Chapter 38

The Accident

Clarissa:

“Stop fooling us; there’s no place on Earth for us—Anonymous

“Don’t you think putting up a thing like this is dangerous?” — Carla.

“A lot of things are at risk.” — Don.

“You need to stop this at once!” —Anonymous.

“What makes you think we can find a place for us when our own homes have rejected us?” — Jay.

“I would like to join you guys. It’s very lonely here.” — Chloe.

“How do we know we can trust you?” — Zack.

The messages kept trooping in and out, and my phone was filled with clouds. I had not even gotten a single reply that lifted my hopes yet. Maybe I was the nave one for thinking I knew what they felt simply because I had gone through the same thing as them. I felt like I should just give it all up and focus on protecting myself, Cisca, and Nolle. Maybe we didn’t have to have a network—we could just be ourselves and alone and learn to look out for each other.

I sighed, got out of bed, and shuffled to the kitchen to make lunch for Cisca’s day in school. Nolle had left as early as six; she said she loved walking to work early because of how beautiful everything looked at dawn, and the soft look of the morning mist on the flowers made her feel nostalgic. It reminded her of the mornings after a full moon when we would go hunting as early as possible, with the energy still coursing through our veins. The wind was so soft on our skin, and our silent hunting complimented it. We tracked down our game with complete silence, which made it impossible for them to notice our advancements. Once they are hunting, the next they are the hunted.

Since I told Cisca about her father, she had fallen back into her world of fantasy and forgotten completely about the “daddy” topic, which was a huge relief to me. Jason and I had a silent agreement to remain professional around each other, the thought of which was maddening.

“Mummy? You’re burning them.” Cisca’s voice dragged me out of my chasm of thoughts.

“By the goddess! Oh shit, shit!” I exclaimed as I brought the pancakes down from the oven, some of them scalding my fingers through my black and orange oven gloves. The gloves were not as thick as they needed to be, and if I were human, I would have ended up with hideous blisters on my fingers. Some of the pancakes had come out fine, but the ones from the bottom were charred and bitter, so I had to put them away in the trash bag.

After the groggy Cisca had showered, I ironed her clothes quickly and dressed her for school. Then we ate some pancakes and warm milk for breakfast as we awaited the blaring horns of the school bus. Finally, the school bus arrived, and Cisca ran into it, waving for minutes as it drove away.

I had my own bath and headed to work, still brooding on the bad outcome of my whole plan. My mind was absent from itself as I suddenly found myself in front of a speeding truck, my life flashing before my eyes. Then everything went blank.

“Clarissa? Clarissa?” The voices came, cutting through the void that I was stuck in. There was a bright white light that wounded my sight. I could hardly feel my limbs—II felt like I was on a cloud. Then, suddenly, I was back on my wedding day, with Nolle weaving flowers into my braids and the familiar sounds of birds singing as though they knew what a beautiful day it was for me.

“So it’s tonight, the night you’ve been waiting for all your life.” It was ethereal, but something was wrong about it all—in the midst of all the joy, I could hear the frantic voices that seemed to be above the surface of the void, digging into it, and reaching for my consciousness.

“Clarissa!” was the cry that plunged me into consciousness. I was in Grandma Carter’s home; I could tell from the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a collage of worried faces before me: Jason, Elijah, Nolle, and even Jericho.

Jason.

My heart was racing as I stood by Clarissa’s side, relieved that she was awake but still deeply concerned for her well-being. The accident had been a terrifying moment for all of us, and seeing her lying unconscious had felt like the world was collapsing around me. I had been on my way back to my grandma’s home when I heard the cries of people from the street that there had been an accident, and I rushed to see if there was anyway I could help. I was scared shitless when it turned out to be Clarissa.

“Clarissa, are you okay?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but my worry still seeped through.

She managed a weak smile and nodded. “I’m okay, Jason. Just a little shaken.”

I fussed over her, bringing her a glass of water and helping her sit up. “You scared the hell out of me, you know that? I can’t believe you were in an accident, and I wasn’t there to protect you.”

She touched my hand gently, a reassuring gesture. “It’s not your fault, Jason. These things happen.”

But I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt. I wanted to keep her safe, but I knew she was strong—much stronger than an average human. She was a werewolf, after all, and her wounds had already healed.

“You should take a whole month off to recover,” I insisted, unable to let go of my protective instincts.

Clarissa chuckled weakly. “I appreciate your concern, but I don’t need that long. My body has already healed, thanks to my werewolf abilities.”

I sighed, knowing she was right. “Fine, but promise me you’ll take it easy, okay?”

She nodded, understanding my worry. “I promise, Jason. I’ll be more careful.”

Nolle.

I couldn’t believe how worried I had been when I got the call about Clarissa’s accident. I immediately got permission to leave work and rushed to be by her side. Seeing her awake now filled me with relief, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty too.

“I’m so sorry, Clarissa, you’ve got a lot on your mind lately. I’m sorry I’m not always available to help out more.”

Clarissa shook her head gently, reaching out to hold my hand. “No, Nolle. It’s not your fault. It was just an unfortunate coincidence. I should have been more focused on the road.”

I wiped away a tear that escaped my eye. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

She gave me a soft smile. “Thank you for being here. It means a lot to me.”

I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without Clarissa. She had become like family to me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

“Clarissa, I’ve been thinking,” I began hesitantly. “Maybe you should take some time off, just to rest and recover fully.”

She nodded, seeming to consider the suggestion. “You might be right. My diet of human food has been affecting my health and stamina. I need to hunt.”

Jason chimed in, “Then it’s settled. You’ll take a week off, at least. And during that, we should all hunt together. What do you say?” He looked from me to Clarissa, then to me again.

“That would be awesome!” I cried.

“Yeah, maybe Cisca can go on her first hunt too!” Clarissa added.