No alarms. No phones. There was nothing to wake Ashley up that Saturday morning but the sun perversely peering in at her through the window.
"Ugh," she complained thickly, rolling on her back to turn away from it. "Mom ... no. Go away."
That was what her mom did when she thought Ashley was oversleeping. She'd sneak in and pull open those blinds, then creep away again, probably cackling to herself like The Wicked Witch of The West. "Shut it," she groaned through her sleep. "Mom, please ... you evil ... hate you ... "
It was a good amount of time before Ashley finally became conscious enough to remember that her mom was out of town, and it was her own fault for forgetting to shut those blinds last night. She did her usual morning fight-against-gravity as she sat up stiffly, like a vampire rising grumpily from his coffin. Unpeeling her long, dark hair from her face, she wondered why she couldn't remember turning in last night. In fact ... she couldn't remember a thing beyond the party, which was weird because she'd barely had anything to drink. She felt awful though, tired and disoriented, like her head was fighting to play catch-up.
What day is it?
"Saturday," she murmured to herself, pumping her fists like she'd just won a contest. Thank God.
OK, but if that were the case, why could she hear the TV blaring downstairs? Had she left it on by accident? "You're one hot mess, Ashley Templeton," she yawned to herself.
She got up, trudging across the room and pulling open her bedroom door. As she descended, she made out the voice and distinct accent of that vet guy with his own show, The Incredible Dr. Pol. What the hell kind of channel was she watching last night?
She was halfway down the staircase when she stopped in her tracks, eyes wide at what she was seeing in the living room. Three grown men lounging on the couch, eyes on the screen, and another man walking towards them carrying a plate stacked with ... french toast?? That was her mom's favorite thing to make for breakfast.
"Smells good, Ryan!" one of the boys on the couch remarked as a rich, buttery smell wafted up to her nose, canceling out the possibility of this being a dream.
The man with the french toast - Ryan? - set the plate down on the coffee table, smiling appreciatively. "It was nothing. Now, remember this is to share. That means you, Quinn."
"That's not fair," the boy on the right side of the couch whined. He was the tallest, built like a tree, with big, broad shoulders and a muscled neck that reminded her of the football players at school.
"How is it unfair?"
"I'm the biggest one here."
"We know how out-of-control you get when it comes to food."
"Come on. You're exaggerating. I love to eat, that's all."
"And sneak our portions away when you think we're not looking. We know you all too well, Quinn, so don't try anything."
"Ugh. Fine."
Ryan folded his arms and started to say something else, then stopped as he spotted Ashley out of the corner of his eye. Right away, she clammed up, thinking how vulnerable she was, standing there in only a nightdress, with nothing she could use to protect herself. Her house had been broken into by four men who were arguing over french toast and now ... well, now, she had no idea what was going to happen, but it sure as shit couldn't be good.
To her surprise, Ryan dropped his arms and came forward with an easy, charming smile. He was slight, around her height at five six, with ebony skin and enviously silky, straight black hair. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"
Ashley stared down at him, at the same time aware of the trio on the couch twisting their heads to look at them. The one on the right was Quinn, she knew that. The one on the left was lithe and wiry, with impossibly beautiful silver hair and blue eyes that seemed too large for his face. He looked like he'd walked right out of a magazine spread. And as for the one in the middle ...
"You!" Ashley exclaimed, as last night came back to her all at once. She began backing up the steps, a finger pointed at the one with brown, gold-streaked hair that came down to his shoulders. "You attacked me!"
"Come now, our Jeremy did no such thing," Ryan said in an amazingly calm voice. It was the same infuriating voice her dad liked to use with her sometimes. Be sensible, Ashley, he'd say. "Jeremy saved you."
Ashley blinked over the row of strangers on the couch, then turned back to Ryan. "Saved me? From what?"
"You don't remember?" Jeremy asked. In a swift motion, he leapt over the back of the couch, taking her aback. He approached the foot of the stairs, spreading his arms like a stage actor asking for an encore. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and she noticed that there were tiny cuts all over his arms and chest, still red and fresh.
Ashley darted a gaze towards the back porch. The door's glass was completely gone, and it had been boarded up with planks of wood she recognized - they came from all that junk the Templetons kept lying around the garage. "What ... happened?"
"Not to worry, Ashley. I'd be happy to explain," Ryan offered.
"Wait," she went, jolted. "How do you know my name?"
"Jeremy told us," Rhys piped up, fetching a panicked look from Jeremy.
"What?"
