Until this day, he wondered if he would ever do it twice. Would he try to be a hero or just fall back like everybody does and let nature take his cause? Of course he would never get a second chance. Once a decision is made, actions are put into place that has no way of stopping. Clarence Lawson learned that hard way the day he might Chandra Black.
"Please help me." Lawson could remember her pleas well. "I need to get out of here."
Lawson looked at the sexy black lady with a clinging dark blue dress on who just jumped into the passenger seat of his grey Toyota Camry. Lawson had just came out of the club where he also thought he saw this young lady in and he was a little tipsy. Not drunk enough he couldn't drive (according to his standards), but enough that if the police pulled him over, he would be hit with another DWI (driving while intoxicated). This would be a third strike if he got caught this time and the judge already told him one more ticket, it was either jail time, mandatory AA meetings or an alcoholic level detector strapped to his car keys or a mixture of all three.
"What?" the words managed to come out his mouth through his confusion.
"Just drive, please, I'll pay you," the lady said looking out the passenger side window like she was expecting someone to jump up at her at any minute.
"Look, miss..." he slurred. “I don't know what's going on but..."
That's when she looked in his eyes. Those eyes did more than words ever could. Lawson was trapped in those eyes for a minute. Lawson probably knew those eyes put a lot of men in trouble.
"Please," she pleaded again. "I need your help. I just need to get to my apartment so I can..."
She didn't say nothing else just continued to plead with her eyes.
Lawson shook his head and broke that stare that held him. He started up the engine of the car not knowing what he was doing, mostly the liquor (a mixture of shots of Hennessy and Grey Goose) take over his actions.
"Where to?" he said as he began to put his car out of park. He was in the club's parking lot and knew there was only one way to exit. The other entrance to the lot was for entrances only. He made a mistake one time and went out the entry way and almost had a head on collision.
Before the damsel in distress could get another word out, the passenger side window crashed and Lawson saw a hand reach in and grab her. She screamed and broke Lawson's drunken stupor real fast. A crazy lunatic with a dark blazer, blue jeans and long black and blonde dreadlocks was literally trying to pull the female out of the car. The mad man was speaking some kind of dialect Lawson could only format was some of kind of Island slang.
His mind wouldn't let him think, he just stepped on the gas pedal as the lady screamed, "Drive, drive, he gonna kill me!" The car sped, half dragging the male invader who hands were still in the window’s frame trying to get at the lady.
Lawson did a hard right turn and threw the guy off unto the pavement. Lawson backed up the car and then maneuvered the vehicle until it was heading for the club’s parking lot exit.
“What the fuck is going on?” Lawson asked as he put some distance between him and the club.
“How did he find me?” She mumbled to herself.
“Never mind that. What the fuck is going on?” Lawson repeated placing just one hand on the steering wheel and using the other hand to snap his fingers. “Earth to strange hot chick that just jumped in my car.”
She turned her head to look at me.
“At least tell me your name and where the fuck I’m dropping you off at?” He looked at the passenger side window that was now completely shattered. “Fuck! Look at my window! If a cop…fuck your name and your destination. I’m dropping you off at the next block.”
She finally spoke, “Please don’t…I can’t go back.”
“Look if you being abused, that’s a matter for the cops,” Lawson said glancing at both her and the road. “I can drop you off a block away from the police station. I’m not trying to explain why my windows shattered. I have enough talk with them.”
“Please…I can’t go back,” she repeated.
“I heard that before,” Lawson said annoyed. “But you not giving me any information. All I know is some lunatic broke my window to get at your ass and you sitting like you got autism. I mean do you have autism? Fuck! Don’t tell me you a retard that escaped from one of those mental asylum, are you?”
“I picked the right one,” she said and laughed.
“Ok, I guess you are,” Lawson said shaking his head. “Anyway, doesn’t matter. I’m dropping your looney bin ass off as soon as possible.”
“Please help me,” she finally said. “Trust me, you will be rewarded.”
“Okay, as much as I would like some drunk retarded boyfriend stalking coochie, I’ll think I’ll pass,” Lawson replied turning the steering wheel hard to keep his car from swerving and almost running into the back of a van.
“Jesus!” Lawson expressed as he heard an excessive amounts and beeps as he made his vehicle skid past the van. “I can’t get into another accident. Look, Miss…whatever you are…I can drop you off at a bus stop. I hope you got bus fare.”
“I need to go to my apartment,” She said getting a chill from the air blowing in from the broken window. “I need to get something and change.”
