Don't Wander

Prove It

I just gaped at him. “You don’t really expect me to believe you, right? Because that’s impossible.” He didn’t call me an i***t or say that he joking like I thought he would. He just looked at me with a slight scowl. “Wait, you really believe that you were that wolf?” He must have lost his marbles.

“I don’t believe I am; I know I am. I can prove it too. I was sitting in your back yard, looking up at you after you opened your window. You told me to wait as I started to leave, and then for some reason that I still can’t fathom, you followed me into the forest. That little i***t Zach was about to attack you when I stopped him. Drew and the others showed up and we stopped fighting. They left, and that’s when I lead you out of the woods, ‘cause you had no idea where you were. You thanked me and said you wished you could repay me. Then I left and you went back inside.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My mind and heart were racing.

“You were there too. You had to have been. There’s no other way to explain it.”

“So, I was just hiding in your yard and saw the whole thing, then decided to skip into the trees after you?”

“I don’t know! You aren’t a wolf though!” I threw my hands up in exasperation. Eden turned away and paced back and forth a few times.

He stopped and looked at me before saying, “I didn’t want to do this, but you already know too much. You’ve put yourself in danger three times now, and if I end it like this, you’ll think I’m crazy and you’ll probably keep getting yourself into dangerous situations.” Then he kicked off both of his shoes and stripped off his shirt.

“What are you doing?” I asked. I didn’t know what he thought he would accomplish by taking his clothes off in front of me. Yes, he was hot, but that wouldn’t make me agree with him.

He crouched down and said, “I really liked these shorts. Remember that, ‘cause you’ll owe me new ones.”

“What?” I thought about running away because he was really starting to freak me out.

“Just watch,” Eden said. He sounded so irritated that I did what he told me to. He was breathing deeply for a few moments, and then his muscles started twitching and spasming. His breaths were coming faster and shallower, and he had started sweating. His body jerked and he sounded like he was being punched in the gut repeatedly.

As I watched in utter shock and disbelief, Eden’s bones started cracking and his body started changing shape. He yelled and I could hear the excruciating pain in his voice. I wanted to help him, but I knew there was nothing I could do. His skin disappeared and long, black fur grew over his entire body. Claws emerged from what were once Eden’s hands, but were now paws. Tall pointy ears grew and Eden’s yells turned to snarls as his face elongated and sharp fangs appeared. I heard the tearing of his shorts and saw a tail.

After a few more snapping and popping noises, the transformation was complete, and Eden was the large black wolf I had seen the night before.

“Oh my God. This can’t be real. I’m dreaming, right? I must be dreaming.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I stared at the wolf and he stared back, unmoving. Even though I was frightened, I slowly stepped toward this new version of Eden. He didn’t move away, so I extended my hand. I gingerly touched his neck and felt the soft fur. “Amazing,” I whispered.

Eden stepped back and trotted into the trees. I started to follow, but then heard his harsh growl, so instead I picked up what was left of his shorts. I felt something in one of the pockets and pulled out the keys to Eden’s motorcycle.

From behind some bushes I heard Eden say, “I’m gonna have to run back to my place and get some more clothes.”

“What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”

“Well, you could walk home and just keep my stuff safe until I come get it...or you could wait here for me to get back, I guess.”

“How long would it take you to get to your house and then back here?”

“Hard to say. I’m fast, but I bet Micah is conscious now and profusely blaming everything on me as we speak. When I get back, I’ll probably have to stay a while to explain the situation. There’s also no guarantee that Drew will even let me come back here for you, so…”

“So, in other words, I should just walk all the way back home with your stuff.”

“Well, yeah,” Eden replied bluntly.

“It took like ten minutes to get out here by motorcycle, Eden! Do you have any idea how long it will take me to walk! And my house is farther from here than yours is!”

“Hey, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for your infuriating curiosity. Don’t you have a cell phone or something? Can’t you call someone?”

“You’re right! I completely forgot.”

I ignored Eden’s grumbles of, “Someone shoot me now. Of all people…” and fished my phone out of my pocket. Thank God for technology.

After a really complicated and confusing conversation with Morgan, I hung up and said, “A friend is coming to pick me up. I’ll take your stuff with me, but I don’t owe you new shorts. This is an extreme hassle.”

“And it’s entirely your fault, but whatever. Guess I’ll be off.”

“Yeah, sure. See ya,” I said glumly. I heard the shift, and then there was only silence. I sighed and picked up Eden’s shirt and shoes.

As I walked back to the parking lot, I thought about everything I had experienced. Eden was a werewolf? That’s what people called it, anyway. It was still hard to comprehend. There were things about his past that didn’t make sense to me, though, like why he was always getting expelled and why he traveled all over the country.

“Hey, Bek! Come on and get in, I got plans tonight,” Morgan hollered from a few yards away, interrupting my reverie.

I ran over and explained, “Sorry, my mind was wondering. Thanks so much for this Morgan.” I climbed into Morgan’s black soft top jeep, which was characteristically splattered with dirt from previous outdoor excursions.

“No problem. Can you tell me why you’re out here in the middle of nowhere…and why you’re carrying those.” She pointed to the shoes, shirt, and keys sitting in my lap.

“Long story. I met a friend over here and he had to leave suddenly. He left these, so I figured I’d keep them until I could give them back,” I said lamely.

Morgan raised a thick, dark eyebrow and said, “Uh huh. He had to leave so suddenly that he couldn’t take his shoes or his keys?” She didn’t sound convinced, and I didn’t blame her. Morgan was wearing her basketball shorts, with her hair pulled back, and looked kind of sweaty.

“Did you just get out of basketball practice?” I asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

She looked down at herself quickly and then replied, “Yeah about twenty minutes ago. I got out right before you called.” I checked my phone and saw two missed calls from my mom.

“I’m gonna be in tons of trouble when I get home. I’m still grounded from the whole school records thing, and I’m supposed to be home by four every day.”

Morgan glanced at the clock in the dash and said, “Oh crap, it’s almost five thirty. Yeah, I’d say you’re in trouble.” I laughed and agreed.

On the drive to my house, I successfully avoided the conversation about what I had been up to and instead we talked about Morgan’s date with Jordan later that night. I gave her advice on what to wear despite the fact that she probably wouldn’t take it. She was more tomboyish, and even though she looked beautiful dolled up, she preferred comfortable pants and a tank top over anything dressy.

As I had expected, my mom pounced as soon as I walked through the door at home. “Where have you been?”

“I stayed after school to give Morgan advice about her date tonight. Her boyfriend is taking her to this fancy restaurant and she didn’t know what to wear or how to do her hair and makeup. Sorry that I didn’t call.” It wasn’t a total lie, just about ninety-percent lie.

“I don’t know what to do with you Rebekah,” she said. She sounded tired and desperate.

“Well while you decide, I’m going to order a pizza. You don’t look up for cooking.”

My mom just groaned, "Fine.” I called for pizza and then set the money out on the counter. My mom retrieved my cell phone and retreated to her bedroom while I took Eden’s stuff to my room and set it all on my bed.

“It’s no wonder he smells like the forest,” I muttered. After the pizza arrived, I ate a slice and then knocked on my mom’s door to tell her it was on the table before returning upstairs.

I took a shower and changed into my favorite gray sweats and a purple tank top. When I opened my bedroom door I jumped and gasped, “Holy crap!”