[39] Wolf at the Door

Chapter 39: Wolf at the Door

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The walk back to the reservation felt longer than the hunt itself. Dawn painted the desert in shades of rose and gold, but I couldn't appreciate the beauty.

My mind kept circling back to that orange pulse of the Omnitrix that had long gone by now, the new DNA sample integrating into the watch's matrix. Blitzwolfer was cooking in there, and I had no idea how long it would take.

The reservation looked different in the morning light. Where last night had been warm lights and the sounds of community, now I saw fear. Tourists loaded their cars with frantic efficiency, shoving suitcases into trunks like they were fleeing a war zone. A family hustled past us, the kids clutching stuffed animals while their parents shot nervous glances at the desert.

Well that’s not good.

"Grandfather, they're leaving," Kai's voice cut through my thoughts. She stood near the cultural center's entrance, watching the exodus with a saddened expression. "All those tourists..."

Wes placed a weathered hand on his granddaughter's shoulder. "The storm brought more than rain, little one. Fear has deep roots."

"But it's not fair," she said, and for the first time since I'd met her, the non expressive girl sounded young. Vulnerable. "We need the tourist revenue. The summer season just started, and if word spreads about a monster..."

She didn't need to finish. I could do the math. Small reservation, limited income sources, dependent on tourism. One bad season could mean the difference between keeping traditions alive and watching them fade into memory.

An idea sparked in my brain. Stupid, brilliant, or maybe both.

"Wait," I said, loud enough to make everyone turn. "What if they're not running from a monster? What if they're coming to see one?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Ben, what are you talking about?"

"Think about it!" I was already pacing, the plan forming as I spoke. "People love being scared when it's safe. Horror movies, haunted houses, ghost tours. What if instead of denying the Yenaldooshi, we lean into it? Make it an event. The Yenaldooshi Festival—come experience the legend for yourself!"

Kai stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "You want to turn our sacred stories into a tourist trap?"

"Not a trap," I corrected quickly. "An experience. Controlled, respectful, educational. Use illusions and atmosphere to give people a thrill while teaching them about actual Navajo culture. Turn fear into fascination."

The silence stretched long enough that I started to second-guess myself. Then Kai's lips curved into the first real smile I'd seen from her.

"That's..." she paused, searching for words. "Actually brilliant."

The admiration in her voice made something warm bloom in my chest. Beside me, I felt more than saw Gwen tense.

"It could work," Wes said slowly, traditionalist hesitation warring with practical wisdom. "If done with respect. Our stories have always been meant to teach."

"Perfect!" I raised my wrist, already scrolling through the Omnitrix dial. "I'll transform into Ghostfreak, give them a little preview to spread the word—"

I clicked down on the watch face.

Nothing.

The Omnitrix remained stubbornly orange, pulsing with that slow, steady rhythm of processing. I tried again, harder this time. Still nothing.

"Come on," I muttered, tapping the watch like it was a broken TV. Aw dammit, this is embarrassing. Right after that speech?! I’d forgotten that unlike the future iterations, the very first Alien DNA Scan took quite the time to process.

"His watch needs to recharge," Gwen cut in smoothly, stepping forward with that particular brand of confidence. "But that's okay. I'm much better at illusions anyway."

The look she gave me was equal parts 'I've got your back' and 'you owe me big time.' I nodded, grateful and slightly embarrassed. First time the watch had failed me when I actually needed it.

"You can do illusions?" Kai asked, interest replacing disappointment.

Gwen's smile turned sharp. "Oh, honey. I can do a lot more than that."

****

What followed was six hours of controlled chaos that would've made P.T. Barnum weep with joy.

Gwen, with Kai providing cultural context and authentic details, wove magic through the reservation like a master artist. Petroglyphs glowed with ethereal light, telling stories in moving pictures. Spectral coyotes darted between buildings, close enough to thrill but never to threaten. Ghostly drums echoed from the canyons, keeping time with tourist heartbeats.

I played ringmaster, leading groups on "tours" where I mixed actual Navajo history with carefully sanitized versions of our encounter. The werewolf became a guardian spirit, the flood a cleansing ritual, the hunt a metaphor for facing one's fears.

"And if you look carefully at the mesa," I told a group of wide-eyed tourists, "you might see the Yenaldooshi's eyes watching. They say it appears to those pure of heart. Orrrr those who leave generous donations at the gift shop."

Nervous laughter rippled through the crowd. Behind them, Gwen made two pinpricks of light appear on the distant rocks. The laughter turned to gasps, then excited chatter. Cameras came out. Social media posts were typed.

By noon, cars were arriving instead of leaving.

The plan was a success.

I found myself sitting on some supply crates near the parking area, watching our improvised festival with satisfaction. The fear was gone, replaced by the controlled thrill of a good scare. Families posed for pictures near Gwen's glowing petroglyphs. Kids begged their parents for "authentic Yenaldooshi tracking gear" from the gift shop, which was really just repurposed hiking equipment with some mystical symbols Kai had approved.

"Not bad for a morning's work," I said to myself.

"You saved us."

I turned to find Kai approaching, two bottles of water in hand. She offered one to me, then surprised me by sitting on the crate beside me. Close. Closer than necessary.

"Gwen did all the work," I said, taking a long drink. "I just had a dumb idea."

"Don't do that." Her voice was soft but firm. "Don't minimize what you did. You saw a crisis and turned it into an opportunity. You took something that could have destroyed us and made it work ten times better."

She was looking at me differently now. The cold assessment was gone, replaced by something warmer. Something enough to make a young man’s pulse quicken.