“I don’t think you understanding,” Lawson said then shook his head again. “Of course you don’t, you retarded. Listen, I’m not taking you anyplace but either the bus stop or the police station. Because trust me, if the hospitals were still paying people to take in loonies, I would go there and cash in.”
“I’m not crazy,” she defended. “And I’m not abused…I’m just…just…”
“Spell it out, Sister Souljah,” Lawson said. “I don’t have all day and you don’t have time before I hit a bus stop. And the way I’m feeling right now about my busted window, you being a lunatic and the fact that you just blow my high, I might just drop you off in the middle of the street and let the wolves get at you.”
The look once Lawson said those words turned into pure fright. She started shivering but not because of the cold air.
“I won’t let them get me,” she started saying and then pounding her fist on the dashboard. “I won’t. I won’t.”
“Listen, Lady Gaga, stop beating up my car,” Lawson said. “It has had enough scars after this ordeal. I need to know what’s going on if you want me to help you. If not, I have no problem dropping you off somewhere and sleeping like a new baby with a belly full of breast milk.”
“Okay, just take me to my house,” she said. “And my name is Chandra.”
“Of the moon,” Lawson said with a smile.
“Yes, how you know that?” Chandra smiled.
“Never mind. Where we going?” Lawson asked leaning back in the driver’s seat. “I know I’m going to regret myself for doing this but fuck, I can’t leave a pretty lady that has a pretty name too.”
Chandra knew all too well what he meant. That was the problem. There was someone else that couldn’t leave her because of the same reason. Chandra gave Lawson her address and looked out the shattered window.
“You know you paying me for that window too,” Lawson laughed.
Chandra just smiled and continued looking out. But she really wasn’t looking, she was sensing. She had tuned out her sensing ability that was how he was able to get that close without her knowing it. She thought she was safe enough, far enough. But then again she thought she would never be safe. He was out there and as long as she was chosen, he was going to find her. That much was clear and there was no escaping. Only way out was death, hers, but preferably his if she had anything to do with it.
Nigel breathed heavily in the night air. He put his nose and sniffed. He smiled. He could smell her essence. It was almost as enticing as homemade apple pie on a porch stoop. It was a delicious aroma. Nigel stood on his hind muscular legs and sniffed more intensely.
Nigel wicked smile became broader. She was sensing him too.
Nigel stood naked on the roof of an abandoned building smelling the air and taking in her scent. After he scared a bunch of vagrant occupants by appearing to them in his animal form, he made his way to the roof. On the roof, he changed back into his human form and glazed at the night sky.
Nigel was a force to be reckon with in his mortal form. He stood over 6’4, chiseled by nature, and as dark as the midnight hour. His hair was long and thick which he made into dreadlocks to maintain it. However, when he transformed into his carnal savage form, his dreadlocks disappear into a soft coat on his back. Nigel had a dominant look and he used it well.
He had to assert dominance since he was the Alpha male of the Moon Shine Pack. His rule was law. He led his following with an iron claw. He was a born leader and a strong warrior.
Nigel had everything at his disposal, especially a mate. He had his choice of the litter. All the females worshipped and adored him and couldn’t wait to be the Alpha female. However, he had his eyes only on one and she didn’t want that role.
But Nigel had made his choice and there was no turning back from it. Once the Alpha choose his mate, she belonged to him, no questions asked. But Chandra, at the time, already had a lover, Leon. However, since Nigel had chosen her, her former lover did not matter. Nigel gave Chandra’s lover two options: give Chandra to him or leave the pack and be killed. Leon didn’t accept the Alpha’s first option which ended up bad for both Chandra and him. Nigel ordered Leon killed for his insubordination. Chandra so distraught, leave her pack and went on the run. But Nigel had find her. And Chandra needed to realize that as long as she was chosen, he would always find her because she was meant to be his. And whether she liked it or not, she was going to be his mate.
Since Chandra was marked as chosen, only Nigel could sense her since her scent was meant only for him now. So he was the one that had to go out and retrieve her and bring her back. She would be punished of course for her disobedience but then she would be branded his mate. He smiled. Chandra was beautiful in both human and lycanthrope form. She was a pure masterpiece and Nigel would have her.
Nigel sniffed the air again until he knew her scent was definite then jumped off the roof. Nigel was back on the prowl and God help anybody that got in his way even that little runt human that almost ran him over.
Lawson couldn’t believe that he really drove Chandra to her apartment and that he also agreed to wait in the car until she came back from inside. Lawson had to admit the lady was extremely stunning and her eyes were like looking into the moonlight. Lawson didn’t know who she was running from but he understood why a man would go crazy for a woman like her.
Lawson thumped his fingers against the steering wheel as he waited. He wished Chandra would hurry up. He was getting nervous sitting there knowing that Chandra’s unknown assailant was still out there. Lawson looked outside his rearview window because he swear he saw a figure in the distance.
For some reason, his heart started beating faster. It felt like his heart was coming out of chest. It was a crazy feeling. He never felt that way before, drunk or sober. He didn’t know if it was nerves or if he was actually having a heart attack. He felt a slight gush of wind and then felt a chill.
“She’s mine!” Lawson heard a voice say but there was nobody there.
Lawson started looking around the whole car. It was just him but he felt like there was another presence in the vehicle with him. Lawson got out the Camry and scanned the area. The whole neighborhood was quiet. Not a person was outside except him, or it seemed. Lawson had to admit Chandra lived in a nice neighborhood. He was continuing his admiration when he felt something come from behind him.
“We got to go, now!” Chandra said opening the passenger side door and throwing a book bag in the back seat.
Lawson was about to get in the car when he felt a hand grab him and throw him to the ground. Lawson rolled over and looked up and saw the same man with the dreadlocks by his car.
“Hey!” Lucas yelled getting up from the ground.
“I knew you don’t think you can leave us, do you?” Nigel asked Chandra as he circled around the car to reach her.
Chandra quickly went in the backseat to retrieve the book bag.
“I will not be your mate,” she said holding the book bag tightly to her body.
“You have no choice,” Nigel said getting angry at her insolence.
Before Nigel could close enough to her, Lawson came charging at him. Lawson collided with Nigel knocking Nigel to the ground. Lawson got on top of Nigel and started throwing punches at Nigel’s face.
“Get in the car!” Lawson said as he continue to pummel Nigel across the face.
Chandra ran to the driver’s side of the Toyota and jumped in the car.
Lawson was still hitting Nigel but all he heard was laughter. Lawson looked down and saw Nigel smiling at him but his teeth…his teeth…and his hands…they weren’t hands…they looked like…
“Playtime’s over,” came a hard growl from Nigel and a force pushed Lawson in the air.
Lawson hit the pavement a feet away with a hard thud. He heard a car’s engine starting up. He couldn’t move his body. He felt paralyzed. He heard speeding off then another hard thump like something being hit. Then he heard the car backing up. He heard the car’s door open indicator beeping and felt the vehicle’s door open beside him.
“Get in!” Lawson could hear Chandra saying. “He’s going to get back up.”
Lawson couldn’t get his legs to work. He did reach out his hand and felt another hand grab onto him. He was pulled up halfway towards the car’s door frame. Lawson was able to lift himself up enough using the car seat and get himself in the seat.
Lawson saw Nigel get up from the ground. Lawson thought he must be hallucinating because he had hit his head pretty hard. His eyes must be playing tricks on him because the man with the dreadlocks was transforming into something else.
Chandra just put her foot on the gas pedal and the car speed off in the direction to where Nigel was still standing in mid-morphism. The car crashed right into Nigel and he flipped over the hood of the Camry and landed on the pavement behind them.
Lawson knew the damage of his vehicle was beyond explanation now. He just prayed a cop wouldn’t stop them, wherever they were going. But his mind wasn’t even on the fact he might be pulled over, it was on the fact that his company just ran over a man or whatever that was.
Lawson’s heart was still pumping heavily. He hit the thing with everything he got and all he heard was laughter. He looked at the lady next to him controlling his vehicle better than he could. He noticed she was scared but didn’t seem rattled not even after she made his Camry a vehicular manslaughter suspect.
“What the fuck is going on?” Lawson finally was able to get the words out. “What the fuck was that? Where are we going?”
“You want me to answer those questions in order or at random?” Chandra chuckled.
‘I’m glad this is funny to you, Chuckles,” Lawson said, trying to control his breathing. “But I need to know what the fuck I’m going to jail for. If I’m going to be ankle buddies with a guy named Big Bubba, I want to tell him a story first.”
“You will never understand,” Chandra said looking at Lawson for a second then focusing back on the road. “I’m not from your world.”
“What are you an alien? Is this some E.T. phone home shit? I told the hospital don’t pay me for loonies so you better start making some sense because what I saw…what I saw…was…was…”
“The Alpha,” Chandra said softly.
