Chapter 47

I closed my eyes and scrunched them tight.

Waiting seemed to take forever. Then something big landed softly beside me and I heard the click of wolf claws on the metal of the bus roof.

Startled, I opened my eyes. Wolfmother stood beside me, bristling at Sharpfang. She barked sharply and my wolfbrother dropped out of his attack stance. But he wasn’t happy about it. He glared at me and backed up without taking his eyes off mine.

Wolfmother came close and made a small sound in her throat. She looked into my eyes and I saw sadness there. She knew who I really was!

I was so happy to see her and I’d missed her so much. Without thinking I reached out to touch her. Sharpfang growled a warning but Wolfmother ignored him and took another step toward me. She shivered as my claws brushed her fur but didn’t move away.

I settled my hand on her back. My heart bubbled over with love. But I could feel her trembling under my monstrous paw. She knew I wouldn’t hurt her but it was against all her instincts to let a monster like me touch her.

Something seemed to break in my chest and flood my insides with warm liquid. I felt the muscles of my hideous face tighten and stretch. What was happening to me?

Liquid fogged my keen eyes and splashed down my hairy cheeks. I was crying! Great monster tears rolled down my face. Wolfmother raised her head and licked the tears from my cheeks.

I’d never be a wolf and maybe I’d never be a real boy. But I was human enough to cry.

Sharpfang barked softly. The moon was setting and there was a hint of dawn light in the sky.

I watched the wolves until the last tail disappeared silently into the swamp. Then I slipped off the roof of the bus and, slinking under the windows so none of the kids would see me, I went back to Mr. Clawson’s car where, somehow, despite everything that had happened, I fell deeply asleep.