CASSANDRA
I chewed out Brittney as soon as we were in the truck. Of all the things she has done in her life I think this is the top. I know she just wanted the comfort of a familiar person, but she knows I am not a cheer person. "How could you put me on the spot like that? You know I was just trying to help you out. I didn't want to be on the stupid team, now not only am I on the team but I am trying out to be the captain."
Brittney bows her head. "I know, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to be alone. I didn't know that Kelly would be like that."
I grunt. "Figures. She is the biggest bitch I have ever met. I swear she is trying to win a medal in the shit or something." Yeah, now I am pissed at Kelly. Ok, she deserves it.
Calab interrupts. "So what is going on with that guy? I saw him talking to you in Biology, then he came to our table at lunch. Does he have the hots for you or what?"
"Don't even think about it. I am not interested. I don't care if he is."
Brittney isn't helping. "He kissed her on the cheek after practice. She slugged him but he was still smiling."
Bret adds his two cents too. "Well, you could do worse. From what I have seen he seems pretty cool."
"Again. I don't care. I am not interested. Oh, and Calab, stay clear of that Crissy girl. Apparently she is just a replica of Kelly." I look at Calab as I say it.
He just smiles back. "Don't worry about it. I think I already like a girl anyway." He kind of looks away.
"Oh, really and who is that?" I smirk. Finally take the heat off me.
He blushes a little. "Um. Willow. She is pretty cool. Shy but cool. It takes a little bit to get her to open up, but once you do, she is really nice to talk to."
"Oh, yeah, what's so great about her?" I liked her too. I liked that she was casual. Not pushy. She was a little reserved too.
"She is super smart. She's only a sophomore and in some of the hardest classes. She likes to read a lot of the same stuff that I do. Plus to top it off she likes Anime too."
I playfully groan. "Just what we need, another anime nerd."
"Just because I explore other cultures doesn't mean that I am a nerd." He points out.
"Says the nerd." I snicker.
"Yeah, well you are dating a jock." He spits out. All in fun though.
"Oh, we are not dating. Take that back."
"What cheerleader?" He playfully jabs.
"Don't you dare. I know where you sleep."
"Yeah, still a cheerleader." He chuckles.
We all start laughing. Honestly, me being a cheerleader is laughable. Not that I can't do it, I am just not a cheery person. When we pull up to the house we are a little surprised to see Uncle Jared and Dad arguing in the front yard. I turn to the others in the truck as soon as we park. "Go straight to your rooms and wait for me. I'll let you know what is going on." The last thing that they need to worry about is us moving again because Dad and Uncle Jared are fighting.
Brittney doesn't listen though. "I am waiting in your room." That is echoed by my two brothers. Brittney isn't usually the one to be outspoken so I let it go. I just nod to them.
They scurry into the house and I head to the two men. I only catch a few words. The last words being. "She deserves to know." From Uncle Jared.
I have no idea who she is but she probably does need to know if it starts a fight. I clap my hands. "Hey guys what's up?"
They both turn and blink at me like they had no idea I was even in the area. They were in a pretty heated talk so they may not have noticed us drive up the road. Dad starts first. "Nothing. Go inside, Cassandra Ray."
Uncle Jared puts his hand up. "No, this involves her. She should make the choice if she wants to know or not."
"If she knows then she can't unknow it. It doesn't matter because it isn't going to affect her." My dad growls.
"What?" I am confused. What is it that I am supposed to know? I am really surprised that it was me that they were fighting about. I keep my nose clean for the most part. Is this because I punched Kelly today?
"You haven't even told any of them the basics of our family. They are all going to be confused as fuck when it happens. I blame you for this. You were supposed to prepare them." Uncle Jared snarls at Dad, it almost looks like he is going to punch him.
I put my hand up to stop them both. "Prepare us for what? Do we have to move again or something?"
Dad shakes his head. "No, we are not moving again. Uncle Jared is just being paranoid. It's nothing to worry about."
Uncle Jared looks shocked. "Nothing to worry about. What happens in two months, when it happens?"
"It's not going to happen to her." My dad screams.
"What is not going to happen to me?" Dad makes it seem like I'm going to die or something.
My Uncle Jared glares at my dad. "When you turn into a wolf."
I wait for them to laugh or argue or something but it is really quiet. "Do you two need medication or something? People don't turn into wolves." Now I am just worried about these people's mental health.
Uncle Jared looks at me with sympathy. "We do. Our family has for generations. Your dad thinks that you won't because he doesn't do it anymore. And your mother is human."
This sounds so ridiculous. "You are pulling my leg right? Some joke on the city girl or something." I look at dad for answers but he just looks at the ground.
"Your dad has been suppressing his wolf for so long he isn't even sure he has one any more, but I'll show you." Before I can blink, Uncle Jared rips out of his clothes and is an enormous wolf standing in front of me.
I scream and run. I run as fast as I can to the barn. I don't know what is in there to protect me from this huge ass beast but there has to be something. I can't go to the house because that is where my brothers and sister are. When I get inside I see a pitchfork that is resting against the wall from mucking the stalls. I lift it up and carry it to the nearest stall. I slam the door shut and cower in the corner with my pitchfork.
After a few minutes I hear footsteps in the barn. Not sure who it is but it does sound human. Then I see my dad's face over the stall door. "He isn't going to hurt you dear." He looks at me with sympathy. "I should have told you sooner. All of you. I just thought that it was something that I could hide."