She turned to Jeremy, but Ryan spoke up first, "Let's not get worked up. Everything will be explained soon enough. Would you like to come down and have breakfast with us, or would you rather shower first?"
Shower? One of her hands flew up to her chest - her braless chest, to be exact - and she swallowed at the thought of her hair which could probably be mistaken for a bird's nest. In lieu of words, she let out a choked, mortified sound, spinning on her heel and rocketing up the stairs. She made it into the safety of her bedroom, locking the door and standing in a daze. There she stayed for several minutes before calming down when no one came up after her.
I've heard of imaginary friends. Is that what's happening here? Being alone made me conjure up four imaginary friends? Seriously, am I totally losing it?
Tentatively, she put her ear to the door, making out the muffled noise of the TV and the boys chatting in light-hearted tones. What did one do in situations such as these? Call for help? Jump out the window?
She swallowed, taking a moment to think. What she really wanted to do was clean herself up, for a start. She dug some clothes out of her wardrobe, got her towel and slipped out into the hall to use the bathroom. When she was dressed and decent, her stomach started grumbling for food. Warily, she headed downstairs, half-expecting to find that she'd just imagined the whole scene earlier and everything would be back to normal.
She crept down the staircase, hunched low. The TV was still on, although it wasn't on Dr. Pol anymore. Someone had switched to a movie channel, where a battle was unfolding on-screen.
"The things man comes up with," someone remarked - the boy with the silver hair. "What is the point of creating things that destroy?"
"Man will always be fighting," Ryan reflected. "If not with the world, then with each other. And if not with each other, then with himself. It's his nature."
From where she stood, Ashley looked around, wondering if there was a way she could slip out unnoticed and make it to the neighbors - the Selkirks' - to call for help. Two of the boys were still seated on the couch, while Ryan was in an armchair, engrossed in watching TV. Go for it, Ashley.
She snuck down the rest of the stairs, scurrying towards the kitchen. She was so focused on the boys on the couch, she didn't stop to think about where the last one of them - Jeremy - might be. Until she felt herself bump squarely into someone's chest. She staggered, and felt a hand catch her arm to steady her. A lump slid down the inside of her throat as she looked up and found herself peering into Jeremy's amber eyes. "Going somewhere?" he asked her, his voice drawing the others' attention.
They turned their heads, eyeing her curiously.
Jeremy cocked a brow at her, waiting. She made herself shake her head. "N-no."
"Alright then." With a hand still on her arm, he turned her around, nudging her towards the others.
She had no choice but to go and sit down, while Jeremy perched himself on an armrest next to Ryan. Ryan reached over, picking up the remote and turning the TV off, to which Quinn made a sound of disappointment. Ryan tented his fingers together, meeting Ashley's gaze. "I assume you must have plenty of questions. Be assured we will answer them as best as we can. However, I think we should first introduce ourselves properly. I'm Ryan, this is Jeremy, that's Quinn and last but not least is Rhys."
Quinn smiled at her, Rhys' blue eyes did a mischievous twinkle, while Jeremy didn't so much as move a muscle, continuing to stare at her so intently she wondered if there was something wrong with her face.
"OK," she said slowly. "And who are all of you exactly?"
"Well, uh ... this is a bit hard to explain, but we're not from here."
She'd gathered that much. All of them had a strange way of speaking - kind of like a mishmash of different accents, creating a new one entirely all their own. "What is it you want from me?"
"What do we want from you?" Ryan sounded puzzled. "As in a favor?"
"No, I mean why are you here? In my house? What do you want? Is this about money? Or ... or ... "
"She's nervous," Rhys said casually, taking her by surprise.
"What? No, I'm - "
"Yes, you are. There's no use hiding it, not from me."
Ashley shot to her feet, nervous energy sweeping through her. "Stop kidding around! I demand that you guys tell me what you're doing in my house. Right now."
"Whoa, easy there," Quinn said, also standing up and practically dwarfing her. She felt a large hand land on her shoulder. "Calm down. There's no need to be afraid of us. We're here to help."
"Help? Are you serious?"
Across from her, Jeremy cleared his throat. "Ashley. Just take a minute and try to remember last night. Think. You know what happened."
Ashley shrugged off Quinn's hand, but decided to listen to Jeremy's words. The shattered window. The terrifying realization of something being in the house with her - something that had been out to attack or even kill her. There had been a dog and a wolf. One of them had saved her life. And oddly enough, it had been the wolf. The wolf that had transformed before her eyes into a man. Into Jeremy.
