|
Previous: "Sister"
|
Next: to be released
|
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains themes of self-harm.
Series 12 Episode 7
"Impenetrable"
The life of Jeremy Chadwick consisted of more “pinch me” moments than your average person. After all, Jeremy’s upbringing couldn’t have been any less average. There were so many milestones he’d heard about, seen on TV, or learned about from Margaret, that he never deemed achievable while living under the controlling gaze of his chaotic father.
Breaking free was the best move Jeremy had ever made. He’d been able to attend school and college, and graduate from both. He’d met his family – his sister, his aunt and uncle, and his cousins. He’d found a job. Bought a house. There were so many milestones Jeremy never imagined he’d one day achieve, but he’d ticked each of them off in style.
The day ahead was unquestionably his greatest achievement, though. Jeremy was stood facing the love of his life at the head of a registry office filled with his friends and family. The pack were there, of course; Sammi, Freddie, Lily, and George on the front row, with Dylan, Harry, Yasmin, Josh, Oscar and Brett on the rows behind. The Jono shaped hole was difficult to ignore, but it just wasn’t safe for him to be there. Though Jeremy missed his cousin a lot, he was far too distracted by the impatient urge to get the ceremony over and done with. He was desperate to call Felix his husband, but also to be a husband himself. It was beyond his wildest dreams.
“I was lost before I met you,” Felix began his vows, “I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. Amongst the high school identity crisis, you were my safe haven, Jeremy. Then, and every day since, you’ve grounded me. Allowed me space ad time to learn about myself. Without you, I hate to think where I’d be right now. I know for certain that I’d be worse off without you in my life, and I’m so grateful that I get to love you until the end.”
Jeremy didn’t know how to react as Felix gently raised his hand, sliding his wedding ring into its new home on Jeremy’s ring finger. Obviously, he felt happy – who wouldn’t be in a moment like that? – yet, somehow, they had exceeded Jeremy’s expectations. His heart belonged to Felix. The thought of having a person like him once felt so alien. Now, he had to do justice in return.
“If I’m honest, I can’t quite believe this day has come,” Jeremy began after receiving his cue from the registrar, “I Never thought I’d be at a wedding, let alone my own. I always loved what they stand for. Just a whole day to show someone that you love them. And I do, Felix. More than anyone. More than I ever thought I’d be able to. You’ve taught me how to have an adventure. Take a chance on something different. My life changed when I met you, and I can’t wait for every adventure still to come.”
With the utmost pride, Jeremy raised Felix’s hand and slotted his ring into its new home. Their eyes met, gleaming with joy, sharing the most jubilant expression. It was an enormous milestone for them both, and they had each other’s backs for life.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce you are now husbands,” the registrar confirmed, “You may now kiss.”
Jeremy didn’t need to be asked twice. His hands latched onto Felix’s lapels and gently pulled him closer, close enough for their lips to collide. Applause followed from the congregation, but all Jeremy cared about was the man in front of him. Felix was his rock, and he was everything Jeremy had ever wanted.
This was the moment Jeremy’s life truly began.
Breaking free was the best move Jeremy had ever made. He’d been able to attend school and college, and graduate from both. He’d met his family – his sister, his aunt and uncle, and his cousins. He’d found a job. Bought a house. There were so many milestones Jeremy never imagined he’d one day achieve, but he’d ticked each of them off in style.
The day ahead was unquestionably his greatest achievement, though. Jeremy was stood facing the love of his life at the head of a registry office filled with his friends and family. The pack were there, of course; Sammi, Freddie, Lily, and George on the front row, with Dylan, Harry, Yasmin, Josh, Oscar and Brett on the rows behind. The Jono shaped hole was difficult to ignore, but it just wasn’t safe for him to be there. Though Jeremy missed his cousin a lot, he was far too distracted by the impatient urge to get the ceremony over and done with. He was desperate to call Felix his husband, but also to be a husband himself. It was beyond his wildest dreams.
“I was lost before I met you,” Felix began his vows, “I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. Amongst the high school identity crisis, you were my safe haven, Jeremy. Then, and every day since, you’ve grounded me. Allowed me space ad time to learn about myself. Without you, I hate to think where I’d be right now. I know for certain that I’d be worse off without you in my life, and I’m so grateful that I get to love you until the end.”
Jeremy didn’t know how to react as Felix gently raised his hand, sliding his wedding ring into its new home on Jeremy’s ring finger. Obviously, he felt happy – who wouldn’t be in a moment like that? – yet, somehow, they had exceeded Jeremy’s expectations. His heart belonged to Felix. The thought of having a person like him once felt so alien. Now, he had to do justice in return.
“If I’m honest, I can’t quite believe this day has come,” Jeremy began after receiving his cue from the registrar, “I Never thought I’d be at a wedding, let alone my own. I always loved what they stand for. Just a whole day to show someone that you love them. And I do, Felix. More than anyone. More than I ever thought I’d be able to. You’ve taught me how to have an adventure. Take a chance on something different. My life changed when I met you, and I can’t wait for every adventure still to come.”
With the utmost pride, Jeremy raised Felix’s hand and slotted his ring into its new home. Their eyes met, gleaming with joy, sharing the most jubilant expression. It was an enormous milestone for them both, and they had each other’s backs for life.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce you are now husbands,” the registrar confirmed, “You may now kiss.”
Jeremy didn’t need to be asked twice. His hands latched onto Felix’s lapels and gently pulled him closer, close enough for their lips to collide. Applause followed from the congregation, but all Jeremy cared about was the man in front of him. Felix was his rock, and he was everything Jeremy had ever wanted.
This was the moment Jeremy’s life truly began.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jolting awake, Lily was immediately on the defensive. She’d had a rough night’s sleep once again, and she wasn’t convinced it was serving its purpose even a little when she woke up so groggy. Even the comfort of her own bed wasn’t hitting the spot.
George and Jono were slouched on the end of the bed, watching Lily like the cutest guard dogs. It was excessive – they had both been by her side for days – but Lily loved that they were so keen to take care of her. All Lily had ever wanted to do was to keep them safe.
“Hi,” Lily slurred, her eyes getting used to the harsh rays of light piercing through the gaps in the curtains, “What time is it?”
“Half eight,” Jono replied calmly, “You slept for five hours straight, that’s the longest yet.”
“More sleep than either of you by the look of it,” Lily observed. The bags under both their pairs of eyes were far too blatant to miss, “No offence.”
“Offence taken,” George chuckled, “Besides, you need sleep more than we do. You’re sleeping for two, remember.”
“Isn’t it ‘eating for two’? Not sure that’s how sleep works,” Jono laughed.
“I’m not letting my son or daughter arrive exhausted,” George shrugged with a smirk on his face.
“For all we know, we’re having a cub,” Lily sighed. As nice as the light-hearted attempts at humour rom the boys were, they still didn’t know what to expect at the end of nine months.
“Then we’ll have to re-buy all the baby clothes,” George persisted in trying to perk Lily up, succeeding in planting a smile on her face for a few seconds, “Look, all we know is that Jeremy was born a werewolf and Sammi wasn’t, so there’s a fifty-fifty chance of our baby being a werewolf. It’s not a guarantee.”
“But it’s possible,” Lily couldn’t ignore the reality, “How would we manage that? Imagine a werewolf kid going to school. All it would take is one freak-out and the secret is out there. Everyone will know about them. About me. About all of us.”
“And how many times did you lose control at school?” Jono reminded, “Dylan taught both of us how not to. You’ll do the same for your kid. We all will. You’re not on your own.”
“I’ve not been alone for a while now,” Lily shuddered.
“Still no sighting?” Jono checked. The boys knew everything at last. All about the thing haunting Lily. If only she could properly show them; maybe they’d be closer to finding out what it was.
“Nothing. Not since the hospital,” Lily replied. It had been strangely absent since Melissa sedated her, “But it hasn’t gone. I know it. I can feel it there in my mind.”
“That gives us time, right?” George pondered, “Time to get ahead.”
“Not if we don’t know what it is,” Lily shrugged despondently.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jono thought, “Lil, do you feel up for a road trip?”
