Sinclair

“Hmm, where oh where could my little pup be?” My mother’s velvety voice came from just beyond the cabinet where I was hiding. I pressed my hands over my mouth to stifle my giggles, but a few small sounds still escaped.

“Aha!” Mom flung open the cabinets two doors down, shouting triumphantly, then softening her tone to another thoughtful hum. “Not in there.”

She mused aloud, and I could almost see her rubbing her chin in thought. As she moved closer, I climbed along the shelves, clambering over towels and washrags to settle in the cabinet she had just searched and found empty. A shaft of light burst into the dark cupboard as my mother opened the doors where I’d just been sitting; another delighted cry escaped her lips.

She didn’t seem disappointed to have failed again; on the contrary, she sounded impressed. “Ahh, he’s a sneaky little sausage,” she observed sagely. “That’s very good. All the best hunters can track their targets as silently as a ghost.” I could hear her footsteps circling, and I knew she could smell me, but I was doing my best to outsmart her.

“In fact, the very best predators can sometimes trick their prey into thinking they’re the ones doing the hunting… when really, they’re about to be someone’s dinner!” Her voice rose at the end as she lunged for another cupboard. It was getting harder and harder to hide my giggles as she failed to find me, but I knew she was enjoying this as much as I was. I shifted again, crawling silently to the very last cupboard in the mansion’s huge laundry room.

“What was that!” My mother’s voice sharpened, and I could see her freeze through a small crack in the door. “Oh, I wish my fierce little wolf were here to protect me! I think I’m being watched!” she fretted loudly. “I certainly hope something terrible isn’t about to jump out and scare me.”

Right on cue, I leaped out of the cupboard with a ferocious roar, pouncing on her and toppling her to the ground. She cried out dramatically, throwing her arm over her eyes to protect herself from the terrible sight of her attacker. “Oh no! A vicious rogue! Please don’t eat me!” she begged. “I have pups!”

“Mommy, it’s me!” I laughed hysterically, trying to pull her arm away from her face.

Slowly, she lowered her arm, blinking down at me in surprise. “Oh, Dominic, thank goodness! You’ve gotten so big and strong I didn’t even recognize you. I was sure I was a goner!” Her shock and relief lasted only a moment, and then she sat up, a familiar spark in her green eyes. “Such a rascal—scaring me that way!” She prowled toward me, waggling her fingers in obvious threat. I backed away, my pudgy hands outstretched in preparation to ward off the imminent attack. “And you know what happens to pups who play tricks on their Mommies, don’t you? They get a visit from the tickle monster!” She lashed out and snatched me up, her hands fluttering over my tummy, tickling me mercilessly.

Within moments, I was on my back, squealing with mirth and trying to push away her hands. When I was laughing so hard I could no longer breathe, I pounced again, putting a stop to the tickle monster’s relentless assault. I was only six, but my mother was so small that I already stood as tall as her shoulder, and I must have been at least half her weight. I flattened her to the laundry room floor, sprawling on top of her and resting my cheek on her breast, breathing in her familiar scent as I tried to catch my breath. Her arms came around my back as I snuggled in, gentle fingers stroking my hair.

“There’s my sweet boy,” she murmured, hugging me tightly.

“Mommy, I’m a fierce hunter,” I corrected her indignantly, rolling my eyes at her silliness. “Deadly predators are not sweet.”

“Says who?” she inquired, sounding slightly affronted.

“Um, says everyone,” I explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Alpha warriors don’t come home from battle and run to their Mommies for cuddles. They go drinking, hunting, and kissing she-wolves.”

“And what do you know about drinking and kissing she-wolves?” My mother countered, playfully narrowing her eyes. “Have you been sneaking out to the pub at night?” She gasped, gripping my arms. “How many wives do you have? Tell me right now!”

“None!” I laughed. “I promise!” Of course, she didn’t need to know that I already had a girlfriend. Knowing how mothers worry, she’d probably overreact to learning how fast I was growing up.

“Listen to me very carefully, Dominic,” Mom replied after a moment, trailing her fingertips up and down my back. “The best Alphas and the best warriors are the ones who know that fighting is a last resort. They don’t do it because it’s tough or manly; they do it because they have to protect their pack. They do it for love of their family and people—nothing else.” She explained sternly.

“You can never forget that duty, or that your power is a grave responsibility. Love is not a bad word, and sweetness is not weakness—these things are your greatest strengths. You have to promise me that you never stop coming to me for cuddles, no matter how old you get; that you’ll never lose this side of you, Dominic.”

