Rachel and I make our way into the choir room, arm in arm, to find a scowling Finn, a bouncing Brittany, a leering Puck, and a smirking Santana. Finn's eyes never leave mine and Rachel's bodies as we head to sit in the front row. Kurt taps Rachel's shoulder from behind, grabbing her attention from taking in the area.
"How was your first day Rachel? I haven't seen you at all today," he says, briefly glancing in my direction with amusement in his eyes.
Before Rachel can answer, Santana says snarkily, "Funny Lady Hummel, me and Britt-Britt haven't seen Q here all day either. Do you know how hard it is to be the intimidating Unholy Trinity and run this school minus the head of it?" As she finishes speaking, she throws her arm around my shoulder, roughly pulling me into her.
"I was showing Rachel to her classes since we share all of them together," I explain to them as I scoot away from San and closer to a smiling Rachel, putting my arm across the back of her chair. Brittany starts clapping excitedly as she opens her mouth to speak, but before anything comes out a grinning Mr. Schue walks in following closely behind Sam and Mercedes.
"Good afternoon," Mr. Schue greets. "I hope everyone has had a great first day back to school," he says enthusiastically as we all groan. "Excellent. So before we get started I hear we have a potential new member." He motions for Rachel to stand and go to the front of the room, while he makes his way to a chair next to Finn.
"Hello everyone, as you all know my name is Rachel Berry," she introduces herself brightly. "I would like to perform for you the All American Rejects' song It Ends Tonight for my audition piece," she informs us as she motions for Brad to start playing. I sit there in the euphoric like state her singing always seem to put me in. Once Rachel finishes everyone stands to their feet, applauding, then move to wrap her in a group hug, my arms reaching her first, pulling her in so close that I get hugged more than she does. "So I take it I officially made it into the club," she asks me, laughing, as we all return to our seats.
"Nope, not at all, we just hug every potential member we reject," I answer sarcastically, making her nudge me playfully as we sit. Mr. Schuester gives us an assignment for the week, all we have to do is sing a song that brings back childhood memories good or bad, before dismissing us for the day.
With Rachel leading the way we walk out of the room when a chilling smell reaches my nose a second to late. A now slushy covered Rachel is shivering in front of me along with a laughing Karofsky holding an empty Speedway cup, the grape slushy on the floor almost reaching my shoes.
A loud growl rips from my throat as I grab Karofsky by the front of his letterman jacket, slamming him against the lockers, knocking the wind out of him. "You listen to me and you listen to me good David," I force out darkly through closed teeth, fear pouring off him as my gold eyes bore into him, "if you throw another slushy or come near Rachel in an attempt to harass her again I will make you regret it for the rest of your days." The timber of my voice changing halfway through the threat to one that seems vaguely familiar to me. Once I feel people tugging on me I drop Karofsky to the floor, he sits on the floor paralyzed by fear, before snapping out of it and sprinting down the hallway. I breathe deeply to calm myself down as I turn around seeing that San and Britt had been the ones to pull on me determined looks on their features. I see the rest of my pack over their shoulders, ready to jump in if needed, and I see a still shivering Rachel beside a consoling Kurt, but I can't tell if she's shaking because of the slushy or from fear now.
"Rachel," I say as I tentatively reach out to her, making her flinch in response. My wolf whimpers at the pain of the apparent rejection as I sigh dejectedly. I turn to Kurt and order kindly, "Kurt will you please get Rachel cleaned up and out of those clothes before she catches something."
"Of course, Q." He grabs her hand gently and leads her to the restroom down the hall.
Watching them go, praying fruitlessly that she looks back at me, I ask my Betas, "Did I just screw up?"
"I don't believe so Q," S answers quietly as B grabs ahold of my hand, squeezing it firmly. The pack members each give me a comforting look as they head towards the parking lot, besides a pompous Finn who struts to the bathroom Kurt took Rachel to, making me gnash my teeth together to prevent myself from throwing him against a few lockers…or through one.
"Come on Quinn, lets go home," B suggest as she tugs on my hand, before leading me to the truck.
"Yeah homegirl, you gots your first lesson with Judes," Santana reminds me, trying to cheer me up.
"Yeah," I say with fake enthusiasm, looking back down the hall hoping for a peek of Rachel before we leave. Realizing I'm not going to we walk out the doors to the parking lot. When we make it to the truck, I glimpse back one last time and exhale miserably.
