A Pack of Wolves: Yale

 

 Yale's Story

It was a peaceful Sunday afternoon on Bend 81. No meeting was held, and the house was all-quiet. The dogs were sleeping in the sun on the courtyard, the cats were doing whatever cats are doing –chasing vermin, making kittens, or simply sleeping on the bed. Lon was reading a book and Marten played a video game in the study.

Lin was making the tea. He whistled softly, enjoying the harmony. Life was so lovely lately. Everything was perfect. He was safe, he had a family, and there were no conflicts in the gang… Life was perfect. He poured the hot water in the pot and placed it on a tray with the cups and biscuits. “Marten, tea is ready!” he called to the other room.

 

Lon closed his book and smiled at him. Lin bent down to put the tray on the coffee table, when he suddenly dropped it.

 

Lon could catch the pot before it tipped over and burned his fingers. “Ouch!” he yelled. “Lin, what happened?”

 

But Lin just stared in the distance.

 

“Lin?” asked Lon again. “Oh shit,” he groaned when he got no answer.

 

“What’s up?” asked Marten.

 

“Trouble, Marty… Big trouble.”

 

“Why? What do you mean? What happened?” He walked around Lin to see his face. “Oh dear,” he mumbled. “Is he supposed to have eyes like that?”

 

Lin’s eyes were white.

 

The men were used to his eyes, which had no pupil or iris. They changed color all the time. Once you knew it, you could read them, since every color meant another state of mind. They were only white when he was reading someone. Every Wolf had experienced it. So had Marten, in fact. When he needed advice but couldn’t find the right words, he’d simply press his forehead against Lin’s. Then Lin’s eyes would turn white, and he would know exactly what he meant.

 

Lin’s eyes were white more often, but never just like that…

 

“Is he reading someone?” asked Marten.

 

“Apparently. I wonder who…”

 

“Is there danger?”

 

Lon shivered. “God, I hope not…”

 

They observed Lin in silence. The white haired man was standing frozen like a statue, staring at a point high on the wall opposite of him. They startled up when he suddenly sighed. “Yale,” he said.

 

“Yale?” said Lon disbelieving.

 

“Yale?” asked Marten, who never heard that name before. “Who is Yale?”

 

Lin sat on the couch and poured the tea in the cups. The men were staring at him, waiting for an explanation. “Yale is my brother,” said Lin calmly to Marten.

 

“Your brother? You have a brother?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“But I thought you were adopted?”

 

“I am adopted, Marten. My mother gave me up for adoption when I was three.”

 

“Yes, I know that… So he’s your half-brother?”

 

“No, Yale is my real brother.”

 

Marten shook his head. “Wait a minute. Your mother gave you away for adoption, but got pregnant by the same guy?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“But she gave you up because she was scared of you!”

 

“And she was too young, yes. And my father didn’t want me, since he was too young as well.”

 

“And yet, they did it again?”

 

“Yes. They were eight years older then.”

 

“And did she keep the baby this time?”

 

Lin sighed. “No,” he said quietly.

 

Marten looked at him with a disgusted expression. “I never met your mother, and I hate her already,” he said sharply. “Okay, so what? Adoption again?”

 

“No, this time my father took him in.”

 

Marten snorted. “When did you find out?”

 

Lin sighed again. He drank his tea. “When he turned twelve, Marten. Ten years ago.”

 

“How did you find out?”

 

Lin thought back at the night he discovered he had a brother.

That night, he had been sleeping peacefully next to Lon, as always, when he suddenly sensed something, tugging on his mind. He hardly woke up. His astral body shot into defense, grabbing whatever was touching him, and he opened his third eye.

 

In front of him, he found a pure white aura, with white eyes.

 

“What the fuck,” mumbled Lin’s real body, waking up now.

 

Let me go! he received in his mind. The aura struggled, but Lin held him tight.