“As long as I can choose the playlist,” Lily smiled. She trusted Jono, and she had faith in the pack. Whatever was inside Lily might have made a dent in their defences, but together, they were impenetrable.
More intensely than ever, Dylan’s leg was bobbing up and down. It was an unconscious habit most of the time, his most noticeable stim, and entirely harmless. That morning, though, Dylan was fully aware of it. It was difficult to ignore.
After all, there was good reason for it. Dylan felt anxious. He didn’t know what the morning would bring, but with any luck, it would be the ceasefire the pack needed. Yasmin and Jeremy losing their jobs was already a step too far, but now, their opponents had proved their hands weren’t as clean as they made out.
“Remember, let me do the talking,” Dylan reminded his friends. Freddie sat confidently by his side – he was the one who caught another Callahan as the mountain ash dealer, after all – while Yasmin and Josh looked intriguingly close on the other sofa. He aimed his comment primarily at Yasmin, who understandably had a vendetta to settle.
“I can’t promise anything,” Yasmin confessed, “But I’ll try my best.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Josh checked. They all knew how Dylan felt. He had the biggest reason of all to detest them. Everything they’d put Harry through was unforgiveable, and now they were hell bent on hurting Harry’s friends, not to mention the person he loved. It had to stop.
“They’re here. I’ll let them in,” Caroline assured from the hallway. The family home felt like the best place to hold such a meeting, especially with Libby at school. They weren’t worthy of seeing the flat Dylan and Harry had made their own.
“I talk,” Dylan reminded the group once more. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say multiple times in his head, revising it at least three times to be less abrasive.
“I do hope there’s good reason for this last second summon. I’ve had to reschedule a very important business meeting for this,” Terry Callahan remarked, looking the pack up and down on his way in.
“Please, take a seat,” Dylan knew he had to remain polite, even though it was the last thing those people deserved.
“No coffee?” Karen Callahan observed as she and Natasha followed behind. Dylan caught eyes with Yasmin, who was clearly using every ounce of her energy to bite her tongue. They had the upper hand if everyone kept their cool.
“This shouldn’t take long,” Dylan politely assured. He wanted them gone as soon as possible.
“I should hope not,” Karen rolled her eyes.
“Respectfully, I think it’s the very least we’re owed,” Dylan reminded, “As Harry’s friends.”
“If you must,” Terry groaned, making his disinterest crystal clear.
“We know you filed a complaint against Yasmin and Jeremy,” Dylan begam, “They’ve been suspended, and we all know it’s for nothing.”
“We don’t know anything,” Terry scoffed.
“There’s something more going on, and you’re all a part of it,” Karen accused.
“We could say the same back,” Dylan played his trump card. Instantly, Terry and Karen looked like children caught with the biscuit tin. The mere concept of Dylan having dirt on them had horrified them, “Who’s Theodore?”
“Err,” Terry slurred, “I don’t know a Theodore.”
“Dad,” Natasha hissed sheepishly. She knew they had been outsmarted.
“Quiet,” Terry insisted.
“Something to hide?” Dylan had to resist a smug smirk.
“What are you accusing us of?” Karen looked offended, but her acting wasn’t enough to detract from Natasha’s guilty face.
“We haven’t accused you of anything. Your daughter, on the other hand,” Dylan could hardly believe how easy it was to lure them out of their lie.
“I said this would come up. Tell the truth,” Natasha pleaded. Perhaps she wasn’t quite as obnoxious as Dylan thought? If only she’d displayed even an ounce of this sincerity around Harry.
“Theodore is our nephew,” Terry sighed, begrudgingly accepting what Natasha suggested, “But we are not responsible for him.”
“Wh…what has he done now? Out of curiosity,” Karen tripped over her words.
“Oh, nothing much, other than dealing drugs to high school kids,” Dylan couldn’t help a little bit of sarcasm, “One student was in intensive care because of those precise drugs.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Karen scoffed. Dylan was carefully observing her body language; she sounded shocked, but she didn’t look it.
“I think we’ve heard quite enough of this nonsense,” Terry heaved himself up, Karen following suit, “Come on, Natasha. I think you’ve already said plenty.”
It was blatant that Natasha wasn’t finished. However, with parents like that, Dylan presumed there wasn’t an argument to be had. Dylan would have loved to speak to Natasha alone, because in those few words, she’d proved she might not be quite as similar to her parents after all.
“We’ll show ourselves out,” Karen called, already back into the corridor and not bothering to look around. Seconds later, the front door slammed shut. Dylan breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn’t feel all that chirpy. The Callahans knew exactly how to suck the optimism out of anyone and anything. Harry deserved all the credit in the world for the person he became, in spite of his upbringing.
“We’ve got them,” Josh laughed, breaking the silence.
“Not yet,” Dylan noted, “They know we’re onto them, but we haven’t got any proof. They’re not going to back down otherwise.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Yasmin mentioned, “We need to speak to Ed.”
Dylan was raring to go. The war wasn’t won yet, but he was fired up. Yasmin and Jeremy deserved their jobs back, and Harry deserved justice. No matter how madly in love with Jono he was, Dylan was certain that he would never stop honouring Harry’s memory.
Tightly fastening his dressing gown around his pyjamas, Jeremy felt like he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, and it had been that way for a few days: heaving himself out of bed hours after waking up, barely eating a thing, and scraping together a couple of hours sleep at best. It felt like an exhausting state of purgatory.
Felix couldn’t have done any more to look after him, and when she could, Sammi spent a lot of time at their house. Nobody else knew Jeremy’s secret, and he wanted to keep it that way. After all, it wasn’t exactly his finest moment.
Talking about it still didn’t feel natural, anyway. Jeremy couldn’t really explain it. What he was doing wasn’t rational, and he knew it, so how could he help someone else understand his mindset? Until he found the words, Jeremy wasn’t sure he was comfortable discussing it, no matter how much Felix pleaded.
Jeremy wasn’t even halfway down the stairs when the gentle sound of Felix and Sammi’s conversation graced his ears. He didn’t need to listen to know they were talking about him. For days, Jeremy had been their one discussion topic. He knew it was because they were worried, but he hated feeling like a patient in his own home.
“Oh, hey,” Felix beamed as he caught a glimpse of Jeremy in the corner of his eye. That smile always sent a sparkle through Jeremy’s tummy, even in his darkest moments.
“Hi,” Jeremy timidly replied. He didn’t have much in the way of enthusiasm.
“Coffee?” Sammi offered. She’d been forever making hot drinks for the previous few days. Anything to keep herself busy.
“Sure,” Jeremy nodded. He wasn’t sure he could stomach a coffee, but he wanted Sammi to feel she was being useful. She was trying her best; both her and Felix were.
“How are you feeling?” Felix queried.
“Alright,” Jeremy shrugged. There wasn’t much more to say. He had no job any longer. Nothing to do. To make matters worse, there was still every chance of things escalating further. Jeremy could handle any supernatural threat that came his way, but humanity wash is Achilles’ heel.
“Go on, you decide,” Felix handed Jeremy the remote, making room by his side on the sofa. It was a rinse and repeat of every day since Felix saw Jeremy’s hand in the forest, and Jeremy was fed up. He was stuck in a rut, and he didn’t know how to get out.
“Don’t forget we’re meeting Keisha today,” Sammi mentioned as she placed Jeremy’s coffee on his coaster containing his favourite photo of him and Felix, taken on holiday two years before in the blazing sun.
“Oh, yeah,” Jeremy recalled nonchalantly. The waiting list for therapy was depressingly long, and though Keisha wasn’t a trained therapist, she was the next best thing as the school’s guidance counsellor. Jeremy knew he needed all the help he could get.
In the meantime, Jeremy had to fill a few hours. He selected The Vampire Diaries on Netflix as the perfect way to pass some time. Engrossing himself in the characters’ overblown drama was the best way to block out his own, if only for a little while.
A part of Jono felt strangely heartened to see the bunker looking almost identical to when he last saw it. So much had changed in Crystalshaw that it felt a little disconcerting. It was the same place with most of the same people, but at the same time, it wasn’t. Seven years was a long time, so to see the bunker was just as he’d left it was warming.
