10 Chapter 8: Not One of Us

Apparently, by later, Wyatt meant he was going to follow Zed and I home. My brother never noticed him. I could not only smell him, but he was close enough for me to hear his heartbeat and his breathing. I stopped at the back door of the house, causing Zed to turn to me.

    "Are you coming inside?" I turned to the forest, the fullness of the moon catching my eye.

    "Not yet. I-" My knees caved as I started coughing again, the burn in my chest bringing tears to my eyes. Zed put his hand on my back and rubbed it like Mom used to do until I stopped.

~Wyatt's POV~

    I had to stay hidden while Zen's coughs forced her to the ground. I could almost feel the pain it was causing her, and I was at least grateful for the zombie's gesture of supporting her.

    "Are you alright?" No. She's not. She's dying, just like the rest of us.

    "I'll be okay. Go inside, Zed. I'll see you in the morning." She smiled wearily at him, sitting on the steps. With a nod, he went inside. She watched the door for a few more moments, then turned to look right at where I was hiding. "He's in his room. You're good to come out."

    "I remember you telling me you weren't one of us." I teased as I stood just outside of the forest. She gave me a look.

    "I'm not. As far as anyone else is concerned, I'm a zombie. I doubt, after what Waylynn told me, that Willa is going to let two lost wolves back into the pack." I noticed then just how pale and sick she looked. Worry shot through me as I sat on the steps next to her.

    "I vouched for my sister. I could vouch for you, too." The look in her eyes put a pang of hurt in my chest. She looked so scared and lost. "Talk to me. Please."

    "I was only three, almost four. My father had just died because of this sickness that was taking the lives of a lot of the pack. I wanted to see more of the forest, but I went too far and ventured into hunter territory. There were bear traps set out, but they were laced with silver. Meant for a full-grown werewolf, not a child. Zed's dad found me just in time to save my life. That's where those scars are from. An accident caused by my own stupidity." She was curled in on herself, the gray beanie lopsided on her head.

    A flash of white from her left foot caught my attention. Her moonstone.

    "Can I…?" Her pretty green eyes met mine, and she gave me a short nod. I scooted closer, gently pulling up the leg of her jeans to look at the scars. She was right. I'd seen the damage silver could do with a blade. She flinched when my fingers brushed it, the skin still sensitive even after eleven years. "I'm sorry. We should've looked for you."

    "I can imagine the scene left behind. I'm sure my mother thought I was dead. I should be."

    "No, you shouldn't be. I believe everything happens for a reason, including your accident. You've been raised by zombies. Maybe that's something we can use in the future." I unwrapped the cord of her necklace from her ankle, reaching to put it around her neck. She jumped back, eyes flashing in fear.

    "W-What are you…"

    "I'm asking you to join us again. Despite what you think, you do belong with us. With… with me."

    Her eyes lit up yellow, the necklace glowing blue. Her canine teeth sharpened and grew longer, but she didn't let me see them for long. All that was left was her beanie. She was thinking and taking in the feeling of the strength the moonstone gave her.

    "I forgot how freeing this felt. It's been a long time." She commented, a slight lisp in her voice from her new fangs.

    "It's one of the reasons I love being a werewolf. It would be better if… if we had the moonstone with us."

    The silence started and lasted for a few minutes, broken by the shuffling sound as she removed her beanie. Her main hair color was a chocolate brown, with two white streaks glowing in the moonlight. Her hair was long, reaching the middle of her back in waves. I had to resist the urge to run my fingers through it to see how soft it was.

    "I wish I had the confidence to go to school like this. I'll leave the necklace where it is, but my hair? It's-"

    "Beautiful. You're beautiful." I watched as a crimson color crept up her face, smirking at the reaction. "I should go. Willa told me not to take long." 

I kissed her cheek, feeling the warmth of her blush before I disappeared into the trees.

~Back at the Den - Waylynn's POV~

    I walked to the back of the den to grab more food. As I was doing so I heard a faint that very quickly grew. I recognized that the noise was voices, male voices, but I wasn't sure whose. I set my plate on the counter and slowly stepped to peek around the wall. As I got closer I started to make out some words over the laughter.

    "New girls…"

    "The hot one… a Lykensen? No."

    "... looked familiar…"

    I still wasn't able to make out any specific voices, and that bothered me. I stepped around the corner into the room and everybody stopped and stared at me, going silent.

    "Well, well, well. I thought you looked familiar." The sudden realization of who the person was, made my blood boil. "What? Nothing to say to an old friend?" He taunted.

    By this point he was standing, towering over me, and he stalked towards me. Everybody's eyes darted between the two of us, but I kept my eyes on the speaker.

"We are not friends, Warden Dire." He stopped, briefly and held his hands up in mock surrender. He continued waking until he was directly in front of me.

    "I guess you're right, we're not friends. We're more than that, we're mates." He hissed that last word through his smile.

    Only a male can feel their mate before the ceremony. A female comes of age at sixteen, and each wolf only has one mate. Somehow, Warden has convinced more than one she-wolf that they were mates, and he's always known not to try me. But now he is, and he is also right in front of a wild wolf. With one swift movement I had Warden at my level.

    "We will never be mates. Not now, or ever. Try to come anywhere near me or my friends EVER again and I. Will. End. You. Do I make myself clear?" I began to walk away but paused and added, "and put a shirt on you useless play-wolf."

    "And cover up this chiseled sexiness?" He snickered and backed back to his posse.

    I walked back out to the main part of the den, leaving my plate in the back, as I am no longer hungry. I told my sister I was going for a run and left the den. About fifteen minutes into my run I gave into the nagging feeling that somebody was watching me. I stopped and took a few deep breaths before slowly turning in a circle. My eyes penetrated the darkness, but even with my heightened senses I couldn't see anybody. As I was about to continue my run my nose caught a thick, musky scent. Oh, no! Out of nowhere a figure jumped out of the shadows and I was slammed against a tree. Two yellow eyes glared into mine and hot, rough breaths rolled across my skin.

    "Who do you think you are coming back here and making me look like an idiot?" He hissed, inches from my face.

    "You didn't need my help with that," I snapped back. He growled, fangs showing and I responded likewise,

    "You may be trying your hardest to not feel it, to reject it even, but we are mates, and you will be mine." I had had enough. I kneed him in the groin, making him double over before making my getaway back to the den.