Chapter 1

I ran through the woods, feeling the ground beneath my paws. I wasn't running because something was chasing me. I was just running. I felt the wind blow on my face and between my fur. I felt powerful. I felt like I was in control of myself of my own life. I smelled the air and it smelled like home, like pine trees and grass. I stopped at a giant lake that reflected the mountain in the distance. I felt a sense of peace. Of relaxation. I knew this is what it was like to be a wolf, to be me.

The loud beep rang in my ears, pulling me out of what I realized, at that moment, was a dream. I slammed my alarm clock and stared at the ceiling, thinking of how real my dream had felt. It was odd I was never a wolf yet; I knew how it felt. It must have been a werewolf thing. That, or it was how I thought how it would feel to be a wolf. I should have known. Stupid brain.

I stared at my ceiling thinking of the last month. George and I have been getting close as if late. Grams lives with us now, only because she lost everything and seeing as we are werewolves and we do change into massive wolves on a full moon, an old age home really wasn’t an option for us. So now she lives in the guest room down stairs. I still couldn’t get the hunter’s warning out of my head.

“You better watch your back girly. Not all hunters are as pretty as me, and they will be coming soon,”

I shivered not because it frightened me, ok a little, but because of nerves. When the others come? I would have told my parents about the hunters and everything but they will freak and move us again.

I’d keep it between me and George for now. Not to mention Emma wants to kill me. Great.

After I got dressed in jeans and a maroon turtle neck shirt with hiking boots, because it was over cast and I had a feeling it was going to rain. I styled my hair in a braid bun at the nape of my neck. I went down stairs to get something to eat before George picks me up. When I got down stairs my family was sitting at the table in uncomfortable silence as always. I walked into the kitchen and made myself a bowl of cereal. I stood against the counter, so I could run in case George showed up early.

“Morning,” my dad mumbled as I took a big bite of fruit loops. I swallowed it whole, “Morning,” I said struggling to get the words out.

“How’d you sleep?” Grams asked in her New Yorker accent.

“Alright I guess,” I took another bite a bit smaller in case anyone wanted to throw another unexpected question at me. No one did.

“When is George going to come pick you up?” my mom asked looking over her shoulder. I looked at the clock, “In ten minutes,” I responded.

“I don’t like, that he drives you around,” my dad said bitterly.

George and I made this agreement when we moved here that he would drive me to school and back, in case that first full moon in this town, repeats itself. My dad hates vampires. For reasons I don’t understand myself.

“Kain. Seriously she’s 17, she can take care of herself. Not to mention, I like that boy,” Grams said. My dad opened his mouth to say something and George hooted outside. I spaced the bowl of milk on the counter and ran for the door grabbed my backpack. I shouted my greetings as I opened the door and closed it behind me. Sighing.

I walked toward George’s yellow vintage bug. When I got in the car, I threw my bag in the back and greeted him.

“They were walking about me again weren’t they?” he asked pursing his lips.

“How’d you guess?” I smiled.

“Well the speed you got out of the house and not to mention you practically running toward my car was a dead giveaway,” He smiled back at me.

“I can’t hide anything from you can I?”I asked in made disbelief.

“Sorry, Whitmore. You’re completely see through to me,” He narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

“You can be glad I’m not kicking your ass with my werewolf kung-fuor basically calling me invisible,” I buckled my seatbelt.

“You’re werewolf Kung-Fu is no match for my vampire kukung-fu He said,oving his lips before speaking to make it look like a dubbed kung-Fu movie.

I laughed, “You better hope I don’t test that theory. I was trained by the most fierce soldier in our pack,” I said seriously.

“Your dad?” he asked sounding a bit terrified.

“No, my grandma,” I looked at him as if he was dumb.

“Oh,” he said knitting is brows in confusion.

“Well let’s get this party rolling before it’s late for school,” I said and he started the car.

When the engine roared to live my ears stared to ring. I closed my eyes and covered them in hopes it will help. No such luck.

“It’s happening again isn’t it?” George asked looking a bit conserved. I nodded not knowing if speaking would be a wise thing.

My ears have been ringing for the last few days. Either when there is a loud noise or just randomly. Of course George knows and my parents don’t. I trust him, more than I do them. In anyway George would worry, but he won’t lock me in my room for days and make sure I’m okay. He is concerned, but he tells me and then just keeps an eye on me from there on.

“I still think we should tell your parents, maybe it’s another ability manifesting or something,” He reversed the car and started to drive.

“You know that, THAT is a dumb plan. In anyway, what if it is, it just means I’m becoming more wolf, and even if my genes are broken they are functioning at some level,” I explained.

“Yeah. True, but you know what happened last time, and what if you become more wolf this time?” He did have a point, a few months ago I got my sense of smell before my first change and my body saw that as a que to change. Because it wasn’t a full moon I kind of passed out and almost died because of it. I’m on medication to keep me calm and to make sure I don’t wolf out whenever I’m worked up or upset.

“You have a point, but that’s why you’re there. Isn’t it your job to take care of me?” I pointed out.

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He either didn’t have a case to make or he didn’t want to argue with me.

The rest of the ride we talked about school stuff, like homework and what they are practicing in drama club. They are working on a play that they are going to show in a couple of months and he is on the production team. He could try out for a lead role, but he’s too shy for that. Not to mention Emma would have a field trip with that. I know he has the potential and the looks, he just needs to work past his fear. He was telling me on what they are planning on doing for the background and that they are going to make the props soon.

We got to the school and George was describing the props and the process of making them, when Emma and her gang walked by.

“Oh look it’s the dweeb and his lying girlfriend!” she shouted and her groupies started laughing.

I felt anger build up in my chest but I pushed it away and ignored her.

“What? No snarky comment today?” she asked in her annoying voice.

I wiped around and looked at her with an evil gin on my face and asked “Why would I waste on my time on someone who isn’t worth a quarter?”

The smile she gave me told me that I just gave her what she wanted.

“Oh honey, don’t attack me, because I exposed you as a liar. You and your freaky family are hiding something and I’m going to find out what it is,” she crossed her arms and looked at me with that stupid fake smile.

I felt my heart beating and my breathing become uneven. George grabbed my arms and started to drag me away. That’s when I noticed I was walking closer toward them. He lured me to a place where there weren’t a lot of students. That would be the woods.

After a couple of minutes of taking deep breaths, George looked at me.

“Better?” he asked giving me a small smile.

“Yeah,” I said as I took another deep breath.

“You shouldn’t let her get under your skin,” he said folding his arms.

“I know, but she’s just so infuriating,” I let out a growl of frustration.

“I know. But you should be more careful now that she suspects something,” He said as he took my shoulder and looked me in the eye.

I let out a sighed. “You’re right as always,”

“You should remind me more, AND actually listen to me,” He stood straight and gave me a pointed look.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever MOM. Can we get to class now?” I asked gesturing toward the school.

He nodded and we headed back to the school.