There was just one thing he needed to track down. The key to figuring out what was happening to Lily. What had been haunting her. Jono hated seeing Lily so fragile. She was relentlessly strong, but this was wearing her down, during what was supposed to be a time of anticipation and happiness for her and George.
Jono brushed a thick layer of dust off a pile of paper. Some of the files in the bunker had been there since Drew owned it; Jono was sure Dylan didn’t know what most of it was. Still, Drew was hardly sentimental. He wouldn’t have kept anything that wasn’t useful, once upon a time.
“Where did you say it was?” George called from across the bunker.
“How would I know? I’ve not been here in seven years,” Jono chuckled. Seven years felt like the strangest fever dream now he was back in Crystalshaw, and he hadn’t yet had time to process the impact it had had on him, so all he could do was attempt to make light of it.
“Shit, I’m sorry dude,” George backtracked guiltily, “Honestly, it was weird without you.”
“Don’t compliment him, he’ll get used to it,” Lily raised a chuckle. Both Jono and George had insisted she take it easy, but Jono wasn’t sure sitting on the rusty chair was any safer for her than overexerting herself; it looked like it could crack at any given moment. The blatant bags under her eyes spoke for themselves, but it was a positive sign to see her laughing.
“It’s true, though. Knowing you were thousands of miles away never felt right. I’m glad you’re home, dude, and I know Dylan is too,” George gushed.
“Not sure my timing could have been worse. Dylan and I, it feels a little insensitive, you know, after Harry,” Jono opened up.
“What happened to Harry would have happened anyway<” George softly reminded, “Dylan doesn’t take this kind of thing well, nobody does, but having you by his side is definitely the biggest comfort he could have.”
Smiling, Jono nodded in assurance. There was no doubt over how Dylan felt about him, and it was almost unbelievable that they had each other again. Every one of Jono’s insecurities collapsed when he met eyes with Dylan after so long apart. The teenage excitement of his first love was just as strong as ever.
“What that on the top shelf?” Lily called out, snapping Jono out of his brief wallow. He glanced up to spot a book hanging slightly over the edge. The taller of them, George hopped over to grab it with ease, saving Jono’s tiptoes.
“Bingo,” George grinned, brushing the dust coating from the book’s cover and inspecting its title. He presented it to Jono, who’d never felt more delighted to read that intimidatingly bold and old-fashioned lettering: ‘Bestiary’. Finally, they were on their way to some answers.
It was flattering for Yasmin to see how much the pack trusted her plans. Everyone in the pack had proved their worth tenfold, and Yasmin hoped she was no different; the supernatural certainly wasn’t some sort of immersive experience where nobody could actually get hurt, after all.
The stakes were high with this plan, though. This was their opportunity to connect the dots. Out the Callahans. Stop their baffling insistence on wrecking everything their son loved. Yasmin knew all about problematic parents, and how all-encompassing their actions ended up being. Harry no longer being about to see it didn’t stop it mattering. Harry was her friend, and he deserved justice.
The plan couldn’t have been clearer, and everyone seemed confident in executing their role. Ed was the initiator, and his role was simple: release Theodore on bail. The interesting part followed thereafter. Where would he go? His registered address was nowhere near Crystalshaw, so where had he been staying? That was the role of Yasmin and Freddie. Their part involved following Theodore on foot, from a safe distance. Freddie already knew his scent, so they were never going to lose him.
If Yasmin’s hypothesis was correct, she and Freddie would reconvene with Dylan and Josh, who were ready and waiting to get photographic evidence outside the poshest hotel in town, where the Callahans were staying on their visit. If they left the hotel, they’d follow. It was foolproof.
“Text from Ed,” Freddie notified, “Theodore’s out. Any second now.”
“Perfect,” Yasmin nodded, not removing her gaze from the sheriff station entrance for a second. They couldn’t afford to miss a single detail.
Sure enough, a young man emerged a minute later. He looked a far cry from the prim-and-proper Callahans, who couldn’t have been more upper-class if they tried. If they thought Harry was a disappointment, Yasmin hated to imagine what Terry and Karen considered their rugged, scruffy, drug-dealing nephew to be. If they really were working together, Yasmin was desperate to know what was in it for the Callahans.
Theodore followed the path towards the centre of town, just as Yasmin predicted. To her relief, he appeared entirely oblivious to Yasmin and Freddie trailing behind. Theodore took out his phone, typing a message to someone. Whoever it was, it could have solved the entire mystery. Yasmin was invested.
“So, you and Josh,” Freddie queried, keeping his voice low as they ducked behind a parked car.
“Now? You want to do this now?” Yasmin hissed. The timing was irrelevant, though, as she was hoping to avoid to topic entirely.
“When else? You were inseparable earlier, I don’t think I’ll get a chance,” Freddie shrugged with a cheeky grin on his face. Yasmin sighed. She knew Freddie inside out. If nothing else, he was persistent. If Yasmin didn’t give in, Josh surely would.
“I don’t know what to say,” Yasmin admitted, not allowing herself to be distracted from Theodore, “I ended things with Cody. He was being a dick, and Josh was there for me.”
“I thought things were going well with you and Cody?” Freddie pondered as they ran to hide in an alleyway a little closer to their target.
“So did I, but he was jealous of Josh. I mean, he knew we had history,” Yasmin shrugged.
“So do we, does he hate that too?” Freddie wondered.
“Probably,” Yasmin scoffed, “You’ve got Sammi, and we’re ancient history. Josh was different. He still is.”
“Rude,” Freddie smirked, “Look, I can’t tell you how to feel, but I know one thing. Josh never stopped loving you. He worships you, and he’s never forgiven himself for what he did back then. He’s worked so hard to be better, harder than Cody ever did, and you were able to look past his problems, so why is Josh different?”
Yasmin paused. Freddie made a good point. She’d tried to keep distance between herself and Josh for so long, but for what? He made one mistake years back. Yasmin had a lot to consider, but her mind felt clearer than it had in a long time.
“Going left,” Freddie commented on Thoedore’s movements, refocusing on the mission.
“That’s not the way to the hotel,” Yasmin panicked, “That’s the way to the train station.”
Once upon a time, Dylan could have made conversation with Josh over anything. Sustaining a conversation wasn’t something that came naturally to him, but with certain people, it was a breeze. Caroline, Jono, Yasmin, Ed, and all of the pack made it easy for Dylan’s social anxiety to relax, and Josh had always gone above and beyond to ensure Dylan was always at ease around him.
Since he’d moved back to Crystalshaw, something had been amiss with Josh. He’d been quiet and reserved, not even confiding in his family about why he was back. Dylan wasn’t daft, he knew it couldn’t have been a good thing, and he hated not being able to support his brother in his moment of need.
As a result, waiting outside the Callahan’s hotel was proving to be an exceptionally boring and awkward experience. There was no banter or chat, and not even any small talk. Dylan didn’t know what to say to Josh when he’d barely said a word to him – or anyone – since his return.
“I wish I knew him better,” Josh broke the silence, much to Dylan’s surprise. They met eyes, Josh obviously spotting Dylan’s uncertainty, “Harry. I wasn’t around much. I guess I didn’t get to know him that well. I figured I’d have ages to do that.”
“Yeah, me too,” Dylan reflected, “For what it’s worth, he was fond of you. We kept talking about booking a trip to see you. Guess we never got round to it.”
“He seemed really good for you,” Josh added, “I was scared that, after Jono had to leave, it might not be so easy to find someone as perfect a fit for you. You proved me wrong. You always do, bro.”
“Is it selfish? I miss Harry so much, but I’ve got Jono back. I should be happy. Jono’s my soulmate, but I loved Harry too,” Dylan opened up, hoping Josh would follow suit.
“No. Not at all. You never stopped loving Jono. You didn’t fight and break up, you were torn apart. What you had was always there. You thought you had to leave Jono in your past, and Harry became your future. I’d be worried if you weren’t missing him,” Josh encouraged, “I mean, I miss Sarah, and she’s just a flight away, so I can’t imagine how you feel.”
“Are things…over?” Dylan approached the topic delicately. This felt like the entrance to the topic he’d been anticipating.
