Opposite Side Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Friday came on them quickly like most weekends. Weekdays were usually uneventful. But on the weekends that’s when the good stuff went down. But Friday was the full moon. And full moon meant every Opposite went neutral. You broke neutrality and you got an automatic death sentence, no excuses. Everyone usually all took off to some deserted campsite or most went to Yosemite.

The bears liked Yosemite, which was known for seeing bears all the time. The wolves were torn between there and the hills were the other camp areas were. Even on a neutral night they liked being away from Supervisors.

Supervisors had strings everywhere. Up high, down low, in dirty drug alleys to the capital. So on full moons usually Yosemite was closed down to only Opposites. Supervisors patrolled just in case a human got to close. And sometimes it happened from time to time.

Leslie and Colin watched as Patrick tried to get his third ball in the basket. It bounced off the rim. “Well that sucked,” Colin said. “We should go back to the balloon darts.”

Full moon always came with a carnival. Cheap rides and thrills, before the moon made even the most powerful change. A few howls rode the spring winds; some of the wolves in the crowd raised their faces and sniffed. Wolves liked to mate on the full moon, tons of exceptions can be made when you are no longer human.

The three walked along the games, while the carnies shouted for players and more importantly money. Leslie’s hair rose as she felt the call. Her eyes looked at the moon, shining brightly above the valley, and then moved down to the crowd. Nathan walked through the crowd, his second and third standing on each side of him like good enforcers. No matter where you went or what kind of wereanimal you visited all clans were the same. You had your king or queen/ their mate if they had one, their enforcers then the alphas, and then the pets of the group the lessers. But unlike the wolves, which Jonathan was all powerful, Nathan gave the Bears a say to a point. Letting them vote for, what the world sees as a school council. You have the secretary, the treasurer, ect.

He stopped as did his two enforcers. “Hi guys, having fun I see?” Nathan said noticing the stuffed animals Patrick carried.

“Totally all his,” Colin said. “He’s trying to get the big one.”

“Aren’t we all,” Jorge, Nathan’s third said with a warm smile directed at Patrick. Leslie and Colin noticed the exchange of smiles between them and the wink. Leslie saw neither Nathan or Albert hadn’t noticed. Actually Albert seemed to be glaring at her. He leaned in and whispered something to Nathan.

“Now is not the time,” he said in a low voice. He left the two enforcers and walked over to her. “Can we talk for a second?”

“Sure.” She handed her stuffed monkey to Patrick’s ever growing mound and walked off with him.

Nathan had no destination in mind, he just walked. “Don’t mind Albert, he’s just mad about the whole basement thing.”

She snorted. “I’m still mad.”

His hand moved. Her heart started to speed up at the thought of him touching her. Her body yearned for his touch, and oh so much more. It made her skin heat up; just then the call of the moon hit her, making her knees weak. Nathan grabbed her making sure she didn’t fall. The power of it went from her into him. He looked at the moon, his eyes turning that green-gold which she now thought of as his bear eyes.

He closed his eyes, and shivered. “Not yet,” he said to himself and opened his eyes looking at her. “You feel her? You feel the moon.”

“I do, always have. I’ve never told anyone.”

“Blood witches are touched I know, because I heard you guys have more power on the full moon, but not touched like a wereanimal. That is how I feel her. You don’t change?”

She shook her head and stepped away from him. “No, but my skin feels on fire at times.”

The moon touched her once more. And again her knees felt as if they were going to give in. He grabbed her, and guided her behind a group of big redwoods. She pushed him away. “You have to stop touching me.”

He studied her in silence for a while. “It’s been worse since-”

“This is the worst it has ever been.” The moon called her again, and she grabbed onto the tree. Her eyes closed tight pinching out a tear as her spine bowed in pain. And then a calming hand seemed to smother over her. She opened her eyes. Nathan wasn’t touching her, but his hands ran up and down her body. His eyes were focused as his hands moved. The pain left. She let go of the tree only to collapse in his arms.

“I can only stop the pain for so long. You have no beast, but you are going through the change. The symptoms anyway.”

“Oh excuse me,” a man said as he rounded the corner. He was a rather normal looking man. He stood five-eight, with brown hair cut short, he wore slacks and a nice jacket that fit the cold weather of the valley. His head seemed more oval and heavy than normal, giving it an almost ancient look. Cavemany. No wrinkles, but laugh lines, around the moth and eyes. And they all knew that he loved to laugh. His nose seemed almost bulbous in shape, but it was his eyes that made him seem more then what he was. White, no pupils, no nothing. It creeped Opposites and humans out all the same.

“It’s okay Mr. Forever. Leslie is feeling ill.”

“My dear, the moon seems to be affecting you more than normal. I find that very interesting.” He lit a cigarette, and took in a deep drag. “Sorry the girls don’t like me smoking around them, says it’ll kill me.” He laughed.

“You know that I feel the moon?”

“I know a lot of things.” Mr. Forever is and has always been known by that name. It’s rumored that he had been around since the earth was created. Some whisper he is God, others say an angel, banned from heaven. No one knows much, other than if you need a question answered you can go to Mr. Forever, but some time the price can be much pricier.

