I sucked in a deep breath, knowing he wasn't going to let me go unless I gave him a reason to. I decided just to tell him, even though he'd probably think I was crazy and never call me again. As much as it hurt to imagine him thinking badly of me, I knew it was what needed to be done.
"If I tell you what's wrong, will you agree to leave me alone?" I stated, my voice quavering.
"No, I won't do that," he said. "Something's going on with you. You've been different ever since that day in the woods. Even your actions and behavior isn't the same. I've watched you run, and your speed and agility have increased. Your reactions and senses seem to have heightened. You're being secretive, and so is Maddox. I deserve to know what is going on."
His words hit me right in the gut. He knew I was different. He'd seen the changes in me, even when I hadn't realized he'd been looking. I knew he couldn't have possibly figured out I was a shifter, but he'd still figured out something about me was different than everyone else.
'Tm different, Asher, but I don't think you're ready to hear exactly how or why," I said, shaking my head. I exhaled a deep breath and fought off the urge to scream. It was all too much for me to handle.
"You don't know what I'm ready for," Asher argued.
I ignored his comment and began. "Asher, the day that the wolf attacked me, well...it changed my life forever. That wolf wasn't just a wolf-it was Maddox. He's a shifter. I’m a shifter. We can transform from human form into animal form in an instant."
I stepped back, expecting him to laugh, scream, or just run away, but he didn't do anything besides stand there and look at me.
"Elle, you're not going to be able to get rid of me by making up some fantasy story. Whatever's going on, let me in and let me help you," Asher pleaded, grabbing my hand. He just wasn't going to let it go.
"I guess I'll just have to show you," I said. I closed my eyes, unable to fathom the idea of watching Asher as he became horrified after he'd learned I wasn't just telling him some fairy story. The shifter inside me fully emerged as I came to peace with my body. Bones began to crack and move; the sound was sickening, but the pain was even worse. I slumped to the ground, my eyes still closed, as my body transformed into that of a wild and majestic wolf
Once I'd fully shifted, I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to be alone. Instead, I saw a shocked Asher, still standing in front of me, his mouth gaping, his eyes wide with bewilderment. "You're...a..." he stammered, shaking as he stood taking me in.
"A shifter," I finished for him. "This is why I had to break up with you. I'm a freak. I'm different," I cried out.
I couldn't stand the idea of Asher looking at me like a wild beast, so I closed my eyes again and went through the painful process of shifting back into a human once more.
"That was incredible," Asher said, his eyes sparkling with wonder. "What?" I cried out. "You are kidding, right? I'm a freak," I said,
pointing to myself "A wild animal. This isn't normal."
Asher shook his head, reached out, and pulled me toward him. I was stunned by his touch and didn't know what to do next. "Elle, I agree nothing about this is normal, but I like you, anyway. If anything, this makes me even more intrigued by you. Sure, it'll take some time for me to get used to the idea that you're a shifter, but I'm not going to run away,"
Asher stated firmly.
"I could be dangerous," I argued.
"So? I've dated other girls before. Some of them were dangerous, too, just in bratty and superficial ways." He smirked.
"This isn't funny," I chastised. "I have no control over who I am
anymore. I thought shifters only existed in stories. Everything I've ever known has been a lie. I don't even know what other creatures may be lurking out there other than shifters. This changes the entire world for me." I couldn't help but shudder.
"Who cares?" Asher said loudly. "There might be aliens flying around in space. Vampires might have really existed once. Dinosaurs walked this earth millions of years ago, yet we watch them in horror films and cartoons like they're fictional creatures. None of us really know what's going on in this universe, but I know I like you and you aren't going to get rid of me that easily."
"How can you feel that way? I'm so different," I whispered, "We are not the same," trying hard to fight back tears; I didn't want to cry in front of him.
"I can feel that way because I care about you. Please, don't push me away. Let me in. We can learn about this together," he said, with a smile.
I thought about his words for a minute. As much as I wanted to push Asher away, he wasn't going to let me. Could I be a shifter and still have Asher in my life? I guess I'd just have to find out.
