Chapter 3: Dream

Chapter 3: Dream

“Max I need you to tell me if she has any broken bones, I don’t have an x-ray so you’ll to be the x-ray for me.” Amy said.

“So you mean I’ll…” Max started flushing.

“No! Not feel her up stupid! Just run your hands over her arms, legs and ribs.” Amy said. Annette had been out for most of it. “Max?” Amy started.

Max had counted three broken ribs and a fracture in her left arm. Her legs were fine, “Yeah?” Max asked.

“What really happened to May? I know she hasn’t always been with you guys and I was just curious.” Amy said.

Max smiled, “How did you know she wasn’t always like us?”

“We go clubbing, Annette used to go with us until Jack said she couldn’t. Don’t worry we didn’t use fake I.D.’s it’s a teen club.” Amy responded.

“Three broken ribs, and fractured left arm. Now about May, she was a daredevil and one of her stunts was performing for her friends. She broke her neck, when we found her we decided to save her. She’s been with us ever since.” Max concluded. Amy put a brace on Annette’s arm that was all she could do for now.

Even though Annette was not all there her subconscious presented her what had happened to her. It was like a movie being played. Jack had taken her to his house, he talked to her before pinning her down to the bed, and she struggled crying she didn’t want this. She knew what would happen next, he hit her, kicked, punched and screamed that she was worthless. She gave up, what happened next was skipped and she was in the meadow clothes torn and being beat once again. Annette screamed her gashes began getting bigger! She was loosing so much blood!
Annette sat up with a jolt, Lee had has hand on her forehead. “Lee?” Annette panted her heart racing.

“Yes, Amy called and May and I rushed over! How are you feeling?” He asked.

“Hurt.” Lee didn’t realize her words held two meanings.

“He got you pretty good.” Was the simple reply.

“My eye… I’m not going to be able to see out of it am I?” Annette asked.

Downstairs May, Amy and Max were talking about none other than Jack himself. “When I came in I could smell him all over her! Could you not Max?” May questioned.

“Yeah but you don’t think… he… you know.” Max hated to think that.

“Lee can I talk to you?” Annette questioned.

“Of course! What’s on your mind?” Lee asked.

Annette pulled herself up and reached for Lee’s hand, she took it in hers and pulled him on the bed beside her. “You were right. Jack was bad for me. I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“He did something to you, something besides hit you.” It was a statement, a fact. “What happened? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want.” He responded equally as quiet. Annette fought back the tears that tried to escape; she shook her head and got up.

Amy stared at Annette as she descended the stairs Lee right behind her. They had agreed not to say anything to her about what had happened, she would tell them when she felt she was ready to. Annette stood there at the foot of the stairs her head down and her black hair making a black curtain around her. Amy and May wanted to rush up and hug her but Max's hand on their shoulders prevented them from doing that. May looked up and gave him her best 'please can I?' stare which Max looked away before it could take effect. Lee had his hands in his pockets looking out the window. Annette grabbed her black cloak and slipped into it, she whispered something about going outside and swept out into the cold.

The wind blasted on her face as she walked down the trailhead, past the newcomer’s house and to the meadow she and Lee used to hang out at. Before everything became unbearably painful and rough. Annette sat down, on the ground her back up against an old willow tree she brought her knees up and just stared at the pond. The fish were happily swimming around and some were even jumping up. Annette felt her eyelids get heavy and her and head began to loll. She rested it against the old willow and shut her eyes just for a few moments.

Someone walked into the clearing hood drawn up on his cloak, he held what looked like a pad in his hands and a pencil in his other. He sat down in front of the sleeping girl and sweeped her dark black hair away from her right eye. He tucked the piece behind her ear, flipped his pad open and began to sketch the girl. His hands swiftly moved across the paper his eyes never leaving hers; his hands guided the pencil in swift motions. When he was done he slowly got up and disappeared into the shadows as she was beginning to wake. Annette sat up with jolt, someone had been here she could smell it! Smell it? Since when had her senses been heightened? She looked at her hand and claws were beginning to form!

The door to the house opened and the hooded figure walked in. "Did you do it?" A boy asked he looked around 18 his hair was flaming red; his accent was thick with Irish. He had a black sweater on with black jeans; in his hand he held an acoustic guitar his prized possession.

“Why do you have that out?” The hooded figure asked pointing to the guitar.

"Oh I was just tuning Lily up." Was the simple reply "So when do we meet her?" he asked.

"Yes I did it, it wont be long." He said his voice a low tenor. "Give or take an hour." He added heading upstairs to put the sketchpad and pencil away.

A scream could be heard in the clearing.

Birds flew from their canopy in the trees as the screaming turned into a howl of pain. A snow-white wolf with gold eyes had replaced Annette’s reflection in the water. Using her powerful legs the wolf raced to Amy’s, she was half way there when she ran into Max. He growled and took a swipe at the wolf’s already bloody form. Annette barely dodged the second set of claws that threatened to kill her. ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ She whimpered. Lee growled his eyes red with bloodlust, Annette began to slink back her eyes darting between Max and Lee.

She turned and ran she didn’t know where she was going; she let her legs guide her down the trailhead and toward the meadow. Instead of taking a right, which would have taken her to the meadow, she took a left and slowed down.

Something told her to look for the boy with a sketchpad. The housed were lined together all the same shade of an off white, Annette’s ears perked up when she heard a guitar being strummed. As she got closer she saw a boy who looked a lot like Riley, he was playing an acoustic guitar, another boy sat beside him sketchpad and pencil in hand. Annette charged at the boy with the sketchpad she pinned him down jaws snapping. ‘Change me back! Change me back!’ She thought her mind screaming.

