Teethmarks and Wolf Pelts

I lean over to the driver side door as quick as possible and click the lock button. With the lock in place, I feel safe enough to lean up and a little over the dashboard, trying to find any sign of the boy who'd driven me here. Even with this newly advanced eyesight of mine, all I can see is the building, the gravel, and a small patch of forest off in the distance. I'm willing to bet almost anything that that is where he and the other animal are. I bite my lip and tap my fingers.

What the hell is going on? is my only thought at the moment. Minutes pass by and I'm not even sure how many- thirty? Fifteen? Hell, for all I know I could have been waiting here for an hour. I do realize that he's been gone for quite some time when the sun starts to set. I consider opening the door and running to the nearest gas station, maybe hitch hiking home. I even consider calling my mother at work. But, I'm loyal to my word and I wait for him.

Only, it's not him who taps on the window a few moments later. It's a girl. She looks to be a little taller than me, skin pale and beautiful. Her long brown hair is tied back in a pony tail and her green eyes remind me of Felix's in a way- the way that makes me feel safe. All she wears is a tight black tank top and a pair of bright pink spandex shorts. They hug her legs just right and seems to be one with her body. Suddenly, her eyes flick over to mine. My jaw falls a little, not really sure what to do. Do I open the door? Do I even dare speak to her? As if to answer my question, she focuses her gaze and suddenly a feeling of warmth and trust surges through me.

"Two natured can feel each other, read each other's thoughts. You being sworn in... Well, you can feel or hear whatever we want you to. With you not actually being a wolf, what we let you in on is kind of selective." I recall Felix saying on the ride up here. It was one of my various questions and I was now thankful that he answered it. Not only is this girl two natured, but she's part of the pack I'm sworn to. I sigh in relief and open the door. She instantly grabs my wrist.

"Come with me," she says and tugs me out of the truck. Damn, this was happening a lot lately. Reluctantly I stumble along with her.

"Felix told me to stay in the truck," I manage to mumble. She's leading over to the other side of the abandoned building. I'm now at her side and we've picked up into a slow jog, the gravel crunching under our shoes. We finally make it to the side entrance where neon lettering is placed above the door: Alley Cat. An old bowling alley. Given any other circumstance, I probably would have marveled at the cleverness of the name.

"I've already spoken to Felix. He told me to get you to safety," she says, her voice so light and with some form of accent. And then, just as she opens the door and pushes me inside, I realize she goes to my school. She and her twin brother, Beau, are the French foreign exchange students. I believe her name is Nicolette.

I'm sort of shocked by the inside of the bowling alley. Off to my right is an elaborate bar where it's apparent the soda machines are still in use. To the left and down a small set of steps are those curvy red booths and the allies are let up with their neon lights. Sitting on the booths are a few faces I've seen before at school. There's maybe fifteen kids besides Nicolette and I, only 2 of them being girls. I remember a few of these kids to be freshman and sophomores, but I see only a few Juniors. And, as far as I can tell, the feelings their sending to me tip me off that they are all two natured.

"You should be safe here," Nicolette says nicely. "You may take a seat if you like." She turns to go sit down herself, but I grab her by her arm.

"What about Felix?" I ask, trying to sound strong but I know my eyes show the pleadingness in me.

"Oh don't worry about him. Alpha, Andrew, Jordan, Carter, and Elijah went out to help him. They should be back any time now," says a boy from the corner, his tone very nonchalant. He's rather short with long black hair that falls over his right eye. His thick pale lips have formed into an arrogant smirk. I easily dub him as a freshman. Our eyes meet, and his smirk only grows.

"Wait," I whisper to myself but speak the next part out loud. "Elijah Littleman? Jordan Kettle? Andrew Parkly?"

"The very same," says the boy. I suddenly feel the urge to throw up. Jordan's a senior, but Elijah and Andrew are in my class. Is everyone I know not human? Just as I'm about to run for the door we entered through, it bursts open. Lewis, carrying a bleeding and wounded Felix, saunters in with two wolves and a bright red fox behind him. Lewis brushes past me and sets Felix down on one of the booth. He's only wearing a pair of basketball shorts that are particularly tight and the tank top I see him wear under all of his outfits. His flat bill is sort of out of place and covered with dirt. But, that's not what alarms me. It's the red liquid starting to stain the tank top, all of which coming from his left flank.

Everyone in the room suddenly jumps to their feet and to the area where he's laying- including me. Lewis calmly takes the bottom of the undershirt and starts to it up, revealing a really nasty bite mark. The flesh is all torn away and his meat is visible. Blood fills each of the small teethmarks and over flows down his hips and stomach. He winces in pain.

Before I even have a chance to ask Lewis about what happened, he speaks. "Werefoxes."

"There's....there's more than just wolves?" I stammer. I can wrap my head around werewolves -just barely- but werefoxes? You've got to be kidding me.

"Of course. There's two natured of just about every animal. We only use the prefix Were if we're speaking of a specific type of two natured," pipes up the boy from earlier. His eyes are down at Felix, examining the wound. He leans down and just brushes it with his finger. Felix grits his teeth and growls, his anger filling the room.

"You bastard!" He tries to get up but Nicolette is quick and presses him down by his chest. They don't speak but I can tell their communicating telepathically. He whimpers and stays still.

"Is he going to be okay? I mean, you guys heal pretty fast, right? I've seen it!" I clench my fists, knowing that everyone can sense the panic in me.

"Elijah," Lewis mutters, still examining Felix. "Take the girl home. Explain a few things to her if you need to." I turn to the wolves and the fox just in time to catch their changing. The fur on their bodies slowly absorbs back into their skin. Their spines rearrange themselves so their standing on their own two feet. All animal-like features slip away and soon enough, the three are human again. The re-transformation process is actually a lot less disgusting to watch.

Elijah, wearing nothing but a bright blue pair of shorts and a black tank top, puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. He tries to influence my feelings, but I'm writhing. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long, but I realize there's a werefox in the room. The boy is tall, but I know he's a freshman. His short brown hair is perfectly cropped and his green eyes are filled with worry. Elijah must have been sensing my thoughts or something because he says, "He's one of ours." Elijah flicks his eyes to the werefox and they linger there for a moment.

"I want to stay with Felix," I whisper and Elijah looks back at me, soft blue eyes shining. His thin pink lips form a caring smile.

"I know, but it's getting late and it's really not safe for you here," he says. I nod and bite my lip, knowing his right. I look behind me, trying not to get to attached to the injured boy laying there.

"You'll call me with any news about him, right?" I ask. He nodded.

I let him take me home.



Do you know how hard it is to get anything done after the kind of weekend I've had? I've discovered that there is a whole secret world of people who literally transform into one specific animal. I've seen this transformation, most of the people I know are two natures, and I'm sworn to this pack. On top of that, my best friend is still missing, my senses are heightened, a boy I think I might have feelings for is seriously injured, and my homework is still not done. I've just been sitting on my bed, checking my phone every three minutes.

It's not until I'm ready to turn off my phone and try and get in another sleepless night before school that I get a call. I smile and the sound of the ring and silence the noise so my mother won't get mad. I'm so happy, ready to to see how Felix is doing.

Then I see who the call is coming from and my stomach twists. My jaw drops and I'm not sure whether to cry or screen. The name on the screen is one I'm familiar with. The call is coming from the one person who knows everything about me. I softly whisper the name to myself, just to make sure I'm not insane.

"Connor."