of his.
I recline my seat and try to find my words. “I have good news and bad news, which would you like first?”
“Is this something I should pull over for?” He turns and looks at me “Okay, let’s start with good.”
“Allie isn’t a vampire.” I blurt out and then say “Yet.”
“That’s good news?” He grips the steering wheel tighter; I could see his knuckles turning white.
“Technically, it is great news. It means we still have time to keep her from turning into one. But we don’t have much time.” I went ahead and read him the email Quinney sent me, assuring him I’d let him read it when we got home.
“Do you think we can stop a vampire?”
“Abe, there’s so much you should know, but yes we’re a large organization with some of the most powerful wolves you will ever come across.” I rummage through my purse pulling out some gum. “Wanna a piece?” he shakes his head no. “The Phelan name comes with a lot of power, we are the elite of elite. We are the best, so other packs send us members to train with us. The O’Connell’s are another elite group, our difference? We follow the rules.”
“Explain to me again why you think I’m the quote unquote Great Wolf? Pru, I think you have it wrong.” He floored the Mustang.
“We’re not wrong Abel. Of everything I’ve ever done, I know this is right and you’re going to be a great leader and will do great things.” I couldn’t tell him everything; he had to learn some of it. “Look, when I had the vision of you, it was your name that was repeated over and over.”
“Whatever.” He mumbled under his breath.
We sat in silence the rest of the way home.
“Hi mom, is Oak here? I want to go for a run.” I bounced through the kitchen snagging an apple on the way out to the back porch where she said I could find him. “Hey Oak, whatcha know?”
“I know that I’ve waited on you to get home for what seems forever. Have you forgotten how to send me a text and let me know everything is okay?” The crease on his forehead that he gets when he is worrying was evident. He bumped the patio table making is screech on the concrete as he walked over to me.
“You really think I’m going to believe you’ve been sitting out here waiting on me to get home? Please. I saw you. Abel might not be in tuned to all of his senses just yet, but I’ve been a shifter, oh how long now?” I looked at my imaginary watch. “I’m not sure how you got to the house before us, but I’m positive you haven’t been here very long.” Impulsively I filled the gap between us and put my arms around him, needing to hug him even if he just saw it as a friend hug.
He pulled away a little bit looking down at me. “Are you okay? Did something happen to you?” He put his lips to the top of my head and whispered “It’s okay, P, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I melted.
I love when he calls me P, he hasn’t called me that since before I started going to school at Piedsville High. I wish we could just stay like this forever. I rested my head on his chest with his arms around me. I’ll take what I can. “Hey, you want to go run for a while? I just had dinner with a vampire and I want to get his stank off of me.”
“I wanted to tell you that you smell kinda funny, but didn’t think it was a good time to say anything.” He kissed the top of my head and pulled away just in time for me to slug his arm.
“Oakley! You’re so going down! The last one to the property line is a smelly dog!” I yelled and changed in a matter of seconds.
We ran and horsed around until we were both exhausted, falling asleep curled up together on the back porch. I woke up first; I had shifted back to human form and was curled up against Oakley while he was still in wolf form. I didn’t want to wake him and I didn’t want to lay there all naked up against him. I snuck in the house and hopped in the shower so I could get ready for school.
“Hello, earth to Pru.” He waved his hand in front of Pru’s face. “What has you so deep in thought over there?
“That was incredibly dumb Abel. You’re not a werewolf yet, he could have killed you and no one would have been the wiser. You think he wouldn’t kill your sister? He would! He’s a vampire, and you went in there blind without any back up. You need the Pack to believe in you, and they have to trust you as you have to trust us, Abe.” I looked over at him and could see his jaw clenching. “I don’t know why you’re sitting there acting like you’re mad at me, I’m the one that has gone out of my way to protect you and you’re running around like a mutt. Pardon the pun but that is what we call immature weres. As the Great Wolf, we expect more from you.”
“Okay! I get it. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at me, I should have known there were other supernaturals out there and it was dumb of me to think I could go up against a vampire. I’m sure some of the things you see in movies are right since they’re obviously real.” He shook his head. “Pru, really, I am sorry.”