"You have to keep this a secret," I told him. "My parents were adamant that no one find out about us, which would put all of us in grave danger. Please, Asher...don't tell anyone," I reiterated, realizing I'd just done the one thing my parents had asked me not to do.
Asher laughed. "Elle, your secret's safe with me. Who'd believe me, besides?" He smirked.
He did have a point. If I told anyone about me being a shifter, they'd probably just laugh it off as Asher being silly.
"Does this mean you'll still go to the dance with me? I bought a really uncomfortable suit to wear," he joked.
I smiled and wiped a tear that had begun to fall down my cheek sometime during our conversation. "Yes, I'd love to go with you...if you still want me." I diverted my eyes from him, honestly embarrassed I'd acted so irrationally toward him when I'd pushed him away by putting up a wall to block him out of my life because I feared he'd judge me, fear me, or think badly of me. Instead, Asher had embraced the gift I'd felt was nothing short of a curse. He valued me in a way that made him want me, despite my faults and differences. For that, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming surge of love and respect for him.
"I'll always want you," Asher stated firmly, as he looked deep into my eyes. His hands were cool against my skin, and his eyes were warm with desire and need.
He enveloped me in his arms and held me close. "Thank you for not running away," I whispered into his chest.
"It's going to take a lot more than this to scare me away." Asher smirked and placed a kiss on my cheek.
I really hoped he'd meant what he'd said because I had a sinking feeling it might soon be tested.
After showing Asher how I was able to shift from creature to a human in a matter of seconds, we talked for hours about what little I knew of the life of a shifter. He was so intrigued by the idea of shifters that it was almost unbelievable. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t gone running for the hills screaming when he'd seen me transform before his very eyes. If the roles were reversed, I'm not sure how I would have reacted.
When I stepped back into my house, I texted Maddox and called for my parents to join me in the living room, knowing I had to tell them what had just happened. Of course, they'd be angry with me, but I couldn't lie to them like they'd lied to me.
"What's going on?" Maddox asked, walking through my front door. He was still wearing his practice jersey and cleats, and his hair was a disheveled mess. My mom and dad had just arrived home from work and were still dressed in their business attire.
"Yes," Mom added. She sat on the couch. "You said it was urgent."
My dad folded his arms across his chest and let out a slight grunt. “I’m not sure I like the guilt in your eyes," he said, watching me closely.
Let me explain: I guess the real reason I'd decided to tell everyone about what I'd done was because I was a terrible liar and I knew the guilt would show on my face, just like it was at that particular moment.
I sucked in a deep breath and waited for everyone to stop looking at each other before I began. "Okay. I have something to tell you all, but I need you to promise not to get mad," I began.
"Oh, no. What did you do?" Maddox asked. He ran his hand over his face and shook his head. It was true: Maddox knew me better than anyone else. I knew he was reading right into my soul just then. His disbelief and
frustration showed when he realized I'd probably done something stupid.
"Well, I broke up with Asher after I'd discovered I was a shifter," I said, pausing to let that sink in. Of course, they'd all known-I'd been a walking, sappy zombie ever since. "Well, he's been calling and trying to talk to me over the last few weeks, but I've been hiding from him. I didn't know what to say to him. I really like him," I argued.
My mom and dad just nodded, waiting for the bomb to drop.
Maddox rolled his eyes and huffed.
I ignored Maddox and continued, "Well, he finally found me today while I was taking a walk in the woods. Mom, you'd urged me to get out of the house, so I did. He refused to walk away, and I thought..." I stopped talking. My heart was racing, and my legs were shaking. I was afraid to say what happened next.
"Tell us what you did," my dad said through gritted teeth. His face had grown red. Maddox walked over and stood next to him. The two most important men in my life were upset at me, and I knew neither one of them would like what I was about to say.
"I was so agitated because he wasn't listening to me. I wanted him to just walk away, but again, he refused to go," I said, my voice shaking.
