It took a lot on Angel's behalf to wheedle the full story out of the wolves. Turns out there were two 'packs' in this tiny town, which I just found out was called La Push. Huh. And I thought we were weird. Gosh, we were like, practically normal compared to all these wolves – wait, sorry, they're werewolves. Sure we were mutant human avian hybrids but we weren't born into being a mutant. Like, they had to be mutants, to protect their town from the vampires.
Urgh, vampires. I still can't believe there have been, like, supernatural things living among us and we haven't noticed. Yuck. All I could think was, 'Thank your lucky stars Itex or the School hasn't found out about the vampires,' because if they had, we were goners. Seriously, I mean we can kick Eraser, Flyboy, M-Geek, whatever, you name it, butt from here to China but vampires? The 'pack' sure made them sound like a darn right handful, all this super speed, hearing, sight, extra abilities, charming looks to draw in unsuspecting humans . . . No thanks, I'm right. I'll stick with the science experiments.
Gee, I never thought I'd be appreciating the school's bird-kid-hunter experiments. Turned out I'm wrong about that one.
What the wolves couldn't do, though, was get me to tell them our secrets. I know, I know, they just told us their life secrets – even if it had been a bit grudgingly, well not a bit, a lot, but that's not the point – but I'm just hard that way. Won't spill the beans.
"Look, we need to know. You're not human so you might be a threat to La Push," the 'head wolf' Sam said. He and Jacob, the other 'head wolf' of the second pack, were the only ones in a human shape. The others were there for, like, their protection or something. Seems I'm not the only paranoid one around here.
"We wouldn't be a threat to you. Maybe Itex or the School, but we've got a mission, we have to save the world, well, Max does and the rest of us are like here to help her, like her sidekicks. Whoa, that's so cool. Max can I be second in command? Wait, that's Fang, and then Iggy, so maybe me after him? Like, I'm the next oldest, it's only fair. Oh no! If I'm fourth in command, I need to be stylish. I still want that pretty ladies shoes, Max. Can we ask her where she got them from?" Nudge.
Urgh! I was going to strangle her! She said all this in, umm, thirty seconds? Anyway, it was too late for one of us to jump up there and clamp her mouth shut with, like, duct tape. She'd already spilled the beans. Way to go, Nudge. We wouldn't've been able to, anyway, she was fifteen feet up in a tree, and I couldn't get there quick enough. Drat it, drat it, drat it.
"Shut up Nudge!" Fang and I screamed at her at the same time. It sounded cool in a lame way. Iggy muttered, "Way to go," and the Gasman just looked horrified. Angel looked . . . oddly satisfied.
"You're meant to save the world?" Sam repeated mouth hanging open. "You?"
I groaned again. "Nudge!" I snarled. "I thought I taught you better than that."
She looked horrified. And close to tears. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Max. I didn't mean too. I'm so sorry. Sorry. Oh god, I'm so stupid." It went on and on, apologizing every second word and putting herself down the other half of the time.
"It's okay, motor-mouth," I said. Really, honestly, it wasn't. I think she guessed it too, but I recon she also guessed the other message, the one hidden in my tone. The one that said, 'shut up, you've done it already. Let me do something now and I'll deal with you later.'
"Your going to save the world?" said another guy, who had changed into a human form again. I recognised him from the beach.
"Seth!" Jacob groaned. "Change back, man."
"Seriously? Are you? How? From what?" he asked, looking at me – ignoring his leader completely.
"Someone's coming," Ig said a moment later.
Before, though, I could answer either of them, one of the wolves started howling. It happened so quickly, even my generically enhanced eyesight didn't see it, another werewolf turned human. "Colin's here, he's coming, Sam," he said.
"Here any second now," Iggy reported.
Whoosh. Just like that, yet another wolf entered the miniature clearing. He shot us surprised looks and then went to stand with the other wolves. The other wolves were looking at him and, I'm guessing, telling him what happened. With their minds. Gee, I couldn't, no, wouldn't, stand someone in my head all the time. Well, I guess I have the Voice but I mean, seriously, that'd be like having the Flock share my every thought. Scary.
"I know you!" the new wolf said, also turning human. Gosh, they really didn't want to stay wolfy and protect their leaders, did they? Not, though, that we were any threat. "I read his blog," he said excitedly, gabbing a finger at Fang.
So now I had to listen to him telling the others all us about us. What we'd done, the whole Itex bring down thing, Angel's kidnapping, Anne's house, everything. Of course, though, he left out heaps, like how we did it and what not. But he got the general gist right. Impressive. I might have to have a word with Fang about how much he puts on his blog.
