The Moon's Son Chp 4

Chapter Four

                Nick didn’t like being in the car. It wasn’t the small space or even the strange smell coming from the compartment between the two front seats. It was the speed. He could see their speed on the car dash as they drove down what Macey called the  “highway,” and they were going faster than he could have ever imagined going. It didn’t help that she had a “led foot”—her words—and kept shooting past the speed limit.

                He couldn’t slow down his heart beat and he felt a sheen of sweat upon his brow. He’d managed to keep his fingers on his lap instead of gripping the edge of the seat, but he could only imagine how ridiculous he looked with his eyes as wide as they could possibly go. He was only thankful they had moved the shopping trip to Saturday instead of Friday, where Macey would be driving in the waning sunlight instead of the high morning sun.

                “At this rate, we’ll be there in less than ten minutes,” Macey suddenly said, pulling him from his thoughts about dying in a horrible, flame-filled crash.

                “We do not have to get there that early,” he said, ending his sentence as if it were a question. He’d meant to convince her to slow down, but as he spoke, he realized how equal it made him sound—as if he could suggest things to her.

                “I know. But, the sooner we get there, the better. I hate leaving Lilly at home.”

                 “Why do you not like her being there?” He hadn’t meant to voice his question, hadn’t meant to really talk to her at all unless she addressed him; but he found that talking and listening to her distracted him from the fast moving cars and the speed at which they passed the landscape.

                “It’s not that I don’t want her home by herself,” she said, flipping up some dial on the side of the steering wheel and zipping into the next lane. “I just hate that she’s stuck in the house. It’s not like Thomas is any company. He just sleeps and eats all day.”

                Thomas, he had learned the night before, was the cat’s name. Macey had been rather amused to find the fluffy grey thing curled up on his pillow rather than her own. She said she took it as a sign that he must be a good person—he’d just wished she’d taken the cat before closing her bedroom door for the night.

                “I just don’t think it’s really fair that she’s stuck inside all day while we go have fun.”

                “It is something you grow accustomed to.”

                An awkward, and unintended, silence fell between them and Nick could feel her gaze on him. He wasn’t sure if it was disgust, curiosity, or even pity in her eyes, and he didn’t want to take a closer look to find out.

                “Where are we going again?” Nick asked, hoping to draw her attention away from him. It worked because he saw her turn her head back toward the road out of the corner of his eye.

                “It’s called a ‘mall.’ It’s one big set of buildings that holds a lot of different stores with a lot of different items. I need to pick up my dress for homecoming, but right after that, we’re going to hit all of the stores that catch your eye.”

                “And we will…buy things…for my room?” It felt so strange uttering that sentence. Like someone else was speaking it.

                “Well, not specifically for your room—for you in general. Shampoo, clothes, video games—whatever. I’ve been saving up for this trip for months, so you’ll have a pretty large amount to spend.”

                Lilly had told him that Macey was taking full responsibility for him—that her parents were only paying some of the expenses of his care. He hadn’t said anything, but he could admit that it helped him to swallow his feeling of injustice he got from her age. The girl had a bit more to her than he had realized.

                It didn’t take them much longer to get to the mall, as Macey had said. He was a little shocked by the sheer size of the building. It was almost as large as the facility where he’d grown up—though, it looked much less intimidating. Signs that read “Burgners,” “Sears,” and “Macy’s” littered the buildings, along with some dramatic pictures under some words that read “show times.”

                Cars filled the parking lot, and to his relief, they were driving much slower than the ones on the highway. Macey found a spot to park the vehicle that was further away from the center of the building, but closer to some doors underneath the sign that read “Macy’s.”

                “Kinda ironic that this my favorite store, huh?” she asked, giving him one of those big grins she always seemed to have ready. He shook his head, not understanding what she meant. Her expression fell slightly, revealing some playful exaggeration. “Ya know, because my name is Macey…” He could only continue to stare. “And the store is called ‘Macy’s’…?”

                It dawned on him then. “I see.”

