(I own nothing but my oc Rose thorn)

Kelsey and I were standing on a precipice. Technically, She was just standing in line at a temp job office in Oregon, but it felt like a precipice. Childhood, high school, and the illusion that life was good and times were easy were behind her now. Ahead loomed the future: college, a variety of summer jobs to help pay for tuition, and the probability of a lonely adulthood, well that is what she told me at lease. I never went to school, why. Well for one thing. I'm a wolf. Yes you heard me a wolf.

I was roaming the streets when I came across Kelsey. I have been with her ever since. I am very protective over her.

The line inched forward. It seemed like we have been waiting for what seemed like hours trying to get a lead on her summer job. I notice people staring at me. i just simply growled and they looked away. what haven't they seen a wolf before. "Easy girl" Kelsey told me. When it was finally our turn, She approached the desk with me close by her. The woman gestured for her to come closer and silently told her to sit down. I laid down beside her chair. After she hung up, Kelsey handed her the forms that she filled out, and the lady mechanically began the interview.

"Name, please."
"Kelsey. Kelsey Hayes."
"Age?"

"Seventeen, almost eighteen. My birthday's coming soon."
She stamped the forms. "Are you a high school graduate?"
"Yes. I graduated just a couple of weeks ago. I plan on attending
Chemeketa this fall."
"Parents' names?"
"Madison and Joshua Hayes, but my guardians are Sarah and
Michael Neilson."

"Guardians?"
Here we go again, I thought. Somehow explaining my life never got easier.
"Yes. My parents are . . . deceased. They died in a car accident when I was a freshman."

She bent over some paperwork and scribbled for a long time. I saw kelsey grimaced, wondering what she could be writing that was taking so long.
"Miss Hayes, do you like animals?" I growled which caused her to jump a bit. I chuckled silently to myself. She pointed to me. "What is that thing doing in here" I growled at her. I'm not a thing lady. I screamed in my head. "um well this is Rose my wolf. I have been taken care of her. She refuses to leave my side" Kelsey said "I mean, sure, I love animals." She added.

The woman didn't really seem to care about about her response, and she handed her a posting for a job. In my opinion she just wanted me out of there.

"NEEDED:
A TEMPORARY WORKER FOR TWO WEEKS ONLY DUTIES INCLUDE: TICKET SALES,
FEEDING THE ANIMALS, AND CLEANING UP AFTER PERFORMANCES.
Note: Because the tiger and dogs need to be cared for 24/7, room and board are provided" Kelsey read out load so I could hear. So a circus could be fun. I recall my human offering to take her foster pack children to see this circus.
Rebecca, who is 72 moons old, and Samuel, who is 48 moons old, so that Sarah and Mike could have some time to themselves. Kelsey my not be a pup any more but she still acts like one.
"So, do you want the job or what?" the woman asked impatiently. I really wish to bite this woman's head off. She should never speak to Kelsey in that kind of way. Kelsey scratched behind my ear which calmed me down.

"A tiger, huh? Sounds interesting! Are there elephants, too? Because I have to draw the line at scooping up elephant droppings." I heard Kelsey giggle quietly at her own joke. I just rolled my liquid golden eyes but the woman didn't so much as crack a smile. My human soon accepted the job and the woman gave her a card with an address and she instructed her to be there the next day by 6:00 a.m.
I could clearly see my humans displeasure of this order. "They need me at six in the morning?"

The worker just gave her a look and shouted "Next!" at the line shuffling behind us.

What had I gotten myself into?" i heard her thought to herself. "Well pup at least you got a job" I thought back to her. as we climbed into A metal box i believe the humans call a car and headed home. i heard her sigh. " I know but seriously a circus" she told me. " It could be worse. you could be working at one of those places where they sale horrible made quick food" i thought to her. "i kniw your right rose and it's called fast food" she said. i chuckled "i'm always right pup" "Circus' are fun. I just hope there aren't any elephants." She said.

You are probably wondering who I am and how I can talk to my human well it will be explained in time but I will tell you this much. I am no ordinary wolf.

