FSE

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Chapter 34

Holy hell I’m hungry, Sophia apprehensively drummed her fingers against the countertop as she waited for the chicken to thaw in the microwave. And anxious. If it’s already this bad, how bad will it be tomorrow?

She could still smell the bacon and eggs she had cooked just a few hours earlier. It had taken almost two entire packages of bacon to satisfy her and she had only just had enough self-control to save some for her dad. The lingering reminder of breakfast in the air did not help her cravings.

What was I thinking when I agreed to this party? I should just cancel.

She picked up her phone and stared at it.

No, chill girl. It’s just a party and I promised I’d go.

She set the phone down again.

Damn it, why can’t I be normal.

After another agonizing minute, the microwave beeped and she eagerly grabbed the plate of four thawed breasts. The aroma of partially cooked chicken intensified and she tightened her grip as her hands trembled. She brought the plate over to the pan she had heating on the stove.

I should cook them… It’s what a normal person would do. Sophia eyed the white and pink fillets as Wolfgirl pushed her to consume them immediately. Oh, fine. At least Dad isn’t home.

Grabbing a large piece as she set the plate down, she tore into it. It was harder to chew than a fully cooked breast and had a stringy feel to it, but the taste wasn’t too far off from cooked chicken - maybe a bit understated comparatively. Although, it did have an interesting metallic/bloody aftertaste. As if in a trance, she scarfed the pink filet down. It was only when she had finished that she noticed the rivulet of grease and juice that had run down the corner of her mouth.

Oops, I guess I’ll need a new outfit before I go, she glanced at the newly formed grease spots on the front of her shirt. Oh no…

It felt almost like some of the chicken had caught in her throat and she desperately tried to swallow as she felt her diaphragm start to contract. It was futile though and a noisy hic emanated from her.

There, happy now? She grumbled to Wolfgirl as she grabbed a glass and filled it. That’s what happens when you make me eat too fast.

Even with the water, she continued to hiccup intermittently. Sighing, she shut off the burner, grabbed the plate of partially cooked chicken and brought it over to the table. Despite the hiccups, she was still feeling ravenous.

Oops, forgot a fork, she looked down at the remaining chicken and shrugged. Eh, whatever. Not like I’ve been very ladylike today, why start now?

Grabbing another filet, she started in on it at a more deliberate pace. Hic. Pausing, she tapped on her chest in a vain effort to still her spasming diaphragm. Hic. A drink of water also failed to settle it. Hic. Finally, she just resolved to ignore them and continue eating. Hic. When she was halfway through the last breast, her hiccups finally abated.

Relieved, she finished off the last bit of chicken and sucked the juice off of her fingers. As she was licking up the remaining fat and juices on the plate, her phone buzzed on the counter. Standing, she carried the plate over to the sink and washed and dried her hands before picking up the phone. Flipping it open, she glanced at the screen and saw there was a message from Camden.

> Be there in ten!

Wait, shit! Sophia’s eyes widened in panic as she became very aware that she was covered in chicken juice.

Hic!

After a frantic scramble, Sophia managed to clean up her mess in the kitchen and even got her hiccups under control again. Now, standing in the bathroom, she pulled on the silly sweatshirt her grandparents had given her.

Definitely not me, she scowled at the cutesy cat head on the light red background. But it’s a shirt and I just need to seem normal today. Just a normal human girl doing normal human things.

Grabbing a brush with an unsteady hand, she started touching up her hair.

My eyes have definitely changed more; I’m surprised no one has said anything.

The gold/yellow fringe around her pupil had expanded over the last week and little of the original light-brown remained. Gold flecks had appeared even in the green outer band of her eyes.

I wonder why they changed more in the last few days and not the week before.

Her phone buzzed and she stopped brushing to glance at where it lay on the side of the sink.

> Here

She ran the brush through her hair a couple more times for good measure and then tied it back into a ponytail. After dashing off a quick response, she looked herself over, pointedly ignoring her eyes.

Just a normal girl. Just Sophia. She closed her eyes for a second and then headed for the front door.

“Wolfgirl!” Camden greeted her gregariously as Sophia opened the door of his pickup.

