Chapter 3

Whitney

The sweet bell sounded signalling school had had finished. I was supposed to meet up with Jayden at his car, but I really couldn't be bothered to start explaining the whole thing about my dumb colour changing eyes. Even if I hadn't much to say, he'd still ask about something else, for sure. He's really creepy too! Like he can read my thoughts or something.

I grabbed my things and left the school, turning away from the car park, and making my way along the gray congregate paths that lead to my house.

I hadn't much of a clue as to where I was going, so I did some exploring and took my feet into a park a few blocks from where I remembered my house to be.

I had barely gotten past the slide when I heard slow footsteps behind me. My eyes widened and I turned my body around to find two guys, one a few years older than me and the other behind looking just under ten.

My muscles tightened as they make their way towards me. My fists clenched and my long nails were digging into the skin almost wanting to break and release blood.

"What are you doing on our territory?" The eldest one asked. His dirty blonde hair failed to be kept neatly under his baseball cap and came just above his lime green eyes. He looked to be the dangerous one out of them all and more or less in charge of the other behind him.

Before I was troubled by their appearance, but now my face was mostly covered in confusion.

He started to come towards me, so I did what anyone would do and turned on my heel to run.

I only ran a few metres before two hands got a tight grasp on both my arms, causing me to fall back onto the hard ground "Oww" escaped my lips. Soon after I was pulled up and pushed into a car that suddenly appeared behind me. I noticed the eldest one was the driver with one of the other sat next to me in the back eying my every uneven breath.

I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. I couldn't think. All I could do was wait to find out what would happen next.

Jayden

I waited a good fifteen minutes against my car and swishing my keys around my index finger, for that girl to come and meet me. I could smell her scent get further away. It wasn't like she would just forget about it, I thought, then smirked to myself. She's avoiding me. I jumped into my car and drove off, following her unforgettable scent.

Unexpectedly something familiar came onto my path and was trying to cover her up. Luke? And... Ryan?I suddenly realised what I had just thought, and pressed my food down hard, letting me speed up to catch them.

Whitney

The door of the house opened and I tripped and fell as I was shoved in. "let's start this again, shall we. Why are you in our territory?" his voice was firm and took one hard step forward to match "Well?!"

"I...I d-don't know...what you're t-talking about-t" I slowly scooted backwards so I was lent against the wall, and tucked my knees into my chest.

"Don't go all innocent girl on me! Where's your pack?! Why are you here?!" I sat there in silence trying to hold back the tears, that promise was still with me and I didn't want to break it. "You're really asking for it, you know that!" Just then his and the little boys bodies started to shape into a different form and fur was rapidly growing out of them.

They...shifted...into...dogs? No, not dogs...Wolves!

My heart swiftly increased. I quickly got up, and looked for an exit, but I was surrounded by a light brown wolf, a dirty blonde wolf and a wall behind that I was pressed back against. They both had their teeth bared and loud growls came out, ready to kill.

I tightened my eyes shut and held my breath, ready to feel the pain.

I heard the door swing open and a gush of wind came in front of me. I opened my eyes to see a midnight black wolf protecting me against the other two. I could tell they were communicating somehow by the silent stare they gave each other.

They all shifted back into human and the younger one left into a different room, leaving the others yelling "You idiot, Luke! She doesn't fucking know what she is! And you just had to kidnap her! And bring her here!" I couldn't think who the guy in front of me was. He was so familiar. I just needed to see his face.

"Hello! She's in our territory! It's only natural for me to bring her here!"

"You were going to kill her, Luke!" then it hit me. That voice was from...Jayden? He turned to me with a worried smile "uh, hey Whit" I wanted to scream and run, but there was nowhere to run too.

"Um...am I seeing things?"

"Unfortunately not" he sighed

I placed my palm on my forehead "right well... if you don't mind...I think I'm gonna f-" and then my vision went from fuzzy to black.

Jayden

I let her fall into my arms and glared at Luke "I blame you"

He gave an apologetic look "I am so sorry, dude" then put a mocking puppy-dog face on "can you ever forgive me"

I sighed in frustration, but added a smirk at his fail for forgiveness "you really are an idiot, you know" he smirked back

"You gonna keep her?"

"You make her sound like a pet" he shrugged and walked off. I carried her to my room and laid her on my bed, leaving her in peace.

Whitney

I woke up breathing healthily when all the memories came rushing back to my mind. I shot up and looked at my surroundings. There was a wall built in wardrobe to my left, with a long and narrow desk beside it, with an open but turned off laptop sat on it. On the other side of the room there was a black bookcase with stacks of books, DVDs and CDs and a bass guitar leant on it. Also there was a nightstand next to the bed I was on. Overall it was nothing special, but still had the nice red, black, and white colour theme to it.

There was a knock at the door followed by a familiar face of Jayden walking in "glad to see you're awake" he said, then came over and sat on the bed by my feet. I just stared at him in silence for a minute. "What?"

I narrowed my eyes "you know exactly what, Wolfy. Just tell me what the hell is going on?!"

"Long story short. I'm a werewolf-"

"-I gathered that much" I said while rolling my eyes.

"Let me finish" he sighed "and so is everyone else in this house. But you're...different?"

"Different?"

"Well, we're not actually sure what you are. You're scent is pretty amazing to us all, but it does have wolf in it, even if it's only a small amount. It just...doesn't add up. If you were a wolf you would know about it, unless your parents have kept it from you, but I don't understand why they would do something like that"

"Isn't that just great..." I mumbled under my breath.

Jayden stood up "C'mon. Aston wants to meet you"

I got up from the bed, brushing out the creases on my clothes "Aston?"

