Struggle for Love

Chapter 13 The Explanation

I took in a deep breath before dialing the number to my attending.

"Hi, Dr.Jacobs. It's River O'Brian. I won't make it today. I'm sorry but I have a family emergency." Dr.Jacobs was a soft spoken middle aged man with a mild temperament.

"Oh, Ms.O'Brian, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope everything is alright. We will miss you at rounds but I understand. We look forward to seeing you back tomorrow if all is well with your family." He hung up and I tossed my phone on the couch and put my head in my hands. I felt the tears start to fall. Who knew that one night at the club would turn into a total disaster? I wiped my cheeks feeling the a weight settle in my chest. I looked up and was startled to see Natalia sitting in the recliner, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Oh! You scared me Nat." I said softly.

"Orospu, you have so much explaining to do. Lucky for you, I have time." She sat her coffee on the side table and tucked her legs underneath her.

"Really Nat? You want to do this now?" I whined.

"You growl into the phone like a dog. Yes? I think now is a good time." She said. I sighed.

"OK. What do you want to know?"

"Why did that man say you have a vampire in your room? And what did he mean about 'your kind'?"

"Well, ummm..." I wanted to be anywhere but here. It was against our most sacred laws to tell a human of our existence unless we were mated to them which was incredibly rare.

"Well, what?" She pushed.

"Nat, I'm really not suppose to tell you."

"River, you and I are friends, yes? So, why can't you tell me? What is so big a secret you can't tell a friend? Hmm?" She pushed.

"Nat, it's against our laws. It's the number one law. You could tell someone and it could end badly for me... and you... and whoever you tell." I started chewing on my pinky nail.

"Posh! Tell me! I promise to tell no one else."

"Fine! But not a soul Natalia, I mean it." She crossed her heart with her pinky. I took in a deep breath.

"I'm a werewolf Natalia." She just stared blankly at me.

"OK. What's the secret? Are you special werewolf?" She said as she leaned towards me. I just told her I was a werewolf and she was completely unfazed.

"No, Nat. Just a werewolf." She clicked her tongue.

"I thought it was going to be a good secret." She started to get up.

"Wait! Why are you not surprised?" I was stunned.

"You growl like dog. That man growl like dog. I assume you some kind of dog. I was right. I'm not surprised." She stood up. "River, did you bring a vampire in the house?" I looked down.

"I mean, technically, I didn't bring him here. He came on his own."

"I thought vampires had to be invited in?" She asked.

"That's a myth, Nat." I said, looked up at her stoic expression. She shrugged her shoulders and went to her room. Ten minutes later she came out fully dressed.

"This vampire better not come here and try to eat me. I don't like that kind of disrespectfulness in my home." She poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down. Most people would be shocked, scared even but not Natalia. She was just concerned with being disrespected in her own home.

"Nat, why would he try to eat you?" I chuckled at her.

"He's vampire. Vampires eat people, no?"

"They don't eat people. They drink their blood."

"Same thing. I won't tolerate being eaten, orospu." I just shook my head at her.

"OK Nat. Are you afraid of me now?" I asked worriedly.

"No. Should I be?" I looked into her eyes and they showed sincerity.

"No, Nat. Do you have any questions for me?" I felt a little awkward. This discussion was very anticlimactic.

"Do you turn into a dog?" Blue growled in my head.

"I'm not a dog!" Blue spat.

"Aye! Sorry! How do I know these things!" Natalia said, throwing her hands in the air.

"Then what do you turn into?"

"Sorry. That was Blue. She's wolf. A silver wolf. I turn into a wolf." I said, quietly. Suddenly she had a mischievous grin on her face.

"Can I see?" She asked.

"See what?"

"What you turn into."

"I'm really big when I change. Our apartment is small, Nat."

"Hmph! We move furniture out of the way." She said as she got up and started pushing everything out of the center of the room. Soon, the living room floor was wide open but it was still quite small.

"Nat, it's too small. There's not enough room for a wolf my size."

"Then we go to the park." She said matter of factly.

"Nat, there are alot of people there. What will they say when suddenly there's a giant wolf in the park?" She thought for a second.

"I just want to see..." I sighed as I stood up and started stripping down. When all my clothes were off and I was about to shift, there was a knock at the door. Natalia got up and went to answer it.

"Hi, is River home?" Oliver's scent wafted through our apartment hitting me like a tidal wave.

"Ah, you are vampire. Come." Before it registered in my brain that she was bringing Oliver inside, he was standing in front of me, smirking.

"Well, I was mildly upset at the witch knowing I was a vampire, but this... this is worth the unnecessary stress of it." He said with a dashing smile that displayed his dimples. He was more handsome during the day.

"Orospu, was about to show me the wolf." Natalia said as she took her seat once more. Oliver raised his eye brows as he looked between the two of us.

"Really? This, I'd like to see." Wait. Witch?

"Nat, your a witch?" I proclaimed, in shock.

"Focus, orospu. I want to see this beast." An involuntary growl rumbled my chest causing Natalia to giggle.

"You know, you really shouldn't call her that." Oliver said.

"What beast?" Natalia looked at him, confused.

"Orospu." He said.

"Oh that's her pet name for me." I chimed in.

"Little wolf, do you know what it means?" He asked.

"Natalia said it means friend." I responded. Oliver snorted. Natalia clicked her tongue.

"Quiet you. River, show me the wolf." She said eagerly. I cut my eyes at her. I decided I'd figure out what she had been calling me later. I felt my bones start cracking, my face lengthening and my teeth elongate. My the bones in my hands rearrange to create my paws as long silver fur started sprouting out all over my body. When the shift was complete, I was lying in the middle of the living room floor. If I stood I'd hit the ceiling. Natalia clapped her hands wildly.

"İnanılmaz! Can I touch you?" She asked. I pushed my muzzle into her thigh and she ran her hand down the length of my body.

"So soft." Oliver reached out to touch me but Blue pushed forward and nipped at him, causing him to jerk his hand back.

"Really Blue?" He said. She growled intimidatingly. He shook his head but didn't try to touch me again. After a few minutes I shifted back. I grabbed my clothes and began putting them on. Oliver sniffed the air slightly and looked puzzled for a minute.

"Was there another wolf here?" He questioned. I hesitated.

"Yea. My mate." I looked up and he looked deep in thought. Natalia seemed to put two and two together.

"Oh! That's why he was so angry. I thought mates were... what's the word... tsk tsk... inseparable." She said. I sighed.

"They are... usually..." I mumbled.

"Why are you not with your mate?" She asked. Oliver looked up at me.

"When we met, I was hesitant to accept him... I didn't want to give up everything I had worked so hard for, ya know? When I decided to go to his pack to talk to him..." My voice caught on the words.

"What happened, little wolf?" Oliver pushed. I swallowed hard. It still hurt thinking about it. He couldn't even give me one day to think.

"When I went to talk to him about it, he was having s*x with some random omega." I looked at the floor. "Mates are suppose to mean something. It obviously didn't mean that much to him so..." I said as I took a sip of my coffee. They looked at each other, then at me.

"I'm sorry that happened, Oruspu." Natalia said. Oliver whipped his head at her.

"You've gotta quit calling her that." Natalia's face began to turn pink.

"işine bak!" She spat at him.

"Ben yapmam. Onu aşağılarken değil." He said calmly.

"Ahhh!" She said as she hopped up and went to her room.

"What does orospu mean?" I asked, confused. He chuckled.

"It means bitch."