A/N: All recognisable characters/place/themes belong to Kelley Armstrong. This story was written a very long time ago and I came across it recently while looking through an old computer. I'd appreciate feedback and constructive criticism and will probably edit what I post but thought I'd post and see what people thought. I wrote this as I a young teenager who was relatively new to Women of the Otherworld and still thought of Twilight as one of her favourite books so it's all probably very cliché. But, I think we all secretly love a good cliché or else they wouldn't become one, right?
Change
I ran, then ran faster and faster until it felt as if my feet weren't even touching the ground. My heart pounding in my chest, blood coursing through my veins. I could have done it forever but then, sadly, I jolted awake heart still banging from the dream I'd been having. The same dream which I'd been all week signalling that I could no longer put it off. I had to change, great, not that I didn't like changing and going for a run, I loved it. But, unfortunately to be able to change I had to be able to get out of my dorm without waking up my roommate or getting caught by any nosey teachers.
I eased out of bed, tiptoed over to my wardrobe and opened the door which creaked unmercifully. I looked over at Tina, my roommate's, sleeping form but she just snored and rolled over. Luckily for me she was a heavy sleeper. I pulled on my sweat pants and hoodie, crept out of our room, down the stairs of the dorm and out the front door. Once out the door I ran hell for leather across the quad to the handy forest which my school was situated next to.
If it wasn't for the forest I swear, by now I probably would have just changed in the middle of class and ripped the unfortunate person sat next to me to pieces. When I finally reached the inner trees I stripped, and hung my clothes over the nearest branch and prayed that I'd remember where that was later. I seriously doubted that getting caught running around campus naked would do my reputation any good. I moved deeper into the forest and inhaled the clean pine scent that I loved. I then settled onto all fours and braced myself for it, I started to feel my muscles contract and I dug my nails into the earth and bit my lip to keep from screaming. The change was extremely painful and I had no way of knowing if it would ever get better, I sincerely hoped it would.
At this point I had been able to change for about a year. I had no idea why, nothing had bitten me, except mosquitoes which I highly doubt have the power to turn you into a werewolf. So this left me to figure out what I was becoming by myself, at first I put the cramps down to pms but when I started getting them more often I realised it must be something more serious. My second thought was 'oh shit, I have some kind of tropical disease!' which, as I discovered a few weeks later wasn't far wrong. After weeks of trips to the school nurse and being told it was , "All part of becoming a woman." I stopped bothering, especially when the dreams started. These dreams on the whole were like the one I had tonight. But, some of them were downright scary. The latter usually involved large dogs or wolves as I now realised, chasing and eating animals and sometimes even humans. But even that at the time I put down to stress from being sick and exams and other teenage drama. Because seriously whose first conclusion to muscle cramps, fever and creepy dreams is "OMG! I must be a werewolf"?
But then one night while I was in bed I couldn't breathe. At first I thought it was an asthma attack and when my inhaler didn't work I panicked. Then the cramps started again worse than ever before. I ran out of the dorm hoping that the cool night air would help, it did somewhat but then other things started to hit me. I could smell everything from the pine trees in the forest to someone's late night popcorn. Even my hearing was enhanced; I could hear Tina snoring from our room, on the third floor of the building. The pain hit me again even more intensely and something in my head told me to get to the woods and stay there until it passed. So, stumbling and clutching my stomach I ran to the safety of the trees and fell to the floor panting. For a moment it all passed and I breathed a sigh of relief and rolled onto my back. Which was when it really started. I screeched and bit my tongue I could taste the blood but that was the least of my worries. I felt like my whole body was ripping apart. I screeched again but half way through my vocal cords and throat contracted and the scream turned into a howl. I looked down at my arms which still vaguely resembled human arms only covered with thick hair matted with sweat and blood. My hands looked twisted and gnarled ending in sharp claw like nails which minutes before had been perfectly manicured. As the pain finally started to ebb away a fresh wave not quite as bad as before came over me. I whimpered this time in a strange animal way. I felt my back arch and my arms and legs contract and shorten. This may have taken an hour to complete or it could have been a minute the pain was all I could concentrate on. When it seemed to have stopped, I reopened my eyes which I had squeezed shut during the second wave of pain. Looking around everything was different, sharper almost. It wasn't until I got up and looked down I fully realised what had happened to me. I screamed again this time from fear and confusion and again came that familiar howl of the wolf. My howl.