“Hey girl!” Katie said from the middle seat, looking comically small next to Camden in the truck’s cab.

“H-hey guys!” Sophia stumbled with her reply as her nose detected a distinctly canine odor.

Oh great, he has a dog. Wolfgirl growled apprehensively in the back of her mind as she realized she somehow determined the sex. A male dog.

“Everything okay?” Camden asked, sounding slightly puzzled.

Sophia realized he was talking to her and shook herself before replying, “Hmm? Oh, yeah. We can go.” She forced herself to smile, “How was Christmas for you guys?”

“Great!” Camden resumed his cheerful demeanor. “Spent a lot of time hitting the snowmobile trails and doing a bit of hunting.”

That got Sophia’s attention. “Oh? What?”

“Oh, gray wolf,” Camden replied nonchalantly.

“What?!” Sophia responded in horror.

Shadow!

Even Katie looked a bit shocked.

Camden burst out laughing, “Just joshing you. Nah, it’s pheasant season right now - well, until the end of today at least. We’ll be having some me and my dad bagged this week for the party.” He paused and frowned. “Akk… windows are fogging up.” He turned a dial on the truck’s dash and the sound of air in the cab intensified.

“That was a mean joke!” Katie said crossly.

“Sorry,” Camden apologized sheepishly as they drove into central Woodbury. “You should have seen your faces though!”

“Very funny,” Katie replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Downtown is busy,” Camden changed the subject as he stopped for a group of tourists crossing the main road. “Course downtown is always busy on New Year's Eve.”

The pedestrians reached the other side and the truck continued on with a lurch. To Sophia’s surprise, Camden made a left when they reached the road that ran past Albertson’s instead of continuing south. Even more surprisingly, he kept driving instead of pulling off into the small subdivision outside the town recreation area.

There are a few homes this way - and a golf course - but I thought all that is this way are summer homes for rich people.

“Where do you hunt?” Sophia asked curiously.

“My house is just outside of town and it's an easy walk into the eastern foothills from it,” Camden answered. “Lots of game and you don’t have to worry too much about other hunters.”

As he spoke, the road curved upward as the rolling field gave way to forested hills.

“Are you rich?” Sophia blurted out and covered her mouth in embarrassment. “Oh…”

Camden let out a belly laugh before answering, “My dad is a web security consultant. He does pretty well, but we’re not millionaires.”

“Admit it, you’re loaded,” Katie teased.

Camden shrugged, looking embarrassed. “My family doesn’t have that much money.”

“Does the plow come out this far?” Sophia saved him from further ribbing.

“It does, because of the country club down the road,” Camden answered. “We have a four wheeler with a plow for our driveway.”

As he spoke, he slowed and then turned right onto a narrow, roughly plowed gap in the trees. Ahead, a sizable house was built to follow the contours of the hill. Attached to it was a garage with enough room for three cars. Across from the garage was a blue compact car parked awkwardly along the edge of the driveway. As they drew closer, Camden hit the garage door opener attached to his sunshade, opening the larger of the two garage doors. The truck pulled in the middle slot next to a late model SUV on the right and several empty racks behind a tractor with a plow attached on the left.

“Welcome to Chateau Brown, ladies,” Camden announced with mock formality as he turned off the car. “Patrick and Craig are already here.”

Sophia hesitated after unbuckling, feeling a strong sense of foreboding and a pit forming in her stomach. Her anxiety had not abated since leaving and seemed to have intensified.

What is bothering me today? Did I forget some homework?

“You okay?” Katie asked from next to her.

Sophia took a deep breath and reached for the door before answering, “Yeah, I think.”

It’s just the dog smell putting me on edge. She decided as she opened the door.

The smell of oil and gas flooded into her nose, supplanting the dog smell temporarily. But even in the garage, she could pick out the faint canine smell - along with the telltale signs of blood and meat in the air.

It made her stomach growl.

Great, I’m getting hungry already, Sophia subconsciously brushed her stomach with her hand.

Camden led them to a door on the side of the garage, opened it and stepped in. Sophia followed him into a brightly lit hallway - and an onslaught of scents. For a moment, she just stood there, trying to untangle the knot of smells. There was pine, cedar, leather, the scent of unfamiliar raw meat and quite a few other aromas. Superseding all of those scents was the smell of a male…

Wolf?

