Author: Theresa Grant
Company: TERRIE500

Destiny of the Wolf
By
Theresa Grant

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my son, Warren H. Grant3rd, a responsible person who cared for people and was sensitive to other’s needs. He was an unselfish individual who loved and helped his family.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Theresa’s major influences have been her teachers from Long Ridge Writer’s Group, Universal Class, Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland and other published  writers.
Destiny of the Wolf
CHAPTER 3
	Jessica awoke to beaming light shining through her window. She opened her eyes and light penetrated her brain and interrupted her wonderful dreams of Carl. Tomorrow, she wanted to celebrate her nineteenth birthday with him. This moonlight, shining like thinning white ribbons, cast a brilliant  light across her bed and caused a moment where she didn’t know where she was. Then a vicious storm grew in her blood and ripped through her brain twisted and cracked and the bones in her arms and legs crunched as they lengthened.
	She gazed at her hands; ten long, black nails grew and curled. Experiencing her first change, she feared what she may do. She screamed and screamed and screamed again, “No, I don’t want to become a beast.” Vast pain sear through chest. She attempted to steady her breathing, calm her racing heart, and ignore the pain that shot through her scalp, but the next pain took her to her knees as her spine continued to shrink, bend and crunch.
	“Oh!” She screamed, bending over in agony. She screamed again, “Please, God, I can’t become a beast.” She hurried out of bed and ran down the hall. She could only think of making it out of  the dormitory. Her second fear was the students. They were all around her, Her head throbbed. She felt excruciating pain. A wave of nausea flooded over her and settled in the pit of her stomach. A prayer went through her head, please, God, don’t let her change, don’t let her change; she prayed over and over. 
	She moved fast, dashing and darting across the entrance to each student’s room. She ran past the front desk and outside as her arms and legs began to change. The desire to strip and run naked through the desert overcame her and she howled; the sound of a wild beast.
	
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Thick muscles bulged through her pajamas and she stepped out of them to the ground. Covered with long sleek, black fur, she ran with amazing speed and grace of a wolf. She ran on all fours through the desert , down and around the mountains, past the cacti and down to the San Francisco Peaks, north  of the campus buildings, down to the rugged Arizona Mountains into a narrow gully.
She ran, leaving the wind trailing behind her. She felt powerful and free, and ran until  she found an entrance in the rocks. The tangy odor of a mountain big horned sheep permeated her sense of smell, now ten fold, filled her nostrils and aroused her. The smell so strong, so intense, made her howl and intoxicated her to the point of ravenous hunger, and she crept slowly into the cave, a dark,  moist and cramped space. The sheep tried to escape but  she chased it with the swiftness of her breed, cornered it and overpowered it, and her fangs sliced like a sharp knife.
	Blood oozed from the sheep’s throat and she feasted on it’s warm flesh. Hot blood swamped her mouth and her saliva mingled with the taste and dripped from her mouth. She tore, ripped and bit every inch of her prey until she got her fill and fell asleep.
	The next day, at daybreak, she awoke to the coldness of the cave, surrounded by a small carpet of death. Blood caked her mouth and hands, and she licked her lip. This blood tasted sweeter than her favorite chocolate Bonbons. Why did she enjoy it so much, crave the taste and the scent? Last night, she changed from a woman into a beast in a matter of minutes. She longed for the normalcy of a human. For eighteen years, she had enjoyed the moonlight in her human form and had not joined the family on their moonlight hunts with the pack.
	She lay in the cave with those thoughts running through her mind and dreaming of humans and longing for the life that they lived. Her heart grew cold and she wanted to die. “How can I continue to love Carl?” She yelled, moving around the 
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cave’s floor, shaking her head and crying. “I can’t sleep near him. I’ve got to let him go.” She crawled out, taking the sheep skin to cover her body. The sun, not yet raised, would not warm her naked cold body. In the daytime temperature, the heat exceeds one hundred degrees, but the desert became chilly at night. She hurried  to the dormitory, hoping to get to her room without anyone spotting her. Lana would be asleep in the room, by now, after her late night escapade yesterday, she was not in her room when she transformed. Now was the time to quit and return to Sedona She composed herself and hurried back to the dormitory. Her family was right. She shouldn’t have come here.
