Furry Humans

❝Dance with me, bring my demons to their knees.❞

“Abigail Danielle Simpson!” Mom shrieked.

I gritted my teeth, desperately trying to keep down the flurry of emotions that increased and poured along my senses, drowning me. I watched as the guy before me, who claimed to be my brother, regained his balance still holding his nose.

“You bastard!” I yelled face tinged red.

“Abigail!!”

I ignored them. Mason squinted at me, widening his eyes as he pulled his hand away from his nose, and a small spark of satisfaction lit inside me when a drop of blood slid out, he wiped it away with the top of his hand and stared down at it.

He then drifted his gaze to look down at me, “That was not what I expected.” his voice was deep and husky, different from the small gentle one I was used to when we were younger.

I glare harshly in his direction before whipping around to look back at Mom and Dad, Mom was glaring back at me, her hand cupping under her bulging belly while Dad put on an emotionless mask. I pointed a trembling finger at Mason.

“Tell me this is some sick joke,” I say, clenching the other hand at my side to remind myself that this is all real, “Someone tell me that after seven years, that my brother isn’t standing in front of me?”

I watch as mom’s disappointed expression begins to fade into a pained one, her eyes were wet from crying and red from rubbing away the tears, Dad’s face stayed the same, not a single twitch gave off what was going on inside his head. They all stayed tight-lipped, not making a move to speak.

“TELL ME!” I scream, voice cracking, betraying the façade I put up, and almost released the real emotions I felt.

My breathing sped up, and it felt like my chest was tightening with every inhale, I felt choked up and so close from a panic attack, it was building up to its peak and it was trickling along the insides of my chest, filling in every crack that has been placed there, it was like water running over smooth-faced rocks; never having a particular direction to go. Two more emotions were swelling up inside me, one made my palms sweat and my legs quake with thoughts bustling through my head, while the other made my heart beat a stronger uneven pattern on my ribcage: these emotions were anxiety and fear. Anxious for the turn of events and fear of the unknown.

I guess they all could see it coming because Dad takes a step toward me and his eyes flickers behind me at the same moment I felt a hand grasp my elbow, I jerked away roughly and stumbled back from Mason who wore a torn look. He held his hands out to me.

“Look, look” he started, “I know you’re furious, but I need you to calm down, so we can talk, and I can explain things. Everything was for your safety, Abby.”

My nose flared at his words, chest heaving like I’ve run a mile, “No!” I shook my head, “Y-you don’t get to call me that, you lost the privilege.”

“And don’t spout that bullshit to me,” I added quietly, “Because Dad already tried that, and I’m done."

Silence followed my words, the air thick with tension, and everyone stood with their shoulders bunched and backs tight in case of anything. Mason took in a deep breath before releasing it.

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but can you try and relax, please?” he asks, a pleading look in his eyes, and he gestures towards the seat for me to sit.

I stare him down for a few seconds longer, then move around his body to the sofa where I fall tensely into the cushion, Xavier wasn’t too far behind into following me. The slight heat radiating from him made the muscles within me loosen up but not all the way. When Mason, Mom, and Dad sat down across from us on the three-seated couch, he started speaking.

“So, I’m guessing you know about wolves now?” Mason started off, looking from Xavier than back to me. When I don’t answer, he continues.

“I’ll take that as a yes, you know how males can fully shift into their wolves while females can’t, right? When I came of age for me to shift for the first time, it was the same time that the government that controls werewolves was picking up on our tracks. Dad had to send me to the nearest pack for me to get to know my wolf better and the ins and outs of a pack.” he informs me, rubbing his knuckles, staring at the floor in a daze.

I felt Xavier’s tense form shift beside me, and I cast a curious glance his way to see him leaning sideways on the armrest, his elbow resting on it while his hand covered his mouth. Movement from my peripheral vision turns my attention back to the three in front of me.

“And the somewhat closest known pack that would accept me was in MoonBrooke.”

I freeze at his words, and ever so slowly I tilt my head back toward Xavier who avoids my gaze, the hand around his mouth tightens, the words were at the tip of my tongue, begging to be let loose but I waited.

“Dad wasn’t allowed to set foot inside MoonBrooke because he was a lone wolf or in other words a rogue,” Mason says, his words ringing in my ears as I kept my eyes on Xavier, “He didn’t want to leave you and mom behind, so he stayed back and let me go on my own.”

“I wasn’t allowed to make calls to the house because it would be a risk to you with people trying to track you down.” he paused, and I felt his gaze on the side of my face.

“Abigail. . . please look at me.”

Reluctantly, I turned to face Mason, where he was staring intensely at me leaning off the edge of his seat. “They trained me to become a warrior, one who protects the pack, their family, and I wanted to protect my own.”

I let his words ring through my head, turning my attention to Dad, his expression softened, and his hand was rubbing the opposite, I then look over my Mom and she meets my gaze head-on, hair disheveled and frizzy; she mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ before looking down. Finally, I look to Xavier, the light reflecting his form in my eyes.

