Addilyn

Chapter Two

Addilyn was excited for her birthday this year. Kids who grew up in the system were either excited for when they aged out or dreaded it. A lot of foster families kicked out kids once they aged out. For some- this was a blessing. Getting out was the best thing that could ever happen to them. Then there was the lucky few who were loved by their foster families and those families would incur the cost of housing the child they became attached to.

For Addilyn it was the latter. Liz never took any money from the system to care for her. But Liz loved her like a daughter. She wouldn’t be turned out at eighteen like so many others. The contrary. Liz was even hosting a party to introduce Addilyn to elite society. The party was a week away. She had just gotten home from a shopping trip with Liz to find the perfect dress for the party. Addilyn thought a dress was a bit cliche until she saw the choices Liz picked. She understood it wasn’t a dress like a child or young teen. The dress was meant to display her as a young woman. She chose a scarlet red dress that clung to her curves while hanging in a way that showed her body while leaving so much to the imagination. It was tasteful, classy yet sexy. But not too much. It was perfect. But Liz also want satisfied with the one dress. She chose several others for Addilyn too. Emerald green, sapphire blue, deep violet purple, and as Liz said, no closet is complete without a classic little black dress. Liz bought shoes, purses, accessories and more. Addilyn got a whole new wardrobe. Liz called it her adult clothes. She bought sweaters, pants, skirts, blouses and so on. She even got all new makeup.

Addilyn sighed contentedly as she put the purchases away. She looked around her room and thought about how lucky she was to have Liz. She smiled and hummed to herself, lost in her own thoughts when a wave of pain and nausea hit her. She dropped the clothes she held to the floor and grabbed on to the poster pole of her canary bed. She gripped it so hard her fingers were white. Addilyn gasped for air and collapsed onto the floor, her body wracked with pain. After a few minutes it passed, leaving behind a sheet of glistening sweat, but she lay on the floor, to afraid to move, scared any movement would have the pain return.

She didn’t know how long she stayed like that but day turned into night. The sweat since dried up and a dry, hot fever came in it’s wake. A voice came from deep inside her. Addilyn couldn’t make out what the voice was saying, only that it was as excited as she was for her upcoming birthday. After a while the voice quieted down but the fever stayed. She could feel it spike higher as she got hotter. For hours she lay like that, on the floor, waiting for it to pass. After several hours the fever did pass but it left Addilyn exhausted. She was so tired she couldn’t move from the floor. Her body, her limbs, were weak. After a while sleep blissfully took her and she succumbed to the black pits of a dreamless sleep.

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Liz came into the room to check on Addi. She flipped the switch and let light flood into the room.

“Addi?” She called out. “How you making out?”

Liz frowned when Addi didn’t respond. She didn’t hear her in the closet but she knew Addi was in the room, she could hear her breathing. Liz knew she was in the room. She couldn’t only hear Addi, she could smell her. More so now than ever.

Liz had been nervous the past few weeks. Addi was days away from the change. She was worried others would sense her before Liz was ready. She had worked so hard since Addi’s birth, to keep her secret, to protect her until she became eighteen and made the change. But the past few weeks her hormones have been through the roof. Even with a damper a werewolf would smell her. They’d know she was about to make the change.

Normally this wouldn’t matter, as a changing werewolf would belong to a pack. Their change would be celebrated. There’d be a party and after the change they’d be ingrained into the fold of the pack. But they also would have had years of training, taught what to expect and know the expectations. But their place in the pact wouldn’t be determined until the change. The change would show their strength of their wolf. It would place them where they belonged in the hierarchy, their job, what they’d spend their life doing- all for the pack.

Liz belonged to a pack. Or rather, she used to. Her family did. But they were outlawed after Addi’s birth. The night she was born changed everything. It forced her family to run- not just to save their own lives- but to save Addi’s too. She would know the truth soon. Liz was worried about how she’d take it too. But there was no choice. There was no avoiding this day.

Sighing Liz walked around the room, worried that Addi wasn’t responding. As she passed the bed she saw her, lying on the floor, in a pool of sweat.

“Oh no!” She cried. She ran over to Addi’s side and felt her forehead. The fever had started. Yeah, there was no way to avoid this. There was nothing she could do to help her. She could only sit back and let nature take its course. But she had to have a conversation with Addi. She had been putting this off. She had wanted Addi to have as normal of a life as she could before she’d be faced with fighting for her life. She didn’t leave her fully unprepared. She had made sure that Addi could fight. She had Addi in self defence classes, martial arts, gymnastics and every kind of fighting Addi could do.

Addi just didn’t know what she was. She didn’t know where she came from. She didn’t know that she had family.

“I hope you forgive me and understand why I did what I did.” Liz whispered as she picked Addi up and put her into the bed. She tucked the small girl into the bed and moved a strand of hair off of her sweaty forehead.

She sighed as she gazed at Addi’s beautiful face. “I promised your momma I’d keep you safe. Always. I hope you understand this and why I did what I did.” She leaned over and kissed Addi’s forehead before turning away and leaving Addi to sleep.