I nodded, feeling the truth and conviction in her words, and secretly feeling relieved that I didn’t have to act like I didn’t care in order to be strong. I didn’t want to stop hugging my Mom; I just thought that it wasn’t allowed in order to be a real man.

“I promise,” I agreed easily, thinking of my father then. He was always touching and flirting with Mommy, and always told Roger and me how much he loved us. He made time to play with us and read bedtime stories, and always comforted us when we were hurt or scared. He never shamed us for those feelings, even if the rest of the world made those things seem wrong. But then again, he was the most powerful wolf in the pack, so if he could do it, it must not be wrong. Maybe it was everyone else who had things backwards.

We were still lying there when the fire alarm began blaring. Mom sat up with me still in her arms, scenting the air. We both smelled smoke at the same time, and she immediately jumped to her feet. She set me on the ground and led me up the stairs, her eyes scanning the manor around us with hawk-like intensity. When we reached the front hallway, with the door only a few meters away, she released me and nudged me toward the exit. “Get outside, baby. Go straight to the guardhouse, and wait for me there.”

“But what about you?” I asked anxiously, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I have to find Roger,” she explained, gazing toward the upper stories. “Just go, sweetheart; I’ll be there before you know it.”

She kissed my cheek and dashed away up the stairs. I started to run outside when I heard the sound of a cat yowling in the distance. Oh no! Pancake! I thought frantically, picturing our new cat. He must be trapped!

I changed direction, following the sounds of the frantic meows. They carried me deeper and deeper into the smoky house, until I could actually see the flames climbing up the outer walls. Fear sliced through me, but I knew Pancake was close and I couldn’t leave him to die. I finally found the terrified animal cowering under the china cabinet in the dining room, a blazing inferno surrounding him.

The door had been closed, and there hadn’t been another way out, but I still found myself scolding the young tabby. “Pancake, what are you doing? Don’t you know about fire alarms? They mean you have to get out!” Shaking my head, I scooped up the fluffy creature. “What are you doing in a locked room anyway?”

When I turned back to the door, I finally remembered my school lessons about what to do in the event of a fire. When I opened the door, I’d let in a rush of air, feeding the flames. A wall of fire was blocking the doorway, and all I could do was tuck Pancake inside my shirt and hope I was fast enough. I sprinted forward and leaped through the flames, batting out sparks that lingered in my hair on the other side. I was choking and coughing, and belatedly remembered to crawl on the ground where there was more oxygen.

I was still crawling on one hand, using the other to hold Pancake still, when I heard my mother’s frantic screams. “Dominic!” she cried. “Dominic, where are you!”

“Mommy!” I called back, suddenly seeing her ahead of me. She had a wet rag pressed to her mouth, and her eyes were wide with terror.

“Dominic! What are you doing? I told you to get out!” she scolded, running toward me.

“I had to save Pancake!” I cried, holding up the petrified feline.

Mom’s expression softened. “Oh, of course! Poor Pancake.” She took my hand and began leading me out. “Come on, now; we have to go.”

My heart eased now that my Mom was here. I was still scared, but I knew I was safe as long as she was there. I didn’t know how the fire started, but it was amazing how quickly the flames had consumed the house.

Everywhere I looked was black with smoke and suffocating heat. I’d never felt anything like it. I felt like my skin might blister just from being in the same room with the fire.

We were almost to the entryway when there was a horrible rumbling and cracking sound above us, and before I understood what was happening, I was thrown forward through the air. An explosion rocked the mansion as I crashed to the ground, and when I turned back, I understood what had happened. The ceiling had caved in behind me, but Mommy was still trapped on the other side. She must have used all her strength to toss me out of harm’s way, even knowing she would probably end up trapped. I could barely see her through the flames; only her glowing green eyes remained. I wondered if she might shift, but I knew better—highly flammable fur is no protection from a fire. “Go! Dominic!” she shouted through the roaring conflagration.

“No,” I yelled, horrified. “I won’t leave you!”

“Go now!” Power rolled off her in powerful waves, carrying an authority I wasn’t yet strong enough to defy. I didn’t have a choice. My feet were moving without my consent, even as tears poured down my tear-stained cheeks. “No, Mommy! No!”

“It’s okay, baby,” she cried, and I could hear tears in her voice. “This is the way it should be. It’s okay.” She insisted again. “I love you! Remember who you are!”

I had barely stepped clear of the inferno when the entire house collapsed in on itself, sending a black mushroom cloud into the sky. Firefighters and guards surged around me, pulling me to safety, but I heard nothing but my own screams for my mother—even though I knew there was no point.

She was gone.