Authors: Christopher Golden

Prowlers: Wild Things (31 page)

"Over there," Molly said.

She pointed to a table near the back of the restaurant, and Jack smiled. Bill sat with his back to the wall on a chair that barely looked like it would hold him up. His arm was slung over Courtney's shoulders. Jack thought his sister had never looked happier than she did in that moment. Her cane was leaned against the table, forgotten, and she relaxed into the comfort of her lover's touch. Her hair was a bit shorter now, and styled with simple grace that flattered her features. She wore a lavender dress that was almost elegant enough to be called a gown, though a gown would have been too much for the Lotus Club.

Olivia Navarre wore burgundy leather pants and a half-shirt that showed off her silver navel ring to great effect. She stood beside the table, in animated conversation with Eden Hirsch, who had her arms crossed behind her back, a posture that gave her the appearance of a little girl. Sweet and wide-eyed, almost demure, Eden pushed the long black ringlets of hair out of her face and smiled, blissfully unaware of how incredibly out of place she looked in the Lotus.

Jack swung the shopping bag at his side as he and Molly walked over to the table. As they approached, Jack saw another figure coalesce in the air behind Eden, a shimmering, translucent form. The ghost of Artie Carroll wasn't dressed for a party, but he smiled broadly.

"Bro!" Artie shouted. "What the hell took you so long? I'm dying of boredom here. No one to talk to."

"Sorry we're late," Jack replied, returning the specter's grin.

"Hey!" Courtney said happily. "About time you guys got here."

Jack and Molly went around the table, exchanging the warmest of greetings with these people. When they got to Bill, Molly kissed him.

"Happy birthday," she said. "From both of us."

On cue, Jack handed him the shopping bag. "This is why we're late. Sorry we didn't have time to wrap it. Had a hell of a time getting them to do it in your size."

With a smile like a big kid, Bill slipped the tissue wrapped gift from the bag. When he peeled the tissue back, it revealed a thick cotton sweater of dark green knit. Bill held it by the shoulders and let it unfold, and on the breast was the name and logo of Bridget's Irish Rose Pub.

Bill smiled.

"You didn't tell me you were going to do this," Courtney said, obviously pleased.

"It's great, you two," Bill said. "Thanks."

Jack shrugged, glanced around the Lotus. "You've got a lot of responsibility these days," he said. An understatement, considering Bill was now Alpha to the largest Prowler pack on the Eastern seaboard — but a different kind of pack, one whose members had vowed to live peacefully amongst human beings.

Jack's gaze returned to Bill, and he stared gravely at his friend. "I wanted to make sure you never forget who you are. Where you belong."

The expression on Bill's face was equally serious as he rose and pulled Jack into a bear hug. "I won't, Jack," he whispered. "Never."

The moment passed. Jack and Molly pulled up chairs and soon enough they were all laughing together, enjoying the celebration of Bill's birthday. Molly sat close by Jack and was unusually quiet. Then, in the midst of a story Bill was telling, she leaned forward and spoke up.

"Sorry to interrupt, Bill, but the curiosity is killing me. It's your birthday, but you haven't said how old you are."

Bill and Courtney exchanged a long glance, then looked around the table. Everyone was watching closely, listening. Behind Eden, even Artie's ghost was paying attention.

"Do you
really
want to know?" Courtney asked.

The question startled Jack and he could tell that Molly was a bit unnerved by it. She thought about it, and so did he, and after a moment, Molly shrugged.

"I'm not sure, actually."

"When you really want to know," Bill said, "ask me again."

"He's an old man," Olivia said dismissively. "What more do you need to know?"

Bill shot her a playfully menacing look. "Weren't you going to play your guitar?"

Olivia flapped her hands. "All right. Going!"

She rose and went to get her guitar case from an empty booth behind them. When Olivia pulled out the guitar and began to tune it, Courtney took that moment to slide a bit closer to Jack and Molly.

"We can talk more about this tomorrow, you two, but I've been doing some research with my internet contact and I think we have another hot spot."

Jack felt Molly's fingers tighten around his. He glanced at her and a kind of silent communication passed between them. Molly even sat up a bit straighter, though Jack doubted she was even aware of it.

"Where are we going this time?" Jack asked.

Courtney sipped at her drink, held the glass in both hands as if warming herself on it. "California."

Jack laughed. "Why do I think we're not going to Disneyland?"

- THE END -

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the award-winning,
New York Times
bestselling author of such novels as
Of Saints and Shadows
,
The Myth Hunters
,
The Boys Are Back in Town
, and
Strangewood
. He has also written books for teens and young adults, including
Soulless
,
Poison Ink
, and
The Secret Journeys of Jack London
, co-authored with Tim Lebbon. His current work-in-progress is
Cemetery Girl
, a graphic novel trilogy collaboration with Charlaine Harris.

A lifelong fan of the "team-up," Golden frequently collaborates with other writers on books, comics, and scripts. He has co-written three illustrated novels with Mike Mignola, the first of which,
Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire
, was the launching pad for the Eisner Award-nominated comic book series,
Baltimore
. With Thomas E. Sniegoski, he is the co-author of the book series
Magic Zero
and
The Menagerie
, as well as comic book miniseries such as
Talent
, currently in development as a feature film. With Amber Benson, he co-created the online animated series
Ghosts of Albion
for the BBC.

As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies
The New Dead
,
The Monster's Corner
, and
British Invasion
, among others, and has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at
http://www.ChristopherGolden.com
.

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OTHER WORKS BY CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN