Unconventionally Wolf by Julie Steimle (latest novels to read txt) 📖

But I have been keeping it a secret to protect her," Rick said, which wasn't entirely untrue. Just mostly. "The thing is, she called me to let me know she miscarried."

James raised his eyebrows. "Miscarried?"

Rick nodded. He then stared at the ceiling. "I'm ashamed of myself for even getting her pregnant. I mean… I'm not… I'm usually not that… you know, kind of guy."

"I know," James said, with a frank nod. "You’re a romantic."

Staring at him, Rick blinked. "What?"

Nodding, James said again. "You. You crush on girls. You go at it slow. And you treat girls well—usually."

Rick nodded to himself thinking on it. James was right. The way he had been with Daisy was out of character. The way he was with Daisy was different than with other girls. Something about her entirely overwhelmed him. He lost all self-control with her.

"Why didn't you tell Red about her, though?" James asked, referring to their mutual friend Andrew Cartwright whom most of the Seven called Red due to the red-colored armor he owned and not his natural red hair and freckles. He was the same guy Rick usually called him Abey, the same way he was called Howie by kids from Middleton Village.

Gazing painfully at James, Rick said, "I've told no one except Dad."

"But why didn't you confide in your best friend?" James said again, staring at him. "You know Red would have wanted to know. I mean, he's noticed something has happened to you over summer, and he's worried about you."

Rick shook his head. "Are you kidding? The pastor's grandson. THE leader of the Holy Seven? Tell him I gave myself to my inner wolf and made passionate love to a she-wolf under the full moon?"

James stared more. "Wow."

With a dirty look, Rick was about to walk away.

"Wait," James pulled him back into that corner. "Sorry. It's just that… that's just so not you."

Hanging his shoulders, Rick groaned. It wasn't, and yet it was. With Daisy, it most definitely was him.

"Look," James leaned closer to him. "I'm not judging you. Life is a mess. People make mistakes."

Rick stared wanly at him, as James was a member of the Holy Seven. His job was dispatching demons and the like for God for pity's sake. That meant he was a uniquely special, chosen individual.

"You think that I never made a mistake?" James leaned back, hands to his chest. "What? Just because I'm part of the Holy Seven I'm supposed to be perfect? Believe me when I say that none of us were chosen based on standards of perfection. And none of us feel particularly holy. Quite the reverse. Jessica is a pick-pocket, had been a burglar, and is really cynical. My best friend is in denial that he is a pyromaniac, and he has family that are witches of which he does make deals with. Peter is like, really weird and well versed in freaky occult stuff. And the majority of us have been involved in war for decades, with blood on our hands. And that includes your best friend Andrew."

Rick started to chuckle. That was true. They said it a lot that they weren't holy, often criticizing those who had chosen them for giving them such a misnomer of a title. Holy Seven.

"The eight of us were not chosen because we were perfectly holy people, but people chosen to guard humanity from that which wasn’t holy. Our hands are dirty. But we are good at clearing out interfering demons, ending curses, and safeguarding those who need it." Smirking, James added, "Take me. I have screwed up plenty."

Rick looked away.

"Don't believe me?" James asked.

Glancing back, Rick stared at him. "I can't imagine you, the Boy Scout, doing anything worse than threatening your best friend's sister, Silvia—which isn't all that wrong since she is a dangerous witch."

Chuckling, James nodded. "Yeah… though some people might consider that being prejudiced."

"A lot of people are stupid," Rick muttered. "Witches are scary. And deadly."

"Anyway," James explained. "For the record, I've committed my fair share of transgressions in my time. I never really told you about my experience in that other world. But, when I got abducted—drawn over to that world—like all of us, I lost my sense of identity and I did a few things I am now ashamed of. Things I have had to repent of."

"Like kill people on a battlefield?" Rick lifted his eyebrows, already knowing this about the members of the Seven. They all were coping with a certain degree of PTSD.

Nodding, then changing it to a head shake, James explained, "More like… I, uh, visited a few brothels in my day."

Rick stared.

Nodding, his cheeks coloring, James looked sheepish. "Me and my buddy Swift. Together. It was…"

Rick stared more.

"…It was a very bad habit," James murmured, thinking on it. "Not that it wasn't enjoyable at the time, but it was wrong. And Red broke us of it when he showed up and took up the role as the new hero. The guy was a true knight. One of the few who never even entertained the idea of… you know, hooking up with a lady just for the pleasure of it."

"Oh… He is going to really hate me then," Rick muttered, cringing and grabbing his hair.

Looking to him, James flushed. "Hey, hey! Don’t freak out. Red was only that way because of Jessica. Somehow he could remember her, and the memory of her kept him in line."

Rick nodded, relaxing only a little as he still felt ashamed of himself, he agreed. "Jessica's cool."