“I’ve got bear in me don’t I?” Leslie asked.

He gave a raspy chuckle that turned into a big belly laugh. He finally calmed down. “That is what I like about you Leslie. You just come right out and ask questions. Never once asking about the price. You also don’t seem scared or weirded out by me.”

“You weird me out Mr. Forever. I just don’t have time to play around.”

“Good answer. I like that. From what I remember your great uncle was a bear, he had no children, but from what I remember, which is hard for a man my age,” he said with a small smirk. “your line goes on for some time of bear and blood witch.”

“I can’t be both,” she said.

“No. But you can have the bear tendencies. You are like a mix-breed. Your body fought the blood, and made you a blood witch instead of a bear. Rare, I do say since the bear blood I thought would be more dominate, since you do come from a very long line of very powerful witches. Each taught to suppress the power, and for a while the werebear only came out. But now it seems your blood wanted to be a were-blood-witch. You should bring the boys over one night, and we will talk more about this. For now, experiment, maybe you will get more powers, maybe you have already started to see them, maybe there is more of a change waiting for you.”

“I don’t think I need any more power.”

He tsked her. “My dear, we both know deep down that everyone wants more. Next week, I will be looking forward to it.”

They watched as Mr. Forever disappeared into the darkness. “I think Mr. Forever might like you.”

She shivered at the thought. It wasn’t a very nice thought, having the oldest being in the world like you. “Are you jealous?” she teased.

He gave her a thoughtful look. “Perhaps.”

She knew she couldn’t hide the flush that she felt. But before she could say anything. Carlotta and Rich walked by. Leslie reached out and grabbed Nathan pulling him close, so they wouldn’t be seen. “Is the strength new?” he whispered.

She shrugged. “I guess.” She watched them disappear around some bushes. “Come on.”

“Leslie, this is all neutral.”

“I know but still, come on.”

They followed behind them at a good enough distance not to be detected. They finally found themselves hiding in some thick brush. In front of them were a bunch of werewolves. Jonathan sat alone on a fallen tree trunk. He seemed to be shaking as if cold. Carlotta, hitched over with age and smelling of herbs, stopped close by their hiding spot. She leaned heavily on her cane as Rich talked.

“I can’t keep making this. I am running out of supplies, soon I’ll be all out,” she said.

“I’ll help. We can do it together. We have already passed it along, and it’s going to make you a lot of money.”

“I like money, and if you help then maybe we can get a lot more done. Here,” she pulled a small bottle of liquid from her pocket. “Jonathan looks like he needs it. But unless I can get new supplies there isn’t going to be more.” She turned and left.

Rich went over to Jonathan. He took out an insulin syringe from his coat pocket. He stuck it in the bottle, and checked by the light of the moon to make sure he had it right. Jonathan struggled out of his shirt. Wereanimals only needed jackets to look cool and fit in with the regulars. Rich took the syringe stabbing it into Jonathan’s arm. Jonathan shoved him away hard, and threw back his head, and howled.

“I smell bear,” he said as he looked around. His eyes swept by them twice.

“We are in bear country,” James said.

“I think someone saw what happened. Go check.”

This time it was Nathan who pulled Leslie along. She ran with him, not quite as fast, but enough to keep from falling on her face. He pressed her up against a tree, and pressed his lips hard against hers. From the corner of her eye, she saw a wolf briefly stop to watch. She kissed him back with just as much ferocity. She closed her eyes, hoping the wolf had left, and actually wanted to enjoy the kiss. But Nathan pulled away. His eyes were now more of a goldish green, they were large and bright.

“It’s time,” he said in a whisper. “Get back to Colin. You don’t want to see this.”

“Don’t think I can handle it?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want you to see me do this, the change is hard.”

She gave him a small smile. “It’s in my blood remember. You change, I can take it.”

He shook his head, and before she could blink an eye his t-shirt hit her in the face. She grabbed it, as he unbuttoned his jeans. She turned around then, face beat red. “You can take it huh?”

“I’m giving you privacy.” She heard him move behind her. He let out a small groan. And a small groan escaped her lips, as the moon call hit her again, hard. Nathan used his power and took the call for her. Then there was the sick wet sound, and the sound of breaking bones. She turned around to face the huge bear looking at her with those lovely gold eyes. She had never seen him or Patrick in bear form. He was huge like all bears, the size of a pony.

He turned his head, as if wondering if she was scared. She moved to him hand out. His large tongue licked it. She ran her hands through his unbelievably soft brown fur, that electricity still there traveling up through her arms.

“I bet you have to get to your clan,” she said. He gave a small roar.

“Have fun, I’ll see you later,” she said and watch him bound off into the trees.

Sound behind her startled her just a bit; she turned but not quick enough as pain exploded in her head, she didn’t see stars or birds. But as the darkness ate her, she felt another pain, which didn’t belong to her. She knew who it belonged too. She passed out before she could call out to him.