Nightfall (The Huntsman Clan Book 1)

by Rose Alexander

  "My dad always said if you leave your lip out like that a bird will poop on it," I giggle, and it progresses into a full on belly laugh.

  "Come on, let's get inside," he gives a small smile.

  "Why is your house this horrible shade of green?" I ask, trying not to giggle anymore.

  "It involves alcohol and bad bets," he grins. “Don't ever make a bet you're not willing to see through.”

  We grab our bags from the trunk of the car and go inside. It's apparent that this is a bachelor pad from the moment my eyes adjust. The walls are bare and painted an off white. There's a dark brown couch and a coffee table in the living room, with a big screen TV across from them.

  "Let me take you on a tour," he says, extending his arm in front of him.

  "Ok," I smirk, trying not to laugh.

  He leads us into the kitchen, which looks unused.

  "Do you even know how to cook?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.

  "Do you have a filter?" he responds, grinning.

  "I've filtered a lot of my thoughts, thank you," I reply placing my hands on my hips. I can't believe he thinks I don't have a filter.

  "This way to the bedrooms," he says, waiting for me to follow him.

  "Where do you eat?" I ask, not seeing a table anywhere.

  "On the couch," he replies, giving me a look like that should be obvious.

  I roll my eyes and follow him to the hallway off the kitchen.

  "The door to the right is my room. I have a private bathroom, so this middle door will be your bathroom," he says while opening the bathroom door.

  It's a basic bathroom all in white, with a clear shower curtain. I shrug and close the door then move on the room on the left.

  "This is your bedroom now. We can get furniture and bedding that suits you. Feel free to decorate it however you like. When you're not at school, this is where you'll live," he explains, trying to make me feel comfortable.

  “Home,” Kylah purrs.

  “No we left home to come here,” I reply stubbornly.

  "Thank you," I reply, surprised that I really mean it.

  "I'll just go order food. Pizza, or does Chinese sound better?"

  "Pizza, extra meat, please."

  "Go ahead and get settled in then come out to the living room whenever you're ready."

  I drag my luggage into the bedroom as he walks off to order food. I shut the door behind me and collapse on the twin bed that's pushed up against the far wall. It's the only thing in the room, with a white comforter on it. Very boring is how I would describe the room.

  I lay on the bed staring at the popcorn ceiling trying to make faces out of the different sized dots. It's a good distraction from thinking about my current life. Everything is happening so fast I can't process, but maybe that's a good thing. I tire of my little game and begin unpacking.

  One thing my mom taught me was to be tidy. I can't stand a mess in my personal space. I wish I had drawers to put some of my clothes in, but it's not a big deal to leave them in the bag for now. I'll ask Jack for them when I go to the living room. I add vanity to the list, I need somewhere to put this makeup on at.

  I lay out the electronics on the bed, but decide there's no point fiddling with them when I don't have the wifi password yet. I place the luggage in the closet then go to the living room to see how long food is going to be.

  "You getting settled in alright?" Jack asks as I enter the living room.

  "Um I had enough hangers, but I don't have any drawers or anywhere to do my makeup," I reply awkwardly, not wanting to ask for more things.

  "We'll go shopping tomorrow for your bedroom furniture. You have a week before school starts so we have plenty of time to get everything you need to be settled. More clothes if you need them as well," he explains, smiling so big his eyes wrinkle.

  "Thank you. How long until the pizza?" I ask, just as there's a knock at the door.

  "That should be it," he chuckles. I can tell he's a naturally happy person, and under different circumstances, I think I would like him. Right now, all I feel is resentment that I'm trying hard to hide.

  “You need to feed us better,” Kylah flicks her tail in annoyance.

  He returns with two large pizzas and sets them on the coffee table, then goes to the kitchen and returns with plates. I open the first box and it smells delicious and is full of meat toppings. I grab a piece and take a bite. Bad idea, I feel the skin behind my front teeth on the roof of my mouth burn.

  “Cold water,” I hiss, through the pain.

