Masked SheWolf (MSW book 1)

Chapter 7 - Michael

"How old is he?" Marianna asks curiously.

"I don't know, but he can't be older than Connor," I reply.

She pauses and stares at me in shock. "That young? And he's alpha? Why the sudden change?"

I'm just as clueless as she is, so I simply shrug. A moment later, she resumes emptying the cabinets.

"You know, if you put these at the bottom, they'll squirt all over your suitcase," I jokingly say.

She grins but doesn't stop. "I'm just checking that everything is here."

"Where else would they be?"

"Mason and Nathan's room."

I grimace in disgust. "I didn't need to know that."

She giggles. "Then why ask?"

I take a moment to memorize her laugh. After she leaves today, who knows when I'll see her again? And how long will she stay next time? This time, it was a week, but we got lucky because her university had a longer Spring Break. There's no seeing her again until the summer starts. Who else am I going to be myself with?

I love my family; I really do, with all my heart. But even though we all know the truth, they raised me to be a boy and they consequently act like I am. When Marianna came into our family, she already knew my secret, so it was never weird to behave like a girl with her. She had no preconceptions. Who am I going to confide in now? If only Mason mans up and proposes, then there will be more reason for her to move here.

The more I think about these things, the more the lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach expands until I'm close to tears.

My silence catches Marianna's attention and she stares at me with worry in her beautiful blue eyes. "What's wrong?" she asks kindly.

Wordlessly, I go and hug her. She doesn't hesitate to put her arms around me and hold me close. That's when my eyes really start tearing up.

"I'm going to miss you again," I whisper against her shoulder, my voice cracking.

"I know darling. I'll miss you too," she promises.

"I've gotten so used to you living with us," I tell her.

"Believe me, I'm used to you guys, too," she assures me. "But you know I can't just drop out of school. I've only got one year left, and then, maybe, if the time's right, I will be here more often. Besides, my parents are still in France; I can't just leave them childless so early on."

It's selfish of me, but I'm glad that she said "my parents" and "France" instead of "my family" and "home." It reinforces the belief that we're her family, too.

"So what happens when you do get married?" I challenge. "What then?"

"I don't know," she admits. "I can't imagine a life different than the one we have now."

I pull away and hesitate to say what's on my mind, but she urges me with an encouraging look. "Long distance relationships are known for failing..." I trail off.

Marianna seems amused by that. "You know that won't happen with me and your brother."

"Relationships can mean friendship," I hint, allowing myself to show even more vulnerability. This isn't just anyone; this is someone I consider to be my sister.

My point dawns on her. "Oh, but we're not just friends, Dyl. We're practically sisters," she voices my thoughts.

Hearing this makes me grin like a child on Christmas. This is the first time we voice how strong our bond is, and it makes me happy that she feels the same. It's enough for me, for now. And just like that, my girly moment is over, and I'm back into my old role.