Her Unforeseen Destiny

Not Human

Emmeline's POV

"I'm not WHAT?!" I jump up from the sofa, knocking my plate onto the floor in the process and almost spilling coffee all over the table.

"You said you wouldn't freak out," he responded, in an oddly calmly fashion that was incredibly aggravating. 

"No, you asked me to promise. I never actually promised that," I growl, crossing my arms and glaring at him. "Now, what the hell do you mean by not human?"

I whisper the last two words, just in case my nosy neighbour downstairs was listening in. She was an older lady and seemed to thrive on all the gossip from the entire street. I never wanted to hear about Barbara at number 16 and her coming home at all hours of the night again.

"I mean you aren't human," he replies matter-of-factly. It's incredibly irritating and his tone is really beginning to get on my nerves. 

"So what am I then?" I sit back down with a thud, still glaring at him and with my arms crossed over my chest. 

"A werewolf."

I stare into his eyes, speechless for a moment. He doesn't look like he's messing with him. He also doesn't seem to be some crazy person, even though he did sorta kidnap me and cook me breakfast in my own home. Suddenly, giggles start to escape from me and I can't stop it. I don't know what else to do.

He raises an eyebrow and waits until my laughing fit is done, but I get my words in quicker. 

"You can't be serious," I look at him incredulously. Surely this is some kind of prank? Are there people with cameras hiding somewhere, ready to find my reaction super hilarious?

"I'm deadly serious," he replies and I actually believe him. He is either the best liar to ever exist or there is at least some grain of truth to what he is saying. I bite my lip and my brow furrows slightly, as it always does when I'm thinking. 

I'm doing my best to remember what happened the night before. It's all in bits and pieces and I can't seem to unjumble the pieces and to put them in the places that they belong. I shake my head and run my hand through my hair. Something catches in my fingers, and I carefully tug it out of my long hair. 

A leaf?

"We went to the forest," the mystery man responds as if this was a completely logical answer that would resolve all the confusion that I have. I look up at him.

"Okay, let's rewind for a minute," I sigh. "Before we get into this 'oh you aren't human, you're some supernatural creature' crazy stuff, I need to know something first."

He tilts his head to the side slightly as if he's waiting for me to continue.

"Who the f**k are you?" I explode.

He looks like he's about to laugh but a death glare shot his way shuts him down pretty quickly. 

"Okay, okay," he smiles, holding his hands up in front of him as if to indicate for me to chill slightly. I keep glaring at him. He deserves it, for now. "My name is Jamie. I'm a werewolf as well."

ONE HOUR LATER

"So, you never knew that you were a werewolf?" Jamie looks at me in astonishment and shakes his head.

"I still don't entirely believe it," I scoff slightly, but bite the inside of my cheek slightly as well. "But no. I never knew my parents. I was found outside a hospital."

"Where?" he asks me, with curiosity in his eyes. This guy seems to genuinely care and want to help me, and I feel more comfortable in his presence knowing that he only bundled me into his car to make sure that no random person - no human - on the street saw me shift. 

I still don't know what to think about all of this. I only remember bits from the night before and it's like trying to complete a puzzle when you don't have a load of the pieces yet. It might all make sense soon, but it also might remain a total mystery. 

"Draycott," I reply, wondering if some of this might help me learn why I was abandoned. "I was found wrapped in blankets outside a community hospital in Draycott. There was a note with my name on it and that was it. Apparently, they have no idea where I came from or who dropped me off. I grew up in children's homes and foster care, and now I'm 18 and I still don't know why my parents left me."

He looks at me quizzically, as if I'm the puzzle that needs to be solved. 

"It's strange that your parents would have left you, knowing what you are. Knowing that you'd be brought up by humans and not know what you are until your first shift." He looks like he's considering something for a moment. "Did you say you're 18? Was your birthday recent?"

I nod. 

"I turned 18 a week and a half ago," I reply quietly, still not taking everything in fully. This guy - Jamie - said I was a WEREWOLF. As in, a supernatural being that turns into a wolf! I look up at him worriedly, suddenly realising something. "Am I dangerous?"

He chuckles softly.

"Not at all. At least, not when you know how to control your wolf," he says and smiles at me. "We can help with that."

"We? There's more of you? Of... us?" The word sounds odd to me - us. I never thought of myself as special. I would never have imagined there was anything more to me than what showed on the surface. How could I ever have thought that I could be a freaking werewolf?! I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

"There are clans all over the world, Emmeline," he responds and then clarifies when he reads my expression. "A clan is like a... big family. Each clan has a leader, so I guess it's like small countries. Or you know how you have a city and a mayor. Something like that, I suppose. I belong to a clan near here, it's where I was brought up."

This was a lot to take in. I feel like I'm caught up in some weird dream and I'm going to wake up and be back in my bed at Alice's and she's laughing at me or something. It's all too much. 

"How did you know... what I was?" I can't quite bring myself to call myself a werewolf. Not yet.

"Your smell," he grins at me. So now the weird comments make sense. "I guess I probably came across pretty creepy, right?"

"No," I start, and then change my answer at his knowing expression, "okay, yes. I did think you were being creepy. Do I really smell of pine and cinnamon?"

Jamie studies me carefully and leans forward slightly as if to get closer to my 'scent'. 

"Pine trees, like the smell of freshly cut Christmas trees. And cinnamon, or nutmeg maybe. Every wolf has his or her own unique scent. I guess it's almost like each person's own personal perfume," he continues. I eye him up and then sniff. 

"I'm trying to see what you smell like," I reply, and then I'm hit by a memory. The scent of fresh herbs. I could smell it this morning when I woke up. I could also smell it last night. Last night... in the forest.