Without a word, Ashley sagged and sank into the armchair again, arms sitting rigid by her sides.
"Are you alright?" Quinn asked with a frown.
"No."
"No?"
"I think I'm losing my mind."
"That might be easier to believe," Ryan reasoned. "But it's not the truth, no."
"It has to be. I was seeing things last night and I'm still seeing things now. Ah ... wait, I know what this. This is one of those nervous breakdown things, isn't it?" She laughed to herself. "It's just stress. It's just stress."
"Hey," Jeremy called to her, his brows a tight squiggle. "Listen to me. We're real, alright? Don't reduce us to figments of your imagination. It's insulting."
"Great. Now I have to consider the feelings of my imaginary friends."
"Would you pull yourself together? Ryan, you've got to tell her."
Ryan took a long pause, mulling over how to explain. "Very well," he sighed. "Ashley, I suppose there's nothing to do but tell you the truth. So here it is. We're ... how should I put this? We're not like you."
"Uh huh?" she prompted.
"We don't come from your world. In fact, we've been fighting against it for a long time. Generations in fact."
"I don't understand."
"The four of us serve a duty - a very important duty - to what we call Alitera."
"What is that, some corporate organization?"
"No, it's ... " he looked like he was struggling to go on.
That prompted an eager Quinn to jump in and help. "You know how your body is a complex system of things working together, from your heart to your muscles to your nervous system?"
"Yeah."
"The world you see around you is just like that. It's made up of a balance of many different things. The weather. The tides. The forests."
Why am I getting a geography lesson here?
"OK, I get that. But what's Alitera?"
"Alitera is what keeps it all going. It's a lot like your concept of a soul. Every living thing is born connected to Alitera, but it's different for us. We actually have a piece of it in us. It's what makes us what we are. It's what lets us do the things we do."
"Shit. Are you guys like some sort of nature freaks? Greenpeace radicals? Am I being held hostage for ransom? That's not going to work, OK?"
"No," Jeremy said, smacking his forehead. "Alright, I'm just going to come out and say it."
"Jeremy - " Ryan started to protest.
"We're not human, Ashley."
"You're not?"
"No."
"You look pretty human to me?"
"This is just a form we take on when necessary. But we were born as animals. That's what we truly are."
"You mean you can ... change shape?"
"Yes."
"To any animal?"
"No, only the animal that we are. The shape that we came with when we were born." He paused, eyeing her carefully . "You must have ... seen it last night. With me."
Wolf. Wolf. Wolf. Oh great, listen to me - my thoughts are barking. A giggle worked her way up in her throat, and Jeremy made an exasperated expression. "It's the truth," he insisted.
But she couldn't stop giggling. They just kept spilling out of her - it was the only way she knew how to react.
"Alright, so you're still not convinced. Rhys?"
"So it comes down to me, does it?"
"Yours is the easiest."
"Is it? I'd say Ryan's is."
"I also think yours would be most easy to accept."
Rhys pursed his lips, then got up. He unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, which, she realized with a start was her dad's. Wait, come to think of it, why were they all wearing clothes from her dad's closet?? Before she could ask, Rhys came towards her, bending low. He sprang forward, and there was a blur of movement, too quick for her eye to catch. The next thing she knew, something small and light landed in her lap. A little silver furball. A cat.
Ashley was so startled, she leapt out of her seat with a yelp. The cat went flying, spread-eagled and letting out a comical wail. Jeremy covered his mouth and began laughing, while Ryan reached out and caught the poor cat mid-air before lowering it safely to the coffee table. "Really, Ashley, that was uncalled for," he said disapprovingly.
"W-what?" she sputtered. She gazed at the cat sitting on the table, which looked uncannily like it was frowning up at her. "He startled me."
"I think he just wanted to sit in your lap."
"Of course he does," Quinn murmured dryly.
"You seriously expect me to believe that cat ... is Rhys?"
"Yes," all three boys answered.
Ashley lowered her eyes to the cat, which eyed her as it flicked its tail in a leisurely rhythm. The sharp features and bright blue eyes did have something of Rhys in them. "Rhys?" she tested. "Is that you? Or is all this another damn April Fool's prank? Like for YouTube or something?"
The cat leapt down from the coffee table, earnestly swishing around her legs. Quinn made a sound of disgust, bending down and tugging Rhys away. "Pervert," he muttered, and Ashley suddenly realized why, since she was wearing a dress and the cat had just been, well, at her feet, looking up her ...
