Hairwolf
Chapter Thirty Five

“She has to be worried sick over her father.” Stef excuses herself from the table and approaches her.

“Is that your father?” Stef, asks. The girl is surprised to see Stef and is taken aback. She manages a nod, unsure what else to do.

“I’m going to go outside. Would you like to join me until your father comes out?”

Again, unsure what to do, the girl retreats into herself declining the offer. She seems torn about

something. Something she wants to say but can’t. Stef doesn’t push her and offers, “I’ll be outside if you want some company. Okay? My name’s Stefanie. What’s yours?”

“Elise.”

“Elise. Really? That’s my mother’s name. And my middle name.”

Elise grows anxious over something and grows impatient over her father. “Dad.”

“I’ll be outside, Elise. Don’t be afraid.”

She wants to join her but can’t. Stef crosses to the others, “I’m going outside. Hopefully she’ll come out.” Stef waits on Foster to join her.

Outside the restaurant, Stef is somewhat somber and quiet. Lillian and Brizzbee exit behind them.

“Poor thing is still waiting for her father,” Lillian, says. “We’re going for a walk.”

Foster gently bumps Stef, as she watches Lillian and Brizzbee walk off.

“I just have to make sure she’s fine. Her poor father,” Stef replies. “He was coughing up blood. I could smell it.”

“I didn’t know that. You could smell it?” he asks surprised. “That ain’t good. Are your parents still alive?”

“I don’t know. Up until this week I thought they just gave me up. Then, with the help of Lillian, I figured out why they gave me up. Trying to save me from Ominous. I have to find out what that connection is.”

“So they knew.”

“They knew. My mother’s one. I don’t know about my father. But I know he knows she is.”

“This Ominous guy has been after you since you were ten? Jesus, no wonder Lillian’s freaking out. Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“I’ve known you two days.”

“That’s fair. Do you think he infected your mother?”

“My guess is, no. She was able to transform in an instant. Which tells me she’s more advanced at this whole thing. There’s so much for me to learn. I’ve just avoided it all.”

“So you’ve been one since birth?”

“No. Ten. Ralf, a childhood friend of mine, also a werewolf, scratched me while protecting me from Ominous. I don’t know if it was deliberate or not.”

Foster’s digesting it all.

“I’m sorry, Dave,” Stef offers, knowing she must have blown him away with it all.

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.”

That means a lot to her. More than she dares acknowledge for fear of losing it all. Stef is used to wanting things but having to let go. This can’t be any different. Things change. People change. He’ll change.

“I’ll help you as best I can. I know you and Brizzbee have a lot invested since you thought you were chasing Bigfoot.”

Foster’s curious over her comment. What’s she really saying? Is that what she thinks? They’re only here because she’s a werewolf?

“Did you brush your teeth? You ate a lot of strange things last night.”

“Says the man who just ate bacon. Yes, why?”

“I’m about to kiss you.”

“Kiss me? Why? Oh, so close,” she says, snuggling into him.

He looks into her eyes. She looks back. This is as serious for him as it is for her. She’s going to let him kiss her. And he wants to kiss her. She closes her eyes, giving him permission. He leans in and touches her bottom lip with his. He’s gentle and slow, taking it one step at a time. He brushes

across her bottom lip with his lip and lightly bites down, pulling on it softly. He tastes the salt

from her meal, lingering on her lip. He tastes her breath. It’s sweet, refreshing and reminds him of fall. There’s a cool, refreshing scent about it. About her. As if her very soul was a part of it. It’s an intoxicating moment for him. He opens his eyes just enough to see her.

Her eyes are closed, her lips quivering. There’s a gleam in the corners of her eyes which look like tears. Maybe that’s what he tasted, the salt from her tears. Hopefully they’re tears of joy. Tears of hope. But she’s not that fortunate.

The only thing on her mind is the fear of giving into another loss. But this time it wouldn’t be from a parent or friend, even though that took its toll on her. This time it would be the loss of love before it ever had a chance to get started. She’s scared. Fearful. This half-woman, half- werewolf

is scared to death of love. To give in would mean the abandonment of her only strength. Her security. She’s never had to give up her heart before and here it’s pounding so loud she can feel it. Her iron clad grip on her emotions are slowly being loosened by a simple kiss. If she pulls away, she may lose him before she ever had him. But she’ll be protected. You can’t feel loss of something you never had. Maybe Lillian’s right. She’s been hiding behind this vail for self-

preservation, unable to live fully. But life without love is not living fully. It’s just living. Existing.

She relaxes, giving herself over to the moment, the experience and him. Their lips meet. It’s gentle, explorative. Electricity fires between them. She’s never been kissed like this. It’s as if he’s letting her know she’s the one being kissed and he’s the one kissing her. It’s his attention to her, his care of her that she feels. She’s safe, her lips on his, her body held against him.

She cranes her head back, as his fingers glide through her hair to the back of her head. She’s filled with sensations, unable to think or over-think, destroying the moment she’s always wanted but was convinced she’d never have.

And then he peels away from her, leaving her mesmerized, abandoned of all thought, fears, and doubts. She’s relaxed. If only for the moment, she’s relaxed. As she opens her eyes, she notices Elise, standing on the restaurant steps, watching them.

Stef looks back at Elise but there’s no connection. Elise is looking right through her, lost in a world of disappointment. Maybe she had hoped to make a new friend. Maybe she came out to talk. Whatever the reason, it’s gone, swept aside by the unexpected. Caught off guard and taken aback, she looks away before being seen.

Foster, knowing how important this is, nudges Stef to go to her. But before Stef can take a step,

the father exits the restaurant holding the napkin to his mouth. He scoots past Elise and down the stairs. Elise follows, casting a departing eye on Stef as she rounds the corner. Stef is crushed.

“Damn it,” Stef says. “Damn it, damn it, damn it. That is not what I wanted to happen. Did you see that?”

“Bad timing,” he says.

“Children should not have that much pain in their lives.”

“My guess is he’s dying, and she knows it.”

“And we’re out here . . .”

“. . . Living,” he says, not allowing her to go that route. “You can’t feel guilty about that.”

“I just wanted to . . .”

“. . . What? What could you have said or done in that one minute that would have made a difference to her?”

“That somebody cared about what she was going through,” she defends, adamantly. “After my foster-mom left I was about as alone as you can get. When you’re that young you think everyone knows what you’re going through but they just don’t care.”

Foster sees the van pulling out and brings her attention to it. The man slows the van long enough to take a look at Stef. Elise leans into Stef’s line of sight from the passenger seat. The father looks back at Elise. They appear to be having a disagreement about something. The father looks back at Stef and nods. Stef raises her hand, acknowledging them with a friendly wave. Elise waves back, but wants to do more. She wants to get out and say something to Stef but the father cautions against it. There’s an obvious moment of disagreement and he pulls away. Elise falls back into her seat, defeated.

“What was that all about?” asks, Foster. “Did you see that?”

Stef has no idea and is equally confused over it.

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