by A. Z. Green
Jaz became uneasy by her words.“What is it?”
“You'll have to wait and see. Have your breakfast. I'll come back for you in an hour.”
Jaz had a big breakfast -surprise surprise- it was impossible not to with Edda around- of pancakes, eggs, toast and honey, jam, full fat butter and cereal. And then a large fruit smoothie after she had gotten changed. It took all her willpower to keep it all down. Edda could be very persistent.
She rummaged through her clothes (she'd stuffed them in the bottom of the wardrobe, planning to sort them out properly when she had the time) picking out her only pair of denim shorts and a loose, white t-shirt with a pessimistic 'Emo'-like slogan saying 'Life's A B****' in black bold letters. She thought it fitting for her current situation, and her overall mood that day.
She didn't have any decent work wear, so Edda let her borrow a pair of her work boots. They were brown, with laces, finishing just above the ankle. It had a small heel and good grip. They were slim and surprisingly light but were a bit too big. Jaz was a six, sometimes a seven if they were small. These were a very big size seven. She put them on and walked back into the living room.
Skye was waiting for her by the door, exactly as she'd promised. She gave her a whimsical smile and cocked her head back signalling Jaz to follow her.
They walked for what seemed like forever. Up to the enormous dome building, turning right towards the surrounding southwesterly woods that then led them through a vast maze of oak, birch and ash trees. They were so tall Jaz couldn't see the top even when she craned her neck all the way back. She had never imagined that England could have so many untouched forests; something out of 'Lord Of The Rings'.
She felt completely calm underneath the green covering though she had never felt that way before. Then again, she had always lived in a town. Her house had a few trees scattered at the end of the back garden but nothing like this. They must have been hundreds of years old.
How had they kept it safe for so long? Was it a preserved site? Who owned the land? These were questions she wasn't sure whether to ask. Maybe it was a secret and they didn't want their territory to be known to the outside? And Jaz was an outsider. And probably always would be.
Yet of all the time she had been here, she felt oddly at peace underneath the protective -strangely maternal- covering of all these old trees, with their bird companions squawking and chirping away high up in their branches. She could hear much more clearly than ever and the sound was at times very uncomfortable and pierced her eardrums. Despite that, it added to the illusion of being held close by all the wildlife around her, as if Mother Nature was grasping her in a warm, earthy embrace. Her facetious mental voice wasn't sure how to respond to that. Instead, she smirked under her breath.
Skye turned around and eyed her quizzically with the same smile she had given her before. A curious mixture of lightheartedness and mischievousness, as if she was laughing inwardly at some private joke, involving Jaz. “Bet you're wondering how we came to be in this place, huh?”
Jaz's brows flicked up her forehead in surprise as she gaped at her. What was it with these people? Sometimes they seemed to know her trail of thought. As if they could read her mind.
Maybe Skye really had and that was the private joke. Jaz blanched hating her extreme paranoia. What else would a newbie be thinking when she was finally getting to see the outside? I mean it doesn't take a clairvoyant to work that one out.
But still...
Skye laughed fleetingly at her expression and then began to explain. “Well, this plot of land has been in our ancestors possession for generations. About six hundred years. Over the past ten to twenty years, especially, we've had numerous people wanting to buy our land, to build houses or shopping centres on. As you can imagine, we declined.”
Jaz stumbled over a tree trunk making her voice lurch as she started her question. So she repeated it again. “Don't you ever get people snooping around, wondering what this place really is?” Jaz tripped again, Skye catching her before she fell on her face. Skye grinned at her and Jaz smiled weakly. “Er, thanks.”
“No problem,” she said brightly. “And yeah sure we do but they tend to be pretty formal and businesslike about it so we rarely have snooping trespassers. But they aren't really the problem. Hunters and poachers are the ones you've gotta watch out for. They don't believe in fences or boundaries or the big signs that say 'Private Property, Keep Out'. Apart from that it's pretty easy to keep this place a secret. The front of the property does really have a spa area.”
