Protecting You

--TWENTY-SEVEN--

Morning came much too soon with the crisp chirp of my alarm. I smashed my phone's screen until the noise shut off and rolled over to the other side of the bed. Today was not my day. I didn't want to face it or the people I would inevitably see. Just the thought of running into Oliver or Elisa made my hands clench, even in the sleep-deprived stupor I was in. Then I thought of Alpha and the disappointment I couldn't bear to see on his face.

After forcing myself out of the bed, I moved to the closet to pick out something to wear. I could feel it was going to be cooler out for November, probably in the forties today. As much as I normally enjoyed looking nice, today was going to be a baggy sweater and sweatpants kind of day. I pulled on the clothes and stuffed my feet into boots before marching to the bathroom to scrub my teeth and wash my face. When I looked up at the mirror, a large red zit was latched to my right cheek, square in the middle. I groaned.

Nothing could be done about it now, so I just annoyedly twisted away from the mirror to brush out my hair. It was somehow still slightly damp from my shower last night, but I couldn't be bothered with blow drying it this morning. I would just catch pneumonia when I went outside, but it was fine. Everything was fine.

I threw my backpack over my shoulder before leaving the room. My fellow students were scrambling around the hallway and chattering excitedly. Though part of me was curious about the hype, most of me didn't enough to look into it. I kept my head down as I swiftly descended the stairs. Oliver's scent came from the direction of the kitchen, so I went directly out the front door. There would be no confronting him while I was still in a bad mood. I might end up doing something dangerous.

Fortunately, I made it to my car and out of the driveway before anyone noticed. I sped the entire way to school, afraid I would wussy out if I slowed. Considering I had skipped breakfast and putting effort into my look, I arrived at school fifteen minutes early. It scored me a great parking spot in the front of the lot.

I was about to get out of my car when my cell rang. Pausing, I closed my door again and retrieved my phone from the back pocket of my jeans. The caller I.D. read my mother's name. Gnashing my teeth, I rejected the call and slumped down into the seat. All the bad things were coming out to play today.

When my phone buzzed to life again, I accepted the call with a growl. "Yes?" I demanded.

"Jenna, honey," rolled my mother's calm voice. "I was just calling to make sure you made it back to Highriver alright."

"Yeah, I'm fine." My glare burned through the windshield. Why did she care anyway?

"Okay." She sighed. "You just didn't say goodbye."

"Maybe because you people chased me around the house until I knocked myself unconscious," I hissed. "Why would I want to stay?"

"Honey...I'm sorry. I know things must seem confusing for you, but things haven't been easy for your father and I."

I unleashed another snarl. "You should've thought about that before you got us kicked out of the pack. You cared about them as much as you care about me, and that is why we are in these positions in the first place. If only you and Dad had learned to give a—"

"Enough," she snapped. My cool, collected mother snapped like a twig. "You don't know the half of it, young lady. It's not your part to go around assuming things."

"Well maybe I wouldn't have to assume things if anyone ever told me!"

"You were too young!"

A bellow nearly flowed out of me until I managed to subdue it, remembering there were humans nearby who may hear. "So," I said flatly, "I was old enough to be shipped off to another pack without a single soul I knew, yet not old enough to even know why? Please explain to me how that works."