"Oh God," she went, self-consciously squashing her knees together. She trotted away from her chair, pacing and muttering to herself for a few minutes.
"Hey, I have a question," Quinn said to her, raising an arm.
"Um, OK?"
"What's YouTube?"
What's YouTube? Are these guys for real? She took another look at their faces, seeing real confusion in their eyes. "It's a video-sharing website."
"Ah, yes, the Internet. We've heard a lot about it," Ryan murmured, scratching a stubbled cheek. "We'd be honored if you would show us what this Internet is because we've heard so much about it, but we've never actually seen it before."
"You can't. I mean, it's intangible. Wait. Wait a minute. I can't believe I'm explaining this. You guys seriously don't know what the Internet is?"
"All we know is what we've seen or heard from humans," Quinn added.
"So we hope you'll understand that we may be unfamiliar with things that might be common knowledge to you. We've observed humans all our lives, but still, there is a lot we don't know, so it would be useful if we could consult with you on things."
"Uh ... I guess I could do that. So where exactly have you guys been living all this time?"
Quinn gestured towards the back porch, at the trees that lay beyond and gradually disappeared into mist and sky.
"Really? That's where you live? What do you do all day?"
"We keep watch," Jeremy answered.
"For what?"
"For humans. For change."
"What does that mean?"
"We protect Alitera," Ryan explained.
"How? Who says you have to do that? Who gives you that responsibility?"
"No one gives it to us. It's part of who we are."
"Really?"
"We do have someone to guide us," Quinn put forward. "We each have an Elder who shares their knowledge and experience and helps us learn how to shift."
"Shift?"
"Yes, that thing we do when we, you know, switch between forms."
"Ah, OK. Got it. So you protect Alitera by guarding the forests?"
"That's part of it," Ryan said.
"From us? From humans?"
"You could say that, yes."
"Then ... why are you guys here? Why are you telling me all your secrets?"
"Because of this," Jeremy piped up, picking something up from the coffee table to show to her. It was yesterday's newspaper with the big, panic-inducing headline about the wolf that was mauling everyone. She stared at it for a minute, then raised her gaze to Jeremy's, uneasy.
"You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"
"Of course not." He sounded offended, surprised at her even suggesting it. "They have it all wrong. Another Shifter's behind this, not me. The one who attacked you last night."
Fury. A rush of fur. Hot breath through unclenched jaws.
Ashley hadn't wanted to remember, but now, her mind seemed to seize upon last night, reliving it over and over in an attempt to make sense of it.
"Why?" her voice came out as a whisper. "I didn't even know about any of you before this. What did I do to make him hate me?"
"That's what we're hoping to find out."
Ashley felt her heart sink underneath the weight of fear, of not knowing what she was up against, or why she was even being targeted. She thought about those other attacks. "Maybe it's a mistake."
"Leif doesn't make mistakes," Jeremy told her bluntly.
"Oh."
He gazed at her for a moment, then his face seemed to soften. "Look, I'm just glad I got to you in time," he said, murmuring the words.
"So am I," she said, meaning it. "Otherwise - "
"Don't. Don't think about that."
"Ashley," Ryan said her name. "I think you can understand now why we had to come out of hiding like this. We have no idea what Leif is thinking, why he chose to abandon the Circle. He's putting us all in danger."
"So where is he now?"
"We don't know. Unfortunately, we weren't able to capture him last night, despite Jeremy's efforts."
"You mean he's still out there?"
"I'm afraid so."
"And he might come back here?"
"Possibly."
"Probably," Jeremy couldn't help saying, and Quinn elbowed him.
"Listen, Ashley," Ryan started. "Seeing as you're involved in this, I really think we should cooperate to try and find Leif and put a stop to his madness."
"Uh, yeah. Sure. What do you need me to do? I assume we're on our own in this. No police, no authorities ... "
"No, we can't involve anyone or let the truth out. If humans were to find out about us ... well, I'd rather not find out what would happen. The Elders tell us that there was a time before humans when we used to live in all corners of the world, roaming the lands, the skies, the seas. But so few of us have survived over the years, I fear we might soon become extinct."
"Depressing, isn't it?" Quinn mumbled.
"I'm sorry," Ashley said. "That sounds terrible. You must hate us."
"I hate what the world has become. I hate what has been lost." Ryan paused, looking down at his hands for a moment. "You must understand, Ashley, that being like this - simply being in human form - is something we're not accustomed to. It's a useful disguise, but our senses are dulled when we're human. We generally don't shift except when mating or faced with a dire situation."