“I wouldn't know. I skipped that part when I was roofied.”
Skye gave her a sideways glance. She then flashed Jaz her one hundred thousand kilowatt smile before continuing, as if Jaz had never interrupted. “We use it regularly so whenever they come, sometimes unexpectedly we look like the real deal. As far as anyone knows, on paper, we are a hotel and spa. Exclusive, and kind of off the grid. We spread rumours about celebrities being here. There are people of high status who are loyal to the Pack so they help us that way, some claiming they've been here. Some of them are loyal humans, others are Weres.”
Jaz shuddered at the word involuntarily. Skye studied her with interest but said nothing.
It didn't take long for Jaz to hear the sound of construction workers ahead. She could hear wood being chopped, sawed and sanded. The scraping of cement on brick. The cement mixer churning away.
There were voices, both men and women. She could smell their scents. It was very disconcerting to be aware of her body changing -improving some would say but she couldn't see it that way- and to have no way of controlling it, understanding it or just plain shutting it off.
She gazed ahead through the trees. There were movements between the narrow gaps. It should have been hard for her to see at such a distance. But it wasn't difficult at all.
To human ears the sounds would have been faint over the cacophony of birdsong and wildlife. To human eyes it would have been almost impossible to see. And let's not even get started on the scents she could smell clearly as if she was inches from their bodies, inhaling deeply.
She hated it. She was terrified of it. Her facial expressions changed from one to another, as she at first, became wary of the fact they weren't alone, then unhappy and full of distaste at the strength of her senses, and then melancholy knowing she couldn't do a thing about it.
Skye saw all this play on her face like a silent film. She watched Jaz until she emerged out of her thoughts, blinked and then glanced Skye's way.“Don't be scared.”
“They don't scare me,” Jaz said, trying to sound blase rather than arrogant.
Skye was suddenly serious as she said softly, “I wasn't talking about them.” She gave Jaz a knowing look.
Jaz regarded her nervously. “Why do I get the distinct impression you can read my mind?” she questioned warily.
Skye grinned, lighting up the forest. “I'm flattered, but sorry to disappoint you. We're just good at sensing feelings.”
Jaz released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and managed to force a smile as Skye beamed at her. It made her look like she was in pain and Skye laughed again.
They marched on until they reached gigantic beech trees with the occasional sweet chestnut, each spaced wider apart than those in the forest they had just travelled through, allowing enough space to build a small house. In that space, a group of about thirty people were working away.
The atmosphere buzzed with the hustle and bustle. Jaz scanned the strangers cautiously. The sense of being outnumbered was overwhelming.
They'd already laid the foundations of a 'U' shaped construction. The flooring had been concreted and the walls were three layers of brick high. The one missing wall that stopped it from becoming a rectangular building was facing her direction.
“What are they building?” Jaz asked quietly.
“We're building a barbecue, seating area with a storage outhouse.”
Jaz managed to conceal her surprise. Then her expression
changed, as if a light bulb had blinked on above her head. “You want me to help build this?”
Skye looked at her squarely. “Yes.” Jaz laughed disbelievingly. “Hey don't shoot the messenger. I've been given orders. You need to build up some muscle. You're too skinny and weak.”
Jaz arched a skeptical brow. “Now I've been called a lot of things but skinny is not one of them, neither is weak come to think of it.”
“Well around us, you are. You're unfit, you're arms and legs are soft and scrawny, you're not very strong-”
“Gee, break it to me gently why don't you-”
“- and this is needed to prepare you for-”
“-For me to Change, right? Change into what? The bogeyman? Bigfoot?”
Skye scrutinized her. “You don't believe it?”
Jaz shrugged. “I don't know what to believe.”
“Sure you do. You're just afraid to,” she replied philosophically.
Jaz blinked. She was suddenly very irritated with her. Skye seemed to see Jaz as a stubborn, irrational, wild child that needed parental guidance.
