by Bella Colt
“Do you know anything about that girl who was just in here?” I quietly ask James after the door is completely closed.
“Amara?” he says, drawing his eyebrows together.
I nod my head. Yes, Amara, that’s her name!
“Not really. She’s a loner and keeps completely to herself. She’s been here since the middle of the last school year. Umm… I think she’s a foster kid; why?”
“Oh, I was just curious. She seems nice.” I say quickly.
The bell rings for lunch, and I toss my newly acquired books into my bag then start walking towards the door with the crowd.
“You want to eat lunch with my friends and me?” James asks, walking a few steps behind me.
“Sure,” I answer, pushing the hair over my left eye out of the way so I can see him better as we exit the classroom.
I want to meet Amara, but I’m not even sure if we have the same lunch period.
Chapter 4: Amara
The first half of the school day passes by quickly. I'm surprised when I realize it’s time for my favorite subject of the day, lunch. I just dropped off some makeup work to my history teacher since this is my study period. I still have a few minutes until the bell rings. I stop in the bathroom and take a quick look at myself, assessing the damage on my face. It hasn’t stopped throbbing since this morning. After checking the stalls for feet, I pull my hood back and see that my cheek is a shade of dark blue, almost black. It has the smallest green tint around the edges like it’s already trying to heal. My lip is swollen and has a small scab in the middle where it split.
I sigh deeply and repeat my little mantra in my head ‘Keep your head down, be quiet, don’t draw attention. You can only trust yourself!’ I pull my hood back on as I exit the bathroom. Quickly, I walk past the rows of ugly brown lockers lining the walls, and I make my way to the cafeteria as the bell rings. Being one of the first people there has its benefits. I'm able to get my food and make my way to my regular table by one of the few windows in our auditorium. I sit and start to eat my lunch by myself as the line forms, and the masses start bleeding in from all directions.
I sometimes like to people watch while I eat, but it's the usual crowd and not holding my interest today. After finishing my food, I put my head down on my arms and close my eyes to think until the bell rings. Usually, I would kill the remainder of the time in the library getting lost in an epic adventure, thrilling murder mystery, or a happily ever after romance. I prefer to borrow from the public library rather than the school, so I bring my books with me from home. I’m just not feeling any of it today. It’s times like this, when I'm alone with my thoughts, that I wish I had an iPod to help block the others out.
“Where am I?” I ask aloud while walking through thick fog.
As it slowly dissipates, I look down and notice I’m barefoot and surrounded by tall pine and spruce trees. I must be in a forest, but how is that possible? I was just at school in the cafeteria. However, I can feel the soft dirt, leaves, and hard sticks jabbing the bottoms of my feet. I start walking towards the only opening in the dense trees that I can see and make it to a circular clearing. In the middle of the clearing is a large flat stone. It reminds me of the altar from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. One of my favorite books.
'SNAP' I hear twigs breaking in the distance.
Something catches my eye; a hazy blur coming through some bushes on the opposite side of the clearing from me. Focusing in that direction of foliage, all I can make out is a huge black mass at first. As it's coming out of the trees, it starts to take shape. I can barely breathe. My heart feels like it will beat out of my chest. I should be scared, running away, maybe even screaming as it stalks closer. This feral animal could maul me in seconds, but for some reason, I don’t feel any of the emotions I should feel, it's beyond weird. The lack of fear unnerves me, but other than that, I am just calm and curious while I stand still and wait to see what will happen. The black mass keeps stalking towards me, becoming more apparent with every step. Any doubt that it’s a normal wolf is gone from my mind! It must be the biggest wolf I have ever seen in my life.
The wolf has sharply pointed ears, bright yellow eyes, and a long snout with a mouth full of tremendously sharp teeth. It has black fur that looks thicker and warmer than a down comforter. It’s now only mere inches away from me, and I drop to my knees on the ground to look into its eyes. Looking closer, I notice that its eyes are not a solid yellow, but yellow with brilliant flecks of green in them. The eyes seem oddly familiar to me.
“Are you lost?” I ask the wolf, stupidly expecting a response.
I really don't understand why I'm just sitting here and not running the other way.
Suddenly the wolf throws his head back towards the sky and howls, loud and long.
BRRRIIIINNNG! BRRRIIIINNNG!
I pop my head up off my arms and shake my head slightly to clear my thoughts. Damn, I must have fallen asleep. The last buzz of the lunch bell finally shrills out, and I laugh at myself. I feel a little out of sorts as I run to my next class. I really can't be tardy again today. I am amazed by the things my imagination comes up with out of loneliness and boredom.
Chapter 5: Declan
Most wolves find their mate within a year after their first shift. The shift usually occurs around the age of eighteen. I first shifted three years ago, so the wait I have experienced is uncommon. At first, when I didn’t find her in my pack, I wasn’t too worried. It wasn’t until I had completed my mate quest, where I visit all the neighboring packs to see if she was among them that I started to worry. The search didn’t take me long since there are only two other packs within our territory’s borders.