Mating??
"But you humans have some wonderful things," Quinn piped up with a smile.
"I suppose," Ryan mused. "Architecture, art, music ... "
"I was thinking more like TV and that french toast you made, Ryan."
"Ah, yes. Those are quite enjoyable too."
"Well, that's great," Ashley said. "I'm glad I can be an ambassador for the human race to you guys."
"That's perfect. Because we were hoping that, since you already know our secret, and since you are a human, you would let us stay here with you."
Ashley's eyes widened. "What?"
"We know that Leif is somewhere in Solco. It would be a great help if we had a safe place to stay and even better if we had someone to teach us about the human experience."
"Meaning me."
"That's right."
"Your parents are away, right?" Jeremy asked.
"Yeah. Wait, how did you know that?"
He didn't answer her, plowing on, "It's not a good idea for you to be alone. We'll stay by your side until we can find Leif and deal with him."
"He's right!" Quinn said. He reached over, taking one of her hands with both of his own. His palms and fingers were so big and broad, her own hand felt tiny by comparison. Quinn leaned close to her, his brown eyes widening. "Don't worry, Ashley. We'll protect you."
With such little distance between them, Ashley felt the heat of a blush spread through her cheeks. Quinn's hands were hot to the touch, and she was finding it hard to focus on anything else. Before she could think of something to say, Rhys leapt behind the couch, then, in a flash of limbs spreading, he was back to a human shape, smiling down at her. The couch just barely hid the lower half of his naked body, below his navel.
"Oh my God!" Ashley exclaimed, pulling her hand away and shielding her eyes.
"Rhys," Ryan chided him.
Rhys coolly tossed thick, gleaming hair out of his eyes. "What? The human body is a beautiful thing. It's nothing to be ashamed of." He shifted his weight, nodding at Ashley. "Your body is quite beautiful too. There's really no need to cover it up, is there?"
"Don't mind him," Quinn said to her. Hastily, he scooped up Rhys' clothes and tossed the pile right in his face. "Put them on. You're making her uncomfortable."
Rhys let the pile of clothes fall into his hands, making a face. For a moment, Ashley thought he was going to continue arguing, but finally, he started pulling on pants, grumbling under his breath.
Across from her, Ryan did a nervous little laugh. "I'm sorry about that, Ashley. As you can see, we still have a lot to learn, like basic propriety in Rhys' case. That's why I feel we can help each other. You can help us blend in and locate Leif, and in turn, we will offer you our protection."
"Like bodyguards, huh?"
"Bodyguards?"
"Bodyguards protect famous people or royalty from getting hurt or assassinated. They follow them everywhere."
"Yes, exactly like that." He gestured at the group. "We would like to be your bodyguards. So? What do you say?"
Ashley dropped her shoulders, knowing she needed to make a decision. Ryan's eyes were hopeful, and Quinn and Rhys were watching her carefully, waiting to hear what she had to say. And what about Jeremy? He was not looking at her, but was standing with his gaze turned out the glass door leading to the back porch. She had the sense he was thinking of something far away, something full of memories but now out of his reach. He seemed ... sad. She lowered her gaze slightly, observing the cuts on his upper body.
From the glass? She remembered him pouncing on her yesterday, and glass shattering all around them. Yet she was unhurt. Was it because of him? Was it because he had shielded her from that? She felt bad for not remembering. "Jeremy?" she spoke up.
At his name, he blinked a few times, looking as if he'd been pulled from a trance. Turning his head slightly, he rested an amber gaze on her. "Yes?"
"What do you think?"
"You heard what Ryan said."
"Yes, but I want to know what you think."
He tilted his head an inch, his hair glimmering like brown and gold threads with the movement. "I think you should go with your instincts."
She hadn't expected that answer. She leaned back in the chair, studying him as he looked away again. My instincts, huh? What are they telling me? She searched her thoughts, going over everything the boys had told her, and the events of last night as well as ... a memory. A memory from so long ago, she struggled to remember it clearly.
The world is not ready for some truths.
She frowned, confused. The thought had come to her seemingly from nowhere. For a moment, feelings rose up inside her - of awe and disbelief, followed by the disappointment of burying something away, which was where it had stayed for years. Until now.
Ashley raised her head, drawing air into her lungs then exhaling again. She looked round the foursome - confident, logical Ryan, cheeky Rhys, Quinn with his boyish smile, and of course Jeremy, the hardest one to read.
"I've made my decision."