Living with Kelsey pup's alpha's was okay for the most part but i perfer the wilderness over this closed off den. They do give me freedom to roam and plenty of meat to satisfy me. So I'm not complaining. Not having to worry where my next meal is or having to hunt. This is a family and my pack. Though they are my really family but it's the closes I or Kelsey have.

kelsey parked the car carefully in the garage and opened the door for me to get out. we headed into the house to find Sarah attacking a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Pup went to get a drink as I layed down by the door way.

"Making vegan cookies again, I see. What's the special occasion?" Kelsey asked.

Sarah jammed the wooden spoon into the dense dough several times as if the spoon were an icepick. "It's Sammy's turn to bring treats for his playdate."

My ears twitched as i heard kelsey pup snigger but coughed to cover it up.
Sara narrowed her eyes at her shrewdly. "Kelsey Hayes, just because your mother was the best cookie baker in world doesn't mean I can't make a decent treat."

"It's not your skills I doubt, it's your ingredients," Kelsey boldly stated picking up a jar. "Substitute nut butter, flax, protein powder, and agave. I'm surprised you don't put recycled paper in those things. Where's the chocolate?"

"I use carob sometimes."

"Carob is not chocolate. It tastes like brown chalk. If you're going to make cookies, you should make—"

"I know. I know. Pumpkin chocolate chip or double chocolate peanut butters. They're really bad for you, Kelsey," she said with a sigh.

"But they taste so good." I waged my tail in agreement. Kelsey pointed to me. "See even Rose agrees" kelsey pausing before continued. "By the way, I got a job. I'm going to be cleaning up and feeding animals at a circus. It's at the fairgrounds."

"Good for you! That sounds like it will be a great experience," Sarah perked up. "What kind of animals? And would they allow rose to go with you"

"Uh, dogs mostly. And I think there's a tiger. But I probably won't have to do anything dangerous. I'm sure they have professional tiger people for that stuff. But I do have to start really early and will be sleeping there for the next two weeks. And of course they would let rose come along" Kelsey said. I rolled my eyes "you lied at the end young pup" I thought to her.

She looked me "oh hush you" she thought to me"
"Hmmm," Sarah paused contemplatively. "Well we're just a phone call away if you need us. Plus you will have Rose to protect you. Would you mind taking the brussels sprouts casserole a la 'recycled newspaper' out of the oven?"

I soon walked out of the room drawing bored of the conversation. I pushed the dog door, they had installed for me, out of the way and went out side. It was a full moon tonight.

I let my thoughts wonder to my past. It has been many years since I was cursed to take on a second form my current form. A wolf. I was once a human of the age 20. I have been like this for over 520 years. I can shift back in forth to each form. But I prefer to stay in my wolf one. I have black fur and golden eyes.

I was soon pulled out of my thoughts as Kelsey called me to came in. Does she know of my curse. Nope I have not told her. The right time has not come but it is soon. The only way for me to break it is to find true love. A man must except me all of me in both forms. As the saying goes.

Kelsey's p.o.v.

Quietly, I climbed the stairs to my bedroom with Rose on my heels. It was small and cozy, with just a simple bed, a mirrored dresser, a desk for my computer and homework, a closet, my clothes, my books, a basket of different colored hair ribbons, and my grandmother's quilt.

My grandmother made that quilt when I was little. I was very young, but I remember her stitching it together, the same metal thimble always on her finger. I traced a butterfly on the worn-out, raggedy-at- the-corners quilt, remembering how I had snuck the thimble out of her sewing kit one night just to feel her near me. Even though I was a teenager, I still slept with the quilt every night.

I changed into my pajamas, shook my hair free from its braid, and brushed it out, flashing back to how mom used to do it for me while we talked.

Crawling under my warm covers and patted my bed to let rose know she can lay on my bed.

Rose Is a strange wolf. She is very smart. If I didn't know any better I would say she's human. I still don't understand how I can communicate with her. Yeah she told me that it is a pack bonding link thing but I don't see her doing it with the rest of the family here. Rose is very wise and gives great advice. But I hate it when she calls me pup though. I even told her that.

'Pup I believe you must go to bed for you must awaken early tomorrow' rose thought to me with out opening her eyes. "Yes mother wolf" I said sarcastically. I could just imagine her rolling her eyes.

I set my alarm for, ugh, 4:30 a.m. and wondered what I could possibly be doing with a tiger so early in the
morning and how I would survive the three-ring circus that was already my life.