(Jedrek)

“Jed!” My father grabbed my shirt and shook me. “What did you do?! Look at this. Why? Why?!”

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. I did it. It kind of just happened; I didn’t have a clear answer to why.

“Is he alive?” my mother exclaimed. “Tell me he’s still alive.”

I knocked my father’s hands off me and backed up. “It’s dead.” I tossed the gun into the truck. “I shot it in the head. It’s dead. There’s no coming back from that.”

My father glanced around at the three of us. “You have to go. Now! You can’t stay.”

“What about Jax?” said Ricky. “He’s at the house. We need to get him.”

My father grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the driver’s seat. “Take your siblings and run. Amanda?”

“No,” stated my mother. “I will not leave Jax. Don’t you dare even suggest it.”

“We could get Jax—” I offered.

“You three, go!” He shoved me into the hood. “Now. Give yourself a fighting chance because when the werewolves find out, they’ll slaughter us all.”

“Then come. Dad—” I reached for him.

He batted my hand away and went to my mother. He led them to the truck and put Maggie in the backseat. “Get moving! Now!” 

Ricky nodded and did as he was told. I watched them run down the road. I just wanted to reverse time, just an hour. I’d end this differently—I just needed an hour.

“Jed!” my brother called.

“I got it.” I dragged the werewolf away from the wheels and into the grass. 

The radio in the truck started making noises. We weren’t going to get anywhere. I spotted something in the back seat by my sister’s feet. I snatched the blowtorch and climbed behind the wheel. Someone on the radio kept talking. I unplugged it and yanked the box out. After hurling it into the cornstalks, I closed my door.

“We’re fucked, we’re so fucked,” muttered Ricky.

I started the engine and drove to the nearest grain field. I pulled over into the ditch.

“What are you doing?” asked my brother. “We have to go!”

“I’m giving them something to do.” I lit the torch and walked into the golden stalks, nice and dry and ready for harvest. I made a loop before coming back to the truck and getting inside. The flames were already spreading as a breeze pushed them along.

“Oh my god,” whispered Ricky as the fire spread. “We are so fucked.”

I slammed the door and drove onto the next field. Lighting the torch, I hurled it out into the dry grass by the cornfield. That should keep them busy, for now, at least.

***

I stared down the pothole-filled road, still in a state of shock. I killed a werewolf. It deserved to die. The mutt attacked us. It was self-defense, but I doubt the pack would accept that as an excuse. I was so fucked.

“Do you know where we’re going?” muttered Ricky.

“South,” I replied.

Maggie was crying softly in the seat behind us. We should have left her. If I tested well, I was fairly sure my siblings’ blood would test well, too. I shook my head. I didn’t want her to be a werewolf; I didn’t want any of them to be turned into damn dogs. The pack would kill my parents. Jax—I let out a deep breath. I had really fucked up. I’d admit that.

“What are we going to do when we get to the south?” asked Ricky. “It’s a desert, from what I’ve heard. How are we going to survive?”

“Find free humans. I hear groups are looking for recruits all the time. They help people like us—humans trying to escape the werewolves.”

“Rumors,” Ricky scoffed. “Can you see Maggie hunting werewolves?” He shook his head. “We’re not going to survive this.”

“I did it,” I stated. “I shot him.”

“Yeah, but I was there,” Ricky snapped. “Guilty by association. There’s no proof that I didn’t help you.”

I swallowed hard. “If we get caught, I’ll confess.”

“That’s not going to save us,” muttered my brother. 

Maggie’s crying was getting worse. It was grating on my nerves, but it wasn’t like I could yell at her for it. I messed up her entire life. 

I tightened my hold on the steering wheel. “I used a blood testing machine.”

“What?”

“I tested my blood,” I stated.

“When? How?!” He banged his knee on the dashboard. 

“A while ago, I went with a group to the abandoned house, and some guy got his hands on a machine. The werewolves were patrolling, so everyone ran, and I was curious, so I did it.”