	She stumbled along, thirsting for water. She reached her floor and students gaped at her wit5h widened eyes and called to her, “You go, Girl. That’s the way to end a hot date.”
	“Leave her alone,” Lana yelled. She hurried to her side and escorted her to their room. “Girl, what happened? You look like shit.” She gazed at her . “Hey. You’re a mess. No lipstick, eyebrows need plucking….bloody fur? Is your head bleeding?”
	What could she say? She tried to disguise her annoyance and played along. “Last night, I dated a wild man.” She knew Lana would believe anything she said happened between her and a man. She gazed at her, waiting for her response.
	“Damn,” She cackled with delight. “Does he have a friend?”
	“I don’t know. I met him, only.” She snatched her robe from the hook in her closet and ran to the shower. She felt tensed and exhausted, but the warm water flowed over her and helped soothe her. She came out  of the shower and dressed in a clean skirt and blouse.
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	“Where are you going? Tell me about your guy.” She sat next to her with her chin in her hands. “I’m all  ears.”
	Anxious to escape Lana’s questions, she rushed out of the door. “I have class. See you later.”
	Jessica entered her classroom and gazed at Carl. He sat flipping through pages of his book. A note landed at her feet.
	“Meet me at the library.”
	Jessica hurried out of class and went back to her dormitory. She found Lana sleeping. When she heard her enter, she raised her head off the pillow. “What’re you doing sexy, Girl?” She teased. “Going to spend another night with your wild man?”
	Jessica huddled in her chair, making no response, feeling terribly tensed. Did she ever mind her business? The one thing she found  out about humans; they loved to gossip.
	“Come on, honey. I can keep a secret.” She stood over her, nudging her shoulder. “I want to hear everything down to the last sexy detail.”
	Jessica leaned forward and whispered, “You mentioned that you can keep a secret?”
	“Yeah. You know me. Tell me. I won’t tell a soul.”
	“I didn’t spend the night with him,” She answered and gave an anxious little cough. “I spent the night in a cave.” Oh, why did she tell her that? Now, her questions would never cease.
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	“You did more than spend the night,” She chuckled.  “Tell me the juicy details.”
	“Mind your business, woman.” She finally said. “Stop with the questions.”
	“I knew it!” She laughed and slapped Jessica’s back. “Where did you do it? He did it to you, didn’t he?” She followed her around the room. “What’s his name?”
	“Please, leave me alone.” She looked away, smiled and moved, without haste, toward the door. “I’ve got to go.” This would keep her wondering until she returned to undergo another barrage of questions. 
	“Don’t stay out late.” She called to her. “Not with your wild man.”
	Jessica walked around campus for an hour and returned to the room. Lana would be there, but she didn’t care. She opened the door and plopped down on her bed. “My body hurts like hell. I can’t deal with you now, Lana.”
	“Okay. I know… mind my business.” She sat on her chair gazing at her, “Go to sleep. I won’t bother you. When you awaken, I want to hear more about your wild man.”
	Jessica slept for an hour. She awakened and peered around the room. Good. Lana had gone. She got out of bed and sat at her desk. Now was the time to quit and go home. She composed a letter to Carl. ‘I’ve dreaded this all day and I’ve come to realize that our relationship won’t work. Too different, you and I. I’ve loved hanging with you, but now, I’m ending the relationship. I wish you much success in England.’

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With a sigh of resignation, she drove to Carl’s apartment and slid the letter under his door. No tears covered her face as she packed her clothes and there were no tears as she carried her suitcases to her car and headed to Sedona.
She arrived home and found the family eating dinner. Finn gazed at her with her suitcases in each hand.
“Couldn’t cut it, huh, Sis, “ He teased. “Learned you’re no smarter than humans?”
Her face clouded with uneasiness, searching for a plausible explanation. “I am not here because of grades, bone head.”
“Oh, yeah?” His lips twisted into a cynical smile. “Letting go of your wonderful plans?” He laughed and slapped the table. “I knew your head was too big.”
“I’m changing colleges to be closer home.” She didn’t want to tell the lunatic that she feared harming the humans.
“I know,” He said mockingly. “Some human kicked your ass.” He slapped the table again and bent over laughing. “I couldn’t tell you not to live with humans.”
She swallowed hard, lifted her chin and boldly met his gaze. “I lived with them and I didn’t kill any of them.” She thumbed her nose at him. “I’m not a vicious killer like you.” 
“That’s enough, you two,” Father said. “Let’s not speak of  killing.”
“Whatever. I’m out of here.” Finn hurried from the table.
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Father ran after him, leaving her and Mama alone.
“Now that they’re gone, tell me the truth, ”Mama said. “What happened?”
“Lord help me. I fell in love with a human.”
Mama’s accusing gaze riveted on her and she said, “Love? You don’t know anything about loving a man. You’re my baby.”
Every fiber in her body warned her against telling her, but she wanted her to recognize her for the woman she’d become. She gazed at her, hoping she would understand. “I’ve experienced things with him no baby could.”
Mama flinched, and for the first time in her life, slapped her face, a hard nasty slap. So hard, her head snapped back and she rubbed the sting in her red cheek. Never had she been slapped. It was almost as painful as her transformation.
“How dare you speak that way.” She gritted her teeth and shook her. “What happened to you, living with those humans?”
“I loved a man with all of my being. She choked back a cry and continued. “I left because of him.” Her fingers clamped around Mama’s shoulders.
Fear glittered in Mama’s eyes and she shook her shoulders free of her tight grip. “Does he know about you? About  us? Did he threaten you?”
The question stabbed her heart and she felt as if her breath was cut off. “I was more afraid of myself than of him.”

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“Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?” Mama took her in her arms. “You must forget about this human.” She held her mouth tight and grim. “Do you hear? Forget him.”
She stammered in bewilderment, “What about my heart?”
“You’ll find some nice young male in the pack,” She answered in a sweet, soothing voice. “You have a wonderful life ahead of you.” She rubbed her back. “You’ll see.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper and dark streaks appeared under her eyes. “I don’t want some boy in the pack. I want Carl.”
:We all want what we can’t have.” She patted her cheek softly and hugged her. “You’re a werewolf. It’s your birthright. Have you forgotten what happened to our ancestors?”
“No, Mamma. They were hunted and slaughtered.”
“You’re a good daughter.” Mama kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry that I struck you.”
Jessica began to cry again; racking sobs shook her body. Mama rubbed her back as she did when she was a baby and made shushing sounds. Her eyes red and swollen, Jessica pulled away and began to clear the dishes from the table.
“Think about online classes or classes at the University in Cottonwood.” Mama suggested. “You have a gift for learning. Finish college.”

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How could she think about anything but Carl? Classes were the last thing on her mind. “If only your great, great grandmother had not been bitten.”
“Centuries ago,” Mama said. “We became werewolves. Nothing can change us. We must stick together and follow the laws always.” She retrieved the black leather  book of laws and handed it to her. “This is the family’s history. Read it aloud. We should be reminded of what happened.”
Jessica took the book and began reading,” The Greek God, Zeus, punished Lycalon of Arcadia, the beautiful mountainous city of ancient Greece, because he gave his child, a fifteen year old girl , to a Dulcalian man believed to be half human and half wolf. The man promised to stop preying on his people, but he mated with the girl and they produced a wolf boy who terrorized the citizens. The wolf pack was run out of town. They landed in Le Gevaduan, France during the sixteenth century. Then in the seventeenth century, the pack was hunted and slain. Those who escaped landed in North America. The Aiden family landed in Arizona and for their survival, enacted laws for the pack; they must not chase and kill humans, they must not taste human blood, and if any member of the pack should break these laws, they would be chained or slain.”
“Promise me you’ll not become obsessed with the desire to chase humans.”
“I promise.” Her transformation mortified her. The first full moon may have already become an obsession of hers. No. She had nothing to fear. She lived in Sedona, Arizona, the foothills of gorgeous Red Rock country, in a beautiful, fashionable bungalow, situated on 1.25 acres near a pine forest. The neighbors believed in God and country, not half human creatures, human by day, wolf by night, with each full moon. She inherited this hideous condition but one day, she will 
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find  how to become human. She loved and respected humans, unlike Finn, who changed at will, wild, savage in nature and harbored an enormous lust for killing. He’s the one to watch, not her. She desired no taste for human meat, nor their blood.
