Post by Evlyn Montgomary on Jun 30, 2007 2:58:31 GMT -5
Eva took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. At least she was finished, a week early, which gave her some time to relax before starting on her next story.
She logged onto her computer, checking her email. A few messages from her editor, some junk mail, jokes from her mother- who didn’t know where she was, by the way, but continued to send emails- and, oddly, something from a .edu.va address. Frowning, she double clicked, eyes scanning the page. She bit her lip, at least able to pretend that the tears that leaked down her face were from pain and not the fact that she cried all too easily these days, especially when it had to do with…
The email was from her old High School, announcing place and time of her ten year reunion, in just over a month. She had gotten a letter years earlier for he five year and had always intended on going. She just… hadn’t. Couldn’t, really, since she’d made herself so sick with nerves that she’d spent a night in the hospital.
This time, though, she was older, wiser, and dead set against going back. There was nothing for her there, as much as she missed everyone. Hell, they might miss her, even, but they all had lives to attend to now. Even her.
She glanced outside, sighing. It was getting late, almost sunset. She had to go to Pack. Not her pack, of course, but it was a pack and they kept her around, most likely out of amusement. And she stayed on a whim, a fancy, something she didn’t quite understand herself. Maybe it was also amusement.
She found herself walking before she thought about it, feet taking her automatically to the meeting spot. The assembled group looked at her, most warmly, as she smiled back at them. It was a small meeting of a large group, nothing like the ‘pack’ from high school. There were probably 15 people in the circle, some of the stronger pack members. Rey was the first to greet her, breaking circle to stride over, grinning. It was a boyish grin, like Jack’s, but different, missing something. Something, she wanted to laugh, but dared not in this presence, keeping her face impassive. Something was right, and she’d been looking for that something almost nonstop, in Wolf packs across the northwest. She stayed for a month or two where packs kept her before moving on, finding nothing worth staying for.
She’d gotten herself into her share of tight spots because of it, but that was part of the reason why…. She had left, partly at least, because of Jack’s constant overprotecting. College had been worse- she hadn’t been protected, but nothing had been happening, either. She relished the freedom of being in danger. You weren’t afraid to take risks if it’s all you ever did.
Rey reached her, giving her a rough kiss and another smile, looping his arm around her shoulders. “Glad you could make it, Princess…. Today’s a special day.”
“Special day…?” Eva said warily. She hadn’t been informed of any occasion, at least to her knowledge.
“A very special day.” June this time. While she was not particularly high ranked, she was the strongest fighter in the pack, fiercely protective of the ever-plotting Rey. “We have a new member today. Mikael, please.” Another stepped forward, having been hidden behind the other members. Eva didn’t recognize him, but his injuries, numerous and light, told her he was just finishing the hazing the pack put all its members through.
She sighed, shuddered, glad she wasn’t technically Pack. She didn’t belong to them, and they didn’t belong to her, she was simply a visitor, a pet. The best way to be, in her opinion.
“Mikael is a werewolf, you know.” Rey said pleasantly, making Eva realize that she’d missed a few sentences. What she’d heard was enough, however, and she frowned. A werewolf? They weren’t usually allowed into Lycan packs, especially one as ‘elite’ as this.
“A werewolf…?” she restored neutrality to her face, playing the part of naïve human perfectly.
“Yes, princess.” Rey grinned and kissed her cheek. “A special member… he’s here for you, you know.”
“Me?” Eva’s voice was a tinny squeak, almost nonexistent.
“Of course.” Jackson said, looking please. “See, we voted on it, all of us, and we decided you can join. Just you, of course. But having a full human would make us look bad. You follow?”
“Y-yeah, but…” Eva stuttered, taking a small step backwards. She hadn’t been expecting this. How could she? What could prepare a person for something like this?
“But?” June asked in her calm, bored voice, holding onto the werewolf- Mikael- by the back of his shirt like a doll. He was her doll, really, and so was Eva herself. “You don’t accept our generosity?” the words were almost a growl, her eyes looking like chips of grey stone.
“I…” Eva fumbled, her tongue fat with nerves, trying to smooth things over, to find a way out of there as herself and in one piece. It seemed unlikely, with the sheer numbers and strength of the pack and her brain unable to focus on the idea that Jack had loved her as a human, protected her humanity, and it was one thing she could not let go of.
“Peace, June.” Rey cut in smoothly, friendly as always. “She’s nervous, can’t you see? Things will be fine once she accepts…” he looked at Eva, eyes twinkling. “Right?”
Eva could take no more. A wild look in her eyes, she turned to run, almost tripping into a dead on sprint. When she dared a look behind, she saw Mikael was her only pursuer. He was injured, but still fast. She was in the best shape of her life and only managing to keep her lead on him. She reached her car quickly, and from then it was only a few seconds till she roared away, tires squealing.
She left that night, not even bothering to return to her apartment. She had her laptop, her few important mementos. It hadn’t been her only quick escape, though it was certainly the most dangerous. She left tow that night, left the state, putting it all in her rearview mirror with her heart still pounding, adrenaline still pumping as she made up her mind.
She was going to that reunion.