It takes close to a hour and a half before we make it to the house, thanks to a forty minute fight between San and I. She deemed me unfit to be able to drive her and her girlfriend safely home and I reminded her for the hundredth time that absolutely no one drive my truck. The verbal fight soon became a wrestling match between the two of us, resulting in a black eye for me, a split lip for S, and skinned knees for the both of us that were healed before we reached the county roads our houses were on. In addition to that we also had to drop a very reluctant Santana off at her house and force her out of my truck. As we're pulling into our driveway B and I hear yelling from the house. I park besides Britt's light blue jeep, as we get out we hear a crash from inside and we look at each other before taking off towards the front door.
"Luna," Mom yells, "leave Lord Tubbington alone."
"Lord Tubbington quit swatting at her, you're going to get her eye," Aunt Renee shouts. We burst through the door finding Mom holding Luna by her turquoise leather color and Aunt Renee struggling to detain a frantic Lord T.
Trying to keep my laughter inside, I ask, "What's going on in here?" Mom turns to glare at me as Brittany scurries to comfort an inconsolable cat, mewling at her like he was complaining about the ordeal he just went through as B picks him up and leaves the room.
"Well Quinn, Luna thought it'd be a good idea to go up to Lord Tubbington and grab onto his tail, pulling him off the window sill," Mom explains as she hands the puppy over to me.
"Mom, she's just a puppy she doesn't know any better, you can't be mad at her," I remind her as I pick Luna up and she licks my face in greeting.
"Well then teach her," Mom snaps at me before adding more calmly, "now that that's settled go get into some old clothes and meet me in the woods."
"Where in the woods?"
"Sniff me out," she answers sardonically as she walks off and out the back door.
"Okay," I say slowly. Turning to my Aunt I ask, "Did something happen today?"
"Not really. There's a rumor your father is back in town though," she answers cautiously.
"Oh, well I guess I better get dressed," I respond distantly as I make my way up the stairs.
"Quinn," she calls out concerned, making me pause with my back facing her so she she can't see the broken look on my face.
"I'm fine," I quietly reply, "I just better hurry." I make my way up the stairs and into my room, closing the door and sliding down it, holding Luna close to me. She whimpers, before licking a tear off my face, making me look down at her. "This just isn't my day pretty girl," I whisper in her ears. Hearing my phone go off in my bag, I set Luna down, and watch her go chew on her newly acquired bone as I dig the phone out while sniffling, I see its from Kurt. I exhale, knowing its about Rachel, as I open it.
Hey Quinn, I just dropped Rachel off. That girl has a million in one questions. I tried my best to answer, but I have a feeling you should be the one to talk to her. Also, since when do you let people wear your OSU hoodie?-Kurt
'Holy crap,' I think, 'how'd I forget that she still had my…wait! She was wearing my hoodie when they talked! Yay!' I answer Kurt's text, wearing the first smile that wasn't strained since Glee was over.
She was wearing it? And I'll text her after my first lesson with my mom, if Rachel will even actually talk to me after what happened with Karofsky-Q
He answers back immediately. Yes she was, first thing she did when she got home was put it on, and oh, I have no doubt that she'll want to. Have fun with Judy and good luck-Kurt
Thanks Kurt-Q I send back while I get dress in some old ratty sweatpants and a paint stained t-shirt before going downstairs to head out to the woods.
Walking towards the kitchen to reach the back door, I see Santana there with Brittany still holding her obese cat, both of them eating apples. "Don't you ever stay at your house anymore," I ask San.
"Oh come on Q, you know you love seeing this sexy masterpiece," she answers while sweeping her hand across her body. "Madre was coming over so I thought I'd tag along," she continues while taking a bite.
"Uh huh," I say unconvinced, "Well where is your mom then?"
"With Renee and Judy getting ready for your lesson," she replies. I make my way to the fridge to grab an apple as well before B stops me.
"Aunt Judy said not to let you eat," she explains. "Anyways there aren't any green apples in there, just the red ones."
I make a disgusted face as I ask, "So what are two going to do while we're gone?"
A smug smile slowly spreads on San's face as she says, "You know a little of this, a little of that." She wiggles her eyebrows making B giggle while she kisses S sweetly.
"Just stay out of my bed," I demand adamantly heading out the back door.
"Maybe," S mumbles before pulling Britt back into her for a deeper kiss.
Taking me close to thirty minutes before I find two of the three women. "Mom when you told me to sniff you out I didn't think you actually meant it," I call out displeased as I walk up to her and Aunt Renee. "Why didn't you just tell me where you all wanted to meet Aunt?
Mom answers for her with her own question, "Well how else were we going to test your tracking skills?"
"How'd I do?"
"Pretty good," she replies with a satisfied smile, "You found us in half the time we expected, but you're still missing something." I look around before I realize Maribel's nowhere in sight.