The only girl werewolf, Lee or Leah or something, turned human. She was the smaller grey one who I saved from that M-Geek before, also the one I attacked. She had already healed fully. Man, I thought we healed fast but we were like turtles compared to cheetahs with these guys. I thought she would be grateful, though, about saving her but she seemed quite peeved about that. So-ry for trying to help. Yeesh.
"If you're really what you say you are, then show us," she sneered. "Prove it."
Oh, yeah, that's right. The wolves hadn't seen our wings. They had been so caught up in the battle before that they hadn't seen us before we landed and the wings were safely folded behind our backs.
I sighed. "If you say so." I shook my wings out and had the satisfaction of watching every jaw drop. I burst out laughing, though, when the wolves' jaws dropped, it looked so hilarious.
"Whoa," Jacob said.
"Man, I want wings. Coolest thing ever," the guy from the beach said. Seth, I remembered was his name.
Max, you need to find out more about their past. They're still not telling them the complete truth. You won't find out by force, either, you need to earn their trust, the Voice said.
"How do I earn their trust?" I said out loud, sounding like a compete idiot. Smooth, Max, real smooth, I thought.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing," I told Sam. Just as Fang said, "She's talking to the Voice in her head. Don't ask."
I shot him the bird and folded my wings in. "You make me sound like a nutcase. Really, though, I'm all genius." His mouth twitched and I tried to ignore the way my stomach suddenly felt like cream cheese.
You'll figure it out.
Thanks, Voice. Great help you are. I thought, remembering not to say it out loud this time.
Nudge jumped down from her tree. "This is boring, can we go eat?" she said.
"You can't leave yet, you need to tell us –" Sam said.
I cut him off. "Sure, honey. Where do you wanna go?"
Sam made a move towards me but I just tapped Iggy's hand and jumped into the air, Flock in tow. Good thing we moved to this clearing, I thought. I'd never would've been able to do that if we were still in the place where the M-Geeks attacked.
"Sorry, but this is getting boring. But don't worry, we'll be back." I said, rising into the sky. Seeing his angry face, I mockingly saluted him and laughing hard, we flew away.
"There's another town ten minutes up the road, about a two minute flight," Fang said. "Called Forks, we can go there."
I nodded. "Sure thing. Lucky I still have my Maximum Ride card. We're gonna need a big feed."
Fang. Fang. Fang. Fang. The name sent jolts of adrenalin through my heart, making it feel like it had just rode on a pogo stick for the last four hours. All radical and jumpy. Oh, and my brain was fried. Fried like scrambled eggs. Wait, you don't fry scrambled eggs. Do you? Oh, never mind.
His hands burned the skin on my back where he was touching it. Holding me. Pulling me closer. Normally, being the claustrophobic bird kid I am, I would be freaking out about being trapped. Not this time. Amazed? Me too, especially because I actually wanted him to hold me close – well closer, if that's possible. I was enjoying the pressure of our bodies mushing together. What was wrong with me? Hmm, maybe I'm overcoming my claustrophobia. What a shame, I really like feeling like I'm still in a medium sized dog crate whenever I'm in any relatively closed space. In case you didn't know, that's sarcasm for those of you who are a bit 'slow'. Gee. I shudder, literally, just thinking about what I'd be like in an elevator. Those whack scientists really screwed me up, didn't they?
"Max," Fang whispered, pulling out of our kiss. Why would he do that? I wanted to feel him kissing me. It took a lot of my super bird kid, leader of the flock power not to pout. Pathetic. I was loosing my razor sharp steel edge. "I love you," he whispered, pecking my lips.
Whaaa? He loved me? Well, I knew that. And I loved him but I just never expected him to say it out loud. You would never believe the fuzzy warm goodness that jolted through me then. All the said was three words and he's completely melted me. Well there goes my razor sharp steel edge, I thought.
"I love you too," I said and he smiled. No, he didn't smile, he beamed. Whoa. The most emotion, ever, to come from Fang. Ever in the history of the world.
We just starting to make out again when the door slammed open, revealing the rest of the Flock who had returned with Chinese take out. Mmm, dinner. Almost as yum as Fang.
"Whoa, Max, Fang," Nudge said. And get this – she blushed. Why? I was the one making out with Fang. Not her. How did she find this embarrassing?
Angel giggled and Iggy said, "Get a room." Gazzy, poor little guy, just looked horrified. "Yuck! You guys are soooo disgusting. I've lost my appetite."