The present change I was undergoing was finally over now and I preceded to shake myself and run, it was intoxicating the running, well all of it was, the smells, the sounds, and the thrill of hunting one of the forest animals and bringing it down. The weirdest thing was that before all of this I had been crap at any sport at all - apart from the odd tumble or cartwheel in cheerleading - let alone running. The upside to the whole werewolf thing was that even in human form my reaction time and overall fitness had improved. Even though my appetite had increased I still seemed to be losing weight which was always a plus. My theory on this was that being a werewolf meant having a high metabolism which was actually almost worth all the pain and confusion not to mention the physical agony, well, like I said, almost.
The forest, this was now definitely my favourite place in the whole school. I sniffed the air, yum, rabbit, time to hunt. After that my more wolfish instincts took over and the rest was a blur. I awoke to the sounds of birds singing and my ringing head. Wait. No, not my ringing head, the ringing school bell. Oh, shit. I jumped up and raced to where I left my clothes hopefully I'd have time to shower while everyone had breakfast. I tugged my clothes on over my muddy, sweaty and "oh, great" bloody, body. I pulled my hood up and walked quickly across the quad keeping my head down so that the early birds on their way to breakfast couldn't take in my dishevelled appearance.
I trudged up the stairs to my floor and stumbled through the door to my shared room, and the sight or maybe sound would be more correct, that met me was one of the most horrendous things I ever saw/heard, Tina singing or screeching as it were the lyrics to some obscure emo song. "Don't give up your day job Tina" I joked.
"Haha, very funny, so, where have you been then? Studying? " She asked sarcastically. I shrugged.
"Um, I went for a run, I couldn't sleep." Not entirely a lie.
"Yeah, ok whatever, well I guess I believe you weren't meeting a guy or something coz like, no offense but you look like crap." I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and she was right, I did look like crap. Dark bruise like circles were under my eyes and my hair was a greasy mess (and has a leaf in it). I surreptitiously pulled it out. My skin also looked sallow and had a slight sheen to it, attractive.
"I know, I guess it must be lack of sleep, I've not been feeling too good."
"Whatever, so are you like gonna wash and stuff before breakfast, do you want me to wait for you?" I shook my head and told her to go ahead without me as it would most likely take forever to make myself look at least presentable. She waved a good bye as she left and I went into our bathroom, peeling off my dirty clothes as I waited for the shower to heat up.
When I was done I got dressed and contemplated going to breakfast but I decided I couldn't stomach the false cheeriness of my friends. Instead I decided to skip class. I started to walk and found myself again on the path to the forest. I still needed to try and use up some more of my excess energy so I picked up my pace and continued deeper into the forest. After some time walking I looked up and felt almost, compelled to leave the path and travel into the trees to explore the shadows they held. I followed my instincts and left the gravel path. As I went further into the forest it got darker and the smells of the forest assaulted my senses. It was like the best drug and the most intoxicating high I could ever have gotten hold of. I wanted to change and run again but I couldn't. I knew that changing twice in one day without good reason was stupid and would tire me out, sapping all of my energy not just the excess. So I settled for just walking through the trees. Something rustled ahead of me. I stopped. If I'd have been in wolf form my ears would have pricked. The rustling stopped. I must have imagined it; I just shook my head and turned to make my way back to campus. The rustling started again. I wheeled around, out of the bush poked a muzzle. A wolfs muzzle. I gasped and the wolf revealed himself fully. His fur was a deep chocolate brown, his eyes the same. The wolf approached, his tong lolled out, mouth open in what I presumed was a grin. This was no ordinary wolf, he was a werewolf. Like me. I could sense it. I might not be alone. My heart raced at the thought. Would he come back? Speak to me? I had so many questions. He did not return. I guessed that maybe he would still be around tonight, so I planned ahead while returning to my dorm. I would sneak out when darkness fell and go to the woods and hope that he returned.
As I left the forest and started towards my building a figure stepped into my path. Miss. Fisher my dorm mother loomed over me. "Ah, Lana Mayfair. I was told you were too ill to attend class today. But, I seem to find you completely recovered." I mentally cursed.
"Umm...yeah I uh had a headache but I went for a walk and I feel loads better now." She smiled, coldly. It didn't reach her eyes. "Excellent, I shall escort you to class then to ensure you don't suffer a relapse." Bitch. I smiled in what I hoped was a sweet way. She walked me to class, English with Mr. Cooper. She rapped on the door, it was opened within seconds. The bespectacled man who answered beamed.
