What woke me up was when my dad came rushing home late in the middle of the night. It had surprised me and I quickly sat up in my bed as he went into my mom room, telling her to pack quickly and she demanded to know what happened out there. He soon went to Kavan room telling him and they both started arguing about Kavan leaving like he always did. Dad told him to go on ahead, leave the family to guilt my brother who was just as sick and tired as I was of always moving.
My dad rushed into my room and grabbed my suitcase. Blood was all over his bare ebony chest, face, and all over his light blue jeans. I could smell it on him. I knew what had happened in the woods but always, I never asked. He came over to my bed and placed his hand on my cheek, forcing a smile on his face to hide his fear but I could easily see it in his eyes. "Thalia, hurry up."
I reached up before his hands went away, giving him a pleading look, "Daddy, please. I just started making friends and—daddy!" I cried out as he ignored me and went to walk away but I quickly got up. I grabbed his arm, stopping him, "Please don't make us leave. I like it here, I started making friends and I don't wanna leave!"
His soft look he always tired to put on turn cold and he bared his teeth, his green eyes turning reddish yellow color, "Pack Thalia. We have to leave soon."
I jerked back, letting go of him. Kavan came into my room after dad left and he shook his head, "Told you unpacking was pointless. Been here only five months and we're leaving again."
"Kave, please talk to him—"
He ignored me and opened my draw. He grabbed my clothes and started throwing clothes into it. He grabbed the folden boxes from the closet and threw some of my personal stuff in it. My mom came into my room and she looked surprised since I had been just standing there.
"Thalia, move!" she said, taking my hand in hers. She grabbed my shoes and forced them on without socks. I started fighting her when she tired dressing me, but I fell down to the ground in stubbornness. I shook my head as she reached down, trying to pull me up.
"No! I wanna stay!" I yelled.
My mom cried in frustration and she grabbed me by my long brown wavy hair. She never did that unless I was being difficult and it worked. I quickly stood up and Kavan already had most of my stuff pack into the car. She grabbed my arm, her blue eyes turning yellow, "I know you hate this life, but you do live in it even if you like it or not. It's who you are and you can't change it."
I pulled away, glaring at her, "I hate living like this! I don't wanna be a Jaguar if we're always leaving like running like criminals. You shouldn't have been arguing with daddy and maybe he wouldn't have left angry and do something stupid. He was doing well and you had to fuck it up."
Her mouth stiffen and she shook her head, "Thalia Blackthrone, you will not talk to me like that ever again. I am your mother and you will do whatever I say. You are still a cub and if you live in this family, you have no say."
Dad came back into the room, "Ready?"
My mom didn't look away from me, "Thalia, you tell your father if you believe you could make it out there on your own. You're sixteenth birthday is in two weeks, you'll be a full Jaguar. You think you can make it out in the real world? You think it's hard now, it can only get harder young lady!"
Dad walked over towards my heated mom and put his hand on her shoulder, "Celeste, you were young to once. You know how Thalia feels but Thalia, you are getting in that car."
My mouth fell as I stared at him before sighing heavily. I walked passed them both and went outside in the cold winter night. We always never got everything each time we moved, which sucked but it's always what we could carry into dad van. We all huddled into the tight van and I sat close to Kavan since he was really warm and the heater broke. He was full grown Jaguar, twenty years old and wanting freedom as badly as I do.
*
After two days of driving from South Dakota to Wisconsin we made it to a small town called Harmony. It was only five miles from Milwaukee. It was a town that I would never want to live in because of how old fashion it was. I hated small towns, I prefer the city but of course dad didn't. He drove up to a funky looking motel that we'll be staying at until he could find us a home.
Like always, we unpacked some things. Kavan and I would share a bed which I hated because he likes to hog the bed and I much better on the floor. I sat on the bed, not helping because I didn't want to be here. Dad came over with McDonald's in his hand and held it out to me. I looked away and he sighed heavily. I could smell the delicious bacon cheeseburger and fires in the bag, but I refuse to eat. It was always like this. I refused to eat and it would worry my parents. It was their punishment for making us move again.
"Thalia, I know it wasn't your choice." dad said, sounding sincere about it. "I missed up big time, I lost control. I killed a man though. Humans are not dumb, they'll figure out and point fingers at us. We're a different kind of family."
I snorted, "Way to sugar coat saying we're freaks. I was actually making friends—"
"We've all told you making friends was a mistake. Humans—they have no room in our world. I know you want to be a normal teenager and I wish I could give you that but I can't. It's difficult, this life." he said.
I rolled my eyes, "Who are you telling."
"Thalia, no matter what it's who you are. You are a Jaguar and you can't change that. I want you to be who you are and be proud of it. Being a Jaguar doesn't make you a freak, you're unique." he said.
My head quickly turned as I looked at him like he was joking, "Unique? Dad, there's nothing unique about turning into a Jaguar! There is nothing unique about changing town about three times a year! There is nothing unique about murdering people and eating them! We're killers even if you admit or not! I hate this life, I hate being afriad of turning sixteen! I—I—I hate my life!" I yelled before running out of the motel.
"Thalia!" mom yelled out worriedly but they didn't come after me. I ran away from the motel and I wasn't sure where I was running two. I just went where my legs were taking me and I found myself at a park with a lake. It was empty since it was winter time and no one wants to come out in this weather so I was happy. I went over towards the lake and sat on a small boulder. I brought my legs up to my chest and stared out into the frozen lake.