I rolled my eyes and got off the bed, not looking at Fang. Straightening my shirt I walked over and snatched the food out of Iggy's hands. "C'mon guys, dinners getting cold," I said and plonked down on the hotel couch. Yeah, you heard right. Hotel couch. As in, we've all got hotel beds to sleep in, not, say, a subway tunnel. Nice improvements.
Fang walked over, looking embarrassed and sat down next to me, grabbing two dim-sims and shoving them in his mouth. All through dinner the kids talked and exclaimed over the discovery of the La Push packs. Fang didn't say much, though that was no change. I didn't contribute at all - my thoughts were all on Fang. What he'd said. Just remembering made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
It was no secret within the Flock that Fang and I had feelings for each other. Gosh, they'd found out pretty much as soon as I figured out that I loved him, too. That was, what, a year ago? They just didn't like our, well, umm, displays of affection, such as the one they walked in on before. Like, I don't get it, its just kissing, its not like we went any further then that but they just seemed to get all freaked out about it. Especially Gazzy, poor little trooper. Must be mind boggling for him – Fang getting 'girl cooties.'
We gratefully crashed into our beds that night. Gee, this couldn't get better, because, 1) we were actually full, as in not half starved, 2) we had a warm, clean, soft bed to sleep in, and, 3) Fang's words still rang in my head, making me like high off, I dunno, love? Oh, it was a strange life, the mutant bird kid life. And I loved every bit of it.
Sometime during the night, though, Fang came over to me in my bed and slipped in saying, "It's too cold for one person. Wouldn't want you freezing." He wrapped a hand over me and fell asleep. Not before giving me a quick kiss, though.
The Flocks reaction to finding out we had been in the same bed that night was hilarious. They totally flipped it. Only Angel remained calm, seeing in our thoughts that nothing happened. God, what did they think happened? Idiots.
We decided to go for a morning fly that morning, to work the kinks out of our wings. It wasn't raining yet – a blessed miracle, if you ask me – and the weak sun was warming my shoulders, making me feel awesome.
"Hey, something's down there," Iggy said, flying in an arc back towards me.
"Like?" I probed.
"I dunno."
"Let's go check it out, guys," I said.
Soon we were hovering over a dense clump of bloody trees that blocked my sight of what was going on below. I could hear the sounds though. Something – an animal it sounded like – was in pain in there. I was baffled. Never a good thing for a leader to be, trust me. It sounded like boulders were grinding down there. I would've gone down and checked it out but the Voice made me stay up in the air, 'out of harms way'. Or so it said. Occasionally we would catch glimpses of white, a blur of movement. It was hard to see clearly though – the weather had clouded over.
"I'm done, Jasper," I heard someone say. I motioned for the flock to be quiet, using hand code. Something we made back in the School. Useful, trust me when you live a life like mine. Constantly on the run, fight to the death daily . . .
Something dropped and I heard, "Me too. There's some elk near by, if you want more."
"No, I'm fine. We have to head back now, we have to mind Nessie, remember?"
"Yes."
Two people started walking through the bush. Soundlessly, we both followed. Soon they were in a little meadow and I nearly fell out of the sky when I saw who the two people were.
That was the pixie goddess from the coffee shop in Seattle!
We were too high up for them to see us. Hopefully. Our raptor vision let us see them, though. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to see us. Call me a paranoid mutant bird kid but I had some gnawing gut feeling that these people were 'different'. Like, what the heck was with the – I dunno what it was before. Seriously, those people were like trying to renovate the forest or something. What the hell?
Trust your instincts, Maximum, said my helpful Voice.
And guess what my instincts were telling me to do? Run. And run hard. Well, to put it more accurately fly. Running isn't very good when your twenty feet in the air.
I looked to my right at Fang. He was staring down at the couple intently. Sensing my gaze, he looked up. I can't really explain what it is between Fang and me but we just connect. In an instant, in one glance, I knew he felt it to. He wanted to fly out of there, fast.
Fine by me. I couldn't agree more.
"Time to skedaddle, guys," I said, still watching the couple below us. They were now looking at a little stream. Or was it a creek? Heck, I didn't know the difference. Anyway, they were looking at the stream really intently. Too intently, if you ask me. I was immediately suspicious and looked at the stream, too. Nothing. Only their faces reflecting off the surface, like a mirror.
Heellooooo, like a mirror.
They were watching us in the refection in the stream! Their faces, now that I strained my raptor vision really hard, were pale and amazed. The guy's mouth was actually hanging open.
Fang was looking at me with concern, a hundred feet away, having already started flying at my word. The Flock weren't in sight so I guessed that they'd gone back to the hotel. Fang's doing, no doubt. He tilted his head to the side, a silent question. A question that said, 'What the heck are you doing? I thought you said skedaddle.'