“I think so. She wouldn’t have understood. I couldn’t tell her, Dylan. I couldn’t tell her what I am,” Josh finally admitted. His eyes bubbled with tears, his cheeks rosy with embarrassment.
“What happened?” Dylan probed. He desperately wanted to be there for Josh, but Josh had to let him in first.
“An alpha threatened me. Said he’d come for Sarah if I didn’t leave. He’d come for all of you. He knew your name, Dylan. He knew Libby’s name. He said if I left without saying goodbye that he’d leave you alone, but I wasn’t giving in. He came for me. I moved and he fell down the stairs. Solid concrete stairs. I can still hear the thud of his head,” Josh told, his emotions heightening with every word.
“Oh my god,” Dylan was horrified. He knew that being an alpha was no small deal and gossip travelled fast, but Josh’s opponent sounded horrible, “Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have helped. We all would have.”
“I thought I had it under control. Besides, I didn’t want Sarah to get suspicious, but it was too late. I was arrested, Dylan,” Josh confessed. Dylan could hardly believe his ears. He knew it must have been bad, but at least he finally understood why Josh had been so closed off, “There was no evidence of me ever touching him – obviously, because I didn’t – but Sarah never looked at me the same way. She ended it.”
“I’m so sorry,” Dylan placed a gentle hand on Josh’s shoulder. There was no doubt in his mind over the person Josh had become, but this was yet more evidence of him doing the right thing, no matter the cost, “I’m always here for you, dude. You’re my brother. Talk to me. Tell me stuff. I want to know, even the ugliest moments. I’ll always have your back.”
“Thanks bro,” Josh smiled as Dylan pulled him in for a slightly uncomfortable hug across the car gearstick, “Hey, Karen at ten o’clock,” he spoke over Dylan’s shoulder. Dylan withdrew from the comfort of the hug and spun around in a hurry, trying to keep his head down. If they were recognised, the plan was over. They couldn’t let the side down.
“Where’s she going?” Dylan pondered, observing as Karen tiptoed down the front steps of the grand hotel, clutching her purse which looked too expensive for Dylan to even look at, making a dart towards the centre of town.
“Follow her,” Josh suggested. Dylan didn’t need to be asked twice. With a safe distance between them, Dylan heaved the car into gear and drove in the same direction. They were so close to justice for Harry; Dylan could almost taste it.
Through his time at Crystalshaw High, Jeremy had only seen the inside of the guidance office once. It was something of a miracle, given his past, that the only time he’d visited was to discuss his senior year classes, just like every other student. Stupidly, Jeremy saw that as a measure of how well he was doing. As if the second he left high school, his mental health would be set for life. How wrong he was.
As he waited, Jeremy took in the sights. He observed the so-called “supportive” (translation: patronising) posters about mental health on the walls. They all felt so idealistic. If only it were that simple to reach out and get help. Easier said than done. Yet, they were everywhere. The hospital. Classrooms. Shops. Everywhere was preaching about mental health, yet how did Jeremy feel so isolated?
The one comforting aspect was the company he was fortunate to have. On one side, Felix, leaving barely an inch between their shoulders. His right hand was entwined with Jeremy’s left, not caring about how sweaty Jeremy’s palms had become in the lead-up to the meeting. Sammi was to Jeremy’s right, the two of them feeling like a barrier for Jeremy to feel safe behind. Without them, he knew he’d be much worse off.
“Sorry I’m late. Almost forgot my keys,” Keisha jogged in, flustered. She confidently collapsed onto her comfortably padded desk chair and met Jeremy’s helpless gaze, “I know this is strange. Remember, we’re only here to talk. Nothing more can come of this session.” Jeremy nodded. Keisha wasn’t a trained therapist, but with such a lengthy waiting list, the school guidance counsellor (who knew his entire history) was the next best thing, “How are you feeling today?”
“Drained,” Jeremy responded impulsively. There was no benefit to keeping secrets, as much as Jeremy’s gut was fighting his mind on sharing his deepest emotions. It didn’t come naturally to him, “I feel like I’m stranded in the ocean, running out of energy as I tread water all day every day.”
“How long have you felt this way?” Keisha probed.
“Since I got suspended, I guess, but I think it’s always been there in some capacity. That’s what happens when you’re hidden away from society for most of your childhood,” Jeremy explained.
“You still think about it a lot, right?” Keisha queried.
“More than I want to. Even when I’m at my happiest, I have nightmares. Nightmares about my old sorry excuse for a bedroom. About my dad,” Jeremy took hold of Sammi’s hand and secured it within his own, “About my mom.”
“Oh my god Jere,” Sammi said, broken, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Jeremy smiled at Sammi. She spoke of their mother often, and though he loved hearing about her, it wasn’t easy. Sammi had had the life he’d longed for. The life he could have had. The life his father stole from him, “I hate that I never got to meet her. I asked dad so many times, and he always said the same thing: it wasn’t safe. I thought he was protecting me, but I know now. He was protecting himself, and I paid for his stupidity.”
“He kept you alive, don’t forget,” Sammi reminded, “Don’t get me wrong, it was his fault that you had to be hidden away, but at least he kept you safe. I wish we’d grown up together – I think about how it would’ve been all the time – but I’m so happy I have you now. Whenever I feel angry, or upset, or exhausted when thinking of him, I remember I’m not the only one.”
“Me too,” Jeremy realised. One thing he never felt was lonely. He had a twin sister who felt everything he did. He had cousins, an aunt, an extended family, and an entire pack that had spread far beyond Crystalshaw’s borders. Each of them knew Jeremy’s story, and that was before Jeremy considered his own husband. The man who gave Jeremy the space to deal with everything he’d been through in his own tie. Felix made the decision to stand by Jeremy’s side, and Jeremy knew he’d do everything in his power to repay that debt.
“Has any of that changed since the suspension?” Keisha posed.
“I guess not,” Jeremy considered, “I get that I have so much support, but I worked hard for that job. I got to study, and qualify, and earn my own wage, and I never expected to have that opportunity. I achieved all that, and it got snatched away from me.”
“Trust in Dylan. He will fix things. He always does,” Felix reminded.
“I guess,” Jeremy accepted. Getting his job back would have been a big reassurance, but it wouldn’t have solved every problem Jeremy had. He now knew for certain that he was just one inconvenience away from disaster, and that wasn’t a healthy place to be.
Nevertheless, Jeremy knew he had taken a huge step forward. The plaster had been ripped off. He’d started to heal, and though the road was long, he knew he could make it. He’d come through too much to give up.
Jono sighed. Finding the Bestiary was only half the job. Trawling its hundreds of pages packed full of every type of being imaginable wasn’t a quick task, especially when they didn’t have a clue what they were looking for.
After all, only Lily had seen whatever had been haunting her. Neither Jono nor George had anything to work from, and that made it near-impossible to narrow the field. Everything had to be scoured, and with only one copy of the book, it couldn’t even be shared out. It was a slog, and Jono was tiring quickly.
It had been a long time since he’d glimpsed the tatty, yellowing pages of the ancient Bestiary. Jono used to have a rough idea of where to look throughout the seemingly endless tome, but he hadn’t seen it in seven years. Any familiarity he once had was long gone.
Naturally, there was a significant section on werewolves, and Jono felt strangely poignant flicking past those pages. He once scoured every single page for any tiny tip he could pick up. Now, none of it applied to him. He was a bog-standard human all over again, as if nothing had ever changed. Jono never thought he’d miss being supernatural, but a part of him had gone, and though it was for the best, it still took quite some adjusting. No more wolf hearing. No immediate healing from papercuts. The pros had vanished with the cons.
“We’ll be here all day,” Lily sighed, sounding just as fed up as Jono was.
“If that’s what we need to do, we’ll do it,” George looked directly into Lily’s eyes. His adoration couldn’t have been clearer. George had always been the one for Lily, just like Dylan had always been the one for Jono. As time went by, Jono’s belief in destiny only grew stronger.
“It’s like a ghost. Haunting you, but inside your mind. Why? Why you? It could target anyone. How are you different?” Jono pondered aloud.
