Chapter Two

A huge thank you to my lovely reviewers! You guys made getting this chapter out quickly much easier.

I promise the next chapter will have a bit more action (and perhaps even a few answers) but I had to cut this one off or it would have ended up far too long. Besides, I'd rather write shorter chapters and update more frequently than leave people waiting for long behemoths of chapters.

Enjoy, and please do let me know what you think!

Trista awoke early the next morning. The sun was shining brightly through the window, landing squarely in her eyes. Even when she rolled over to try and go back to sleep she found herself unable. The sun had done its job in waking her, and now that wakefulness had found her it was not going to leave.

Heaving a resigned sigh she threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. As soon as her feet hit the floor she turned around and made the bed, hoping to remove the invitation the open covers seemed to pose. Once that was done she turned to her suitcase, pulling clothes from within and tossing them onto the bed behind her. She continued to dig a bit further and emerged victoriously a moment later with her bag of toiletries. She tossed the bag to land atop her pile of clothes then zipped up her suitcase.

Turning around once more she surveyed the pile of clothes she had accumulated. After a moment's study she decided to ignore the clothes for the moment and dropped to the floor, starting in on some stretches. While she normally saved her stretches for after her morning run, she had yet to figure out a route for her morning route, leaving her short part of her morning routine.

Once sufficiently limber she rose from the floor and turned back to her clothes. She had nearly pulled her sleep top off before realizing the blinds were wide open, leaving her in plain sight of anyone who might be watching. She verily dove for the cord, yanking it downward to close the blinds. They fell with a clatter and she winced, hoping she hadn't woken anyone else in the house. After a moment's pause revealed no further movement in the house she assumed the noise had gone unnoticed and proceeded to get dressed.

Once dressed, however, she found herself unsure what to do next. At home she had a morning routine, but here she had no idea what such a routine might contain. Not wanting to disturb anyone she pulled the book she had been reading from within her carry-on bag and settled back atop the bed to read.

After nearly an hour of reading the sounds of someone else up and about in the house finally reached her ears. Trista set down her book and listened more carefully, wondering as she did so who was up and for how long they had been moving about. She was notorious for getting so caught up in her reading that she became unaware of her surroundings, and it seemed today was another one of those times. No doubt her father, were he there, would have scolded her for her inattention.

Sighing at the unbidden thought of her father, as well as her own inattention, Trista rose from her seat atop her bed and walked cautiously to the door. She opened it just enough to stick her head out into the hallway and look up and down its length. When she saw no one there she debated a moment before slipping cautiously out of her room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind herself.

She padded softly down the hall, trying to keep her footsteps as quiet as she could. Even if her attempts at stealth would do her little good if there were werewolves around she still found herself moving quietly. After all, the werewolves weren't the only ones around to be hearing her footsteps.

She crept quietly down the stairs, sighing in relief when she reached the bottom without coming across the one squeaky stair that every staircase seemed to have. Once at the bottom of the stairs she paused to look around. Seeing no one in her immediate vicinity she sniffed gently at the air, searching out the source of the noises she had heard from her room. The strong smell of coffee reached her nose and she turned toward the scent, following it more confidently when she heard quiet voices coming from the same direction.

Moments later she found herself walking into the kitchen. She quickly tried to backpedal and put herself out of sight, to allow herself a moment to assess the situation, but the woman seated at the table had already seen her. She cast a friendly smile in Trista's direction causing Adam – who's back had been toward her entrance – to turn, looking over his should to see who was there.

It was a needless action, in Trista's mind, as he could have just as easily have scented her – and probably had. However, she herself was still given to the more human actions, such as relying more on her eyes than her ears and nose, so the action was understandable. The action, if it did nothing else, made the welcoming words he leveled her way sound all the more true.

"Ah, Trista. Good morning! Did you sleep well?" He offered a smile before gesturing for her to come closer. She did, hesitantly, coming to a stop at the end of the table. It was a strategic vantage point, one that allowed her to keep both adults in her sights at all times. That, at least, put her mind at ease a bit.

"Yes, fine," she replied, offering a shy smile in return. "Thank you." Her eyes flickered uneasily between Adam and the woman seated across from him. Adam seemed to notice her unease, as he immediately introduced the woman.

"Mercy, this is Trista, the girl I was just telling you about. Trista, this is Mercy my, uh, mate." He sounded uncomfortable with the term and Trista looked toward the woman to see how she would take the announcement. She looked far more settled with the term than her mate, a smug smile forming on her lips at Adam's discomfort.

"Hasn't it been long enough yet?" Mercy asked teasingly. 'You'd think you'd have gotten over it by now."

Trista was able to stifle a giggle at the woman's comment, but less able to do so when she looked at Adam, who looked slightly pouty from the airy rebuke. She immediately dropped her eyes when he looked toward the sound, face flushing red at having been caught. A quick laugh and a friendly pat on her shoulder as he rose form his chair assured her that her laughter was alright.

"Would you like anything to eat?" he asked, carrying an empty coffee mug to the sink. "There's several kinds of cereal, or I could make some eggs?" Trista shook her head at the offer. She had never been much of a breakfast person, and the nervousness she was currently feeling made eating the farthest thing from her mind at the moment.

