Her Perilous Wolf, Julie Steimle [howl and other poems TXT] 📗

to return to the US, Audry expressed the real reason she came back to NYU. She needed help reworking her research goals.

Somberly, Prof. Jackson said, “Well, perhaps you need a break and just take up work for a while.”

“I’m not coming back to NYU,” she said, her smile crooking to the side with mirth.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I know. You like being out in the field. However, it would do you good to work with people for a while. I know you like being alone in nature, but it is not good for the mental health of a human being to cut him or herself off from other people. I know you’ve been heartbroken, but it is about time you reentered society.”

He knew about Hogan, of course. And Harlin. It was embarrassing having her professor so privy to her personal life. It was good thing he didn’t know about Rick. She knew the man loved to play matchmaker, and she knew of his high opinion of Deacon Enterprises and the Deacons in general. It was how she had ended up working on Rick’s family properties to begin with. It was all through Prof. Jackson.

“This is what I recommend,” he said. “Join a nonprofit. Choose one like Predator Defense or Howling for Wolves, or Wolf Watcher—”

“Why those?” she laughed nervously.

He cast her a dry look. “Oh, come on. Your penchant for wolves is obvious. Play to your strengths. You love wolves. That passion should be directed and used in the right outlet. And they could give you ideas besides.”

Audry nodded. His point was made. It was a good one.

After a short discussion about what he had been up to, the professor took her to the office where he typed up a glowing letter of recommendation, once more advising she join a non-profit for a while to help her figure out what she wanted to do. Predator Defense looked promising.

However, Audry went to the library next to do research. She looked up other non-profits as well as searched for information for the next Eco-conferences which would be taking place in the US. It was best to get ideas from more than one source. Afterward, Audry headed off to where it was most likely she would bump into Jandra. And she found her.

Jandra liked this juice place that made these tall glasses of healthy smoothies. She had this habit of getting one in the afternoon as a snack between classes. Audry figured that if she was still at NYU then she would be there.

“Jandra.” Audry stepped up to her in the line, her own mango, honey, lemon smoothie in hand.

Turning, Jandra’s eyes widened on her. “People are looking for you.”

With an eye roll, Audry said, “If it is Vincent or Doug—”

“In this case it is your cousin Vicky,” Jandra said. “Though your other cousin was looking also. Nice people. Did you really get yellow fever in Africa?”

“Yes,” Audry said, glad she could get the small talk out of the way. “Are you really dating Robert Lafon?”

Jandra laughed. “Oh, come on. You saw us get together.”

Cringing, Audry nodded. “I know. But… and Randon told me this—”

“So you did go see them?”

“Yes. But what I was saying was that they told me you found out Bobo was the guy in the creepy story he told at the campout. You know, the kid who couldn’t be… you know.” Audry watched her face. “They don’t lie to me about stuff like this so… Just tell me. Is it true?”

Sighing, Jandra glanced around to see if anyone was listening in, stepping up further in the line, one place away from making her order. “Yeah. It’s the truth.”

“And you know about Troy?” Audry led on, deciding it was not good to use details in public.

Cringing, Jandra nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of obvious.”

“Not to a cynic like me,” Audry murmured, shaking her head at the linoleum under her feet. “I would have assumed he had just caught a disease.”

“So when did you find out?” Jandra asked.

“End of summer.” Audry shook her head. “Can I ask how deep you are in?”

“Next!” the cashier in the juice line called out.

Jandra stepped up. “Can I have a Very Berry Smoothie with protein powder?”

The guy nodded and quickly assembled it.

Jandra and Audry stepped off to the side to the cashier where the total was run up. Jandra paid by card.

“How deep…?” Jandra murmured. “That’s an… interesting question. Let’s walk to my apartment and we can talk along the way. I’m done with classes for the day.”

Once she got her drink, Jandra led the way. They strolled at a decent pace. Jandra kept her voice low. “I found out the truth about Bobo when I discovered what Troy was.”

Audry felt a tightness in her chest. “How did you find that out?”

Shrugging, Jandra sipped her drink. Once she swallowed, she whispered, “I was out with some friends. Bobo and I were kind of broken up because at the time he did not want to go the next step in our relationship—the way Troy and his girlfriend were. After watching those two together, I was jealous. I wanted the same thing, but Bobo was taking it so slow—only hand holding, kissing. No sex.”

That sounded pretty decent to Audry.

“Robert thought he’d hurt me if we made love,” Jandra said. Shaking her head. “I was angry. I didn’t understand. But anyway, I was out with my ladies and were partying, when all of a sudden I saw Troy. And this guy attacked him like a vampire. Troy body-slammed him, making the concrete crack.”

Audry drew in a breath. She had no idea Troy had that kind of strength.

“Yeah.” Jandra nodded in earnest. “He’s that strong. But anyway, I had called out his name when I recognized him, but that just made that vampire jump at me.”

“Oh crap! You didn’t get bit did you?” Audry looked her over.

But Jandra grinned, shaking her head and sipping more smoothie. Once her mouth let go of the straw, she said, “Nope. I had that tazer you gave me. I tazed the guy, and he dropped like a log.”

Audry chuckled. It was a good thing she had passed on her tazer then.