  “Maybe I should be the one feeding us,” Kylah snickers.

  “Be nice,” I chide.

  Jack laughs, “Burn your mouth?”

  “Not funny jerk,” I growl. I’m in pain, and he’s making jokes.

  "Here," he says handing me a glass of ice water.

  "Thank you," I reply before taking a big drink and holding it in my mouth.

  Ah instant relief. Now that my mouth is a bit better, I blow on the pizza then take another bite. I'm starving again. I make short work of devouring the entire large pizza.

  "Wow! I've never eaten that much at once before!" I exclaim, feeling like a pig.

  "Get used to it, your metabolism is running at a much faster speed," Jack laughs, acting like I should know this already.

  "Why didn't the bear shifters have this issue?" I ask, not remembering anyone eating more than normal.

  “Because bears aren’t their own being. They are a half concept,” Kylah replies.

  "They aren't the same I guess? Not sure. All cat shifters eat a lot more," he shrugs.

  "That's interesting. I'll have to ask my mom. That reminds me, do you have wifi? I need to set up the computer you bought," I ask, looking for a reason to be on my own again.

  "Of course, let me write down the password for you," he replies, getting up and leaving the room.

  He returns with a sticky note. I grab it and thank him as I rush to my room. I get the computer and tablet out and set them up one at a time then call my mom. I miss them so much it hurts. I'm still upset they lied to me, but they are my family and I hate that I was taken away.

  "Hello?" she answers, her voice confused since she has no way of recognizing the number.

  "Hi Mom, this is my new number," I say, feelings overwhelming me again when I hear her voice.

  "Amelia, it's so good to hear your voice," she gushes, warming my heart.

  "I miss you," I reply, trying not to cry. "Do bear shifters eat more once they turn sixteen?"

  "No, but I've heard some types of shifters do. I take it you're eating a lot," she giggles. It makes my heart hurt to hear but also reassuring that she can.

  "I ate an entire large pizza, and I could eat more," I admit, almost giggling myself. "I start school in a week, and I'm scared I can't do this."

  "Amelia, I did not raise a coward. You will be fine. Just hold your head high and pretend like you're just at boarding school. We love you no matter what," she chastises me.

  "I'll try; this is all just so confusing," I reply, my face aching from trying to keep my emotions in check.

  "You'll do great. You're a smart girl, so you'll figure out how to navigate the world you're in now," she says matter of factly, her tone leaving no room to argue.

  "Thank you, I needed to hear that. I love you," I say, really missing home.

  "I love you too, sweetie," she replies, her voice sad.

  "Ok, well I'll call you soon," I say uncomfortably, not knowing what to talk about.

  "Don't forget we're always here for you," she replies then hangs up.

  “See, your old family knows this is where we should be. Try to be happy like me,” Kylah attempts to comfort me.

  “That’s easier said than done,” I sigh, not engaging her any further.

  I get the computer out and start trying to find information on the Huntsman clan. I should have known it would be a futile search. We as shifters try to keep ourselves hidden. I know I'll have to talk to Jack about the information I
need, but I'm just not ready to fake being nice again. I lay down and stare up at the ceiling again, but curiosity gets the best of me. I groan inwardly at myself and get up and return to the living room.

  "Let's go pick out your furniture," Jack suggests when he see me.

  "Ok, that sounds like a good idea, but you said we would do it tomorrow?" I agree, looking forward to having a place to put my stuff.

  “You look like you need a distraction,” he replies, grabbing his car keys.

  I follow him out through the kitchen to the back door to the carport. He drives a little silver Prius. I was expecting something different.

  "Hey, we should all think about the environment," he says raising his eyebrow, waiting for me to contradict him.

  “Why can’t we run? I saw other cats!” Kylah roars, wanting out.

  “You’re not ready to be in control of her, and she’s not ready for you to be in control,” Jace answers simply.

  "I didn't say anything," I reply, lifting my hands up in a shrug.

  "You were thinking it," he mutters under his breath.

