Chapter Eight

I awoke with a single thought: shower.

I felt horribly nasty; I hadn't felt a drop of water since a little over a week and man could you tell!

With that thought, I searched for my duffel bag- I found it under the bed- grabbed a pair of jeans, a grey hoodie, bra, cammie, and a pair of underwear and went into the bathroom I faintly remembered using a while ago. It was really early- my internal clock was incredibly screwed up- so I kinda felt bad about using the shower and waking everybody up. Though I'm sure my stench would have soon anyway.

I did try to be quiet though, as I cranked the cold water and hoped into the shower after stripping to my skin.

I can honestly say that I'm probably one of the only people on earth who would choose a cold shower over hot every time. It's just so refreshing and really gets you up and going. And I don't mean just after a hot summer day, it's the end of September and I didn't even turn a drip of the hot water on.

I scrubbed my dirty skin so hard I thought I was flaying myself. And my hair was so greasy I used half a bottle of shampoo.

Note to self; buy the Danvers' more shampoo.

Finaly, I felt human again- realativly speaking. So I hopped out, dried off, and brushed my hair. Afterwards I went back to the room I was borrowing and threw my clothes at the foot of the bed.

I didn't think anyone would be up yet, but I was too antsy to sit in my room any longer.

Before I registered the fact that my feet were moving, I was in the kitchen.

What can I say? My stomach has a mind of it's own.

I searched the cabinets, pantry, and fridge and gathered enough pancake mix, bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast to make what I assumed was enough food to presumably feed eleven werewolves.

Then I tried to cook it.

Now I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I soon realized I was out of my element making this much food.

I am proud to say though, that twenty minutes a few close calls with the fire alarm and four heroic dives later, I had everything made. Without any spillage, breakage, or burnage. Although there was a fair amount of noise pollution.

Pretty nice timming too, because just as I laoded everything on plates and was figuring out how not to fall on my face with the food, the other various house members began pouring into the kitchen. Probably to see what was making so much noise.

Nick was the first one to see me, "For God's sake! It's only 7:00!" He yawned.

"Sorry, my internal clock is all screwed up. I was trying to help out a little," I really did feel bad that I was imposing on them, but until the month was over, I had no choice, "I can warm it up later if you guys don't want it now."

By now, all of them were in the kitchen or surrounding area. I noticed Karl, Antonio, and Morgan (I had finaly remembered his name) weren't there; they must have left sometime last night.

Surprisingly, Clayton spoke up, "Is it burnt?" I shook my head no, "Poisoned?" Startled that he would ask, I shook my head no again. "Then I'll eat, I'm starved."

Seemingly, everyone took that as a sign to grab a plate and head to the sun room table. As I watched, I thought about Clayton's poison question. Was that something of a regular occurance around here? I was second guessing my non-choice of staying here. If that had happened a lot, I didn't really want to get mixed-up in that shit.

But, I had a feeling that too would soon be added to my list of non-choices I hadn't made lately.

Just like I han't chosen to be a fucked up werewolf experime- Damn it! I had managed all morning without thinking about that! Why now?

I really tried to banish all those thoughts out of my mind as I grabbed the last plate and walked into the sun room. I threw myself a little mental 'Congrats Party' (complete with music and streamers) as various Pack members praised my cooking.

Then Elena filled me in on the after-breakfast run, "We were planning on going on the Pack run that was postponed," Most of the Pack mock glared at me and Logan, "You're more than welcome to join us."

I thought about it, but decided against it. I would never say it out loud, and I barely admitted t to myself, but I was sorta afraid of voluntarily subjecting myself to the pain of Changing. That, and I needed some alone time; which I hadn't gotten in a while.

"Thanks, but I'll just stay here. Maybe call my parents to check in from Europe?" Honestly, I was going to find a way to call them regardless of her answer.

Elena hesitated before replying, "You can call them, but I trust you enough not to tell them anything. Speaking of your parents, we need to talk about what we're going to do about our secret. We'll discuss it after the run."

I nodded my head and everyone went back to eating. I was extremely happy to see I had made just enough food; good thing those other three had already left.

About forty-five minutes later everyone had left for the run, except me and Jeremy. I had found him in the den reading a newspaper when I went to call my parents.

"Oh, sorry, I was just going to make my call," I said as I noticed him.

"I know," he replied. There was an awkward silence before he set aside the paper and looked up at me, "How are you?"

I opened my mouth to give him a generic 'good', but then I stopped to think. How was I really?

Well, I was ticked off at that scientist and not having any choice in anything anymore.

I was sad because it was like I was finally mourning my parents.

I was curious to know what was going to happen next.

Scared because I really couldn't possibly guess at what was to come.

But then I was also confused because I didn't know anymore what was truth, lie, or embelished.

Oddly enough though, I was happy because I finally did know; I knew who I was and where I belonged.

And then of course, I was frusrated. At the world, my life, stupid scientists/mutts, and at Logan- who hated me for being me.

Yeah, you could say that one of my greatest fears is not knowing.

I had just decided to stick with the 'good' when I looked at Jeremy, who looked slightly amused.

Then I realized why: I had spoken aloud everything that I had just thought.

I blushed, then blushed for blushing in the first place, sat down in the armchair opposite him, and madly wished for the words to come rushing back into my head and stay there.

