Before the Storm

"Can't we just tell her?" Paul sighed as he popped another piece of Emily's fresh baked muffins into his mouth. He shrugged his shoulders when the rest of the pack glared at him.

"No, Paul, we can't. Does everything go in one year and out the other?" Jacob snarled at him from across the table.

"No, it does not, pup. I do however know, as well as the rest of us, that Althea's mother didn't just die. And no normal animal killed. We have to find that leech. That way we'll all be safe," Paul was trying to control his rage as much as he could. Sometimes, it just got the better of him. He took a few deep breaths and got his boiling blood down a little.

"What does her knowing there's a bunch of werewolves around have to do with her safety? If she knows, then she'll be more...more inclined to act reckless. She'll think that we'll always be able to bail her out of trouble!"

"So, you're calling her reckless? What has she ever done to make her reckless?" Paul spatted the last word with disgust. He couldn't believe Jacob's nerve in calling someone as beign as Althea reckless. Jacob's anger was starting to rise and he walked slowly over to Paul.

"Why do you care? You've never exactly been her friend before," he hissed at him and got right into his face. Paul glared at him and pushed him back, ever so slightly.

"Stop it, now!" Sam shouted with his booming voice. Jacob backed up a few paces but kept his gaze on Paul.

"Pup," Paul growled at him.

"Answer the question, Paul. You think you're such a big man, answer it," Jacob continued to tant him, asking for a fight.

"Shut up!" Paul shouted and his shoulders started to shake.

"Damn it, Jacob! You didn't have to push him that far!" Sam scolded him as he opened the door and pushed both boys out. Paul continued to glare at Jacob, his hands balled into tight fists. Jacob could sense what was coming next, so his fight or flight instinct took over. And he fled. Paul's body continued to shake and he started chasing after Jacob. As soon as he was out of the line of vision of the rest of the pack, Paul finished phasing and soon caught up to Jacob, who increasing his speed and decided to phase on the fly.

You're going to get it, Pup! Paul thought as he gained distance on his younger pack mate.

As if you could catch me! Jacob could only laugh.

As they rounded the corner into the woods, they saw something that shocked them both.

Althea.

As soon as Paul saw her, he slowed down and forgot all about his quest to conquer Jacob; his eyes held Althea's.

An idea popped into his head. If he couldn't tell her that they were werewolves, he could show her. She would be intelligent to make the connection between the two. Then, he techinically wouldn't be breaking the rules. He trotted slowly over to her and put his snout onto her shoulder. Her eyes widened in shock, but she seemed to realize that the giant wolf.

"You're not a normal wolf, are you?" she asked him in her gentle voice, as she ran a hand over Paul's side. He looked at her and shook his head, "can you understand what I'm asking?"

Again all she saw was a gaint wolf nodding at her question. How strange!

"I wish I could understand you. Or at least know why you're so...so-so strange," she sighed quietly and sat down on a stump, "maybe I'm just going crazy. Nothing feels real anymore anyway."

Paul nudged her gently and looked into her eyes. He made a motion to tell her to stay there and quick as a bolt of lightening took off into the woods. Althea didn't move and waited for it to return. If it would, that is.

As soon as she heard some rustling coming from behind her, she turned around and saw Paul approaching here, with only shorts on.

"Paul? When did you get here?" she asked as she walked over to him and reached to touch his shoulder. When her pale skin made contact with his, she almost jumped back. She couldn't believe how warm he was!

"I've been here," he tried to make it as plain as possible, but still not give everything away.

"You...so you saw the wolf!"

"Kind of,"

"What are you saying?" she asked as they started to walk into the woods. She put her hand onto his arm again and was shocked that he could be so normally walking around. He must have had a fever!

"You can figure it out. And I don't have a fever," he smiled slightly at the last part, amused by Althea's shock.

"I-I don't know what you mean," she said as she tried to put the pieces together.

"Think about all the tribe legends that you know. Think," he encouraged and slowed his pace so he could keep up with her. Paul watched her as she tried to figure out what he meant. Head in the clouds as usual, he thought.

"The wolf...he could be somewhere around here, we'd better we careful- the wolf," she concluded.

"What about him?"

"He had eyes like you. He looked like you..however much a wolf can look like a person,"

"And?"

"And...." she paused and hit her palm against her head slightly as she tried to form a conclusion. Then it hit her, "werewolf."

"Say it. Out loud," he grabbed Althea by the shoulders and made her look into his eyes.

"You're a werewolf," she gasped.