“Alpha? Like he in a fraternity? We risking our lives running from frat brothers.”
“It’s more than that. He’s here for me.”
“Yeah, that much I can guess but since you just turned Halle Berry back there, I don’t know what the hell is going on,” Lawson said taking a glance at the back window to see if he saw something. “You might have killed him.”
“He won’t die that easily,” she said coldly.
“Yeah, I guess so tell me why am I being hunted by the damn Terminator?”
“He’s not a robot.”
“Well he damn sure ain’t the Pillsbury Dough Boy trying to serve us cookies.”
“He wants me for his mate.”
“What is this? A shotgun wedding? You arranged to be married? What he offer for a dowry, two goats and some lamb blood.”
“Something like that,” she said taking another glance at Lawson then back at the road.
“What a night,” Lawson exclaimed. “And where the hell are we going?”
Chandra just smirked and just drove on. What Lawson didn’t know, was the night had just begun.
Lawson didn’t know why he decided to take her to his place. In his mind, he figured he was safer there plus he needed to talk to Chandra to find out what he was really dealing with. Lawson had seen a lot of things in his life mostly while he was in a drunk state but this took the cake. He was in over his head with this girl and he wouldn’t to know how far he was able to go before he drowned too deep in the bullshit.
Lawson wished he had cleaned his apartment up a little bit before he thought about inviting company over. He had leftover pizza boxes and empty Chinese food containers laying around. Not to mention clothes tossed around the room like he was in a typhoon. Chandra didn’t seem to mind the mess so much. She just simply flung a polo sweater that had already made itself a spot on the couch on the floor and took its’ place. She put her book bag on her lap.
“Um, make yourself at home,” Lawson said looking at her then his sweater that she put on the floor.
“Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing,” She stated matter of factly and rolled her eyes to illustrate her point.
“I guess so,” Lawson admitted.
Lawson picked up an old pizza box that was on the other side of the couch and put it on the floor too and sat down.
“I guess you have a lot of questions,” Chandra figured.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Lawson said. “Since we hit a dude that was in the middle of his caterpillar transformation.”
She laughed.
“Once again I’m glad I can amuse you but seriously what the hell is going on?” Lawson asked.
Chandra sighed.
“You ever heard the saying ‘the best way to hide something is put it in plain sight’?” Chandra began. “Well, all your life you probably heard of werewolves or as we liked to be called ‘shape-shifters’. Well, you probably thought that shit was bullshit, just something movies and books used to make money. Well, unfortunately for you, the shit is real and now the Alpha male of a major pack has your scent as well as mine and will do anything to get me back and in the process kill you.”
Lawson snickered and then started laughing hysterically.
“Hahaha! That’s a good one,” Lawson said between laughs. “So we been chased by a werewolf. What is he? Michael J. Fox?”
Chandra got up from the couch.
“This isn’t a joke,” Chandra stated seriously. “This is real and this is real life.”
Lawson stopped laughing long enough to nod his head.
“Uh huh. Yeah you right,” Lawson said, holding in another giggle. “I can’t have the rejects from Team Jacob on my ass. They might try to gnaw my foot off.”
“I knew you wouldn’t understand,” Chandra said putting her book bag down and folding her arms.
“No, I understand,” Lawson replied. “I’m just mad about that hospital policy. I could be rolling in bank right now and I probably could have took Mr. Shabba Wolfenstein in too and got a two for one deal.”
“This shit is real,” Chandra repeated. “He’s probably on his way here right now. He has both of scents now.”
“On that note you are probably right,” Lawson said getting up off the couch as well. “So why don’t you and your hello kitty book bag met him out in the hallway? I got sleep to catch up, a hangover to ignore, and a car to repair in the morning before the cops come and arrest me for the road kill you left in the middle of the street.”
“He isn’t dead,” Chandra said. “He won’t die that easy.”
“Well I know he’s hurt pretty bad then,” Lawson said. “I don’t care if you’re Robocop, a car hitting you at that speed is going to do same damage.”
“Not to him.”
“Listen, stop with this hocus pocus bullcrap,” Lawson grabbed her arm. “I should have you pay for my ride but since it looks like you barely have enough money for a stripper outfit and I’m too tired for wolf coochie, I have to bid you ado.”
Chandra yanked her arm away from Lawson.
“I may be the only person that can save you now,” Chandra declared.