“Calm down, calm down ok?” The red haired boy said putting his guitar down.

‘You can hear me?’ Annette thought stepping off the hooded figure and cocking her head to one side.

“Ian! Why’d you let her attack me?” The hooded figure asked sitting up, the hood fell to reveal a boy who had tan skin, black hair in a ponytail, and hard black eyes. “Look calm down! I didn’t change you, you changed yourself.” That was directed toward Annette.

‘How… how did I change myself?!’ Annette screeched.

“Ian go get a change of clothes for her please?” The boy asked.

“Don’t do anything to her while I’m gone ok Caleb?” Ian joked as he left to get Annette some clothes.

Caleb turned his back toward Annette before speaking again, “Think about what you want. Think of yourself as human, who you were before you changed.” Caleb murmured. Annette thought about her black hair, her violet eyes and the one that would be forever imperfect. Her skin complication, her nose, lips everything! She felt her bones break and reshape, when she opened her eyes she was herself again. No fur, no claws, she smiled as Caleb began to turn around. “Ah! I didn’t see anything I swear!” he shouted flushing.

Caleb had forgot to mention that when she changed back she’d be naked. Caleb closed his eyes and crossed over to Annette, he grabbed the cloak and wrapped it around her. Annette stood up on wobbly legs, her knees buckled and Caleb reached out to steady her, without even making the conscious decision to he was kissing her. His lips were soft against hers, Annette found her arms began to wrap around his neck, Caleb in turn pulled her closer to him. He was gentle she had to give him credit for that Jack’s kisses were never this sweet or this gentle. Jack… Annette pulled away startling Caleb. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You attacked her!” Ian shouted from the doorway.

“I… I have to go.” Annette stammered.

Ian placed a hand on her shoulder, “It’s really late, stay the night and we’ll take you home tomorrow.” He said. “You can use Caleb’s room, Caleb you can have the couch. It’s only one night.” Ian stated before Caleb could protest. Ian led Annette upstairs to a blue room. It held a queen-sized bed, a nightstand with a digital clock and a lava lamp. He had two oak dressers, a black and gray stereo on the biggest dresser, and a docker with the mp3 in it. The smaller wider one had a mirror wrought in silver, and an oak desk with an Acer notebook flipped open, the swivel chair pushed in.

“Thanks.” Annette whispered in awe finding a pair of clothes on the bed. Ian showed her to the bathroom and left Annette alone. Annette got a quick shower and put on the black boxer shorts and gray t-shirt. She hurried back to the room to find Caleb waiting for her.

“I’m sorry I kissed you.” He whispered. Annette sat on the gray covers beside him, a dark curtain of hair covering her right eye. Caleb reached over to brush her hair out of her eye but she pulled back. Caleb dropped his hand and stared out of the window. “It’s getting pretty late… I should go… goodnight.” He whispered getting up and heading for the living room.

“Do you know who that is?” It was Ian he was talking to Aidan. Aidan shook his head and let Ian continue. “That’s Lee’s kid!”

“What?! No, since when did they decide to adopt?” Aidan asked running a hand through his coal black hair.

“They didn’t. Parents died, they were good friends of her parents.” Ian said. Caleb went to the couch and put his head in his hands. He’d heard about the famous vampire coven that had taken in a human girl and raised her. But what would they do if they knew she was a werewolf? With that still in mind Caleb pulled a blue quilt over himself and fell asleep, she was the famous Annette… come home.

The next morning dawned bright and early. Aidan opened Caleb’s door to see Annette but no Caleb. “Did you kill him?” Aidan joked. Annette was staring out of the window her mind far away. “Annette?” Aidan asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

Annette jumped startled, “Oh!” She gasped.

“Do you have anything for school?” Aidan asked. Annette thought a moment and nodded, Aidan left so she could change. In her cloak she remembered she had spare clothes, her cloak had deep pockets. She pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a black leather halter-top that belonged to Amy. She slipped that on and headed downstairs forgetting her cloak.

Ian’s mouth dropped open, Aidan murmured a low ‘whoa’, Caleb dropped his cereal and a low whistle came from the door. This boy looked nothing like his pack brothers, he had fair skin and light brown hair with beautiful honey colored eyes. Aidan looked a lot like Caleb; he preferred tight black shirts so he could show off his muscles. Like Caleb he had tan skin black hair but he had blue eyes. “I’m Alex.” Alex was the skater type. He sauntered over and kissed Annette’s cheek.

Annette’s eyes widened and she took a step back. “I have to go.” She mumbled rushing off. Caleb followed by Aidan started after her.

“Do you know who that is?” Ian asked.

“I’m guessing a girl.” Alex said sarcasm dripping.

“That’s Lee’s kid!” Ian shouted. Alex had heard about Annette but he didn’t think anything of it. “He’s very protective of her.” Ian continued.

Outside Annette was pacing, Caleb and Aidan watched. “Calm down. Look lets just go to school and find Lee.” Aidan suggested.

“Lee, yeah he’ll know what to do.” Annette muttered eyes locked toward the school. Aidan snickered as he watched Annette continue to talk to herself and stare towards the school.

“See that’s what I like about her, she’s so down to earth.” Aidan laughed lightly punching Caleb’s arm. Caleb didn’t feel like mentioning the fact they only knew her for some odd hours. Ian walked out then Alex in tow.

The pack left for school then, not knowing what lay ahead.