 

Who are you? sent Lin back, snapping, angry by the rude awakening. He could see auras when he focused on people, but never had one between his fingers before.

 

Who are YOU? the voice in his head asked in turn. He struggled some more, and Lin was having a hard time holding him.

 

My name is Lin, answered the White Wolf. He noticed some items on the bedside cabinet were shifting slowly to the edge. My gods, he thought, such a strong mind… I’m born with the name Alexander Simmons. Tell me who you are. Or what you are, he thought to himself.

 

The aura suddenly faltered. Alexander Simmons?

 

Yes. Lin didn’t loosen his grip, but sat upright in bed, trying not to wake Lon.

 

My– my name is Yale… Yale Simmons.

 

You what?! Lin was stunned. He stared at the white eyes in the aura. I have a brother? His grip loosened a bit, and the aura slipped away from him. He tried to grab him again; full of questions, but suddenly, it was gone.

 

Lin fell back into the pillows. He had a brother… And a powerful one too! He tried to think hard about clues. The voice had spoken in a true American accent, so he probably was born in the US, just like Lin. That made sense of course, his mother Alicia lived in LA. But… having another kid? With Jorey?

 

Lin phoned his mother later that night, and demanded an explanation. Alicia wasn’t willing to tell him much, she was obviously not happy with the whole situation, and she didn’t ask him how he’d found out.

 

Yale lived with Jorey, since Alicia couldn’t handle him. Lin had no contact with his father at all, and very little contact with Alicia, so he simply never knew about his existence.

 

The next night, Lin reached out for Yale. He appeared easy to find, now that he knew what to look for. He sent out his thought. Yale Simmons… The answer was painful and unexpected, and Lin winched when the thought reached his mind. Jeesh, that guy was strong! He noticed how some items moved again, and he sent an angry bolt of energy towards the source, to stop him.

 

Don’t do that, he sent. You don’t have to prove yourself to me.

 

Get out of my head! screamed the thought, and the bedside lamp crashed to the floor.

 

Lon shifted, but didn’t wake up. Lin was getting sick of it, and sent another command, but no harsh one this time. This guy was in pain… Ssh… Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you, little brother. His soothing thought calmed the other down, and he realized the boy was crying. I’m here for you, always, I promise. Easy, Yale…

 

Life is awful! he heard the desperate thought.

 

Lin didn’t doubt that. Having such a strong psychic mind must be agonizing. Tell me about your world, Yale, he sent softly. Tell me what you see.

 

Nothing! cried the voice. I’m blind!

 

Oh God, Lin groaned to himself. Blind and psychic. Completely blind? he asked.

 

No… I– I see colors… Shapes… I don’t know what they mean!

 

Auras, thought Lin. The guy sees auras… I will teach you what they are, Yale. I will show you. I will give you control. Trust me.

 

It took weeks for Lin to win Yale’s trust, but he succeeded eventually. He taught Yale what the colors were, and how to read them. He discovered Yale had no control at all; his head was always filled with the thoughts of others. No wonder he had been so angry. Although Lin got exhausted every night he contacted Yale, he kept his promise, and he helped Yale by teaching him how to empty his head. In the end, the contacts were less often, but every time Yale needed him, he would reach out for his brother.

Marten let it all sink in. “So you have contact with him?”

 

“Oh, yes… Very often.”

 

“How come you never talk about him, then?” Marten was adopted by Lon and Lin three years ago, but had never heard about a brother or someone called Yale.

 

“I don’t know,” said Lin. He shrugged. “I guess there was nothing to tell…”

 

“And why don’t you have pictures of him?” He looked at the mantelpiece above the fireplace, which was covered in framed pictures of relatives and friends.

 

“There are one or two between them,” said Lin a little surprised. “You mean you never saw them?”

 

Marten walked to the frames. “Which one is Yale, then?”

 

“Well, the one with the Ferrari, for instance…”

 

Marten took it from the mantelpiece and looked at it. “You mean this isn’t you?” he said surprised.

