All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.
This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.
The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.
AN: Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year! Here's a belated Christmas gift for all my wonderful readers/reviewers! I love working on this story because y'all are so loving and generous with your comments. Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm in exploring the worlds inside my head. This chapter moves fast so pay attention to the dates on each section. If you are puzzled or have questions about anything set out in this chapter's series of events, feel free to ask them in a review. I will answer them on the next chapter's AN.
As always, enjoy as you read and the more reviews I get, the more inspired I am! I've already got the next chapter in my head!
Chapter Eighty-Six (17 yrs old)
May 14th
Fresno, CA
"You couldn't be a little more careful, could you?"
"He was still alive when we left."
"Barely. Tell me –are you planning on doing this until you get it just right?"
"Until you let me go."
"You think he's going to take you back? That he'll look over the fact you've fed on human blood?"
"He loves me."
"He'll hate you."
May 25th
First Beach
"Is she really going to follow us all weekend?"
Gabe laughed as he looked over his shoulder, catching sight of his little sister trailing behind them, her new camera clicking away as they walked down the beach, holding hands, "It's a deal I made to keep her from singing happy birthday to me in public."
She bumped his shoulder with hers, the laughter in her blue-green eyes making him grin as she looked up at him, "And how exactly did I get dragged into this deal?"
Pulling her into his side, he let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her back, tucking his fingers into the side pocket of her jean shorts, "She won't sing to you in public when it's your birthday."
Laughing at his teasing, she tilted her head back, honey blond hair spilling in waves over his arm and down her back, "So let me get this straight –she's going to be following us all weekend long, taking pictures of our butts, just so you can avoid a little public embarrassment?"
Rolling his eyes good-naturedly at her, he moved his hand under her top to tickle her ribs, letting out a laughing groan as she elbowed him to get away, "What's the big deal? You have a great butt."
Wrinkling her nose at him, she pushed her hair out of her face, the breeze blowing it right back, "I think we should give her something more than just our backs."
"What do you have in mind?"
Tilting her head to the side, she gave him a slow grin before reaching across the space separating them to slap his arm, "Tag! You're it!"
"Oh," Gabe let out a laughing shout as she ran off, "So that's the way you want to play it, uh?"
"Bet you can't catch me!"
"Not only am I going to catch you, but I'm throwing you into the water when I do!"
June 3rd
Bakersfield, CA
"You're beautiful."
"Thank you."
"So, uh," he looked around the crowded club, the music loud and pulsing, "Would you like to find somewhere quieter? It's kind of hard to talk here, don't you think?"
"Is talking what you want to do?"
He stared into her gold-brown eyes, feeling like he was drowning as he shook his head, "No."
Smiling, she slipped her hand into his, his desire and lust weaving into her consciousness, "Well, then, let's go find somewhere more…private."
It wasn't far from the club where she found a dark corner, tucked out of view from those passing by.
"Here?"
"I can't wait," she let go of his hands, sliding them up his chest until her fingers rested against his throat, able to feel the rushing blood below the surface of his skin, "Is it a problem?"
He shook his head, a sense of danger spiking before it went away, his breath fast as he stared down at her, "I want to kiss you."
"Not yet," she pressed her fingers against his mouth to stop its descent, "Before you do, I want to taste you."
"What?"
Smiling at him as she used her own anticipation to enhance his, she pulled his head down, her nose brushing against his strong jaw as she whispered into his ear right before brushing her mouth against the side of his neck, "I promise it'll feel good."
June 19th
Forks, WA
He didn't even stumble as she jumped onto his back, arms wrapping around his shoulders as he grabbed on to the back of her thighs, giving her a piggy back ride down the hallway towards the gym, "You're in a good mood today."
Megan gave his cheek a loud smacking kiss before beaming a smile at him when he looked at her with a smile of his own, "Graduation is in two weeks –two weeks, Gabe!"
He jostled her, laughing as she let out a squeal, arms tightening their hold on him, "And prom is this weekend. You got your dress and everything?"
"Yes, I do. Your cousin Lili insisted on designing one for me –every girl at the prom is going to be so freaking jealous!"
Gabe laughed, easily swinging her around and crossing his arms under her bottom to keep her in place, "There's more to dating me than just good looks, uh?"
