Half Bitten

“Wake up, sleepy head.” My dad’s voice emerged from the door. My eyes darted open as my hands wrapped around the teddy bear I had won at the fair. I glared at it violently.
How did that get here? Where was Lowlii?
“Come on!” my dad’s voice urged. “We’ll be waiting for you in the backyard.”
My jeans were thrown on as my hair was let out of its ponytail. I tried not to touch it on fear that I would loose my fingers.
“It was a dream? A stupid dream?” my voice questioned. I trailed along the hallway trying to urge my knees not to shake. My heart was still pumping rapidly, my blood boiled vigorously. Every time I exhaled, I could smell his breath. I stumbled down the last step as the front doorbell rang
“Hey!” Nathan attacked me with a hug. “How are ya, Shotgun?”
“F-fine.” My mouth stuttered.
Steph attacked me next, “Ya still alive there, Shotgun? You look like the wind got knocked out of you.”
I nodded, “that sounds like me.”
Kindle laughed, “Well, are you going to let us in?”
I smiled nervously, stepping aside. I glared in surprise when I found Amber trailing along.
“Amber? How are you?”
She shrugged, looking down to the ground. “Its high school. How do you think?”
My mouth dropped in surprise. She used to be so happy, so alive. I watched her walk down the hall, finally inching the door shut with calm nerves.
“Whoa!” a warm voice belted. “Forgot about me, haven’t you?”
My heart sunk. I turned back to the door expecting Lowlii to stare back with silver eyes and a bare chest.
“I would never forget about you.” I answered back. Realizing that he had a freshly clean white t-shirt on.
“I found these in the truck outside.” Lowlii lifted one hand up, revealing the three cans of paint his fingers clutched. My mouth dropped, he was holding three cans of paint with one hand. They weighed twenty lbs each.
“So,” he smiled his warm smile and cocked his head to the side. “I’m guessing you’re going to repaint your room. Get some purple on your white bathroom walls?”
I bit my lip, “How’d you know my bathroom had white walls?”
He blinked twice. Before he had a chance to answer, my dad wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“What are you two lovebirds up to?”
I stuttered once again.
Lowlii perked up, “ I just offered to help paint her bathroom. Wanna join?”
My dad squinted his eyes; “I don’t trust her with paint. In fact, I promise to you that if you help her, I will not interfere. Of course, with the promise that you two wont be less then 5 feet apart at a time.” Upon finishing his sentence, he glared to Lowlii.
Lowlii chuckled, "We'll just stick to business."
My dad smiled back as he walked off. I stepped aside, helping Lowlii with the paint cans. As they firmly hit the ground, I punched Lowlii on the arm.
“Where have you been the last three days?”
He pulled his arm away, frowning. “Not with you.”
I swallowed, “yeah. I noticed.”
Lowlii nodded, “I did too.”
I stared closely, trying to see if his eyes would suddenly change into a silver color.
“What’s this about?” he questioned, leaning his face towards me. His warm breath grazed over my lips just like last night. My fist clenched, trying to fight the urge to touch his warm skin. This wasn’t the time, I reminded myself.
“Hey!” Steph called out from the backyard, “Why don’t you guys take a break from the bickering and hangout with us.”
We didn’t move, our eyes still locked.
“Where were you last night?” my voice questioned again in a low whisper.
He shrugged, his eyes lit up in a boyish charm. “Nowhere. Where were you?”
I bit my lip once again. “Nowhere.”
Lowlii smiled. Only this time it wasn’t just warm. It was a cunning smile, a devilish smirk. Teasing me with every second, every twitch.
“Hey! Come on!” Steph raised her voice, “Am I going to have to pick you up myself?”
Lowlii answered almost in a low growl. “We’ll be there in a second.” He took a step forward as his hand reached for mine. I dragged along the hallway towards the backyard. My knees had started to shake and I was sure he noticed.
“Yeah.” Bird finished his conversation with my dad. Steph, Amber, Nathan, and Kindle had gathered around, smiling.
“That’s how you met your wife?” my dad asked in astonishment.
Bird nodded in response, “the second our eyes met, I knew she was the one I was supposed to imprint.”
“Imprint? What’s that?” I asked.
Bird laughed, “ I hadn’t seen you guys here. I’m sure Lowlii can tell you.”
Lowlii cleared his throat, loosening his grip on my hand. “It’s just this thing that happens between the Hopi tribe.”