And she's not the only one, her mind grumbled. Everyone here seemed to look at her that way, especially Driver.
Skye was saved from Jaz's verbal backlash by a young boy springing at her. He wrapped his arms around Sky's waist and grinned up at her with his left front tooth missing.
He had brown, curly hair that kept getting in his eyes, a button nose, wide brown eyes, olive skin and a very cheeky smile. Jaz estimated he was about nine years old. He was all dusty and his black t-shirt was now grey. His denim shorts were caked in cement and dirt and his white trainers were old and scuffed, also very mucky.
Jaz eyed him with intrigue. She even smiled a little.
Skye grunted when he pounded into her stomach and panted,“Ronnie, don't do that!”
“Sorryyyyy.” He pulled a fake sad face, drooping his bottom lip and giving her his biggest puppy eyes. Jaz had to admit, the boy was very cute.
Skye flashed him a smile, giving in to him.“What have you been doing, you're filthy!?”
He beamed at her. “I've been helping to make the cement and then scoop it on the bricks to build the wall!” he announced, pleased with himself.
Jaz smiled. “You know more about it than me,” she praised before realizing it.
Ronnie looked at her properly for the first time. Hearing her address him had caught him off guard, but her response had delighted him. He grinned his gappy smile at her. “You haven't built anything before?”
Jaz shook her head. “No. But I'd like to learn. Could you help me?”
His chest stuck out proudly, elated with being awarded such a task. “Sure!” he cried and then cleared his throat, trying to tone down his enthusiasm, he added calmly, “I mean, I could show you around, get you started.”
Jaz smirked. “I'd like that.”
*
Two hours later, Jaz was exhausted beyond belief.
The planks of wood were so heavy and she had so many splinters and blisters on her fingers and palms by the time she'd finished.
The group leader, an abnormally tall, -even by Were standards- stocky, black man with very neat, artistic weaves, a wide smile and sultry but sharp oynx eyes, bossed her around, ensuring her it wasn't difficult, pushing her to keep going when she stopped for a second to breathe.
She wholeheartedly disagreed. It was very difficult.
And there were hundreds of planks.
The plan was that the barbecue area was going to be decked and the seats were also going to be constructed out of the planks of wood. They would carry on from the out building walls and then meet together turning the 'U' shape into an enormous rectangular. Enough to seat fifty to sixty people.
The middle of the rectangle would house the hand built stone barbecue with a chimney, and then the outhouse would be used for storage, such as a fridge and freezer, extra chairs, whatever was needed. That's what Skye had told her as they worked.
Jaz didn't know the technicalities or the complications that came with powering household appliances in the middle of a forest, but she imagined it wasn't as easy as plugging them in. They were in the middle of a forest, a ten minute walk away from the main building.
They'd need a hell of a lot of wiring, that she was sure of.
She'd given up working out how they would go about it. She'd given up caring altogether after carrying one side of twenty planks of solid -extremely heavy- wood from the back of a blue Mercedes, open back truck. The truck made three rounds between seven in the morning, to one o'clock in the afternoon.
Jaz collapsed on the floor when the group leader called everyone to stop and have a break. Someone had made the effort to bring picnic baskets and iceboxes with bottled water, sandwiches, fruit and salad. They started a fire away from the wood and construction and began cooking burgers over what looked like a hand made grilling tray.
Jaz watched, breathless, wondering why the hell was she killing herself for these guys when they could clearly cook up a barbecue without the need of the one they were building now?
And she wasn't even hungry either. She just needed to sleep.
Kenna and Kelda joined Skye and her with platefuls of food. They handed one to Skye and had kindly brought one for Jaz too. She was touched but she couldn't eat and quietly thanked them but declined. They gazed at each other unsure of whether to insist or not, but the owner of a flash of blonde hair swiped the plate from Kenna's held out hand and everyone jumped, swivelling around to glare at Alf. He smiled playfully and bit ravenously into a sausage.
“That wasn't for you Alf,” Kelda grumbled.
