Chapter 4: Stupid decision number 1

October 10th

"And you're certain you want to go to this party, Ella?" Connor asked as we ate dinner.

"No, I spent half an hour trying to perfect winged eyeliner to stay home," I said, putting down my fork to point at the masterpiece I had created on each eye.

He rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean."

"Chill. I can handle Cameron. He's not a threat and I'm over him.”

Connor leant back in his chair and sighed defeatedly.

"Okay, if you're sure..."

I picked up my empty plate and walked to the sink, ruffling his thick dark hair as I went.

"Don't worry."

Connor was blessed with our Mother's genes. With brown curls and warm hazel eyes, he was a spitting image of her.

I, however, got my father's genes.

My hair was a dull blonde and my skin nearly as pale as the uninteresting blue of my eyes. But of course, luck would have it I wouldn't get to inherit his tall, muscular physique. Instead, I was small, short and in no way remarkable looking.

Biology is a bitch.

An hour later, Abi and Charlotte were waiting for me in the cramped hallway of the house. I'd chucked tomato down my top and was frantically finding something else to wear as Abi tapped her foot impatiently.

"Ready!" I announced, running down the stairs, my only pair of shoes in my hands.

They were a battered dirty pair of converse that I'd had for years.

Connor and I had serious money issues. We worked at a cafe five shifts a week and Mom sent us the odd cheque which was just enough to cover the bills and necessities but new shoes were certainly not on the cards.

"Looking lovely ladies," I said as I shoved them on my feet.

"Thanks, but we need to go. We're in danger of going over the fashionably late category," Abi exclaimed before hustling us out the door.

Connor waited outside with a bottle of what looked like vodka in his hands.

"Connor..." I groaned, "Please don't get wasted tonight."

"Relax, Mom," he said, unscrewing the lid and tilting his head back, "Not like I'm gonna drink it neat or anything."

He swigged some and grimaced before holding it out to Abi and Charlotte, "Ladies?"

They both giggled as they drank from the bottle, gagging and squirming as it burnt their throats.

"No pressure, Ella, but you can have some if you want," Connor said, holding the bottle out to me.

I looked down at the bottle and instantly thought of Cameron and Logan and how on earth I was going to get through this night without slapping at least one of them.

"Just a little," I replied, taking the bottle.

Neat spirits were disgusting. Dangerous too, but the more Abi, Charlotte and I drank of Connor's vodka, the less he had left to be a moron with.

So I took a swig before handing it back to him, only three-quarters full.

"Be careful with that," I warned.

By the time we could hear the music of the party thudding, the bottle was only a quarter full and we were all very giggly. It was the happiest I'd felt in a while as I walked arm in arm with my friends, Connor on one side and Charlotte on the other.

"Okay," I said as we reached the door, "I'm tipsy and not a single part of me misses him. That's a good sign, right?"

They all agreed.

"And before we go in, Connor, for the love of God, we have a shift at 7 am. At least make sure you're sober by then."

"It's adorable how lowly you think of me, Ells," he said, chubbing my cheeks, "Now stop worrying and have some fun."

We then joined the hordes of teenagers flocking inside and danced and chatted and partied for hours.

It was a great night... at least it was until I saw Cameron. I'd avoided him all night until I turned to see him leaning against a doorframe, glancing at me.

Guilt was in his eyes and his jaw was tight as he looked down to the ground.

I almost felt sorry for him.

But then I remembered:  he is an ass and I am over him.

I turned back and continued to dance with Abi and Charlotte, who were screaming the lyrics to 'party in the USA' at the top of their lungs.

Just as we were getting the chorus, someone tapped my shoulder.

"What do you want?" I grunted, turning to see Cameron.

"To talk outside," he said.

"No.”

"Ella, please," he begged. "Just for a few minutes."

I folded my arms and shrugged, "You get thirty seconds."

I followed him outside to the front yard where the music, partially muffled by the walls, wasn't so deafening.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," He said. "For pressuring you... and I miss you. I was wondering if we could give us another go?"

I bit my lip.

"No, Cameron," I said. "There is no way in hell."

"Why?" He asked, "We were happy, weren't we?"

