"Show me your arm" I demanded, my form finding the courage to dive straight into the deep end
"That's what you want to start with?" He mused with raised eyebrows
"Just show me" I pushed as I rolled my eyes.
He gave a deep sigh before starting to push up his sleeve as much as his muscle would allow him. He flinched when it became unbearable, but continued until his arm was raw and bare. His skin revealed a white bandage and with the encouragement of my eyes, he began to peel it off.
I watched and waited untiI I was face to face with a long fresh open wound running down his arm. It trailed down, stopping in the middle of his upper arm.
"How far up does it go?" I mumbled as I stepped forward to get a closer look at the clean cut.
He hesitated before answering "My shoulder blade"
"Were you going to hurt him?" I questioned as I leaned back against the beam supporting my patio, supporting my shock.
"Yes" He answered simply without hesitation.
"You would have put him in the hospital" I stared at him, his eyes elsewhere.
"That's the least he deserves after what he was doing to you"
I shuddered at the thought of Kai pressing his lips against my bare skin. The reaction didn't go unnoticed, Jake stepping towards me.
"Did you go to the doctor about your eye, you hit it pretty hard" He asked, his words now full of concern rather than hate for Kai and his actions. His eyes roamed over my wound, a wound the least of my worries at this current moment in time
I shook my head "No"
"Did you black out?" He probed like a doctor would.
"No" I answered as he moved close enough to raise a hand towards my bruise and cut. His fingertips traced the mark sending shivers through my body like the movement had before. His eyes were on my wound, staring as silence drowned me.
"What?" I asked barely audible as his fingers stopped moving and paused on my skin.
His face dropped as he pulled back to stuff his hands in his back pockets.
"Is there anything else you need answered?" He spoke, clearing his throat.
"About a million things actually" I snickered.
"Maybe start with the first dozen and we'll go from there" He smiled, the first genuine smile I'd ever seen as he moved to sit on a wooden deck chair on my porch.
"You were the one in my house the night of the big storm?" I started just for confirmation as he rolled his bandage back around his arm.
"Yes" He answered easily
"You were the one in my house after I got back from Tom's party?" I continued as I watched his face, his eyes avoiding my gaze
"Yes" He replied once again with a short nod
"You were in my dreams before I even met you, how?" I dug deeper as I sat beside him keeping a good distance between our bodies
"It's something we can do, I don't know how it works exactly, but if I concentrate hard enough I can go there and bring other people there with me" He told me, wincing as he brough his shirt back down over his injury
"Why is it every time I'm asleep?"
"If I take you from reality while you're in public, you'll freeze like a game on pause, doesn't look good for you and it doesn't look good for me, besides, it works better when your body is relaxed"
"Were you born like this?"
"Yes, it's a gene given down to me from my father" He nodded
My eyes narrowed and I remembered under the circumstances I met his father
"Brad?"
His eyes averted, his body becoming rigid before he spoke "Brad is a friend"
A revelation as such should have shocked me, but by this stage, it was hard to comprehend anything Jake spoke about. What was true? What was a lie? I was very confused with each answer provided to me
"Right" I mumbled with a sigh "And do you know how my wallet ended up from my backpack to Redwood woods?"
Suddenly his composure shifted and he searched for a comfortable place to put his eyes
"Next question" He pushed
"Did you take it?" I continued anyway.
"No"
"Then who did?" I urged for answers
"Move on Haven" He warned this time meeting my gaze.
"Why me?" I simply asked, letting the last question go.
Once again he seemed to shift uncomfortably but kept his eyes on me.
"It's long and complicating" He answered cryptically.
"Meaning..." I trailed off, awaiting his words
"Meaning it's long and complicating, an explanation saved for another time" He sighed, his shoulder twisting as I could see the pain it was causing him
"Did you go to the doctor for that?" I mocked his earlier words
"I'll survive" He shrugged with a small temptive smile
A small silence began to settle in as Jake stood and looked out over my quiet street, his smile quickly vanishing from sight as I spoke my next question "So, who is Hudson?"
"He's someone you need to stay away from, someone I'm trying my hardest to keep away from you" He sighed.
"Why?"
"Because he isn't like me"
"As in how?"
He turned around and rubbed the back of his head messing up his already tousled hair before shaking his head at me with another 'move on' look.
