Ian winks at us. “Leave her behind? You guys stay at the same house?”
We both ignore him.
“Well, you could tell me the reason,” I say softly, “instead of keeping me in the dark.”
“Oh, I will, from now on,” he grins, “to stop you from following me.” I suddenly get the feeling that Xavier won’t let off of this topic for a very, very long time.
We stop at Ian’s house, and he practically jumps out. “Thank you, Ian!” I call, and he gives me a little wave as he climbs up the steps to the doorway. Right before we roll out of the driveway, I see Lauren run out and pounce on her brother, smiling broadly. I look at them enviously. What I would give for a normal family…
Zooming home in silence, we gaze at the beautiful flowers as they fade into towering trees. “Xavier?” I finally say, as we are buried in the forest.
Xavier looks back at me. “Yes?” he says, gazing into my soul.
“Do you… understand forever? How do we know if we are immortal?” I try to phrase these questions correctly, these questions without a true answer.
“I have never understood forever, although I may be able to grasp it a little bit better than you might,” he stares at the road, his hair ruffling in the air, “I have been a werewolf for a while now, and watching your friends shrivel up and die while you stay perfectly the same is rather disturbing. It gives you the feeling that you are not even real, not even a human. Time and time again I check the obituary to see that one of my parent’s friends is dead, living to be even eighty years old. I always think to myself, I know them. I used to talk with them. My parents were the worst. They made me cry the most. You know why, Mona?”
“Because you loved them the most?”
“Because they were my only links to reality. Back ten years ago, I could point at a regular human and say ‘You are my mom. You are my dad.’ However, I can’t do that anymore. Nobody knows me. I am invisible, yet visible to the human eye. I have no connection with them. All I have is my pack, and my mate,” he glances at me, smiling weakly.
“I already have no connections to reality,” I stare at the floor, facing the undeniable truth, “I am dead to many already. Maybe I should have died along with my parents so I wouldn’t have to be so alone.”
We reach the mansion, and the car stops. Slowly, the car door opens, and a strong, masculine hand grabs my own. He whirls me into a soothing embrace. “You won’t be alone anymore,” he whispers into my hair, “we will be together.”
We stay like this, suspended in time, each feeling comfort in the other’s presence. All the while, my heart is about to burst out of my chest, escalating in speed as the seconds go by. A blush blossoms upon my cheeks as I realize he can probably feel my heart as it beats… all for him.
Embarrassed, I back away, looking anywhere but at him. When I finally glance at his green eyes, I can see the glint of a smile in them. He knows… and he is laughing at me.
I punch him in the arm, unable to control my mortification. He laughs and grabs my hand, holding it in a deathly grip from which I cannot escape. I can feel myself turning into a tomato.
“To answer your other question,” Xavier says softly, “we don’t know for sure if we are immortal. In fact, we know we will perish someday, due to the prophecy. However, many of us are over a thousand years old, so that sort of makes it confusing. What should we call ourselves if not immortal?”
I am not even listening, absorbed completely in the heat of the moment. My heart of ice is melting because of his burning touch, sparking fire beneath my skin.
“Xavier!” Yi calls, suddenly appearing in the doorway, “come quick!” His handsome eyes are wide, and the door is wide open for us both.
Xavier’s eyes grow wide also, and he lets go of me as if I was nothing. “Give me a second,” he apologizes, “I’ll be right back.”
He disappears in the house, leaving only us outside. I walk in after him, Yi shooting me a smile. “Sorry that I interrupted your… um… private time,” he smirks as I pass him into the house. I turn and shoot the worst scowl I can conjure at him. Yi can be so annoying.
The huge door comes to a stop as I start walking through the hallways, following their smell to where they are located. “Mona, stop!” Yi calls after me, “stay here with me! You aren’t supposed to-”
I abruptly stop listening to him, getting closer and closer to whatever the werewolves are trying to hide.
As I approach Ray’s room, I begin to hear more voices. “I guess we knew it would come sooner or later,” Jake says.
“What are we going to do?” Wes asks, adopting a frightened tone that is much unlike him.
“We will probably have to evacuate,” Xavier says firmly, “we need to protect her.”
“Aren’t you surprised that they finally figured out how to email?” Ray laughs, “up until last year they always sent letters.”
I creep in through the open doorway, seeing immediately that they all are crowded around a computer. As quiet as a cat, I slip right behind them, peering on the screen. Internet Explorer is on, and the site is Google’s Gmail. A certain email is displayed, and they are all scanning it vigorously.
“What is this?” I ask calmly, causing almost all of them to jump.
It reads;
Dear Pack Number 101,
It has come to our attention that you have converted a human to a werewolf without our approval. This is the third offense within Pack Number 101 in 50 years, and although the last two have been pardoned, this last offense is simply inexcusable. You are called to a hearing on Wednesday of this week at Headquarters to determine the pack’s fate. The new convert will be promptly exterminated. Have a good day.
Sincerely,
The Council
All of them turn to look at me, a sad expression on their faces. Except for Xavier, of course, instead with eyes of fury.
This cannot be good.
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