Werewolves. I corrected mentally. It’s a thing that happens between werewolves, seeing as how all of the Hopi tribe seemed to be swarming with them.
Steph interrupted, “It’s like love at first sight.”
Nathan glanced happily towards kindle, “Only, its deeper then that.”
Kindle nodded along. “The more time you spend with that someone, the more time you think like them. You even start to breathe at the same pace. Your hearts beat only to match the other. But it’s not a true imprint until you kiss. Kissing seals the bond. The girl will never look at another guy--”
Nathan finished her sentence, “the guy will never look at another girl.”
I glowered, my mind screaming with anger. I don’t want commitment! I want to makeout!
My dad sighed sharply; noticing how upset my face had looked. “Well, if you ask me—I think it’s time to fire up the old grill.”
Everyone around me groaned as the group started to scatter; Bird arguing with my dad as Kindle and Nathan giggled to themselves, Steph turned towards her phone as Amber reluctantly walked to her.
I looked down to the ground, finally letting the inevitable strike. “Well, I’ll see you around.”
Lowlii’s voice stopped me, “see me around? What are you talking about Jackie? You’re stuck with me. We still have a whole bathroom to paint.”

I laughed as paint splatter flung from my paintbrush towards Lowlii. He laughed back, trying to tickle my stomach.
Another detail: he was always so easy to forgive.
The first two hours we spent lugging all my furniture out of my bedroom into my dad’s room. After we were done with that, we chased each other down the stairs for a snack. Of course, he would end up in the kitchen first.
Speed/ arriving at areas faster then a normal human would, my mind repeated. I shook my head as he went through the junk food cabinet.
I hopped onto the counter, inching my body in between his and the cabinet. Lowlii didn’t seem bothered with the act as he directed his attention from the junk food cabinet to my eyes.
“You’ll never find any of the good stuff.” I exclaimed.
Leaning his body closer, he landed the palms of his hands on the counter, distancing himself in the same manner as last night. “I’ll find it.”
I stared once again into his affectionate blue eyes. “And what makes you think you’re going to do that?”
Lowlii bit his lip charmingly, leaning towards my ear. “You’re going to tell me, or I’ll tickle you until you squeal.”
My body tensed, “don’t you know I haven’t been ticklish since three days ago.”
His eyebrows rose eagerly, “guess someone’s going to have to change that.” without a second, his fingers trailed along my arm towards my stomach. I muffled my laughs.
“You’re not going to win.”
Lowlii chuckled to himself, tickling harder. “That’s what you think.”
I grabbed onto his hand to make him stop. His overly warm hands grabbed back gently.
Many werewolves have a tendency to exert heat in their human form.
I raised my free hand and grazed it over one of his toned arms. The heat reached my fingers within seconds.
He stared back patiently, breathing calm and alert. “What’s wrong?”
My mouth pursed into a fine line, “I need to ask you something.”
He raised a finger, “hold that thought.”
The kitchen door flew open as Bird and my dad trudged in arguing.
“I think that I have the ability to sauce the meat.” My dad pointed out.
Bird shook his head; “you don’t put the sauce on the meat before it goes on the grill. Basic 101.”
They bickered all the way to the fridge then back out the door.
I looked across the kitchen. Lowlii had been staring back at me, standing by the stove with a cracked can of cola.
Speed/ arriving at areas faster then a normal human would.
I hopped off the counter fighting my mind. Maybe I was planting all these details. Maybe Alec had been trying to scare me. Brainwash me into thinking that the Whites weren’t normal people.
Three hours later the bathroom was finished. My body lay effortlessly on the carpet of my room as Lowlii leaned against the unfinished wall. I permitted a glance back to his flawless face. Lowlii’s eyes seemed to stare off into space, deep in thought.
I threw a chip to get his attention. “Have the paint fumes gotten to you yet?”
He smiled back, “just about.”
I stared at him intently, noting that the sun was about to set in a couple of minutes.
“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” I asked.
He shrugged, “three days.”
Three days, my mind repeated.
Lowlii closed his eyes and sighed sharply, “I have a feeling I’ll be able to sleep tonight though.”
I took my chance. “Why? What’d you do last night?”
His eyes popped open, finding my gaze immediately. Smirking, he went on with a hint of humor. “Nothing. What’d you do?”
