Intro

I sat on the swing, not swinging, just sitting. It was midnight and I hadn’t fed in three days. It was agonizing, this new life I wanted to lead. I had no clue what I was trying to prove to myself or the pain that it would cause. I thought back to when I became like this—a monster.

I was swinging, not sitting, swinging. And then in an instance, I felt a rush of cold air. Then I saw a shadow. I was a coward, being ten and all, but still becoming this monster the shadow made me. It whispered, “Eighteen.” I figured out what it meant later on. That I would keep growing until the mature age of eighteen. I’m fifteen now, so I still have some growing to do. But when the clock strikes twelve on October seventeenth, I will become a full werewolf.

I sighed as I felt that breeze once more and I got off the swing, my brown hair blowing wildly in my face. I needed someone with me at that moment. Just—just someone to protect me.
I caught the eye of someone walking by as he passed me; he walked backwards to make sure I was still there. He went to my school, in the same class, popular too. I saw his chiseled face and tousled brownish gold hair and gleaming green eyes. “Hey, don’t I know you?”

I stuffed my hands in my jean pockets. I wasn’t one to talk and I went by with school with a breeze. I didn’t want to be bothered with these people, the people I despised because they still have normal lives. The people I could creep up on with my pack and kill. Ugh.

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said almost inaudibly.

“You’re Harper, aren’t you? Am I right?”

“And you’re Chase.”

He smiled and cracked his knuckles. “What are you doing out in the park at midnight?”

I looked around to make sure no one was watching. My parents were probably worried about me. My curfew was at ten. It was twelve o’ two. I puffed out a cold breath of air. He waited on me to answer. “I could ask the same for you,” I said stubbornly. I didn’t have time for twenty questions.

“I’m sorry, I just thought—anyway, uh, I should be going. See you in class tomorrow.” He pivoted on his heel and turned back to make sure I didn’t disappear. “I will see you tomorrow, right?”

I smiled and bit my lip. “Maybe.”

“Okay, I’ll go now. Later.”

I watched him leave. I wonder what he meant by that. I walked to the train and entered the last leave. I was the only passenger. I stopped at 5th Street Montgomery and took a left. My house was in the woods, not a long walk, but long enough. I lifted my hood unto my head. I ran 150mph and reached the house in two seconds. I appeared in my room, dressed in my pajamas like I never left. I had the ability to appear and disappear. I was thankful at times for that little power. Not many like me had that power.

I didn’t feel like going to school when I woke up. My Shih Tzu, Tyler, woke me up. I got out some random clothes out of my closet, took a shower, and made sure my clothes matched. My hair would dry into curls when I reached the parking lot. I ran to school without people noticing. My other hidden talents I just discovered.

I saw Chase standing outside his car. I smiled to myself and ran behind his back. I felt a breeze from my speed and he must’ve too because he turned around amazed. “Hey, I was looking for you.”

“Why?” Now, I was concerned.

“I need to ask—

“Hey babe,” Susan Lincoln said before she kissed his cheek. She gave me a pity look and smiled at Chase. Her new little boy toy. “Hello, Harper.”

I hinted a smile, but reluctantly said, “Hey, Susan.” This was one girl I could feed off of. She was one of those people who you slap and she laughs.

“Harper, I guess I’ll see you later.” If I’m not mistaken, I thought I saw a little bit of sadness in his green eyes.

“Um, whenever you get a chance. I don’t care,” I said leaving Susan with her man. I knew she would say something about it later or get payback for me talking to her boyfriend, but I didn’t care. I was a werewolf. Werewolves, (well I) don’t care about anything including drama. So I as I entered the doors to Ellington High, I had a huge grin as I saw my other werewolf friends who went along with the crowd just as I did. Being what I like to call invisible while trying to be normal.

I knew every face in the room…but one. He was tall, kind of muscular, and his hair needed a cut. He was trying to be a skater guy wannabe, but I could tell he had class.

I saw Nicole, another one like me, looking at him with a smile. I knew what she was thinking, but I was trying not to be that person anymore. My fears were coming to haunt me and Nicole knew that. She knew what I did not want.

I looked at him again, his eyes a hazel color reflected by the sun. He grinned at me and stared back at the window. My eyes averted back to Nicole. She already made up her mind. She was going in her pack to kill him. I was disgusted.

My head rested in my hands. Four days without feeding. It just felt so wrong. But if I wanted to
be as close to un-dog like as possible, I had to keep eating normal food.
After school, I was going to try and stop Nicole. Today wasn’t really the first day of school; it was more like an introduction day for Ellington High. Fine with me, though, I knew it would go by fast.

1.

Nicole waited on the steps. I shook my head as I passed her. What would I do? What would I say?
“Not gunna join the party?” She asked humorously.
“I don’t think so,” I said, turning to go.
“Why?” she asked more content.
“Because when I see all those missing people in the newspaper,” I turned to her. “I know it is because of me, and I cannot anymore, Nicole.” I tried to walk away, but she quickly grabbed my arm. Her face was serious and her blonde hair blew in the quick breeze, her blue eyes gleaming and staring me down…hard.
“It wasn’t just you, Harper. It was all of us; the whole pack. Don’t upbraid yourself.
“I haven’t eaten.”
“Then, have your snack. Be at the alley for ten.”
I yanked my arm away. “Nicole, I’m not going to anymore.” I left without another word. I knew what was going to happen and I had to stop it.
As soon as I got home, I conjured up a plan to stop my friends before they actually hunt this innocent guy and kill him. I needed my strength to make them stop, even if they would **** me. I only had about three hours left and still no decent map out of what I was going to do. I yelled into my pillow. Why could I not do this? At that moment my cell rang. It was Chase. I couldn’t answer it, not when I was in the middle of trying to do the right thing. But I didn’t hesitate to pick it up the second time he called.
“Finally, I got to you,” he said. It sounded like he was out of breath.
“What do you want?” I asked, putting down my pen and rereading my sentences in my notebook.
“What I was trying to ask you was, are you okay?”
“Huh?” I was confused. “What do you mean, Chase?”
“I mean what I asked. You never talk, you just don’t seem okay.”
“I’m fine. I do talk, just not to you. What are you trying to imply?”
“Nothing, I’m not trying to offend you. I just wanted to know, since you were out so late yesterday.”
“You were too. What were you doing? Coming back from Susan’s bedroom? Look, I don’t need you watching after me like I’m some little kid, okay?” I was getting irritated. Having people treat me like I’m five or having someone force me to go to the alley at ten. I was not a little girl anymore! I can handle myself!
“Yeah.” There was a long pause. “I’ll leave you alone. Bye, Harper.”
I sighed and looked at the clock. Two and a half hours left. And still no plan.

Fifteen minutes left.
Fifteen minutes left. I have got to be kidding myself. There is no way in hell I could come up with some brilliant scheme to help this guy. I needed to get there quick. But he couldn’t know who I was. I couldn’t shape shift into the wolf form yet, because I wasn’t fully trained yet. I grabbed a black long sleeve turtleneck and some slim skinny dark washed jeans (of course with black converse). I pulled my hair into a ponytail and made sure I didn’t look like the girl he saw earlier, then suspicion would lead, and then doom for all of us.
I ran all the way to the alley without any traffic. Not a lot of jaywalkers today in Manhattan, which was uncommon. But I didn’t care; I needed to get there fast. I saw Nicole and her group already watching out for him. He needed to take an opposite direction.