So this is my second story on fanfic. I own all my own OC's, but I obviously don't own these amazing books or the rights to them.

Chapter One: Train

I felt oddly trapped and my anxiety was getting to me. The door from the next car opened and the sudden rush or noise made me tense and it took every ounce of control I had not to bolt. Being on the run for most of your life did that to you, and finding Leela only added to my desperation and she confirmed what I didn't really believe was true.

I looked over to Leela, she was humming and totally oblivious to all the people. She was beautiful with waist length hair that was a deep coral red, he sea blue eyes seemed to reflect like water. Her beauty wasn't the only thing special about her, Leela was a mermaid, a genetically modified mermaid. That's how all their subject are, that's how I was.

I had found Leela in the river close to my house, she said bad people had caught her mother in a net and modified her genes, she escaped but barely. She had heard them talk about me and my family, so she came to warn me. But when she came out of the water and her tail dried, legs appeared, but Leela wasn't exactly herself anymore. She was bubbly, still sweet and still her but she wasn't all there. Like the modification changed how she acted out of her natural element.

The door opened and again I tensed. Simon came up behind me and I flinched at his touch. He backed off. I hadn't said a word to them since they found us, and following my lead Leela hadn't either…well almost, she told them our names which is why we we're on this stupid train in the first place.

"Zoey, please say something. Tell us your story or we won't be able to help," Simons voice was pleading but I couldn't trust anyone. Leela looked sad, she wanted to tell these people everything, but she only trusted me. Therefore she listened when I said we couldn't trust them. They were a big group. Chloe was a necromancer as I overheard and the doctor lady was her aunt. Then there was Kit Bae, he was the father of this Simon kid and supposedly the big guy that looked nothing like the father and son pair…he was Derek.

I could smell him, not in a bad way, to me Derek didn't stink, he just smelled like wolf. I knew what that meant and I couldn't take my eyes off him. Kit caught this and motioned for them to go to their seats. He left me and Leela in the viewing room, but at the last second he whispered something to Derek. I usually have good hearing but not that good.

Derek walked over and Leela started singing. Derek sat down and was hypnotized by her voice and that was the point. Her voice didn't affect me because she didn't want it too, it only affected him. I smiled and spoke for the first time since I met them.

"Who do you guys work for?" he looked at me and my heart skipped a beat.

"No one," his voice was deep and rumbling. He shouldn't have been able to break eye contact with Leela, he should have been a mindless zombie, lost in her eyes, drowning in them.

"Why did you kidnap us?" I almost let out a growl myself, but drained all emotion from my face as Kit looked into the window and smiled like Derek got to me, he hadn't.

"We didn't want to but the Edison group is on a tail and we didn't have time to convince you guys to come with us willingly," he growled and I don't know whether it was the growl or the sound of the Edison groups name but Leela faltered. That's all Derek needed to come back to himself, he shouldn't have been able to remember the incident but his eyes told me he did.

His voice was a low growl, "What the hell was that?" Leela hid behind me but I didn't back down.

"I had to make sure we weren't in danger," my voice was almost a growl too, which I can tell threw him off.

"What did she do to me? What is she?" he looked at her not with the fear I expected but with interest.

I looked at Leela, "You saw into his soul, can we trust him?" Leela looked between us and nodded.

"M-my soul?" he looked anxious.

"She won't tell you or me anything other than what you just heard," I looked into his eyes trying to see what Leela did. I couldn't.

"Okay what are you guys? I'm a.." I cut him off.

"Were-wolf," he looked at me and emotions crossed his face so fast that I couldn't interpret them. "What do I smell like to you?" I asked and he seemed thrown by the sudden softness in my voice.

He smelled the air, "You smell like smoke, forest, and rain. You smell like the earth and…" he closed his eyes as if lost in my scent. He leaned forward and I jumped back. He faltered just a bit, I almost didn't catch it. "She smells like the sea, and almost fishy…" his eyes lit up like he answered his own question. "She's a mermaid."

"Yes, and were both on the run from the same people," I paused and he looked like he was going to say something more but Leela started giggling. We both turned to her.

"He's with the necromancer, she's his mate," her singsong voice filled the almost empty room and I pulled her close to me and covered her mouth so the rest was muffled.

"Go and sit in your seat with these people, don't say a word. You can hum but don't sing. Don't talk to them and get yourself some water," I handed her money for the water and a couple of packets of salt. That earned me a look from Derek.

"What just happened?"

"She only drink salt water," I started out the window, even though all I could see was a cargo train passing.

"That's not what I meant but you already know that," he hesitated, "Let's talk about you then?" I was more comfortable with that, that way Leela could keep her secrets, I rather risk myself than her. She was innocent. I gave him a nod to continue. "What are you?"

"I'm Dine. Navajo, but only half," before he could say that wasn't what he meant I barreled on. "I'm Yee Naadlooshii," the whoosh of sounds had no effect on him. "It's Navajo for 'with it, he goes on all fours' or skin-walker." He looked at me like he was skeptical. "Don't look at me like that!" my voice was angry and surprised. "You're a freaking were-wolf and you can't believe I'm a skin-walker?"

"You have dark brown hair, glowing blue/green eyes, and high cheek bones. I knew you weren't white nor human from the moment I met you, but," when that word came I let out a low growl and glared, trying to burn wholes in his forehead. "But a skin-walker? Why haven't I or my dad ever hear of you?"

"Ask your dad, I bet he has."

"Skin- walkers are like shape shifters, right?" I nodded. "So what do you turn into?"

"Anything I want," I looked at him and he just nodded stared off, thinking hard I suppose. " The easiest forms are my wolf and eagle forms, but I can turn into a bear, coyote, mouse, owl, you name it."

"What else can you do?" his voice was soft, and I think I would have been more comfortable if he was growling.

"I'm a natural healer. When I touch animals I can see what they have seen. I also have a little control over them. We are supposed to able to do old Dine magic but I never got that far. My mom only knew a little of the old stories. She was white and my real father hadn't suck around very long," I stopped, I had gone too far.

I felt his gaze on me and I met his eye. I felt an odd kinship with him, he was an animal, like me. I pulled away first, whatever I felt it wasn't what he felt for Chloe, I knew that. He seemed to too.

So that was the first chapter of my new story! I hope you like and Please R&R :) thanks!