This was so unfair. My life—why did I have to put in this life? I didn't want to be a Jaguar, I was terrified of it. I'm scared to turn sixteen because when I do, it's also my first shift. I don't know what my dad was thinking moving quickly when my time was coming. When Kavan turned, he got lucky. He roamed the woods without any problems. No running into humans, he didn't kill anyone. We don't really have control when we're in that skin. All sense of control left and we were true Jaguars. All three of them hardly shift but the other night dad had gotten angry because him and mom were arguing about Kavan getting into a fight at work. I think that's why Kavan was so quiet the drive here
I was sitting there for awhile when I felt someone behind me. My back stiffen and I expected it to be Kavan when I turned around but it wasn't. It was some guy around my age standing a good ten feet away. He was staring at me with curiosity with a cigarette in his pale hand. He had pale skin and from the strands I could see sticking out from the beanie was brown hairs. He had pale green eyes that I could stare at all day because they were that beautiful.
"Hey," he said and when I stayed quiet he spoke again. "Who are you?" I quickly got up from the boulder and started to walk away, but he quickly got in my way. I pressed my mouth together and glared at him. I opened my mouth to tell him to go away and let me pass, but he spoke, "Whoa, relax. I'm Rian."
"REE-an?" I prounced slowly and he nodded. "What kind of name is that?"
He scoffed, but grinned, "Come on, tell your name. I've never seen you before and I wanna know who you are."
"Why do you care so much?" I asked. "Doesn't matter who I am, you'll have no time to get to know me."
"Telling me your name isn't gonna hurt you." he said, sitting his jeans in his jacket. "And I'm the mayor son."
"Oh." I said as if I sounded interested. "Well guess what, my dad is a construction worker. Anything else you would like to share?"
He grinned as brought the cigarette up to his mouth and let it stick there, "You're name, you haven't shared that."
I breathed heavily out my nose in frustrated at this human boy who was bugging me, "Thalia."
He smiled, "Thalia, how nice. So where'd you come from?"
"Enough sharing." I said, walking around him but he just walked up beside me. I stopped, looking at him annoyed. "What?" I asked coldly.
"Harmony doesn't get allot of new people." he said. "You're interesting, Newbie."
"And you're a pest." I said. "I already know I won't like you."
"Why's that?" he asked, taking the cigarette out his mouth. He threw it to ground, stomping on it. "You don't know me."
"And you don't know me." I said. "I could be a weirdo for all you know."
"Oh, I like that." he said sarcastically, making me roll my eyes. I turned, walking away but he grabbed my arm. I don't like to be grabbed, so I turned and grabbed his jacket. I knocked him under his feet and he fell on his back. His eyes widen as he look up at me, "Whoa!"
"Don't grab me again." I said before I ran away.
*
It was taking me awhily to find the motel. You would think I would in this small town but I couldn't until Kavan came to found me. He tracked me by my scent in front of the old wood shop store. He didn't yell at me or anything for running away. We just stared at each other for a moment I followed him back to the motel.
"Dad wants me to try and get you to eat." he said. "I know it sucks but even I know you got to eat. Starving yourself isn't going to prove a point until you faint again. I know your hungry."
"So what." I said. "I didn't want to leave Courtan. I actually liked it there."
"I know, Thalia. I saw it on your face." he said. "But I know why dad chose this place and you might not like it."
I stared up at him confused, "What do you mean?"
He brought his hand up to his mouth, "Secrets. They want to tell you."
"Tell me what?" I asked, arching my eyebrow. I grabbed his arm, "Kav, tell me."
He sighed heavily, "A family lives here. They're Jaguars and they have a son. That's all I can tell you."
"A son?" I questioned and he nodded. "So what? Oh god, they're not already trying to find me a male Jaguar are they? I'm to young and I don't want to have a mate. I'm still fifteen and I'm not way thinking of—"
"Thalia, relax. They just want you to meet him, you don't have to get married." he said. "They're not forcing you two to be together, just to meet. If you both like each other, who knows where it could go. If not, mom and dad won't force you to be with him. You know them, they tired the same with me. It's just, our kind is hard to find. We're not a large breed, they want you to be a Jaguar."
I scoffed, "What's his name?"
"Evander but he goes by Ander." he said. "He doesn't seem to bad...at least from what I can tell."
"Doesn't make me feel any better." I said as we got to the motel.
We went over to our room and knocked on the door so someone could let us in. Mom opened the door and we went in. I saw a family in the room. Two Jaguar parents, two boys and a little girl. I looked around since everything became silent and awkward.
"What?" I questioned.
Mom had a big smile on her face as she put her hand behind my back, pushing me towards a guy who was leaning against the wall until we came towards him. "Thalia, this is Evander. He's a son of your daddy old friend."
I stared at Ander for a moment and he did the same thing. He wasn't...to bad. He had light russet color skin with semi long dark hair that he seemed to push back allot with his hands. He was tall, but most Jaguars were. He was strong looking as I could see event through the wore a black long sleeve v-neck. Okay, so he was real handsome and I just want to run my hands throw his hair.
"Ander and his family invited us to stay with them for awhile until we found our own place to live." she said. She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me to look at her with excitement in her eyes, "I think you're gonna like this part. This time Thalia, we won't have to run for probably a long time now, I promise. Maybe never. Evander family has lived here for fifteen years with no problems and they're gonna help us. You can finally start a life."
I stared at her with wide eyes and I almost brought my hand up to cover my sob, but I couldn't make it in time. I smiled widely at her since she never made that promise before and she looked at me seriously. I smiled as she hugged me tightly in her arms. Hopefully she was right, because I think I had a reason to want to stay.