Chapter 67
LEAH My feet touched the ground. I straightened and looked around until I moved toward the side where bushes ran along the edges of the neighbor’s lawn until they reached the street pavement. I stopped and sighed, taking in everything around me until I landed in Lucy and Dani’s house. Tala came closer and huffed. “We should be inside,” she muttered, which I ignored. There was no way I was staying inside and not doing anything. I knew that my uncle and Josh would want to talk about what would happen to me and everything related to being a werewolf, but I didn’t want to know, not now. I needed to be free for a few hours until I could concentrate. My whole mind was racing with so much that has happened, it was hard to pinpoint what I wanted to know first. Looking back, I directed my gaze at Tala, who appeared slightly pissed. “Don’t look at me like that,” I said with a frown. “I just had a few hours to myself and being stuck inside my home. No furniture represents it as mine and my father’s home anymore. Memories that made them, yes. But the couch we had was where we sat when we had our movie nights or the kitchen table where we would have our meals and talk about our day.” Tala’s eyes softened at my words, but she never said a word until I was done. “I just want to look around,” I said, looking away from her and back to the street I have lived on most of my life. “There are memories I had with friends here,” I said. “I remember you having a party in the front yard with all the street kids,” she said, moving closer. I remember that memory. There was an outbreak of sickness in the school, and most of my class came down with it, except for a handful. My father thought having an outdoor party would be suitable, and it was. Even though most were ill, I still had a good. I was only seven years old, and it was only a bouncy castle with a few other items from wherever he got it from. Some kids from the street came and made it even more fun. I loved it. 1 Shaking my head when part of it came to mind, which saddened me more since it was the last year my mother was with us. Looking ahead, I stared at the house and then looked around. There was no one around. “Where do you want to go?” Tala asked, looking around with me. I shrugged. “That is hard,” I muttered, looking around. “We could walk around, maybe the back way, so no one can see us.” “Good idea,” she murmured. “I can stay close, just in case.” I said nothing but wondered what that meant. “Making sure there are no rogues around,” she said amusedly. Rolling my eyes, this whole thing of her hearing my thoughts would be more annoying. Tala giggled. “I can step away,” she said. “I can hear more when I am closer to the surface.” “Okay,” I said, looking behind me to make sure no one was around. “Where are Josh and my uncle?” I asked. “Use your hearing,” Tala said with a slight laugh. Closing my eyes momentarily, I tried to block everything out and listened to the house. I could hear loud snoring coming from the basement. “That would be your uncle,” Tala laughed. He’s too loud.” The corners of my lips curled up into a smile while I carried on listening and heard Josh. He was quiet, but figuring out what he was doing was hard. I opened my eyes and sighed. Should I risk it? I needed to have some freedom for now. Maybe a short walk will help me. I looked back and made a run for it since no one was around. Running to the edge of the bushes, I looked around and made sure no one was around—which wasn’t. I walked and headed down the road while keeping my head down. Making sure no one would see me, I started into a light jog and headed the way I came to my house but cut off into the forest. There was still no one around, which was odd. Normally, there are some people opening their stores or even walking their dogs, but still no one. That’s odd. “Something doesn’t feel right,” Tala murmured, coming closer. “Something is—” A snap came from the forest, which made Tala and me look toward where it came from. There was no scent, but we were too far away to smell anything. Tala stared through my eyes and growled. “There is someone there,” she muttered. “We need to go now!” She didn’t have to tell me twice. I spun around and headed back to the house but stopped when I saw Josh staring at me. “Leah, what the hell are you doing out—” he said but stopped. His eyes were behind me, but I didn’t have to know someone was there. Their scent came and made me freeze. “Leah, is that you?” Lucy said, making me look over my shoulder to see my best friend standing there with some wildflowers in her hands, and her eyes widened when she met mine. “Leah!” she shrieked, dropping the wildflowers and running toward me. I smiled and opened my arms for her. She ran into me and hugged me. I leaned into her and sniffed in her scent—strawberries. Somehow, it calmed me slightly. She was more my home and family. Tala moved back into my head, not to show herself, but I could hear her hum. “She is your home,” she murmured. “She has been in your life a long time.” She was right. Lucy has been in my life for a long time. She’s been my best friend for years. Pulling back slightly, Lucy moved and looked at me with a smile. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Where is your—” Lucy stopped when she looked behind me. I knew she was looking at Josh, but I didn’t care. I had to come up with something, but she beat me. “Are you here to see to your house?” she asked, looking back at me. “I mean, placing everything in storage or—” “Yes,” I blurted, cutting her off. “I had to sort out some things and even sign some papers. We are only here for a few days.” Lucy nodded and grinned. “That’s good to know,” she said, but frowned. “You could have emailed and told me. I have been waiting around to hear from you. Mum has been worried, too.” My heart sank. I forgot to email her. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, which cut me somehow. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions and being with mum. It has been a lot to take in and more.” Lucy nodded. Her eyes went behind again, which made me look over to see Josh look at us. His face was blank, but he shook his head when he realised we were looking at him. He smiled and moved closer. “Hi,” he said, stepping toward me and holding his hand to Lucy. “I’m Josh,” he said, glancing at me. “I’m Leah’s mum’s husband,” Lucy took his hand and shook it. I looked at her and knew the look all too well she was wearing. She felt annoyed, but her mood changed when she looked back at me. Her face softened. “It was nice to meet you, but my first impression of you wasn’t exactly nice.” Knowing what she met, I felt Josh tense, but I spoke. “Josh brought me here,” I said, looking at him and then back at Lucy. “Josh has apologized to me about what happened. I knew I had to return here, so he offered since mum and I aren’t on talking terms.” Lucy stared at me and nodded again. “Well, as long as you apologized to Leah for all the hurt you caused,” she said. “I guess I’m okay with it.” Josh remained silent, but Tala sighed. “He never apologized for how all this has affected you,” she murmured. I already knew that, but now I had to defuse the situation, or it would be weird and awkward, which is not what I want. “You should come over to see mum,” Lucy blurted, making me pull back from my thoughts and smile. I missed Dani just as much as Lucy. Looking at Josh, who seemed to smile. “Can we?” I asked him, which made him look at me wide-eyed, but he recovered quickly and nodded. “I think that would be a good idea,” he said, looking toward Lucy. “Will it be okay with your mum if I come along? I want to apologize to her for how everything was handled the day Leah came with us.” Lucy stared at him but looked at me and smiled. “Sure,” she said, stepping toward me and wrapping her arm around mine. “It will be nice to hear one from you. But I will warn you, my mum has it in for your wife since she took Leah away from us.” I knew that was a blow toward my mum, but what did Josh expect this whole thing would play out? Mum left me and my dad; all I had was him and Dani. It would be hard until we brought everything to light, but there was one issue that couldn’t be said—I’m a werewolf. I kept that part hidden until I knew the rules about humans finding out, which would be mentioned later, but for now, I was happy to see my best friend and her mum. I have missed them like crazy. Lucy and I stepped together while we headed toward her house, but I felt someone else staring. When we got to her house, I looked over my shoulder and spotted a man looking at us. He was big with a beer belly and not at all friendly. I stared at him until he smirked, turning around. I watched him walk away. “Leah!” Lucy called out, making me look back at her. “Are you okay?” she asked, which made me nod. I glanced at Josh, who was staring at where the man had left. His eyes met mine, and there was so much there in them, but one thing that stood out was his concern. He wanted to know who he was, and he wasn’t the only one—I did, too. The man looked like he knew me, but how could that be? Tala growled, but Lucy interrupted her when she called out to me again. “Come on,” Lucy said, which made me nod. I walked toward her, with Josh following behind. There was a chance it was nothing, but the way he was staring at me made me consider if he was part of the wolves who attacked my mum’s pack.