Chapter 14:

Heading out to the training spot right outside the back doors and sitting in a circle, Marcus instructed, "Well, Eve, the thing to know about beasts is that they can transform into any predator. Our main form is the wolf, which is everyone is first transformation. After that, they can transform into any predator you so choose to transform into. The best way to do that is by going to the zoo and watching the predators in their most natural habitat. After you understand them, then we will talk about how to transform into them outside in the real world and into an actual fight."

"So, zoo time?" I asked with a smile, hoping no one noticed my little kid smile and attitude as I said that.

"Yep. And there is a zoo around here, run by another member of the Goeds… he is a Wander because of some disagreements with the pack a few years ago. His name is Jon. He loves animals and knows how important this training is, so let us go visit him. But we might want to go after everyone has left. We will be staring at the animals for a while and we don't want to scare away humans" Brian said with his eyes making it look like he couldn't wait, either.

"So, what are we going to do while we wait? I do not want to sit around and wait. I want to get up and move to learn more about my powers," I said, really wanting to go to the zoo.

"We are going to continue to train you to perfect your wolf side, and then we will eat and go to the zoo," Marcus instructed, trying to take the conversation back over. "So, let us get to training. How does that sound, Miss Impatient?"

"Great!" I hollered as I glared at him.

For today's training, before we go to the zoo, I was teamed up with Kenny and John. Sly and Evan are on the opposite team. Today's training is to work together as a team to win a game of ultimate capture the flag.

"What is our game plan to win?" I asked Kenny and John.

"Well, I think that we need to be in two teams. Kenny and I will be the ones that are the runners and Eve, you stay here and protect the flag," "John said, ignoring eye contact with me.

"Wait, Eve is the fastest runner we have. She can outrun any of the guys," Kenny added, giving me a wink.

"Oh wow, wait a minute. I can tell that you guys are already using Gualta to decide what you are going to do, but we are still training before we begin," Marcus instructed.

"We are going to be running five miles, then doing some little workouts, and then we will play the game. So, let us start running," George said with some energy behind his voice.

After thirty minutes of running around the property line, which is ten miles, we were back in front of the backyard. We did the activities for about ten minutes. During the stretch, all the boys were thinking out loud, and I was just trying not to fall on my face. I may be a beast and a witch, but I am still a giant mess. I have been a mess for my entire life, and since my body has been growing uncontrollably, I have been the exact opposite of a ballerina. I am like any big monster in old movies...I am Eve zilla.

"Game time!!!" yelled George from across the yard.

Kenny, John, and I ran toward the north, while Evan and Sly went to the south. We each had a neon flag. Ours was yellow, and theirs was green. "Why don't we have Eve run to go get the flag, and then if she is in trouble, she uses some of her witch powers?" Kenny suggested.

"What are you talking about? We cannot do that! Eve is not ready for all of that," John said while making it seem like he was not interested in the solution to win.

"Guys, isn't using which powers, kind of against the rules?" I asked, not wanting to break the rules on my first game as a beast.

"Well, technically, there are no rules, and they do have Sly. So, we are doing this equally. So, come on... what do you think?" Kenny questioned.

"No, this is a bad idea. What if Eve gets into trouble?" John said, scared.

"She will be against her brother and your brother. If they get her, they will not do anything to her," Kenny said, matter-of-factly.

"You can't be sure of that. What if they are expecting us to do that?" John said defensively. "I don't want her to get into trouble. She is new at this beast life."

Yeah, they might, but we know Sly and Evan. Sly is going to protect her because she is his sister, and they need to have a sibling bond. So, he would not want to ruin that for winning a game. Your brother is in love with her. He will not do anything to ruin the chances of the love that he thinks she has for him. Do you not agree, Eve?" Kenny asked and explained.

Well, I agree with Sly, but Evan doesn't love me. That is like saying that Kenny likes me. So, it is impossible," I said, getting my point across.

"Evan does like you. And I do not think Kenny likes you. But he does not like anyone so, do not take offense to that," John said before getting hit by Kenny.

"Can we get back on topic, please," Kenny asked, he almost sounded angry with the idea that he did not like me. John and I shook our heads yes. "Okay. Do you think that it could work?"

"Yeah, I guess that is the best idea we had all day. Let us do it," I said, knowing that I was not going to use my witch powers during beast training...as long as I could hold it off, at least.

"Fine. It looks like I am going to be outnumbered here, so let us go. But I am going to make sure I am going to be always watching you," John said with anger in his voice, hoping to get his way.

"That is creepy. How about I report in every couple of minutes, okay?" I asked while trying to get both boys' sides to work together. John and Kenny shook their heads yes. "Good; now let's tell George we are ready."

"Dad, we are ready to begin. Is everyone else ready?" Kenny asked, using Gualta.

"Yep, we are ready to begin. On my howl, we are going to begin. Everyone must participate in some way of either protecting the flag or retrieving the flag. Everything at your disposal is a free game. So, everyone is equal; no one is higher or stronger than the others. The winning team gets to have a dessert of their choice or free time to yourself. Let us begin…" George instructed using Quentura.

ARROO!

With that great howl out, I started to run faster than I have ever run before. Kenny and John should be staying back to bury the flag or at least cover it before Sly or Evan could come and get it. I would run until I reached about halfway then I would move into a fast-paced jog… just to make sure I did not get a freak attack to throw me off.

After a couple of minutes of running full, I could hardly move my legs anymore; I had reached halfway and was making sure that my eyes were ready for anything. Then I suddenly remembered everything was "free" game in this game, so why not use the Perrata to see or smell if anyone was coming? Standing still my eyes closed, sensing the ground below my shoes, I started to use the Perrata. Knowing that it will only last for about five minutes, I pushed myself to the limit. I ran and ran till I could see the flag up in a tree, stopping at the tree.