In truth, the scent seemed to confuse Wolfgirl. It was lupine but subtly and oddly different. Sophia felt every muscle in her body tense up and her breath quickened as adrenaline started coursing through her.

This isn’t my pack’s territory. I’m on another - wolf’s? - territory.

The sound of a door closing behind Sophia brought her attention back to the human world. She glanced behind her and saw Katie start taking off her boots. Realizing she should do the same, Sophia quickly pulled off her own boots and added them to the assortment of shoes and boots piled haphazardly to the side of the hall. She took off her hat, stuffed it in a coat pocket and hung up her coat on an empty hook along the wall.

When she and Katie had finished, Camden grinned and gestured for them to follow him. They passed a closed door which Sophia guessed to be the laundry room, judging by the strong smells and then another door before the hall bent to join another hall. The adjoining corridor led to a closed door behind them and opened up into a living room ahead of them. Camden headed towards the living room where Sophia could hear Patrick talking. As they approached, the smell of leather and several types of wood grew stronger… as did the candid smell.

“I have the ladies!” Camden announced triumphantly as he entered. “Party time!”

“Hey! Happy New Year’s Eve!” Craig greeted the new arrivals from the chair he was sitting on. “Sophia, Katie, glad you could make it!”

“Happy New Year!” Sophia returned the greeting as she scanned the room.

The living room had a very rustic, but expensive aesthetic. Directly across from her, a taxidermied bear head hung above a stone fireplace. Various nature-themed decorations sat on the shelves and tables. In front of her, Patrick was sitting on a broad, leather couch. Ahead of him, a beautiful walnut colored coffee table took up the center of the room. Craig was sitting in one of the two leather chairs to Sophia’s left. The whole room was far nicer than anything Sophia was accustomed to and made her feel a bit out of place.

She turned at the sound of heavy footsteps to her time to see a bearded man who looked like an older version of Camden come into the room from what looked to be a sunroom. Then, the sound of nails against a hardwood floor echoed through the room. Sophia stiffened as a large chocolate-colored lab shambled in behind Camden’s dad. The dog looked around curiously, yawning. Then his eyes locked with Sophia’s and his ears stood straight up.

“This the whole crew?” the elder Brown asked in a deep, gravelly voice.

Camden answered, “Yep, this is everyone.”

The dog started trotting towards Sophia, his tail wagging excitedly.

Strange wolf. Time seemed to slow and adrenaline flooded through Sophia as she watched him. Not pack’s territory. Alone.

“No Rob?” Craig asked Katie.

For Sophia, the conversation in the room seemed to fade into the background and she took a cautious step back, every muscle tense.

“S’up Bruno?” Camden asked when he saw the lab. “Here boy!”

The lab, however, completely ignored him and continued towards Sophia. The room went silent as everyone turned to look at the dog.

Need to look strong.

Sophia barely kept herself from giving in to Wolfgirl’s urges to run, but she did bare her teeth. Bruno’s approach faltered at the unexpected action and his tail slowed briefly, but he quickly recovered and trotted a few feet from Sophia where he stopped. He whined and paced a few times, his demeanor becoming agitated.

“Huh, I’ve never seen Bruno act like that towards someone,” Camden’s dad observed.

Sophia fought back the urge to growl at the pacing lab. In her mind, Wolfgirl wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. He smelled like a wolf… and also like the small dog in her neighborhood, yet oddly differed from both. It was uncanny and she felt Wolfgirl struggling to make sense of it. He also wasn’t acting the way Wolfgirl expected which put Sophia even more on edge. After pacing a bit more and whining a couple more times, Bruno let out a clipped bark and approached uncertainly until he was less than a foot from her.

Huh, I feel like I almost understood something there. He seems more uncertain of me than confrontational.

Sophia took a cautious step back, but Wolfgirl was no longer frantically trying to take control. The dog’s body language was more curious than threatening. Bruno stuck out his nose, sniffing the air.

“Don’t worry, he’s just a big puppy,” Camden assured her.