“But anyway, Troy and I took an Uber home—his home first—and we got to talking.” Jandra shook her head, staring at the sidewalk concrete as they walked. “And he proved to me that Bobo wasn’t lying to me about his condition, by proving to me he was a vampire.”

“How did he prove that?” Audry breathed out, worried.

“He made me try to find his heartbeat.” Jandra chuckled painfully. “I mean, it was mind blowing. A man with no pulse, no heartbeat, looks like a vampire, with white skin and vampire teeth, hardly a reflection, burns in the sun, and cold to the touch. I was convinced.”

Audry nodded. That was convincing.

“But then Troy’s girlfriend got murdered by another vampire,” Jandra said, sucking up the last bit of her smoothie from the bottom of the cup, “and Bobo came over to see if I was ok. He guarded me that whole night. That’s when I realized the truth.”

“Oh.” Audry shuddered, seeing the event in her mind’s eye. “Troy’s girlfriend was murdered by a vampire?”

Nodding, Jandra said, “I don’t know the details, but I do know Troy was running a support group for bite victims at the time. She was a bite victim he was trying to help. There was a whole scandal about him sleeping with her, which was why Bobo moved in with him. But anyway, the night I bumped into Troy he just had an argument with her and they were kind of broke up. But he went home, and she got killed by some stalker vampire when she went home. He’d been beating himself up over it since.”

Audry nodded. Yet she eyed Jandra with a question on her lips. “How much else do you know about the supernatural world?”

With a shiver, Jandra shrugged. “I don’t pry. And Bobo does not tell.”

Nodding slower, Audry wondered if that was good or not.

“I understand that their friends are weird—like that mind-reading cop, Matthew,” Jandra continued, walking a little slower. “I have a feeling something is up with Rick Deacon, though they won’t tell me.” Yet with a chuckled, she added, “But Bobo says that the less I know the safer I am. And for the first time in my life, I agree with that.”

Audry closed her eyes. Perhaps with Bobo, it would be true. He was indestructible—not on a Luke Cage level, but more like Deadpool.

“And, you know, I’m ok living on the border of weird,” Jandra murmured, spotting a trashcan to drop in her emptied cup. There was one for recycling, but as remnants of smoothie were in it, she dropped it into the regular can. “Bobo and I are even talking about marriage.”

Audry choked on the remnants of her smoothie. “What?”

Jandra smiled at her. “Sorry. Too shocking?”

For a moment, Audry shook her head, but then nodded. “A little.”

Laughing, Jandra nodded also. “I know. I never expected to fall in love with a guy as dangerous as my man, but he and I are like two halves to a whole. You know, the whole yin and yang thing.”

Audry raised her eyebrows at her, remembering a time when Jandra had said marriage was for simps. She had been convinced that it was a form a slavery. Apparently Jandra had changed her mind.

“Are you really that sure about that?” Audry asked. “You have no idea the things I have found out and seen about those people. Bobo is a good guy, but Troy is—”

“A good man,” Jandra confidently retorted. “A good man is someone who is dangerous, threatening, powerful, but chooses goodness. A weak man is not even a man. He’s impotent. And that is even more dangerous than the one who is naturally dangerous and chooses not to harm others.”

That was true. Audry frowned because she knew that to be true. It was why she like the more dangerous predators.

Yet she said, “But what if something just as dangerous as what killed Troy’s girlfriend, like a vampire, comes after you?”

That gave Jandra some pause. Yet she said, “Well, Bobo swore on his life—you know the one that can’t be killed?—well he swore that he would make sure that never happens.”

Audry closed her eyes. “Do you know about the SRA?”

Looking to her, Jandra nodded. “Yes, I do. They told me all about them, just in case. And…” she dug into her purse and lifted out a familiar key fob “…they gave me this.”

Visually taking in the Egyptian cross shape, Audry nodded, breathing deeper. “Ok.”

Yet as Jandra put it away, she looked to Audry. “You don’t have to worry about me. I am in as deep as I want to be. But I gotta ask, how much do you know?”

Audry cringed, halting. “A lot.”

Jandra raised her eyebrows. “How much?”

Shaking her head, Audry sighed, “I know everything you know, and I think a few more of their secrets.”

“And you are scared for me?” Jandra murmured, breathing carefully.

Taking in her friend who had been there for her in Green Club, but also when she had trouble with Hogan, Audry nodded.

“Don’t be.” Jandra wrapped her arm around Audry’s shoulders. “I am well-protected. And I know from rumor that Rick is making sure you are also.”

Audry stiffened. Jandra had to know. Even if she did not know now, she had to tell her.

“I…” Audry shook her head. “You know that wolf I love?”

Jandra nodded, laughing. “Sure do. You are obsessed with it.”

“I found out… He’s actually Rick Deacon,” Audry said, peeking sideways at her. “Rick’s a werewolf.”

Halting, Jandra’s jaw dropped. “No way, girl.  He isn’t.”

Audry nodded firmly. “He is. Go ask Bobo. Just like Troy is a vampire. There are werewolves. And I fell in love with one.”

Jandra stared more, visible chills going over her. Those pedestrians passing by weaved around them.

Coloring, Audry explained, “I found out the wolf was the man I’ve been—”

“Crushing on, but would not admit it,”