Chosen Family

I walked around school like I normally did; with a smile. I greeted, talked, sat through boring classes, and did work. Inside though, I was an anxious mess and the day was only getting more stressful. As the minutes passed, my hearing and smelling were heightening causing me to go nuts. I ended up eating my lunch in the library to hide away from all the noise that was giving me a head ache. The funny thing was, the library was just as loud as anywhere else. I could hear students flipping through pages, rifling through bags or books, and pulling their chairs out just to name a few things. This was what going insane felt like.
By second to last period, all I could do was sit there and try not to yell as kids typed away on their phones, wrote notes, or teachers scratching away on their chalkboards. Ryder walked over carefully as we broke up to do group work.
"You alright, you look pale." His usually kind voice was loud to my sensitive ears.
"Yeah." I whispered, "Just recovering from the 24 hour bug I had yesterday."
"We missed you." He smiled and pulled out a piece of paper.
"I bet." I tried to smile. "I tried to sleep most of the time. Whatever I had was awful."
"Sounds like it." We did our problem set relatively quickly and talked the rest of the time. Somehow we ended up on the topic of prom. "So are you thinking of asking someone to go with you?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "I don't exactly have anyone I'm crushing on and all my friends are like brothers so that'd be kinda weird. And if I ask one, the others would probably be jealous."
"Quite the predicament." He smiled.
"I know, oh woe is me." We laughed quietly together. "So what about you Mr. Ryder?"
He groaned, "Zak, you know I can't bring the person I like."
"You could, you're just afraid. Darling, what's the worst he could do, say no? It's not the end of the world. Danny would kindly tell you no, unlike half the girls at our school." He gave me a pointed look. "If it's your parents you're worried about, they are going to find out eventually. Wouldn't you rather tell them, than live a lie? Look at you now, you aren't happy. You should be with whomever you like, regardless of their gender."
"Where the hell did all this wisdom come from, Zak? I remember when you did stupid shit without thinking." Ryder chuckled.
"I grew up." I grinned.
He stared at me a minute. "You really have, it started last year. It was like one minute you were the nerdy, tomboy Zak who acted first and thought through things later, then the next minute something changed about you... you began plotting things out, taking everything into account before acting."
"Is that bad?" I asked curiously.
"No." He shook his head. "It's just interesting to see how much you've changed. Even now, you've changed not only in your behavior but also your appearance. You still are a tomboy, don't think that'll ever change, but this is the longest your hair's ever been since your mom and you actually wear girl clothes every once in a while. I like it." I grabbed a piece of hair and realized it was getting pretty long. It's been a while...
I cleared my throat and looked back at him, "Thanks." The bell rang and I cringed a little. "I still think you should ask him. Maybe I'll ask him and then thrust you at him. Mwahaha I like my plan."
"Zaaaak." He whined and I laughed.

School finally ended and my head was throbbing from all the noise and smell stimuli I have been bombarded with all day. The last thing I needed was someone commenting on my clothing, but alas it happened.
"I don't get you Zak, you are gorgeous and you wear that." Lydia commented as she and everyone came to stand by my locker.
I looked down at my basket ball shorts, t-shirt with a wolf on it (I thought it appropriate), jacket, and Chucks. "Please Lydia, not today." I sighed and cringed when someone nearby slammed their locker. I slipped in my ear buds to try and cancel out some noise.
"You okay Zak?" Scott asked.
"Yeah, but how do you do it?"
"Do you?"
"Live with all this noise and smells. My head's about to explode."
"You get use to it. It'll just take some time." He looked at me sympathetically.
"Wonderful." I grumbled. "I'm going to take pictures, I'll be back around 5. Later." I waved and headed out of the school with my backpack and camera bag dangling off me. I spend the time between after school and dinner walking the woods and taking pictures. I felt at peace there, listening to the animals as they scurried about and called to one another. I found one place in the woods where there was a small clearing and looked up. There was a small hole where the branches of the trees didn't meet. The sky was a bright blue with only a few clouds lazily moving across it. Finding the perfect angle, I took a few pictures and then watch as birds flew about in pairs or flocks. But all too soon, 5 arrives and I headed back to civilization.
I ate at the house before Stiles and I wandered over to the Hale house. The rest of the pack was already there by the time we pulled up and walked in.
"You made it." Derek said as we walked into the living room.
"Of course, no way in hell I'm turning at home." I smirked. "So what's happening?"
"We're going to have to chain you up until you can control yourself." He replied.
"Kinky."
"Zak."
"What? It's either I use my defense mechanism and make some kind of joke or I freak out. You pick Alpha man." Derek didn't reply as he rolled his eyes. "So, where am I being chained up?" I prayed it wasn't in the underground tunnels, they're fucking scary.
"Basement, it's almost time."
I looked out and saw how low the sun was. "Do I have to be locked in the basement?"
"Yes." I looked at him with a frown.
"Okay, but one sec." I pulled out my camera and took some pictures.
"You seriously brought your camera?" Erica asked in disbelief.
"When am I ever without it?" I retorted.
She opened her mouth for a comeback but found none, "Fine, you win this round."
"My life's goal is complete, now I must find another one." I smirked at her.
"Fuck you." I laughed and handed Stiles my stuff.
"Protect it with your life."
"Will do." He smiled and slung my bag over his shoulder.
"Stiles, you should probably leave." Derek warned.
He looked like he wanted to protest but at the same time his self preservation was preventing him from arguing back. I smiled and waved my hand, "Shoo, I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow and I shall have joined the badassery that is our pack."
"Fine, call me if something happens." He warned and gave me a hug.
"Will do. Night!" He left and I turned to Derek.
"Take me sir, take me hard." Derek gave me a WTF face. "Have you never seen Firefly?"
"No?" He replied like I was crazy.
"Blasphemy! Next pack night we are watching Firefly and if we have time Serenity. No Arguing!"
"Fine, now come on." He lead the way downstairs and chained me to the wall. The others took turns watching me since it wouldn't have been fair to have all of them watching me and not burn off their wolf energy. Things were fine, for the most part the sky was overcast so the moon wasn't peaking out. I sat there bored and claustrophobic. I've always hated not being able to leave a room, I like my freedom and having choices; I obviously didn't have any here.
Things were quiet for the most part. Me and my watcher would hear a howl every once in a while, but other than that, I never really turned. It wasn't until late into the night that my big moment of awesome happened, and to be honest it wasn't that awesome.