“I’m pregnant,” Lily reminded, “A pregnant werewolf.”
“And you can’t heal at the moment,” George added.
“That’s it,” Jono figured, “You’re vulnerable. It came for you like it knew that. I think I’ve seen this before.” Jono flicked ferociously through the book. He’d read something like that before, but he couldn’t remember where. The name was on the tip of his tongue, and his memory failing him was growing more and more irritating.
“Stop,” Lily commanded, placing her hand on the book, “I saw it.”
Jono held the book up so they could all clearly see. The picture sent a shiver pulsating through Jono’s body. Its wrinkled, shrivelled, worn excuse for skin wasn’t the most grotesque feature, not when its bald, deformed head had the most menacing smirk upon it. The detail was immaculate for a drawing, far better than anything else in the Bestiary. Above the drawing was the name, scribbled in bold, screaming off the page in terror.
“Reaper,” Jono read. The silence of the bunker had never seemed so loud, and the fear was thicker than lead.
With a sharp slam, the book was bashed violently out of Jono’s hands, landing by the bunker door. Bewildered, Jono looked to his left. The hand that knocked the book was Lily’s. What was she playing at? No apology followed. Nor an explanation. Not even a single second of eye contact.
“Um,” Jono didn’t know what to say.
“Lil? What’s up?” George checked.
No response. Lily’s gaze was laser-focused, looking straight ahead. Jono was confused, and his gut was stating the obvious: this couldn’t have been good.
With an abrupt slam, Lily fired her first across Jono, into George’s face. One hit was all it took to send him collapsing to the floor, landing still. Jono didn’t know what to do. Whatever that was, it wasn’t Lily. Not anymore.
“What do you want?” Jono stood up and backed off to the side of the room, his reflexes driving his every move.
No response. Jono was freaked out. He didn’t feel safe. All he wanted to was run, but he couldn’t carry an unconscious George as well as the Bestiary up the shaky ladder to the ground, even without the threat of whatever was inside Lily. Jono didn’t stand a chance.
Lily’s head jolted to the side, looking Jono up and down at the most disturbing angle. Still, no words were uttered, but the stare, through Lily’s own eyes, was distinctly not his sister. Jono was terrified, and he didn’t know what to do. The reaper was in control, but he still didn’t know what a reaper was.
Her head snapped back to face forward. Lily stood up calmly, slowly even, but with complete assurance that she, or the reaper, was in control. She scooped up the Bestiary and forcefully tore the page about reapers out, scrunched it up, and tucked it into her trouser pocket. With complete ease, she tugged at the bunker door and left, securing it shut behind her.
Immediately, Jono went to follow, but the door wouldn’t budge. Whatever Lily had done had jammed the rusty boulder of a door shut. They were trapped, and the reaper was on the loose. Jono couldn’t even phone Dylan with the permanent lack of signal under the ground. They were sitting ducks, and Jono was scared.
With Lily’s demon on the loose, nobody was safe.
George and Jono were slouched on the end of the bed, watching Lily like the cutest guard dogs. It was excessive – they had both been by her side for days – but Lily loved that they were so keen to take care of her. All Lily had ever wanted to do was to keep them safe.
“Hi,” Lily slurred, her eyes getting used to the harsh rays of light piercing through the gaps in the curtains, “What time is it?”
“Half eight,” Jono replied calmly, “You slept for five hours straight, that’s the longest yet.”
“More sleep than either of you by the look of it,” Lily observed. The bags under both their pairs of eyes were far too blatant to miss, “No offence.”
“Offence taken,” George chuckled, “Besides, you need sleep more than we do. You’re sleeping for two, remember.”
“Isn’t it ‘eating for two’? Not sure that’s how sleep works,” Jono laughed.
“I’m not letting my son or daughter arrive exhausted,” George shrugged with a smirk on his face.
“For all we know, we’re having a cub,” Lily sighed. As nice as the light-hearted attempts at humour rom the boys were, they still didn’t know what to expect at the end of nine months.
“Then we’ll have to re-buy all the baby clothes,” George persisted in trying to perk Lily up, succeeding in planting a smile on her face for a few seconds, “Look, all we know is that Jeremy was born a werewolf and Sammi wasn’t, so there’s a fifty-fifty chance of our baby being a werewolf. It’s not a guarantee.”
“But it’s possible,” Lily couldn’t ignore the reality, “How would we manage that? Imagine a werewolf kid going to school. All it would take is one freak-out and the secret is out there. Everyone will know about them. About me. About all of us.”
“And how many times did you lose control at school?” Jono reminded, “Dylan taught both of us how not to. You’ll do the same for your kid. We all will. You’re not on your own.”
“I’ve not been alone for a while now,” Lily shuddered.
“Still no sighting?” Jono checked. The boys knew everything at last. All about the thing haunting Lily. If only she could properly show them; maybe they’d be closer to finding out what it was.
“Nothing. Not since the hospital,” Lily replied. It had been strangely absent since Melissa sedated her, “But it hasn’t gone. I know it. I can feel it there in my mind.”
“That gives us time, right?” George pondered, “Time to get ahead.”
“Not if we don’t know what it is,” Lily shrugged despondently.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jono thought, “Lil, do you feel up for a road trip?”
“As long as I can choose the playlist,” Lily smiled. She trusted Jono, and she had faith in the pack. Whatever was inside Lily might have made a dent in their defences, but together, they were impenetrable.
More intensely than ever, Dylan’s leg was bobbing up and down. It was an unconscious habit most of the time, his most noticeable stim, and entirely harmless. That morning, though, Dylan was fully aware of it. It was difficult to ignore.
After all, there was good reason for it. Dylan felt anxious. He didn’t know what the morning would bring, but with any luck, it would be the ceasefire the pack needed. Yasmin and Jeremy losing their jobs was already a step too far, but now, their opponents had proved their hands weren’t as clean as they made out.
“Remember, let me do the talking,” Dylan reminded his friends. Freddie sat confidently by his side – he was the one who caught another Callahan as the mountain ash dealer, after all – while Yasmin and Josh looked intriguingly close on the other sofa. He aimed his comment primarily at Yasmin, who understandably had a vendetta to settle.
“I can’t promise anything,” Yasmin confessed, “But I’ll try my best.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Josh checked. They all knew how Dylan felt. He had the biggest reason of all to detest them. Everything they’d put Harry through was unforgiveable, and now they were hell bent on hurting Harry’s friends, not to mention the person he loved. It had to stop.
“They’re here. I’ll let them in,” Caroline assured from the hallway. The family home felt like the best place to hold such a meeting, especially with Libby at school. They weren’t worthy of seeing the flat Dylan and Harry had made their own.
“I talk,” Dylan reminded the group once more. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say multiple times in his head, revising it at least three times to be less abrasive.
“I do hope there’s good reason for this last second summon. I’ve had to reschedule a very important business meeting for this,” Terry Callahan remarked, looking the pack up and down on his way in.
“Please, take a seat,” Dylan knew he had to remain polite, even though it was the last thing those people deserved.
“No coffee?” Karen Callahan observed as she and Natasha followed behind. Dylan caught eyes with Yasmin, who was clearly using every ounce of her energy to bite her tongue. They had the upper hand if everyone kept their cool.
“This shouldn’t take long,” Dylan politely assured. He wanted them gone as soon as possible.
“I should hope not,” Karen rolled her eyes.
“Respectfully, I think it’s the very least we’re owed,” Dylan reminded, “As Harry’s friends.”
“If you must,” Terry groaned, making his disinterest crystal clear.
“We know you filed a complaint against Yasmin and Jeremy,” Dylan begam, “They’ve been suspended, and we all know it’s for nothing.”
“We don’t know anything,” Terry scoffed.
“There’s something more going on, and you’re all a part of it,” Karen accused.
“We could say the same back,” Dylan played his trump card. Instantly, Terry and Karen looked like children caught with the biscuit tin. The mere concept of Dylan having dirt on them had horrified them, “Who’s Theodore?”
“Err,” Terry slurred, “I don’t know a Theodore.”
“Dad,” Natasha hissed sheepishly. She knew they had been outsmarted.