The packs are named simply. Ours is the North pack. The other two are called the East pack and the West pack. There's never been a South pack; the South territory is left alone. However, there have always been rumors to suggest otherwise. To say my search was uncomfortable is a vast understatement. We tend to stay within our packs for the most part. Come to think of it, the only time we communicate with the other packs is the rare obligatory social event, like the mate quest, or when a pack needs another packs assistance.
It's so rare not to be mated by my age, especially being an Alpha's son. In the history of our pack, this has never happened. Three years doesn’t seem like too long to wait for me, but my Alma Lobo, my wolf soul, has been lonely and has been in a state of torture from his constant wanting. I haven’t helped him much, either. I have been resigned to the fact that we would be alone forever. I’m a little ashamed that I had no faith.
The people in my pack give me pitying looks. I’ve even seen that pity from my father when he thinks I’m not looking. It’s a look that says there must be something wrong with me to suffer such a devastating fate. Many believed my mate must have died before I came of age. Bri and my mom are the only ones who would say otherwise and never looked at me that way. My mom says I need to be patient and committed to believing that she’s out there and that she must be extraordinary if I have to wait.
After leaving Brianna at school, I complete the thirty-minute drive home to The Den. Making my way through the forest-lined highway, I make a left onto a dirt road and continue for about five miles. Away from the main road, I stop at the 20 ft’ high solid-steel gate and place my left index finger on the scanner.
“Access granted.” A feminine robotic voice chimes.
The gates slowly open as I inch forward until my car can fit through. I drive slowly through our community towards the Alpha’s house. I pull up to the garage and stop short because my spot has been taken by my cretin of a cousin Cassius, or Cash, as the belligerent moron likes to be called lately. My excitement plummets a little at the thought of dealing with the king of pricks!
I park inches behind his ugly yellow Mazda Miata, blocking him in and exit my car with a smug smile before setting my alarm with the key fob. He's stuck there until I move. He’s not suicidal so he won't touch my car. We have come to physical blows ove
r less in the past, the insufferable brat. These encounters happened mostly because my cousin doesn't know when to shut up. He is well adept at pushing buttons to piss someone off. So, it looks like he's walking for the next few days if I can help it.
I walk along the pathway to the front door of our family's two-story house. It is also considered the main pack house where the Alpha, the second in command Beta, and their families live. So, for right now, it’s just my sister and me along with my parents and my dad’s new Beta, John, and his mate Allison. Though it is a relatively small household, we have guests unexpectedly drop in all the time.
Our lifestyle is necessary to protect the pack’s safety and privacy. The Alpha’s house is surrounded by other pack member’s homes. Everyone has their privacy because the houses are several miles apart and are surrounded by dense trees. They are still close enough to satisfy our pack needs. We even have a mini town, of sorts, located in the dead center of all the houses. The town consists of a schoolhouse, a park for the pups, and a couple of mom-and-pop shops. We have a few people who go into town and buy supplies in bulk. Most people order what they need online, and have it delivered to a nearby P.O. Box. The person working in our post office goes to collect our supplies every couple of days, and we can pick up our items at the Den Commissary.
As I walk in the front door, I kick my shoes off beside the welcome mat, so I don't track any dirt in the house.
“What’s up Ducky?” Cassius says, from where he is sitting on the couch to the left of the door.
I glare at him for using the nickname that I only allow my mother and sister to use. Brianna called me Ducky instead of Declan when we were little, and it stuck. I notice his feet propped up on the coffee table as soon as I close the door behind me.
“Not much Ass-ius; how about showing some respect!” I growl as I walk over and kick his feet hard off the table.
His reaction is quick as he stands up to get in my face as he growls. We lock eyes, initiating the mental battle for dominance. We know better than to get physical in my mom’s house.
‘You want to play cousin?’ I think.
‘Poor Ducky having a bad day! Take anyone climbing recently?’ Cassius replies in thought.
‘Fuck off, Cassius! I’ll take you climbing pup; you can’t beat me. Submit!’ I snarl.
He is growling loud through our telepathic pack link. I try hard to use my Alpha tone, which comes so much easier when I'm pissed. Within moments, he's forced to lower his eyes bowing his head, while bearing his neck, showing his submission.
‘Cheater!’ He spits back mentally while still looking down.
I raise my right arm to punch him in the face, in what I know is an absolute dick-move, but I only get my arm cocked back before I hear my mom coming down the stairs humming. All my justifications dissolve when I hear her voice. The soft tune calms me like it always does. I glare at Cassius, wishing that looks could kill, as I walk towards the bottom of the stairs.
“Hey mom,” I greet her with a big smile as she takes the last few steps.
She acts as if she hadn't at all heard what was going on between my idiot cousin and me. My mom is short, about 5’ 6’, with a slender build. She has soft blonde hair and hazel eyes and is always smiling or humming when you see her.
“Hey yourself. How did dropping your sister off at school go? Any complications or problems?” She asks, with an anxious look on her face.
My poor mom. Letting her baby go to a public school away from The Den must be hard for her.
“Umm, it was interesting; Brianna is super excited to be there! And no, there weren’t any problems whatsoever.” I answer.
