The Lonely Wolf

10

Veronica

I don’t know what has gotten into Maggie. I never knew she felt that way about me. She acts like she doesn’t see how hard I work at keeping my grades up. She was my lab partner in Biology, and we have a bunch of classes together.

I try to make my way out of the auditorium and to my next class when the pack princesses stand in front of me.

“You really thought she was going to be your friend?” One of them said. I roll my eyes at her and attempt to walk away, but the other one is standing in the way.

“The witches don’t have loyalty like us wolves,” the other says. I step back to see what they were talking about.

“You do know she was the one that helped us prank you, right?” The first one asked.

“What do you mean? She helped me afterward,” I was so confused.

“No, she helped us. You really think wolves carry around something that would poison them? Where do you think we got it from?”

They both started making the most goofy faces and smiling at Rodrick and the business owner that sponsored the internship.

“Okay. Got it, trust no one. Thanks for the heads-up. Now I have got to get to class,” I say, walking through the goof troop sisters.

It’s not the first time I have disappointed myself thinking I was actually going to have a friend in school. People like me aren't meant to have anyone. It’s disappointing, but I just need to stay composed and focused on finishing this last year of school.

First I need to get through this day. After classes, we pile in a bus to travel for our first cross-country track meet. It’s an hour and a half away, and we will be passing my family coven on the way. It's only 20 minutes from where most of my family will be, yet it will be years since I've seen anyone besides my mother and I only see her when it's time to sign papers to put me in another school.

I sit in the front of the bus away from everyone else. The pack is all in the back. I plug in my headphones and listen to chakra music. I pull out my journal to write out my more recent thoughts and goals. I allow the tones to help me block out all the noise and other things going on so I can just focus.

The bus slows to a stop almost directly in front of my family’s coven. There is a line of cars pulling along the main roadway. I pull out my headphones to hear what everyone is talking about.

“WOW, that looks like a castle,” one of the kids said.

It was originally a castle when my ancestors first built it.

“Can you imagine growing up there?” Another kid says, sounding amazed.

I can imagine it, because I did live there as a child. It wasn't as fun as they thought it would be.

“It is beautiful.” I hear the history teacher who is there as a chaperon say. “Can anyone guess when it was originally built?” She asks.

“1927,” one person guesses.

“1772” another person says.

"Good guesses but neither are correct. Anyone else before I tell you the answer?" the teacher asked.

“1823 by Count Fredrick Quanah Parker after he settled here with his family from England,” I answered.

“That's right, Veronica. Is he any relation to you?” she asked.

“He is. That is my mother’s great-grandfather,” I reply.

“You say IS like he is still alive. What is he a vampire or something?” another student began to ask before he was jabbed in the rib and someone whispered that he is a vampire.

“Since we’re so close to your family, will they be there to watch you run?” the teacher asked.

“Doubt it.” I replied.

“They may surprise you," she says with a smile.

We got to the trail and the track meet went great. I came close to beating my top time but was distracted because I could feel I was being watched the whole time. It wasn’t until everyone was out of the woods that I actually caught a scent. I left the group to follow it to the school buses.

“Uncle Rodney?” Excited to see him, I wrapped my arms around him to give him a hug. But, instead of returning the hug, he pushed me away and brushed off his jacket.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I thought you came to see me run. I’m here with my school. ”

I pointed at the rest of the team. I did send a text to my mom inviting her way back when I found out where the track meet was. She left me on read. I didn’t think she would come, but when I saw my uncle I thought maybe she would show up.

“I see. Well look at you. All grown up. Your husband will be happy to see that you have inherited the family's good looks and are in very good shape,” he says, sizing me up and giving a half smile.

I guess that’s his way of giving me a compliment.

“I guess. Did my mom come?” I asked a little too eagerly, looking around him for her car.

“No, of course not. I’m only here to make sure the runners stayed on the right course and didn’t wander into our territory. I thought I had seen you out there running, so I just came out to get a better look at you. Has your kind accepted you? Is that why you are running with the pack?” he asks.

Running with the pack? What is he talking about?

“Ugh. No more than you have. I'm running for the school I'm enrolled at." I point to my school uniform. "It just so happens to be pack wolves enrolled there also. Don't worry, I will be leaving shortly if that's what you're asking. Since she won't answer my calls, can you please tell her I am doing well and that I will be okay? I am trying to get early enrollment into Timberlake University, and I am working on more scholarships. So I'll have the school email her the paperwork she will need to sign, and she won't have to worry about being financially responsible for me anymore." I replied, disappointed in myself for actually thinking I would get some kind of support from my family. I try hard not to let any emotion slip through, but I know I'm doing a horrible job. I look away so not to make eye contact anymore.

He stares at me for a moment, examining me, then walks away not saying anything else. Feeling foolish from the encounter, I walked back over to the group.

“Who was that Veronica ?” Coach asks concerned.

“My uncle,” I replied, grabbing a dinner bag that had just been delivered for the team from off the table.

“Did he come to watch you run?” he asks.

“Something like that.” I sat at an empty table away from everyone and plugged in my earbuds.

“Where is he? Did he want to join us? I’m sure he would love to spend some time with you before we leave,” he hopefully suggests.

“No, he left,” I answered, and began playing my music so not to hear anything else.

Roderick

Again. I was not eavesdropping. Wolf hearing. But seriously. Her uncle did not seem happy to see her. It’s weird, but I can literally feel her pain, although she is giving a nonchalant expression. I’ve only had connections like this with my pack members. I wonder if her dad is part of my pack.

“What are you thinking about Roddy? Is there something going on that I need to be concerned about?” Bass asked.

“I just have a weird connection with her. Like I can feel she’s hurting. It's just like I would if it was you,” I whispered to him.

“So what are you thinking?” he asks.

“Her dad is a member of the pack, or maybe she was born under our pack's protection. I don’t know. She’s somehow connected. Try to mind like her and see if you can connect,” I instructed.

“ I did. The other day when we went for a run. I couldn’t. That is why I sent messages through you,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“That’s odd.”

“Yes it is. Are you going to tell your dad about her?” he asked.

“Not yet. I want to try to figure out some more things about her first."