“Quiet,” Terry insisted.
“Something to hide?” Dylan had to resist a smug smirk.
“What are you accusing us of?” Karen looked offended, but her acting wasn’t enough to detract from Natasha’s guilty face.
“We haven’t accused you of anything. Your daughter, on the other hand,” Dylan could hardly believe how easy it was to lure them out of their lie.
“I said this would come up. Tell the truth,” Natasha pleaded. Perhaps she wasn’t quite as obnoxious as Dylan thought? If only she’d displayed even an ounce of this sincerity around Harry.
“Theodore is our nephew,” Terry sighed, begrudgingly accepting what Natasha suggested, “But we are not responsible for him.”
“Wh…what has he done now? Out of curiosity,” Karen tripped over her words.
“Oh, nothing much, other than dealing drugs to high school kids,” Dylan couldn’t help a little bit of sarcasm, “One student was in intensive care because of those precise drugs.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Karen scoffed. Dylan was carefully observing her body language; she sounded shocked, but she didn’t look it.
“I think we’ve heard quite enough of this nonsense,” Terry heaved himself up, Karen following suit, “Come on, Natasha. I think you’ve already said plenty.”
It was blatant that Natasha wasn’t finished. However, with parents like that, Dylan presumed there wasn’t an argument to be had. Dylan would have loved to speak to Natasha alone, because in those few words, she’d proved she might not be quite as similar to her parents after all.
“We’ll show ourselves out,” Karen called, already back into the corridor and not bothering to look around. Seconds later, the front door slammed shut. Dylan breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn’t feel all that chirpy. The Callahans knew exactly how to suck the optimism out of anyone and anything. Harry deserved all the credit in the world for the person he became, in spite of his upbringing.
“We’ve got them,” Josh laughed, breaking the silence.
“Not yet,” Dylan noted, “They know we’re onto them, but we haven’t got any proof. They’re not going to back down otherwise.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Yasmin mentioned, “We need to speak to Ed.”
Dylan was raring to go. The war wasn’t won yet, but he was fired up. Yasmin and Jeremy deserved their jobs back, and Harry deserved justice. No matter how madly in love with Jono he was, Dylan was certain that he would never stop honouring Harry’s memory.
Tightly fastening his dressing gown around his pyjamas, Jeremy felt like he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, and it had been that way for a few days: heaving himself out of bed hours after waking up, barely eating a thing, and scraping together a couple of hours sleep at best. It felt like an exhausting state of purgatory.
Felix couldn’t have done any more to look after him, and when she could, Sammi spent a lot of time at their house. Nobody else knew Jeremy’s secret, and he wanted to keep it that way. After all, it wasn’t exactly his finest moment.
Talking about it still didn’t feel natural, anyway. Jeremy couldn’t really explain it. What he was doing wasn’t rational, and he knew it, so how could he help someone else understand his mindset? Until he found the words, Jeremy wasn’t sure he was comfortable discussing it, no matter how much Felix pleaded.
Jeremy wasn’t even halfway down the stairs when the gentle sound of Felix and Sammi’s conversation graced his ears. He didn’t need to listen to know they were talking about him. For days, Jeremy had been their one discussion topic. He knew it was because they were worried, but he hated feeling like a patient in his own home.
“Oh, hey,” Felix beamed as he caught a glimpse of Jeremy in the corner of his eye. That smile always sent a sparkle through Jeremy’s tummy, even in his darkest moments.
“Hi,” Jeremy timidly replied. He didn’t have much in the way of enthusiasm.
“Coffee?” Sammi offered. She’d been forever making hot drinks for the previous few days. Anything to keep herself busy.
“Sure,” Jeremy nodded. He wasn’t sure he could stomach a coffee, but he wanted Sammi to feel she was being useful. She was trying her best; both her and Felix were.
“How are you feeling?” Felix queried.
“Alright,” Jeremy shrugged. There wasn’t much more to say. He had no job any longer. Nothing to do. To make matters worse, there was still every chance of things escalating further. Jeremy could handle any supernatural threat that came his way, but humanity wash is Achilles’ heel.
“Go on, you decide,” Felix handed Jeremy the remote, making room by his side on the sofa. It was a rinse and repeat of every day since Felix saw Jeremy’s hand in the forest, and Jeremy was fed up. He was stuck in a rut, and he didn’t know how to get out.
“Don’t forget we’re meeting Keisha today,” Sammi mentioned as she placed Jeremy’s coffee on his coaster containing his favourite photo of him and Felix, taken on holiday two years before in the blazing sun.
“Oh, yeah,” Jeremy recalled nonchalantly. The waiting list for therapy was depressingly long, and though Keisha wasn’t a trained therapist, she was the next best thing as the school’s guidance counsellor. Jeremy knew he needed all the help he could get.
In the meantime, Jeremy had to fill a few hours. He selected The Vampire Diaries on Netflix as the perfect way to pass some time. Engrossing himself in the characters’ overblown drama was the best way to block out his own, if only for a little while.
A part of Jono felt strangely heartened to see the bunker looking almost identical to when he last saw it. So much had changed in Crystalshaw that it felt a little disconcerting. It was the same place with most of the same people, but at the same time, it wasn’t. Seven years was a long time, so to see the bunker was just as he’d left it was warming.
There was just one thing he needed to track down. The key to figuring out what was happening to Lily. What had been haunting her. Jono hated seeing Lily so fragile. She was relentlessly strong, but this was wearing her down, during what was supposed to be a time of anticipation and happiness for her and George.
Jono brushed a thick layer of dust off a pile of paper. Some of the files in the bunker had been there since Drew owned it; Jono was sure Dylan didn’t know what most of it was. Still, Drew was hardly sentimental. He wouldn’t have kept anything that wasn’t useful, once upon a time.
“Where did you say it was?” George called from across the bunker.
“How would I know? I’ve not been here in seven years,” Jono chuckled. Seven years felt like the strangest fever dream now he was back in Crystalshaw, and he hadn’t yet had time to process the impact it had had on him, so all he could do was attempt to make light of it.
“Shit, I’m sorry dude,” George backtracked guiltily, “Honestly, it was weird without you.”
“Don’t compliment him, he’ll get used to it,” Lily raised a chuckle. Both Jono and George had insisted she take it easy, but Jono wasn’t sure sitting on the rusty chair was any safer for her than overexerting herself; it looked like it could crack at any given moment. The blatant bags under her eyes spoke for themselves, but it was a positive sign to see her laughing.
“It’s true, though. Knowing you were thousands of miles away never felt right. I’m glad you’re home, dude, and I know Dylan is too,” George gushed.
“Not sure my timing could have been worse. Dylan and I, it feels a little insensitive, you know, after Harry,” Jono opened up.
“What happened to Harry would have happened anyway<” George softly reminded, “Dylan doesn’t take this kind of thing well, nobody does, but having you by his side is definitely the biggest comfort he could have.”
Smiling, Jono nodded in assurance. There was no doubt over how Dylan felt about him, and it was almost unbelievable that they had each other again. Every one of Jono’s insecurities collapsed when he met eyes with Dylan after so long apart. The teenage excitement of his first love was just as strong as ever.
“What that on the top shelf?” Lily called out, snapping Jono out of his brief wallow. He glanced up to spot a book hanging slightly over the edge. The taller of them, George hopped over to grab it with ease, saving Jono’s tiptoes.
“Bingo,” George grinned, brushing the dust coating from the book’s cover and inspecting its title. He presented it to Jono, who’d never felt more delighted to read that intimidatingly bold and old-fashioned lettering: ‘Bestiary’. Finally, they were on their way to some answers.
It was flattering for Yasmin to see how much the pack trusted her plans. Everyone in the pack had proved their worth tenfold, and Yasmin hoped she was no different; the supernatural certainly wasn’t some sort of immersive experience where nobody could actually get hurt, after all.
The stakes were high with this plan, though. This was their opportunity to connect the dots. Out the Callahans. Stop their baffling insistence on wrecking everything their son loved. Yasmin knew all about problematic parents, and how all-encompassing their actions ended up being. Harry no longer being about to see it didn’t stop it mattering. Harry was her friend, and he deserved justice.