Mama went to bed and Jessica went to her room. Mama ‘s warning lingered in her head, but she needed rest. Changing into a beast took a lot out of her. She got in bed and she thought, a few hours of peaceful sleep could make her feel better. A sanguinary odor filled her room disturbing her sleep. She turned and gazed at Finn standing in her doorway. “Not now, Finn. I’m tired.”
“You enjoyed your first kill.” He said, ignoring what she said. His gray eyes gleaming. “Cool way to celebrate your nineteenth birthday.” He pulled her navy blue bed covers back, exposing her slender legs and thighs. “Let me see the evidence.”
She drew the covers over her body. “No big deal. A small mountain sheep.”
“A stinking sheep?” He drawled in a critical tone. “I lured a beautiful young blond into my lair. He raised his hand and made a victory sign.
She quickly got out of bed. Her heartbeat did double time and quick anger rose in her eyes. “Are you mad? You’re going and quick anger rose in her eyes. “Are you mad? You’re going to get the family killed.” She rushed to the window, pulled the light blue sheer curtains back, concealed herself behind the navy blue draperies and peered outside. “Did anyone see you?”
His voice grew cold, his eyes dark and shiny, he answered in a low voice, “And, nobody cares. Don’t worry. I destroyed the evidence.” He laughed and his eyes 

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turned a dark yellow. His laugh became a howl. “The moment I revealed myself to her, I got a tremendous thrill  He licked his lips and continued. “She saw me in my true form. Terror rose in her eyes and I heard her heart hammering with my keen ears. She feared imminent death.” He howled louder. “I cornered her. She knew no escape and I bit her in the chest.” He snorted with pleasure. “She flailed about, kicked the air and her blood stained the floor.” His voice became a whisper. He grew calm and said, “She got down on her knees, mimicked the girl and formed the praying hands with his hands. “She begged for her life.” He rose to his feet and lifted his hands to the ceiling. “Oh, what pleasure it was feeling her beneath me, squirming, struggling, whimpering and her final efforts to break free, she rolled on the cave’s floor.” He howled again and threw his fist into the air. “She soon gave in to the power of my jaws. I bit her, spilling more blood. I savored it, sniffed it, licked it and enjoyed it.” He undid a couple of buttons, opened his shirt and revealed a chest caked with blood. “I’m not going to wash my chest until I go out again.”
	Jessica gasped. She felt her eyes widen and the blood siphoning from veins in her face her. She gripped his arm. “You’ve broken the law of the pack. You know the pack law forbids us to taste human blood.” Anxiety sank like a nail in her stomach. “What were you thinking?” He had become crazier than she suspected.
	He thrust her away from  and yelled, “Hunting animals is sissy stuff. Human blood taste richer, sweeter, and contains proteins, vitamins and all that alcohol they love to drink.”
	She fell on her knees and tried reasoning with him. “Don’t you remember the horrors of Le Gevaduan? The town’s people killed ancestors and hanged them in the square for all to see.” The realization sent shivers through her body. “The pack can’t

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	“The pack can’t survive this nonsense.” Oh, God, he’s absolutely the devil, she thought and took a deep shuttering breath.
	He waved her away. “We live in Arizona not France or the year 1760.”
	“Humans are alike no matter what century. They will make you pay. Don’t you recognize the danger you’ve put us in? The pack loves this country. We want to live here.”
	He laughed  and the horridness of his laugh had a dark edge. It reminded her of a silver bullet zinging through the air before it met its mark.
	“You worry too much. Relax. Take it easy. Live a little.” He laughed again and left her room.
Jessica got up and slammed her door shut. She stood frozen behind the door and the room felt colder, like standing in front of an opened freezer. She must tell her parents. Then what? She didn’t want to snitch but she had to do something. His punishment for endangering the pack would more than the family could bear. She must stop him.
9 o’clock, that night, after the family had retired. Jessica could hear Finn moving, thrashing and growling in his room. She suspected he had transformed and would head for the city. She climbed onto the window’s sill, opened her window, jumped to the ground and hurried to the garage. She retrieved the dart gun, waited, barely breathing and shouted. “Hey!”
Finn appeared, lips peeled back in a snarl, eyes inflamed with fury and his nostrils flared. He growled at her, ready to strike.	
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“You’re not leaving this house.” She aimed the gun, fired and missed. She moved too slowly. This was bad, she thought and repeated in her head this is bad.
