Pretty Little Werewolf

Chapter 1

Nerves frayed worse than the ends of her shoelaces she kept picking at, Giselle Richards was in no fit state to deal with people, but that didn't matter. As a minor, her life was dictated by the will of others.

Breathe. Just breathe. Giselle closed her eyes as the taxi cab came to a stop. She focused on centering herself, controlling her breath, being in the moment. Yoga had never really been her thing, but she did appreciate the way the breathing exercises helped to calm her wilder side. And today of all days, she needed that control. Walking in with hands jittery and shaking would be a dead giveaway of her nerves and, with a reputation preceding her, that would just confirm what everyone had to suspect – that she was a freak.

Never let them see you scared. Never let them know you're weak. A mantra ingrained into the very fabric of her being. Life was tough for Giselle, and she had to be tougher. No matter how much she wanted to run screaming into the open desert. No. She had to go in appearing confident, with her head held high.

One breath at a time, in and out. Slowly. Easy enough, normally. Today, however, not so much. And not just because of where she was. All it took was a quick glance up at the sky and she spotted it, in broad daylight: the beautiful roundness of the moon. Even now it called to her. It would be full come evening. The worst kind of monthly visitor a girl could ever have. And it had to happen on this day.

New home day.

Just outside of the taxi cab stood the house that would become her new home. However long it lasted. Maybe a week or two... maybe less, after the moon had its way with her.

She'd like to imagine she'd live there longer. Great big two-story home. Probably four or five bedrooms inside. Maybe one of her very own. Now that was dreaming a bit too high. New room or not, the house looked nice, and obviously loved. Christmas lights strewn all over the yard were blinking in time with music. And Frosty and all his winter friends were waving from the curb. If only there were snow to complete the winter wonderland. Still, even without it, this home looked like a dream, with warm and loving people ready to invite her into their family. But Giselle knew better.

"You'll see. This place will be wonderful," Mrs. Perkins, her counselor said, a little too enthusiastically.

Giselle rolled her eyes, already feeling the pull of the moon calling her wolf to rise to the surface. Dealing with Mrs. 'Perky' Perkins was bad enough on a normal day... She really had to control her breathing today. Jenny Perkins just had to place her right away. Couldn't hold out for a day longer. If she only knew how wrong she was.

Mrs. Perkins' lips pulled tight with disappointment. "Oh, don't be like that. This place will be wonderful."

"You said that already."

What the hell did that woman know anyway? She didn't have kids, and was certainly not a child of the system. Nor was she a freak of nature. Sitting there in her pretty pink pants suit with perfect blonde hair. Perfect nails. Perfectly stylish shoes. Perfect life to match, probably. If Giselle rolled her eyes any harder, they'd pop out and get lost under her seat.

"Fine, then. That sour puss is not going to help your situation any, but you're still going in there and meeting your new foster family."

The front door of the house opened, and Giselle watched a woman step outside. She spotted the cab and cracked a smile, but as soon as the she stepped off of the front porch, caution replaced eagerness and she took her time walking toward the car. Tall for a woman. Thin, but hiding it behind the bulk of winter clothes. She might have been mid-forties, Giselle couldn't quite tell, but she moved with the grace of a younger woman. The look on her face, though, was more than cautious. She was worried, and trying to hide it.