"Lana! Glad you could join us." I tried not to grimace as I was pushed into the room by Miss. Fisher. I hurried to my seat. He resumed his lecture as soon as I sat. "To Kill a Mockingbird was written in..."Blah blah blah. I tuned out and spent the lesson thinking about when I would see the other werewolf again. His presence intrigued me; I had never imagined that I would get to meet another of my kind. The rest of the day passed in a blur. I could think of nothing but the wolf, his warm chocolate fur and those big brown eyes.
Night fell. I managed to get out of the dorm and to the forest undiscovered and with ease. I deliberated whether to change or not but, I decided to stay in human form since I couldn't talk as a wolf. Also I had no desire to be caught mid change by a stranger who may turn out to be hostile. I came to the same spot as before, and waited, and waited. Two hours later and I was still waiting. I left and returned to the dorm. I couldn't risk another night with hardly any sleep. Lying in bed I couldn't seem to drift off anyway, I thought I should have just stayed in the forest. I would have to go back in the morning to change anyway. I found that if I wanted to control my new urges I had to change and go for a run at least once a day or I'd just have way to much pent up energy which usually played havoc with my already too short temper and occasionally mean tongue. I eventually fell asleep, sinking into dreams of forests and running and blood.
In the early hours of the morning I awoke, it was still dark so I took my chance to go for a run while I had it. I stripped, the cool morning air raising goose bumps on my skin. I crouched and prepared to change. As usual it was painful and slow, my bones crunching and reshaping while my muscles stretched and contorted. Finally released from the agony I stretched. Getting to my feet, I looked around and pricked my ears. I heard the padding of paws behind me, I wheeled. It was him, the wolf from yesterday. He cocked his head, tongue lolling out the 'grin' in place again. I inched closer, he stayed still. Frozen, apart from his wagging tail. I stopped in front of him, he sniffed me again and gave a bark which sounded almost like a laugh. He nipped my ear with his teeth. A playful gesture. He skipped back a step then turned to run, realised I wasn't following, came back and repeated the move this time letting his tail hit me in the face. It was then I comprehended. He actually did want to play. This time I did follow him biting his hind leg softly. He turned and gave another laugh like bark. He sped up and let me chase him for a while. So much more fun than a rabbit. We carried on like that for ages, hours even. I lost track of time.
The next thing I knew I woke up deep in the forest. Human, naked and not alone. The young man next to me - also naked- stirred. He was, honestly speaking, magnificent, muscles everywhere, his body was a sculptors wet dream. His eyes opened and I was met with the huge brown eyes the wolf had captivated me with. I sat up, "umm, hi?" I said unsure of what the protocol was on post run greetings with unknown naked werewolves.
"Hey" he replied flashing his grin, showing what would have been perfectly white teeth if it hadn't been for the blood coating them. Remnants from our early morning snack of rabbit. I suddenly recalled my state of undress and blushed jumping to my feet. "Shit. My clothes! Oh fuck." I charged off in search of the missing articles of clothing. He followed laughing, obviously more at ease in his birthday suit than me in mine. I stopped, and then turned to face him. He was still laughing. "Hey, calm down. I'll help you find 'em but, can't we introduce ourselves first? Since we've already ran, hunted and woke up together. Its only polite." I nodded.
"Ok, sorry. It's just I've got class at nine so..."
"Class?" he asked, "you're telling me you go to school here?" I nodded not understanding his confusion and his face turned serious. "How the hell haven't you killed anyone?" I said nothing. "You haven't have you?" I spluttered indignantly.
"No! Of course not!" he stepped back hands up.
"Ok, ok. Chill. Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to call you a murderer. Let me introduce myself." I nodded again and crossed my arms over my boobs, intensely aware of the rest of my naked body. He smiled, "great, so, hi my name's Adam and I'm a werewolf." I laughed.
"What is this AA for supernatural creatures?" His smile widened but he just cocked his head in an extremely wolfish manner and awaited my response. I sighed and uncrossed my arms his carefree attitude making me forget my nudity. "Hi Adam, my name is Lana and I guess, I'm a werewolf too." I choked the last part out; I'd never said it out loud before. Adam put his hands on his hips and his smile widened even more. He stepped closer, personal space was obviously not an issue with this guy. "So..." I began awkwardly, "how did you find me?" he shrugged.
"I was passing through, stopped for a run and scented you." I scrunched my nose up in confusion.
