Werewolf



 

“This isn’t happening,” Archer says. 

 

He’s still protesting and has been since we left the Cave. Mia is still asleep in my arms. She looks so soft, bundled up like this. Myself, Wyatt and the Hayes brothers are all walking back to their pyramid. They insisted we take her back there after Mia’d been out of her crib for so long. The walk is short but I’ve barely been able to say anything. In fact, I think I’ve said three words since she was put into my arms. They’ve been bickering back and forth the whole time.

 

“Give it a rest, Arch,” Beau snaps. “You’ve given us no solid reason as to why she shouldn’t take care of the kid.”

 

“You all saw how she drew the knife on me!” Archer says. “She’s insane just like her batshit step-dad.”

 

“Hey!” Wyatt chirps. “That’s my dad your talking about.” Archer whirls around and jabs his index finger into Wyatt’s chest.

 

“Your dad sugges



 

I immediately made up my mind.

 

The baby reminded me, not only, of my mother but of my childhood.

 

My mother would often skip dates she was asked on in order to watch the kids she was hired to take care of. It wasn’t until thirteen that I finally noticed how lonely my mother was. So I told her I’d watch the kids for a few hours while she got ready and went out. I’d spent my nights holding diapers and feeding bottles while my mom sifted through dickwad after dickwad. 

 

It wasn’t until Isaac that she finally came home happy. She blushed when I asked her how it was. That kind of joy was the reason I kept watching after the kids. I’d picked up a few skills myself and managed to turn out as a pretty good care taker.

 

Plus, I had lived the life of an Untouchable for only a few hours and it was so brutal. I couldn’t how those people spent their entire schooling in that dingy ca



 

The baby is out of my arms for a half a second before she bursts into tears. The dickwad, Archer, is holding her protectively to his chest. His brothers rush to his sides. Wyatt stands in the doorway to the Cave, slack jawed.

 

“You bitch!” Archer snaps. The baby wails louder. “You think this is funny? Bringing the baby into your little game of being the most difficult person on campus!?”

 

The baby is screaming now, eyes welled with tears. I try and reach for her but I’m immediately held back by two of the other brothers. Beau and the one with long hair pin my arms to my sides.

 

“You’re hurting her!” I cry.

 

Archer ignores me.  “This was a mistake,” he snaps. “Mark my words, I’ll make your life a living hell from now on.”

 

I try and lurch forward again, out of the brother’s grasp. I manage to get off the seat and onto the floor. I’m grappling along to the floor. Beau snatches my wrist and forces me to my knees. I’m looking up at Archer and the baby, hate and malice burning within me.

 

“I didn’t steal her!” I yell. “I woke up and she was in my bed and – and I didn’t know where she came from but she was happy and – I was going to tell you and –”

 

“Enough!” Archer bellows. “I know you took her. Our pyramid is about a mile from here. Are you telling me the kid walked?”

 

Archer clenches his grip on the baby. His arms ripple around her and she wails louder. He’s suffocating her without even knowing it. I fight against the other brothers. 

 

“You’re hurting her!”

 

“Shut up!” Archer snaps. His arms tense even more around her.

 

“Archie,” The brother not holding me down warns. He’s nervously looking back and forth between me and the baby.

 

“I cannot believe you’d try and take something from the Hayes pyramid!” Archer goes on. He’s ranting now, glaring down at me and screaming. I wriggle again. 

 

“Archie,” the same brother warns.

 

“Arch,” Beau grunts, fighting to keep me still. “Ease up on the kid.”

 

The baby gurgles, her face becoming a bit purple from the exertion of sobbing. The fight against Beau, knowing his grip is loosening. 

 

“Archer!” The other brother holding me down says. “The kid’s freaking out. Let her down.”

 

“She’s suffocating!” I screech.

 

“FUCK!” Archer yells. 

 

His biceps relax and he shifts the baby to the nervous brother. He immediately wraps his arms around the kid and starts to hush her. He looks entirely out of place.

 

“How do I make it stop?” he says, hurriedly.

 

“Rock it!” Beau says.

 

The nervous brother starts swinging the baby in the air. The movement is erratic and makes her even more upset.

 

“Gods damned it, Steven,” the long haired brother snaps. “Not like that. Give her to me.”

 

He lets go of my one wrist and Beau captures it in his hands. I wrench my arm out but I’m locked in. The baby girl is absolutely inconsolable now. The long haired brother takes her into his arms and rocks her gently. He soothes a hand over her head. The rest of the brothers watch one. The nervous one, Steven, chews on his lip.