  "I think you need to explain this knowing my thoughts thing already, because they aren’t the same as Kylah’s," I confront him, getting irritated.

  "When we get back to the house, I'll explain," he sighs, acting like he doesn't want to explain at all.

  "You better," I mumble, then let it go for the time being.

  We drive downtown to Main Street. My first thought is how cliche. There’s a furniture store mid-block that we park in front of. Like the rest of the town, it has two doors, one for animal form and one for human form. It's going to take some getting used to.

  Inside the store is huge. There are all manner of expensive furniture, no cheap pressed board to be found. I start wandering through the furniture, not caring if Jack follows me or not. The living room furniture is at the front of the store, followed by dining sets. The bedroom furniture is all the way in the back.

  "Hey, you should get a dining table while we're here," I tease Jack, doubting he would want one.

  "Ok, pick one out," he replies grinning.

  I see a bar height table in a dark walnut with high back chairs. "This one."

  "Wow! You actually picked one that a guy would use!" he exclaims incredulously.

  "Well yeah. You are a bachelor," I snark at him. He should know I wouldn’t pick out something girly for his place.

  I grin at him, to show I'm kind of kidding then make my way back to the bedroom section. There are several styles to choose from, it's a bit overwhelming. I walk around and check out each piece and try to imagine myself using them. I come to the end of the first row, and I'm in love at first sight. It's an off white color with headboard, dresser, and vanity. The vanity has five drawers to store things and a big mirror with two moveable side mirrors. I'm in love.

  "This set," I say confidently.

  "Let me find the owner and have it all delivered," Jack replies, and takes off.

  I sit at the vanity and imagine myself putting on makeup there. It's perfect, but too bad I can't take it to school with me. Jack returns shortly with another man.

  "I forgot to ask, do you want a matching set at school?" Jack inquires, grinning stupidly.

  "Can I really?" I ask, becoming giddy at the thought.

  "Yes, we need to get your furniture ordered anyways," the store owner replies. "I'll have everything delivered today."

  "Oh wow! That's fast!" I exclaim.

  "Let's get going. I figured we should go grocery shopping so you have food to eat this week. I imagine you'll be snacking a lot," Jack teases.

  "You just want to avoid going home," I accuse him. I'm sure he's avoiding answering my question.

  "Guilty, but you still need food, so two birds with one stone," he grins again. I roll my eyes.

  “Give him time, he doesn’t open up easily,” Jace explains.

  Chapter 6

  The meat department in this grocery store is the largest I've ever seen. I follow Jack through the aisles while he loads the cart with more food than I've ever seen my mother buy for our family.

  "I'm only going to be here for a week right?" I ask, surprised at how much food he's buying.

  "Yeah, this should get us through to when you leave. If not, we'll come back for more," he replies, looking over the cart.

  "You think we'll eat that much?" I ask incredulously. I can't imagine eating that much food, although I have been really hungry lately.

  "I know we'll eat at least this much," he grins. I swear that man can hear my thoughts.

  My stomach growls, making him chuckle. "Let's check out and get you home to feed you."

  “I offered to hunt for us,” Kylah says in an irritated tone.

  When he says home, I withdraw, not allowing myself to think of his house as home. Home is back with my parents. I follow him out to the car after he finishes paying, trying to push my feelings down but failing miserably.

  “It is home. Get used to it, please,” Kylah growls softly.

  "Look, I'm used to my house being home. I don't mean for you to start calling it that immediately, but hopefully, someday, it’ll be your home away from home," he explains, picking up on my broodiness.

  "I don't want anywhere else to be my home. I'm trying to be brave and strong like my mom told me to be, but it's hard," I start sobbing uncontrollably. I've been bottling everything up, and it forces its way out and I can't stop it now that it's started.

  Jack drives us home in silence, well him silent and me crying and sniffling. When we pull up to the carport, he runs inside, but I'm not ready to move. I just sit in the car and feel sorry for myself. Why should I be strong? I'm just a teenager, I shouldn't have to deal with this crap. I begin to get angry.