"That's understandable. I also wanted you to know the warning signs that you need to Change. You'll get restless, itchy, your muscles will twitch, and it's been more than a week since your last Change. You should Change at least once a week." Then Jeremy stood up and walked out the door with the newspaper tucked under his arm.

I looked at the door Jeremy had just exited. I had just told him every single one of the feelings flying through my head and he didn't say a word.

In about a second I knew why; he wanted to bring them to my attention so I could analyze them. He wouldn't say a word about it.

Jeremy was a clever man.

But I didn't have time to think about my emotions though, the Pack was probably finishing up now and I still had to make my call.

I dialed the newly memorized house number and briefly wondered what day it was and rather or not my parents were at work.

It must have been a Saturday or Sunday because in three rings my mom picked up, "Hello?"

It was so good to hear her voice, "Hi mom."

"Honey? Where are you?" She sounded suspicious.

"In Spain," I was confused, she was supposed to know I was in Europe.

"The area code on the phone is from around here," she clarified.

Oh damnit! I forgot to star69 the number!

So I lied to her, "I'm on my friend's cell," It was an awful lie, but I managed to catch her attention with the magic word friend. She knew I had trouble making them, and for that matter keeping them, so she jumped on any chance to talk about them.

"Friend!" She cried, "Oh, good for you! What's her name?"

Told you, "Kat."

"Oh, that's great Kaine! So how are you doing?" She got quiet, "I mean, after finding out about being adopted," My poor mother had no clue just how bad it really was. Good.

"I'm okay, and I'm sorry this trip was so sudden," I was hoping to steer away from the topic before I had to lie some more.

"That's okay, I hope you're having fun!" She sounded kind of jealous actually.

"I definitely am!" Okay, so that was a bit of a lie too. "I gotta go though, we're getting ready for dinner." I had to quickly do some time changes.

"Dinner?" She asked me.

"We are five hours ahead."

"Oh, okay then."

"Tell Willy and Dad I said I miss them and that I love them," I requested, trying to wrap things up because I heard the Pack start to trickle into the house.

"I will. I love you Kaine, bye," she ended.

"Love you too, bye," I hung up.

As soon as I did, I heard footsteps coming closer; Elena, Jeremy, Clayton, and Kat came in. The three who went on the run had a wild gleam in their eyes.

Elena told me, "Everyone left besides us four and Logan."

"Where does everyone live?" I asked curiously.

"We live here; Antonio, Nick, Reese, and Noah live on the Sorrentino estate; Morgan has his own place in New York; and Karl has territory in Pennsylvania," Kat supplied eagerly. I could tell she wanted me to become a full member of the supernatural community, and quickly.

"Territory?" I remembered Logan bringing that up when we first met.

Kat, again, filled me in while some unspoken signal told everyone to sit down, "Only Pack can have territory. We hold New York, so not one mutt is allowed to live here. Karl has P.A. because that's where Hope lives. It's like a safety procaution. If mutts lived close to us and started to terrorize the population then humans would be alerted and then we'd be exposed."

I saw way too many faults to that logic, "So no mutt can stay in one spot? They're continuesly uprooted whenever you decide to clear the area? How is that fair?" I demanded.

Kat looked uncomfortable, "Kaine, they eat people."

"I'm sure not all of them do! And what if they have families?" Do these people not think?

"They don't," Clayton deadpanned.

"Apparently they do! My parents had me, you have your family, who's to say others don't? What makes you so different from them?" My argument had turned from Kat to Clayton.

Clayton looked furious and growled at me, "You haven't seen what mutts are capable of!"

I snorted, "In case you haven't noticed, you. Are. All. The. Same. Species." I was really trying to calm my temper, "Which means, that you are capable of what they are, and that they are capable of being like you!" Okay, maybe I wasn't succeeding in the temper department.

Clayton glared at me fiercely, but said nothing.

Elena glanced between me and Clayton, "Well Clay," she started, a slow grin settling across her face, "We're gonna need to keep this girl around, if only to deflate that big ego of yours sometimes."

I couldn't help but smile as I watched Clayton try to growl at Elena, then give up and kiss her on the mouth.

"Well anyway Kaine, we came to find you so we could talk about your parents," Kat explained, clearly embarrassed (and probably disgusted) by her parents actions, "Both sets of parents."

"Okay," I said slowly and wiggled myself further into the couch.

"First of all, we'd like to know what information Roman supplied to you," Jeremy requested.

"Why?" I really didn't want to relive that conversation again.

"So we can understand what is different about you," Elena answered.

I already knew why I was different, but I saw no choice but to tell them, so I related the phone call to them. When I finally finished and looked down from the ceiling tile I had been staring at, I noticed that Logan was now in the room too. Him and Jeremy were stony faced, Kat's jaw hung loose, Clayton's expression was calculating, and Elena looked disgusted.

"Oh, Kaine..." Kat and Elena whispered together.

After a seconds pause, I was way too eager to change the topic, "So what am I allowed to tell my parents?" Truthfully, I wasn't sure what I wanted to tell them.

Elena considered the question, traded a glance with Jeremy and answered me, "Do you think if we told them the truth they could be trusted?" She asked slowly.

I didn't even hesitate, "Yes," They had, afterall, kept my true lineage a secret from me for seventeen and a half years.

Elena nodded as if she expected the answer to be yes, "Then if you can go today without loosing control, we'll talk to them tomarrow." She stood up and said, "Now, you think you could teach me how to cook like you did this morning?"

She grinned evily.

Great.