Smooching his cheeks between her hands, she kissed his pursed mouth before smiling down at him, "Definitely more than just good looks. Ty is excited about taking pictures for us."
"I thought I was picking you up."
"There's no one at my place to take pictures and I want lots of them, so I'll go to your place instead."
"Fine," Gabe pressed a kiss on her glossy lips, giving her bottom lip a teasing nip, "But I'm driving –Uncle Seth is actually letting me borrow his Mustang."
"That's great! Are you picking me up tonight?"
"Yep. Now get going before you're late. Emmie will tell on you and Dad will blame me."
Easily hopping off him, she straightened her cheerleading top, giving him a wink as she walked away, "Looking forward to our movie date tonight."
"Just remember –it was your idea to double date with my little sister and her boyfriend."
"Ian Hatch is not her boyfriend…Emmie made sure I understood the parameters of their relationship when she asked if we could chaperone."
Gabe laughed as he watched her walk away, enjoying the side to side swing of her hips; the slow burning desire she inspired in him was growing, especially when he thought about their plans for prom night…all he had to do was convince his mama to let them stay out all night.
Everything else, he already had it taken care of.
June 30th
Los Angeles, CA
"Have a little class, Viviana! You're acting like a cheap whore, doing your business in an alleyway…what the fuck is the matter with you?"
"Whore? You, who have girls coming in and out of your room like they're walking a fucking runway, actually dare compare me to a whore?"
"You don't see me fucking them in the street, do you? You're going to end up getting caught with your pants down, so to speak. What then?"
"Then I will no longer be your responsibility, will I?"
"You really think that's why I won't let you go? Because you're my responsibility?"
"Why else?"
"You're my biggest regret, Viviana. I'm realizing I shouldn't have taken your place –I should have let both of us die along with her."
July 7th
UCLA Campus
"This place is great!"
"Very sunny," Gabe adjusted his sunglasses, grinning as Megan practically skipped beside him, enjoying the vicarious thrill of a college campus visit, "When do your classes start?"
"September first," Megan gave him a teasing smile as she let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his muscled one, "So you're not getting rid of me quite yet."
"I'm gonna be up here every weekend, you'll get sick of me," he teased back as they strolled through the center of the university's campus, "I, after all, have nothing to do for the next year but work."
"I can't believe you didn't at least apply to PACC," she steered him towards a bench, "I know you have plans for one of the military academies, but you could have taken some basic courses in the meantime."
"I wanted a break from school," Gabe sat down, pulling her into his lap before she could sit next to him. Pushing his glasses to the top of his head, he gave her a rakish smile, "Besides, if you're busy doing homework and I'm busy doing homework, we definitely wouldn't be seeing each other much."
"Well," Megan gave him a tentative smile as she reached into her purse and pulled out a white envelope, "We might not be seeing much of each other anyway."
"Why," Gabe teasingly narrowed his eyes at her, "Are you breaking up with me?"
"No," giggling, she kissed his mouth before handing him the envelope, "I know it's a little late, but it still gives you time to register and stuff."
"What is this?"
"Your graduation gift," Megan bit her bottom lip as she watched him open the envelope, her nerves giving away to elation as she watched the surprise flit across his face, "It's a year's worth of flying lessons. You should be able to rack up enough hours to take the test for your pilot's license by your eighteenth birthday."
"Meggie, how…" he looked up into her blue-green eyes, awe evident in his own blue ones, "This had to have cost you a lot."
"Don't worry about it," she shrugged it off, leaning in to give him a kiss on the mouth. He pulled back, the look on his face letting her know he was serious, "If you took this out of your tuition money, I'm going to spank you."
She giggled at the way he said that, knowing if he did spank her, it wasn't going to be as a punishment, "I didn't take it out of my tuition."
"Where did you get the money for this?"
She let out a sigh, giving him a sideways glance, "It's stupid and you're going to think I'm silly."
"I won't think that –just tell me."
"When I was ten, I got my period –"
"This is going somewhere, right," he gave her a pointed look; "You're not just trying to make me uncomfortable?"
"Will you let me tell the story," her frown turned into a smile as he mimed locking his lips before wrapping his arms around her hips, a large hand resting on her upper thigh, fingers stroking under the hem of her jean skirt, "As I was saying, I got my period. By the time I was twelve, I still hadn't gotten any bigger up top…so I started saving my allowance, birthday and Christmas money to get a boob job once I turned eighteen. That's the money I used to pay for your flying lessons."