~3rd POV~
Zak froze and looked up towards the window, gazing straight into the full moon. Her eyes glazed over and her body began to shake as she started her first shift. She breathed heavy as her canines elongated, her fingernails turned to claws, her ears became pointed, and she grew unattractive sideburns. She started to thrash at her restraints, her wolf unhappy at being chained.
"Zak, Zak you need to get a hold of yourself." Scott called, not getting to close. She roared back at him, her eyes gleaming at him. He called his eager wolf to the surface and tried to subdue her until Derek's shift, which was soon. But this was Zak, and she wasn't having any of that. She continued to thrash and pull on the chains until one of them popped. Scott wrestled with her and almost had her rechained, but she managed to gain an upper hand and threw him into the wall. He crumbled to the floor and she took the opportunity to escape out the window and into the woods.
She ran aimlessly, but happily through the woods. Her wolf had no desire to actually search for anything, she just wanted to run and be free. At some point she came to the end of Hale territory and cocked her head. Deciding against running off the familiar smelling territory, she turned and started running again. So far she hadn't displayed any signs of blood lust until she caught scent of an animal. Sniffing the air, she stalked the creature and spotted a deer grazing nearby. She watched it, and memorized its movements as she slowly crept closer. When she was close enough, Zak pounced on the deer and ripped its throat out. She did not care that she was now covered in deer blood and guts as she feasted upon the animal. She tore into its flesh and muscles as warm blood oozed down her chin and onto her chest, legs, and the ground. She continued to fill her starving stomach until she heard a snapping close by. Holding a piece of meat in her hands, she listened and sniffed to figure out what made the noise. Smelling a familiar, yet unfamiliar scent, she abandoned her meal and darted off. Eventually she grew tired and jogged a little while longer before coming to a small clearing. She looked up to see a small gap in the tree branches; a memory hit her. She shook her head as her human side started returning to the surface. She growled as her two natures clashed together and fought for dominance. She looked back up and dropped her hands to her side; she shook her head to clear it of its fogginess.
Zak continued to look through the small gap at the illuminated moon. For the first time tonight (or that she remembered), she heard a snapping to her right and she looked to see red orbs staring at her. "I've caused trouble haven't I?" She asked, returning her eyes to the moon.
Derek walked slowly into the clearing. "You threw Scott into the wall and escaped from the basement."
"I don't remember that." She whispered and closed her eyes.
"You had turned by then."
Zak nodded. "I think I killed something... and ate it. I taste blood in my mouth."
She could feel Derek's stare in her. "You killed and ate a deer. Its remains are about two miles from here." Zak grimaced and reopened her eyes. Derek found it interesting that everything about her showed that her human side was dominant, yet her glowing blues eyes and the strong smell of her wolf told him that Zak's wolf was just beneath the surface.
"What?" She asked.
"Your human side is dominant."
"It wasn't until I came here. I have no memories between the time I was still chained to when I stared up at the moon. I think it's because I was here earlier and it pushed my human side to the surface."
"Can you feel your wolf?"
She was quiet as she inverted herself. "Yes." She gave a small lopsided smile, "I can feel her. She wants to run... that's all she wants. Well for the moment anyways." Suddenly she turned to Derek, "Where are the others?"
"Around. Burning of energy."
Zak nodded, "Can I run or do I have to be chained up again?"
Derek weighed his options; what was best and safest for her and everyone? "I'll run with you. If anything happens, I will drag you back to the house and chain you up. Understands?" Zak nodded, gave a grin, and dashed off; letting her wolf surface once again.