"Fine" I whispered standing up as he had, asking my most curious question.
"Did you mean what you said when you followed me down Toms street?" I nervously asked as he looked at me with unknown thoughts running through his mind.
"Yes" He answered after slight hesitation and clenching and unclenching of his jaw.
"I should be terrified right about now, screaming and running, but I can't bring myself to do it" I shook my head as I scoffed.
"It'll sink in soon enough and that chance will represent itself many times" He warned with a half crooked smile.
"Great" I sighed as I watched the sun begin its slow decent.
"It's a lot to take in and freak outs are expected as you get more answers I'm afraid" He sighed pulling his car keys from his back pocket.
I knew that gesture meant he was going to leave and my heart wrenched at the thought of him leaving me alone with so many questions unanswered
"Will you be at school tomorrow?" I asked eager to see him again as soon as possible.
"If you'll be there" He spoke averting his eyes.
"Do you even need to be in school, I mean... are you... I don't know, immortal or something?" I awkwardly laughed.
"No, I just missed a whole lot of school and this gives me a chance to catch up" He lightly laughed, the sound sweet and calming, the noise automatically making me smile.
"Guess I'll see you tomorrow then" I stumbled as he stared at me for a few hesitant seconds. He then turned and walked towards his car, the sway of his lean broad shoulders making me want to stop him from leaving and learn everything possible about every inch of him.
"Take care of yourself" He called out before getting into his car and pulling off down the street.
-
That night, I wondered if the wolf I now knew as Jake would show up. It was a stupid hope, and of course it didn't happen. I wondered if he would ever turn up at my door again, if he would ever scratch against my door with frantic claws seeking refuge. Reality was, he probably wouldn't, and then, the reality I knew of, was long gone. What was real, what wasn't? Was I trapped in some nightmare dream? Had I had an accident, was I in a coma? My mind raced, the inside of my cheek torn with the rough edge of anxious chewing. Even though I knew tonight would be a quiet night, I couldn't help but hope, think of Jake returning to my house, as human, or as wolf.
I switched all the lights off in my house, and began to drag my feet upstairs to bed when a small knock at the door sounded. I paused in the middle of the stairs and crossed my eyebrows. My heart began to beat erratically, had my hopes been heard? It was nearly eleven at night, none of my friends would have bothered to show up. It had to be Jake. But if it was, I was pretty sure a wolf would scratch not knock. Why was he here? I should have left it, I should have ignored it and pretended I wasn't home, but as always, my curiosity got the best of me.
I wandered down the stairs and a small part of me wished it were Jake, but that idea was soon erased. When I peered through the door side window, I spotted a familiar unimaginable face. My heart dropped. I squeezed my eyes tight and then unlatched the door.
"How did you find me?" I asked as he shuffled his feet and kept his piercing green gaze upon me.
"Jake" He simply answered with a charming smile.
"Jake told you?"
"I told you, we go way back, can I come in and have a chat?" He smiled wide.
"I don't think now is a good time" I stumbled before attempting to close the door on him, but he was quick to jam his foot in the way
Suddenly I was afraid of what this man was capable of, Jake had told me Hudson wasn't like him, how, I wasn't sure, but Jake seemed persistent on keeping me away from this man, and I wasn't going to question that despite his charm.
"Come back tomorrow during the day" I suggested as he stared straight at me, darkness surrounding him as I began to worry what his intentions were
"Has Jake told you about us yet? I'm assuming so, but I'm also assuming he hasn't told you the full story, I'm assuming he's missed a whole lot about me and why he's so interested in someone like you" He began, catching my full attention.
"Why is he interested in me?" I demanded still holding the door on his foot.
"Because his genes tell him he his, not because he actually cares about you or thinks you're worth his time, but because his elders told him that's where his heart belongs" He explained.
"Who said anything about where his heart belongs?" I shook my head confused. I knew there was something between Jake and I, but we could barely sit in the same room as each other for an hour let alone think of what our emotions were telling us
"He hasn't told you that part either yet has he?" Hudson mused with a raised eyebrow
"What part?" I asked confused.