I think my brain is misfiring. I don't know where to start. Should I yell, be upset. Roll with it. I just don't know. "Does mom know?"
He nods. "Yes. She has always known. She wanted to tell you too, just in case, but I was scared."
"Daddy, I'm scared." I haven't called him Daddy since I was like six. This is how scared I am. Ultimately I am freaked out.
He sighs. "I know. But it is nothing to be scared about. We are both here for you. Plus some other family members are going to come around and help you out too. It will be difficult at first. But you will get used to it."
I hear someone else coming into the barn. "It's still me pumpkin. I swear I am not going to hurt you." I can hear Uncle Jared. I can't see him but I can hear him.
I look up at Dad. "I want to see yours."
He shakes his head. "I haven't shifted in so long, I'm not even sure I could. Plus the barn isn't the best place to do that."
"Fine." I stand with my pitchfork and walk to the stall door. I set the pitchfork down. "I want you to show me. Let's take this outside." I lead the way, with Uncle Jared and Dad following me. Uncle Jared has a smug look. I think I even hear him snicker a little. I am pretty sure that he is pleased with himself. After all, he won the argument. I know now.
"See, I told you that she could handle this. She is the most wolf-like of all your children." Uncle Jared sounds like he is proud of me. I kind of like that. Don't really understand what it's for, but I like it.
"Shut up Jared." My dad growls.
I walk them straight out to the field behind the barn. When I turn to face them. "Alright Dad. Let's see it."
He gives me a sideways glance. It's a mix of pity and regret. "This might take a minute." He pulls off his shirt. He's already a kind of hairy man. But after a few minutes he starts to sprout more. He doesn't shift as smoothly as Uncle Jared or as fast but he does shift. It looks like it hurts him a bit to do it. It takes a full thirty minutes for him to shift completely and when he does he just lays on the ground like it took too much out of him to do it. He even looks grumpy in his wolf form.
Uncle Jared just looks at him, "I told you. You thought you could pretend to be something you weren't, look at what you did to your wolf. You need to take him on runs. No wonder you are always unhappy." He shakes his head in disappointment.
Dad just bares his teeth but doesn't lift his head from the ground.
I am just shocked. I watched my dad turn into a beast from fiction. "Um, what the fuck?" Dad bares his teeth at me now. "Don't give me that language crap now. You just turned into a huge beast. How the fuck am I supposed to react to this? Then Uncle Jared says that it could happen to me. Yeah, this is not a keep your head moment. This is a holy fuck moment."
I don't know when I started pacing but I did. Uncle Jared catches my shoulders. "Hey, it's alright. It's a natural thing for our family. It's not anything bad. We aren't cursed. We don't hunt down people. It's just another side of us as a person. We are completely in control. We are not mindless beasts. You are going to be perfectly fine, Cass."
I look behind him towards my dad and see that he has left. "Where did Dad go?"
"When we shift we are a little naked. So he went to get clothes. You'll see him soon. Look Cass I wanted to tell you now so you aren't as shocked when you shift. On your eighteenth birthday at midnight you will shift. It's a great thing. The whole family will be here for it."
"What did you mean I was more wolf-like? What does that mean?"
"The way you protect your brothers and sister. You are like a wolf guarding their pups. You keep that pack mentality too. You keep your pack together. I think you are a great wolf. You'll probably be one of the best I have ever seen."
"I don't even know what that means. I am just getting the hang of life. Now it's all different." I feel this desperation hitting my system. Like it is all flooding in too fast for me to catch up.
"This doesn't change much of anything. Maybe you might have to hold your temper a little more. That's all. Make sure you're not wearing anything that you like when you shift. I don't know how many of my clothes I have ruined that way." He is trying to joke, but I don't think it is very funny.
"Midnight at the end of my birthday or the beginning?"
"The beginning. You could also meet your mate too, but that doesn't happen often around here."
"What does that mean?"
He puts his arm around my shoulder. "It means that there will be someone out there that will smell better than anyone else. Someone that pulls you in. You only think about them. Wolves mate for life. It could be anyone. They will feel it too, even if they are human. I think that is why your mom accepted your dad."
"But if I am only half wolf then I might not shift right?"
He shakes his head. "No, your dad wanted to believe that, but there was never a time in recorded history that has happened. A wolf is a wolf no matter what."
I just sank to the ground. There is no way. No way this is what I am. "How many are there?"
"Here or everywhere?"
"Here for starters." I look up at him.
"Quite a few. If I had to put a number on it I would say half the town. Not all are a part of our pack but there are a lot. This area is pretty remote. It kind of draws our kind."
"How do you know?"
He taps his nose. "Smell. When you shift you'll be able to tell too. Right now you can't. But soon. I am sure you are going to school with a few too. Actually I know it. There is one pack in the area that we don't get along with, so I want you to stay close when you go in the woods. I don't want you to get hurt."
"Why don't we get along?"
"Something about stealing mates. It's complicated. Your Aunt Josephine will be able to explain it better. She is going to be here this weekend. Family is going to start descending on you. I thought it would be best to have you prepared."
I look up at him with desperation. "How do I tell them? They are waiting in my room right now for answers."
He sighs. "However you want. I am here to help. If I have to I will drag your father in the room and make him explain it. It's really up to you."
I look out in space for a moment. I can't think. I can't even comprehend what is going on. "I think I need a minute. I'm going to go for a walk and think about this. Besides I think that they would accept it better from me than Dad."
"Just don't go too far alright."
"I won't." I stand and start towards the woods.