Keeping her back to the hallway, Sophia warily knelt down and leaned her face towards him. Careful not to be obvious, she curiously sniffed the dog.

Bruno’s scent was similar to Shadow’s in that it was male, but his scent lacked the latter’s vitality and strength. There was something else missing, but Sophia couldn’t put her finger on what. Still, it was apparent the dog didn’t pose any immediate threat and Wolfgirl seemed to settle into an almost contemptuous disinterest.

This wol… dog doesn’t even care to defend its territory. Sophia stood up and stepped past the lab.

The canine wasn’t quite done with her, however.

“Yipe!” Sophia yelped and hopped forward as she felt Bruno’s muzzle unexpectedly push against her butt.

She spun around and reflexively let out a low growl. The dog took a step back in surprise, looking quite perplexed.

“Bruno!” Camden scolded and pulled the dog back.

“You okay?” Katie asked in alarm, grabbing Sophia’s arm.

Sophia realized the question was directed at her and shook herself before answering, “he just surprised me. No harm done.”

He was trying to smell me like I was another dog… She smiled reassuringly and then reached out to pet Bruno. Poor guy, my smell must be so confusing for him.

The dog flinched as her hand came towards him, but he quickly relaxed after she scratched his head.

Mr. Brown laughed, “Well, it looks like you kids have everything under control. I’m going to go help your mom in the kitchen.” He turned and strode out.

“What’s gotten into you? Huh buddy?” Camden gently clasped the dog’s head with his hands.

“Do you have a dog or cat?” Patrick inquired from the couch. “He was really interested in where my cat had been laying on me earlier.”

“Nope,” Sophia answered, forcing herself to look away from the still-fascinated canine. “I don’t have any pets.”

“Maybe he can sense you’re a wolf-girl!” Camden grinned.

If you only knew… Sophia just shrugged, then sniffed. Ooh, I smell meat.

She turned her head towards the kitchen as the aroma of raw meat wafted into the living room. Alongside it, she could smell summer sausage, cheese and other foods. Apparently, Bruno smelled it too, because he promptly lost interest in her and trotted towards the kitchen.

“We should get some snowmobiling in while there’s still some light,” Camden said, looking outside. “We got them set up in the back of the house.”

“Sounds good to me!” Craig enthused.

“Let’s roll… er… ski!” Camden said.

Why am I so agitated this afternoon? Now that the immediate ‘threat’ had passed, her general restlessness and unease had returned and even intensified.

Katie misinterpreted Sophia’s nervousness and gave her a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, it’s pretty easy to learn. If you want, you can ride with me.”

“Oh, uh, sure,” Sophia smiled. “Thanks.”

“If you kids are hungry, there are snacks,” a woman’s voice echoed from the kitchen.

“Thanks Ma!” Camden replied and then turned to the group. “I suppose some grub before we hit the trail wouldn’t hurt.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Craig said approvingly and headed towards the kitchen.

Huh, I’m not actually all that hungry now, Sophia furrowed her brow. I do need to pee though.

She turned towards Katie who was still standing next to her, “Do you know where the bathroom is?”

“Oh, it’s just down the hall we came in,” Katie said, gesturing.

“Thanks, I’ll just be a moment,” Sophia told her and headed down the hall.

The bathroom was exactly where Katie had directed and smelled strongly of lavender. After finishing her business, Sophia took a moment to try and collect herself. Stress was evident in her face, but she looked otherwise normal. Still, she couldn’t shake the intensifying sense of anxiety.

It’s tomorrow night… right? Sophia stared at the mirror, feeling dread bubbling up. I couldn’t have gotten it wrong. Could I?

Exiting the bathroom, she joined the party in the kitchen. The center island had an array of food snack foods on it and the Outdoors Club members were clustered around it. Camden’s parents were sitting over at the table, leaving the group alone. Bruno was sitting by Camden, patiently waiting for any scraps to fall his way.

Ms. Brown looked up, smiled and greeted her, “You must be Sophia.” Then her expression turned to one of concern and she asked, “Are you feeling okay dear? You look like you saw a ghost.”

Maybe I should bail if it’s that noticeable.

