I walked into our house and perceived the familiar scent of our house.
“I thought you were dead, Jason.” Harry said, tugging my hand. “I told all my friends so. They thought it was so Rad!” He let go of my hand.
“But here I am.” I said, starting to climb up the stairs.
“Jason.” Mum called. I stopped and turned back to look at her. “What happened out there, sweetie?” She asked softly.
“Lydia, let him rest. He has been through a lot.” Claude said, softly. He placed a hand across her shoulder. “Go on, Jason. The Alpha would want to speak with you tomorrow.”
I nodded tightly and turned to climb the stairs to my room. Then I remembered and turned to mum. “Mum… that stuff you did with your wolf. What was that? How did you do it?”
She laughed softly. “I’ll tell you about it when you’re well rested. Who knows? You might even be able to do it.”
“It was very cool though.” I smiled and headed to my room.
I laid on my bed and closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep but I couldn’t. I close my eyes and see Elsa’s face.
Was she haunting me?
The alive can’t haunt the dead, can they?
Not they can’t. I answered myself. Only ghosts can haunt.
“Jaasoonn!” There was a sharp whisper coming from near my window.
I jumped from my bed, startled.
I went to my window and opened and faintly saw a shadow standing just underneath my window. I squinted my eyes and saw the small glint on the shine of golden hair. My heart gave a huge gallop.
“Lily?”
“I heard you were back. I came to check for myself.” She whispered.
I ran back to the hallway and checked both ways. Then I went back to the window and vaulted over it easily. I landed on my feet and got up to brush down my trouser.
“How did you do that? You’re not a werewolf.” She asked.
I just realized how much I’ve missed her voice.
“When you stay in the woods as an Omega for more than a month, you become stronger.” I laughed.
She laughed too.
“None of the guys came to see me or Jake. Just you.” I pointed out to her.
She seemed uncomfortable. “I’m not even supposed to be out here. Arthur, Jeff, Zach, Mart and Billy went missing a few weeks after you and Jake. A curfew has been imposed.”
That news was like an ice hand that reached out and squeezed my heart and gave a chilling sensation to my chest.
“Om my God! And they’ve not been found yet.”
She nodded.
“Why did you come, Lily?” I asked.
She used her fingers to place a strand of hair behind her ear. Some soft wisps fell on her fore head. I felt like touching and feeling the soft texture between my fingers, but I figured that might just scare her away so I kept my hands to myself.
“We were supposed to have our first date-like outing the day you disappeared.” She casted me an accusatory look through her thick lashes.
“Not disappeared. Kidnapped. We were kidnapped… by the Feys.” I said.
I had not even told the Alpha this information.
We started walking out. “Will you tell me what happened?” She asked.
“Sure. Anytime you want to hear it.”
“Now is not a bad time, is it?”
“Well…” I said carefully. “I’ve not even told the alpha yet.” Her face dropped. The disappointment was obvious so I quickly added. “But I can tell you.” She brightened again and looked at me with excited eyes.
“I’m ready. Did you see the Watchtower?”
“Yes, yes.” I nodded my head, fervently. “That was where they took us.”
She gasped. “And how did you escape?”
“Oh that was easy.” I tried to put on the tone of someone that has broken out of the Watchtower a hundred times. “I head butted a Fey, kicked another and them jumped from a window.”
“How many storeys was it?” She asked, looking at me with bright eyes.
“Um…” I pretended to think, then I shrugged. “I don’t know. I couldn’t count it all. But we sure fell for up to thirty minutes.”
She shrieked. “You aren’t lying to me now, are you?”
I said with mock seriousness. “I would never lie to you.”
“You fell for that long and you didn’t land like a splat! on the floor.”
“Well, what can I say? I’m strong boned.”
She looked at me with disbelief written all over her face.
“Oh, you don’t believe me…” I said. “Maybe I’ll end the story all together since you think I’m lying.”
“Oh please don’t. Continue. Tell me what happened next.” She put her hand into mine and we linked fingers as we walked.
I nodded. My head was swelling and my heart was thumping. “We ran out and into Brazil.”
“Brazil? The Brazil in South America?”
I nodded.
“You’re lying.” She accused.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“Okay then, I’ll show you I’m not. I can speak a little Spanish now.”
“You took Spanish classes in middle school, but go on. Let me hear it.” She said, half smiling.
I thought of what to say. I thought of what Alpha Andrés used to say. He used to call me ‘Chico’ which means ‘boy’ and I didn’t know the opposite. The suddenly the right word dropped in my head.
I looked at her and said, “Te quiero”
She smiled fully and warmly now and said, “You got the accent wrong. But I understood you well enough.”
We had gotten to the front of her house now.
“Thank you, Jake.”
“For what?” I asked with feigned innocence.
“For escorting me back.” She replied.
“Oh its nothing. I actually needed the walk.” I said. I stuck my hands in my pocket.
“I’m glad you’re back safe.” Then she leaned in and gave me a kiss on my cheek.
“I meant what I said in Spanish.” I said.
“I know.” And she turned and silently opened her front door. “Be safe.” She mouthed at me and then disappeared inside.
I was feeling jolly. I jumped and hopped all my way back. The air was fresh and chill. I shivered as a cool breeze blew around me.
Then I felt suddenly warm and bright. I had shifted again.
But I was not scared or cautious. I ran with the aided speed. I got to my house and wanted to sneak through my front door too but I had another thought.
I went underneath my window, one storey up and asked myself, Can we do it?
Sure, we can. Came the reply.
With shocking power that came from my calves, I bounded up in one jump up to my window I had not expected to go this high do I was caught unawares and saw myself falling down again so I scrambled to hold on to something and I was caught with the extensions protruding in a curved fashion out of my fingers.
My claws held me still and I levered myself up and into the room. I hated on the other side of the window with the top of my toes and quietly shut my window.
I laid down on my bed and tried to sleep.
But when I close my eyes I keep seeing Lily’ face. And then Elsa’s. And then both of them.
I groaned in frustration and turned on my bed side lamp and tried to read. I picked a comic I was tired of. I found myself dozing before I entered the 4fourth page.
I did not know when my eyes succumb to what my body needs and closed.