"Plus," she added with a small smile, "I already thanked Gwen. Extensively. She's very proud of her magical talents."

"She should be. She's amazing." The words came out before I could stop them.

Kai studied me for a moment. "You care about her a lot."

"She's my cousin. Of course I care."

"Hmm." The sound was neutral, but her eyes said she'd noticed the way I'd watched Gwen work, the pride in my voice when I talked about her. "Family bonds are important."

An itch started on my arm, sharp and sudden. I scratched absently, but it only seemed to make it worse. The skin felt hot, oversensitive.

"You okay?" Kai asked, noticing my discomfort.

"Yeah, just—" I scratched harder, leaving red marks on my skin. "Probably just the heat."

But even as I said it, I knew something was wrong. The itch was spreading, crawling up my arm like invisible insects. And beneath it, something else. A hunger that had nothing to do with missing breakfast. Oh, is it finally here…?!

Kai's hand covered mine, stopping my scratching. Her touch was cool against my overheated skin.

"Ben," she said quietly. "Your eyes..."

I blinked, and the world sharpened. Colors became more vivid, sounds more distinct. I could hear individual conversations from fifty feet away, smell the mixture of dust and sweat and something uniquely native-girl.

"What about my eyes?" My voice came out rougher than intended.

She didn't answer, but the way she was looking at me with part concern, and part something else told me enough.

The change was starting.

****

The Rust Bucket's cramped interior had never felt smaller for Ben Tennyson.

He sat at the dinette table, devouring his fourth sandwich in as many minutes. Crumbs scattered across the surface as he tore into the food with an intensity that made everyone else exchange worried glances.

"Slow down, Ben," Max warned from his position by the stove. "You're going to make yourself sick."

"Can't," Ben mumbled through a mouthful of turkey and cheese. "So hungry. It's like there's a hole in my stomach that won't fill."

Gwen watched from the couch and a quiet expression, her magic book forgotten in her lap. Her cousin's transformation was accelerating faster than any of them had anticipated. Silver fur had sprouted along his arms, his ears had elongated into points, and when he smiled—which wasn't often now—his canines were noticeably sharper.

But it was the height that really threw her off. Ben had shot up at least six inches in the last hour, his clothes straining against new muscle mass that seemed to appear between one breath and the next. He looked older, dangerous in a way that made her magic charms pulse with sympathetic warning.

"Your body is changing to match the Yenaldooshi's essence," Wes said solemnly from the doorway. The old chief had brought supplies such as silver pendants, various herbs, and a hand-drawn map of the local canyons. "The creature's bite carries old magic. It seeks to make you like itself."

Um, how do I tell him? Ben wanted to correct him, to explain about alien DNA and the Omnitrix's sampling process, but the words died in his throat. Everyone here had seen magic at work. Gwen's abilities had saved the reservation just hours ago. If he started talking about alien species and DNA collection, he'd have to explain how he was so sure. Better to let them believe what they wanted.

"There is a cure," Wes continued, producing an ornate silver pendant. "This, dipped in the juice of the Árbol del Matrimonio cactus and pressed against the creature's heart, will defeat the creature. When the creature is defeated, Ben’s curse will be shattered."

Kai leaned forward, interested despite the tension. "The Marriage Tree cactus? But grandfather, those are incredibly rare. They only grow in the deepest parts of the canyon system."

"Which is why you'll need to find one quickly," Wes replied. "Before the transformation completes and Ben loses himself to the beast."

"I'll go," Gwen said immediately, standing up. "My magic can help locate it."

"You'll need a guide," Kai added, also rising. "Someone who knows the canyons. I'll go with her."

The two young women looked at each other, an entire conversation passing in that glance. Gwen saw the challenge in Kai's eyes, the unspoken claim. Kai saw Gwen's protective instincts, the cousin who was perhaps more than just a cousin.

"Fine," Gwen said after a moment. "But we move fast."

"Agreed," Kai replied.

Max cleared his throat. "While you two search for the cactus, Wes and I will track the Yenaldooshi. Ben's... condition might actually help. Werewolves can sense their own kind. And it’s not as if Ben doesn’t have experience fighting with transformed bodies."

Ben stood abruptly, the motion fluid and predatory. The table groaned under his grip, wood splintering slightly. "I can smell it," he said, his voice deeper, rougher. "Faint, but there. Motor oil and ozone and something else. Something wrong."

"Given how it was messing with technology last time, likely hating all the metal and radiation from those things in his terrain, I think it must be heading for the NASA satellite station nearby," Wes said, checking his map. "Twenty miles west, isolated. Perfect for whatever it's planning."

While they organized further, Kai approached Ben. The others busied themselves with preparation, giving them a moment of privacy. She reached up and up, for he really had grown tall, and touched his face.

"Your eyes," she said once again, tracing the now-slitted pupils with gentle fingers. This time, she finished her words. "They're beautiful."

She’s a furry or what? Instead of talking about the fur covering his body and face, she talked about his eyes. Despite that thought, Ben found himself leaning into her touch, something primal in him responding to her lack of fear. Where others might have recoiled from his changing features, she seemed fascinated.

"Be careful out there," she whispered, and there was real concern in her voice now. "Whatever you're becoming, don't lose yourself to it. Come back to us. Come back to… me."

The moment stretched between them, charged with possibility. From the doorway, Gwen watched with a sinking heart as Ben's clawed hand came up to cover Kai's, holding it against his cheek.

"I will," he promised, and his voice carried the weight of an oath.

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