“I know but, I couldn't resist. And Skinny didn't want any.”
It took Jaz a moment to understand he was talking about her.
Why Skinny? I'm not skinny. I'm a size twelve for god sake!
She frowned at Alf.
He thought she was offended so added apologetically, “I don't mean anything bad by it, sorry.”
She wasn't about to explain what she'd really been thinking or correct him so she muttered, “It's okay.”
“She doesn't think she's skinny,” Skye added as if that wasn't an embarrassing personal statement that she'd just made.
Jaz gaped at her. “Thanks, for that,” she grimaced, annoyed at Skye for openly exposing her insecurities. It wasn't as if she had confided in her. She wasn't her friend. But it still felt like a betrayal that all friends -all people of sound mind- knew not to do.
Alf regarded her. He scanned her small frame up and down. “When we say skinny, we mean, not muscley. Soft, delicate. There's other names for it but I'd say this is by far the nicest one.”
Jaz bit her lip. Alf winked at her and she stared at him uneasily as he smiled teasingly.
“What are you children whispering about?”
Everyone with their back to the voice spun round. Jaz then saw a man standing very close as she peered through the gap between Kenna and Alf.
“Oh hey Gar,” Alf greeted then stuffed a spoonful of salad in his mouth.
The man gave him a distasteful look. He didn't like messy eaters. Jaz saw that much.
He was a hard looking man. His manners, his face, his jaw, his whole body consisted of sharp, straight lines. His nose was rectangular and flat like he'd been punched there a few times. His mouth was thin lipped and severe. His eyes were small, beady and bright ocean blue. They were watching her now, unblinking. Jaz swallowed.
“Jasmine, right?” He asked in his gruff, slightly nasally voice. She hesitated, then bobbed her head once, very slowly. He held out his square, strong hand. “I'm Garik. “
My uncle?
Jaz's eyes widened in recognition. He wasn't what she had expected. She got to her feet and warily, she shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. It's Jaz by the way,” her voice croaked.
He bowed his head a little, his eyes closed.“Jaz. My mistake.” He was scanning her up and down, in a way Jaz couldn't understand. They released hands but he
still continued to observe her.
Skye saved her from the awkward moment. “Garik, you doing the afternoon shift?”
“Yep,” he smiled revealing small, crooked teeth. The smile looked odd on his face. “Brought the afternoon shift-ers with me.” He seemed to find that funny and chuckled a little.
Skye laughed politely. Jaz just stared blankly.
Oh, shapeshifters. Ha. Funny...
It was anything but. The idea just filled her with dread. Was that what they claimed she was? Some kind of shapeshifter? She couldn't get her head round it.
Why am I still here? She asked herself.
She knew the answer. The long list of answers. But she avoided them, trying to focus on the conversation.
She heard someone creep by her side and nearly jumped out of her skin. It was Ronnie. He grinned at her as if trying to put her at ease. She smiled genuinely. “Sneaky,” she whispered. His smile grew wider, scrunching his eyes.
“It's really nice to meet you,”
Jaz snapped her head up to look at Garik. He was studying her face intently. She didn't like it. “You too,” came her weak reply.
With that, he gave her one last look that puzzled Jaz even more before heading off to the van where the afternoon people were crowding round.
She recognized two of the women there in the group of ten. The redhead with the screechy laugh and the pretty, stubborn-looking, raven hair with the Oriental eyes. When Jaz looked their way, Oriental eyes was already watching her. She gave her a hard look and then turned away to say something to her friend. Jaz's brow furrowed with confusion. It looked as though the girl had given her a dirty look.
What was her problem?
She leaned in to Skye's right ear and muttered, “Who's the redhead and the girl with the black hair next to her?”
Skye swallowed her mouthful of burger and discreetly peered in the same direction. She looked down at her plate. “The redhead is Sunhild, she works in Surveillance three days a week. The other is a Pack Scout. She's a nasty piece of work. Her name's Fraya.”