He couldn't hold back the laughter, his arms instinctively tightening when she tried to get off his lap, her pretty mouth twisted in a scowl, "You said you wouldn't laugh!"
"No," amusement tinged his words as he grinned at her, "I said I wouldn't think you're silly, and I don't, but what in the world gave you the idea you needed a boob job?"
"Look at them," Megan pulled back to give him a line of view on the topic at hand, "They're practically non-existent!"
"I happen to think your breasts are fine," Gabe smirked as he looked down at her perky breasts, "Better than fine. They're great."
"You're only saying that so I'll let you play with them."
Laughing as he pulled her into a hug, he kissed the side of her neck before whispering into her ear, "I wouldn't lie just to get my hands on your breasts again."
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she giggled at the tickling sensations his mouth moving down her neck and across her shoulder elicited, "You're one of the few guys who actually call them breasts. Most refer to them as tits…or boobs."
"Ma hates the word tits –she says cows have tits, not women. As for boob –that's slang for fool and there's nothing foolish about your perky breasts."
Her giggles turned into peals of laughter, a shiver running down her back as he moved his mouth across her collarbone, "I find it interesting how you can't deal with your sister singing happy birthday to you in public, but it doesn't bother you to get me all hot and bothered with people all around us."
"A condition I'll take care of tonight," Gabe nipped at her bottom lip, lifting his hand up to tuck honey blond hair behind her ear, "Along with thanking you for the best gift ever."
Kissing his smiling mouth, she let herself drown in his beautiful light blue eyes, "And you have all weekend long to do both."
"My, oh my. Aren't we ambitious?"
July 27th
San Diego, CA
"Rio?"
"The publishing house loves your book. They've projected a really high interest on your book once it's released next month. I've seen the mock-up of your next book, and I think its great work of art –both the storyline and illustrations."
"What does Rio have to do with my books," Marc set down his pen, pushing away from the desk to stand and move to the large window, which allowed plenty of sunlight into the room.
"The thing the publishers love the most about 'The Indian Princess and the Wolf-Man' is the way it reveals the folklore of a specific cultural group. It's the same thing with the one you're working on," his agent took in a deep breath, the low pitch of her voice soothing to Marc's frayed nerves as he heard the front door of the apartment slam shut, letting him know she had returned from her daytime roaming, "They want you to branch out to other cultures, starting with Rio."
"So they want me to go to Brazil and research their folklore?"
"And turn the best ones into children's books. Marc, it's rare to find a children's writer who can also illustrate, especially the way you do. You'll love Rio –it's filled with color and music and a joy for life. I explained to them the situation with your sister, and they are more than willing to find you housing for two. I know your sister is a dancer, and if she's interested, I can get her an audition with the 'Lia Rodrigues Companhia de Danças.' I have a friend in Rio who is related to one of the choreographers there."
"My sister hasn't danced in months."
"Then it's time for her to start again. You mentioned she was looking into Juilliard. Lia Rodrigues is an amazing choreographer –she'll help your sister grow as a dancer."
"I'm not sure if she'll be willing to do it."
"Look, I'll get her the audition. What she does with it will be up to her. So what do you think? For now, Rio de Janeiro is where the publishers want to send you but in the future…this could mean a lot of traveling for you, Marc. It will open up the world for you and give you material for your books. I can see you becoming an internationally known writer, which is rare when the genre is children's literature."
Marc's sharp hearing picked up the running water in the bathroom, knowing his sister was in the process of taking a shower. She had developed a ritual of sorts –walked the city streets during the day with no destination or purpose in mind before returning to the apartment to shower and dress, then going out again once the sun started to set. She dressed for the sole purpose of attracting the attention of her prey, very much like a black widow spider, hypnotizing some sad sap without an ounce of self-preservation.
"Rio," he muttered under his breath, closing his eyes as he flashed back to the last town they'd been in –had he not gotten there when he did, she would have drained the guy dry, which was a huge contributor to his current state of mind, "Why the hell not."
"Great! I'll call the publishers right now and get the ball rolling. You have a vehicle, right?"