“I’ll take my chances with the Big Bad Wolf, Miss Red Riding Hood,” Lawson joked.
“This wolf is not huffing and puffing, he just blowing your house the fuck down,” Chandra warned.
“Okay, She Wolf,” Lawson taunted. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Chandra grew furious and pushed Lawson to the floor.
“I guess I just have to show you,” Chandra said and her eyes turned from chestnut to almost pitch black. “Don’t get scared and start screaming like a bitch. You asked for this.”
Lawson looked as the beautiful lady started to change in front of his eyes. First her head got larger and her mouth started growing into a long, narrow muzzle with razor sharp teeth. Lawson would have screamed except no air or words could escape his mouth. He just watched in horror.
Chandra’s abdomen pulled in as back being to slope. Fur started spreading over her body as her clothes started tearing off. Her fingers started to change to small paws as well as her toes. Her elbows pointed inward as her knees started protruding outward. A tail sprouted from her backside as her ears started to point up. After the transformation was complete, Chandra, now in her true canine state dropped her body down so she could be on all fours. She growled as she looked at Lawson.
Lawson finally screamed at the sight before him then he passed out.
“Can you hear me? Sir, are you alright? He has a pulse but…
Lawson’s eyes open slowly to two paramedics shining a light into his eye.
“He’s awake,” he heard one of them say. “Sir, are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?”
“Woo…wooooo….wooolf,” Lawson mumbled.
“Sir, can you move?” Lawson heard more questions. “Neighbors called saying they heard strange noise sounding like a rabid dog and a scream. Is anybody else in the house with you? The door was ripped off the hinges.”
Lawson tried to get his eyes to work better so he could see what was going on.
“Lay still, sir,” one of the paramedics ordered. “Police are one their way.”
“He won’t be needing any police,” Lawson heard a strong baritone voice saying behind the paramedics.
“Listen, buddy,” The taller of the two paramedics said getting up to look behind him to see who was talking. “We don’t need…”
The medic’s words were cut short followed by a series of gagging noises like he was holding his throat. Lawson felt something heavy fall on him. It was the paramedic that had just spoken hiding his neck as blood gushed out of it. The second paramedic didn’t even get to utter a word before he was simply tossed to the other side of the room by an unknown force Lawson couldn’t see yet. Then Lawson felt himself being lifted up by the collar of his shirt.
Lawson’s eyes were still adjusting but when they did, they were looking at yellow stained eyes and a face with blunt snout and narrow mouth of sharp pointy teeth.
“Where is she?” the monster gnarled.
Lawson couldn’t speak. He was nearly pissing in his jeans.
“Freeze!” Lawson heard behind the creature. “Put him down and put your hands up! Oh my…”
Lawson felt himself being let go and he dropped back down to the floor. He heard shuffling, then screams and finally gun shots being fired. To Lawson, it sounded like a massacre was going on around him. Yells followed by objects being tossed around his living room.
Then he felt a stench of hot breath on him and the behemoth was back in his face.
“Her scent is on you,” the creature sniffed Lawson’s cheek. “That means…noooooooo!”
The monster went on a rampage. It started running around the room tearing stuff up. Lawson heard sirens from outside in the street.
“She’s mine! She’s mine!” The monster was roaring.
Lawson felt the monster’s hot breath again on him.
“Grrrrrrrrr!” the canine beast growled. “You take what’s mine. I’ll take what’s yours.”
Lawson saw the creature raised a clawed hand. Lawson knew he was about to meet the same fate as the paramedics did maybe even the officers that first arrived. Lawson closed his eyes waiting to accept his death when he heard another serene but stern growl in the room.
“Leave him alone!” Lawson heard the other voice in the room bark and then gun shots again this time hitting the leviathan that was standing above him.
The creature fell and bellowed in pain.
Lawson felt a hand reach for him and help pick him up. It was Chandra. She converted back to human form but her face was still in mid transition since her nose and ears weren’t back to normal yet.
“We have to go,” Chandra ordered. “We don’t have much time. Those bullets will hurt him but I didn’t do enough to kill him. He’ll get up and he’ll be pissed. I need you to get on my back. I can’t carry you like this.”
Lawson reluctantly obeyed and went behind Chandra and draped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her neck. Chandra went back to a sloping position and her face transformed back to the same canine form it had done before as her hands and toes became paws again.
Lawson could hear police officers running down the outside hallway towards the apartment. Before the officers reached the door, they caught a glimpse of a man jumping out the window riding what appeared to be a large dog.