We sit on the blanket eating the chocolate dipped strawberries and drinking champagne out of plastic flutes that Hanna and Julie packed. "They certainly made their choices of food a little obvious." I say breaking the silence. Easton looks at me and I can see his thoughts were far from the types of food packed in the basket. He smiles slowly as if he's trying to think of a nice way to say something. "I guess we can't say they didn't try to set the mood for us." He says as he looks back down at the basket. Suddenly, I become very aware of how close we are sitting and how I am clearly lacking in the clothing department. I try to shift my weight to put a little space between us, but Easton reaches out and stops me. "Look Charlee, I was serious about getting to know you." He looks at me with a fire in his eyes and I start to break out in a cold sweat. "Wait, what? You can't be serious I'm not that kind of girl!" He starts laughing hysterically as if he's just been told a joke at my expense. "Come on baby doll get you're mind out of the gutter. I just meant tell me about yourself." I once again stare at him flabbergasted feeling like I will never figure this guy out. He knows exactly what he does to me and he enjoys it. "You pig!" I say as I throw a strawberry at him and start to walk away. I'm not really mad but I need time to cover up my embarrassment. "Aw, come on Charlee!" He pleads as he turns me around to face him. I look into his eyes he's giving me that same look from the lake and again he pulls away again as if I've shocked him. "Come back to the blanket sit with me, I promise to be on my best behavior." He laughs as he wags his eyebrows at me. "You're a dirty scoundrel and you don't play fair." I mutter as I walk back to the blanket.
"So, Charlee, tell me about your life." I think about my small time on this Earth and can't seem to find anything interesting to talk about. "My life is pretty boring there's nothing really to talk about. I'm just a typical teenager if I was in a movie I would probably just be an extra or something." He smiles, "Ok well tell me about something a little more specific." Curious to know where this is going I ask, "And what specific would that be?" "Well, specifically, about you and Daniel. What would cause you to give him that stellar right hook?" I laugh a little at this. I totally forgot that happened after everything else that has occurred since then. "Well, I can't really tell you what happened to Daniel and me. We used to be best friends as thick as thieves, and then one day he went to summer camp and he came back never wanting to talk to me again." "Summer camp huh? I guess that's what the wolf around here tell people so they don't have to explain their long absences." "What? No, Daniel isn't a wolf he's just an asshole." "Well, I'll give you that, he is an asshole, but this whole town is crawling with wolves. Half the people in his group are wolves. His dad is the pack leader." I look at him, understanding finally falling into place. "No wonder he became so mean. I guess he thought he was too good for me once he became a wolf and I was just a mere peasant. Well, ha! The jokes on him!" "It sure is baby doll, come on let's go swim again for a little bit longer." "But it's dark out! What if there are spiders and stuff?!" Easton roars again with laughter, "I promise I'll keep you safe from the big bad spiders baby doll." He offers me his arm and leads me back through the cavern.
We swim late into the night and I'm starting to get really tired. It has been an emotionally exhausting few days and it's really starting to hit me. "Can we head back now? I'm getting really tired and my parents are probably worried sick I haven't talked to them since a couple of days ago." I get dressed to leave and again I start to get a suspicious feeling I'm being watched. "You ready?" Easton calls to me. "Yea come on let's get out of here I'm getting the heebie jeebies." Easton looks around a little at stills as if he senses something. "There is someone here. I can smell his wolf." He whispers to me quietly. "I'm going to shift and you're going to hop on I can outrun whoever it is." I become on high alert and just nod at him with a deer in the headlights look. It all happens so fast, he shifts right before my eyes and I'm on his back and we are off running through the trees at lightning fast speed. The next thing I know I am hurtling through the air like I've just been hit by a freight train and I am looking into the eyes of a murderous beast. His hot breath is blowing into my face and drool is dripping down my neck. I am completely pinned down and can't seem to catch my breath. If this wolf doesn't kill me I'm going to die of suffocation. I can feel the adrenaline start to pump through my body, I can hear the pounding of my heart in my ears. I look around trying to find anything to defend myself but the wolf snaps at me at tears open my shoulder. I scream out in agony and frustration knowing there is nothing I can do when a giant brown wolf tackles the wolf holding me to the ground. I sit up looking around at all the wolves fighting when I spot him my giant black wolf taking on 5 other wolves and I can't be sure, but I almost think he's enjoying himself.