"Yes, and I'd like to take it with me."
"Consider it done. I'll call you as soon as all the details are taken care of. You and your sister have a recent passport?"
"Yes."
"That will save us time. Marc, this will be the best decision you've ever made. Just you wait and see."
The call ended abruptly, without farewells from either party. Slipping the phone into the front pocket of his washed out jeans, he wondered when he should tell her about this new development, letting out a sigh as he crossed his room to the closed bedroom door, muttering under his breath, "Better now than later."
August 5th
La Push, WA
"This is so fucking crazy!"
Zak let out a bark of laughter, sitting back on his haunches and watching the latest addition to the pack; You do realize you look like a fucking idiot chasing your tail, right?
Bradley let out a bark in response, stopping from the occasional spinning as he sniffed various parts of his new self; I've got a fucking tail! What am I supposed to do with it?
Leave it alone, Gabe joined them at what had become the pack's meeting place –the tree by the river where he and his brothers had grown up camping on the full moon nights, it's not a toy.
Bradley let out a strangled noise, something between a whine and a bark, Mom used to tell me that back when I was a kid…although, I don't think she had a tail in mind.
All three of them let out barks of laughter, stretching out their lupine bodies as they gave each other space before settling down, the clean scent of pine, dirt and water letting them know everything was well at the moment.
So what now?
Gabe looked over at his cousin, the newly phased member of his pack as of two days ago, able to see and feel him finally relaxing, knowing he would finally be able to consciously phase down by the end of the day, What now what?
I know Dad will give me a job at the garage –
What the fuck are you talking about? You're heading back to school in two weeks –you don't need a job.
I'm not going back to school. My duty is to the pack and our people, especially with that bitch taunting us –
Your duty is whatever the fuck I say it is,Gabe sat up, blue eyes locked on Bradley, And you're going back to school. We have more than enough wolves in the pack to protect the rez.
Gabe –
Are you really going to argue with me? I'm your Alpha, Brad, and if I have to, I'll make it into a command –you won't enjoy school as much if I do that. Your choice.
The silence between the three large wolves was heavy, rife with tension, until Zak shook himself, black and white fur moving and lifting with the movement; Don't get too bummed out, Brad. He won't let me quit the baseball team.
Or the diving lessons, Gabe relaxed his large frame, eyeing his cousin's strange markings –Bradley was just a few inches smaller and several pounds lighter than himself, his fur made up of about every color possible; black tipped beige fur with three white paws and one red-brown one, black tipped ears with a red-brown mask around his dark brown eyes, a beige snout, and a red-brown tail with the last half a midnight black. It was no mystery why he kept getting distracted by the new body part as it wagged in barely contained exuberance, With the older pack members still patrolling, we'll be able to keep control of the situation. You can join us on the weekends, if you don't have any school commitments.
Why, thank you, oh mighty Alpha.
The sarcasm is not appreciated.
It really isn't, Zak swung his head over to his cousin, lifting his muzzle to show his canines in a doggie grin, Bailey gets in trouble for it all the time.
Brad finally relaxed, lowering himself onto his belly, his back legs tucked under him, tail wagging; doesn't seem fair, what with sarcasm being her native language.
The shared laughter was in their heads, the conversation carried on as each one stared out at the surrounding area, their noses and ears picking up sounds and scents then discarding them as non-threatening.
Has Bailey finally agreed to move in with Brad? Gabe stood up on all fours, shaking himself before stretching out his back, The way she leads that guy around by the balls is downright shameful.
You gotta give the guy some credit, Zak followed behind Gabe as he went into the woods, Bradley behind them, their large paws silent as they landed on the pine strewn forest ground; He knows how to get his own back.
That's for sure, Bradley lowered his snout to the ground, reveling on the sharp sense of smell he now had, she's being a total bitch to Cameron –I don't know what her fucking problem is. The poor girl is so scared of her, she practically pees her pants whenever Bailey joins us for a meal.
She needs to back off, Zak veered to the right on a quiet signal from Gabe, Bradley having to get a mental nudge to realize he needed to go left, Gabe staying in the middle.
Cameron's already pretty skittish as it is. Has Sam taken care of the bastard who raped her? Gabe felt sorry for the girl, knowing if she'd had a choice, none of them would know what she had shared with Sam, Emily and Lili, I told him anything short of killing the asshole was game.
