Chapter Eleven

I didn't want to go to work today. I wasn't sure for which reason though. Was I afraid of finding the second wolf in with Alastor? Was it because I was so exhausted from the nightmares that played with me last night like a rag doll? Or was it because a part of me was terrified about what Frank had said? What would I do if I went in and found a man sitting in Alastor's place? But as we finished up the morning chores and I ate through breakfast, chatting nonchalantly, the time still came for me to leave. I hugged everyone goodbye-even the dogs- as I tried to procrastinate. But I was eventually behind the wheel, driving down the long road. Something caught my eye and I found myself pulling over. The sun was barely rising, it kissed the top of trees and gave everything a light glow. If the sun wasn't up, I doubt I would have seen the tire tracks that scarred the pavement and went off into the ditch. I followed the black lines into the grass, from there I found what I assumed was the crash site of Darby Miller. The truck was gone, but there was a molded space for it fit perfectly back into the soft sand. There were some loose pieces of torn fabric and I even found a wrench hiding in a bush. But I also found spots and pools of dried blood. It stuck to the grass like the morning dew. It would be washed away within days. It stained the sand and the rocks in the vicinity. My stomach flipped. As much as reading about the deaths, it was a whole different experience to see where those men died. Even if that blood was Darby Miller's, I'd feel bad none-the-less. I wheeled and ran for my car. I felt as if I was intruding, stepping on the ground where men took their last breaths. It sent chills down my spine. I drove off quickly. My car buzzed with an incoming call.

"Hello?" My voice broke.

"Hey!" I had to read his name to realize who it was. I was out of it.

"Yes, Lucas?" Slowly I stopped at a red light.

"I just wanted to call, check up on ya since yesterday. Has the news channels tried tearing at you yet?" As if to jinx me when I pulled into the zoo, news cars were everywhere. I groaned when they surrounded my car. They shoved their mics at my windows as if I was going to speak through the glass.

"They're here alright." I groaned sadly. I drove slowly, hoping not to run anyone over. It would be their fault anyway. Lucas chuckled.

"Good luck with that!" He said bye and I hung up on him. I found my spot and attempted to open my door. People shoved in as if they didn't want me to get out but they wanted me out at the same time. I finally locked my doors. They screamed questions at me, shoving the microphones in my face. I ignored them all and tried to shove through the crowd.

"Danielle! What drugs are you giving to that wolf to make him act like that!?" I froze and turned towards the man who had yelled the question at me. He aimed the mic toward me.

"Alastor is not given any drugs but a calming powder to ensure our safety." I snapped in defense.

"Then why did he act like that?" He retorted.

"We are unsure why he acts differently towards me than others. We think that he finds me like a pup of his." That was the first thing that came to mind.

"What do you think about this other wolf?" My face blanched.

"I think it was wrong of them to capture him. The wolf harmed no one before being captured." I snarled at him.

"The test has been done! He's just like Alastor! Do you think it's a new breed or some mutant?" My nose crinkled up in anger.

"Their both wolves. Period. They shouldn't be treated like some science experiment." I spat before turning and marching off. The crowd erupted into more questions. As if my answers had made even more questions.

"What did it feel like to fall into a pit full of ravenous wolves?!" I swiveled toward the short girl with a glare.

"The only thing ravenous here is all of you," I spoke directly into her microphone. She recoiled from my glare. I turned and slid into the employee's only office. I heard them complain and still yell questions from the other side of the door. I slumped against a wall.

"First news mob?" Kari quirked while leaning on the door frame. She twirled an apple in her hand. I chuckled without humor before going to clock in. She seemed quiet and her expression seemed upset. I bit my lip.

"He's here?" She nodded. I knew why she was upset. I walked toward the wolf enclosure and peered over. Alastor was sitting across the huge rust wolf. They both sat not moving. As if they were talking to each other. As if I called their names, they both looked up at me. One blue pair of eyes, full of concern and awe. One green pair, full of what looked like determination or confidence. Protection even. I stared at the brown one, a frown pulling at my lips. I sighed and turned away from them.

"They named him Gedeon." (G-de-in) I looked over at her. She still spun the apple in her hands till we passed the giraffes and one of them happily took it from her. Wrapping its long bluish tongue around her hand.

"What does that mean?" I muttered while we walked downstairs. Brett and his gaggle worked on the girls' breakfast.

"Destroyer." She whispered with a roll of her eyes. Tsk. What is with these people and naming these wolves after horrible things? Tormentor and now Destroyer? Hell, the tiger's name is Cuddles! I disliked that.

"Hey wolf girl," Brett teased, elbowing my ribs.

"Is he soft?" One of the girls commented, they snorted with her. Kari snapped at them and they turned toward their job. I started making Alastor's meal.

"Shall I make Gedeon's?" I asked, reaching for more meat. She nodded beside me.

"We don't know him so we'll see how he acts towards you. Track everything he eats so we know his eating habits and give him the same medicine as Alastor. If they are the same, he'll need it." I nodded absentmindedly. I made an identical meal to the first and carried the two buckets to Alastor's feeding kennel. There was an upgrade, 10 feet from his was another one. That must be for our new member. I sighed sadly while filling their trays. I opened Alastor's door first. He came in, he seemed tentative and studied me even more so today. I opened Gedeon's door and I was expecting to have to wait it out till he came in. But he trotted in as if he'd been doing it all his life. He stared at me too. Slowly he lowered his head, his eyes shutting. His rear lifted and he pressed his paws in front of him. He looked like he was doing a downward dog or as if he was bowing.