'Where is," I start to ask, but before I can I'm cut off by a loud growl, I turn around and see Maribel's wolf hurtling towards me. Right as she pounces at me I grab a fistful of her dark fur on her chest and throw the wolf to the ground, I drop into a defensive stance as she stands and shakes off. She makes her way over to the other two clapping women.
I stand fully out of my crouch as I ask breathlessly, "Another test?"
"Yes," Aunt Renee answers proudly, "great reaction time Quinn."
"Thank you. What's next?"
"Now," mom begins, "we're going to work on your transition. A wolf, especially an Alpha, shouldn't take more than a few seconds to switch on command. You take about for to five minutes correct?" I nod and she continues, "We need to teach you how and after this you'll need to teach your pack.
You need to focus Quinn, you need to focus more on your wolf. More on how to easily control her so you don't have to constantly fight. That's what is taking so much time to turn, you need to get a handle on her. After you master your control you know what to do and then switching should be a walk in the park."
As she was talking Aunt Renee had switched and once she was done she switched, leaving me standing there as the only human. Mom nudges me with her nose to begin and I strip down to my underwear. She backs away as I fold my clothes, close my eyes, and take a deep, shuddering breath.
In my mind's eye, I see my beautiful white wolf pacing restlessly in a steel cage. I walk up and unlock the cage, barely opening it, trying to let her out enough yet still keeping her inside. She growls at me before I hear a voice, recognizing it from earlier with my encounter with Karofsky. 'Quinn to master this you need to fully let me out. You can't contain me in a cage while using only a part of me. Its impairing you from reaching your full potential. Locking me away is keeping a piece of yourself locked away as well. I promise you that you'll have complete control, you just need to let go.'
'Why didn't Mom just tell me that," I ask the voice in a strained tone, still struggling with my wolf.
'Because an Alpha needs to figure this out on their own, they won't make it if everything is spelled out for them,' the voice answers. 'Now let go,' it order. But before I can let loose on my control, I hear it add, 'And Quinn, fix this with Rachel. We both need her.' Once the voice is disappears, I let go and the next second I feel the fire go up my spine and my two front paws hit the earth, the whole process taking a minute since Mom left me on my own.
"Good job Quinn," I hear Maribel say.
"Thank you Mrs. Lopez," I tell her gratefully before facing my mom. "That voice, it was her's wasn't it? My wolf's," I ask.
"Yes, Quinnie, it was," she answers. "Now lets go hunt, Quinn you lead." The next hour consisted of us hunting, them showing me the multiple patrol routes and our territory boundaries, and fighting techniques. Once we are back in our human form Mom tells me that it'll be just the two of this Saturday for the next lesson.
When they finish complimenting me on how I did during my first lesson I take off back towards the house. I race through the back door and up to my room. I grab my phone off my desk and text Rachel while getting dressed into a pair of skinny jeans and a yellow t-shirt.
Hey Rachel, I'm really sorry about what happened today after Glee. Is it okay if I come over right now and we can talk about it?-Q
She answers back while I tie my black Chuck Taylor's. Of course Quinn. See you soon.-*
I feed Luna real quick after dashing downstairs, before I sprint out the door while yelling that I was going to Rachel's for a while. "When you get back you need to practice transforming some more and then go on another patrol," Mom shouts after me. I wave my hand out the window of my truck as I start it, indicating I heard her, before driving off.
Arriving at Rachel's, I make my way up to her front door. I run my hand through my hair nervously as I ring the doorbell. I turn to sprint down the path until my wolf's voice comes back, reminding me that I need to do this so that I can fix things with Rachel. I hear some scrambling behind the door, Rachel yelling, I'm guessing to her dads, that she's got it, before she opens it, giving me the sight of a beautiful yet impatient Rachel. I look over her body seeing that she is indeed still wearing my hoodie and some shorts that the hoodie almost covers, showing off her perfect legs.
"Hi Quinn," Rachel greets me, a small smile appearing when my eyes lift up to meet hers.
"Hi Rachel," I respond, sounding just as anxious as she looks. "Can I come in," I ask hopeful.
"Oh yes, of course, please do," she answers as she opens the door more and moves out of the way. "Dad, we're going upstairs," she calls towards the kitchen as she pulls me to the stairs.
"Hold it right there little lady," a deep voice stops us, "I would like to meet this girl." An African American man as tall as me makes his way towards us while drying his hands on a dish towel.
"Hello, Quinn I presume," he greets sticking his now dry hand out which I immediately shake firmly.
