Somewhere

Chapter Eight

Cooper, a person I had known my whole life was telling me he was a werewolf.

I shook my head as my brain worked harder than it ever had in its life, even harder than when I took Chemistry in high school, to understand that silver wolf from before was Cooper. Cooper was a wolf and a person. There wasn't enough werewolves in movies to help me understand this situation better.

"How? When?" I stuttered. Him admitting to being a werewolf was the very last thing I prepared myself to hear from him, but what would be the truth? I did just see him transform from being a wolf. My eyes stayed desperately locked on him. He was my anchor. I had to hold onto the fact that I knew him. I knew him. I was the expert of Cooper Blackwood.

At least I still hoped I was and asked, "What does that mean? To you? For you? Does it hurt?" I closed my eyes and pulled myself together. My voice was as steady as I could make it and I curled my hands into a fist. "What does you being a werewolf mean?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. I can change at will. There's another half to me. My instincts and my mind are driven by something more," he explained, rubbing my cheeks.

He was desperate too to keep me from losing my mind. He fingered through my bangs, bridging them out of the way. His eyes widened for just a moment before they sharpened into a scowl. I knew that look. The last time he looked at me like that I had wrecked my bicycle on the curb and needed a rock pulled out of my chin and five stitches.

"Okay." Cooper's brow lowered in that way he was trying to solve a problem, which meant I was the problem, so not everything had changed. "Even if I can change into a wolf, I'm still me and we can talk about this all you want. We can talk about this for days, but I have to get you to a hospital. I'll drop you off and then—"

"No!" I pushed him and the world tilted. My brain melted into slush and splashed against my skull. I shuddered, holding back the vomit tickling the back of my throat. I closed my eyes and stayed firm. I argued back, "You have to go to the hospital."

"Sam," he said as if I already had one foot in the ground. "You were in a car accident."

"If you don't go to the hospital, I won't."

"Sam. I'll be fine. I'll heal, I'll—"

"If you don't go the hospital, I won't." I shook my head. I didn't care if he really was some mythical beast. He wasn't going to push me around. I studied the outline of his person and my mouth started moving on its own. My thoughts made me eager. "Show me again."

"Sam," Cooper sighed and fingered back his matted hair.

"I need to know this is real, so show me again."

With a nod, Cooper walked backward, and he took his warmth with him. I shivered, crossing my arms and holding myself, preserving whatever heat I had left. Keeping his eyes on me, he walked back into the center of the path, among the audience of junkyard cars. Maybe he thought I was going to run away. He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. I licked my lips tasting dirt, my own sweat, and a little copper. In a flash of brilliant white light, the wolf appeared.

The wolf shared all of Cooper's cuts and bruises. His coat was less shiny now. His bright silver eyes were glued to my face, but the wolf didn't move. I took a step forward, realizing we were the same height. This really was something supernatural, seeing a wolf closer to the size of a bear. My heartbeat could be felt in every inch of my body, my skin, my bones and yet, I could still walk towards him on my jelly legs. Carefully, I reached up and the wolf's head bowed. My hand only hovered over his fur before I worked up the courage to actually touch him.

"Coop," I whispered, slowly stroking the wolf's head. The wolf nuzzled against my touch and I laughed nervously and scratched the wolf's ears. From nowhere, my tears returned with a vengeance, pouring down my face. He expected me to be afraid and yet, I was relieved for the first time in five years. I finally had it all. The truth. The reason. And best of all, I had Cooper back.