"Was that a good stretch?" I asked him. He looked at me curiously before straightening himself. He glanced at Alastor than back to me. He started to eat. I cautiously walked toward him, seeing if he acted the way Alastor did. He didn't acknowledge me as Alastor did. But he pushed a piece of meat in my direction. I chuckled and shook my head.

"No thank you," He continued to eat. I crouched in front of him. Studying him quietly. I looked over at Alastor, he hadn't eaten yet. He watched me. I smiled and walked over to him. I leaned on the wall in front of him and leaned my head back.

"I'm sorry you got caught, buddy," I whispered.

"I tried to help, I cut the hole in the cage. It helped for a little bit I guess and you gladly got Darby. He was a jerk." It was silent. I had to open my eyes to ensure I wasn't alone. They both stared at me with widened eyes, Alastor's face kinda smug and Gedeon's jaw slightly dropped. I chuckled and leaned back again.

"Danny?" I jumped. Kari stood over me, chuckling. I grabbed my head, trying to calm the dizzy. The wolves weren't in their feeding cells and their trays were sparkly clean. Had I fallen asleep?!

"Oh!" I jumped up, grabbing the wall for support. She waved me off before I could apologize.

"You had a big day, you probably didn't get the best rest." My lips clamped shut. My watch read 12.

"Go home, James. Come back tomorrow, rest." She ordered with a cross of her arms. Her brow raised as if it was a challenge. I went to protest but her brow rose even higher. I sighed and nodded in defeat. She hugged my shoulders and strolled past me. I clocked out and wandered toward the wolf enclosure. Gedeon was walking around the enclosure in a circle, watching the females and pups. When Alastor trotted out of the den, he was at his side at once. He scanned the windows protectively. His blue eyes watched me slump on the short wall. I was tired. My eyes sagged every couple of seconds. Could I trust myself to drive? Alastor's head shifted to the side while he watched me. I wonder what my face looked like.

"I'm going home early. I'll see you two tomorrow." I whispered. I didn't think they'd hear me, but they did. Alastor sat down and barked a goodbye. Gedeon stretched again, lifting his butt into the air and his head between his paws. He was so weird. I turned and dialed a number for a taxi. I wasn't taking any chances. I walked out of the zoo right before I heard hallow howling of two huge wolves.

I passed out in the taxi, so when the man woke me up with expected eyes, I handed him $40. I sluggishly walked toward the house, the dogs wrapped around me and I pet them lazily. Penny popped her head out of the door.

"Dan? You're home early." She commented. I dragged myself up the stairs.

"I wasn't being a valuable member of the team today." She nodded in understanding and let me slip past her.

"I'll make you some lunch, how bout you shower then go met Eliza out in the stalls? You can't sleep now or you won't be able to sleep tonight." I nodded in agreement. I took a brisk shower, letting the water wake me up. It worked for the most part. I dried my hair with no effort and slid into sweats. Walking into the kitchen, I was overwhelmed with the smell of meat.

"Yum, what is that?" I peered over her shoulder which vibrated in laughter.

"I thought a hamburger would be nice?" She peeked for confirmation and I nodded eagerly. I grabbed all the extras for the burger then she slid it onto my plate. "Take this one out to Eliza?" I nodded and grabbed her's. I munched on mine while walking around to the barn. The dogs jumped around me, begging for a bite. Eliza was riding Badger. She rode him so gracefully. They ran together, her body moving with his. Her fiery hair flew behind her. As if her hair wasn't enough, she had flames in her eyes as well. She looked exhilarated. Eyes can tell you so much about a person. I leaned against the fence, waiting for her to notice me. I wasn't going to ruin her fun. The huge smile on her face was a nice break away from the craziness around me. Finally, Badger trotted toward me. She slid off him and pet his side, to his nose till she planted a kiss there.

"Hey, Dan! You're early," She commented then smiled when I shoved the burger in her direction. "And you bring food!" Immediately she bit down. I finished my last bite and wiped my hands on my pants.

"Wanna go for a ride?" She asked, shoving more into her mouth. I stared at Badger in sudden nervousness. She roared at my face, doubling over on herself. She waved me forward and reluctantly and followed. She helped me up and gave me the basic run-through again. I loosely grabbed the reins and slipped my feet in the stirrups. She told me not to sit so straight, to let my body bounce with his. But I couldn't relax. I was awake now. We started slow and worked up to a trot by the end of the hour.

We hung around the house, played cards, and tried to teach Bear a new trick. That didn't end well. We all demolished dinner, Eliza teased me about riding Badger. Penny and Frank enjoyed listening to how I reacted to it. I had muttered at that. When Eliza, Daisy, and I rolled into bed, we found ourselves chatting. We talked about Lucas, Cooper, and Carter. We talked about the wolf situation as well. I didn't dwell on that long and jabbed her about Cooper. She stuttered over her words. Finally, we both said our goodnight and fell asleep. My dreams were about Alastor and Gedeon that night, and how Darby was ripped apart by the huge tawny wolf.