The Shadow Wolf

Four

Ezra:

    I hate nightmares. Especially the ones with frogs in them. I'm standing right in the center of a muddy swamp. I can smell the rot of the water around me. There is a massive toad sitting up ahead, maybe four or five feet away. His mouth opens up wide and the Sound of Madness begins to play. I jump back confused. I turned around to see a massive wolf looking back at me. I scream taking a step back only to fall. I sat up and jumped out of my bed to find I wasn't in the middle of a swamp with the giant toad or the giant wolf. I shouldn't have watched Pan's Labyrinth last night.

    "Hello?" I answered, my voice is a little raspy. I hate waking up in the morning.

    "You're still not up Ezra?" I sat on my bed looking around.

    "It's six-thirty," I guessed falling back onto my pillows. "I don't have to be there till eight,"

    "Ezra it's seven forty," I shot up to look at the alarm and she's right it is in fact that late.

    "f**k, why didn't you wake me up?" I asked panicking.

    "Get down here I need you. It's Saturday," she shouted and hung up.

I dialed for Rip as I rushed down to the lobby to catch my uber after a quick shower.

    "If it isn't important, Mika. I'm going to kill you," she answered groggily.

    "I'm not Mika," I laughed.

    "Oh, Ezra. You have no idea what you're doing," she complained with a yawn.

    "I was just calling to check up on you. How did things with your brother go?" I asked.

    "Ripley, wake up," someone shouted.

    "What the f**k, Mikhail," she cried out. "I'm sorry Ezra. It went well he's here and he's moving in,"

    "Oh nice," I laughed

    "Mikhail, no don't touch that," a loud growl made me flinch. People don't growl like that right? 

    "Ripley, what the f**k?" his deep voice shouted. "Why do you have this in your room?"

    "I told you not to touch it. That's for my new sculpture,"

    "What are you going to do electrocute someone with it?"

    "No, it's for the bright lights exhibit next year," she argued.

    "Who's on the phone? Is it ravioli friend?" 

I laughed.

    "Yeah,"

    "You make the best ravioli I have ever had Ripley's new friend," he called out.

    "Mika, hold still," Rip urged.

    "Thanks," I laughed. "I'm Ezra by the way,"

    "Ezra, that's a badass name," he laughed.

    "That's what I said. There don't touch my stuff again, Mikhail. Get the hell out of my room,"

    "You know, I had forgotten you were a raging b***h in the morning," there was a struggle before she came back to the phone.

    "Sorry about that, Ezra. My brother is an i***t," she panted.

    "I'm glad you guys are on good terms again. I have to let you go. I'm a little late for work," 

    "Where do you work?" she asked.

    "With my sister. The bar is a Cafe by morning,"

    "Nice, I might head down there with Mikhail after a short meeting with our parents. So you guys can meet him or he's going to bother me about it all day," 

I chuckled.

    "Alright sounds like a plan. See you later then," I said and hung up.

    "You're dead. Not right now, but later. You're dead," Lina shouted from behind the bar as she took someone's order.

Rip:

    Mikhail is sitting across from my mom. All the while my dad and I were having a staring contest. He's beyond mad and all I can do is sit here and prepare for the wrath he will unleash on my poor ears. He stood up and walked over to me so that I'm looking up at him and he's staring down at me with those scrutinizing eyes of his.

    "Dad. I know running off like that was stupid,"

    "Yeah," he agreed.

    "And irresponsible,"

    "That too,"

    "And I am the worst for making you guys go through this,"

    "Yes you are," he nodded crossing his arms over his chest.

    "I'm sorry,"

    "No," he shook his head and bent a knee in front of me so that we're eye to eye now. "That isn't something you should be right now baby. We are sorry,"

    "Exactly, we pushed you into something like this. I mean all this time we thought that you did the things that you do just to mess with us. When you kept dropping hints here and there I thought you were just trying to make me feel bad for taking over the wedding arrangements," my mom added. I sat back letting out a heavy sigh.

    "Not everything is about you mom. I know I've been really good at contradicting you guys, but I'm not a kid anymore. You have to let me make decisions that have to do with my future. I know you guys think you know what's best for me and I love you for wanting that, but I can do things on my own now. I don't need you to make my choices for me. I'm twenty six. You can stop trying to dictate every detail. Not just me, your son too. He's three whole years older than me,"

    "Okay. Maybe we are a little overprotective," my dad smiled.

    "A little?" Mikhail laughed. "You guys. We love you and we want you to be happy. But we want to be happy too. Right now I want us all to get over this. We took a big hit but it's not something we can't handle. We just have to handle things our way," 

    Dad nodded. When we said we had plans for breakfast already they looked like they were going to protest for an instant, but then they just nodded and let us go. The one thing I hate about new york is the damned traffic. It was almost noon when we got to the bar. Looking at it now I laughed. In big blue neon letters was CROSSROAD'S cafe and bar.

    "I thought you said they were human?" Mikhail asked looking up at the sign.

    "They are. Ezra is a writer," I laughed as walked inside.

    "Are they cute?" I smirked.

    The inside was no longer lit by the ultraviolet lights and deep purple drawings from last night. The place has regular lights and a cute witch lair vibe. The tables were covered with long black table cloths. It's a witch-themed cafe and bar. How did I not notice this when I was here the other night?

    "Hey, you made it," Ezra greeted coming around the bar.

    "Hey, we did. This is my brother Mikhail. Mika this is Ezra," Mikhail's eyes met hers and a cooky little smile came over his face.

    "Mikhail," he introduced himself, extending his hand out for her to take. When their hands met her face flushed pink before she looked away. He stared at his hand when she let go. 

    "That's my sister, Lina. Come on I reserved you guys a booth," she sounds a little out of breath. She walked over to a booth and seated us before she took our drink orders. Mikhail didn't look away until she disappeared behind the bar.

    "She's... Why didn't you warn me?" he asked making me laugh. "Does she have a boyfriend?"

    "No, she doesn't," 

    "Here you guys go," Ezra returned. "Do you guys know what you want?"

    "What do you recommend, beautiful?" Mikhail asked and her face flushed again. 

    "To... Today's special is..." she cleared her throat. "Umm. Devil's food crepes topped with chocolate-dipped frozen strawberries,"

    "I'll have that," he smiled his soul-crushing smirk that made girl's swoon. Oh, no.

    "I'll have the Hunter's Breakfast please." I smiled as she wrote our orders down.

    "She's mine," Mikhail growled, all playfulness leaving his face.

    I sat back knowing exactly what it is. It happened to the men in my species. Love at first sight. Dangerous for the person on the receiving end. I now know why it is that I had walked in here that night. Fate is cruel like that. I will be the one to turn her for my brother's sake. She belongs to us now and there is nothing either of us can do to stop what comes next.