5: Lila

Whoever is out there comes into the cave, and I step back, staring in complete disbelief. "Dad," I say in almost a whisper.

My dad looked around quickly, turned on a flashlight he had with him, and examined every crevice of the cave. I stand there watching him. I don't know what's going on with him lately, but something is bothering him. I'm sure it has something to do with his phone conversation I overheard last night.

"What on earth are you doing here, Lila?" He asks me as he still looks around the cave.

"I found this cave and just thought I'd check it out and see if there was anything cool in here," I say in a very calm voice, looking in the eyes. I don't lie to my dad, but he seems unhinged and, for the first time in my life, I feel afraid of him. I've always been anxious around him, but I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He was just a little unstable and a bit unpredictable. This is different, though.

"Well, what did you find?" He asks, looking at me in a way that makes the hair on my neck stand up.

"Nothing, really. I was just heading out and going to go back home. I was hoping there would at least be some stalagmites or stalactites in here, but no luck." I shrug, looking around.

My dad looked around again, as if to verify I was telling the truth, but as he searched the cave, I looked around and noticed it was really bare in there. With a sigh, my dad came over and placed his arm around my shoulder. "Let's get out of here," he says as I use the flashlight on my phone to make sure I don't look suspicious. I noticed after I shifted, I could see in the darkness of the cave. Luckily, my light had been left on my flashlight from when I first shifted. My dad would have been really suspicious if he found me in a dark cave with no light. "I just took the afternoon off. I got worried about you when you were gone so long without checking in." my dad said as we stepped outside the cave.

Looking at my phone, I'd only been gone two and a half hours. It would have taken my dad around forty-five minutes to get here. Which means I had been gone a long time before he came after me.

"Do not tell him about me," Nova said.

"I won't, I promise," I say back to her. It still feels unreal to know I'm a werewolf, and I have so many questions to ask Nova, but I agree I can't let my dad find out.

My dad and I walked back almost in complete silence. Once we got to the house, he pulled me into an awkward hug and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "You are a good kid, you know that?" He asks

"Yeah, I know, and you're a good dad," I say with a chuckle.

"Thanks, kid. I have to get back to work. Stay in the house today, alright? I'll call you in the morning." He says happily.

"Okay, but is it still alright if I order pizza for myself tonight?" I ask, not wanting to upset him if he happens to drive by and sees a vehicle here, even if it is just dropping off pizza.

"Yeah, that's fine. Sorry, I've been a bit much lately. Just seeing the way that guy was looking at you the other day worried me. He seems like trouble, and I want to make sure he keeps away from you."

"Dad, I don't even know who he is. Like I told you, he was coming in as I was leaving to catch the bus, and I had served him at the diner the day before. I don't even know his name; nothing to worry about." I tell him honestly.

My dad smiles at me and walks out to his car as I head into the house.

I ordered the pizza when my dad left a supreme pizza with a side of buttermilk ranch. It is my favorite. I also took the time to shower as my body ached. Nova said this was normal after shifting, especially the first time. I spent the evening asking Nova every question I could think of.

Werewolves are real, obviously, because I am one. You are born a werewolf. It's nothing like in the movies, where you have to be bit or anything. My dad is not a werewolf, which means my mom was, or I could have been, a dormant gene I inherited. Nova can feel everything I do and see my memories as I do. Nova explained to me that we are special. She's not an ordinary wolf. I asked her to explain what makes her different, and she said I will find out in time. She can really get on my nerves sometimes. I asked her why we shifted early because she said it's not normal to shift before your eighteenth birthday. All she would tell me was that she didn't think I was safe and that she needed to keep me safe.

"Nova, why did you call that man at the diner, mate?" I ask with a yawn.

"Wolves don't just choose who we are with. We have mates, someone who is meant to love us unconditionally and protect us. That man is our mate. A mate is given to us as a blessing. We have to either reject or accept the bond. It is hard to reject the bond as having a mate is a privilege. This man is ours. Weirdly, he let us go, though male wolves tend to chase their mates, try to earn our trust, and prove themselves so we will accept them. It makes me think he might reject us, though." Nova says, and I can not only hear her sadness, but I can feel it.

Now that we shifted, she said we will grow strong both physically and in our connection together, and we will feel what the other feels. What I feel from her right now is heartbreak, she is heartbroken that our mate may not want us.

"I'm sorry, Nova," I say as she begins to softly cry. I cry for her and for myself. I try so hard to be strong, but my life isn't easy. I'm happy to have Nova, but I wish she was given a better human counterpart, one whose life wasn't such a disaster. We just lay in my bed softly crying until we both drift into a fitful slumber.