"Scented me? What do you mean?" his blasé smile faded.
"You mean...You don't know you to use your sense of smell? Who bit you? Where is he? He should have taught you about these things and he definitely shouldn't have just left you here. Come to think of it he shouldn't of bit you in the first place."
"Bit me? No one bit me." He looked up sharply.
"What? Then how did you become one of us then? How did you start changing?" I let out a stream of breath I'd been holding in.
"I just started having these dreams about being a wolf, then one night I woke up and I got the urge to come here." I gestured to the forest around us. "So, I did, the next thing I knew I was in agony and on all fours covered in fur." He gaped apparently surprised with my revelation.
"But, you must have been. Girls can't be born werewolves." Well, duh, I thought. I knew my parents weren't werewolves. Well my mom and step dad, my real father had apparently run off shortly after I was born. My mom had explained that she thought he just couldn't take the grief after my twin had died having an operation to separate us. We had been literally joined at the hip and had had the operation at only a few days old apparently on my father's insistence even thought the doctor thought it was too early. The guilt of my brother's death must have driven him away mom rationalised. I answered him leaving out the part about my father and brother I wasn't going to tell some stranger my whole life story. No matter how hot he was. Anyway, I'm pretty sure my mom would have known if my real dad had been a werewolf, surely he would have told her especially since she was having his kids. What kind of dick would keep that kind of key information a secret?
"Well I wasn't bitten and my parents are human." He shook his head, shaggy hair falling into his eyes and his brows knitted together in thought.
"That's not possible. If you weren't bitten I don't get how you became a were. Women don't survive the initial change well, I've only ever heard of one who has anyway. Oh, I dunno, maybe...maybe I was wrong. Maybe girls can inherit the wolf gene? Maybe they just don't usually survive it?" he screwed up his face harder in thought. Obviously thinking took up a lot of brain power. I left him to his reverie and went to get my clothes. Luckily we hadn't been as far from them as I had thought.
Adam joined me in the clearing as I pulled on my jeans. "Ok, so, I've decided that it doesn't matter how you became a werewolf only that you are one and that you are – if you don't mind my saying – fucking hot. I mean my eyes, are like roasted right now. Seriously." I turned to stare at him dumbfounded. Most girls would have found that a very inappropriate comment and usually I would have been one of those girls. But, well the way he said it so casual, laid back as if he'd said, 'nice jeans'. I really shouldn't have felt flattered but, well, I did. I blamed my hormones and returned his gaze. I did not miss the way his eyes raked over my body. I didn't object.
"Um...thanks. I think. I guess your kinda uh, hot too?" he chuckled, a deep throaty thing that, for some reason made me relax further even though he was still completely naked.
"Thanks. Don't try and sound too enthusiastic now" I shrugged and smiled looking back at the naked boy opposite me as I zipped my hoodie up.
"Do you think you could put some clothes on Adam? It's kind of weird stood here talking while you're still butt naked." He looked confused but nodded anyway and signalled for me to follow him. Adam led me to a cluster of trees where his jeans and t-shirt were draped over two branches. I didn't see any underpants. Oh no, yes, there they were strung on a smaller branch through a leg hole. He pulled them on grinning at me.
"Hey so now that we're both fully dressed, do you wanna go get some breakfast?" I shook my head.
"I can't I've got class..."
"Fuck class! Skip it. Come get pancakes with me. It'll be fun, I promise." I started to shake my head again but he turned those puppy dog eyes on me and made them into sad puppy dog eyes. I threw my hands up.
"Fine, have it your way. Just let me go get some money." He shook his head once swishing his longish hair into his eyes.
"Nope, sorry, can't wait that long. My treat." I looked at him in defeat and waved him back towards the path so we could get out the other side near town. We walked quickly, hunger fuelling us. Talking about trivial things like my school and our hunt. I realised that he didn't talk about himself or his life. Odd, I thought as he seemed like the type of guy who would really enjoy such a topic. By the time we reached the diner in town I realised that I had been right in my latter thought. Evidently he had just been warming up his voice box. He talked almost non-stop until our order came twenty minutes after we made it, although we were only two of four customers. Adam only quietened when he got his massive stack of pancakes but somehow he managed to keep up his monologue between bites, whether his mouth was full or not.
When he had finished his own impressive stack he eyed the remainder of mine hungrily. I pushed the plate towards him. He winked and grinned then tucked in. When he had finally eaten his fill he looked up and smacked his lips. I raised an eyebrow, "not going to lick the plate?" I asked indicating some melted butter left on the plate.
