The Shifters: Katrina

That night of my first day back, I fell asleep instantly, and slept deeply like a baby. Twelve hours later, I woke up at ten in the morning and groaned. It was my thirtieth day in Iluita, meaning it was a full month since I'd been in the compound. My dorm, a large room I shared with Chloe, was a welcomed change. Our beds were pressed against the wall opposite of the door in either corner, both of them comfortably sized. They had twin dressers beside them, and shelves stretched the length of the wall, only stopping for the large window that allowed sunlight to stream inside. The room's walls were a pale yellow and the floors were a tan hardwood. Our beds had the same plaid-patterned blankets, the colours white and various light shades of green. There was a section of the room that was the bathroom, and a laundry basket sat next to the main entrance below a large mirror. The space was mostly empty since it was only our second day in the room, but it wasn't completely bare. Chloe had a poster on one wall, and I had managed to move my closet and desk from my old dorm into this one. The room was spacious enough that Chloe didn't mind one bit.

"Are you finally awake?"

I turned on my side to glance at my roommate. The fifteen year old was on her bed, a stick of charcoal in her hand. I'd gotten used to her constant sketching, watching her concentrate on the pages of her sketchbook.

"Yeah," I yawned, "have I missed anything?"

She shrugged. "It's Saturday, so not as far as I know. One of your friends stopped by, though."

"Who? What did they need?" I asked, pushing myself up. I bent over my dresser, retrieving the full navy bodysuit made for shapeshifters. As I got dressed, Chloe hummed. She waited until I'd finished up in the bathroom before speaking again.

"I think it was Tyree. Said she wanted you to meet her in," she paused to think, "Ben's dorm room."

I nodded. "Thanks, Chloe."

She said nothing as I tied my hair back into a ponytail and grabbed the new key to my dorm, slipping it into my hidden pockets. The girl continued to be silent as I slipped on my shoes, leaving the dorm without another word.

Ben's door was wide open, the lights off as I approached.

"Ben..? Tyree?"

Suddenly, the lights came on and blinded me. I blinked furiously, hands coming up to cover my face as loud words echoed through my head.

"Happy first month!"

There was a pause as I looked up. Stuffed into the dorm was a table covered in snacks and drinks, as well as all of my Iluita friends and the elite guards. They wore party hats, and Tyree even held up a sheet of paper that said YAY, SHE STAYED!

Through my confusion, I was elated. "You guys kept track?"

Koren was the first to respond. "Of course we did. We had to celebrate the one-month mark since we were your kidnappers!"

I grinned. "I'll count this as you making it up to me."

The wolf nodded, motioning to my friends. Shae bounced onto her toes, eager to speak.

"We wanted to put together a little something for you since this past month has been crazy," she explained, "that, and we want to celebrate being your friend for a month."

My heart swelled with happiness and love for my friends. I tackled each one in a hug, squeezing them tight. Even Xavier and Aaron, the guards I hadn't spoken with the most. Quintin was the last one to recieve a hug, and nearly dodged it before I caught him and squeezed him tight. He laughed, squeezing me just as hard until both of us were wheezing. We exploded into laughter before we separated, and I turned to my friends.

"Thank you, everyone. Really. This means a lot."

I can get through this if they'll be by my side throughout it all, I realized as Tyree ushered everyone to have a snack. Sonya shoved something resembling a cupcake into my hands. They'll support me even when I don't deserve it. Especially when I need them.

That morning, I was laughing more than I had in a while. My friends were touchy without being clingy, funny without being obnoxious, and perfect in every other way. I clicked with these people.

They believe in me. Hell, they might even believe in me more than my adopted family did.

My mood didn't even darken as I recalled the memory.

My mothers would always tell me that they were disappointed, but that they wouldn't punish me. I meant well, they would say. But I didn't. I needed a push in the right direction, not that they didn't try.

A wide smile spread across my face. We were listening to Victoria describe one of her first jobs as a guard, us younger shifters giggling and sometimes reacting in amazement.

I can do this.

I can do this, with them. They have my back.

It was my turn to share a story, my friends looking expectantly at me. I finished my cookie before brushing the crumbs away, eyeing the mischievous party-planners.

"One time, back in my home town, a girl was pushing my buttons after I beat her in a game of soccer. Apparently she was the school's team captain, and she was pissed that I beat her. Started a fistfight. She hit me square on the jaw, hard enough that it bled and bruised instantly. I was so mad, I punched her straight in the throat the second I could think past the pain. It nearly choked her, and her voice was messed up for over a week. Speaking of which, I think it also let off a power wave."

The guards snorted, the others my age congratulating me while Sonya chastised me for violence. I was still grinning, listening to my friends as they continued to speak.

"...that shifter in Orgull was so out of control, I wondered how they even got her to come to their compound..."

The guards were swapping stories of other compounds, one particular thing catching my attention. Taking shifters to compounds, I thought with a frown. It reminded me of what Luke had explained; how shifters told parents, friends and family that a shapeshifter coming to a compound was actually being sent to a fancy school.

The only reason they came for me was because of my power waves... But why didn't they just wait to use that lie?

My eyes trailed to Koren. He was listening to the others, currently free to steal away for a quick conversation. I excused the both of us, claiming I had to ask him something, and pulled him outside the dorm.

"Are you okay?" He asked immediately, searching my expression for a sign of distress.

"Something's off," I said firmly, "why didn't you guys use the lie about the school to get me to the compound? Why did you kidnap me?"

His face froze, his shoulders tensing. I fixed him with a glare, silently warning him not to lie to me. I felt the pressure of the dragon in my chest, but pushed it down. Now was not the time to throw a tantrum.

"Don't ruin the mood because of this," Koren hissed. "Let it be."

Thanks to my classes, I was fast enough to grab both of Koren's wrists before he could walk away. "I need an answer."

He glared back at me for the first time. "It's irrelevant."

"Then it should be simple to tell me," I countered.

The wolf groaned. "Katrina, come on."

"I want to know, Koren."

He stared at me, eyes flicking from one of my own to the other, and vice versa.

"We thought you were a rogue. Shapeshifters who abandon their compounds because they have committed or will commit crimes against our species are called rogues. More often than not, they become traitors and work with hunters against us," Koren spat, the entire explanation delivered with a harsh tone. "We figured the power waves could only be created by an experienced rogue fighting with whatever. That's why we took you. That's why we were rough with you. We didn't know what to expect, even after doing a little digging and spying."

The explanation left me speechless.

Hunters and rogues will kill us without hesitation, won't they? I wanted to ask, but the question died in my throat. I was afraid of the answer.

Koren stared at me for a second longer before he scrounged up a smile.

"It's a relief that you're not one of them," he said, his tone softened. "If you were, we wouldn't be celebrating you right now."

Gradually, my expression warmed, and I relaxed. With a nod and a smile, I forced myself to remain calm. Of course there'd be criminals, even in a supernatural race.

With that thought in mind, I was able to rid myself of my fear, and Koren and I rejoined the others.

Our afternoon was equally as fun as our morning, and when I fell back into bed, it seemed as if Chloe hadn't moved all day.

"Have fun?"

I was too tired to answer, holding up a shaky thumbs up before passing out.