Wolfblood

Chapter 11

"Do you remember if any of the wolfbloods we've met have ever mentioned other creatures that exist?" I ask my brother as soon as the metal door to the den opens.

"Um.." he pauses, confused. "No. Why, find a vampire out there?"

I scoff at the absurdity.

"No, but Jo's giant wolves that we laughed at? Turns out they're real." I push past Noah, quickly climbing the stairs.

"You ran into one?" he follows hastily behind me, mirroring my anxiety. "You didn't fight it did you?"

"No, I scampered right quick once I saw it. But that's not the worst part," I fill up a glass of water at the sink and take a long pull. "The worst part is that I'm pretty sure that the giant wolf was my girlfriend. And her 'work friends' are probably actually her pack."

"You're messing with me, right?" Noah says after a moment of just staring at me from the doorway. I shake my head and guzzle the rest of my water. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I sigh tiredly, finally feeling my sleepless night. "I can't think about this right now; we have to get to school."

My brother tosses me my knapsack, and I catch it easily enough as I ditch my water glass in the sink.

"Fine, but we're definitely talking about this when we get home."

"Actually," I say sheepishly, starting up a slow jog to school. "It's movie night tonight. Jo and the twins are coming over right after school and spending the night. You can invite Claire, too, if you want. You can tell her mom that we're all just going to be camped out in the living room."

"I'll call later," he dismisses, seeming in a much better mood at the mention of his only friend here.

A quick smile flashes mischievously over his face before he gives me a shove and then takes off ahead of me. I growl playfully and charge after the competitive boy, determined to catch him and have a good wrestling match before school.

"Have you been avoiding me?" I pause at the accusation, glancing up and spotting my girlfriend leaning against the wall just outside the school doors. I don't think I've ever seen her standing outside my school before, so I'm a bit startled. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be.

"You've noticed that?" I smile sheepishly as she pushes off the wall and follows me down the steps, shoving her hands into her front pockets.

She is wearing a normal amount of clothes today. I never know how much she'll be in when I see her. The first time I met her can attest to that.

"Considering it's been a week since I last saw you, I think me noticing is a safe bet. And yes, you've talked to me on the phone, but you sounded distant and always came up with an excuse not to see me." Her warm hand stops me in the middle of the parking lot, and I reluctantly turn to face her. She wears a confused and weary expression that immediately makes me feel bad. "So, you have been avoiding me?"

"Yes," I admit, awkwardly rubbing the back of my head.

"Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not really." It's nothing that she did. "Honestly, I just needed to think a little bit. Figure some stuff out." I toe at some loose gravel with one of my beat-up runners.

"Did you figure it out?" she asks nervously, and when I nod, she suddenly becomes that shy skittish girl she was when we first met. "What's that, then?"

All my insides melt at the way she looks, and I don't hesitate to reach for her hands in reassurance. "Just that I am a big hypocrite." After all, there are a lot of misnomers about werewolves.

Leah's lips tilt up into a confused smile, and I become amused.

"I really can't explain right now, but maybe someday. Just know that I worked it out and I'm over it."

Her hand squeezes mine hesitantly. "So, you weren't…. thinking about breaking up with me?"

"No!" I say quickly, feeling strangely panicked at the idea. "NO, that thought never even crossed my mind," and it really hadn't, "I definitely don't want to break up. I'm sorry for avoiding you," I sigh.

Her entire face lights up in joy, and I have to fight off the crazy urge to blush.

To hide my efforts, I quickly pull my girlfriend closer to give her a lingering kiss.

"That's good," she fails at fighting a smile by biting her lip. The action does nothing except pull my attention down to them and tempt me. I watch as her lips pull even wider, and I know that she's noticed my distraction.

"So," she says, a teasing lilt to her voice that still does nothing to kill my libido. "I have a favor to ask you."

"Uh huh," I say leaning slightly closer.

"Well, it's not really a favor, but more of an invitation. Next Saturday we are having a bonfire up on the cliffs and I was hoping you would come with me. I know that you don't much care for fire, but this thing is more about the people who will be there. See, the elders are going to be there telling some of my people's stories. Not many outsiders get to hear them, but I would really like it if you could."

I finally glance up from her lips when her tone takes on a pleading kind of quality. With fire, it's very hard to keep my wolf instincts in check. It's like I'm a dear freezing in the headlights of an oncoming car.

But it's possible, I suppose. Searching Leah's eyes, I can see how important me going is.

"I'll go," I tell her. It's the least I can do after avoiding her for an entire week. And next Sunday would be Dark moon day, so I should be fine the day before.

Leah seems to sag a bit in relief.

Before I can inquire why hearing some old stories from a bunch of old men is so important to her, I'm jarringly reminded that we are still standing in the middle of a full parking lot.

A car horn blares, and I quickly pull my girlfriend out of the way of traffic.

A laugh right behind me startles me again for the second time in under a minute.

"That's so cute that you get so caught up in your girlfriend's eyes that you forget where you were," Joshua teases. "Hi Leah," he greets with a wide smile.

"Hey Joshua," Leah returns good-naturedly.

"Oh, I'm Isaac actually," he tries.

"No you aren't," Leah immediately calls him out.

"Damn it!" he curses, a pout forming on his lips. "Both of you!" he waves vaguely in our direction. "It's not fair; no one ever catches on as quick as you two."

I grin subtly, not offering that I can tell them apart because of their scents. I suspect it might just be the same for my girlfriend now that I know she can turn into a giant wolf.

"Just face it, you can't trick us," I laugh at the boy. "You might as well give up."

"Is Josh trying to fool you guys again?" another voice joins us, and I smile in greeting to my only female friend. I, not for the first time as I glance at my girlfriend, wonder if Jo has ever considered that her giant wolves can turn into humans.

Considering she was thinking along the lines of radioactive mutations or escaped government lab experiments, probably not.

"Trying," I confirm with an unconcerned shrug. "So, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind Leah joining us for game night?" I ask, clutching my hands in front of me in a pleading gesture.

"I don't mind," Jo shrugs. "Is Noah joining us too, or going over to Claire's?"

"I think they have plans." I search the trickle of traffic still exiting the school double doors. Many people are still huddled around the parking lot chatting with friends and unhurried to go anywhere. "Most Fridays he spends the night and then they hang out all day Saturday."

"They're getting pretty close," Joshua says with a teasing intonation. "Aren't they a little too old for coed sleepovers now?"

"They're just friends," I brush off, unable to hide the note of annoyance. I hate those kinds of assumptions.

The boy raises his hands in surrender and says no more on the subject.

I spot my brother lazily exit the school with Isaac talking excitedly at his side.


A/N: Here's the next chapter, I guess. Review?

~Silver