"Did he hurt you?" Maddox asked, stepping forward. Rage was building inside of him, and I felt as if he might explode at any minute.
"No," I stated, shaking my head. "Asher isn't like that. He's so sweet and kind. I had to find a way to make him understand that I was different now, that I couldn't be with him anymore, so, I shifted," I said, my eyes meeting with my mom's.
Her shock seemed to glow. She opened her mouth, but no sound escaped.
"You did what?" my dad yelled.
"Elle, that was so stupid," Maddox bellowed.
"No, you don't understand. He wasn't afraid or upset. In fact, he thought it was amazing," I sighed, recalling how Asher had reacted despite my attempts to scare him off
"You just put us all into danger," my dad yelled. "This could be the end of us," he spat.
"Dad, no-he swore he wouldn't say anything. Asher isn't going to hurt us. I had to tell him," I said, pleading with them to understand, refusing to let them get upset with me. "I didn't choose this life for myself. I haven't been lying to myself for years.
“I’m a shifter, I can't control that, but I can control if I'm happy or not, and Asher makes me happy. I trust him. He won't tell anyone. You all have to believe me.
"If anyone should be upset here, it's me. You all lied to me and kept this life hidden from me. I should still be allowed to live my life,” I finished, my arms folded across my chest. I exuded a false confidence I hoped they'd all believe.
"Maybe we just need to calm down," my mom said, standing in the middle of all of us. "Elle's right: we hid all of this from her. She's a teenage girl and she deserves to be happy. We have to trust that Asher will keep our secret hidden," she added, and she smiled over at me.
"He'd better, or I'll beat his-"
"Maddox!" I snapped. "Asher's a good guy. You'll all see."
My dad sighed. "I sure hope so," he said. “I’m not happy about this, Elle, but there are a few humans who know about us and have helped packs out. If Asher does tell anyone, we just need to pray they think he's just telling a story."
We all nodded, having finally agreed upon something.
"Fine," Maddox said. "You might all be okay with this, but I'm going to watch him. I don't trust Asher." Maddox growled and stomped out the front door.
I followed closely behind Maddox and called for him to stop.
"Would you please stop and just listen to me," I begged, running to catch up to him.
Maddox turned on his heels and looked me in the eyes. "Elle, I feel like I just don't know you anymore," he began. He ran a hand through his thick, dark hair and sighed, trembling with anger. I wanted nothing more than for him to calm down and understand my thinking.
"You do know me, Maddox. You know me better than anyone, but I had to do this," I pleaded, infuriated by his frustration.
Maddox shook his head and took a step closer to me. His lips were barely an inch away from mine, and I could feel his warm breath against my cool skin. "You've been mine...my best friend since we were babies. I've always been there for you when you needed me. I know you're stubborn, and you want to do things your own way, but this isn't just about you. With Asher knowing, we're all in danger," he said.
"Asher won't tell anyone," I repeated.
"What's going on?" a voice said, breaking the tension between us. I was mortified Asher had just witnessed the argument Maddox and I had just had.
"This is a private conversation," Maddox snapped at Asher.
Asher stepped closer to us, eyeing me carefully. "It looked more like an argument. Is that all you two do?" he asked with a smirk. I was well aware that Asher had heard the rumors about Maddox and me. Everyone thought it was so weird that he and I were best friends, and ever since sixth grade, we'd been linked as being more than friends. Though we'd always denied the rumors, it was annoying, nevertheless.
It was obvious Asher was trying to make light of the situation, and I appreciated his effort, but it wasn't the time for jokes. "Maddox and I don't always agree on things," I said, "but we always make up." I smiled sheepishly at Maddox.
Maddox screamed upward, toward the sky, lunged into the air, and shifted into a wild wolf in front of our very eyes. It happened so fast, it left me speechless. He lunged toward us and ran between where Asher and I were standing. The wind he dredged up causing my hair to fly around my face and my jacket to swing behind me like a cape.
"Wow," Asher stated, watching as Maddox raced toward the woods. "Are you okay?" he asked.