                The playful light in her eyes dissipated and she shook her head before exiting the vehicle. “We have got to work on your social skills.” He quickly followed her example and closed the door behind him after he got out.

                “Why?” The question slipped out, and once again he berated himself for speaking so easily. He hunched his shoulders slightly, waiting for a scathing remark. But Macey was already ten feet ahead of him, practically trotting to the doors into the store.

                “So you can have friends,” she called back. She was so excited and quick, he probably wouldn’t have heard her if he had human hearing. As it was, he was surprised and a little unsettled by her answer. Friends? He thought, wondering why he’d need them, or even why she’d want him to have them.

“Come on,” Macey huffed from just inside the first set of glass doors. “You’re so slow.”

Her comment brought forth a memory and he found himself speeding up to almost a jog. Jeremiah had told him that the collars given to werewolves were wired to a chip in their owner’s brain. With a thought they could cause a painful electro shock of ten thousand volts. But the shock could also come whenever the werewolf was too far from their master when they were outside their property line. He’d been so close to her in the car ride and then been so distracted by her antics to remember.

                When he got beside her, she gave him a curious look but did not elaborate. “Well, then. Let’s get that dress and then we can head out into the strip so you can look in the windows of the stores.” Nick only nodded, his eyes on the variety of clothing and colors and other objects he’d never seen before that littered the store.

                She led him to a counter where a woman with large black glasses and silver tipped, red hair stood. He spotted the woman’s look of disgust the moment they’d turned towards her, and she didn’t bother hiding it when they got near. He looked at the small tag on her shirt, much like the one he used to wear in the facility, and read the name “Katherine.”

                “Hello,” the woman said, her eyes moving from him to Macey, “how may I help you?” Her tone was polite, but he could hear the slight annoyance in her voice. By Macey’s pleasant expression, she hadn’t picked up on it, or she just didn’t care.

                “Yes, I had a dress that was shipped here. I was told I could try it on and then if need be, you have some tailors I could use.”

                “Your name?” the woman said, sliding her hand across the smaller counter behind the one Macey leaned on.

                “Macey Grace,” his owner answered. He could see that the woman’s hands were moving and he peered over and saw that she was a on a computer.

               “Please direct your dog to step back, Ma’am,” the woman said, taking a step back herself. “I am not comfortable with him being so close.”

               Nick instantly moved back, but Macey caught his arm and tugged him forward so he was beside her, his arm brushing against the side of her waist as she stared at the woman with a confused look. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a dog.”

               He wasn’t sure why, but that overly polite tone made his heart pick up its pace and the hair on the back of his arms and neck stand on end. It was the first time he’d heard that infliction in her voice and it didn’t sit right with him.

               “I—I, the one standing beside you,” the woman said, her voice catching in her surprise.

               “Listen, Katherine,” Macey said, her voice stopping any further protest the woman may have had. “The man standing beside me is a werewolf. He’s completely aware of what you’re saying, and I do NOT appreciate you disrespecting him. If need be, I WILL take my business to some other place that isn’t so rude.”

               Nick couldn’t take his eyes off the woman. Her expression twitched from surprise and anger to one of acceptance and fear and was proud that his owner had taken such command. It felt a little silly since he knew she was probably used to getting her way, but it’d been for his benefit, not just hers.

               “I’m sorry, Ma’am,” Katherine said, brushing her hair back from her face in an anxious gesture. “I meant no offense. I’ll get your dress and meet you over by the changing rooms.” She dashed away quickly, disappearing behind the door that was to the right of the counter.

               “Sorry about that,” Macey said the moment the woman was gone. He looked down at her in shock, wondering what she was apologizing for. “I’ve dealt with her a few times and she’d never been ignorant before. I hadn’t expected her to be so mean.”

               Nick shook his head and he felt his brow furrow in his confusion at her apology. He felt like he had to reassure her, and it felt so alien. “It was…not your fault. That’s how humans are.” The way her expression fell told him that he’d failed in his attempt to make things better, though he didn’t understand why—nor did he understand why he felt bad about it.

