OMG! Sorry it took so long! The house that I was at in Texas didn't have internet. Thanks so much for being patient! Here's the next chapter!


Chapter 8

Max's POV

The weekend couldn't have come sooner.

I woke up early on Saturday and snuck down stairs. I tiptoed into the kitchen and looked around. I found a loaf of bread and took two pieces. I was about to leave the kitchen when a slip of paper caught my eye.

I picked up the folded piece of paper that said "Maximum", and opened it.

Maxie,

I'm on a business trip and you need to clean the house. No boys in the house or you'll pay.

Jeb

I sighed in relief. I wont be beat for disappearing.

I jogged out of the house in higher spirits than I have been for a while.

I kept up a steady pace of walking and jogging. I enjoyed the silence that wrapped around me as I walked. I walked in the woods next to the road but still out of sight. The sun was just rising and it was beautiful.

I leaned against a tree and watched as the sun rouse.

A crack in the quiet woods made my head whip to the side, in the direction of the noise. I kick off from the tree and take a step forward. A rustle to the left makes me freeze in my spot.

I slowly turn around and a wild looking dog emerges from the brush. A wolf. I slowly slid down the tree to a sitting position, never breaking eye contact with the wolf.

I broke off a piece of bread and held it out. The wolf took a small step forward.

"Come on buddy. Come here. You look hungry." I say in a soothing tone. He crawls forward on his belly and stops a few feet away. I toss a small piece to him.

He sniffs it for a second then eats it. I smile.

I hold out another piece and he crawls a little closer. He's a foot away now and as he leans forward to take it from my hand. His nose brushes it.

I hold out another piece and as he takes it I reach out and pet him. He just keeps chewing. My smile broadens. I run my hand up and down his side and his tale thumps.

Fang's POV

I walk out of my house early Saturday morning planning on going for a run.

That was, of course, until I saw Max.

She was jogging down the street, looking around. I stopped my running and watched. She stopped at the edge of the woods and looked around. Then she slipped into the trees.

I looked around too. No one was there. I followed her, hiding behind trees and being as silent as possible.

She just kept walking and jogging next to he road but still in the cover of the trees.

What is she doing?

Whenever she looked behind her I had to literally dive behind a tree.

Eventually she stopped and leaned against a tree. I stopped and stood there. She looked out across the sky and watched the sun rise. Eventually I had to sift my weight because my leg was falling asleep.

I stepped on a twig and it snapped. Max's head whipped to the side in my direction.

She takes a step in my direction before a rustle to her left distracts her.

I look down to shift my feet without making noise. When I looked back up there was a wild dog laying at her feet.

I tensed up, ready to spring into action but froze. She was petting him.

The dog looked like a wolf. But not. He had longish black fur with brown and small white patches.

She was petting and feeding him. After awhile, they just sat there.

Finally, Max stood up. The dog stood up along with her and waited at her side. She smirked at him and patted his head.

"You going to follow me around? I bet Ari will get excited to see you. He just loves animals." She continued to talk to the dog as he trotted happily beside her. "He's like me. His family I mean. He's the only one left in my life. I don't have anyone else. And neither does he. We're all alone in this world. Maybe you could join our little family.

You're going to need a name now." She looked at his dark fur and smirked. "How about Shade." The dog looked like he could have been smiling.

I had no idea about what Max was talking about but when she talked about this Ari, her face lit up.

My chest kind of…ached.

I shook it off and followed silently be hind them.

At about noon, we arrived at a small two story house. She climbed up a rope ladder and tapped three times on the window, then jumped down and sat in the over grown flower bed.

About two minutes later, a little boy that must have been only seven or eight, slipped out of the window. He had feathery blond hair and the most blue and innocent eyes I have ever seen.

Max stood up and reached the boy in one stride. She hugged him tight and he held her tighter.

She pulled away and held his shoulders at arms length while on one knee.

"Ari, are you hurt?"

"No Maxie, I'm not hurt." Then he gasps when he sees Shade and I expect him to scream. Instead he holds out his hand. "Puppy!" Shade sniffs it and rubs against his hand.

Ari laughs and hugs him. "What's his name?"

Max actually smiles at the little boy. Like he's the only one in the world. I found myself wishing I was the one she was smiling at.

"I call him Shade. Found him in the woods and fed him my food. Started following me around."

Ari frowned. "Maxie, when was the last time you ate, if Shade ate your food?"

Now Max frowned. "Don't worry about it buddy. I'm alright."

He smiled up at her. "So how long can you stay?"

Max's POV

I smiled at him. "Jeb is on a business trip so I can stay the weekend. I can't miss school though. Some kids went to my house looking for me."

Ari flinched. "Do you have friends now Maxie?"

I frowned at him. "Ari, you know we can't have friends."

"And why not?" I hear a voice behind me say. My body went rigid and my hair stood on end.

Shade started growling next to me and Ari hid behind my leg.

I slowly turned to see a boy in black.

Fang.


Next chapter will be out soon. Let me know what you think!

This is feather flyer so,

Fly Free

Until then...

R&R?