Page 42 of Jacob Michaels is Dead

“You will join us, goddamnit.” Jason, barely decently covered in a pair of jeans, shoved a towel-clad Lucas into the locker. “It’s your fate, you little asshole. I’m sick and tired of you giving me shit about it. This is who you’re supposed to be.”

Jason’s forearm dug into Lucas’ windpipe as Lucas’ wet feet slipped and slid on the slick concrete floor of the locker room. The only thing keeping Lucas from falling and slipping all the way across the room and back into the shower—which he had just left—was Jason’s forearm pinning him against the locker. If Jason pulled away suddenly, Lucas wasn’t sure he could catch himself quickly enough to keep from busting his ass painfully on the floor. Or, maybe he would slide all the way across the room. Of course, the towel wrapped around his waist might have been enough to keep him from sliding too far.

Lucas had been so careful. Jason had been harassing him for months to join his pack, but Lucas had always been clever in avoiding Jason when he was alone. There was no way that Jason could fulfill his threats to turn Lucas into…one of them…if there were always witnesses to their exchanges. Even this night, only his third football game with the team, he had made sure he took an extra long shower. He waited until he was sure that all of the other guys had gotten showered, dressed, and left the locker room. The water in the showers had turned cold by the time Lucas finally twisted the knobs on the wall, and the water stopped cascading over his body. Shaking with cold, his fingers resembling prunes, Lucas had grabbed his towel, wrapped it around his waist, secured it, and headed to his locker to dress.

Of course, Jason was done being patient. He had been waiting for Lucas to emerge from the showers. At first, all Lucas could think was that he was grateful that Jason had not come into the showers after him. At least he had been patient enough to wait to have this exchange with him when they were both adequately covered up.

“I’m telling you, man.” Jason laughed bitterly. “This isn’t a choice. Eventually, we all gotta sign up.”

“Sign up?” Lucas gasped, his hands clutching at Jason’s forearm as he ground his teeth in pain.

“Bloody Bones, man.” Jason grinned evilly, pushing his forearm harder into Lucas’ throat.

Lucas’ hands scratched at Jason’s forearm, desperately trying to break free, or at least catch a breath of air.

“He’s coming soon, man.” Jason chuckled deeply. “And he needs us. You’re either on his side…or you’re against him.”

“There are other ways.” Lucas managed to gasp.

He didn’t want to tell Jason what he felt in his gut, the things he just knew, but Lucas knew that Bloody Bones wasn’t his only option. Somehow…he just knew it.

“Are you saying ‘no’?” Jason growled, his jaw seemingly lengthening as Lucas struggled against the locker, his feet slipping and sliding on the floor.

Lucas’ eyes bugged as Jason’s forearm dug deeper into his throat, cutting off of his oxygen. He watched through blurry eyes as Jason’s jaw stretched, slight tufts of fur sprouting around what could only be described as a muzzle. Fang-like teeth slowly grew from Jason’s mouth. The teeth of a wolf. Lucas struggled and slipped and slid as Jason’s eyes turned red. Then his muzzle lowered to Lucas’ arm.

Pain.

“Does it hurt?” Jackson Barkley asked as he knelt in front of Lucas, who was perched on the side of his bed rigidly. “Looks nasty.”

“A little, I guess.” Lucas’ eyes were on the floor, by his grandfather’s feet.

“That bruise ‘round your neck is gonna be nasty.” Lucas’ grandfather sighed. “You gotta learned to stand up for yourself, Lukie.”

Lucas looked up at his grandfather disdainfully.

“He’s two years older, nearly a foot taller, and has fifty pounds on me, grandpa.” Lucas snapped pitifully. “How am I supposed to stand up to him?”

Most people would expect a grandfather to bark back, to tell his grandson to ‘be a man’ or some other nonsense. Jackson Barkley was not that type of man—or grandfather.

“Lukie,” Jackson reached out and laid a hand on Lucas’ knee, “he’s gonna see that you are immune. If you don’t go changing into a wolf within a few moons, he’s gonna know. That’s all’s I’m saying.”

“I know.” Lucas looked down.

Jackson rubbed Lucas’ knee.

“He mentioned Bloody Bones,” Lucas whispered.

“Don’t say that name none,” Jackson whispered back, but he was not cross with his grandson.

“I thought I had forgotten,” Lucas said. “You told me to forget.”

“I did.”

“I remembered everything when he said that name.” Lucas looked up into his father’s eyes.

Jackson Barkley groaned and rose from his crouched position and sat down on the bed next to his grandson. He took Lucas’ arm in hand and brought it closer to inspect.

“You’ll just forget again,” Jackson said.