"The Alpha of the pack, and my dad. You know what a pack is, right?"

"I'm not stupid" he mockingly put his hands up in surrender.

We walked out the door and down the hall in silence. To be honest I expected to wake up in a cave with a camp fire or something, but this was just like any ordinary house (bit boring if you asked me). The walls were cream with a dotted line running across the top, and the floors were light brown planks.

When we came to another door, Jayden walked through and dragged me along. We ended up in a small office, and sat on the two chairs in front of the desk. There was another chair facing away from us behind the desk and a high pitch voice come from it, that said "I've been expecting you" the chair swivelled round and reviled that young boy from earlier: short dark brown hair and sapphire blue eyes with a wide smile spread across his face.

I looked over to Jayden and saw he had is hand slapped on his face at the same time as shaking his head "Ryan, what are you doing?"

"Oh c'mon, bro. Don't tell me you've never wanted to do that"

Jayden completely ignored Ryan's statement and sighed "go get dad, would you" Ryan let out a groaned in frustration and walked out.

"You don't have to be so mean to him" I mumbled.

Jayden looked over at me in confusion, and then rolled his eyes "you got any siblings?"

"No"

He grunted "then you have no idea what it's like"

"I'd like to know" I whispered while bowing my head. I always wanted someone there for me. Don't get me wrong I love my father and I always will, but I always wished I'd had a younger sister by a few years. We would be able to share our problems and secrets, the occasional fight, but that's normal. I guess I want someone to know me for exactly who I am.

"I'm sorry"

I looked over to him and tilted my head to the side "What for? I didn't...did I...no, did you-"

"-Whit, you're not making any sense. And to answer your next question: yes and no. I heard your... thoughts, but... that's cause you... I can't explain. Uh, you sent them to me. Or you could say, you're thinking too loud"

"Huh?"

"Cause we're wolves, well we think you're a wolf. It's how we communicate" I was a little shaken when he said 'We're wolves'. it hadn't sunk in yet, and I wouldn't consider myself one yet anyway since I've never changed into one. "Just because you've never shifted, doesn't mean you're not part wolf" I glared at him "what?"

"Is there a way for you to stop reading my mind?"

A new voice came into the picture "actually no" a middle-aged man came from the door and sat on the chair Ryan was on when we first came in. He had black hair and just missing hazel eyes. it was what looked to be Aston, Jayden's father. "Hello, my name is Aston"

"Whitney"

"In answer to your question. A wolf's thoughts are like using vocals to humans"

"So you always know what I'm thinking?"

"Not exactly. It's simple really. If you wish to keep your mind to yourself, then think of yourself whispering. That way know one else can hear you"

"Oh okay. I get it"

He nodded "Back to why we're here. Do you know what you are?"

"I thought I was human" like I really thought I was human, but apparently not.

"Right, so you have no past of anything to do with this"

"Not that I know of" I said in an unsure tone

"Do you have a birth certificate?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever seen it?"

"No..." I was now really confused "sorry but, how do these questions tie in with anything?"

"You'll know soon enough" he picked up a pen and grabbed a book from the shelf behind him. Looking back at us he said with a smile "that's all. For now anyway" Jayden stood, gesturing me to follow and we walked out into the hall towards the room we were in previously.

Once we entered the room I slumped onto the bed, feeling tired. "Why am I so tired?" I groaned into the pillow. I heard a small chuckle from the side and opened an eye away from the pillow. I saw Jayden at the edge of the bed, with a grin across his face "what are you smiling at, stranger?"

"Stranger?"

"Yes, Stranger. When did I meet you? Like this morning?"

"Yesterday"

"Exactly. Meaning I hardly know you, and that to me makes you a stranger" I was proud of myself for thinking that. I don't consider myself a bright person in the mind. Suddenly I shot up and stared with wide eyes at him "Did you just say...yesterday?"

"Yep. It's early in the morning though"

"How early exactly?"

"Two? Maybe three?" he was unsure "I don't know I haven't checked"

"Shite!" I gulped "Take me home!"

He raised an eyebrow "Don't you mean shit? And whatever happened to please, anyway?"

"Whatever, let's go!" I literally dragged him outside to his car and shoved him in, then jumped in the passenger seat "drive!" I ordered. He did as told and pulled out of the driveway. I gave him directions to my house, then we sat in silence.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get back to your house?" he asked.

"Two words: overprotective dad. He's probably called the police by now"

"Right" there was a pause, but then he spoke again "Whitney"

"Hm?" I lifted my head a little to show I was listening.

"Promise you won't tell anyone about us, the wolves I mean" he sounded serious.

"Sure whatever"

"I mean it"

"And so do I. I'm just not in the mood to act all serious, its tiring, Stranger" he grinned. Before I knew it, we were outside my house and I could see the light on in the living room. I got out the car and turned to face Jayden "Thanks, Stranger" he lifted his hand for a still wave and drove off.

I turned to my house and walked in through the door, where I met eyes with my father. "What were you thinking?! I was about call the police!" he tried to make his face fill with anger, but the relief overtook it.

"Dad I am so, so, so sorry" I put on my puppy-dog face.

"Don't do the face" he covered his hands over his eyes "I forgive you, my baby girl. Just stop looking at me like that" he removed his hands and saw that I rolled my eyes and crosses my arms "what did I do?"

"You still call me by that pet name"

He grinned "I just can't help myself"

"Whatever. Its late or should I say early and I tired" I walked up the stairs to my room, quickly changed into some pyjamas and jumped into the covers. I was too tired to think about what had happened, as long as I was in my own bed, that was all that mattered to me right now.