Finn howled like a depraved animal, bit her leg and ran for the woods in less than a second. His howl echoed through the darkness and she hurried back to the garage, dragging her foot. His deep bite made her foot feel like someone had attached a ton of concrete. She hopped on one foot to her blue Toyota. Blood seeped and traveled to her ankle. She bit her lip as a sharp pain sliced through her leg but she had to go after him. She drove around a sharp bend that turned into a gully with a steep drop-off. Oak Creek Canyon lay below. She mashed the break peddle, parked, jumped out and hurried ahead. She could hear him approaching; clawed feet scrambled across the rocks and his snarling growing louder. I’ve got to get him this time, she thought, and found a hiding place behind a big rock and pulled the trigger.
He growled and rushed her. She shot him twice and he sank to this knees and slumped on the rocky path and he sank to his knees and slumped on the rocky path. His two hundred and thirty pound body shook for a second. Then he lay still and began to change to human form. She tried to lift him but he was too heavy and she had to leave him on the ground. “I’ll wait here with you,” She whispered, kneeling over his tall, lanky frame. “I did it for the family, for you and for me.” She stopped him rather than let him continue. She covered him with a blanket and sat by his side.
9 o’clock, that morning, Finn awoke, mad as a fierce horned wart hog. “You’re my intended mate and the mother of the children we will have, but I’ll be damned if I let you control my life.” He shook his fist, snorted and got into her car. “I’ll wade in hell to stop you.” He sat in the back, rather than in the passenger’s seat. “I meant what I said. I’ll stop you.”
“We will wade together. I won’t let you destroy our family.” Speeding, she
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Drove above the limit of twenty-five miles an hour. “I’m saving you and the family.”
	He glared at her through the rear view mirror. “Why do you pass up this  opportunity? I you don’t hunt with me and be with me, then stay away from me.”
She parked in the drive; he hurried into the house, not bothering to wait for her and slammed the door behind him.
She sucked in her bottom lip and hurried after him. “Why don’t you care for others more than yourself? I don’t understand your actions and insensitivity.”
	He rushed to his room and slammed the door in her face. She tiptoed down the hall. Mama and Father are still sleeping, she thought, and slipped into her room. She got the first aide kit out o f her medicine cabinet to tend her wound, and fell into bed to sleep and rest her tired, weary body. Six hours later, she awoke to the smell of coffee, bacon and eggs, and heard Mama’s voice. No time to dress, she thought, grabbed her robe and slippers, and ran to the kitchen.
	“I didn’t hear you in your room last night, Finn. Where were you?”  Mama asked.
	Jessica hurried inside and took a seat at the table next to Finn. Her eyes met his the minute he rolled them in her direction. Holy crap. What is he going to say?
	“I spent the evening with Cousin Maxwell. We had a few beers.”
	“Please say you weren’t in the company of humans,” Father said, worry crinkling his brow. “How many times must I warn you to stay away from them at night?”
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	“Not saying I saw a human but what other way could we blend if we don’t mingle? Didn’t you say not to make them suspicious of us?”
	“Mingle during the day. It’s not safe at night,” Mama said. “We have to make our own hours.” She gently patted his back, showing an intense wave of love for him.
	“Yes. It’s okay to move among them during the day.  At night, there’s a danger of you changing in their presence. Listen to me,” Father said. “I can’t see why you don’t understand.”
	“I’m careful. Don’t worry.” He waved his hands in the air. “If anything happens, my immortality and ability to heal would keep me safe.”
	“Can’t you get it through your thick skull? Not any of us would be safe,” Father said. He stared at him in confusion.
	“Why are you accusing me of harming humans? I haven’t done anything.”
	Jessica swallowed hard, tampering down the pain in her throat to silence her words, she said nothing . She gazed at Finn, her eyes imploring him not to tell another lie.
	He gave her a warning stare, and after breakfast, took her aside. “Wise move. You kept your mouth shut about last night.” He gave her thumbs up. “You’re using your head.”
	“I slept on it and decided to give you another chance but I will tell if you continue to lie and to kill. Don’t think you can dismiss last night as if it never happened.”
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	“Don’t threaten me.” He snarled, growled and fully exposed his fangs, causing rivulets of saliva to run down his chin. He stood face to face, breathing heavily on her.
