"Is the newspaper here?!" I said, barging into the kitchen. It was Sunday, a week after the town meeting and the day that the committee would decide what they were going to do about the attack. My mom shook her head in annoyance, but slid the paper across the table towards me. I snatched it up and flipped through the pages aggressively, searching for the article. Found it! I thought triumphantly. My eyes darted across the paper as I read.
The sheriff's department has concluded that no LEGAL action will be put into place regarding the wolfs' safety.
My stomach dropped.
However, we will do nothing to remove the wolves from the woods.
My hope began to grow.
As talked about during the meeting, the wolves are not an immediate threat if you do not bother them. The sheriff has stated that if you leave them alone they will leave you alone, and that its important to state this to your friends, family, and children to prevent accidents in the future. As of right now, no wolf has attacked anyone with the intent to kill, so until something truly alarming occurs we will be taking no steps towards banning or removing the wolves.
~*~
"ABBY!" I rammed into the blonde girl, knocking her off her feet. We landed in a heap on the grass, both laughing out of shock and amusement.
"My god! What has you so excited?" she chuckled.
I picked up the paper I had dropped. "They're not getting rid of the wolves!" I cried, waving the newspaper around.
A low growl sounded from behind us. I turned, and Aster's wolf form stalked out of the shadows towards us. His yellow eyes looked the scene up and down, and he barked at me scoldingly. I rolled off of Abby and ran over to him. I knelt in front of his big head and showed him the article. "Look! They're not banning the wolves! You get to stay!" I wrapped my arms around Aster's neck as he panted over my shoulder. His tail wagged happily, and Abby joined in, tears streaming down her pale face.
"I-I thought w-we would have to l-leave a-again!" she wailed.
I smiled and hugged her tightly. "You guys don't have to!" I cheered.
Other wolves were piling outside, some in their wolf forms and other as regular humans. The kids swarmed me, Loki leaping into my arms as an adorable tan puppy and Suki nipping at my ankles playfully. Juniper's fiery coat that almost matched my own glimmered in the early morning sun as she jumped and yipped, dancing around my feet. Elaine hugged me, too, her eyes brimming with tears. I couldn't help but notice that ever since Tyler had been gone more and more, the bruises had stopped showing up on her face. I'd have to consult Aster about that later.
Speaking of Aster, he jumping into my arms, resting his paws on my shoulders and eagerly licking my face. Even with my newfound strength his gigantic body nearly took me out. I passed the newspaper around the crowd, letting them all look at it, excitement shining on their faces. Elaine grabbed my again, tears glimmering in her dark eyes. "I'm so glad Aster bit you!" she sobbed.
"I think I am, too," Aster's voice sounded. He had managed to shift and get changed in a matter of seconds. He was scarily good at doing that, especially while I was distracted. His eyes shone fondly as he looked at me. I felt warm and fuzzy inside. "I truly am glad that I met you, Red," he said softly.
"Aww, come here big baby!" I cried, hugging him.
I was so happy here, with all my wolf friends. The only problem was that graduation was just around the corner, and I still didn't know what to do.