He looked thoughtful, "hmm, well I had considered it but I thought that I should use my big boy manners with a lady." I laughed and rolled my eyes.
"Gee, thanks. You're just so considerate of my delicate female sensibilities." Adam stood, pulled me up from the opposite side of the booth and tugged me towards the door. "Adam, what are we doing? I thought you said this was your treat?" I hissed. He merely smiled and shrugged. I looked around and realised the sweet middle aged waitress was nowhere to be seen and the other customers were not paying us any attention whatsoever. The next thing I knew we were in the middle of town Adam laughing at me as I nervously looked around waiting for cops and a swat team to swoop down on us. He plonked down on a bench and ran a hand through his shaggy hair.
"Relax, babe." He patted the bench next to him, I sat. He sidled up to me and grinned that grin again. "So, how about you spend the day with me?" I looked at him and laughed. This boy was hilarious I thought, he was so laid back he really just didn't give a fuck. I bit my lip as I responded.
"I can't sorry. I really do have to go to class at some point today." He rolled his eyes at me.
"Oh. Come. On. Fuck class! Spend the day with me." He whispered the last request in my ear his breath stirring the tendrils of hair that had escaped my hastily tied pony tail. I caved. I really didn't want to pass up the chance to spend the day with another werewolf.
"Fine then, I'll blow off school for today."
"Great. You can show me the town." A leering grin, "and we can get to know each other a bit better" he waggled his eyebrows and laughed.
"Well, you've already seen me naked, how much more can you find out about me? Tell me about you." He smiled suggestively when I mentioned the naked part then replied.
"Me? There's nothing to tell really. Apart from my name's Adam and I'm a werewolf and we've already done that song and dance." He shrugged and fell silent, then suddenly leapt up and stood in front of me that grin in place again. "So What d'ya wanna do?" it was my turn to shrug. His head swivelled around taking in the scenery, "ok, so at first I thought you could give me a tour of the town. But, now I see that there is absolutely fuck all to have a tour of." He sat down again and scrunched up his face in thought. I swear he almost shouted eureka when he jumped up for a second time and pulled me with him. "I have an idea. I am so brilliant." He grabbed my hand and began tugging me along after him. Strangely when he took my hand I felt like a jolt went up my arm sending tingles all over my body.
"Um, Adam where are we going?" he just tapped his nose and laughed still dragging me along.
His brilliant idea turned out to be an almost day long romp in the woods. Unfortunately we had to keep to human form both not quite ready to change again. It was still fun however; we chased each other and still pounced on unsuspecting animals we just left out the eating them part. Adam it turned out truly was a genius. We parted ways on the edge of the forest as I had to go back to school, although I had already missed all of the day's classes. As I turned to walk away from him Adam pulled me back. "Do you have to go? C'mon stay with me a bit longer." He turned his puppy dog eyes on me again but I resisted their power and shook my head.
"I can't, sorry. But I really have to get back before I get like expelled or something." His lip began to tremble theatrically. Really, I thought to myself, this guy should be in the movies. I sighed, "Look, I'll come find you tomorrow." His smile returned instantly.
"Cool, so I'll see you 'bout eight thirty? We can get breakfast again, might have to go somewhere else though..."
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration, "no, I'll meet you after school. I can't miss another day, so I will meet you at the cafe around the corner from the diner at five for dinner. Ok?" he nodded somewhat sullenly like a child sulking.
"Fine, I guess I can find something to do, all day. On my own." He gave a big hard done by sigh before laughing and running a hand through his messy hair, "ok then, it's a date." And to my surprise he kissed me, on the lips, grinned his wolfish grin and ran off shouting over his shoulder, "see ya tomorrow Lana." As I walked back to the dorm my lips still seemed to tingle from his kiss.
Once back in the dorm I found I was alone, the others still at dinner in the cafeteria. In my room I collapsed on the bed. Exhausted from our romp in the woods but too wired to sleep just yet. My brain just kept replaying the moment Adam had kissed me; it was like watching my favourite movie over and over again. Soon after laying down I actually did fall asleep and dreamt of Adam, the wolf and the boy.
