Furry Humans

❝In my defense, the moon was full and I was left unsupervised.❞

Xavier was kept away from me for a few hours— a deep part inside my head not pleased with that— as Dad tried to help me get used to the enhanced senses, while he did that he explained why I was experiencing this.

“Listen closely,” Dad said softly, “Can you hear it?”

We both stood outside, though it was lightly snowing, and there was no need for me to wear a jacket, I didn’t feel the frigid air against my skin. It was odd and a new feeling, I felt completely normal. Tilting my head downwards, I strain my ears, listening and just as clear as day I could hear the waves crashing along the cliff’s wall, the seagulls screeching and critters scampering around.

“I can hear the ocean, and other animals,” I tell him, swiveling around to face him.

He stood back with a grin forming on his lips, “That’s good! Try to listen to something else.”

Nodding, I shut my eyes, and again listen for the different things around us, the waves crashing against the rocks was background noise as I picked up footfalls in the snow; the ice crunching beneath their feet.

Snapping my eyes open, I whip to the side and catch a pair of shadows on the ground growing closer until I lift my gaze and see Mason rounding the corner of the house with a woman closely behind him.

“Dad,” he called out, earning his attention. “I’ll like you to meet someone.”

Dad turns his body to face Mason, a curious expression marring his face as he peered at the girl beside him. Gesturing towards her, Mason smiled down at the red-headed that seemed to stick to his side.

“Dad,” his gaze cut over toward me then, “Abigail. This is Susan, my mate.”

That smile returned to his face, one I have seen only on Xavier’s face and I watched the smaller women beside him with caution.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Dad chuckled, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” was her soft reply, her green eyes staring at Dad before moving over towards me.

She watched me as I watched her, I glide my faze down her body and over her face, taking in her petite form— I was at least a few inches taller than her— and how weak she looked. Her red tresses were flowing in her face making her look like something drawn from an artist’s portfolio, yet something wasn’t right. Again, that nagging feeling was telling me, nudging me, to always be on alert around her.

“Hi,” she greets, “You must be Mason’s little sister,” she states.

I nod. “That’s me.”

A small smile graces her lips, “I’ve heard so much about you, he speaks highly of you. It’s finally nice to meet you.”

I narrow my eyes the slightest bit, and cross my arms, “I wish I could say the same.”

Days blurred by as slow as they wanted, no real big events happened, everything was steady and calm beside Dad teaching me how to suppress some of my senses when things become overwhelming. Mason and his mate have been spending a lot of time around the house, while Mom and Dad grew into the feel of having their family whole again.

It was weird.

It was all weird, how could they simply go back to acting as if nothing happened? It confused me, while Xavier was away and dealing with the business of the pack, I was home in my room, listening to their voices as he caught up with them and told them stories of his time away. A few times he’s tried to engage me in a conversation with ‘how are you doing?’ any other time I would ignore him or walk away.

This time he caught me alone in my room, while I waited for Samantha to come to pick me up and take me back to the Pack House—the need to escape the house and the people in it, and quite frankly, today was my birthday.

I was finally an adult, eighteen-years-old.

A knock on the wood door caught my attention from the book in my lap, I glance up and inhale, the scent of oak wood and spice filling my nostrils. I glared at the door before turning back to my book.

“Go away,” I called out.

The knob turned, and the door was pushed in. I kept my eyes on the page of my book, not bothered to glance up at him, Mason wandered further into the room and stopped just a bit from the bed.

“Hey, Bumb— Abigail.” he greeted softly, correcting himself from the slight slip of the tongue.

I kept silent, flipping the page and ignoring his presence, I feel him watch me for a moment longer before moving away but not out of the room. He strode around, examining everything before his footsteps stopped in front of my dresser. It was silent for a millisecond then was shattered.

“You still have this?” his voice filled with disbelief.

I finally look up to spot Mason with the picture frame in his hands staring down at it, analyzing the image. I purse my lips when he looks my way and nod to his question.

“Wow. . .” he breathes, “This was so long ago,” he mumbles.

The picture he was staring at was taken when I was six and Mason was eleven, in all honesty, those were some of the best years of my life before I met that pale man; Elijah. That’s when everything went south, now thinking of him, I began to wonder why I was receiving these flashes that contain him in them.

“Uh. .” Mason clears his throat, snapping me from my thoughts, making me face him again.

His body was tense, shifting his weight from one foot to another while his hands gripped at the strands of hair in the front.

“I, uh, I wanted to give this to you.” he reaches behind him and pulls a small box from his back pocket.

Holding it for a moment longer, he walks forward and stretches his hand out, presenting me the gift. I look up at him, surprised, him not meeting my gaze. I take the box and he takes slow steps backward.

“Happy Birthday, Abigail,” he mutters

Then he was gone.

I stare at the space he once occupied and then down at the small gift in my palm, I pop it open and there inside was a silver locket. A car horn honks outside causing me to jump and snap the box close. I jump off the bed and rush to the window facing the front of the house and see a black sleek car sitting in the front, the horn was linked once more.

Stuffing the box in my back pocket, I rush around the room grabbing the things I needed and out the door and down the steps.

“I’ll be back,” was all I said as I darted out the door and down the porch steps.

As I walked towards the car, I was surprised to see Riley in the driver seat, greeting me with a grin.

“Hey girly,” she waved, “It’s been awhile. Hop in.”

I did as she asked, and she was already pulling away from my house and doing a U-turn back toward the Pack House.

“Where’s Samantha?”

“Something came up last minute and she asked me to come bring you,” Riley responded, “Happy Birthday by the way!”

I couldn’t help but grin, “Thank you.”

“The big one-eight! What do you plan to do?”

I shrug. “There’s really nothing to do, just hanging out with you all, my house was becoming a bit too. . . overwhelming.” I sigh out.

“I know Xavier will be happy to see you.” she teased, and after that, we moved from the subject talking about random things.

As I said before, everything was calm but I knew something bigger was coming, and it didn’t sit right with my gut and the “beast” in my head, nothing good ever came when it now included me.