I know she’s looking for any reason to make Brianna come back to The Den for schooling. I avoid her gaze and go upstairs to my room, as quickly as possible, to prevent any more questions.
“Well, he was acting odd!” I hear my mom say to Cassius when I'm halfway up the stairs.
“He’s always odd Aunt Audrey.” I hear him reply to her before I open my door and walk into my dark room.
Leaving it dark, I find my iPod and crank up the music as loud as it will go. Seize the Day by Avenged Sevenfold is playing, and it fits with how I am feeling presently. All I want to do is stop wasting time and be with my mate and finally experience the wholeness that I never thought I would. Now that I know there is an end to my internal misery, I want her with me. My Alma Lobo purrs in agreement with my musings.
‘We need to be with our mate! Get mate!’ my wolf whines demandingly.
It is entirely out of character for him; he's ordinarily reticent. My wolf and I don't have to communicate much. This is another reason that others in the pack find me odd. We instinctively know what each other needs, sometimes before the other does himself. Ourselves? I’ve always had a hard time not distinguishing us as two separate entities in one body. Others consider themselves, the man and the wolf, as one.
‘Listen! We know, within seconds of encountering the person, who our true mate is. We know to trust our instincts and that they are never wrong. She-weres will normally automatically accept their mate because they also experience the first signals, if only to a lesser degree. They also grow up being taught the signs, what a mate is, and what to expect during the claiming. Our mate looked confused, though when she felt the jolt.’ I mentally argue with my other half, trying to make him comprehend the human side.
‘I have a plan, don’t worry!’ I satisfy him, hoping he will settle down and let me have control over our thoughts.
I can feel his frantic energy, like a fuzzy tingly awareness, all over my body. I wait a few moments, and I’m finally greeted with silence. As I sigh in relief, I try to think of the best way we can win over our mate.
Chapter 6: Amara
The rest of the day at school was uneventful, until my last class. Mrs. Kennedy, my science teacher, was so dull that I nodded off a few times. I jerked awake the first two times I fell asleep when the hand supporting my head slid down my face. Somehow my slumber went unnoticed until my luck ran out and Mrs. Kennedy asked to see me after class.
When the bell rings, I wait in my seat for the crowd to clear before I start to pack up my belongings. Once I’m done, I slowly trudge up to Mrs. Kennedy. I stay focused on the bright-red apple ornament that she displays on her desk as I walk. There is a cute bookworm with black glasses and a blue graduation cap hanging halfway outside its hole reading a science book, of course.
“Are you okay, Amara? You seem really out of it today, even for you. Is everything alright at home?” She says.
“Everything’s great at home. I just woke up late this morning, and I haven’t been able to recover yet. I’m truly sorry about falling asleep; it won’t happen again.” I quickly answer without averting my gaze from the cute worm.
I can feel her eyes on me. She studies me for what feels like forever.
“Amara, I was a teenager once, too, and I have also fallen asleep in class more than once. Especially during classes, I deemed boring. I only noticed because it’s out of character for you. You’re not in trouble with me; I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay. You are, aren’t you?” She says with a genuine smile.
“Yes, I’m good, Mrs. Kennedy. Thank you.” I tell her as I walk towards the exit.
I am ready to be outside breathing clean air. I can only take so much of the recycled jock-strap smell that lingers in the halls of my school. Eight hours is my limit, and I’m pushing it right now.
While walking home, I have the feeling like I’m being watched after I exit the gates of the school. This isn’t the first time since moving here that I’ve had this feeling, but this feeling is somehow different than the other times. My skin is tingling all over in awareness, and my senses seem to be heightened. Stopping on the sidewalk, I look around slowly, doing a full circle, to make sure there really isn’t anybody watching me.
“I must be crazy!” I sigh aloud as I continue walking towards the hellhole, that is my current home.
Chapter 7: Declan
I asked my mom to pick up Brianna so I can run through the woods in wolf form as I make my way towards the school. I am careful to stay hidden. I love running; in either form. Running on four legs is much faster than two. I see trees blurring in my periphery as I focus forward. I feel the breeze over my fur, pushing my mane back and forth as the wind changes. Tongue lolling out to the side, I enjoy the flavors of the moisture in the air. The taste of the air is mixed with dirt kicked up by my paws as I run. I always thought there could be nothing better than this feeling, it’s just so freeing. Well, until today.
I reach the outer perimeter of the school at the perfect time. I find a decently concealed spot in the broad brush, nestled between two pine trees, where I can see clearly. Within a few minutes, I hear a bell ring once, and then again five minutes later. I watch for what feels like forever as a multitude of kids piles out, rushing towards their freedom. I’m strangely anxious. I am seeing all these bodies, but not the one I want. Both Wolf and I are starting to get nervous, thinking we missed her in the masses. By the time she walks out of the school building alone, it’s well after the second bell.
We smell her before we see her. The slight figure is drowning in a baggy red sweater with the hood hiding her face completely. We can feel our heart trying to beat out of our chest as we start drooling and panting. Immediately and uncontrollably, we start breathing as deeply as we possibly can to relish her scent.