I answered him by shouting, "Move!" and flying away from there, fast – using my super speed. I whipped past Fang so fast that I forgot how massive my wings were and whacked him on the side of his head. Oh well. He'll live.
When we got back to the hotel where we were staying – we'd have to move soon, never staying in one place for too long – I had to explain what I saw to the others. They were totally freaked.
"But now they'll tell everybody and we'll be a walking freak show," the Gasman complained.
"Again," sighed Nudge.
"This stinks. What are we even doing here again? Someone please enlighten me," Iggy demanded.
Well, Voice? I thought. You probably heard him. What are we doing here?
You're here to discover the werewolves' secret. You also have to train with the local vampires, Max. It's all part of the bigger picture, the Voice said.
"To hell with that idea! I'm not going anywhere near vampires! And the wolves aren't really going to shed some life-changing secret with us. Heck, they don't even trust us! And you think you can just get me to do all this stuff, but really, you need to realise you only have an input on the decisions around here, you don't make the decisions. I do! And if I say –" I stopped, realising my rant wasn't in the safe confinements of my head. It had all been out loud.
The Flock looked at me with wide eyes. Well, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel and Iggy did. Fang just looked . . . like Fang - completely cool, calm and collected. Urgh. Screw him. Just because he never made the embarrassing mistake of ranting at the Voice inside his head, out loud. Just because he never made him self look like he should have been put in the Looney Bin years ago.
"Uh, Voice?" Iggy said.
"Umm, yeah," I said. "Sorry bout my little rant. Blame the Voice."
Fang chuckled. I looked at him startled and he grinned at me – completely chasing all thoughts from head.
"Vampires? Werewolves? What did the Voice say, Max?" Nudge asked, her eyes the size of dinner plates. Still.
I sighed heavily. Fang came up and put his arms around me and I leant against him. The Gasman and Iggy made 'ick' faces. Pathetic.
"Voice wants us to train with the 'local' vampires," I said. "And then find out the werewolves big secret."
"Wont they, like, be all, "arghh'' and try to suck my blood?" Nudge asked. She shivered.
Voice? I thought.
These vampires are unique. Extremely unique. They refer to themselves as vegetarians. This means they only drink animal blood. They live, act, go to school and work among humans.
Whoa. Wait, they live with humans? And the humans are cool with this? I thought back sceptically.
They used too, Max. She is now a vampire, too. Did the Voice just sigh?
Oh, no, we are not going there. No.
"Max?" Fang asked, giving me a squeeze.
"Hmm?"
"We were talking to you but you seemed a little . . . preoccupied," he explained, dark eyes serious.
"Voice is being stupid. As if I'm ever going to agree to this. Ever," I said. "Should know me better then that by now," I muttered, half to myself and half to Fang.
"Anyway, Max," Nudge said, completely changing the topic. "I was wondering if we could go back to La Push. We said we would and we still haven't. Can we go today? I mean, it's so nice down there. It reminds me of that movie. What's it called? Oh, you know, the one with the people and they go –"
"Okay, okay," I said. "Why do you suddenly want to go and hang out with freaking werewolves?" Like, where had her common sense gone? That'd be more like it. Yeesh, we were weird, human avian hybrids but wanting to go 'hang out' with werewolves? We weren't that weird. Not yet, at least.
She blushed and looked down. Huh. That was strange.
"Well, we're not doing anything, and you need to go and work out their secrets, it's a place to start," her voice trailed off and she seemed to be finding something very interesting in her shoes.
Hmm. Guess she's right. "Well, alright then," I said slowly. "Off we go to see the werewolves."
"Joy," Fang muttered.
Nudge beamed. Iggy and Gazzy looked like they were planning something, heads bent together. Angel looked happy, staring at Fang. I couldn't see Fang's face though.
"You two. Trouble One and Trouble Two, don't blow anything up or anything," I said warily.
"We won't," said Gazzy and Iggy snickered. I gritted my teeth.
"Angel, why are you staring at Fang?" I asked, trying to turn to see what she's seeing.
"Oh, nothing. He's just having some amusing thoughts, that's all," she said and jumped down from the bed to put on her shoes.
I turned and looked at Fang who – get this – blushed. I raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry," he said and kissed me on the cheek before getting up and pulling on his boots.
I had a feeling I didn't want to know what he was thinking.
Ten minutes later we were flying down towards La Push. I had no idea what was going to happen when we got there. So, we like, walk in and go "Hey, how's it hangin'? Umm, we're the bird kids with wings from the other day and we'd said we'd drop by again so here we are . . .''
Yeah, right.