George
"All set?"
"Cayden, check the surroundings."
"We will miss you, George."
"Hand me the luggage!"
"Clarkson, you will not bring the cat there. You planned on hiding something from me?"
"I'm sorry, Aunt Liz. George wanted the cat."
I am standing in the center of the house. My gaze roams around the living room, where the werewolf siblings rush. In the kitchen, Aunt Liz cooks. Beside me is Shane, hugging me by my waist as she cries. Andrew and Jeremy pack tons of extra food on the couch. Everyone is in a hurry. Everyone is in a rush after hearing the alarming news. In the middle of this chaos, my mind only focuses on one thing.
Him.
"Jared escaped, and the vampires are looking for him."
He's alive.
My heart skips a beat with the thought of his ethereal features. The thought of him being alive gives me hope but at the same time opens the trauma of that night. Sharp pain in my head hits. I let go of Shane and hold my temple.
Vampires.
They're back.
"She is the Alpha!"
"George!"
"Oh my god!"
"Get some water!"
A warm hug envelops my frame. I didn't realize I was shaking. The fear that I felt that night came back into my mind. My knees weakened, which made me collapse. Thankfully, a strong pair of arms tightened the grip on my waist. His fingers brush my hair.
"It's alright. We're here," Andrew whispers.
"T-They're here," I whisper in realization. "They're back."
"Ssshhh... It's alright. We'll protect you. The werewolves will protect you." He rests his chin on top of my head while I bury my face in his broad chest.
"Here, here, water," Shane rushes out of the kitchen.
"What happened?" Aunt Liz walks towards us while removing her apron. She cups my face and rubs her thumb on my cheeks.
"Everything will be alright, okay?" she says while nodding.
I move my arms from Andrew to Aunt Liz. "A-Aunt Liz," I whisper. My arms around her loosen as I feel dizzy. Everything spun.
"George?" I hear Clarkson's voice.
Mr. Tuna's meow from the stairs rings in my head before my vision turns black.
"Watch her, okay?" Saber's serious voice interrupts my sleep.
"Come on, brother! She's not a kid anymore. Besides, it's Liev we're talking about here. He can take care of her."
I slowly open my eyes and see myself inside Saber's car. My gaze looks around and lands on Clarkson's angelic face beside me. He slowly moves his head to meâa small smile forms across his lips, which reveals his perfect teeth.
"Hi," he whispers and inhales slowly. "Are you okay now?" he rests his head on the window of the car. I only nod in response.
"Hey, George!" Cayden cheerfully greets me. He looks at me from the reflection of the front mirror.
"Where are we going?" I ask, half asleep. My fingers rub my eyes. I sit up straight and yawn.
"To our place," Clarkson answered. "Werewolves'."
"What!?" I exclaim out of shock.
Because of my unexpected reaction, Saber suddenly steps on the brake in shock as well. It made me almost bump my forehead on the driver's seat. Thanks to the seat belt, I didn't.
"What was that!?" Cayden asks furiously. His hands fix the seat belt, probably tightening it.
"Sorry," Saber mutters.
"How about Aunt Liz!? Shane? Andrew? Jeremy? You guys left them there?" I yell and panic.
"They're safe there, okay?" Clarkson says calmly.
"They got vervains with them. It's from your Mom. No vampires can step inside their houses, okay? It's only for a day, though. That's why we must get back there, quickly," Cayden explains with hand gestures.
"Plus you do know that we got my team there, right?" Saber reminds.
"Oh, right," I nod.
Ever since we got exposed to the vampires Saber's team has been with us. They are the ones spying on every corner of our surroundings to make sure we are safe from vampires. They usually stay outside. They can be some of those "people" leisurely walking around, buying stuff, or even pretending to wait for the bus. We never had an opportunity to have a conversation. Saber mentioned that his team is only there to protect and not to make friends. He didn't share their information, where they're staying at night, or how they manage to take a rest.
"The semester isn't done yet," I whisper at Clarkson.
"We have to protect you," he whispers back. "You should also be aware of our kind."
"I'm not yet ready for this," I whisper back through the gritted teeth.
"You'll never be ready until you're at the battlefield," he answers back.
A sigh of defeat escapes my lips. I brush the few hair strands away from my face. My face turns and face the window. The darkness of the sky is only illuminated by the full moon. My gaze follows the trails of the stars, white paint splattered on black canvas. It is a long silent ride. The road is like a ghost town, an abandoned path that none has ever passed by. Clarkson has fallen asleep beside me. His head swings back and forth. His arms are crossed over his chest. Again, I heave a sigh and flop my back in the backseat of the car.
"Meow."
"Oh, Tuna's awake," Cayden softly says in yawns.
"You brought him with us?" I furrow my eyebrows and sit up straight.
"Of course, silly. None of us meows here," he answers and chuckles.
I almost forgot about the cat. I didn't expect them to bring him with us, though. My eyes quickly look for the picnic basket. The basket is resting on Cayden's lap.
"Clarkson says, we have to bring your cat," Cayden speaks. "Saber didn't want to bring himâ"
"Because I sense something about it," Saber interferes and cuts Cayden's words.
Clarkson says we have to bring your cat.
A bright smile forms across my lips after hearing what Cayden just said.
"Quit being furious. It's just a cat named Tuna," Cayden moves his gaze to Saber and glares.
"Don't act like you like the cat," Saber answers dismissively.
"Hah! I do likeâ"
"Mmm... Too loud," Clarkson whispers in a raspy voice.
"Look what you did! You awaken the kid!" Cayden yells, sounding like a Mom.
"Shut up, or you'll be walking back home," Saber warns.
"Can I get Mr. Tuna, please?" I politely ask.
I shift my gaze from the bickering wolves to the sleepy one beside me. He shifts his position and leans his shoulders to the windows. My hands lift the lid of the basket. The feline creature greets me.
"Meow."
"Hi, Tuna," I coo.
Mr. Tuna sneaks his head out of the basket. My fingers rub his forehead. He purrs while I rub his chin.
"Look at its whiskers," Cayden whispers to Saber as if something is disgusting about it. "And thoseâ"
I instantly look at the rearview mirror and glare at Cayden.
"Did Aunt Liz know that Mr. Tuna is with us?" I ask them.
"We... forget to tell your Aunt," Cayden says.
"Oh, come on. I didn't expect you to tell a lie," Saber wince. "You know how uncomfortable it is to sense someone's lie."
The two continue to bicker.
"When will my Werewolf class start?"
"Tomorrow," the three of them casually answer.
"What?"
* * *
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