6. The Guest
711 Words
Eliza almost ran out of the house in her excitement. She barely registered the people milling around the house. Once outside, on the wrap-around porch of the big house, she looked around to see if she could sniff Liam out. She spotted him sitting on the railing, looking out and deep in thought.
"Hey," she called out to him. "Your dad let me stick around." He turned and stood as she came closer.
"He did?" Liam looked a bit shocked.
"Yeah, but only as a guest," she shrugged.
"Well, that's great news," he smiled. "To be honest, I was a bit worried about you."
"Me? Pshh, you shouldn't worry about me. I got this whole wolf thing under control." She playful pinned a cocky expression to her face. Liam laughed and gave her a gentle shove.
"Yeah, sure. When you walked into school smelling like you were in heat, I was sure you were trying to start crap. But when you explained that you were adopted it kinda clicked that you were just clueless."
"Yeah," she sighed out. "Story of my life. Me being clueless."
"And then, Goddess, you shifted without knowing what was happening to you," he exclaimed, trying to empathize with her. "It must've been so scary and painful."
"Painful? Um… no. It didn't hurt. Actually, I barely noticed the shift." Was it supposed to hurt, she asked herself.
"No way. I don't believe it." his face showed how incredulous he was at her words. She laughed and nodded.
"Yeah. It didn't hurt. It… it felt like when you dive off a cliff. One moment you're dry and the next your wet."
"Oh. This I gotta see. You up for a run?"
"Hell yeah." This sounded like fun to Eliza.
"You mind if I invite a few pack members? The more the merrier."
"Sure," she smiled and he walked inside the pack house. He can back a few minutes later with two guys and a girl. Each just as beautiful as the other. Each very different from the next.
"This," Liam pointed the red-headed girl, "is Olivia. She the best tracker in this pack. That," he pointed to the dark-haired fellow with green eyes, "is James. He's probably the smartest person I know. And that, over there," he pointed to the last guy in the group, "is Hunter Curl, but everyone calls him Curly." Eliza shook their hands and smiled pleasantly at each of them.
"So, Liam said you were up for a run," Olivia asked turning to Eliza.
Eliza grinned like a Cheshire cat, jumped the railing, landing softly on the ground and said to them, "I sure am. What are you guys waiting for?" She turned and began to run towards the nearby woods. After a few steps, she let the darkness loose and out of the cage. As it enveloped her mind, she felt her body tingle and change mid-run. Like diving into water, she thought.
Once shifted, she stopped and turned to the group still on the porch. Their mouths were agape.
"What the hell is she," Curly asked, his eyes saucers. Liam just laughed as he shrugged and jumped over the railing as well.
"I dunno, but you guys are wasting time," Liam was pulling his shirt over his head. With that, Olivia and James jumped the railing and began to shift with Liam.
It was the first time Eliza had seen others shift. It looked painful, with all the loud crunching and popping. She finally understood Liam's pity. She couldn't imagine shifting like someone was trying to rearrange roadkill for the first time, not knowing what was happening. She shuddered the thought away.
Liam was the first to reach Eliza. She playful hopped around and soon the others joined them. Together, they weaved through the trees, enjoying their freedom.
Eliza could see herself running in a pack like this forever. She instinctively knew how the other would move as they all ran. With each flex of their muscles, she would read it and move accordingly. They looked like well-choreographed dancers on a moving stage. Eliza had never felt so close to anyone as she felt to these three wolves at this moment.
This will be my home, she thought happily, in this pack.
- Writer
