Chapter 6

Nueva left Evie’s house feeling a bit better; talking to your friends indeed is the best therapy.

She drove straight home and locked herself in her mum's study with a new book she had been eager to read.

The study was bright with white painted timber walls and a large bay window. Underneath the window next to a dark brown desk was a weathered old grandpa chair with a big soft Moroccan style pillow. Nueva loved curling up here with a book whenever she needed some time to herself. 

She had just gotten comfy when her mobile phone started vibrating on top of the desk. An unknown number flashed on the phone’s display.

She didn’t usually answer unknown numbers but slid her finger across the display and put the phone to her ear when the mobile phone rang for the third time.

“Hello”

She could hear someone breathing on the other end.

“Hello, who is this?” again no answer; Nueva decided to hang up when she heard a familiar voice.

“How’s your hand?”

“Ryan, Is that you?” Her stomach turned itself small at the sound of his voice.

“What the hell did he want after all this time?” She growled to herself.

“Yes, it’s me.” He sounded nervous and out of breath.

“How did you get my number?”

“That’s not important. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am for how I left you on our date.” He whispered the words, and Nueva had to push the phone against her ear to hear him.

“Don’t worry about me; I am fine.” The tone of her voice came out harsher than she initially meant.

“Has anything strange happened to you? Do you feel different in any way?” He spoke fast as if in a hurry.

“No, and even if it had, it’s none of your God damn business”, She hissed.

He was the last person she would talk to about the things that had happened the previous few weeks.

“OK, I understand but, please listen. Stay away from the woods.” His voice was solemn as he spoke the last words.

“Wait? What wood?”

“Stay away, promise me.” He hung up before she could get an answer.

Nueva curled back into the Moroccan pillow’s busy pattern on the chair and dangled her legs over one of the armrests.

“What wood? She massaged her forehead in an attempt to calm the whirlwind inside her head.

Somehow, she fell asleep, and once again, she was running in the woods with the grey wolves. When she spotted the white wolf, it came right at her. They collided in mid-air, rolling tangled together in the springy moss-covered undergrowth, and as Nueva scrambled back up, she realised her hands and feet were massive paws.

“We are one”, Eira spoke inside her head.

Her eyes flung open, and she almost fell out of the old chair. Outside, the sun had started its descending journey across the sky, colouring the white timber walls peach inside the study.

The following days, Nueva kept herself busy helping out with chores. Ever since her dad had passed away four years ago, they all had to help out around their house and large garden, and there was nothing like some hard, honest labour to keep herself distracted.

After pushing the lawnmower up and down the soccer field size lawn, Nueva’s singlet and shorts clung much like a second skin to her body. The sun seemed to tease her with its sunny bite high above the clear blue sky.

Miranda waved to her from the back porch holding up a glass of cold lemonade. Nueva pushed the lawnmower up towards the house and turned it off.

“The lawn looks great, darling.” Miranda praised and held out the full glass.

The cold glass felt like luxury against the heated skin of her palm, and her fingers slid on the condensation. She moved the smooth ice cubes to the side with her lips and drank greedily.

“Thank you, mum.”

“You have been very busy. Why don’t you ask your brothers to help you?”

“Nah, it’s OK. I am almost done for today anyway. I am going shopping with the girls,” she answered in loud crunches with her mouth full of melting ice cubes.

“Oh, OK. That’s more like it” Miranda smiled, and that smoothed out her usual worried frown.