 

“No, that’s Yale…”

 

“Are you serious?” He looked a little closer. “I always thought that was you!”

 

“In a way it is me,” smiled Lin. “That proves how much we are alike. We are true brothers, Marten…”

 

Marten placed the frame back and returned to his seat.

 

“Satisfied now?” asked Lin.

 

“Yes.”

 

Lon cleared his throat. “So much for introductions,” he said. “What’s wrong with him,

Lin?”

 

“He’s unhappy.”

 

“Again?”

 

“Oh, I know. But this time, it’s serious. He’s feeling miserable. And even that’s an understatement.” He shivered. “I can’t even explain it.”

 

“Why? What happened? Does he have a broken heart?”

 

“Hell no, you know Yale, he can’t have relationships.”

 

“I know, and that would make me very unhappy.”

 

“Why can’t he have relationships?” interrupted Marten. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he added quickly.

 

Lin thought for a while. “Because he reads people, constantly.”

 

“Okay,” said Marten slowly. “I don’t get it, but go on.”

 

Lon smiled at him. Before Lin could explain it, he said, “When you are with Zach, darling, do you know what he feels about you?”

 

“Well, yes, of course…”

 

“No, you don’t. You think you know what he feels, because you want him to feel it. You want him to long for you, to love you, to desire you. Right?”

 

“Yes… Of course.”

 

Lon nodded. “But Yale knows exactly what the other is feeling. He knows when the other isn’t thinking about him, but about the grocery, or about another, or about how he smells, or that he thinks he makes too much noise during sex… It’s like you want to watch a good movie while a radio is broadcasting a football match next to your ears.” He looked at Lin.

“Am I right?”

 

Lin smiled. “I couldn’t have told it better myself.”

 

“Mm… That would make me very unhappy too,” said Marten thoughtfully.

 

Lin nodded. “But this isn’t it, this time. Yale is so unhappy now; it has nothing to do with one thing or another. It’s everything added up, that makes him feel lonely.”

 

“He’s lonely?” said Lon softly.

 

“Yes. Lonely and unloved.”

 

“Oh, dear. And now what?”

 

“Now what?” Lin sighed very deeply. “I’ll tell you now what, Lon, he’s about to land on the airport.”

 

“Where?” asked Lon without thinking. He looked up when the words caught up with his brain. “Not here, he isn’t?”

 

Lin simply nodded.

 

“He’s here? In the Netherlands?”

 

Lin nodded again.

 

“Oh my God, what is that guy thinking? Does he think at all? He just left the US and came here? Without asking, or telling anybody?”

 

“Yep, he just landed in Amsterdam, a few seconds ago,” sighed Lin.

 

“Marvelous! And now what?”

 

“Let’s see who can pick him up, shall we? We can’t just let him hanging around there, not in the state he’s in at the moment…”

 

Lon emptied his cup and stood up. He walked to a cabinet and opened a cigarette pack. Angry, he lit one. He inhaled deeply. “Shit!” he snapped.

 

“Give me a cigarette too, Lon, I sure need one myself.”

 

Lon gave them the pack. “Lin, please, what shall we do now? Will he be living here? We have no bedrooms left!”

 

Marten looked up. “I’m not forced to move out I hope?” he asked shrill.

 

“Calm down, you two! It will all be okay in the end. Don’t jump to conclusions. And no Marten, you will not be forced to leave. You’re our son, for Christ sake. First, we’ll pick him up and talk to him.”

 

Lin touched his ear, where a very small phone was hidden. “General,” he said clearly, and then “Who’s near Amsterdam at the moment?” A few seconds later, he touched his ear again. “Joshua! Why am I not surprised. Are you with Carl? Oh good. Say, can you pick someone up at the airport for me? Mm. Yes, right now, I’m afraid. Can you manage it? Great! Who you have to pick up?” He thought for a second. “Me,” he said.