In the morning I woke up to find Tina sat on the end of her bed smirking at me. "So, young lady where were you all day yesterday?" I shrugged as I rolled out of bed and went into our bathroom. "Ok, don't tell me where you were then, but you have to tell me who you were with? C'mon the suspense is fucking killing me here babes." I could hear her giggle through the old oak door. Tina might have been a pretty fierce looking metal head but deep down she was a giggly teenage girl just like the girls on the cheer squad with me who lived for gossip. Especially when it involved boys. But how the hell did she know I'd been with someone? She must have seen me saying good bye to him last night, shit.
"I wasn't with anyone; I just went into town by myself...shopping. Yeah, I uh went shopping." I finished lamely. Again I heard her shrill giggle.
"Whatever, I saw you." She sang it out in a very annoying sing song voice which, quite frankly made me want to claw her trachea out. But, I refrained. She was my roommate after all; I'd be the first suspect. She continued in a slightly more contained manner, "and him! he is gorgeous. Who is he? He doesn't go here, I'd know him. Is he a townie?" great. She wouldn't drop it now. I'd have to tell her something or she would never shut up. I put on my most blasé voice which I usually reserved for telling my mom how I really didn't care that she had forgotten to tell me that she would be in Tokyo or where ever for spring break and I really needn't had bothered to come home at all.
"Oh, him. I met him in town, we had breakfast together." And just to be a bitch I added, "he practically begged me I couldn't refuse the poor guy." She let out a little squeal at that making me glad I had the bathroom wall to protect me from the high pitched sound.
"Omigod! Is he like, your boyfriend or what? Coz, like I said he is hot. A plus, really babes. Did you fuck? Gold star if you did and you tell me all the gory details." I laughed to myself as I answered her.
"No and no. He is not my boyfriend, what are we in seventh grade? And no we didn't fuck, I'm not a slut." I heard her snicker at the last part glad I didn't mention the kiss; if I did I really never would hear the last of it. I let the shower drown out the rest of Tina's rambling and when I finally emerged from the bathroom she was gone. I dressed quickly in mud free jeans and a t-shirt. I took more time on my makeup; my friends wouldn't forgive me if I embarrassed them by looking anything less than presentable. And their version of presentable did not include no makeup and non brand jeans. If I was honest mine usually didn't either.
When I entered the dining hall Tina and our other friends waved me over. Kristy - in her immaculate navy polo and black skirt which would have looked more at home next to a pole, if it hadn't have cost least five hundred dollars – seemed to have that particular gleam in her eyes like a hound when it smells blood. Lauren flipped through a magazine stunning as always in a dress that would probably pay one of the scholarship kid's fees for a year with a discarded half a grapefruit in front of her. A couple of the guys sat on the end of the table seeming to be keeping their distance today; they probably didn't want to get caught up in the gossip storm. They were all smiling at me when I joined them after grabbing some cereal. Tina had obviously filled them in on Adam. I couldn't help the nasty thought that these girls were only friends with her because I had introduced her and stood up for her when they called her an emo because of all her black clothes, going through my head. I said nothing like that though; I'd just hide her eye liner tomorrow. I sat, "soooo, who is he? The gorgeous stranger?" asked Kristy leaning forward her red hair almost falling into her non fat oatmeal. I rolled my eyes at her and ate a spoonful of rice crispies. I was about to tell her to mind her own damn business when a tray was set down beside me. It was Ben one of the guys in our little clique. Ben was the stereotypical jock, blonde hair, blue eyes and bulging muscles not to mention the enormous trust fund waiting for him when he turned twenty one. He was captain of the lacrosse team and everybody loved him, including – I hate to admit - myself.
"No one," I said hoping the others would take the hint to drop it, no such look. Bitches. Kristy laughed, tossed her hair.
"Lana's mystery man. That's why she wasn't around yesterday, she wasn't sick. She spent the whole day with him. Whoever he is." Ben looked at me and raised a perfect eyebrow, which I suspected he plucked.
"Is that so?" I nodded and laughed rolling my eyes again.
"Yeah, but, he's not a 'mystery man' he's just a friend." Ben snorted and dug into his mound of sausages, bacon and egg. Thankfully the conversation turned towards more exciting things than my love life, such as who we hated this week, who was a slut and of course Kristy's love life.