"We were but now we want different things out of a relationship."

He sighed and tightened his lips as he stared straight ahead.

"Ella-"

"It's never going to work," I said, "Goodbye, Cameron."

I then looked around at the front yard. The smell of alcohol was rife in the air and combined with the teenagers all around me making out and groping each other, I began to feel quite sick.

So I marched down the path, through the front gate and out into some fresher air.

I needed to get into the forest and let off some steam. I needed to shift and run.

As I charged down the street, I passed into Logan.

"How's your boyfriend?" He called after me.

"Logan, you are the last thing I need right now," I hissed.

"Oooh, looks like someone’s got their panties in a twist."

I turned back and glared. The corner of his lip folded up as his friends jeered around him.

"Fuck you."

"Don't you want this?" He said, waving the shiny envelope in the air.

I stopped and turned around once again.

"Just give it to me," I said.

"Sure," he chirped, holding it out to me.

As I reached forward, he whipped it away and laughed.

"I never gave you that lift home," he said, taking slow steps around me.

"If you think I'm getting in your car with you this drunk-"

"Not now," he interrupted. "After school on Monday."

"Fine," I said. "Whatever."

"That's a deal," he said as he handed me the envelope.

I grabbed the envelope but before he let go, he bent down, bringing his lips close to my ear.

"Don't break it."

He then moved his lips towards my cheek, but I smacked him across the face before he could get far.

Unfortunately, he didn't even flinch.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," I spat before marching away.

I soon found a small footpath leading into the woods.

That was the first stupid thing I did.

Walking into the woods in the middle of the night alone could never be a smart idea... especially with the number of werewolf territories around here.

I lived in Washington state and there were hundreds of packs in the vast mountain ranges and forests, sparsely populated by humans so with little risk of exposure. Cerridwen had a different pack on every border. I didn't bother to know much about them. As far as I was concerned, I lived a human life now and packs and territories didn't concern me anymore.

I was still steaming from the Cameron and Logan incidents even as I marched through the trees.

The second I was far enough from the town, I stripped down, tying my clothes to my wrist and shifting. It was that or fall onto my knees and have a complete breakdown about all the aspects of my life going wrong - oh, so every single one of them.

The wind through my hair and the forest under my paws was the perfect remedy. The anger dissipated and endorphins took its place.

It was hours before my wolf grew tired and I had to shift back. Putting my clothes back on and feeling the sticky patch of lemonade against my skin was an unpleasant reminder of how sour the night had been.

I sighed and leant my back against a tree, still catching my breath. Connor and the girls would be wondering where the hell I had got to, so I pulled out my phone intending to call them.

No service.

1%.

Oh, one bar of service!

0%.

Shit.

After groaning, I glanced around, only just noticing the unfamiliarity of my surroundings. The trees were tall and menacing here, an eerie gloom hanging around them that trickled down my spine, triggering a shudder.

But even more unsettlingly, after allowing my wolf to take over, I had no idea where the hell we were.

I took a few steps forward, taking a deep breath of the air and all the scents it held.

This was no longer Cerridwen territory; I was fairly sure of that. The scents of other packs were all around me. None of them particularly remarkable, yet something about the forest ahead was alluring. The shadows and darkness enticed me with their mystery and I was compelled to saunter on.

But within a couple of minutes, I halted at an invisible borderline. I must have crossed through half a dozen territories already, but this one was different and my wolf didn't want me anywhere near it. A new scent filled my nostrils now. One too intense to go unnoticed.

I knew that I should leave. Figure out how to get home. Let Connor, Abi and Charlotte know I'm fine.

But there was something about that damn scent.

So I stayed. I traced the outskirt of the border, running my hands along the leathery bark of the trees, occasionally daring to dip a finger into the territory. My eyes scanned every bush and tree the darkness would allow me to see, examining every little branch and twig.

Nothing but stillness, the only noise being the crunch of leaves under my feet. I paused for a moment, my foot hovering above the divide between the two territories.

Nothing of any physical significance marked the spot yet my wolf still whined and begged me to turn around.

But over the years of living in the human world, I'd become immune to the control of my wolf and she didn't govern me anymore.

So I placed my foot down.