"Yes sir," I answer. "Its nice to meet you Mr. Berry."
"Oh please call me Leroy," he tells me. "I'm sorry my husband isn't here right now. He's still at the hospital," he informs, "he should be home in a little bit though."
"I can't wait to meet him as well," I say honestly before Rachel starts dragging me up the stairs, making me laugh. "Impatient much," I ask through my amusement as we make our way to a door with a gold star on it, Rachel's name in the middle.
"Well considering the events that took place earlier today and the sorry excuses of answers Kurt gave me, I'd have to say yes," she answers while she shuts her bedroom door behind us. Her room is a pale yellow with posters on the walls featuring Barbara Streisand in some as well as posters for Wicked, Chicago, and RENT. Her queen size bed in the middle of the wall with the door, and an elliptical in the right corner opposite her windows. A computer desk sits in front of the window looking out to the front yard, a HP laptop sitting on top of it. A TV stand beside that with a TV and Blu-ray player on it. A giant bookcase is on the left side of her bed, each shelf filled with DVDs and Blu-rays, beside that is her dresser. Two doors are on the right side, one being an en suite bathroom, the other I'm guessing is her closet.
"So are you going to answer my questions better than Kurt or are you going to evade them like he did," she asks, putting her hands in the front of the hoodie unconsciously while sitting on her bed, once I stop looking around and sit in the desk chair, pulling it closer to her.
"I will try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities," I tell her. She looks up at me skeptically, I sigh at the doubt as I stick my pinky out towards her, "I pinky promise."
She smiles brightly as she wraps her little finger around mine, "Okay."
She opens her mouth to start, our hands fall down between us never disconnecting, I interrupt her though, "But I also get to ask my own questions."
"I can agree to that," she says eagerly, "I start first though. I've seen them do this you can't deny it. Why do your eyes change to almost a dark molten gold?"
"They do that when I get really angry, they have ever since I was little," I answer as truthfully as I can without saying exactly why they do it when I'm angry. "What's with all the stars," I ask, noting the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. "I mean you end your texts with them, there's one on your bedroom door along with the ones on the ceiling," I add.
"It's a metaphor. My gold stars are a metaphor for me being a star. Which I will be one day, a star on Broadway is my dream. Metaphors are important," she finishes with a shrug. "What happened with David today? How did you lift him off the ground," she inquires as she rakes her eyes over my body making me blush.
I think for a moment to figure out the best way to answer. "I'm a very protective person, Rach, and even though I've only known you for a day, I feel even more protective of you than I do about people I have known my entire life. Maybe its your stature or something, I just know it would actually pain me if something were to happen to you. So when Karofsky did that I snapped, I haven't lost control like that in a really long time. I'm still very sorry that you had to witness that, by the way. And for how I lifted him, let's just say that there were a lot of physical changes I had to endure to be able to do that." I avoid her studious gaze for a minute and then looking back at her I ask, "Why are you wearing my hoodie?"
Its her turn to blush now when she replies, "I just needed to feel warm and protected. Plus, it smells really good, like vanilla." She ends with a shrug and a smile until it falls and she whispers sadly, "Do you want it back?" I smile and tell her to keep it. "So next question, how long have you known the kids in Glee?"
"I've known everyone, besides Blaine, my entire life. Our parents are friends as well so we all grew up together, living in a small town helped with it also."
She waits patiently for a few seconds as I stare out the window facing the woods. "Aren't you going to ask another question?"
"Are you afraid of me now," I blurt out.
"Quinn if I were afraid of you would I let you in my home? Would I wear your hoodie to feel safe if I found you scary?" I move my head in the negative, so she continues, "No, I wouldn't. I''m sorry I flinched from you earlier, but if you just saw a teenage girl lift a boy twice her size like he was just a pillow wouldn't you?"
I nod my head in the positive this time. We stare at each for another moment, she begins moving our hands back and forth between us while she says, "You know something Quinn, I really like it when you call me Rach."
I smile and inquire if its alright if I ask another question. When she nods yes, I do while I nervously rub the back my neck with my left hand. "I know that this is rather sudden, and the second time it happened today. I also know that you just broke up with your boyfriend, but Rach will you go out with me Friday night," I rush out the question.
A squeal and flinging arms going around my body reach me before I hear, "Yes! Yes Quinn I'd love to." When she pulls away from me she pauses a few inches from my face. I look into her warm eyes before looking down to her lips and back up questionably. She nods her head subtly and I begin to lean in, my hand resting on her cheek, as she tilts her head towards me.