“And?” He eyed me.

I let out a deep breath. “I’ll confess to killing the werewolf.”

“And?!” Ricky snapped.

“It was good, alright! God.” I clenched my jaw. “I killed the goddamn werewolf because it was too fucking good, and I’d rather die than become one of them.”

“So you’re going to bring us down with you.” Ricky motioned to himself and Maggie. “What about us, Jed?! Don’t we get a say? I know you hate them. I don’t like them either, but given the choice between mating material and death, I wonder which one we would choose.”

“Don’t even say that,” I muttered. “It’s disgusting to even think about.”

“Our dead mutilated bodies are a better thought?” offered my brother. “Our corpses being dumped in a mass grave is so much better than us being covered in fur. Gotcha.” He turned away from me, shaking his head.

I slammed on the brakes, jolting them forward. “If you want to go back, start walking. Now you know.” I threw up my hands. “Our fucking genes make prime werewolves. Our parents would be so proud.”

“Our parents might be dead!” He gripped the center console. “You knew we had good genes and kept it from all of us. Jax could live a full life. Mating with a werewolf would heal him.”

“I know!”

Ricky cursed under his breath. “What if they kill him before they test his blood?”

“They always test first,” I muttered. “Midfield is too damn greedy to let anything good go. It’s not like Jax pulled the trigger. I did it. You’re both innocent. Do you have a piece of paper? I can write my confession, and you can wander back and hand it over. I already have a death warrant out for me. It doesn’t matter how good my blood is; I’m a werewolf killer.”

“We’re not,” stated Ricky. “As you said, we didn’t do anything.”

I shrugged. “Make up your mind. I’m going south.” I motioned down the road. “You can come or go.”

“You mean it about the test?” whispered Maggie, wiping her eyes. “They won’t kill us, right?”

“That goddamn machine was glowing green for me,” I said in disgust. “It should be the same or at least decent.”

Maggie reached forward. “Let’s go back. Ricky, please. Let’s go back. I don’t want to die. I want to be with Mom and Dad. I’m okay with being a werewolf. I know you hate it, I know that.” She started to sob. “I don’t want to die.”

Ricky rubbed his face. “I need to take her back.”

“I know,” I replied sharply. “I get it. I shouldn’t have let you come in the first place. Dad just shoved you in the truck. If you go back, they’ll probably be more likely to believe I did it. I’m the one running.”

Nodding, Ricky opened his door. He walked around and opened mine.

“What?”

“Come here.” He pulled me out and hugged me. “You’ve always been a stubborn bastard, but I’ll miss you.”

I hugged him back. “I’ll be fine. If anything, I’ll go down fighting.”

“That doesn’t make it easier.” He stepped back and helped Maggie out. 

My sister fell into my arms. “I love you, Jed. Just run. Run really fast. If any of us could do it, it’s you.”

Holding her, I rocked side to side. “I’ll be okay.”

Ricky grabbed her hand. “Get going. The truck gives you a head start, but once you’re out of gas, it’s a foot race. No werewolf-run city is going to help you.”

I scoffed. “Thanks for the reminder.” I slid behind the wheel. “Follow the smoke back. I was nice enough to give you a sense of direction.”

Shaking my head, my brother waved. “Good luck.”

“You, too.”

“We don’t need it. Keep it all for yourself.” Ricky pulled Maggie along as they headed back toward our small town.

I watched them for a moment before shifting into drive and continuing south. It was better this way. It was better as long as the werewolves didn’t slaughter them. Ricky was smart. He’d surrender, and they’d want to put on this big show of executing the werewolf killer, so they’d have a chance to plead their innocence. 

I glanced in the review mirror to see their small figures growing farther and farther away. This was probably the last time I would see them. I couldn’t go back. I did it. I pulled the trigger, so now it was up to me to survive as a known werewolf killer.