After breakfast I had English with Lauren who had already lost interest in my 'mystery man'. The rest of the day passed slowly, all I could think about was seeing him again. I hated myself for the cliché. After my last class I went back to my room and tried to decide what to wear. Flipping through the clothes in my wardrobe I found what I was looking for. My red silk tank top, I rummaged through Tina's closet next borrowing her leather mini skirt. The slut owed me. The skirt hugged my ass perfectly and the red top set off my fair hair and skin. I paired it with my old pair of cowboy boots. Proper heels were out for walking through the forest. As I checked myself out in the mirror Tina walked in followed by Kristy who nodded in approval. Tina wisely kept silent about her skirt I was wearing. The red head raised a perfectly plucked brow, "hot date?" I grabbed my bag and walked out the door calling over my shoulder with a cocky wink.
"Maybe, if he's lucky." I had a reason to be confident in this outfit; it was the same one that had gotten me a B- in physics last year without cracking a book once. I wasn't greedy and it would have looked suspicious if I got an A so Professor Green settled for a blow job and I settled for the grade. The man still wouldn't look me in the eye.
As I walked into the cafe I could feel and see every single man's eyes turning on me as I passed, watching me walk. I slid into the booth opposite Adam and watched his eyes skate over me in appreciation. I cleared my throat and he tore his gaze away from my boobs to my face smiling sheepishly. "Sorry."
"Don't worry I wouldn't have worn this if I didn't want people to notice my uh... assets." I laughed and so did he. It was a joke, I never thought myself particularly pretty but I had quickly found out that if you showed enough skin in a certain way men didn't notice your face or any personality flaws. As mother once told me in one of our rare mother daughter chats, "men don't look at the mantel piece while they're poking the fire, or thinking about it." It was also her and my various step fathers who had convinced me over the years that my looks and body were what was going to pave my way in this world, since my brains certainly weren't going to help. So I embraced my strengths and largely tried to ignore my weaknesses with the odd passive aggressive outburst to make myself feel better, according to my guidance counsellor anyway.
Now, this might make me sound like a slut but I'm not, really I'm not. I'm just...honest, I don't dress provocatively very often but when I do, I do it to get noticed and to get what I want. And I always get what I want. We ordered and ate in almost silence, punctuated by him asking me about the classes I had had that day. When we finished Adam sat back and just looked at me his face scrunching up as it had yesterday in thought. "What? Why are you staring? Do I have something on my face?" he laughed and shook his head.
"I'm not, well ok I was but, it's just uh, have you changed today?" ok swift change of subject noted.
"No, not yet, I thought maybe we could go together before I go back to school." I waited for his answer but he was just staring into space with his thinking face on. "Well? Do you want to?" I prompted. He looked back at me and cocked his head as if deliberating something, and then he nodded once. "Cool, so when we're finished here..." he held up his hand to stop me.
"I think you should come away with me." What the actual fuck? I spluttered some of my diet coke out of my mouth.
"What the hell do you mean? Come away with you? Are you having some kind of episode?" he scratched at his head and looked around the cafe as if he hoped someone else would come up and explain what he meant for me.
He sighed, "what I mean is, that I, well... I think you should come with me because if you stay here on your own any longer you might end up hurting someone." He said the last part really fast as if he just wanted to get it out and be done with it.
I looked at him in shock, "I'm not going to hurt anybody. Why would you think that?"
"I'm not saying you'd do it intentionally but, what if you can't control it you know like..." he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. "Sometimes, when you get angry or even just really turned on if you can't control your changes...well, you could just change right there in the middle of a class or something. Especially when you're new to changing and you don't know anything about being a werewolf." I shook my head, he was being absolutely ridiculous.
"But I can control my changes, that isn't going to happen to me." He banged his fist on the table and swore. "No. Not if you have to do it every day. You should only have to change a couple of times a week to be ok." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Why was he saying this? Was he trying to scare me? Was it a joke? I stood up.
"I'm leaving and you're wrong, my control is just fine." I turned on my heel and walked out, I could hear his muttered oath as the door closed behind me.
I made it back to school with time to grab dinner in the cafeteria. As I walked in I again felt the sensation of eyes turning on me in either envy or lust but, this time it did nothing to bolster my mood. I grabbed some luke warm macaroni cheese and sat down at my friends usual table. I had been staring at my extremely undesirable dinner for about ten minutes, Adam's words repeated in my head. It would never happen to me. Would it? Surely I couldn't, wouldn't ever hurt someone but...the wolf in me might not have as much of a conscious as I have. I dropped my fork with a clatter, startling my friends who looked up from their own food. "What's up?" said Kristy.
