Casey's Wolf

Chapter 3

Shane’s father ushered them into a big conference room at the end of the hall. As he shut the door behind him, Casey tested the link between herself and Shane.

Are you still there? She sent out.

Yes came the reply.

Thank you, Shane. Casey sat in the chair that Shane's father offered her at the end of the table.

He and her parents took seats on either side of her.

“Casey, my name is Isaiah,” said Shane' father.

“HI, Mr. Isaiah,” Casey said, her voice very quiet.

“Casey, sit up straight and speak up. You are a wolf now. Speak with confidence,” her father, Darren said.

“Darren, easy. I know that you are excited but we don’t want to push her to hard right now. This is all new to her and she’s probably very confused by it all. Aren’t you, Casey?” Isaiah asked.

Casey just nodded. She noted how Isaiah seemed to emanate power.

“So, Casey, what question would you like answered first?” Isaiah asked as he watched her closely.

“Why can’t I remember what happened with the boys that were bullying me at school? I know you explained it to Shane but I still don’t understand. I remember being pushed to the ground but then there is a big gap. The next thing I knew the boys were running away with complete looks of terror,” Casey asked. It wasn’t the first question she really wanted to lead with, but it seemed the best place to start to her.

“Your wolf, when it surfaces for the first time, has to fully take over your mind in order for your mind to accept that it is there. This takeover if you will, causes lapses in memory. That is the best way I know how to explain it,” Isaiah answered in his calm, matter-of-fact voice.

Casey then turned her attention to her parents, seeming to be okay with the explanation.

“Why didn’t you tell me that this would happen to me? Why didn’t you prepare me for this?” she asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

“Honey, we know that we should have told you sooner. But we weren’t sure if you were if you were one of us,” her mother, Alyza said, holding back tears at the hurt look on Casey’s face.

“What do you mean, you weren’t sure I was one of you? I am your daughter, how could I not be?” Casey asked.

“Well, um, Casey… Oh, Darren I told you we should have told her sooner,” Alyza said to her husband before turning back to Casey. “Casey, honey, we adopted you. You were only seven months old when you came to us,” Alyza said, tears leaking from her eyes as she remembered the day that Casey came into their lives.

“What?! I’m adopted?!” Casey all but shouted, hurt and anger very apparent in her voice. Her outburst caused her mother to flinch.

Casey, breath. Just breath. Shane sent as calmly as he could.

                Casey stood up, “What do you mean I’m adopted?” she asked again, leaning on the table with both hands. Her vision was starting to become tinged in red.

Casey, you need to calm down a little. Your wolf is rising fast. She is being fed by your anger. She may try to hurt them. Just take a deep breath… Casey cut the link to Shane. She needed her mind to be her own for a few minutes.

“Casey, please take a seat and let your parents explain. Just heart them out,” Isaiah said. His voice was calm but there was a controlling tone to it.

Casey found herself sitting back down in her chair involuntarily. As she did so, she reopened the link to Shane. Sorry, but I was freaking out. Is your dad always so controlling?

My father is the Alpha. What he says goes.

Alpha?

Leader of the pack. Your father, Darren, is his second in command. He is the pack’s Beta.

“Casey, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you any of this sooner, but we couldn’t. Not until we were sure that you were one of us, a wolf,” Alyza said, bringing Casey’s focus back to the inside of the conference room.

“You didn’t know if I was a wolf or not, so you lied to me?” asked Casey, hurt very obvious in her voice.

“Yes, they did. But it is a pack rule that is in place to help protect the pack,” Isaiah answered for Alyza.

He means that non-wolves, or mortals can’t know of our existence. It’s as much for their protection as it is ours. There are people who want to hunt our kind down and wipe us out. And they will stop at nothing in order to do so, even torturing mortals that they think might know anything about our kind. Shane added helpfully.

Casey took a deep breath. “I am sorry, this is just a lot to take in after everything that happened at the school,” She turned back to her parents as the red tinge faded from her vision. “Do you know anything about my life or my real parents before I was adopted?” she asked.

Alyza looked down at her hands, “The only thing that we know about them is that they perished in a fire when you were only 8 months old. We also know that you had an older brother, but it is believed that he also perished in the fire. Although his body was never found. I am so sorry that you had to find out this way, Casey,” Alysa said, sounding close to tears.

Casey stood up again and walked around the end of the conference table to her mother and wrapped her in a hug as Alyza stood up to meet her.

“Don’t be sorry, Mom. I am not mad, I am just a little overwhelmed by everything. I love you. Just because I am adopted doesn’t mean that will change. You are my parents. Maybe we can do some research on them if you know their names. But everything is going to be okay,” Casey turned towards Isaiah. “Can we take a break from all of this? Maybe give me time to come to terms with the fact that I am a werewolf?”

“Of course. I can give you some time to talk amongst yourselves for a few minutes,” He said as he rose from his chair.

“No, I mean like, maybe continue this tomorrow? I am starving and I would like to talk to my parents more about my late parents. If that’s okay,” Casey said, hopefully.

Isaiah shook his head. “I am afraid not, Casey. Not until the first full moon and your first turn. Until then you will be staying with me. I am sorry, but I can give you some time with your parents and I can order some food. The next shift moon is in a little more than a week away. So you won’t away long. It is this way for all wolves. But there will be a gathering the day of the shift moon, so your parents will be there for you. It is a sort of right of passage for our pack if you will.”

Casey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. First she finds out that she is a wolf and now she couldn’t even go home with her family. It wasn’t fair.

There is a ceremony to welcome you into the pack. Dad will just be there to answer any questions you may have. It’s his way of trying to help with any new thing that may arise. He feels it’s part of his job as alpha. Shane sent. Just think of it as a sleep over.

No offense, Shane, but I would much rather sleep in my own bed. I barely know you let alone your family. Remember, I like to keep to myself. Your brothers like to pick on me about that.

Yeah, I know. Just don’t tell dad that they do that. He would not be very happy that the twins are bullying kids at school. They just got ungrounded for sneaking out. Although maybe the new grounding would be good for them… On second thought, tell him. Its nice to see them squirm. Shane sent, laughing.

Shane, seriously. I am freaking out here. I don’t want to be away from my family. Not right now.

Casey, your parents will be over for dinner every night and they will still pick you up from school. The only thing really changing is where you will lay your head at night for the next week. I promise. I have been through about 5 of these ceremonies, not including my own, and they were always the same. The only difference was the length of time the new wolf had to stay. And I will be there. I promise, I will have your back through this.

Okay, I will go. But only because I am curious what your father will do to the twins for bullying. Thanks Shane, for helping me through today.

Anytime, Casey. Shane sent, smiling at the thought of spending the next few days with her.