"No thank you," she said softly. Then, idea popping into her mind, she asked, "I was actually wondering if there was a good place around here to go for a run. It's kind of a morning ritual for me, even before breakfast." She glanced up briefly to see how her admission would be taken, only to find that no one was paying particular attention to her. She heaved a sigh of relief at the realization that no one was watching her every move – at least, not at the moment – and quickly trained her gaze back on the floor.

"Just about anywhere around here is good," replied Mercy. "There's plenty road, most of it quiet, or there's the fields and riverbanks if that's more your style." Trista glanced up to find the woman smiling kindly at her. She offered a short smile in return before returning her gaze to the floor.

"Thanks," she murmured. "I think I'll go change and go for a run. If that's alright, that is?" At Adam's nod she nearly dashed back up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind herself quickly and quietly. That done she leaned back against the door, breathing heavily.

I hate meeting new people, she thought. Worse yet, I hate meeting new people in strange places. Continuing to vent inwardly about her dislike of being with strangers she changed quickly into a pair of workout pants and a t-shirt. Socks and a pair of well-worn sneakers completed the look, and soon she was out the door.

For a long time she had carried music with her on her runs. Since her change, however, she had found the music to be far too distracting to be worthwhile. It unsettled the wolf in her, being unable to hear every sound clearly, and she had come to the compromise that she would leave the music at home if the wolf would leave Trista in charge. So far the agreement seemed to be working.

She ran along the road until the smell of the river piqued her interest. It took only the briefest of searches to locate the river and soon she was running along the riverbank, careful to maintain a safe distance from the water. It would not do to fall into a river and drown on her first day in a new state. Trying to ignore her more morbid thoughts and clear her mind she continued on her way, feet pounding rhythmically against the ground.

"She skittish," observed Mercy once the girl was safely out of the house. "At first I thought she was just shy, but the more I watched, the more I thought it was more than that. What's her story?"

Adam, cleaning up the kitchen after the pair's breakfast, sighed heavily. He himself was a bit sketchy on the details as far as Trista went. Honestly, he wasn't sure anyone other than the girl herself knew the full story.

"I don't know much," he finally said. Hanging the dishtowel back on its spot on the rack he moved to sit across from Mercy again before continuing. "I know her father is the alpha of a pack over near Joplin, and I know that Trista was turned without her consent about two months ago. Beyond that, I'm not sure myself and, seeing as she just got in last night, I haven't pressed for any details."

He was about to say more when Jesse bounded into the kitchen, brightly colored hair flying about her face. She glanced about the kitchen quickly before asking, "Where's Trista? She wasn't in her room when I stopped by to grab her for breakfast." A hint of worry tinged her voice, as if she was concerned the other girl had slipped out the window and run away during the night.

"Out for a run," her father replied, gesturing in the general direction he had seen the other girl head. Jesse nodded her understanding before digging through the pantry for some cereal. It took her only a few moments to put together a satisfactory bowl, at which point she joined Adam and Mercy at the table.

"So, what are our plans for today?" Jesse asked between bites of cereal.

"Well, we need food,for one thing," Mercy replied. "There's nothing to eat in this house but eggs and cereal. Which," she continued when Adam looked like he was about to object, "is fine for breakfast. Not so much for the rest of the day, though."

"So food, which means grocery shopping." Jesse made a face at her conclusion. She usually opted to stay home from such trips and was going to do so again when an idea hit her. "Maybe Trista would like to go! That way we can make sure we get stuff she likes." She grinned at the idea, smile widening when she saw Mercy nodding in agreement.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," the older woman agreed.

Nearly an hour later Trista walked through the door. She was sweaty and some of her hair had come loose from her ponytail but she was at peace. She paused just inside the doorway, trying to pinpoint the location of the house's occupants in one way or another. She could hear Jesse upstairs in her room and could faintly scent Adam and Mercy on the back porch. No other sounds or scents greeted her so she made her way toward the stairs, intent on a shower.

Gathering her previously-selected outfit and bag of toiletries from within her room she walked down the hall to Jesse's room. When her soft tap on the door was greeted by a "yeah" in response she opened the door, poking her head through the newly-created space.

"Mind if I borrow your shower?" she asked quietly. "I'm kinda... sweaty. From my run."

"Sure, right this way!" Jesse replied, hopping off her bed. She led the way to the bathroom, grabbing a towel form the linen closet on her way by. Once she was sure Trista had everything she needed she bid the girl a good shower and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

She kept the shower brief, moving as quickly as she could through her routine. The warm water felt good on sore muscles, tight from the tension she'd been feeling, but she refused to linger. Once out she dried quickly, then wrapped the towel about her dark hair, twisting it to set atop her head. That done she quickly redressed, then grabbed her things and headed back to her room.

Once there she replaced her things within her suitcase. She pulled a brush from within another small bag within the suitcase and started on the tangled mess her hair had become, working patiently to smooth out the knots that had settled into residence during her brief shower – she had never understood why water seemed to tangle her hair so.

She had just finished brushing the last tangles from her hair and was twisting it into a french braid when a knock came at the door. "Come in," she called, fingers too tied up in her hair to go open the door herself. The door popped open to reveal Mercy, purse in hand.

"Jesse and I were just about to go to the grocery store," she said. "I thought you might like to come along. Y'know, see a bit more of the area, help pick out some food you like. What do you think?"

Trista considered for a moment before nodding. It sounded like a good idea to her. Tying off her braid she threw her brush back in her suitcase and grabbed her purse from within her carry-on.

"Let's go," she said.