Fateful Meeting

Azalea

My mom would give us fake names sometimes and we used cash for everything.  But soon enough they would sniff us out and start asking about us around town and we'd be gone in the night again. 

This was the first time though that I had gone without my mom.  We had been in 8 different states over the last 5 years, but had only returned to Texas a few months ago.  She said it was a big enough state that the chances of us being found was slim.  He wouldn't think to look in his own backyard.  I didn't want to run forever and we'd had been saving up to buy new identities.

I woke to the sun shinning brightly in my eyes and knew it was time to get going again.  Once in Arrowhead, I checked into a small hotel right off the highway.  We had looked it up and decided ahead of time that if we got separated we would meet up here.  I grabbed some fast food for dinner and settled into the room to wait for my mom.

Sometime in the night I was awakened by the sounds of shuffling outside my room the hallway.  Before I could react, a group of people - shifters by the smell of them- burst into my room and grabbed me.  I tried to struggle, but the 6 of them together were too strong for me. They carried me outside and tossed me into a waiting SUV, with none other than my father sitting inside.  

"What the hell?" I said as I righted myself onto the seat, pissed off as hell.  The years had taken their toll on him, his once chocolate brown hair now had become silver, and his muscular frame slightly softer looking.  His strong jaw and dark brown eyes were still the same though as I watched him watching me.

"Watch your language young lady," he replied.  

"Fuck you," I replied back, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms over my pajamas.  A cough from the front seat drew my attention and I glanced forward, locking eyes with whoever was in the driver's seat.  I realized we probably looked and sounded ridiculous - it's the middle of the night and here I am looking like - and maybe acting like just a little- a child in her pajamas arguing with her father, who looks like he just walked out of court in his three piece suit. 

My father sighs loudly, drawing my attention back to him.  

"Listen, there is a lot I need to explain to you and I know you are not very happy right now.  But I need you to understand some things so you don't end up hurting anyone, yourself included.  Your mother is fine, before you interupt me to ask.  She is back at the town you were staying in before.  I finally got to explain things to her and after we talk I will let you call and talk to her," my father said, watching me for a reaction.

I really didn't care what he had to say - he had made his decision 8 years ago.  But I would humor him in hopes that he would stop chasing me after this and let us live in peace.  

"Go ahead, I'm listening," I replied, uncrossing my arms and taking a deep breath.

And so he began.  He talked for what seemed like hours while we drove to God only know where.  He explained to me about the 'other world' and about werewolves and magic and other shifters and how their world works.  I didn't tell him that I already knew about witches, having run into one a few years ago and having kept in touch with her.  He told me about how their genetics work and how it was very unusual for me to inherit his abilities and even more so for me to shift so young.  He asked me about my wolf and he looked even more surprised by my answer.  I took it all in stride.  I mean it made sense that other creatures and magical beings existed because I did, right?

The last thing he explained was about college, a special college. Children of the leaders of these groups as well as any children showing special abilities or aptitudes were sent there for specialized training.  It was more of a finishing school.  All of the other children went to the schools in their territories - he said they didn't go to human schools.  They were allowed to live in the human world - away from territories once they finished school, but that their school taught more than just basic curriculum.  That's why he'd been trying to get to me all these years.

He explained that he was a leader of his group - an alpha- and I smiled remembering my mom saying he was in a cult.  As his child- bastard or not- I was supposed to go to pack schools and this finishing school to learn to control myself. 

I scoffed at that - "I've always been able to control myself."

He smiled back at me and said "That's actually more unusual than you know.  Your wolf is very powerful and could be even more so.  That's what the school is for - they will actually train you there and help you grow your powers."

Normally students attend there for 4 years - kind of like a high school.  Students don't start there until after their fisrt shift, or show of powers. They have basic classes on the history of the races, sciences based on their races like alchemy or animal husbandry, math classes based on business models and how to grow your business as well as managment and economic courses. But they also had classes that I would test into based on my aptitudes.  He told me that since I had shifted so long ago and that I had such control over myself I would only need to attend one year.  He promised me that if I went ahead and attended for the year that he would leave me and my mother alone after that.  

He said he hoped that I would want to come and visit now but that he could understand why I was hesitant.  I asked him what would happen if I said no and he frowned.  He told me that the council would then send enforcers after me and that they would imprison me until I complied or worse.  That the council was always wary of rogues - afraid that they would accidentally expose their world. 

He tossed a phone at me and told me to call my mom, which I did.  We spoke for a few minutes, my mom encouraging me to go to the school for a year.  After all, wasn't it worth giving up 1 year for a lifetime of freedom?