That Shifter Love

Chapter 5

A few hours later, Nathan left Lucy’s apartment after securing dinner plans with her that evening. He kissed her soundly and told her he couldn’t wait to see her later. She smiled at him from her doorway until the elevator had closed.

Lucy shut her apartment door and leaned against it, sighing happily. She felt a little sore after their lovemaking, but she had every intention of bringing him home again after their date tonight. She couldn’t believe what was going through her mind: I think I’m in love. She smacked herself in the forehead at the insanity of that thought. I’ve known him for one day! What is this, Romeo and Juliet?

Coffee was calling her name, even though she hadn’t made it yet. She grabbed the pot, the filter, and the coffee to make the coffee. As it was percolating, she walked back to her bedroom to get her phone. She had a friend, a werebear, who she’d met the first month she’d been here. He was a strange old dude who lived in a tenement building unoccupied by anyone other than himself. He owned it but refused to rent out any of the other twelve apartments. He had named each apartment after a month and lived in that apartment during that month. He’d furnished them all from thrift shops and Goodwills. She had no idea how he paid for any of it, but she assumed he had a ton of money somewhere.

“Hey, Chopper,” she greeted when he answered. She didn’t know his real name, only the nickname she assumed he’d given himself at some point in his life. “Lucy here. Remember me? From the coffee shop?”

“Hello, Wolfie!” He’d given her a nickname as well. She wasn’t sure if he even knew her real name. “How’s my favorite werewolf?”

“Your favorite? That’s rich,” she teased. “You haven’t come to see me in months.”

“Well, sweet thing, I have to spread the wealth of my company around. Don’t you worry, I’ll be around your way again soon enough,” he replied. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call? You having troubles?”

When they’d met, Chopper had known immediately what she was and had asked for her specifically to wait on him. He’d offered his help to her as a newcomer anytime she needed it and had visited her at the café several times over the next few weeks. He’d eventually given her his phone number and told her to call him if she needed anything at all. Then he’d disappeared. This was the first time she’d called his number.

“Kind of, I think,” she laughed. “That sounds a little crazy, huh?”

“Nothing sounds crazy to a crazy man, sweet thing,” he responded happily. “Tell ol’ Chopper what’s happening?”

“The other night a man attacked me, and I shifted to protect myself.” She heard his intake of breath and continued before he could interrupt. “I know I’m not supposed to, Chopper, but he was going to ra*e me.”

“Jesus, girl, I’m glad you’re ok,” Chopper said. “But I sense that’s not the end of the story.”

“Not by far. A guy named Nathan from something called the Guard followed me that night and saw. He came to the café the next day and asked to speak with me.” Lucy finished the story, telling about the kidnapping, the argument with Marissa, and the meeting with the Head. She left out the s*x with Nathan part. “So what I want to know is, am I safe or should I be worried?”

Chopper was silent for a few minutes. She could picture his gray hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, his old school glasses on his point nose, his eyes squinting because they weren’t the right prescription. She’s learned that if he didn’t answer right away it was because he needed to think about the right answer. She also knew he had an astute mind and his answers were usually accurate.

After another moment of silence, he spoke. “First of all, stay clear of them. I don’t like them at all, but I don’t like any governing body, so that’s not saying much.” He chuckled at himself quietly before continuing. “I understand the necessity of having the Guard in a big city. From what I understand, all big cities have something like them.”

“So I need to keep my distance?” Lucy asked, her mind on Nathan and how that would work. If she needed to stay away from the Guard, did she have to include him? Probably.

“I would. Don’t shift unless there’s a dire need, and even then only after you’ve considered every other option.” He paused and made a humming noise as if considering something. “I’m going to tell you a story, and it’s not to scare you, it’s to inform you.”

Lucy pressed the phone hard against her ear. When Chopper told a story, there was always a lesson to be learned. “Ok, I understand.”

“When I was about your age, a lovely werewolf was accused of attacking and nearly killing a human. She claimed it was defense, and even had a bad wound on her chest, but a witness stepped forward and claimed she came out of nowhere and attacked the man with no provocation that he could see. The Guard had no choice but to mete out punishment. The Head chose to banish her rather than have her executed. Rumors ran around that he knew why she’d really attacked the man, even though she wouldn’t say. No one knows why for sure.”

“So she was banished? Is the punishment usually death?”

“For attacking a human? Depends. If the human dies, yes, the were will be executed. If he or she lives, it depends.”

“Do you remember the woman’s name? Where she went?” Lucy asked. She had a dreadful feeling; the scar on the chest of the woman tugged at her memory and her heart.

“Ah, girl, you know I’m not good with names,” Chopper replied. “But I think it was Mary or Mary Jane, something like that.”

“Maryann?”

“Could be. I don’t remember for sure. Anyway, the Guard, while they do protect us, I honestly believe their first concern is protecting humans.”

Lucy nodded, her mind elsewhere. When he called her nickname, she shook her head and apologize. “Sorry, there, Chopper. Got lost in thought. Hey listen, you come by the café and see me sometime. Don’t make me come find you.”

He cackled. “I’ll try to swing by soon, sweet thing. Call me if you need something.”

“Will do. Thanks.” She heard him disconnect and slowly lowered her phone to her lap. He wouldn’t be by anytime soon, but she believed he meant it when he offered his assistance.

She smiled sadly to herself and remembered when she’d been a little girl waiting for her mother to finish showering. When she’d stepped out of the shower stall, Lucy had seen a scar arching across her chest from her collarbone, between her bre*sts, and down across her ribs. She had asked about it, and her mother hadn’t answered. She’d never seen her mother without clothes again.

Maryann attacked a human and had been banished for it.

*****

“I’m glad Marissa wasn’t in here when Lucy said her mother’s name. She would have been all over that,” Nathan claimed.

“You’re right. That’s the most famous case of a were in the city attacking and nearly killing a human. We still don’t know why, and she refuses to speak to anyone from the Guard about it,” the Head replied morosely. He remembered the case clearly; it was still a mystery. He was surprised she hadn’t changed her name when she’d left town.

“I don’t think Lucy knows anything about it or she wouldn’t have said her name. And it’s weird her mother didn’t at least mention the Guard when she knew her daughter was moving here,” Nathan mused.

“I’ll bet there was a big fight when Lucy told her parents about her decision,” the Head murmured.