Dad's not gonna hurt him, Bradley picked up speed, enjoying the new sensations that came with his new shape, He'll scare the shit out of the bastard and make sure the guy knows coming after Cameron would mean certain death.
Your dad is pretty scary when it comes to defending the innocent, Zak picked up his speed to match his Alpha's, the distance between them growing as they fanned out, Cameron definitely did the right thing coming to La Push to find him. Not to mention, your mom and Lili is giving her the TLC she's been missing.
Bradley jumped over a fallen tree, letting out a bark of joy, I actually think that's why Bailey's being such a bitch –she's jealous with how much time Lili is spending with Cameron. We're hoping she'll eventually get used to her.
The distance between the three kept increasing, their noses and ears constantly on alert as Bradley learned the routes and nuances of their patrols.
Zak moved towards the northeast of the reservation while Bradley headed northwest, Gabe, I've got an out of town game this weekend. Aren't you heading to California with Megan for her orientation weekend?
That's two weekends after your game, Gabe kept a steady gait as he headed north, the outline of the Olympic Mountains dark against the evening sky, Brad, you okay with covering for Zak this weekend? Your dad is going to cover for me.
That's fine. I can do both weekends, if you want, but I do need to be back on campus by the third weekend of August. Classes start first week of September, but I have a project I need to turn in to be able to do second year Honor courses.
We'll work with that. Make sure you get me your schedule as soon as possible. I'd rather know when you'll be coming home than have you show up unannounced.
We already know what that results in, Zak referred to Bradley stumbling across the vampire bitch during a hike up the west side mountain, which had forced his phasing, very much like Zak's own experience. Unfortunately, due to the suddenness of the situation, the bloodsucker had gotten away. It was almost like she had the uncanny ability to stay a step ahead of them.
Gossiping, boys?
Bailey, Gabe kept his pace despite the interruption, you're early.
Brady pissed me off so I wanted to run without him for a bit.
Please, please, don't start thinking about Brady, Bradley shook his head, ears perked at the sounds of the forest, his claws digging into the dirt as he picked up his speed to a loping run, Being inside your head is the only downside to this whole phasing thing.
At least I've got interesting thoughts in my head, Bailey headed across the forest to the east side of the reservation border, you seem to have a computer for brains.
And yours is like a fucking porn movie…with some horror tossed in for the hell of it.
Don't forget the violence and graphic language, Zak chimed in, mentally chuckling along with Gabe and Bradley, Gabe won't let me do patrols with them because, according to him, they're R-rated and I'm not yet thirteen.
Self-preservation, Zak. Ma would kill me if I allow Bailey and Brady to corrupt you.
Fuck you all.
The guys laughed, Gabe letting out a howl, which was echoed by Zak and Bradley, Bailey chiming in towards the end. A few minutes after, awareness rippled through the four of them, Gabe easily identifying the four new additions to their patrols –Sam, Seth, Quil, and Brady.
Sam, you and Seth need to keep your noses down to the east of the Olympic Mountains. Quil, you and Bradley take the west side leading to up to the beach. Somehow, this bitch keeps getting into our territory. We need to find where she gets through –she always escapes the same way. Bailey, you and Brady need to keep your heads in the game. Zak, it's time for you to go home. You have homework to do.
Agreement came from everyone, Zak going around the outside perimeter of the woods bordering Second Beach, staying alert up until he reached the outside boundary of his backyard. Phasing and putting on his jean shorts, he laughed when Ricky tackled his legs as soon as he stepped through the tree line, "Hey, little dude. What are you doing out here this late?"
"Mama watching from window," he twisted to point as soon as Zak picked him up, a small arm wrapping around his older brother's neck, "I catch fireflies."
"Ah, I see," Zak looked around the grassed yard, eyebrows lowering in confusion, "How are you catching them?"
"My hands."
He laughed as he carried the baby of the family across the yard, "You need a jar, tiger. Fireflies are fast."
"I faster."
"Yes, you are, but it's getting dark and I bet mama has gummy worms," Zak gave his little brother an eyebrow wiggle, knowing he had to get his little brother's mind on something more interesting than fireflies or the kid was going to insist on staying outside until he caught one.