“Actually, I don’t know if you remember me talking about my friend Quinney, but I spoke with him today and he e-mailed me some information that will help us. I’ll let you read it when we get back to Piedsville.” I turn and look out the passenger window, watching the lights in the side mirror disappear into the dark Oklahoma night. I look at the waning crescent moon, a little less than half illuminated, wondering how the moon affects so many creatures on earth. “I guess there have been some rumors about the vamps migrating to places that are not known for them to have existed in the past. Teams have been dispatched to different regions to find out more information. He actually dispatched a group to Louisiana so they may come here to the farm and debrief the Pack.” I lean towards him and put my hand on his and I say, “Abe, I know you’re sorry and I know you wouldn’t intentionally put your sister in harm, and I know you know if I catch you doing something stupid like that again, I’ll kick your ass. Understood?”
“Eh?” He smiles, that big dimpled grin of his.
I recline my seat and try to find my words. “I have good news and bad news, which would you like first?”
“Is this something I should pull over for?” He turns and looks at me “Okay, let’s start with good.”
“Allie isn’t a vampire.” I blurt out and then say “Yet.”
“That’s good news?” He grips the steering wheel tighter; I could see his knuckles turning white.
“Technically, it is great news. It means we still have time to keep her from turning into one. But we don’t have much time.” I went ahead and read him the email Quinney sent me, assuring him I’d let him read it when we got home.
“Do you think we can stop a vampire?”
“Abe, there’s so much you should know, but yes we’re a large organization with some of the most powerful wolves you will ever come across.” I rummage through my purse pulling out some gum. “Wanna a piece?” he shakes his head no. “The Phelan name comes with a lot of power, we are the elite of elite. We are the best, so other packs send us members to train with us. The O’Connell’s are another elite group, our difference? We follow the rules.”
“Explain to me again why you think I’m the quote unquote Great Wolf? Pru, I think you have it wrong.” He floored the Mustang.
“We’re not wrong Abel. Of everything I’ve ever done, I know this is right and you’re going to be a great leader and will do great things.” I couldn’t tell him everything; he had to learn some of it. “Look, when I had the vision of you, it was your name that was repeated over and over.”
“Whatever.” He mumbled under his breath.
We sat in silence the rest of the way home.
“Hi mom, is Oak here? I want to go for a run.” I bounced through the kitchen snagging an apple on the way out to the back porch where she said I could find him. “Hey Oak, whatcha know?”
“I know that I’ve waited on you to get home for what seems forever. Have you forgotten how to send me a text and let me know everything is okay?” The crease on his forehead that he gets when he is worrying was evident. He bumped the patio table making is screech on the concrete as he walked over to me.
“You really think I’m going to believe you’ve been sitting out here waiting on me to get home? Please. I saw you. Abel might not be in tuned to all of his senses just yet, but I’ve been a shifter, oh how long now?” I looked at my imaginary watch. “I’m not sure how you got to the house before us, but I’m positive you haven’t been here very long.” Impulsively I filled the gap between us and put my arms around him, needing to hug him even if he just saw it as a friend hug.
He pulled away a little bit looking down at me. “Are you okay? Did something happen to you?” He put his lips to the top of my head and whispered “It’s okay, P, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I melted.
I love when he calls me P, he hasn’t called me that since before I started going to school at Piedsville High. I wish we could just stay like this forever. I rested my head on his chest with his arms around me. I’ll take what I can. “Hey, you want to go run for a while? I just had dinner with a vampire and I want to get his stank off of me.”
“I wanted to tell you that you smell kinda funny, but didn’t think it was a good time to say anything.” He kissed the top of my head and pulled away just in time for me to slug his arm.
“Oakley! You’re so going down! The last one to the property line is a smelly dog!” I yelled and changed in a matter of seconds.
We ran and horsed around until we were both exhausted, falling asleep curled up together on the back porch. I woke up first; I had shifted back to human form and was curled up against Oakley while he was still in wolf form. I didn’t want to wake him and I didn’t want to lay there all naked up against him. I snuck in the house and hopped in the shower so I could get ready for school.