Sophia managed an unconvincing smile before replying, “I’m okay, thanks.”

I’m just anxious about tomorrow night, that’s all. I don’t want to ruin my first chance at friends in two months.

“You don’t have to go snowmobiling,” Camden assured her after swallowing whatever he had been eating.

“Really, I’m fine,” Sophia insisted, hearing the tremor in her own voice.

As if to prove the point, she walked over to the counter and forked some sausage onto her plate. When Bruno saw her, he came over and began aggressively sniffing her again. This time, she was too preoccupied to pay much attention to the dog.

“Come on Bruno,” Camden commanded sharply. “Leave her alone.”

The dog persisted and poked his nose roughly against her butt again, nearly causing her to drop the plate of food she had put together. She bit her lip trying to avoid snarling and snapping at the nosy lab.

“Bruno! No!” Mr. Brown boomed, standing from his chair. “Come here!”

Camden’s dad’s voice got the dog’s attention. Bruno slunk off to a doggy mat in the kitchen. Once settled on it, he returned to intensely studying Sophia.

Sorry boy, I’m not your type anyway.

“Sorry young lady,” Camden’s dad apologized as he sat back down. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him today.”

“It’s fine,” Sophia reassured him, her voice less convincing than she would have liked. “I’m just someone new to check out.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Craig asked her. “I could take you home if you’re not…”

Sophia shook her head, “I’ll be better after I eat.”

Sticking a couple of pieces of sausage in her mouth, she concentrated on the taste. The spices irritated the back of her throat and nose, but the meat was good. Chewing roughly, she swallowed and, with that, the distraction was gone. The tightness in her chest returned and she felt like every nerve in her body was firing.

Need to be free… In her mind, Wolfgirl was now insistently urging her to escape this strange edifice of dead trees and stone.

“I’m ready if everyone else is,” Sophia blurted out, slamming her plate down. “Oh! I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Nah,” Camden replied. “We should get going. It’s starting to get dark..”

“The birds will be ready in two hours,” Ms. Brown told them. “Stay on the trails and no crazy stunts.”

Distantly, Sophia registered Craig smirking out of the corner of her eye. However, she was preoccupied by the sensation of sweat forming on her back and brow. Looking at her hands, she saw perspiration forming on them as they started to tingle.

“Yes Ma,” Camden replied, sounding exasperated.

No, no, no, Sophia felt panic rising. It couldn’t be… It should be tomorrow!

Before anyone else could react, she had nearly run out of the kitchen. In the back hallway, she started pulling on her coat and shoes.

“I still can’t believe I messed up that damn jump,” she heard Camden grumble from down the hall.

Patrick laughed, “Well, you’re lucky all you broke was a ski. That was quite the tumble.”

“What’s going on with Sophia?” Craig broke in. “She was certainly in a rush.”

The others rounded the corner and stared at her as she wrestled her coat on.

“Sophia, your eyes…” Katie gasped.

“I have to go, now!” Sophia told them, tears forming.

They’re going to find out. I’ve ruined everything…

“I can drive…” Craig started.

“NO!” Sophia snapped loudly before yanking the door open. “Just stay away!”

Fuck, fuck, fuck…

Hurrying through the garage, she headed for a door on the far back wall of the garage. Her hands trembling, she unlocked it and burst through. Not having time to enjoy the embrace of the chilly mountain air, she took off running down the driveway.

I need to get as far away as I can, she could feel her skin tingling. Can’t let them see me.

Sprinting, she headed towards the road.

“Sophia?” She heard Craig yell as she reached the end of the driveway.

Need to avoid footprints, she dashed down the road, her shoes pounding against the pavement. Just need to hang on a little longer… So hot…

Sensing she was out of time, she darted off the road into the woods. Branches tore at her clothes and face, but she didn’t slow down. Unzipping her coat, she tore it off. Spying a steep decline, she headed towards it.

It’s started, her entire body was aching now and her skin was starting to itch. I need to…

“Gah!” She tripped over a branch and slid down the snowy hillside.

“Ah!” She gasped as pain shot through her as she came to a stop against a rock on the bottom, about five feet down from where she had tripped.

Then the real pain started.