I shook my head, “nothing… I guess.” My eyes fell down to his shirt, remembering last night. "Your shirt…”
Lowlii heard my voice and looked down to see splotches of violet paint splatter. He lifted his shirt off his body and threw it to the side of the room. “Just makes it easier.”
The heat flushed to my face. I turned over to my stomach, reaching for the bag of chips.
“What’s wrong?” his voice trailed to me.
I munched loudly. “Nothing. What’s wrong with you?”
He hummed a chuckle, “you’re the one violently stuffing your face.”
“Fine, if that bothers you we’ll paint.” I hopped up to my feet. “Lets go lazy turd! We’ve got a room to finish.”
He glared in confusion, “why are you sweating so much?”
I swallowed hard, “no reason.”
“You should sit down. You don’t look so good.”
As soon as he finished his sentence my knees started to shake. “I need to leave.” I stepped back and lost my balance. When my body hadn’t hit the floor I felt the need to look around.
Lowlii’s arms were wrapped around me, lowering me slowly to the ground with ease. As if I was a light feather in the wind.
Immense strength.
“Are you okay?” his voice whispered.
I shook my head, trying to inch away from him. “You need to stay away.”
His forehead creased with concern, “Jackie—tell me what’s wrong.”
I mumbled incoherently, “I can’t. You’d think I’m crazy.”
He trailed one hand up my arm, “try me.”
I closed my eyes, as my breathing grew intense. “Last night… I—I had a dream.”
“Dream?” his voice was shocked. “You think it was a dream?”
“You—you had silver eyes, you said that you wanted to be with me.” I stopped myself from blabbing. “It was a dream. It was nothing.”
Lowlii’s hand pulled itself away from my arm, his voice retorted bitterly. “Just a dream?”
I opened my eyes; he was across the room, staring blankly outside my window.
“Why are you so upset? Did I say something wrong?”
His hands rolled up into fists with anger. “I thought you were kidding when you asked what I did last night. No girl can accept me for what I am.”
"What you are?" My mouth picked out the words, "what do you mean? You could be anything you want to be."
Lowlii shook his head sadly, “Don't you see? I don't have a choice.”
“No choice?”
His gorgeous voice seemed to stay silent. Silent enough to make me want to scream.
“No choice in what!”
Lowlii’s body turned slowly to face me. His silver eyes glared to mine.
The warmth in my stomach decided to burst. Flowing hot lava through my veins. “So it’s true.”
His voice turned hopeful. “Wait, you mean you’re not afraid?”
I shook my head slowly, unable to keep my eyes off of him. Unable to breathe.
“That meant that last night was… real?”
He sauntered closer to me; his face hinted a sign of relief. “So, you really aren’t afraid?”
“Where... what-- how--- er."
He set himself down onto the carpet next to me then chuckled. For once, his eyes grew warm looking into mine. “Me too.”
I closed my eyes as my hands started to shake. Every type of emotion imaginable to the human world ran through my body. “How long?”
“Does it really matter now?” his warm breath seemed to find my face once again. My body tensed as my hands curled themselves up into fists. Fighting off the urge to reach up and touch his skin, I exhaled sharply.
This was a dream. Any second I would wake up and it would all be over.
“What’s wrong?” Lowlii's voice grew worrisome.
I shook my head, trying to make up an excuse to get myself away from him. “You’ve been in my bedroom every night for the past month.”
Lowlii kept his voice was confident and steady. “That’s not what’s worrying you.”
I pursed my lips into a thin line, my voice straining to answer back. “How do you know?”
“There’s more to imprinting then just kissing.” He puckered his lips and exhaled. Sending his warm breath across my face once more. I tired not to react, lowering my head to the ground. Angling his arms under my body, Lowlii turned me over onto my back.
“Jackie, breathe.”
I gasped for air on his command.
He let his voice hint a tone of irony. “I’m the one that’s the werewolf and you’re taking dog commands? Most girls would run away, but you hold your breath until you turn red in the face.”
I urged myself not to open my eyes. Opening my eyes would mean that all this was over. I didn't want it to be over. I didn't want Lowlii out of my life again
“This is just a dream.” My voice moaned. “This is just a dream.”
“If you say so.” In an instant his warm fingers leisurely grazed up my arm to the back of my neck. Slowly, my head tilted up. I groaned inwardly, my body craving for more. "This is still a dream."
Lowlii's soft voice answered close to my ear. "If you say so.”