I parked and got a cheap flee bag motel, the ones where you know every step you take into the room the more your disgusted with it. I sat down in the chair and turned on the radio before pulling out my laptop. I should listen to the news, see if the techno twins are still in New York. I wonder if Payton was okay, if she was safe, if she was even alive.
I was pretty good with technology, even learned how to hack computer systems and programs that would normally crash a computer. Being good with technology came as a surprise to a lot of the pack, for someone who literally, spent her time as an animal and in the woods. You wouldn't expect me to be very tech savvy, but I was. I had taken out the tracking chip so the twins wouldn't find me, I had gotten myself free internet and downloads as well. Even my cell phone was like that, free texting, incoming and outgoing calls, a free phone that couldn't really be tracked. Not once have I been asked or mailed about it.
I chuckled and stared at the image on my screen. It was perfect, exactly what I was looking for. Cliff diving, acres and acres of woodland, surrounded by the ocean, small community and a culture that was very superstitious and still thriving. Exactly where I wanted to be. I bit my lip and sent an email to a realtor. It didn't take long before I a response.
It was a two story house, all of the basic rooms, three bedrooms, four bathrooms and the basement had just about everything I would ever think to look for. It was nice and old fashioned looking, but you could tell it had been recently renovated outside, dark blue paint with white frames and a new porch and balcony. Along with the inside renovations it was very spacey and open, a lot of big windows and it was surprisingly creative. One of the walls, in the family room, leading into the kitchen was a giant fish tank, I thought that was neat. There was a pool table, dart board, hot tub and a bar in the basement. It was perfect for a teenage werewolf looking another new start.
The next day I went into the nearest town and bought myself some toiletries and clothes. Then I opened a new bank account and out all of the money into it. I went back to the motel and ordered furniture once I wired the first and last months rent to the realtor and told them that I would meet them there.
It would take a day to drive there, but that fine by me, I was excited and I needed to calm down. I thought about school, did I want to go back? I didn't want to, but I still was only seventeen and seeing as I have to have a human life I might as well continue pretending to be human. Before I never had to do that, pretend to be something I'm not. Before, none of us were in school, we didn't need to be, we knew everything we'd ever need to know. How to survive in this was what we learned.
I pulled into La Push around five the next day and found a bunch of trucks lined up the path to the house. My furniture was here at least. I got out, seeing the little impala parked in the garage, must be the realtor.
"You Luna?" a gruff voice asked, I turned and saw a man in some weird blue get up.
"Yes," he handed me a clipboard and I signed the forms.
They left everything on the porch, or on the first floor. I would've helped but werewolf strength would raise a few questions. Then I remembered, I didn't have any strength anymore. "Shit," I muttered, watching as the last truck left.
I moved to the love sofa and took a deep breath before heaving it up, then dropped it. I had the strength of the human teenage girl I would've been. This was going to days, I thought in annoyance.
Sighing I ran a hand through my hair and watched an old red truck drive by. A flash of familiarity swept over me as I watched the truck make a turn towards the beach. Turning back to the sofa I sighed again. This wasn't working, I had no strength, I couldn't get anything into the house. I felt pathetic and embarrassed, I bet my ancestors were laughing at me right now. I took a deep breath and made another failed attempt to push the couch through the door.
"Need a hand or eight?" a deep voice teased from behind. I jumped in surprise and spun around too fast, dropping the couch on my leg. I waited for the pain, it didn't come. I stared at the big guy holding my arm gently and glanced back. Another guy had grabbed the couch before it crushed my leg. Oh yeah, I definitely felt pathetic.
"Thanks," I said blushing a little. I shook my head, I was supposed to be arrogant and cocky like the rest of them, but I adapted to this human façade a little too strongly. I wanted to be who I was supposed to be, who I was born to be
"No problem," he said giving me a bright smile. "I'm Jake," he said letting go of my arm. "That's Seth, and those two making there way over are Jared and Paul."
"Well, I'm Luna, thanks for the help. God only knows who much I needed it," I said rolling my eyes at myself.
"Again, no problem," he said honestly.
I turned back to the other two, and then glanced at Jake and Seth. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed this earlier, all they had on were shorts and shoes, and something else told me they were probably commando. On top of that, either there guys were serious body builders or something was up. They all had the bodies or twenty two year old weight lifters. I eyed them each a moment and my frown deepened. "Hey," a voice said, I turned and smiled slightly as Paul and Jared jumped up the steps.
For a moment I couldn't really say anything. I stared at Paul, and he stared back. Everything seemed to fade out into the background and Paul sort of became everything. The allure to be next to him, to touch him was hard to dismiss, I didn't like this. Not at all. I didn't even know what It was. I brought myself back to my body and turned, the guys were watching us surprised and even a little excited and nervous. Jared broke the silence, "Paul, help us, man."
Jake bumped him on the shoulder slightly and they shared a look of amusement and fascination as he carried a table into the house.
I told them where I wanted everything and what rooms to set them down in and where to put them. If it wasn't the way I wanted it, could always change it up later.
I loved this house. I ran up the stairs almost tripping repeatedly, and onto the balcony. I had no idea where this random klutziness was from. It was night time, the guys were downstairs and after hours of just talking and messing around I wanted to get as close to the moon as I could.
I crossed the balcony more calmly, and dropped my arms on the ledge as I looked up. It was somewhere cloudy and the air was cold, I watched the moon pass through clouds and sighed. The stars were out, and you could see them just beyond the clouds.
I used to love nights like this, the shift was always so much more exhilarating. The moon made us stronger, when it was gone, we weren't as strong and our senses were a little dulled, but hardly noticeable. I breathed lowly and stared up, the light lit my skin on fire like electricity, almost waking her up, but not quite. She wanted to live, to wake up again and be free, to make us free. But she gone, she was dead and she knew wasn't coming back. I stared up at the sky, wondering when this time of hiding and hiding would be over.
"Hey," a voice said behind me, a voice I would never be able to forget, no matter how much I wanted to.
"Hey yourself," I said turning to Paul. He strolled across the balcony casually and leaned down over the ledge slightly."Where are the others?"
"Something came up, there sort of gone," he said slowly, watching my reaction. I didn't give him one.
"Bummer, it was cool hanging out," I said shrugging, as if it didn't matter. Secretly, I was glad I had this moment alone with him. He was probably leaving though.
"It was," he said in agreement, still watching me. The strange thing is, I felt comfortable under his gaze. Safe even, even though every part of my knew I would never be safe. Unless I could shift and people were after us, I would never be safe. "Are you going to school?"
"Yeah, I have to do some stuff tomorrow, but my first day isn't until Wednesday anyways," I said shrugging again.
"Your going to the school here, right?" he asked hopefully. I nodded and watched him smile.
"Great," he said and I chuckled. Looking back out across the woods, I wonder what these woods held. Normally every story, myth or legend was true at some point in time. Or at least most of it. Every story held some sort of truth.
A loud howl close by brought me out of my thoughts and I pushed back the growing urge to make my own call. But this call wasn't for me. "Look, I have to go, but, can I come over tomorrow?" he asked lowly.
"Yeah, that would be nice," he nodded and kissed my forehead before walking back inside. I turned back to the woods and once again before going back inside to sleep.