The plan couldn’t have been clearer, and everyone seemed confident in executing their role. Ed was the initiator, and his role was simple: release Theodore on bail. The interesting part followed thereafter. Where would he go? His registered address was nowhere near Crystalshaw, so where had he been staying? That was the role of Yasmin and Freddie. Their part involved following Theodore on foot, from a safe distance. Freddie already knew his scent, so they were never going to lose him.
If Yasmin’s hypothesis was correct, she and Freddie would reconvene with Dylan and Josh, who were ready and waiting to get photographic evidence outside the poshest hotel in town, where the Callahans were staying on their visit. If they left the hotel, they’d follow. It was foolproof.
“Text from Ed,” Freddie notified, “Theodore’s out. Any second now.”
“Perfect,” Yasmin nodded, not removing her gaze from the sheriff station entrance for a second. They couldn’t afford to miss a single detail.
Sure enough, a young man emerged a minute later. He looked a far cry from the prim-and-proper Callahans, who couldn’t have been more upper-class if they tried. If they thought Harry was a disappointment, Yasmin hated to imagine what Terry and Karen considered their rugged, scruffy, drug-dealing nephew to be. If they really were working together, Yasmin was desperate to know what was in it for the Callahans.
Theodore followed the path towards the centre of town, just as Yasmin predicted. To her relief, he appeared entirely oblivious to Yasmin and Freddie trailing behind. Theodore took out his phone, typing a message to someone. Whoever it was, it could have solved the entire mystery. Yasmin was invested.
“So, you and Josh,” Freddie queried, keeping his voice low as they ducked behind a parked car.
“Now? You want to do this now?” Yasmin hissed. The timing was irrelevant, though, as she was hoping to avoid to topic entirely.
“When else? You were inseparable earlier, I don’t think I’ll get a chance,” Freddie shrugged with a cheeky grin on his face. Yasmin sighed. She knew Freddie inside out. If nothing else, he was persistent. If Yasmin didn’t give in, Josh surely would.
“I don’t know what to say,” Yasmin admitted, not allowing herself to be distracted from Theodore, “I ended things with Cody. He was being a dick, and Josh was there for me.”
“I thought things were going well with you and Cody?” Freddie pondered as they ran to hide in an alleyway a little closer to their target.
“So did I, but he was jealous of Josh. I mean, he knew we had history,” Yasmin shrugged.
“So do we, does he hate that too?” Freddie wondered.
“Probably,” Yasmin scoffed, “You’ve got Sammi, and we’re ancient history. Josh was different. He still is.”
“Rude,” Freddie smirked, “Look, I can’t tell you how to feel, but I know one thing. Josh never stopped loving you. He worships you, and he’s never forgiven himself for what he did back then. He’s worked so hard to be better, harder than Cody ever did, and you were able to look past his problems, so why is Josh different?”
Yasmin paused. Freddie made a good point. She’d tried to keep distance between herself and Josh for so long, but for what? He made one mistake years back. Yasmin had a lot to consider, but her mind felt clearer than it had in a long time.
“Going left,” Freddie commented on Thoedore’s movements, refocusing on the mission.
“That’s not the way to the hotel,” Yasmin panicked, “That’s the way to the train station.”
Once upon a time, Dylan could have made conversation with Josh over anything. Sustaining a conversation wasn’t something that came naturally to him, but with certain people, it was a breeze. Caroline, Jono, Yasmin, Ed, and all of the pack made it easy for Dylan’s social anxiety to relax, and Josh had always gone above and beyond to ensure Dylan was always at ease around him.
Since he’d moved back to Crystalshaw, something had been amiss with Josh. He’d been quiet and reserved, not even confiding in his family about why he was back. Dylan wasn’t daft, he knew it couldn’t have been a good thing, and he hated not being able to support his brother in his moment of need.
As a result, waiting outside the Callahan’s hotel was proving to be an exceptionally boring and awkward experience. There was no banter or chat, and not even any small talk. Dylan didn’t know what to say to Josh when he’d barely said a word to him – or anyone – since his return.
“I wish I knew him better,” Josh broke the silence, much to Dylan’s surprise. They met eyes, Josh obviously spotting Dylan’s uncertainty, “Harry. I wasn’t around much. I guess I didn’t get to know him that well. I figured I’d have ages to do that.”
“Yeah, me too,” Dylan reflected, “For what it’s worth, he was fond of you. We kept talking about booking a trip to see you. Guess we never got round to it.”
“He seemed really good for you,” Josh added, “I was scared that, after Jono had to leave, it might not be so easy to find someone as perfect a fit for you. You proved me wrong. You always do, bro.”
“Is it selfish? I miss Harry so much, but I’ve got Jono back. I should be happy. Jono’s my soulmate, but I loved Harry too,” Dylan opened up, hoping Josh would follow suit.
“No. Not at all. You never stopped loving Jono. You didn’t fight and break up, you were torn apart. What you had was always there. You thought you had to leave Jono in your past, and Harry became your future. I’d be worried if you weren’t missing him,” Josh encouraged, “I mean, I miss Sarah, and she’s just a flight away, so I can’t imagine how you feel.”
“Are things…over?” Dylan approached the topic delicately. This felt like the entrance to the topic he’d been anticipating.
“I think so. She wouldn’t have understood. I couldn’t tell her, Dylan. I couldn’t tell her what I am,” Josh finally admitted. His eyes bubbled with tears, his cheeks rosy with embarrassment.
“What happened?” Dylan probed. He desperately wanted to be there for Josh, but Josh had to let him in first.
“An alpha threatened me. Said he’d come for Sarah if I didn’t leave. He’d come for all of you. He knew your name, Dylan. He knew Libby’s name. He said if I left without saying goodbye that he’d leave you alone, but I wasn’t giving in. He came for me. I moved and he fell down the stairs. Solid concrete stairs. I can still hear the thud of his head,” Josh told, his emotions heightening with every word.
“Oh my god,” Dylan was horrified. He knew that being an alpha was no small deal and gossip travelled fast, but Josh’s opponent sounded horrible, “Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have helped. We all would have.”
“I thought I had it under control. Besides, I didn’t want Sarah to get suspicious, but it was too late. I was arrested, Dylan,” Josh confessed. Dylan could hardly believe his ears. He knew it must have been bad, but at least he finally understood why Josh had been so closed off, “There was no evidence of me ever touching him – obviously, because I didn’t – but Sarah never looked at me the same way. She ended it.”
“I’m so sorry,” Dylan placed a gentle hand on Josh’s shoulder. There was no doubt in his mind over the person Josh had become, but this was yet more evidence of him doing the right thing, no matter the cost, “I’m always here for you, dude. You’re my brother. Talk to me. Tell me stuff. I want to know, even the ugliest moments. I’ll always have your back.”
“Thanks bro,” Josh smiled as Dylan pulled him in for a slightly uncomfortable hug across the car gearstick, “Hey, Karen at ten o’clock,” he spoke over Dylan’s shoulder. Dylan withdrew from the comfort of the hug and spun around in a hurry, trying to keep his head down. If they were recognised, the plan was over. They couldn’t let the side down.
“Where’s she going?” Dylan pondered, observing as Karen tiptoed down the front steps of the grand hotel, clutching her purse which looked too expensive for Dylan to even look at, making a dart towards the centre of town.
“Follow her,” Josh suggested. Dylan didn’t need to be asked twice. With a safe distance between them, Dylan heaved the car into gear and drove in the same direction. They were so close to justice for Harry; Dylan could almost taste it.
Through his time at Crystalshaw High, Jeremy had only seen the inside of the guidance office once. It was something of a miracle, given his past, that the only time he’d visited was to discuss his senior year classes, just like every other student. Stupidly, Jeremy saw that as a measure of how well he was doing. As if the second he left high school, his mental health would be set for life. How wrong he was.
As he waited, Jeremy took in the sights. He observed the so-called “supportive” (translation: patronising) posters about mental health on the walls. They all felt so idealistic. If only it were that simple to reach out and get help. Easier said than done. Yet, they were everywhere. The hospital. Classrooms. Shops. Everywhere was preaching about mental health, yet how did Jeremy feel so isolated?