I little bit of protecting seemed nice right about then, and she prayed there would e someone there who could give her that.
Not someone, but Jack.
Her Jack.
She logged onto her computer, checking her email. A few messages from her editor, some junk mail, jokes from her mother- who didn’t know where she was, by the way, but continued to send emails- and, oddly, something from a .edu.va address. Frowning, she double clicked, eyes scanning the page. She bit her lip, at least able to pretend that the tears that leaked down her face were from pain and not the fact that she cried all too easily these days, especially when it had to do with…
The email was from her old High School, announcing place and time of her ten year reunion, in just over a month. She had gotten a letter years earlier for he five year and had always intended on going. She just… hadn’t. Couldn’t, really, since she’d made herself so sick with nerves that she’d spent a night in the hospital.
This time, though, she was older, wiser, and dead set against going back. There was nothing for her there, as much as she missed everyone. Hell, they might miss her, even, but they all had lives to attend to now. Even her.
She glanced outside, sighing. It was getting late, almost sunset. She had to go to Pack. Not her pack, of course, but it was a pack and they kept her around, most likely out of amusement. And she stayed on a whim, a fancy, something she didn’t quite understand herself. Maybe it was also amusement.
She found herself walking before she thought about it, feet taking her automatically to the meeting spot. The assembled group looked at her, most warmly, as she smiled back at them. It was a small meeting of a large group, nothing like the ‘pack’ from high school. There were probably 15 people in the circle, some of the stronger pack members. Rey was the first to greet her, breaking circle to stride over, grinning. It was a boyish grin, like Jack’s, but different, missing something. Something, she wanted to laugh, but dared not in this presence, keeping her face impassive. Something was right, and she’d been looking for that something almost nonstop, in Wolf packs across the northwest. She stayed for a month or two where packs kept her before moving on, finding nothing worth staying for.
She’d gotten herself into her share of tight spots because of it, but that was part of the reason why…. She had left, partly at least, because of Jack’s constant overprotecting. College had been worse- she hadn’t been protected, but nothing had been happening, either. She relished the freedom of being in danger. You weren’t afraid to take risks if it’s all you ever did.
Rey reached her, giving her a rough kiss and another smile, looping his arm around her shoulders. “Glad you could make it, Princess…. Today’s a special day.”
“Special day…?” Eva said warily. She hadn’t been informed of any occasion, at least to her knowledge.
“A very special day.” June this time. While she was not particularly high ranked, she was the strongest fighter in the pack, fiercely protective of the ever-plotting Rey. “We have a new member today. Mikael, please.” Another stepped forward, having been hidden behind the other members. Eva didn’t recognize him, but his injuries, numerous and light, told her he was just finishing the hazing the pack put all its members through.
She sighed, shuddered, glad she wasn’t technically Pack. She didn’t belong to them, and they didn’t belong to her, she was simply a visitor, a pet. The best way to be, in her opinion.
“Mikael is a werewolf, you know.” Rey said pleasantly, making Eva realize that she’d missed a few sentences. What she’d heard was enough, however, and she frowned. A werewolf? They weren’t usually allowed into Lycan packs, especially one as ‘elite’ as this.
“A werewolf…?” she restored neutrality to her face, playing the part of naïve human perfectly.
“Yes, princess.” Rey grinned and kissed her cheek. “A special member… he’s here for you, you know.”
“Me?” Eva’s voice was a tinny squeak, almost nonexistent.
“Of course.” Jackson said, looking please. “See, we voted on it, all of us, and we decided you can join. Just you, of course. But having a full human would make us look bad. You follow?”
“Y-yeah, but…” Eva stuttered, taking a small step backwards. She hadn’t been expecting this. How could she? What could prepare a person for something like this?
“But?” June asked in her calm, bored voice, holding onto the werewolf- Mikael- by the back of his shirt like a doll. He was her doll, really, and so was Eva herself. “You don’t accept our generosity?” the words were almost a growl, her eyes looking like chips of grey stone.
“I…” Eva fumbled, her tongue fat with nerves, trying to smooth things over, to find a way out of there as herself and in one piece. It seemed unlikely, with the sheer numbers and strength of the pack and her brain unable to focus on the idea that Jack had loved her as a human, protected her humanity, and it was one thing she could not let go of.
“Peace, June.” Rey cut in smoothly, friendly as always. “She’s nervous, can’t you see? Things will be fine once she accepts…” he looked at Eva, eyes twinkling. “Right?”
Eva could take no more. A wild look in her eyes, she turned to run, almost tripping into a dead on sprint. When she dared a look behind, she saw Mikael was her only pursuer. He was injured, but still fast. She was in the best shape of her life and only managing to keep her lead on him. She reached her car quickly, and from then it was only a few seconds till she roared away, tires squealing.
She left that night, not even bothering to return to her apartment. She had her laptop, her few important mementos. It hadn’t been her only quick escape, though it was certainly the most dangerous. She left tow that night, left the state, putting it all in her rearview mirror with her heart still pounding, adrenaline still pumping as she made up her mind.
She was going to that reunion.
I little bit of protecting seemed nice right about then, and she prayed there would e someone there who could give her that.
Not someone, but Jack.
Her Jack.