“This doesn’t make it better,” I finally spoke, “Telling me this stuff now doesn’t make what I feel go away and sometimes I wonder that if you ask yourselves ‘how would Abigail feel?’, ‘how will Abigail feel to know that the supernatural is real and she’s apart of it all too?’.” I hiss, the anger making its appearance again.

I rise to my feet, hands clenched at my side, “I wonder if I’ve done something bad in a past life to deserve this much lies and secrecy.”

“Abigail—” Mom tried.

“No. Just no.”

Waving my hand and stride around the coffee table, under the archway entrance and to the kitchen that leads to the back door, the frigid air blasts into my body as I step outdoor and into the wilderness. Snow crunches and footsteps echo through the trees, I take the familiar path to the cliff where it all started, shivering from head to toe in the below freezing weather. My teeth chatter as I wrap my arms around myself, my anger and betrayal fueling my movements.

“Abigail!”

I break through the forest line and out into the snow-covered clearing, the crunching behind me sped up, the water below rocked back and forth violently against the wall, the sound of it crashing against the cliff side drifted into my ears.

“Abigail stop!”

My feet stop on command and I grit my teeth to stop them from making any noise, fog collects in front of my face when I exhale, turning I see Xavier standing a couple of feet away, scowling while holding my parka in his hand.

“You lied to me,” I say, glaring at him. “You knew my brother was here, the whole time.”

“I admit it, I did know he was your brother and that he was here, but it wasn’t my place to say anything,” he mutters, taking a step toward.

“A heads up would have helped, Xavier!!”

“How the fúck am I supposed to approach you with some news like that!?” he retorts back, equally raising his voice, “Just walk up to you and say, ‘oh hey Abigail, your brother has been here for the past almost seven years and he’s coming to see you’.” he gives me a look.

“Be reasonable right now, clear your head and think rationally and how hard it was for your parents to keep things from you.”

“You don’t understand! None of you do!” I shout, tears blurring my vision, the cold forgotten to me. I take large steps toward Xavier stopping until he was looking down at me. “There’s an ache in my chest because I’ve been living in a house of lies and I don’t know what’s real anymore! I can’t do this, there is so much on my mind and heart and I feel so fucking heavy.”

In one swift moment, my face was cupped between Xavier’s large hands, the parka lying on the ground with my head tilted to meet gaze dead on.

“Then help me understand,” he whispered, his cool breath blowing my face. “There’s a reason I’m here, being your mate, and it’s to understand you and your feelings.” his thumb brushes away a lone tear.

“Let me carry some of the weight that’s bringing you down. .”

I stare into his eyes, waiting for the sincereness to crack, my bottom lip trembles. “How?” my voice was hoarse.

The chilling wind blows, my hair swaying to the side, strands glittering in my side view; despite wearing the long-sleeved shirt and pants in the freezing weather I didn’t feel a thing, Xavier’s giving off the right amount of heat. He leans down, so close to where I could make out a few bumps on his forehead, and my reflection in his eyes that glowed lighter than they normally do, almost a hazel.

“Just trust me.”

And he kissed me. Connecting mine and his lips together, the kiss was gentle and sweet, a gentle sweep of the lips. A buzz started from my feet and crawled its way up my legs and so on, one of the hands holding my face steady and stroked my jawline, making my mind freeze and fuzz. Xavier tenderly parted my lips with his, pressing harder, deepening the kiss; my hands fisting the material of his shirt at his waist.

God, I loved his taste, vanilla with a tang of pine and my nostrils flared taking in his woodsy scent. A fuzzy feeling started in my chest, the need for air was there as well. He coaxed my lips in a dance that sped and slowed, a sensual feeling to me.

And ever so slowly, Xavier pulled away, letting me take a breath through my parted lips. His swollen lips glide down the side of my mouth while peppering small kisses here and there, I suck in a quick breath when he reaches a sensitive part of my neck, his tongue slides along the part making my body tremble. Everything is forgotten, my mind at ease, body relaxed. Pleasure coursed through me when the feeling of small pricks graze where my shoulder and neck meet, I tug at his shirt, wanting to get myself closer to him.

Rumbles vibrate through his chest, his thumb tilts my chin upwards, and I do what he asks; I trust what he’s about to do and not an ounce of fear is in me. The points of his canine’s scarp along my skin and before I know it. . . he strikes.

He sinks his teeth into my flesh, and I jerk in place, my mouth opening in a silent scream while my back arches. I’m flooded with emotions and thoughts, they course through me like a smooth flowing stream and a series of images fly across my vision; blinding me. I gasp aloud when he readjusts his grip, the feeling of bliss shoots through me and I let myself float, feeling weightless. My knees buck and I fall, and fall, and fall. . .

To a pit where the forgotten are freed and the dreams become a reality.