A Hundred Whispers Make a Howl

Chapter 9

    Shay drives a Prius.

I nearly laugh when she points out the little black car parked in the visitor's section of the garage. It's certainly not the type of vehicle I'd been expecting. I mean, a Prius? Really? I figured she'd be the type to drive some sort of expensive, flashy car, or maybe a motorcycle. Something cool. Something not a Prius.

    My hint of amusement is enough to garner Shay's attention. "What? A Prius is a great car to own in the city, and driving a hybrid is good for the environment. I'm going to be living in this world a long time, so I figure it's best I do my part to keep mother nature happy." She smirks down at me, having guessed my thoughts.

    I have the decency to blush. "I'm not judging. You just...don't fit a stereotype." Shay chuckles softly, her heterochromatic eyes bright. Those strange eyes are so hypnotically striking that I have to repeatedly remind myself not to look into them.

    "Is that a good thing?" The werewolf muses, unlocking her car with the remote on her key ring, and sliding into the driver's seat. I hesitate outside the passenger side door, wringing my hands together. I don't want to get in. When I take too long, Shay hops back out, and settles me with a questioning look over the roof of the vehicle.

    "It's...a confusing thing." I murmur sheepishly. She cocks her head to one side, obviously wanting me to elaborate, but I don't. Instead, I steel myself and get into the car. Shay, saying nothing, resumes her seat. She stares at me a moment longer, but I keep my eyes firmly settled on the floor. Only when I hear the key turn in the ignition, and the engine rumble to life, do I risk a glance in the werewolf's direction. She's focused on her mirrors while reversing, and doesn't seem to notice my eyes on her face.

    I'm truly confused. Lost, really. I have no idea how to behave around Shay. Her mood seems to fluctuate unexpectedly from pleasant to stern, but it's hard to get a real feel for what she's thinking. She's equal parts composed, unpredictable, and intimidating. I can't relax around her in the slightest. Under normal circumstances, I might tease a person for owning a Prius, but mocking a werewolf doesn't seem like a good idea. Will she get angry if I laugh at her? Shay hasn't seemed violent so far, but It's nearly impossible to guess her reaction to things. It's like trying to read a wild animal's behavior.

    Will the elder werewolves be just like Shay? Will they be as inscrutable and daunting? Will they be worse? Thinking about them makes my stomach churn nervously, and my nails dig into the palms of my hands. I haven't been given much time to dwell on the fact that soon, I am going to be meeting more werewolves. Shay had given me enough time to change into a pair of jeans without holes, and a brown, long-sleeved v-neck, before herding me out the door. I hadn't bothered with a jacket, even with the temperature rapidly dropping outside.

    What is to be expected of me? Will I have to swear fealty or something? Will the pack throw me out of New York if they don't like me? Will they just kill me? My heart has started to beat spastically in my chest. Can a werewolf die of a heart attack? Because I feel like I'm going to have one right now. Realization is dawning on me: the possibility of being chauffeured to my doom in a Prius. I begin to panic. Suddenly, all I want to do was wrench open the car door and jump out. There is so much adrenaline pumping in my blood that I'm probably strong enough to rip the door off its hinges. Fight or flight, and I'm heavily leaning towards flight.

    "Hey! Breathe, Rabbit." Shay's voice startles me. I've been preoccupied looking out the window, contemplating my chances of dodging traffic."Calm down." She coaxes, softening her voice, as I look at her with large, frightened eyes. "We have a 30 minute drive ahead of us, you don't need to get so worked up." Despite Shay's assurances, I feel like I'm well within my rights to be freaking out.