"How am I going to get up that tree? There are no tree branches for a good ten feet. Wait, Sly must have used his Nature spell to put it up there," I thought.

Resting my hand on the bark, stepping back, I started chanting a spell, "LaTree Compino Darishun Baquen DaLaSphinco, Tree Shrink Down." With that, the tree started to go back in time, until it was a sapling. Right there sitting on top of the tree was a green flag waiting to be picked up and returned to my side.

Clap, Clap, Clap,

"Never thought I would see a beast of the mighty Marcus' pack use witchy powers," said a voice behind a distant tree.

Then out from behind the tree, three boys came out. I could tell one was Liam, but I did not know who the other boys were.

"Hello, Eve. How are you today?" asked Liam.

"I am good. Who is that with you?" I asked, protecting myself and standing guard.

"Oh yes, how rude of me? This is Max and Jeremy," Liam said while pointing out the boys.

Max is a heavier-set boy… compared to what I have seen lately with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Then Jeremy is a scruffy boy with curly black hair and black eyes. He looked like he had not taken a shower for a couple of days. How gross? Eww!

"Good day to you," said Max; he acted like the sweetest boy I have ever met.

"Man, Liam you were not joking; she is definitely any of our types," Jeremy said with a gross weird smile that made every fiber of my skin shiver with disgust.

"Eww," I said, backing up, ready to run.

"I am sorry, Eve. They are usually on their best behavior except for Jeremy. I would have not brought him, but Dad made me. But anyway, what are you doing out here using your magic?" Liam asked while walking over to me with a smug look of hope.

"Uhm, we are playing capture the flag, and they said we could use anything to our advantage. I figured that Sly did it, so why can't I do it?" I said, still backing up away from the boys.

"Wait, you are Sylvester's little sister!" exclaimed Jeremy, very loudly.

"Dude, shut up. We do not want them to hear us. Do you want us to get caught on their property?" Liam ordered.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, Liam, here, wanted to see you. Also, his dad and Jeffrey wanted us to check up on you to make sure everything was good. Isn't that right, Liam?" Jeremy remarked, while putting his arm around Liam and winking at me. I tried my best to hold back a gag.

"Well, that is right, minus me wanting to come to see you," Liam said while turning beet red in the face.

"Right," Jeremy said with attitude and then rolled his eyes toward Max, who chuckled under his breath.

"Anyway… we wanted to make sure that you know that this choice you are making is for everyone, not just the Goeds. This will affect the Slechts, too." Liam said with a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, I know that. I am choosing for the beasts, and Sly is choosing for the witches. You do not have to remind me," I said, getting really sick and tired of people telling me the same exact thing repeatedly.

"Well, if you know it, why don't you come and visit us some time to understand what we are doing and that what we are doing is for the greater good?" Liam asked, still with a sad puppy dog eye.

"How am I supposed to do that anyway? I am on very strict rules that I cannot be alone since I first met you. Brian and Marcus are very protective of me," I said, still backing up.

"I am sure they are not the only ones that are protective of you. I saw the way Sylvester looked at you. If I came near you, he would have killed me and made sure to send a sign to everyone at the same time," Liam said.

"Oh, please. Sly would love to see the day when I am not here anymore," I said, taking a step closer to them.

"Will you at least think about us before you make your choice?" Liam asked with those sad puppy dog eyes.

"I am always thinking about others. I know everything that I am supposed to think about. Trust me and believe that I am going to do what is right. That is the way Mom told me to do things. When I am free, I will come and visit you and the Slechts. So just trust me; even if I am living with the Goeds, I was born an outsider. Now... if you will excuse me, I have a game to win," I said with some sass.

As I turned around to go return the flag, Liam said, "I will trust you, as long as you trust us."

"Fine. Now good day," I said, running back towards the house.

Starting to run away, I could hear Jeremy talking. "Now I know why you like her. She speaks her mind and does not worry about the consequences. She is your type to the letter."

"If she was anything less, I would not have taken that beating, after the first time I met her," Liam said proudly.

"Oh… you have fallen in love with the she-wolf, haven't you?" Jeremy asked.

"No… Come on. Let us get home before the others come," Liam said, but I could tell even from the hundred feet away, he was lying.

"Sure…" Jeremy said as they ran the other way.

After a couple of minutes, I made it back to where Kenny and John were wrestling Sly and Evan. When they saw me, they stopped, "Good job, Eve. I knew you could do it." Kenny said. He ran up and gave me a huge hug.

"Good job, Team Yellow. You all get to have nothing special but congrats," George said, breaking up the weird moment. "Come on. It is time to go eat."

We all started to run home when Kenny pulled my arm in and gave me a kiss. "I know you were with Liam, Max, and Jeremy. You must have been thinking about me because I was the only one that could hear it. But do not worry… I did not tell anyone else. Also, just letting you know that I care about you and want you here with me."

After that, he ran to the house, I was left there, wondering what just happened.

"Uhm...Liam likes me. Kenny likes me. What? Was I using Gualta? How did this happen? I want my life to go back to the normal world...before Mom died. What am I going to do? I am hungry. Just go up to the house and act like everything is normal… even if nothing is normal anymore," I mumbled under my breath.

When I got home, everyone had already started to eat, and the only open seat was between Kenny and Sly. I sat down quietly and started to dig in, but I felt off. I kept thinking about what Liam said and the news I had heard.

"Are you okay?" Sly transmitted to me.

"Yeah, I am fine," I lied.

"Okay, well eat up," he said as he nudged me towards the food. At that point, I knew he cared about me, and I wanted to tell him everything that had just happened, but I was afraid he would get mad. So, I put my head down and ate my food