The Unexpected

Chapter 5: Changes

I just stared at him in stunned silence for what felt like forever.

Werewolves? Was he MAD?! What in the world is he exactly sayin' here, that he thinks he's some sort of mythical creature of the night??

  "Pull the car over, please." I say in a controlled voice. 

"What?" He asks, seemingly befuddled by my sudden question; staring at me with a look of pure bewilderment, I might add. Like my question was INSANE or something. 

Pfft, I thought to myself, If ANYONE is insane here it's wolf boy over here.

"I said," raising my voice, "Pull the dang car over!" He listened then. My crazy eyes must have done it for him. 

"Rosalee, look, I KNOW this sounds crazy but, it's really true." He says, staring at me while I try to open the door and get away from him. He's no longer a hunk-muffin. He has now been downgraded to crazy-cakes. Too bad, he's cute, I think idly to myself.

"You can't leave, Rose." He tells me as I cannot get the car door to let me out. It's locked. The "Werewolf" has locked me in the mustang with him. 

Great.

"Ok, so if you really ARE a werewolf, prove it!" I say with a smug voice, knowing there's no way he could. Even if he wanted to.

He surprises me though. He opens his door and steps out onto the pavement and makes his way over to my side. I stare wide eyed through the glass as he slowly takes off his shirt. Looking both ways, checking to make sure the coast is clear, he takes off his pants.

At this point, my face might as well be glued to the glass. 

He smirks and starts to shake and... Almost shimmer in the afternoon sun. Standing before me is a giant, coppery and very intelligent looking wolf!  At this point, I start to hyperventilate, thinking I've lost my fracking mind. Josh morphs back into his human self and grins at my state of being. He puts his clothes back on while I just glare up at him, starting to catch my breath; my hand against my heart. 

"Did that just happen?" I ask no one in particular. Josh answers anyway. "Sure did, love." 

"Are you going to kill me now or something?" I ask with a frightened voice as I continue to jimmy the door and lock, to no avail, trying to escape. "Was the whole thing about meeting your father and mates just some ploy to get me in your car and away from people so you could torture and eat me?!" My treacherous eyes start to tear as I think of all the things I won't be able to do. All the people I won't be able to say goodbye to. Dawn, Grandma Lily....Mom. 

He doesn't answer right away since he was too busy laughing his head off. As he wiped away tears of laughter and stared at me then the road then me again his laughter started to die down. "Kill you? Just because I tell you who I am, you think I'm gonna kill you?!" The laughter starts up again. "Oh, Rose...Ha, if I was going to...Ha ha, kill you, you'd be dead already. 

Well, okay. That makes me feel LOADS better, I think bitterly to myself, but I guess he was right. The giant wolf would've been able to take care of me, no problem. I stop my assault on his door and fold my hands in my lap, making a conscious effort not to wring my hands. My mom always told me it was a dead give away to tell when I was nervous or anxious. 

"And," he begins, "As far as mates are concerned, all Were's have them. Don't worry. I will explain. Soon. " He pauses, giving me a shy smile and starting the car up again. "Just, let's meet my dad first. He's way better at telling this story than I am." 

 I fold my arms and scooch as far as the seat will allow me and stare out the window, watching  the trees zoom past as Josh accelerates very quickly. Soon, I lean forward to the view of a modestly sized cabin in the middle of the woods; I'm assuming it's Josh's home, since we slowed to a crawl as we pulled into the circular driveway. 

Josh cuts the engine and steps out, and seems to just... Disappear. Until he is at my door, opening it with a grin. I stare at him with my mouth hanging open. I can't seem to move from my seat. "You should really stop freaking me out." I say, my mouth snapping shut as I skirt around him and cross my arms over my chest again. He just flashes me a crooked half smile and shrugs, "Sorry, love." He responds. I narrow my eyes but, keep my mouth shut about the nickname. For now. It kind of sends butterflies flying through my stomach. I don't know if I like it or not yet.

He turns to me and grips my hand and strides forward towards the cabin. I try to loosen his grip with my other hand but, trying to pry his hand off mine is similar to trying to pry two welded pieces of metal apart with your bare hands. Oh well, I think to myself, My hands are cold anyway. 

"So," I begin, "I'm gonna meet your dad, huh?" I stare down at our entwined hands, then up at his eyes as we make our way through the front door of the spacious home. It's cozy, warm and... Just nice.  "Doesn't tradition recommend you take me on a date or two before I meet your parents?" I ask jokingly, though he doesn't seem to take it as such. 

I make it easy for him. "Kidding." I say under my breath. He doesn't have time to respond, since the door to some sort of study or library we were standing in front of opens to reveal a rather tall older man with reading glasses, greying temples and a book under his arm smiling wildly. 

At me.

"Hello," his deep and gravely voice states, "You must be Rosalee."