AN: Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I have always wondered why there are so many stories about Vampires, but hardly any about Werewolves. So, here's what I've come up with, and hopefully you all like it. But the only way I'll know what you think is if you REVIEW! So if you think this is worth continuing, let me know, otherwise, i'll assume you all didn't like it, and I'll drop the idea... so enjoy and R&R!

'Kara! Kara wake up! Guess what!' I slowly opened my eyes, which were still heavy with sleep, and tried to focus on the bobbing figure beside my bed. This was exceedingly difficult, seeing as how the little girl was so excited that she couldn't keep still. Her brown pigtails bounced, as she stuck her face closer to mine, eyes wide and lit up with excitement.

My little cousin always put a smile on my face; she was so carefree and innocent. She reminded me of myself when I was younger, still naive about that worries of the world, and only caring about who's family had gotten a puppy for Christmas.

I tried to force myself awake, widening my eyes to match hers, and feigning excited curiosity. 'What Ginny?'

Grinning, Ginny jumped backwards and almost shouted, 'I'm six today! Mommy said that she would take us anywhere I wanted to go, and I told her I wanted to go swimming, so she's going to take us to the pool!'

I smiled, seeing her so excited about such a simple thing. 'Well then, I guess we'd better get up and get ready to go, shouldn't we?' I threw back the covers, and slid my feet over the edge of the bed, letting them touch the floor. 'Why don't you go get your bathing suit on, and I'll meet you downstairs?'

'Okay! Hurry!' She ran out the door to my room, humming to herself, heading off towards her bedroom to change.

I flopped back onto the bed let my eyes close. Six. I couldn't believe it. It had been almost a year since I had come to live with my aunt and her daughter, after the accident. My mind spun, thinking back to those horrible memories, but I forced myself back to reality, not willing to give into those thoughts today. I knew they would just make me depressed, and I had to be excited for Ginny. After all, you only turn six once, right?

So I pushed myself off the bed, and stood up, facing the window. Outside the sun was shining blindingly, and the thermometer outside on the tree read 86. Already. This promised to be another long, hot day in the suburbs of Oregon. Maybe it would be a good thing to go swimming, even if the public pool grossed me out just a little.

My room was small, it was originally a storage room, but my aunt had converted it into a bedroom. The ceiling was sloped, and the window was narrow and short. My bed, covered with a patchwork quilt, stood across the room from the door. A small closet, was at one wall, while a small, messy desk stood under the window on the opposite wall. The paint was white and peeling, but I had covered the bad patches with posters of cars, and pictures of my parents, and Sky, my old dog. It wasn't much, but I was thankful for what I had, and that I was even living here at all.

Walking a few steps to the left to my closet, I pulled open the curtain that hid the small storage space, and dug around the hanging baskets for my bathing suit. It was a modest tankini, with a pink halter top and black bottoms with a piece of pink fabric tied around it almost like a belt, and decorated with a square metal buckle. It left a couple inches of my stomach exposed, but it was the most covering one that I could find. I slipped it on, and slid into a pair of cutoff shorts and a black tank top.

I walked out of my door, and down a small hall to the stairs that led down into the kitchen. As I walked by Ginny's room, I could hear her slamming dresser drawers, and singing to herself. I smiled to myself, and headed down the stairs.

A woman stood bending over the sink, her arms in soapy water up to her elbows doing the morning dishes. Her brown wavy hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail behind her head, swinging slightly as she moved her head in time to the music playing from the under the cabinet radio next to the fridge.

'Morning Aunt Sue. Boy is Ginny excited this morning.' I said to her, opening the fridge to grab the carton of orange juice off the shelf.

'Good morning, Kara. She didn't wake you up did she? I told her to let you sleep this morning.'

'Yea, she did, but its okay, really. I don't mind. She said that you were taking us to the pool today.' Grabbing a glass out of the cabinet next to the fridge, I poured the orange juice and drank the whole thing in one shot. I wasn't really hungry, so instead of grabbing food, I sat down at the circular table in the middle of the kitchen and grabbed the paper, scanning through the headlines.

'Yes, I asked her what she wanted to do today, and she said she wanted to go swimming, so I agreed. It is her birthday, so I figured that I'd do what she wanted.'

I nodded in agreement, my mind on other things now. One of the headlines in the paper caught my attention. "WOLF POPULATION PUTTING A STRAIN ON WILDLIFE". I had always had a thing for dogs; any species, and since wolves were a species of canine, this headline stood out.

