Life With A Werewolf

Voice From The Dead Part 10 - Group Therapy

          What followed was a tale of woe. Roam gave us as good of a blow-by-blow as he could, fighting back tears through some of the more painful parts. Evelyn lost her father at a young age due to a hunting accident. Her mother was driven into drugs from guilt because of her husband and died of an overdose. Apparently there was some huge fight or something before he went to his tree stand on that fateful day and fell off.
          Evelyn was placed into a foster care system. The home was crowded with kids. It was a loving enough family who knew that they couldn't give Evelyn emotional care she needed. They knew that Roam and Tanika, being who they are and what they are, could.
          The call went out and they accepted. Then, the sunshine that was Evelyn was brought into their lives. All ninety pounds or so, of rage, and pain. Look, I know there's a Hallmark version in the story somewhere, were this little girl goes out to this farm in the middle of nowhere after losing her parents and finds acceptance and love in....blank. However, real life just doesn't work like that.
          It takes work. Actual hard work to fight through those dark nights. The pain and rage at God or the universe or whoever is responsible for ripping apart an innocent life. Evelyn had gone through all of that. Not was going, had gone through; thanks in large part to her new furry family.
          Roam attributed it to the first run through the woods he took her on. Her on his furry shoulders, moving at speeds at night that she'd only ever dreamed of. His face lit up with excitement as he talked about how her grip was tight with fear at first, then slowly started to loosen over several minutes until, when he was about out of breath, she leaned in and whispered, "faster".
          "She was a dream," Roam said. "I'd do anything to have my little Evy back."
          We all looked at each other. "I can help," I said.
          The rest of the guys nodded to each other. I turned back to Roam. "We need Crash, and the room please. There's a lot to discuss."
          Crash, and Sophia both showed up. They were in human form. Sophia had her arm draped over him the entire time. "Funny," Elouise said. "I don't remember us asking for the puppy."
          Sophia snarled at her. "You wanted Crash, you get me too. We are a team. Think of us as one unit."
          I looked into Crash's eyes when she said that, he winced at the word 'unit'. There was a lot more going on here than I expected. But, what?
          Looking around the table, I said, "Wars are fought on a few fronts. Political, social, and of course the actual battle field itself. We have few advantages here if we fight. Their goal is of course to,"
          "Our goal," Sophia said, interjecting, "is to free you all from the yoke of The Nobility."
          "You mind keeping your dog on a leash," Elouise snarled. "Varmint's about to get her tail bit off."
          "Anytime you want it, lizard woman," Sophia snarled. "We will make handbags out of you."
          Gritting my teeth at her 'we' comment, I pulled my pistol out and set it on the table. "Go ahead," I said. "Kill yourselves. I have enough ammo in this pistol for everyone to get a shot. Execute yourselves right now. Cause this sort of in-fighting is exactly what that is. I'd rather you just shoot yourselves in the damn head and make it quick instead of bringing this bullshit out there."
          I looked at Sophia, "And I don't need fucking help. We're having a discussion here. A family discussion. You're here as a guest. So mind your manners, or leave."
          She gave me a dark look, but didn't say anything. I looked over at Elouise, who seemed as if she was mad at me. I'd have to smooth that out later, though. "I volunteered myself. But I need to know now, look every one of you in the eye and have you tell me. That you're willing to do this. Go out that door, take up a gun just like this one, and start killing werewolves. Start killing people. Cause if you can't do that, then please, stay here."
          "I-I want practice," Zack said, "But I'm in."
          "You'll need a driver, sometime," Kris replied.
          "Where he goes, I go," Sean said.
          "I don't want anyone fighting. Except maybe, you Jason," Crash replied from his corner. "I want no innocent blood on my claws."
          "We can handle this," Sophia said. "You just keep your pretty little heads out of the way while the monsters get to work."
          I stood and glared at Sophia. "Yeah, you're doing such a bang up fucking job right now."
          She glared back. "I'd like to see you do better."
          "Evelyn? Where is she," I asked.
          "We're working on that," She snarled.
          "Behring? Where's he?" I got silence in answer to that question.
          "Crash," Kris said, "You call us your pack, remember? We're your pack. We can't just stand back and watch someone else tear us apart."
          He leaned his head down. Sophia pulled him into her, looking at Kris. "Yes, you're his pack," she said. "But, if you get yourselves killed, you ever stop to think what that would do to my poor baby here?"
          "Behring's close," I said. "Get him to come out. We can,"
          "He wants to kill all of you," Crash said. "Every one. Stay here. Stay safe. Please."
          I summoned as disappointed of a look as I could, and laid it on Crash. "You honestly think this is the first time someone powerful has hated me and wanted me dead? I'm like a cockroach. I turn up at the wrong times, spoil the party, float in the punch bowl, and always, always survive."
          "Oh yeah," Sophia glared at me, "what about them? Huh? Do they survive? How many times have you dragged them into danger?"
          I raised my hands, "Look," I said, "I'm not wreckless. I'm,"
          "Yes, you are," Sophia snapped. "Crash has told me stories. He wants to stay away from you. You're dangerous."
          "Look, you walking, talking pair of overgrown pair of furry boots, Jason maybe a loud mouth, but he's our loudmouth, ya mangy varmint. Keep this up, you're going to get bit for your damn trouble," Elouise looked as if she was ready to go into battle right there and then.
          "Baby," Sophia whispered, in our earshot mind you. "You don't need this. Let's get going. Let's..."
          "Crash," Zack said, and pointed. "Outside. Now. Alone." He glared at Sophia. "And that means, this time, he goes alone."
          "I go with," she began.
          "If you take one step outside that door, I'll bite a chunk out of your hide and wear it as a hat," Elouise snarled. Sophia threw up her hands and stepped back towards the wall.
          Crash stepped outside. Zack, grabbed my arm, pulled me out with him. As soon as the door slammed shut, Zack held my hand up, "this," he said, "is the guy who saved your flea-bitten ass more than you can count. Yes, you saved him too just as many times. He's the reason why that Behring asshole has one arm, and we're still here as a family instead of in several different places with you, alone, lonely, or dead."
          He nodded. "Stand up to her," Zack said. "You can't let her dictate your choices. Be your own person."
          "You have no idea how hard my position is, right now," Crash looked towards the sky. "I can't just...losing you guys will kill me."
          "You won't lose anyone," I said. "I get Verner out. You use him as a bargaining chip to get Evelyn and anyone else back."
          It was a basic, easy plan. "You have a price on your head," Crash said. "Nobility hasn't done that in two hundred years. But they put a price on each of you."
          Zack looked like he had been gut punched. Me? I had to fight back a laugh. "Who's got the highest? Is it me? Tell me it's me," I said grinning like a mad man.
          "Of course it's you," Crash said. "But we're trying to keep you all safe. If they get their claws into you,"
          "Crash, if you want us to sit in a room waiting for the end to come, then I guess they will," I said. "But, we all deserve a chance to at least fight for our lives."
          "If I'm going to die," Zack said, "I want to die fighting."
          "If I can help it, no one will die," I replied.
          Crash looked at me. "Jason, you have that look in your eye."
          "I think I have a plan," I replied.
          Zack and Crash looked at each other, then back at me and said in unison, "yikes."