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The knock at the front door on Wednesday occurred like clockwork. Cracking it open, I noted Jeremy laden with shopping bags and opened the door wide for him. Without saying anything, I turned and walked back down the hall and took my seat at my laptop.
"What the hell happened here?!" Jeremy moved from the kitchen bench to inspect the broken window.
Ignoring him, I kept doing my work.
"Vera?" When I still refused to answer, Jeremy stormed over to the table and slammed the laptop shut. "Answer me, damn it! What happened to the window?"
Glaring at him, I stood up and started walking away.
"Hey, I didn't do this."
"You didn't stop him either. Trapping me here is no better than what Malcolm did to me."
"That's bullshit! No one is beating you to a pulp."
Tears swimming in my eyes, I turned to face him. "Yet! This is how it starts, Jeremy. It's just a matter of time before I'm cowering every time he walks in the room. Do you even know what it's like? To have to be mindful of everything I say and do. How would you feel if while doing calculations in your head, you looked at him the wrong way? What if every perceived slight ended with you spending the night on the floor coughing up blood?"
"Dale would never hurt you like that."
"I don't trust you! I don't know any of you. Why would I choose to believe a word out of your mouth?"
"Get to know us!"
"Get out of my house, and from now on leave the groceries on the doorstep. None of you are welcome here anymore."
"Vera..."
"And tell your alpha, he may win this, but he lost me." Seething, I slammed my bedroom door shut in Jeremy's face. Sitting on my bed, I waited for Jeremy to leave, then I broke down and cried.
* * *
Several hours later,the sound of glass tinkling on metal disturbed my focus on my work. Rising from my table, I looked out the back to see Bob collecting the broken shards of glass into a wheelbarrow. Glancing to the house, he saw me and paused to wave. Turning away without acknowledgment, I went back to my work.
After finishing the lawn, Bob came to the back door and knocked. "Do you want me to do something about that window?"
"Can you ask your boss if he'll allow glaziers down to fix it?"
"I'll call him now." Walking away from the door, Bob took out his phone. It took fifteen minutes for him to come back. "We've called some guys; they'll be here in an hour to fix it."
Getting to my feet, I went to the kitchen and poured a large glass of water before taking it to the door. Unlocking it, I handed it to Bob. "Thank you."
Giving me a kind smile, Bob took the glass of water. "This shouldn't be happening. He should just tell you what you should have always known and then explain the protocol."
"You tell me." Crossing my arms, I leaned on the door. Looking like a rabbit in headlights, Bob fumbled for words. "Okay, let me ask a question. You guys are immortal, right?"
Eyes tight, Bob pressed his lips together before answering. A pulse of his frustration hitting me like a slap. "No, just very long lives."
Ignoring the sting of his mild temper, I focused on getting some answers. "And you can change into wolves, right?"
Throat convulsing on his next swallow, Bob nodded.
Trying not to react, I was hoping I'd imagined things the other night. "So, you're like werewolves?" Goddess, it sounded insane even to my own ears. If I were wrong, maybe Dale would think I was crazy and let me go.
"Lycans. We are our own species, born this way. Getting bitten by us doesn't turn you into one."
"But you breed with humans?"
"Human females, yes. Though, getting women pregnant is difficult." Avoiding looking at me, Bob dropped his head as if he were delivering bad news. "Our women are usually sterile. The closer to full-blooded they are, the harder it is for them to get pregnant and stay pregnant."
