Furry Humans

❝Every heart desires a mate.❞

Freezing water surrounds my body, washing over my face and cutting off my supply of air. Bubbles floated above, as I scream, the water instantly filling my mouth and traveling toward my lungs leaving an icy cold feeling in its wake. My limbs felt like lead with my clothes, my eyes wide open I watch the surface move farther away from my reach.

And with new found energy and determination, I force myself to swim up, my lungs burning with the need to breathe, I open my mouth, pushing myself harder, bubbles of oxygen surrounding me and finally I broke through the surface; taking a deep, gasping breath. With my hair matted to my scalp, I turn myself around in the water blinking rapidly; my eyes widen when my gaze connects with the huge wave coming my way.

“ABIGAIL!!”

I scream as the wave crashed into me violently, submerging me underwater once again, twisting and turning me, flipping my body upside down in all kinds of directions. I came up for air but wave after wave crashed, knocking me under and against the cliff wall side.

Again. And again. And again.

My head snapped back, knocking against a sharp-edged rock, pain flooding my senses. Everything slowed, all my movements ceasing while I drifted down, the violent waves above me coming to a still. Through parted eyelids, I watched as rays of sunlight broke through the clear surface of the water, the coldness surrounding me and my hair floating around my face just as the sight of red flowing upwards caught my eye.

I couldn’t help but think how beautiful the water looked as I continued to float toward the ocean floor slowly losing consciousness. The water glistening like diamonds under the light, it was so beautiful and pretty, a glow to it making my body relax. Funny how I find out my Dad is a werewolf and not too long after I’m going to die drowning.

If I could chuckle, I would have.

My eyes sluggishly close, everything blanking out and quieting into soft mummers and sounds, and the last thing I saw was a shadowy figure swimming towards me. Then darkness.

“. . bigail. . .” something whispered.

“She isn’t. .bre . . ing!”

Something warm pressed against my chest before pressure was added, up and down, like someone was pumping air into a bike’s tire. My senses were slowly coming back.

It inched its way from my chest and crawled at a rapid pace up my throat and out my mouth, my body lurched forward on its own, vomiting. The taste of the ocean water on my tongue.

“Turn her on her side!” a voice rushed out.

Warm hands were placed on my forearms, tilting me to my side, just as another round of water spewed past my lips. The hand rubbed my back, sparks erupting where it touched. Once everything passed, I slumped down on the cool ground and I could faintly feel from my fingertips the chilling texture of snow.

I parted my eyes open, greeted with the grayish sky that was filled with gray because of the snow. The cool air blew across my wet cheeks and body, causing me to shiver uncontrollably. A shadow then blocked my view and I blinked, adjusting my sight while coming face to face with Xavier, a dripping wet Xavier as worry were clouding his facial features.

I stared at him, his brown eyes stand out more from his lightly tanned skin, his black hair was matted to his head while his bangs were glued to his forehead. His white polo shirt clung to him like a second skin, the muscles underneath standing out more.

“You okay? Are you hurting?” he asks, suddenly speaking and snapping me from gazing at his form.

I lick my dry lips, tasting the sea. “C-c-cold.” I whispered hoarsely: mind still blank and processing a bit.

His gaze snapped back up to mine from sliding his eyes down my body for any injury before looking at something over me. Suddenly a presence shifted to my other side as I turned my attention from Xavier to my other side.

“Her lips are turning blue,” Dylan said, his eyebrows scrunched up. “I just mind linked your Dad, he’s coming down,” he said to Xavier, just as he pulled me into his arms.

Fireworks were exploding in my body at his touch, my reaction was slow and all I wanted to do was get warm.

“You need to remove her jacket, it won’t help her get warm,” he stated and reached out, pulling down the zipper of my jacket down when a growl stopped him.

It came from Xavier, his chest vibrating with small growls as he glared hard at Dylan’s hand, seeing this Dylan retracted it. Slowly, Xavier slid the jacket from my body, resulting me to shiver more violently as the wind began to pick up, with ease, he pulled his shirt over his over his head revealing his chest to my eyes.

My eyes widen.

’Lord blessed this one real good.′ I couldn’t help but think, almost drooling at the sight.

His arms wrapped around me fully, pressing me up against his chest to the point where my chest rest on his collarbone, facing his neck. Warmth engulfed my body, my shivers ceased and I snuggled closer to his chest. He held me tight, my body fitting perfectly in his lap.

“I’m so sorry,” Xavier uttered in my ear, pressing me closer to the warmth his skin gave off, his chin resting on top of my head. “I didn’t mean to drop you, I’m sorry.” he hugs me tighter.

I didn’t say anything back, the warmth his body gave me lulling me sleep. It was then that I was almost in dreamland that the sound of fast approaching footfalls crunching in the snow filled the air.

“Abigail!” I heard that familiar voice.

I lifted my head and turned to look over my shoulder to see Dad, running towards me, in nothing but soft shorts; no shirt nor shoes. Once he reached us he fell to his knees, hand flying to my shoulder as he looked me over just like Xavier had.

“Oh my, pup,” he whispers, sadly, stroking my head.

“We have to get her back to the house,” Logan said as he jogged up. “She might be warm for now but she still has a chance to catch hypothermia,” he adds seriously.

Dad looked over at him with a clenched jaw and then back the three of us, my eyes were shut, just wondering to god what did I do to be in a situation like this. I felt Xavier shift, then stand to his feet, walking towards the edge of the forest from the spot we were at.

I had so many questions. And they all knew I did.

I ran my finger along the edge of the steaming cup of tea, a thick blanket that was wrapped around me, as the fireplace heated up my body further. The room was quite. . awfully quiet.

Dad sat with Mom across from me on the other two seated, neither of them meeting my eye. Logan and Dylan settled themselves on the three seat sofa, tense. And Xavier was seated beside me, he’s been acting different since we came back but I could still hear that one-word ringing in my head before I plunged into the water.

"Mine.”

A shiver ran down my back. My body was acting weird too, there was this constant humming in my veins and has been there since Xavier carried me all the way back. Shaking my head a bit, I finally broke the tension in the room by clearing my throat.

All eyes snapped my way.

“Why?” was my first question. I could see the gears working with my parents’ heads. “And don’t say it was to protect me. I want to know; why?"

Mom bit her bottom lip, her hands resting on her bulging belly. “Sweetie. .” she started. I raised a brow. “We were trying to keep this away from you as long as possible, we wanted to wait when the time was right.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“I didn’t mean for you to find out this way, we were putting you in danger if we told you a bit too soon.” Dad voiced, deep.

A growl rose from Xavier’s chest and I sent him a look.

“That’s still not telling me, stop beating around the bush and tell. me.” I hiss, urging.

Dad narrowed his eyes. “You want the truth?”

I stare at him blankly.

“Fine,” he scooted to the edge of the sofa seat. “Yes, I’m a werewolf, a creature known to live in folktale stories and myths. I’ve been like this my whole life, then I met your mother,” he tells me, his eyes shifting toward mom then back at me.

“She is the love of my life, my soulmate and human. We were meant to be since the moon put us together. Then came the two precious beings that meant the world to us. Mason and you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath at his name, my heart increasing in speed.

“Your mother and I were afraid that you both would inherit what I have.” I frowned at his words.

“What do you mean?”

He looked me dead in the eye. “Abigail you’re half human and half werewolf.”