Calling from the Mist

Friends

Micheal was more than just Misty's best friend, he was like a supportive big brother that always knew exactly what to do. So as soon as she parked outside of his apartment, a few blocks away from his parent's place, she dove out of her car and rushed inside of the building.

Of course, he hadn't told her the exact address, so Misty did what any young woman who was freaking out would do: she pressed all of the buttons to call each apartment until one of them was Micheal.

Sure, she could have texted him, but in her stupid rush to get out of the animal centre, away from Duncan who was now pursuing her in some manner, and a self-appointed bodyguard? What the hell else was she supposed to do?!

A few people answered, one of them actually buzzing her into the building but just as she was about to stride in and start knocking on doors, a groggy yet familiar voice answered her call.

"Hello??? Micheal???" Misty pressed the button to respond, wondering why he sounded like that when they had seen each other not too long ago. "Can you tell me what apartment you're in?"

"Misty? Um, yeah it's number 16, the second floor… come on up!" Michael's voice went from sleepy and distracted to the complete opposite in a few seconds as he answered Misty's inquiry.

Racing up the steps two at a time, Misty speed-walked down the second-floor hallway looking for door number 16. She hadn't bothered through, seeing at a very shirtless Micheal was standing in his doorway waiting for her.

For a split second, Misty considered stopping in her tracks, turning around and leaving at the sight of her half-naked best friend. Well, the half-naked part was nice but not the sole reason she wanted to run. What if Micheal was one of these Shifters? Did he know what was going on this whole time and didn't tell her? Misty grit her teeth and moved forward, wanting some more answers, this time from the person she trusted most in the world.

"You okay Missy?" Michael's brow was pinched in concern as he stepped aside for Misty to enter. She hated causing him any grief, but unfortunately, this was inevitable. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm… actually, yes you can get me something to drink! Make it strong and not too sweet!" Misty walked through the door with purpose but was immediately taken aback by the stark nature of Michael's apartment.

Did he not want to lose his deposit or something? Why were the walls so bare? At least he had a couch and a coffee table…

"A cocktail for m'lady coming right up!" Micheal bowed as a joke but it instantly put Misty on edge as she wandered over to the couch to sit down.

What the hell was she supposed to do? Coming home wasn't supposed to be the cause of all of her worries, it was supposed to just be the next step in her life! Misty knew she could have technically gone anywhere, and although she liked to pretend that coming back to her small town wasn't ideal in the least it was a lie. She missed the town, seeing the same people every day, and especially the mountain forest. Misty spent so much time up in the mountains she was already part wild animal at heart.

A sigh escaped her lips at the thought. Was she also one of those… animals? What was an Omega exactly and why was it such a rare thing? Misty was trapped in a whirlwind of her thoughts and hadn't noticed Micheal leaning down to pass her a glass of something dark and, frankly, quite sinister.

"Missy… your mom called me earlier…" Micheal bent down, his hand on Misty's knee as he looked up at the young woman with a sad smile. She couldn't stop the lump from forming in her throat at the realization that her best friend knew her secret too.

"You knew?" Misty still felt compelled to ask, needing to hear him say something as tears welled up in her eyes.

Before she could say another word Micheal stood up, pulling the smaller woman into his arms and taking her spot on the couch. He managed not to spill her drink, cooing softly and petting Misty’s hair with an air of reverence.

“No, sweetheart, I didn’t know exactly what was going on until you left three years ago… You are *so* important to me and if I had known about all of this stuff when we were kids I would have told you immediately!” Micheal nearly growled, causing Misty to shiver as she peeked up at her best friend. “And before you say anything, I was going to tell you at the party tonight, I wanted you to get settled and find your bearings first.”

Misty bit her bottom lip, nodding her head as she sniffled. She instantly relaxed, trusting that Micheal had her best intentions in place and she couldn’t fault him for what he didn’t know. However, there must have been some stuff he *did* know.

“Okay~ I’ll believe you for now, but put me down you’re all sweaty!” Misty squirmed in Micheal’s grasp, and she swore his grip tightened on her for a moment before he finally let her go. “So, are you one of those Shifter things?”

“No, I didn’t know about them until I found out about you. Apparently, most of our town are either Shifters or related to them in some way or another. These mountains are special in some way, so Shifters from all over the world come here during resort season…” Micheal trailed off, reaching over to cup the bottom of Misty’s glass and gently guide it upwards. “Come on Missy, have a drink and relax some more or you’ll get a permanent frown!”

Misty scoffed but agreed she needed to relax, taking the cup straight to her lips and downing it quickly. It was smooth, the alcohol hitting her soon after but it definitely hit the spot. Micheal grinned and shook his head, apparently not meaning for her to take the entire thing in one go!

“Micheal?” Misty handed the glass back to her friend, not wanting to meet his eyes for a moment but knowing that she needed to ask this question more than anything else at that moment. “Am I a Shifter?”

The look on Micheal’s face was one of understanding and pity, something Misty hated on anyone’s face when directed at her. But she couldn’t get upset, she needed answers and no one else had been willing to give them to her.

“Truthfully, I don’t know. You are something called the Sacred Omega, and we were just told to revere and protect you until…” Micheal trailed off once again, his face turning sour for a moment before he literally shook himself out of it. “I’m sorry I don’t know anymore, and I’m pretty sure the only people that might know are the Shifters.”

Misty hummed in response, already feeling the warmth of the alcohol hitting her system and giving her instant liquid courage. Of course, that just meant she was now hungry and in demand of more drinks.

“You said there was a bonfire tonight, right? Then let’s go! Feed me first though so I don’t make a complete fool of myself!” Misty demanded with a smile, waving off her best friend and Micheal shook his head and grinned, more than willing to do her every bidding.

She was determined to get answers right from the source if she had to!

~