               The woman brought a clear package that held a long piece of blue fabric to the dressing room. Macey directed him to stand outside since it was a “woman’s room” as she tried on the dress. Katherine made sure to stay a good distance away from him so he waited on a metal bench by himself.

               He was ready to close his eyes and take a nap when he finally heard the latch to the dressing room inside open. The sounds of her steps were different then before and he realized why when she stepped out of the separate room—she wasn’t wearing any shoes.

               His eyes quickly moved from her toes to the shear blue fabric that lay against the back of her bare legs. He followed the fabric and her bare tan skin upwards until he came to a shiny, sparkle ridden shorter fabric that covered the top of her thighs. The fabric that traveled down the back of her legs began at her waist in a bright, satiny sash that made synched around the sparkled fabric that ended just above her breasts. It was a combination of different hues of blue and shear fabric and he found that it complimented her lightly tanned skin and golden hair. To his surprise, he found himself admiring the way it fitted the curves of her form and how it gave her an almost majestic appearance.

               “What do you think?” she asked suddenly, pulling him from his shocking thoughts.

               He looked at the dress again, feigning a concentration he didn’t really need. “It is…very nice.”

               “Does the sash make my hips look big?”

               Nick blinked and directed his gaze at the swell of her hips and thighs. He thought they looked better than they ever had in his constant studies of her, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “They look fine.”

               “You’re not lying?” Her expression was suspicious, and he wasn’t sure of he should be weary of it or not. His instincts didn’t react, but an ingrain fear and weariness of humans told him otherwise.

               “I don’t lie. Especially not to the one who owns me.”

               The flicker of surprise and sadness in her eyes surprised him, but she quickly schooled that expression and smiled. “Well, if you like the way it fits, I don’t see why I should change it. I can always ask Lilly and then tailor it later.” He nodded, not really understanding what she meant by “tailor.”

               Macey smiled as she watched Nick roam through the video game store. He’d been hooked by the gaming system from the second he’d watched a kid use a controller to make a man jump over a fiery pit. She had a few games herself, but she would never understand how playing games wormed its way into the male DNA, no matter what species.

               She could tell he was enjoying himself, even if his expression didn’t really show it. There was lightness, an almost excitable jerk, to his steps as he moved from one side of the store to the other. She had hoped that shopping for himself—that actually getting to own something—would help bring him out of his shell a bit; and it seemed she was right.

               “I’ve chosen,” he said, appearing beside her so quickly she jumped a little.

               “Oh! How many, and which ones?” He held out three games for the new Play Station they already had waiting on the counter. “Only three?”

               “The…system comes with one,” he said, tucking the games protectively against his side as he crossed his arms.

               “You still have $300 to spend, counting the system and the games, are you sure?” She watched the uncertainty dance in his gaze.

               “I will look again.” She felt the grin grow on her face as he disappeared from her side.

               They were walking towards Macy’s—for the third time since they’d started shopping—when Nick suddenly froze beside her. Macey looked up from her receipts, which she’d been checking to see if they’d missed anything, as she realized Nick was no longer walking beside her.

               “Nicholas, what’s wrong?”

               He turned to her, his expression void of any emotion. “It’s nothing.” He made to keep walking but she stepped around him and peered in the direction he’d been staring. Five stores down, outside the Hallmark doors, a woman was curled in a ball and shaking. She didn’t make a sound, but the messy locks of her brown hair and the constant jerking of her body told Macey that she was in pain.

               “Oh my, God!” Macey practically threw the bag she was holding at Nick before running down the strip to the poor woman. She thought she heard Nick say something, but she didn’t bother looking back at him. No one else was bothering to help the poor, though some did stare in curiosity and pity. “Are you alright?” She gasped, kneeling beside the convulsing woman.

               The woman didn’t respond, but the toss of her head revealed the deep blue, rhinestone studded collar around her throat. It didn’t take long for her to realize what was happening. She looked up at the store and she felt her brow furrow at the sign that read “no pets.” It was a big store, one of the biggest in the malls, and it would be easy for a careless owner to wander far into the back, leaving their werewolf to rather in pain.