I shook my head mumbling "nothing...just gotta go." I was afraid that if I opened my mouth too wide I might puke all over Lauren who sat primly opposite me probably ruining her salad. I practically ran out of the cafeteria, once outside I gulped the cool air. When I was able to breathe normally again I made my way to the dorm. I knew what I had to do and I had to do it before I changed my mind.
I entered the cafe and scanned the room. Good, Adam was still there slumped in the same booth I'd left him in. He scented me before I reached him. He turned looking grim but brightened immediately his relief evident when he saw my suit case and change of clothes. "I knew you'd come around. This is for the best." He said standing as I approached. I shrugged, he might've been happy about me changing my mind but I was not. I knew it was the right thing to do but, I also knew that I'd probably never be able to see my friends or mom again. Not that I was particularly close to my family but I liked my friends, most of the time. Also Adam was still practically a stranger to me. He gauged my mood and shut up, leading me silently out of the door. We carried on down the road until we came to the town's only motel, once in his room he nodded to the chair in the corner indicating I should sit. He started packing straight away throwing his few assorted clothes and junk into a battered duffle bag without even taking his eyes off me. I had to break the silence. "So, what do we do now?" he broke into his cheesy grin.
"We get into my car and drive like hell baby." Ah, so well thought through, and oh so meticulously planned. I just nodded.
"Sounds like a plan." Adam gracefully chose to ignore the note of sarcasm in my voice, instead he zipped his bag.
"Let's go," he said with a serious nod.
Adam sang to the radio as he drove, his voice was actually quite good but I got no pleasure from it. All I could think about was that I was leaving behind everything I had ever known. I was running away with some random boy I had just met. All because we could both turn furry and liked to howl at the moon, "Pullover!"
Adam looked at me from the corner of his eye, "what?"
"Pull. Over." He swerved the car to the side of the road and stopped; the wheels had barely stopped moving when I flung open the door and puked up the meagre contents of my stomach. I was still retching when I felt Adams hands gently pull my hair back. He stayed behind me until I'd finished then handed me a bottle of water. After washing my mouth out I turned to Adam and smiled apologetically.
"You ok?" he asked concern in his deep brown eyes. I ran the back of my hand over my mouth and nodded. He led the way back to the car. We drove some more until it was dark and spent the night in the car, the mid October weather forcing us to snuggle together in the back seat for warmth. Eventually Adam fell asleep with his head on my shoulder. I awoke to his snores and blackness outside the window, it was eerie. I could hear the wind outside the car rustling the leaves of the trees we had parked amongst. He stirred in his sleep and nuzzled into my neck his hot breath tickling me. I soon fell back asleep regulating my breathing to match his.
I woke up alone in the car. At first I was struck with a sense of panic thinking that something had happened to Adam. That was until I looked out the window and saw him striding up to the car with a paper bag in hand. The smell hit me as soon as he opened the door. Adam climbed in beside me in the back and rummaged in the bag, handing me a Styrofoam box which I opened to reveal a steaming stack of pancakes, I gave Adam my unwanted syrup and then dug in. Adam devoured his own stack of pancakes and a sausage and egg muffin before I had even finished half of my own stack. He eyed the remainder of my breakfast hungrily so I passed him the tray wordlessly. "Thanks babe, I'm starved." He grinned at me but the affect was slightly marred by the egg particles stuck in his teeth and the syrup on his chin. After the beast beside me finished his meal and spent at least five minutes cleaning his teeth with both his fingers and tongue, he clambered into the front seat, wiggling his but in my face unnecessarily and looking over his shoulder to gage my reaction. I laughed and smacked his ass pushing him through, then followed him. It felt like I had known him for years rather than the two weeks we had been 'on the run' for. We drove for hours at a time talking, laughing and singing along to the radio. Every now and again the knot in my stomach would reappear reminding me of what I had done, what I had left behind and what I was going to but I pushed it down and decided I'd think about it later. We stopped for runs now and again but mostly we drove, or rather Adam did as I didn't have a licence. We slept in the car not wanting to risk a hotel until we were in another state as I had probably been deemed a missing person by now. Although I had left a letter in my room saying I was going to find my real father and that I'd be back after Christmas. Anyone who knew me well would know it for a lie as they knew I didn't care about my biological father but it would hopefully stop the authorities from thinking I'd been kidnapped. As the days passed though we finally got enough distance to risk the odd motel but not often as we had to save what little money we had. I could draw money out of my bank account nothing had been shut down as I knew it wouldn't have been, but I had a limit to how much I could take out a month. A precaution initiated after the shopping spree debacle of 2010.