"I eat worms."
Laughing, he stopped at the small shed serving as his sister's lab, knocking on the door as he called out, "Emmie, dinner's ready."
"Are you sure?"
Rolling his eyes, he shifted Ricky's sturdy weight until it rested on his hip and not solely on his arm, "My nose is smelling lasagna."
"Yum," the door opened, Emmie setting her goggles on one of the shelves before removing the lab coat Grandma Sue had made her the Christmas before she died and hanging it on the hook to beside the door, "My favorite. Do you smell garlic bread too?"
Sniffing the air a couple of times, he gave her a slow smile, "Not just garlic bread –she's also making cheesecake. What are we celebrating tonight?"
Grinning, she shut off the light and locked the door to ensure the terrors wouldn't get into her lab, "I got another scholarship –this one's for MIT."
"Don't you already have a full ride scholarship?"
"Yes," she reached over to playfully muss Ricky's sandy blond hair, laughing when he pushed her hand away with a frown before clumsily fixing it, "However, that scholarship can be used to cover grad school –the one from MIT, if I choose to go, will cover my undergrad degrees."
"As in more than one?"
"I'm going with the university that makes it possible for me to work on three degrees at the same time –it'll take way too long to do one at a time, once you add grad school and doctorate studies. So far, MIT is willing to let me do two."
"So instead of double majoring, you want to triple major?"
"That's the plan."
He opened the back door, letting her go in first before following behind her, grinning at the sight of Xavier quietly sitting at the table, doing first grade homework while mama cooked, "Hey Avy. How was your day?"
"Good," Xavier smiled at his big brother before turning his attention back to coloring a map of the United States.
"Me eat worms!"
Zak glanced over at mama, giving her a smile of apology, "Sorry, mama. I mentioned gummy worms to distract him from catching fireflies with his bare hands –he would have stayed out there all night if I hadn't."
"He gets his stubbornness from your father," the teasing tone to her words let them know she wasn't upset, brown-green eyes sparkling as she looked up from the custard she was working on, "The jar is on the top shelf to my left, Zak."
"Got it."
"He can have two," she turned her attention back to the bowl, smiling as her boys leaned in, Zak's kiss landing on her cheek while Ricky's was exuberantly placed on her head. Turning, she kissed her little boy on the nose before placing a kiss on Zak's forehead, smiling at him, "You're catching up to me, kid."
"And I'm not yet thirteen," Zak winked at her as he let Ricky pull out his gummy worms, sealing the jar before placing it back on the shelf, "Granted, I was already pretty tall but phasing sure helped speed up the growth spurt process."
"By about fifty percent," Emmie pipped up, having taken her seat across the table from Xavier, "Most boys your age are anywhere between four eleven and five feet tall; they don't have a growth spurt until they're fourteen or fifteen, sometimes later. Although you've always been taller than your peers, now it's almost laughable to say you're just twelve when you're five inches away from hitting six feet."
Zak grinned at his mama, setting Ricky down on his feet, "You would know."
"You're the youngest shifter in history," Emmie grinned at her little brother, pushing her dark framed glasses up her nose, "Uncle Seth was fifteen when he shifted. I find it intriguing how your shifting didn't take its natural progression like Gabe's."
"If someone ever gets their hands on your journals about us, we're gonna be seriously screwed."
"No, we're not," tilting her head to the side, she smiled at Zak, "What they will see is a compilation of seemingly factual data invented by an overactive imagination. I mean, really…who is going to believe there are shape-shifters, werewolves, vampires, and mermaids in the world?"
"Tooth fairy," Ricky piped in as he stood on his toes to set his two gummy worms on the edge of the table, clambering up onto a chair with minimal difficulty as Xavier looked up from his paper with a smile, "And the Easter bunny."
"And Santa."
Ricky and Xavier's heads whipped over to look at Zak, the baby's dark blond eyebrows dipping low as he scowled at his big brother, "Santa real."
"I know," Zak gave him a big grin, working on holding back his laughter, "Just like shape-shifters, werewolves, vampires, and mermaids."
The little boys smiled in relief, Emmie covering her mouth to keep from laughing as Zak crossed the kitchen, mama calling out after him, "Please take a shower –running in the woods in wolf form is definitely increasing your stink factor."