"He's in love with you Haven" He snickered almost amused to be speaking the words
"That's not true" I scoffed "I don't even know him, he doesn't even know me"
"You think that matters? Like I said, it was his elder and his genes that tell him he needs you, not his heart. And if you want more answers, real answers, you know where to find me" He explained before moving his foot and striding down my porch. He began to move away from my patio, down my driveway towards the darkness. I bit into my bottom lip, wanting to call him back, yet wanting to abide by what Jake had told me. At this stage, I didn't know who to trust, I didn't know which one of them was being honest. What if Jake was the bad guy? What if he was just extremely good at making girls - even me - believe whatever he said?
Instead of calling out after Hudson, I stood motionless, conflicted. I had thought to trust Jake, turns out he wasn't the only one that could possibly be trusted..
-
That night I tossed and turned, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who to trust or who to talk to. I was alone in this. I was completely alone and I didn't know who to turn to with hopes of aiding me back to sanity. What had I gotten myself into? How was I supposed to get myself out of it?
When morning came, I paced my room and debated whether or not I should chuck a sickie and not attend school, but that wasn't going to stop Jake from seeing me today, he would worry, he would show up and ask why I hadn't been there. Once I realized I couldn't escape what I knew I had to confront, I took a hot shower and dressed in my usual preppy black shirt and skinny blue jeans. Ruby's honk sounded from outside my house about ten minutes later.
Despite the fact we barely spoke at school, she hadn't abandoned me when it came to giving me lifts, yet. I could see that she felt sorry for me, something I hated, but I had no other way of getting to school until my dad maned up and bought me my own car, which I would be soon asking for eagerly with more force.
"How are things going with Kai?" She asked on the awkward drive to school
"We haven't spoken since the fight" I shrugged watching out the window.
"Where were you yesterday, I was getting worried you'd skipped the country"
"I wasn't feeling well, spent most of the lunch break in the bathroom dry reaching" I lied again, the habit becoming easier.
"Please tell me you're not pregnant" She scoffed, half joking.
"Highly impossible" I quickly answered.
"Just checking, I mean, I know you haven't done the deed yet, and don't be mad at Melissa for telling me" She rushed out as I weakly smiled and screwed my face up at the same time.
Truth was, I had lied, and it was probably the biggest lie I'd ever told Melissa, the biggest secret I had until the whole Jake thing came along.
Two years ago after a summer dance my date Tobi and I snuck off to his vacant house. I had been drinking and I thought I was ready after my sister had given me the big sex talk. Turns out, it was more pain than anything enjoyable. It was something I could never get back, and it didn't help that Tobi wanted nothing to do with me after that night. Luckily, he hadn't spoken a word to anyone about it, probably morbidly embarrassed just as much as I was. The guilt riddled me for not telling my best friend, but I couldn't ever vocalize the truth when it came to it.
"Has Melissa said anything to you about me, has anyone said anything about me?" I mused out loud, curious if my friends were even my friends anymore.
"Melissa thinks you've derailed, she's worried about you, Kai hasn't said a word to me or anyone else about you, Deloraine misses you, but she has her own crazy theories along with Chicago" She sighed in admittance.
"Like what?"
"You and that new kid Jake, ever since he's come back from the dead, Chicago thinks you are in a cult together and he's dragged you into a world of dark magic" She laughed.
"That's ridiculous" I scoffed. It was definitely a Chicago theory.
It was good to know that not one of my so called friends seemed to care enough to actually approach me and ask 'hey, are you okay, let's talk about it, because I'm here for you no matter what'
I wanted to tell Ruby that it had nothing to do with Jake, but truth was, it had everything to do with Jake, and I was letting it get to me something terrible. I was placing myself right in the midst of it and it was causing me more grief than reward.
I had never believed in the supernatural; ghosts, zombies, demons, any of that kind of thing until Jake came into my life, until dreams I'd been having became a reality. Now there was a wolf that occasionally slept on my living room floor that also happened to be a smart, charming, dangerous bad-boy that now attended my school. I'd come face to face with a boy that was a wolf, something I only ever saw on television.
"Are you sure everything is okay?" Ruby asked me as she parked the car into the school parking lot.
"I'm sure, it's just been a rough couple of weeks" I assured her with a smile.
"Okay, well, if you need to talk, about anything, you know I'm here despite not actually being around" She spoke with a warm smile, her blue eyes smouldering me with sympathy.
Well, I guess there was one of my so called friends actually being a friend and I appreciated it more than she knew.
"Thanks" I smiled in return before getting out of the car.