The two of us settled on the couch with a pizza box between us. It was pepperoni, Lucas and I's favorite."Want to watch a movie?" Lucas asked, flipping through the TV channels."Sure." I settled back into the couch cushions. "What should we watch?""Something funny?" Lucas asked, clicking on a movie that had just started. "What about this?""Yeah, I'm down," I said, looking down at the pizza box. "Can we eat now?"Lucas laughed, giving me a nod. "Yes, we can eat now. Geez, someone must be hungry.""Well, it took someone like two hours to cook something that ended up being inedible anyway. Then it took another hour for the pizza to get here.""Sorry," Lucas's expression was sheepish and apologetic as he opened the box. "I ruined the night, didn't I?""Not at all." I looked at him. "You ordered the pizza, after all."He snorted. "Great, at least I did one thing right."As the movie's opening credits flickered on the screen, casting a soft light across the room, I couldn't help but feel
This time, it was really morning as I woke up.Sunlight streamed through my window, covering my entire room in a glow. I turned in my bed and frowned when I noticed that the opposite side of the bed appeared slept in.My confusion was soon replaced with realization as the events from the previous night flooded through my mind.Lucas and I kissed on the couch. Things didn't progress any further than that, but I remember Lucas carrying me up to my bedroom when I started to fall asleep again.He was about to leave my room to go to his own bedroom when I'd said, "No. Stay here.""You want me to sleep here with you tonight?" Lucas asked from the doorway cautiously."Yes," I said, patting the empty space next to me. "Come."It didn't take any further convincing for Lucas to slide under the covers next to me. He pressed his front against my back and cuddled me until I fell asleep.Looking at the space he once occupied, I figured he must've woken up already. A content smile played on my lips.
My phone continued to ring, and I looked down at the caller ID, unsure of who was calling."Who is it?" Lucas asked curiously, peeking over to look at my phone screen.I shrugged. "I don't know..."It was as if my intuition was trying to tell me something bad was about to happen.Everything inside of me was urging me not to pick up the phone. However, there was a part of me that was curious about who was calling.Ignoring the sudden nervous flutter in my chest, I picked up the call."Hello?" I answered cautiously, looking to Lucas for some kind of support.He kept his eyes on me, letting me know that I had his full attention. He would be there for me no matter what happened.A voice, stern and official, echoed through the phone, "Hello. Is this Shana?"My grip tightened around the device as an unexpected chill coursed through me.Lucas noticed my shift and whispered, "What did they say?""They said my name," I told Lucas. He pursed his lips, clearly not happy with that."I'm sorry," I
Lucas POVThe room crackled with tension as Shana's anxiety escalated.I had already begun to put the puzzle pieces together with what the police officer was saying. I wanted to appear strong for Shana, even though the news was crushing. I could only imagine how she was feeling right now.As Officer Torrez explained what he needed Shana to do next, I noticed just how silent Shana had gotten. When I observed her, I watched as her breathing quickened. It rose and felt much faster than normal, echoing the unease in the air.I reached out, intending to comfort her, but before I could utter a word, her hands clamped onto her head.I hung up the phone with Officer Torrez, not even bothering to offer him a goodbye. I needed to make sure Shana was okay right now."Shana, breathe," I urged, placing a hand on her back and rubbing in soothing circles.I looked up at Grandma Jo who had a stricken look on her face. I gave her a pained expression.I didn't know how to comfort Shana. This was very s
I ran and I ran and I ran.Tears blurred my vision as I continued to push myself further and further. A watery haze of greens and browns coated my eyes as I sprinted through the sun-lit forest.The world around me transformed into indistinct blurs of colors as I desperately sought to escape from the storm of emotions within me.It felt freeing to be able to lose control like this. The last time I had shifted I had felt just as scared and confused. This time, I felt my body ache with a sadness that I had never felt before.My lungs burned and my limbs ached as I continued to burst with energy. I was trying to escape from the reality of my life. I wanted to get as far away from the human Shana as possible. I wanted to remain like this forever and never return.I didn't want to face the truth of the news I had just learned. I couldn't even think about it. Thinking about it only caused me to howl and whine with desperation.So, I continued to move. Each stride forward felt like a brief re
Lucas POVI watched as Shana's White Wolf crashed into the tree. My sprinting stopped immediately as I watched her body transform back into its human self.Panic and fear crippled me as I stood there, momentarily motionless.Was he okay? Had she passed out? Was she breathing?It felt like I stood there forever, examining Shana's lifeless body on the ground before sense snapped into me.I shifted back into my human form, moving towards her at the speed of light.I dropped to my knees beside Shana, my heart heavy with concern. "Are you okay?" I asked, my eyes scanning her for any signs of injury.She held the side of her body in comfort as tears began to fall from her eyes. I wasn't sure if she was crying because of the pain from her potential injury, or because of what she had just learned about her father.The forest around us was alive with the relaxing sounds of nature, but all I could hear was Shana's labored breathing."Shana," I called her name, gently touching her side where she
LUCAS POVShana sat beside me, trembling in the passenger seat, her tear-streaked face a heartbreaking sight.There was one thought that had been constantly playing on my mind:I wished there was more I could do for her, but all I could offer was the support of my presence.The weight of grief hung heavy in the air, and the drive to the police department was cloaked in silence, interrupted only by Shana's occasional sobs.I hadn't experienced loss like Shana had. My mother died while giving birth to me, so I didn't even fully know what it felt like to lose a parent.Grandma Jo had been like my mother, and she was still in my life.Now, Shana had not only lost her mother, but also her father in such a short span of time.It didn't seem fair that she had to deal with all of this tragedy and stress. She wasn't deserving of so much suffering, and it killed me to witness it all.The car's engine provided a rhythmic hum as we drove to the police station, a stark contrast to the turbulent em
LUCAS POV"Do you want to wait in the car, or...?" I trailed off, leaving the decision in her hands.I thought it would be best for her to stay in here. Joining me inside might be more overwhelming for her, but I wanted her to make the choice on her own.Shana nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll wait here."I squeezed her hand gently, understanding the weight of the situation. "That's perfectly fine. I'll try not to take too long. If you change your mind, just text me and I'll come get you, okay?"She nodded again and I leaned over the console to give her a light kiss on the cheek before leaving the car.I walked into the station with my hands in my jean pockets. There was a desk at the front and a door to the right that probably led to wherever the police officer's offices were.There was a small waiting area, and a few people sat there, waiting for their turn. A few of them looked a little rough around the edges and gave me curious glances, probably wondering what I was