Sighing, James chuckled. "Yeah… And honestly, if Red doesn't pay her more attention, he is going to lose her."

That surprised Rick. Andrew and Jessica had always seemed to be a tight couple, though sometimes Rick had been envious enough to wish they weren't. "You think so?"

James nodded. "Yeah. You know they are going to different colleges right now. If Red doesn't keep contact with her, Jessica is going to start looking at the guys around her. You know long distance relationships don't last."

That made Rick think of Eve McAllister. Their long distance friendship remained digital. She was in her last year of high school and did not seem interested in being anything more than just a friend, which was too bad. He respected Eve, and she would have been a good protection against temptation with Daisy.

"I'd totally take Jessica on the rebound," James murmured out loud. "But I don’t think I'm her type." And he shot Rick a look. "And though she likes you, I don't think anything beyond friends going to happen for you either."

Rick laughed, shaking his head. "Nah. I know that. Besides… Jessica doesn't smell the same as before."

Peering at him, James puzzled.

Seeing that, Rick finally decided to confess the whole story about Wolverton, starting from when he escaped out the office window at the Alabama factory to when how he met Daisy and what had lured him into wolf-love with her on the first night, emphasizing the impact of her smell. "And after that, things just went out of control. The saddest part is, other girls don't smell as good to me anymore."

"Maybe it was a kind of magic," James murmured, thinking about it. "The pack obviously wanted to keep you. And a female would be the perfect way to do it."

Rick nodded. "I know. And I knew all that early on. The problem is, my head is getting overwhelmed by my hormones. And Dad now has me in therapy dealing with my addiction to her. I mean, serious therapy, because I can't stop thinking about her."

Nodding, James sighed, thinking on it.

"Only… she miscarried," Rick murmured. "She won't be having my baby now. Which is…." He sighed. "Truthfully, I feel so wretched for feeling so relieved."

"It is the perfect chance to make a clean break," James said, nodding to him to consider that detail.

Rick nodded. "Yeah."

"You need to call Red," James added. "Confess to him everything you just told me. He has to know."

Staring at him, Rick was about to protest. But then he realized James was right. He needed all the protection he could get from Wolverton pack, and himself.

"Do you want to call him now?" James asked. "Because it might get harder if you wait."

Drawing in a breath, his hands going clammy, Rick nodded. He pulled out his phone. It took everything in him to dial. Part of him hoped that Andrew was not picking up, that it would go to voicemail. The other part of him wanted him desperately to be there. He missed Andrew having his back. He knew he needed to break down and confess everything to his old friend and comrade in mischief. He needed help escaping Daisy.

<< Hello? >>

"Abey," Rick said, his hands trembling. "Are you busy? I need to tell you something."

<< Howie. Wait a second…. >> There was noise like Andrew was putting something away. << No. I'm not busy. What do you want to talk about? >>

Swallowing the saliva rising in his throat, Rick peeked to James and said, "I… I need to tell you about what happened this summer in Alabama."

There was a short pause with a breath on the other side with a hopeful waiting pause. << I'm listening. >>

"To begin with... in the middle of it all, there was this girl…"

Having Friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eleven

 

 

After Rick hung up his call with Andrew, he felt winded, relieved, and at the same time shaken. He felt stripped as he laid bare everything that had happened to him to his best friend. Andrew had listened to each word. He had asked important questions. And he did not get upset. Andrew was also relieved Rick was not going to be a teenage father. And he assured Rick that he didn't need to feel too guilty for feeling relieved. He had been manipulated, after all, in getting the girl pregnant in the first place. The conversation didn't quite feel organic, though, as if his friend had been warned ahead of time that this conversation might come—either by his grandfather Pastor Cartwright or by Rick's father who had a vested interest in his son's friendships. But Andrew's responses were genuine.

Lifting his eyes to James, Rick then handed him his shut-off cell phone. "You had better take this. I'll be tempted to call Daisy tonight, and I realize now after talking to Abey that that would be a bad idea. I was already tempted to slip out of the hotel and sneak off to Wolverton once this was all over."

James received the phone, nodding. He peered at Rick with concern as he said, "You know, though, that plan you had about waiting to date her after you and she have gotten an education was a good idea."

Rick shook his head. "Not really."

"Why?" James asked, genuinely surprised and cradling the phone in his hand. "You did like her."

Shrugging, Rick explained, "I… I think she was always lying to me."

Staring more, James rolled his hand for Rick to continue.

Explaining, Rick said, "I don’t really think she was serious about studying veterinary medicine. My friend Randon (from Gulinger) is in that field, and he is passionate about the subject. And it isn't an easy field to go into either, because unlike a regular doctor, you have to know the physiology of several animals,