	His breath felt hot on her face  and she shoved him away. “It’s a warning. Not a threat. I don’t want to hurt you but I swear on my ancestors graves; I will do what it takes to protect us.” She instantly new that she’d have to take stronger measures.
	“No one tells me what to do.” He snapped his fingers in her face. “I damn well do as I please.” He took a ragged breath. “And, no one is going to stop me from partying.”
	“Your attitude is what got your ancestors slaughtered. I meant what I said, I won’t let it happen.” She pushed past him. “I’m not playing with you.”
	“You think I’m playing? Keep your mouth shut and stop following me.”
Jessica returned to the kitchen and scanned the help wanted section of the newspaper. “I can’t find a job.” She viewed all of the want ads and laid the paper aside.
	“Come to the University Medical Center with me. I’m sure you can find something.” She laughed and leaned close to the table. “We can be working buddies.”
Jessica wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “No thanks, Mama. I’m not cut out for wrapping gauze and taping wounds.” She had seen enough blood on her moonlight escapade and didn’t want to handle any, especially human blood.
“You can work in cancer treatment. Don’t thumb your nose at it It’s a good position.” She stared at her, trying to convince her. “You want a job? This is it?”
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“I may give it a try but I don’t understand how you can work around human blood all day.” The scent would drive many werewolves mad. No way could Finn work there without devouring every tube. A shutter went through her from head to foot.
Her mouth opened and closed and she blinked her eyes. “Working in the laboratory does get to me sometimes but I destroy dirty test tubes and use lots of soap and water.”
“Do you ever get the urge to taste some of the blood?”
Mama straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. “Now and then. W wouldn’t be a werewolf if I didn’t, but I put my family’s safety first. Can you imagine the consequences if anyone caught me with a tube of blood?” she couldn’t believe her stamina.
Jessica hugged Mama and swept her thick, course brown hair from he r heart shaped face. Her hair was thick and course like the average female werewolf in the pack. She watched her apply eye shadow to her round dark eyes, brow liner to the thick shaggy eyebrows and red lipstick to her thin, narrow lips.
“It’s important we don’t do anything to put the family at risk.”
“Right, Mama.” She dared not tell her about Finn, but hoped he would come to this senses and she wouldn’t have to deal with him. If she drove into town with her, she would question her about Finn and about last night. Mama could tell about her hiding anything because it would show in her eyes and in the expression in her face. “ I will continue searching the want ads and skip center.”
“Okay. Have it your way,” She said and called to Father, “Saul, I’m leaving.”
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“Don’t work hard, Maura.” He caught her at the door and planted a kiss on her lips.
Jessica watched Mama get into her blue Honda Accord and back out of the graveled drive way. Could she find a job like Mama’s and work around a lot of humans? They shouldn’t be any different than the college kids. “Blend in,” she told herself, and no one would suspect her. She threw the newspaper aside and finished cleaning the kitchen. Finn entered and sat at the table. She raised her eyes to see him watching her. “Go away. I’m not in the mood for your sadistic sarcasm.” She rolled her eyes and stared sideways in his direction.
“I heard you gave it up to a human.” A sadistic smile spread across his thin lips. “Think he’s better than a pack man? Better than what I can give you.” He knew by the look in her eyes and the expression on her face that he had angered her and he waited, ready to give her word for word.
She moved closer to him with her head thrust forward in his face. “You and all wolf-kind could never compete. He’s more of a man than any of you.”
A muscle flickered angrily at his jaw. He grabbed her by her hair and shook her, not caring whether he hurt her or not. “Him? I’ll show him, a real man and you too.” He grabbed her again and kissed her hard, parting her lips and thrusting his large, hot tongue in her mouth. He panted and said, “You’re mine. We’re the same. Quit fighting against nature.” He tilted her chin toward him. “It’s our birth right. We’ll mate and kill together. IN time, you’ll think of humans as prey and we’ll rule the pack together.” He tried to kiss her again.

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She pushed him away. “That would be the dammed day.” Fury almost chocked her. She balled her hand into a fist and sent it crashing into his genitals. He yelped like a sick puppy that had been spaded without anesthesia and he slumped to the floor. She stood over him with her foot in his chest and leaned down on him. “If you ever think of harming him, or putting your hands on me again, I’ll beat you bloody.” She shoved him near the door. “Get out of my sight.”