               “Come on, let’s get you inside.” She went to slip her hands under the woman’s armpits, but the creature growled in warning and fear and Macey shifted back instantly. “I just want to help.”

               “Leave her,” Nick said from behind her, causing her to turn. “She’ll get in trouble from her owner if you make her enter.”

               “I’m not leaving her here to sit in pain while they wander around like ignorant idiots,” she hissed, her anger at the woman’s owner seeping into her words. She saw Nick’s eyes bulge in surprise, but she was too angry to feel bad. What he said hadn’t been very sympathetic.

               Macey went to pet the woman’s hair out of her sweat drenched face, but a large hand shot out and caught her wrist. “If you touch her, you’ll be shocked as well,” Nick said, his eyes on the female werewolf. “It could kill you.”

               He let go of her hand and knelt by the woman. Before she could stop him, he slipped his arms under the back of her neck and thighs. She gasped as he grit his teeth and his body jerked, but he managed to stand on shaky legs. She quickly followed him into the store, moving past him and looking around for anyone who might be an owner.

               A girl her age dressed in store garb moved towards them, her mouth open and ready to speak. “Not right now, lady. I want this werewolf’s owner, now.” The girl looked back and forth from the werewolves, who were now knelt on the floor, to her. “My werewolf is suffering and it’s seriously pissing me off, so I suggest you hurry up.”

               The girl darted to the counter and tapped the communicator on the counter. “Will the owner of the female werewolf please come to the front counter, please? Will the owner of the female werewolf please come to the front counter.” Her message echoed throughout the Hallmark store and after some of the longest minutes of Macey’s life, both Nick and the female werewolf stopped jerking. She ran to Nick and knelt beside him, running her fingers through his hair soothingly.

               “Thank you,” she told him. He didn’t answer through his gasping, but she hadn’t expected him to anyway.

               “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Nala?” A male’s voice soared to Macey’s ears before a figure came jogging down an aisle filled with beanie babies and other stuffed toys. He looked panicked, and that curbed some of Macey’s anger, but she was still angrier than she had been in a long time.

               “She’s better, thanks to my werewolf,” she told him, crossing her arms under her chest. “You should thank him.”

               “What do you mean?” He moved towards his wolf, who whimpered and fell to the ground in the submission position.  Macey could hear her mumbling apologies but her owner didn’t pay any attention to them; his eyes were on her.

               “You electro shocked her,” she hissed.

               “No, I didn’t!” He said, standing. “I only ever use it when it’s necessary.”

               “Please, Sir, Ma’am,” a man in another set of store garb said as he walked towards them, “will you please move this outside? You’re worrying the customers.”

               Macey looked towards the back of the store where only two other people stood, curious expressions on their faces. “No. This man,” she indicated the owner of the female werewolf, “was just leaving.” She turned to him, cutting him off before he could speak. “The next time you decide to wander a store, maybe you should make sure your wolf stays close enough to not be shocked by the automatic leash shock. Who knows how long she was out there in pain…because of you.”

               And you,” she said, turning on the manager, “should really rethink your pet policy. If you don’t, the Mood player, will personally endorse your biggest rival on its next upgrade.”

               Macey gave one last look at the man who’d caused all the trouble and his broken werewolf before turning to Nick. He was staring at her with a mix of concentration—which she was used to—and surprise. She gave him a smile that she knew didn’t look authentic.

               “Let’s go, Nicholas. I’d like to grab lunch and bring some home to Lilly.” He followed her out of the store and grabbed the bags he left there, but she intentionally didn’t look him in the eye. She didn’t feel bad about what she did, but the look in Nick’s eyes had worried her. He had witnessed her anger twice in one day, and it wasn’t even noon yet.  She could only hope that this wouldn’t create a permanent bad image of her in his head—though she was sure he didn’t need much help with that.