 

“Give her to me!” I snap.

 

“Absolutely not,” Archer sneers over the wails. “You’re not getting your dirty hands on her anymore than you already have.”

 

“She’s not calming down,” the long haired brother says. “I don’t know what to do.”

 

Wyatt finally pops in. He’s finally managed to snap out of his daze. “Maybe she needs food,” he says. 

 

“We don’t have any fucking food, Wyatt,” Archer snaps.

 

“Go get some, Beta,” Beau hisses from behind me. Wyatt darts off out of the Cave.

 

“She’s not hungry!” I say. “She’s scared. You’re scaring her.”

 

“She’s gonna cry herself to death,” Beau chirps. 

 

“Shut up, Beau!” The long haired brother says. “I’m trying.”

 

“Well try harder, Neil,” Beau throws back.

 

We’re getting absolutely no where and the baby is not calming down at all. The Untouchables are all gathered in a corner, anxiously watching along at the baby they were just giggling with. I try one more time.

 

“Give. Her. To me,” I grit out.

 

Neil looks down at me then up at Archer. Archer is glaring daggers at him. 

 

“Don’t you dare.”

 

“Give her the damn kid!” Beau finally cries, releasing his hold on my wrists. 

 

I stagger forward and catch myself on my hands. As soon as I regained my balance, I’m reaching for the baby. Neil puts her in my arms gently then backs up. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Archer seething in rage. He goes to scream at Neil just as the baby hiccups. 

 

I look down at her and we make eye contact. Her eyes are so big, so blue. They seem to glow under the dim light of the Cave. She blinks twice and the tears collected in the corner of her eyes stream down her cheeks. She gives a slight whimper and I immediately coo back at her. The next noise she makes is a bit happier, followed by another giggly gurgle. Shockingly, the kid starts to break into a smile. 

 

I boop her nose playfully. She giggles back and wraps her tiny hand around my index finger. I stroke her back with my other thumb and let her nestle between my arms, full of happy baby noises. Finally, I allow myself to look up. The other brothers look shocked. 

 

“Alright,” Archer says. “That’s enough. Give her back.”

 

He goes to grab her from me and I immediately shield her. Neil grabs Archer’s wrist. He looks at his brother and shakes his head.

 

“Don’t,” he says. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen that kid smile. And in her arms. That can’t be a coincidence.”

 

“She looks so at peace,” Steven says from behind Neil. “It’s amazing.”

 

“It’s luck,” Archer snaps.

 

“I dunno, Arch,” Beau says from besides me. “I gotta admit, she may be the only one at this school fit to take care of Mia.”

 

“Mia?” I look up at Beau. “Is that her name?”

 

He nods. “That’s the only thing it said in the card when we found her.”

 

“Mia,” I repeat and look down at the kid. She squeals in delight.

 

“Gods above,” Neil hisses in disbelief.

 

There’s some thudding from the hallway leading to the room. Wyatt comes in like a bat out of hell holding a massive jar of applesauce. “I got this,” he huffs. Beau stands up and crosses the room. He pats Wyatt on the shoulder.

 

“Good work, Beta,” he says. “But I think your baby sister is doing juuuust fine without it.”

 

I look back down at Mia. Her big blue eyes are now closed. Her tiny fist is locked around my finger still. I look up at the brothers and swallow thickly. This may be worse than being an Untouchable. 

 


“This isn’t happening,” Archer says. 
 
He’s still protesting and has been since we left the Cave. Mia is still asleep in my arms. She looks so soft, bundled up like this. Myself, Wyatt and the Hayes brothers are all walking back to their pyramid. They insisted we take her back there after Mia’d been out of her crib for so long. The walk is short but I’ve barely been able to say anything. In fact, I think I’ve said three words since she was put into my arms. They’ve been bickering back and forth the whole time.
 
“Give it a rest, Arch,” Beau snaps. “You’ve given us no solid reason as to why she shouldn’t take care of the kid.”
 
“You all saw how she drew the knife on me!” Archer says. “She’s insane just like her batshit step-dad.”
 
“Hey!” Wyatt chirps. “That’s my dad your talking about.” Archer whirls around and jabs his index finger into Wyatt’s chest.
 
“Your dad suggested this psychopath be allowed in Moonriver,” Archer sneers. “Among all the people of high soci

#Chapter 8: Deliberation