He gazed at her in pain and the pupils of his yellow eyes dwindled into dots. “This isn’t over.” He bent down and slowly walked out. “I’ll get you for what you’ve done.”
“Yeah, you and who else?” She slapped the dishes on the table and finished sorting them for the dishwasher. What nerve, spying on her, listening to her conversation with Mama, and meddling into her life.  Who gave him dominion over her? Furious, she finished cleaning and headed to her room to her computer. 
Surfing the internet, she found a job opening for a clerk at the Verd Valley Medical Center. Why not take online classes and work? She got in her car, drove to the medical center and located the manager. She approached the desk with the engraved sign, Mrs. Mary Higgins, Manager. “Morning, Mrs. Higgins. I’d like to apply for the clerk’s position.”
Mrs. Higgins scrutinized her and said, “If you can work from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock, you are hired.” She gave her an application consisting of ten pages. “Fill these out and sign your name.”
“Yes,” She almost roared. I learned typing at home  school and I can start tomorrow.”
“Great! You’ll work for Dr. Kevin Spate, not here, in his office. He’ll see you,
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Now.” She directed her to a small office down the hall from hers.
“Come in, Miss…”
“Jessica Aiden.” She replied cheerfully and sat in the seat next to his desk.
“Dr. Kevin Spate, Gynecologist.” He shook her hand. “I’ve  three months of misfield patient’s records. Think you can handle those?”
“Yes, Doctor. “I’ll take the job,” She almost sang the words.
“Great! I’ll expect you tomorrow.”
Jessica returned home bursting with energy and happiness. She cleaned the house and cooked the dinner. That evening, at dinner, she announced her good news. “I have a job in Dr. Kevin Spate’s private office.”
“Wonderful,” Mama said. “I know him and everyone loves him. He’s a super guy and a great doctor.” She smiled and patted her shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. Yes. Dr. Spate seems fine. He’s tall with dreamy brown eyes; he’s a handsome man.”
“Now, you’re thinking of giving him some?” Finn said, and slapped her back. “Adding one more to the many humans you’re going to serve?”
“Watch your mouth.” Father yelled. “How dare you disrespect your mom and sister.” He bald his fist, about to hit him but changed his mind.
“Sorry, Mom.” He closed his mouth and pretended to zip his lip. “Anyway, I’ve got to get out of here. I may vomit.” He got out of his chair to leave.
Theresa Grant

“Disgusting prick.” Jessica said and rolled her eyes at him. “He said he was sorry but he isn’t, not really.”
“I’m sure he meant no disrespect.” Mama said and rubbed his head.
“Don’t make excuses for him, Maura. He knew what he said and meant it.”
“I apologized, Father. You’re going to hold that against me all night?”
“I’m disgusted with you.” He pressed his lips together in anger. “Why say those nasty things to hurt your sister?” He pushed Finn’s chair under the table and glared at him.
Finn’s answer came loaded with ridicule. “Miss Hoity Toity always got to have her way and acts like she’s better than the rest of us.” He sneered at her. “Miss college girl; where is she now? Just another bitter, dissatisfied bitch.”
“You’re a foul mouth, sorry excuse of a brother.” Father said. “You should be happy she’s trying  to make something g of her life.” His voice grated harshly. “We offered you the same opportunity when we took you in and made you a part of this family, and you did nothing but party.” He clamped his arm around Finn’s arm and jerked it on the table with a thump.
Finn flinched and glared at Jessica, frowning, a bright, mockery invading his stare and his stare and spit her name out lie venom. “Jessica? Yeah, she’s the smart one around here.”
“You’re smart, too.” Mama said and hugged him. “You can do well. All you have to do is  apply yourself.” She patted his back and rubbed his head. “I believe in you.”
Destiny of the Wolf

Poor Mama, always making excuses for him. She knew Father spoke right about him. “I’m going to bed. Got a busy day tomorrow with my new job,” She said, in Finn’s direction. “Night all.”
“Hump,” Finn grunted, his eyes level under drawn brows. “Stubborn, short-sighted, emotional female. You act too much like humans.”
“You should know. You’re always sniffing around them.” She shook her head at him and left the room.