The one comforting aspect was the company he was fortunate to have. On one side, Felix, leaving barely an inch between their shoulders. His right hand was entwined with Jeremy’s left, not caring about how sweaty Jeremy’s palms had become in the lead-up to the meeting. Sammi was to Jeremy’s right, the two of them feeling like a barrier for Jeremy to feel safe behind. Without them, he knew he’d be much worse off.
“Sorry I’m late. Almost forgot my keys,” Keisha jogged in, flustered. She confidently collapsed onto her comfortably padded desk chair and met Jeremy’s helpless gaze, “I know this is strange. Remember, we’re only here to talk. Nothing more can come of this session.” Jeremy nodded. Keisha wasn’t a trained therapist, but with such a lengthy waiting list, the school guidance counsellor (who knew his entire history) was the next best thing, “How are you feeling today?”
“Drained,” Jeremy responded impulsively. There was no benefit to keeping secrets, as much as Jeremy’s gut was fighting his mind on sharing his deepest emotions. It didn’t come naturally to him, “I feel like I’m stranded in the ocean, running out of energy as I tread water all day every day.”
“How long have you felt this way?” Keisha probed.
“Since I got suspended, I guess, but I think it’s always been there in some capacity. That’s what happens when you’re hidden away from society for most of your childhood,” Jeremy explained.
“You still think about it a lot, right?” Keisha queried.
“More than I want to. Even when I’m at my happiest, I have nightmares. Nightmares about my old sorry excuse for a bedroom. About my dad,” Jeremy took hold of Sammi’s hand and secured it within his own, “About my mom.”
“Oh my god Jere,” Sammi said, broken, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Jeremy smiled at Sammi. She spoke of their mother often, and though he loved hearing about her, it wasn’t easy. Sammi had had the life he’d longed for. The life he could have had. The life his father stole from him, “I hate that I never got to meet her. I asked dad so many times, and he always said the same thing: it wasn’t safe. I thought he was protecting me, but I know now. He was protecting himself, and I paid for his stupidity.”
“He kept you alive, don’t forget,” Sammi reminded, “Don’t get me wrong, it was his fault that you had to be hidden away, but at least he kept you safe. I wish we’d grown up together – I think about how it would’ve been all the time – but I’m so happy I have you now. Whenever I feel angry, or upset, or exhausted when thinking of him, I remember I’m not the only one.”
“Me too,” Jeremy realised. One thing he never felt was lonely. He had a twin sister who felt everything he did. He had cousins, an aunt, an extended family, and an entire pack that had spread far beyond Crystalshaw’s borders. Each of them knew Jeremy’s story, and that was before Jeremy considered his own husband. The man who gave Jeremy the space to deal with everything he’d been through in his own tie. Felix made the decision to stand by Jeremy’s side, and Jeremy knew he’d do everything in his power to repay that debt.
“Has any of that changed since the suspension?” Keisha posed.
“I guess not,” Jeremy considered, “I get that I have so much support, but I worked hard for that job. I got to study, and qualify, and earn my own wage, and I never expected to have that opportunity. I achieved all that, and it got snatched away from me.”
“Trust in Dylan. He will fix things. He always does,” Felix reminded.
“I guess,” Jeremy accepted. Getting his job back would have been a big reassurance, but it wouldn’t have solved every problem Jeremy had. He now knew for certain that he was just one inconvenience away from disaster, and that wasn’t a healthy place to be.
Nevertheless, Jeremy knew he had taken a huge step forward. The plaster had been ripped off. He’d started to heal, and though the road was long, he knew he could make it. He’d come through too much to give up.
Jono sighed. Finding the Bestiary was only half the job. Trawling its hundreds of pages packed full of every type of being imaginable wasn’t a quick task, especially when they didn’t have a clue what they were looking for.
After all, only Lily had seen whatever had been haunting her. Neither Jono nor George had anything to work from, and that made it near-impossible to narrow the field. Everything had to be scoured, and with only one copy of the book, it couldn’t even be shared out. It was a slog, and Jono was tiring quickly.
It had been a long time since he’d glimpsed the tatty, yellowing pages of the ancient Bestiary. Jono used to have a rough idea of where to look throughout the seemingly endless tome, but he hadn’t seen it in seven years. Any familiarity he once had was long gone.
Naturally, there was a significant section on werewolves, and Jono felt strangely poignant flicking past those pages. He once scoured every single page for any tiny tip he could pick up. Now, none of it applied to him. He was a bog-standard human all over again, as if nothing had ever changed. Jono never thought he’d miss being supernatural, but a part of him had gone, and though it was for the best, it still took quite some adjusting. No more wolf hearing. No immediate healing from papercuts. The pros had vanished with the cons.
“We’ll be here all day,” Lily sighed, sounding just as fed up as Jono was.
“If that’s what we need to do, we’ll do it,” George looked directly into Lily’s eyes. His adoration couldn’t have been clearer. George had always been the one for Lily, just like Dylan had always been the one for Jono. As time went by, Jono’s belief in destiny only grew stronger.
“It’s like a ghost. Haunting you, but inside your mind. Why? Why you? It could target anyone. How are you different?” Jono pondered aloud.
“I’m pregnant,” Lily reminded, “A pregnant werewolf.”
“And you can’t heal at the moment,” George added.
“That’s it,” Jono figured, “You’re vulnerable. It came for you like it knew that. I think I’ve seen this before.” Jono flicked ferociously through the book. He’d read something like that before, but he couldn’t remember where. The name was on the tip of his tongue, and his memory failing him was growing more and more irritating.
“Stop,” Lily commanded, placing her hand on the book, “I saw it.”
Jono held the book up so they could all clearly see. The picture sent a shiver pulsating through Jono’s body. Its wrinkled, shrivelled, worn excuse for skin wasn’t the most grotesque feature, not when its bald, deformed head had the most menacing smirk upon it. The detail was immaculate for a drawing, far better than anything else in the Bestiary. Above the drawing was the name, scribbled in bold, screaming off the page in terror.
“Reaper,” Jono read. The silence of the bunker had never seemed so loud, and the fear was thicker than lead.
With a sharp slam, the book was bashed violently out of Jono’s hands, landing by the bunker door. Bewildered, Jono looked to his left. The hand that knocked the book was Lily’s. What was she playing at? No apology followed. Nor an explanation. Not even a single second of eye contact.
“Um,” Jono didn’t know what to say.
“Lil? What’s up?” George checked.
No response. Lily’s gaze was laser-focused, looking straight ahead. Jono was confused, and his gut was stating the obvious: this couldn’t have been good.
With an abrupt slam, Lily fired her first across Jono, into George’s face. One hit was all it took to send him collapsing to the floor, landing still. Jono didn’t know what to do. Whatever that was, it wasn’t Lily. Not anymore.
“What do you want?” Jono stood up and backed off to the side of the room, his reflexes driving his every move.
No response. Jono was freaked out. He didn’t feel safe. All he wanted to was run, but he couldn’t carry an unconscious George as well as the Bestiary up the shaky ladder to the ground, even without the threat of whatever was inside Lily. Jono didn’t stand a chance.
Lily’s head jolted to the side, looking Jono up and down at the most disturbing angle. Still, no words were uttered, but the stare, through Lily’s own eyes, was distinctly not his sister. Jono was terrified, and he didn’t know what to do. The reaper was in control, but he still didn’t know what a reaper was.
Her head snapped back to face forward. Lily stood up calmly, slowly even, but with complete assurance that she, or the reaper, was in control. She scooped up the Bestiary and forcefully tore the page about reapers out, scrunched it up, and tucked it into her trouser pocket. With complete ease, she tugged at the bunker door and left, securing it shut behind her.
Immediately, Jono went to follow, but the door wouldn’t budge. Whatever Lily had done had jammed the rusty boulder of a door shut. They were trapped, and the reaper was on the loose. Jono couldn’t even phone Dylan with the permanent lack of signal under the ground. They were sitting ducks, and Jono was scared.
With Lily’s demon on the loose, nobody was safe.
|
Previous: "Sister"
|
Next: to be released
|