Not Really Spooky, Just Scary

"I know that must have been terrible for you to see... especially from people you've known and loved," Maddie said, squeezing his hand tight. "But you didn't go along with it. You aren't like that."

"I know that," Noah responded after a beat, squeezing Maddie's hand in turn. "I know that now."

"I could feel it, something pulling me in, telling me to join them, but I knew it wasn't me. I don't think it was...the wolf, you know, whatever makes me what I am. I think it had to do with that howl my grandfather did."

Noah frowned in concentration, obviously working through the events in his mind.

"I always thought 'the pack' was just a joke or something. Like another name for the MC. But it's more than that. The more...wild they got, the stronger it was. Like it fed on itself."

Maddie nodded. "You could resist it some, though, it sounds like? Like, enough to know it was wrong. Was that why your grandfather did..." She sort of gestured towards Noah's injuries. "...that?"

"Sort of," Noah answered. "My grandfather started talking, more lecturing than anything, like he does when he gets upset. Talking about vampires and hunters and faeries, trying to take 'their' town. 'They violated our territory,' he said. Went on about having made a place for themselves. I could feel that energy, but by then I was trying to figure out how to get away."

Noah was quiet a moment, the images he'd conjured of his family running him down like the vampire still fresh in his mind.

"I thought I might be able to slip away while grandpa was talking, but about when I was ready to take off, they brought out the other vampire. Grandpa said he still needed to be taught a lesson, and so did I. 'We defend what's ours.'"

"Devon and Bobby sort of grabbed me and hustled me into the middle of everyone, next to the vampire. He didn't look so good, like he was sick or something. I think probably starving, whatever that means to them. They held me, holding my arm out to the guy. I struggled, but they're both pretty big. Once they let him go, the vamp latched onto my arm, drinking for a good while as I tried shaking them all off. Finally, my grandfather pulled him off with one arm, kind of throwing him back."

"He turned to me, looked me straight in the face, and said, 'We defend what's ours. Go take it back.'"

"How... how does that work?" Maddie's brow furrowed as she tried to understand. "Because he took your blood, you're supposed to take it... back?"

"I'm pretty sure he just wanted me to kill him," Noah, responded, shaking his head. "At least, I think so. I hope he didn't mean to, like, eat him or some." Noah made a disgusted face.

"Anyway, it's a little difficult to talk when I'm like that, and I had that urge to go after him, but I tried to ask him if he was okay. He definitely looked better, but I could tell he was terrified." For a moment Noah looked confused. "I just realized I couldn't smell it on him. I can usually tell if someone is angry or scared or..." He gave an embarrassed smile which turned to a grimace as a bump in the road jostled him a bit.

"The others, they were just standing around us, egging the both of us on. I really wanted to, I could picture myself laying into him, claws and teeth and...it took everything I had, but I didn't. I just stood up, looked at my grandfather, and said 'No.'"

"He kind of laughed, as much as you can like that, and looked at the vampire. 'Kill the pup and you can go,' he said. I don't think he thought that guy really stood a chance against me, but I don't actually know."

"The guy came at me, fangs bared, mouth open too wide like Chloe's did, and, well, that's a couple of these." Noah pointed to a few cuts and marks on his arms. "It wasn't too bad. I mostly held him off, trying to get through to him. I thought I could get him away, maybe, if I could give him enough of a head start and a distraction. I told him to come at me again, and to run when he had the chance, hoping the others' shouting would keep them from hearing me. I shoved him away, and, when came at me again, I did that move you showed me, the one where you fall back and throw the person."

"Being all wolfed out, I think he cleared twenty feet, well into the woods from where we were. I made like I was having trouble getting up, then I did the only thing I could think of. I lunged at my grandpa."

"Oh my god," Madison said, horrified. "Then what happened?"

"I got close," Noah responded, wracked by an unconscious shudder. "I barely saw him move. A blur that I think was one arm and I was in the dirt. We've seen some weird stuff, but I've never seen anything move so fast."

"I still don't entirely understand it. My grandpa, he's not big. Even all wolfed-out, he's smaller than I am when I'm like that. But he hit me harder than anything I've ever felt. I mean, he's...he's hit me before, but not as a wolf, and never like that."

Noah shook his head, still not comprehending.

"I think he let me get back to my feet, just waiting. He looked at me like...I don't know. It wasn't anger, but he wasn't happy, either. I guess he was...surprised, maybe? Thoughtful?" Noah shrugged. "It didn't last long. I had something to focus on, then. I tried to go after him again, I think to keep the distraction going, but also...I wanted to."

Nodding unhappily, Madison pulled up in front of her grandfather's house, stopping the truck and leaning over to hug Noah. "Were you angry?"