Environmentalists are calling for some kind of action

to be taken about the uprising in the wolf population

over the past year. These wolves have been putting

a large dent in the other wildlife in the surrounding

forests, causing a depletion in small mammals such as

the squirrels and birds. Some are worried that if this problem

is not controlled soon, there will be a problem in the

near future. State congressmen Jones along with others

in the senate are trying to pass a bill that will make wolf

hunting legal for a few week in the fall, so that the population

will decline...

I shook my head in disgust and closed the paper. The thought of hunting dogs! How could you? I thought back to Sky for a moment, my eyes filling slightly, but once again I forced my thoughts away and back towards the present.

Ginny bounded down the stairs and came to a sliding halt in the kitchen, her flip-flops squeaking across the linoleum.

'Virginia Grace, what have I told you about sliding like that! I don't want to see it again, I don't care what today is, you know better than that.' Aunt Sue grabbed a towel off the counter and dried off her hands, looking sternly at Ginny, who's face fell for a minute, but then she perked up again, excitement lighting up her face once more.

'Can we go now mom, please, can we? Can we?' she begged mercilessly. Aunt Sue looked my way and rolled her eyes.

'Are you sure you want to go with us Kara? You can stay here if you want…' I shook my head, my straight blonde hair swinging into my face.

'No, I'll go, I really don't mind.' I looked back at Ginny, who was all but pulling her mom by the hand towards the door. Standing up, I stretched, and yawned. 8:45 was still too early even to be awake, in my opinion, never mind going to the pool. But I went into the bathroom, adjacent to the kitchen, and grabbed three towels out of the closet anyways, and made my way out the kitchen door, following after the bouncing Ginny, and Aunt Sue.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse sat outside in the driveway, a startling contrast to the house in which we lived. Since it had been one of the first houses built in the suburbs, about 79 years ago, it had been passed down from Aunt Sue's mother to her. It wasn't the nicest house on the block to be sure, but it was just enough for the three of us, and what more could you ask for?

It was a short drive to the pool, which was only a couple of blocks away. I raced Ginny to the entrance, where we flashed our membership cards, and entered into the fenced in pool yard. Ginny, being the adventurous girl she was, threw her towel at me, shimmied out of her shorts and shirt as quick as she could, and jumped into the pool.

After a couple minutes of setting up our things on chairs, I went in after her, chasing her around the pool, and splashing around. But I wasn't really in the mood for swimming, so I made an excuse to Ginny and got out, grabbing my towel and reclining on one of the chairs they had set up. I was just soaking in the sun, enjoying the warmth of the day, and thinking. This was going to be my last summer here, with everything that had become familiar to me. In the fall I was heading off to a small college in Seattle, and starting the rest of my life.

A voice brought me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes, squinting into the sun, and saw a guy standing by my aunt, talking to her. He looked about my age, maybe a little older, with shaggy dark blonde, almost brown hair, and a very handsome face. I startled myself a little; since when did I pay much attention to how a guy looked? But there was something different about him, although I couldn't pin point exactly what it was.

Aunt Sue looked over, and caught me watching them, and she beckoned to me. I got up, wrapping the towel around my waist, and walked over to them. The guy seemed not to take too much notice of me, but instead kept talking to my aunt.

'…last winter. When that fell through, my dad decided that it was time to come back home for a while and visit with some family and a couple of his old friends.'

My aunt smiled at him nodding in interest.

'Well, we certainly have missed you both. Oh, this is my niece, Kara. She's been living with us for the past year, but she's going off to Seattle for school next fall. Kara, this is Ben. He's Tom Horne's son, do you remember? They used to be our neighbors a couple of years ago. Before the… well, before you came to live here.'

'Nice to meet you,' I said, giving him a small smile. I was having a hard time looking away from him, although I don't know why. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed to emit a sort of dangerous feel, which, rather then repelled me, drew me in.

I was saved from having to make conversation with this strange man by Ginny, who had gotten out of the pool, and dried herself off. I looked at the watch that I always wore on my wrist, and was amazed to realize that two hours had passed. I must have been laying there for a long time; I wouldn't be surprised if I had developed a sunburn.

Ginny had put her shorts back on, and grabbed her towel. She looked like she was ready to go, and Aunt Sue, realizing this, said, 'Well, it looks like Ginny wants to leave. But, it was nice talking to you, and tell your dad that I said hi.'

'Sure thing. Maybe I'll see you guys later.' Was it just me, or did his eyes quickly flick to me?

'Yea, that would be good. Bye, Ben.'

Ginny grabbed my hand and before I could say anything pulled me back out the gates and towards the car. She was chattering about the new friend that she had met, and was anticipating what the rest of her birthday would bring.

I nodded, agreeing with everything that she said, and replying in all the correct places, but my mind was wandering: back to the pool, back to Ben and his good looks and the feeling of danger I had gotten just being near him.