  I open the car door and crawl out. I can feel Kylah lurking just under my skin, and she wants free. She’s not waiting any longer. I start stripping my clothes off, not wanting to get stuck in these tight jeans. She bursts free as soon as I get the second leg free.

  Jack comes out of the house and shifts as soon as he sees me. He's a leopard and his markings are gorgeous. She takes off running down the alley, then glances over her shoulder to see if he is following. He takes the lead and shows us where to run. It feels so good to stretch our legs and run off some of the tension from the past few days. She finally wears out and climbs a tree to nap. Jack follows us up and nips at our leg. He doesn't want us napping in the tree apparently. She growls at him but follows him down and we walk back to the house. He shifts back when we hit the yard.

  “Kylah you have to let Lia back in control,” Jace says.

  “Make me,” she growls.

  "You don't have control over your panther at all, do you?" Jack asks, looking over us intently.

  I try to picture my human form, and Kylah turns her growl towards me. I put my foot down and try harder to shift. Finally, it happens; she gives in. I can feel her backing off a little bit, and I'm able to shift back.

  "Apparently not," I sigh, trying not to cry again, now that the anger has left me.

  “I shouldn’t have to listen to someone as weak and emotional as you,” she huffs then lays down, her tail flicking in annoyance.

  "What made you shift?" he asks, looking concerned.

  "I was angry. I don't understand why I have to deal with all of this, and I just want to go home and pretend like none of this ever happened," I explain, feeling defeated.

  "I can understand that. I would have left you if I could have," he replies, his voice betraying the regret he feels.

  "Why didn't you then?" I ask, accusingly.

  “We belong here,” Kylah says.

  "Because you don't have a speck of white on you. If anyone reported you after I left you there, they would have killed me for lying and brought you here anyways," he growls, his face turning a shade of crimson and the vein on his forehead popping out.

  "Why are you mad? You weren't the one who thought they were a bear then ripped away from the only lif
e they knew!" I scream at him; my head pounding. I can feel my pulse in my temples.

  "Calm down, let's get the groceries inside, and I'll explain everything," he answers, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

  I calm down and feel a bit guilty seeing how defeated he looks. Now, I'm more curious than anything. I quickly unload the car and help Jack put the groceries away. When we finish, I look at him expectantly. He opens his mouth the speak, but the doorbell rings. I groan audibly.

  "I'll still explain; that's probably the furniture," he says as he goes to answer the door.

  I cross my arms and plop on the couch. The furniture owner and a teenage guy come in carrying the table I picked out earlier. The guy is cute. He has shaggy light brown hair with hazel eyes. A strong jaw is softened by dimples when he smiles with full lips.

  “Tiger,” Kylah says opening her mouth and scenting him.

  "Sorry, did you say something," I stumble on my words, realizing he's staring at me smiling.

  "I said nice to meet you; my name's Vance," he replies, grinning ear to ear.

  "Amelia, but everyone used to call me Lia," I reply, feeling stupid. I can't seem to get it together around him.

  "I'll call you Lia then," he winks. "I'll be starting my first year at Nightfall this year too. It's a bit nerve wracking."

  "You're nervous too?" I ask, shocked that anyone who lived here would be.

  "Yeah, they don't tell us much about what happens up there to keep everyone on an even playing field they say. I hope it's not too crazy," he explains, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "Vance, this furniture is not going to move itself," his dad says from the hallway.

  "Sorry, I got to..." he replies and points to the hallway and walks off.

  “I like his tiger,” Kylah replies.

  “I have a name; it’s Montoya,” Vance’s tiger introduces himself.

  “Nice to meet you Montoya,” I reply, but don’t get a response.

  I sit on the couch while they carry out the old bed from my room then all the new furniture. I can't pinpoint these conflicting emotions. Part of me is excited to have all of these new things, but the other part of me feels guilty for being excited. I would gladly give everything up to go home, but is it wrong for me to enjoy what I have since I'm stuck here? What a moral quandary I've found myself in. I should call my mom later and ask her opinion.