The last bell set the whole building in motion \u2014 lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking, the usual stampede of kids desperate to escape. Gabriel and I cut through the noise and headed for the lot, the Humvee standing out like a tank among rusted compacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark was already gone, probably picked up by one of his parents. I caught a glimpse of him earlier, navigating the hall with that soft smile and careful steps, as if he was trying not to take up space. He didn\u2019t know yet how much space he already took up in my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We climbed into the Humvee, doors shutting with their usual heavy thud. For a while, the only sound was the diesel growl as I eased us onto the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were quiet at lunch,\u201d Gabriel said eventually, adjusting his guitar case in the back seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I kept my eyes forward. \u201cWas I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah. You were watching him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t answer right away. The road bent past rows of clapboard houses and weathered fences, the ocean wind carrying salt through the cracked window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, I said it. \u201cHe\u2019s like us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel turned toward me, brows lifting. \u201cMark?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d My grip tightened on the wheel. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t know it. Doesn\u2019t even feel it yet. But the wolf\u2019s there. I can smell it. See it. The way he carries himself. The way he pulled in at the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel was quiet, but not doubtful. \u201cYou\u2019re sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been more sure of anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He leaned back, staring out at the gray line of the horizon. \u201cThen what do we do? Tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause he\u2019s soft,\u201d I said. \u201cHe\u2019s good. He\u2019s got this\u2026 perfect family, this normal life. He has no idea what it means to wake that part of himself up. If we just dump it on him, it\u2019ll wreck him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel nodded slowly, chewing on that. \u201cSo we wait.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah. We watch. We let him come to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Humvee rumbled over a patch of uneven asphalt, the sound filling the silence between us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a while, Gabriel said quietly, \u201cFeels different, though, doesn\u2019t it? Knowing there\u2019s another one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I allowed myself a small smile. \u201cYeah. It does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a few miles, neither of us spoke. The wolf in me paced restlessly, thrilled at the thought of a pack starting to take shape. But underneath it was something sharper, more cautious. Because once Mark woke up, there\u2019d be no going back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the world wasn\u2019t ready for three of us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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