'I’m fine." I rolled my eyes. Maddox always had been one for dramatics.
"Are you sure it's safe for you to be around him?" Asher asked. "I mean, he's been really upset with you lately, and when he just shifted there, I swear I thought he was going to attack me." Asher sighed and turned and faced me, a serious look straining his face. "I thought for a moment that he was going to sink his teeth into you or me. He's a monster, Elle. I don't know if it's safe for you to be alone with him."
Asher was just being paranoid, a fact I had to repeat over and over again in my mind. I'd known Maddox all my life. Yes, he could get angry and snap at times, but was he a monster? Far from it. Maddox was the sweetest, most caring and protective guy I knew. He wouldn’t think twice to kill someone if he thought they'd hurt me. I’d never felt unsafe with him, and I wasn't about to let Asher make me think otherwise.
"Asher, I appreciate your concern, but Maddox isn't dangerous. He's just going through a lot right now. He's angry, but dangerous? No. Besides, that monster is what I am. Are you afraid of me?" I asked.
I watched as his eyes fixed on me and then grew wide. My words had struck him deep in his gut, and I could see that he instantly felt terrible for what he'd said about Maddox. He reached out, grabbed my hands, and pulled me close to him. "Elle, I'm so sorry for what I said. You aren't a monster and I've never been afraid of you. I'm just worried, that's all," he said, looking deep into my eyes.
I smiled, leaned into Asher, and let out a sigh. "I just need you to be patient with me," I said, "with both of us. Maddox isn't going anywhere. Eventually, he'll learn to be okay with this."
Asher nodded his head and held me closely as the cold winds swept over us. I heard Maddox howling far off in the distance.
I knew he'd be angry at me for a while, but he'd just have to understand. If I had to be a shifter, I was going to have to start making my own decisions about my own life.
****
The next day, while sitting through another boring hour of my World English class, I thought about everything that was going on in my life. Melanie had noticed the change in my mood and physique and wouldn't accept my vague responses to her questions. As my best friend, she demanded to know my secrets and what was lurking inside my head. Though I wanted to tell her what had been going on, I just couldn't. It pained me to
know I was keeping a secret from her but keeping this particular secret might just wind up saving her life.
"You've been so spastic lately," Melanie whispered, while Ms. Fann droned on in front of the classroom.
“Tm trying to pay attention," I whispered back.
Melanie dismissed me with a roll of her eyes. "Whatever, Elle. No one pays attention to Ms. Fann. She's so lame. Besides, all she does is talk about some dumb YouTube video she saw with dancing cats. We don't learn anything in this class anyway."
She was right. Ms. Fann was a plump lady, as round as she was tall. While she had great professional and educational merits to her name, all she ever did was talk about cats or her favorite books. Her class was truly a waste of my educational time, but hey, it was an easy A. Besides, I loved to read and had had great English teachers before her and I would have more after her. This was nothing more than a blip in my educational career.
"Regardless, I don't want you getting me into trouble. We'll talk later, I promise." I forced a smile.
Melanie nodded her head, but lowered her eyes and turned away from me. I knew I'd diverted the crisis for the time being but that she'd eventually begin her interrogation again.
That night, Melanie showed up at my house carrying a pizza and wearing a knowing smile. I opened the front door, and she waltzed into my house without waiting for permission. I guess when you’re best friends with someone, you're able to take certain liberties.
"Hey," I said, following her as she began to climb the narrow stairs to my room.
She was silent until she got to my room. "Let's talk." She dropped the pizza box down on my desk and pulled up a chair.
I sat next to her with a sigh. "Melanie, I really wish you'd drop this." Melanie smiled. "Not a chance.
"You've been acting different lately, you have more energy than I've ever seen before, Maddox and you have been more secretive than usual, and I feel like you're keeping something from me." Hurt laced her voice as she spoke. I couldn't be angry with her for prying; she was my best friend, after all. “Plus, you have been spending more time with Asher and less with me,” she pouted.
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