Lone Wolf

Car Troubles

"Amie, have you been sick?" My mother asked, scrutinizing my face while swirling a glass of red wine.

I froze with my fork halfway to my mouth and dripping spaghetti sauce. "No. why?"

My dad added in, "Well, you have been distant lately. More than normal. And you act like you haven't eaten in days." He pointed his fork at my plate, which was piled so high with garlic bread and spaghetti that it was a mountain in itself. Shifting yesterday had taken all of my energy, and Jake made sure to text me this morning to eat a lot of protein and carbohydrates.

"And you look like you haven't slept in days," Dad continued in a gruff voice with Mom nodding at his every word. I wanted to correct him that I have actually been sleeping more than I ever have, but it seemed that my body still needed time to recover from shifting. Jake also texted me every possible side effect that I could be going through, thoroughly scaring me but at the same time comforting my roaming thoughts.

I spun my fork around my plate, suddenly losing my appetite. "I have had a lot of work lately," I mumbled, feeling like I was sixteen again and about to get punished for staying out too late. I was completely lying and work was slow, but I needed a quick excuse to use at the moment. It was my go-to response.

My dad huffed and ran his hands over his head. "Honey, I feel stupid asking this," He muttered to Mom, causing me to raise my eyebrow.

Mom set her wine glass down and gave me a pointed look and then turned her expression sympathetic towards my father. "Darling, it has to be addressed."

"What? What has to be addressed?" I questioned, feeling my foot begin to tap on my parent's dining room floor.

Dad released a deep sigh and clasped his hands on his stomach. "Amie—Amelia," his tone switched when my mom cleared her throat, "are you on drugs?"

I choked on my saliva, fighting between a coughing fit and nervous laughter. My dad continued once I finally calmed down despite my racing heart. "Now, listen. This is a serious thing, Amelia. You are showing all signs of a person on drugs. Either you are the stupidest girl in the world to try and take drugs with a sheriff as a father or there is something else going on that you need to tell us about."

I shook my head quickly, letting out a bubble of anxious laughter. "Dad, I promise you I am not on drugs. Don't you think I would know what they can do growing up under your roof?" Since my first year in high school, my dad had slipped pamphlets on the effects of drugs under my bedroom door. He even came to my school to speak to all of the health classes about why you should not do drugs. It left quite the mark on me expressing I would most likely be kicked out of the family if I did something so reckless. Sadly, it seemed lycanthropy had similar side effects as drugs.

Dad's face transformed into one of satisfaction and he turned to Mom with a smile. "See, Judie, I told you she was clean."

Mom sent him a quick glare and then turned to me. "Honey, we are just worrying about you. You have been acting odd lately. Is there something that you do want to tell us?" She lifted her eyebrows and leaned in towards me, giving me her classic pleading eyes.

I shook my head—quicker than I probably should have.

"No, nothing is going on. I am just tired, that's all." With my appetite gone, I only twirled my fork around on my plate with my eyes diverted from my parents. My gut seemed to contract, knowing that I was lying to my parents was something that I hated to do, but I did not know what to tell them. How do I say that I had become a werewolf by being bitten by another werewolf? Oh, and it was the same one that killed Dante. Every way I thought of telling them sounded horrible, and I did not want to put them through what I went through when I first found out what I had become.