"Girl! Hiram's home," I hear Rachel's dad yell up the stairs making us jump apart for the second time that day. Rachel gets up and makes her way toward the hallway, when she open the bedroom she looks back watching me pout pathetically as I stand.
She laughs and reaches her hand out to me. "Come on Quinn," she says, a grin spreading onto her face when I weave our fingers together.
As we're walking down the stairs a familiar yet strange smell fills my nose, making my eyes bounce around the house. We go into the kitchen, the scent growing stronger as my eyes and Rachel's other father's eyes lock as both pairs narrow slightly.
"Quinn, this is my husband Hiram," Leroy introduces me to the tall peppered hair man wearing glasses before me. "Hiram, this is Rachel's friend Quinn." Hiram puts his hand out, I step forward proudly at my full height and shake it strongly.
"Nice to meet you sir," I tell him, maintaining a pleasant tone in my voice.
"You too Quinn," Hiram says with a knowing look, dropping my hand but not my gaze.
"Will you stay for dinner Quinn," Leroy asks.
I shake my head, my eyes never leaving Hiram's until he breaks the stare. "No sir. My mom is expecting me home in a few, but thank you for the offer," I answer looking at him.
Rachel tugs on my hand to walk me to the door, but Hiram's voice stops us. "Quinn may we talk for a moment," he ask, his ton serious as he turns to Rachel and Leroy adding, "alone." Once they both leave, Rachel rather reluctantly, Hiram fixes his gaze on me. "You're one aren't you," he asks, my eyebrow raises making him clarify quietly, "You're a werewolf?"
"Yes sir," I answer proudly. "Is that a problem," I ask defensively.
"No Quinn, it isn't. I knew I smelt some when we moved here, but I don't know who the Alpha in the area is, and I'm hoping you'll help me so your pack doesn't think I'm an intruder. Dr. Lopez and Pierce are too as well, correct?
I nod my head before asking, "So you're one too?"
"Yes Leroy knows, but Rachel doesn't," he informs me pointedly.
Instead of tell him that Rachel is figuring some things out I say, "My mom is the Alpha for now."
"For now?"
"Yes sir, I will replace her soon."
"Oh. Well Quinn I'm not trying to," I silence him with a raised hand before he continues his sentence.
"Don't worry Mr. Berry I know you're not, I'll my mom so she knows, and we'll inform the others."
"Please call me Hiram. Thank you Quinn and congratulations," he says as Rachel comes back, glancing curiously between us.
"Ready Quinn," she asks.
"Yeah Rach," I answer, tipping my head in Hiram's direction as Rachel leads me to the door.
"Thank you for answering my questions Quinn and the hoodie," she says, wrapping me into a hug, a smile on her face.
"Thank you for saying yes about Friday," I reply, drawing back and bring hand to my lips, making her smile grow as warmth floods my body.
"Bye Quinn."
"Bye Rach."
I make it home soon after, and head straight into the backyard. I fold my clothes into a pile once I step into the woods, and begin letting go of my control. Less than forty-five seconds later I'm all white except for my black wings marking, furry, and running my patrol. I've been going for an hour not picking up anything strange when I hear a familiar sound. I make my way to it, realizing I'm near Rachel's house, when I see her, still wearing my hoodie, sitting on a boulder over looking Lima, singing.
I move towards her unconsciously as if she were a siren summoning me to her. My back paw snapping a twig, bringing us both back to Earth, she turns sharply to face me, gasping. As she clutches her hand over her heart I realize that I'm probably scaring her, so I lay down on the ground, cross my front paws over each other, and rest my head heavily on them to show her I'm not going to attack. Rachel seems to understand and she walks up to me slowly, her hand out for me to sniff. When she puts it up to my nose I smell the strawberries, cherry oak, and ocean from yesterday, and I lick her hand. She giggles and pets me hitting a spot on the left side of my neck causing me to basically melt into the touch.
She pets me for another few minutes before asking, "Will you please escort me back to my home? It's right by the tree line." I nod my head and turn towards her house, missing the curious flash in her eyes. We walk for twenty minutes before reaching the Berry household. She scratches that spot again, my tail wagging furiously in response, and she tells me, "You're a very beautiful wolf with gorgeous gold eyes." Her voice held a hint of suspicion of who she was actually talking to. She walks to her back door as I sit and watch her open it, but before she closes it she says, "You seem oddly familiar, like I know you from somewhere else." She shuts the door, leaving me in the backyard, wishing I could tell her right then and there.
AN: Just thank you all for your reviews. I hope you're still enjoying this. The next chapter I'm skipping to Friday and the date so yay! And Rachel's metaphor quote is from the show.