3. On My Own

Mom left me staring after her as she sped off in her car—alone on a paving spotted with old gum. I held a duffel in each hand, containing clothes, toiletries, and my most prized possessions. A photo album and a dolphin necklace my grandmother gave me before she died.

I couldn’t believe Mom had done this to me. I reached down and withdrew the sunglasses from the side pocket of the duffel and perched it on my nose to hide my eyes. In a rushed attempt, I covered my face with a thick layer of foundation and powder in hopes of covering the worst of the veiny look. No doubt I looked like a ghost. I supposed it was better than people seeing me for what I really was.

Fighting back the tears, I turned and began walking.

The train station was dark and empty, except for an elderly man sitting by the ticket booth reading a newspaper below a flashlight.

The coffee and souvenir shop was still open. Since I hadn’t had dinner yet, I headed for the coffee shop for some food.

I ordered a hot dog and bought a soda before sitting down on the closest bench outside of the shop. I felt safer there, beneath the lights and the employees’ wandering gazes.

Believe it or not, Mom gave me some money to buy food and enough to catch a train, but that was it.

I’d have to figure out how I was going to take care of myself. I pushed my luck and asked Mom if I could call the werewolf place—if I could figure out what it was called—to find out what I was supposed to do next. She yelled at me and told me I could contact them from a payphone.

I wondered if their number was even listed.

I sighed, unwrapping my hotdog, and took a bite out of it.

A shadow fell over the pavement, and when I turned to glance over my shoulder, it was one of the employees at the souvenir shop shutting the doors.

An uneasy sensation stirred at the pit of my stomach. Soon, I’ll be alone out here, swallowed in complete darkness. I wondered if the man by the ticket booth would be there all night.

Was it safe to assume he wasn’t capable of anything devious?

I downed my hotdog and drink, grabbed my things, and searched for the nearest payphone. With a bit of luck in my favor, a phonebook was right beside the phone on a stand.

My hands shook as I picked it up and flipped it open. “You can do this, Hails,” I mumbled under my breath.

I considered not reaching out. I contemplated taking the money Mom gave me, staying at a cheap motel for a day or two, and trying to find a stay-in job or something.

I was close to asking my mom to drop me off at a shelter. But, what then? What am I going to do if I turn?

What if I end up killing someone and end up in jail? Or worse, executed? I’ve heard of that happening before.

I couldn’t find the place. I cursed under my breath, wondering if the old man could help me until an idea hit me.

I picked up the phonebook again and looked up Luca’s number. It was easy to find—as his family was the only Greene’s listed in the area. A woman, presumably his mom, answered with an unusually chirpy voice.

“Hi, uhm, can I speak to Luca, please?” I asked, my voice shaky. Except for the pounding of my heart inside my ears, the silence stretched.

“Just a moment, please.”

I could hear a TV playing a toothpaste commercial in the background and two people arguing before, “Hello, Hailstorm.”

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, not bothering to find out how he knew it was me.

“Now, you wait.”

“What do you mean, wait? What if I turn into some horrid creature—which technically, I’m going to—and eat someone?” I rattled on in a raised voice.

There was a sigh. “We don’t eat people, Hailstorm. If anything, of all the cultures and beings out there, we are the most peaceful. Our magic is in tune with nature. We can’t siphon it if we are dark.”

“Magic?” I queried. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Magic. Did you really think you’re just going to turn into some ungodly creature, eat people, and call it a day?” He snorted a laugh. “Doesn’t work like that. If it helps, this is a gift. So, don’t screw it up.”

“Gift? Are you insane?” I was hysterical. “Why me, Luca? Just why? My life was perfect before you screwed it up. Before your stupid curse took everything away from me!” Technically, my life sucked—but he didn’t need to know that.

“Because Hailstorm, our gracious moon huntress told me to.”

Luca left me hanging with a, “Someone will reach out to you. You don’t reach out to them. That is, if you’re lucky and they don’t leave you to die.”

I snorted. If I’m lucky, huh? Nothing about my whole situation screamed luck.

I kicked an empty can as I rounded the corner where an old, run-down ‘Moel’ was situated, according to the flashing sign. The T was broken out.

The desk clerk at the motel was a middle-aged woman dressed in a too-tight leopard skirt and a pink crop top.

“Room four.” She chewed loudly on her gum, handing me a key. “Clean your mess before you leave.”

The unfriendly woman resumed reading a beauty magazine, ignoring me as I struggled to reopen the glass door.

“Thanks for the help,” I muttered irritably under my breath when I finally managed to get out.

Room number four was gross. The bed was unmade, the kitchen sink piled with dishes, and the toilet still had feces in it.

After I tidied up the place, I found out the TV was broken. Left with nothing else to do, I sunk onto the floor beside the bed, buried my face into my hands, and cried.

At some point, I just laid down on the floor, curled into a fetal position, wishing I could go back to this morning. Maybe if I hadn’t gone to school, I wouldn’t be here right now.

If only I had some way of knowing, I’d still have a warm bed and a place to call home.

Even if my parents weren’t exactly a model example, I would have had hope.

I didn’t stop crying until somewhere past midnight, when my eyelids become heavy, and I drifted off.

***

Pressure on my shoulder was what tore me from a nightmare where I was a hideous beast, tearing into the flesh of the people I loved.

My eyes fluttered open to meet up with a pair of the most beautiful butterscotch eyes staring back at me.

For a moment, I was lost in them, completely transfixed, my brain lagging from sleep. Until I realized where I was, and there wasn’t supposed to be anyone in this room with me.

“Hey, are you okay?” the gorgeous boy asked.

A scream exploded from my lips, and I repeatedly tried to kick him, but he was faster and stronger than me. He grabbed hold of both my legs and pinned them down.

“Relax. I’m not here to hurt you.”

A sudden calm fell over me. It was strange and didn’t make sense in the back of my mind, but I pushed it away, finding myself believing him instead. Maybe it was something in his eyes or the fluttering sensation blossoming inside my belly. My tense body relaxed, and I became still.

“Who are you?” I asked. “And what are you doing inside my room?”

“If I let you go, would you promise not to kick me?” he tested.

“If you’re not some psychopath, then no, I won’t kick you.”

His full lips curved into a smile. “If I was, you’d probably be dead by now.” He released my legs and sat down on the floor beside me. “Before we get to that, are you sure you’re okay? Not having some weird side symptoms that need to be checked? It’s not every day I have to pick someone up from the floor.”

“Weird symptoms of what?” My brows furrowed. “And I’m fine. As fine as I can be, I guess. I was just, uh, not keen on sleeping on the bed.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Just last week we picked up another pup who died right after the change. Turns out he is allergic to his own wolf hair.”

My eyes widened, and I sat up. “You’re from the werewolf place?”

A dark brow cocked, and he smiled. “As ever, we live up to our reputation. And to answer your question, yes, I’m from the academy.”

I eyed him. “You’re not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“Well, a shriveled up old woman with a mustache.” I had no idea why I was trying to joke, but a flicker of light in my current situation seemed fitting.

“Good to see you come packed with a sense of humor,” he laughed. “But I’m part of the Moon Guardians. Let’s just say it’s the werewolf equivalent of a student council at the academy. It’s our work to bring back new pups. You can see me as your recruitment officer, or whatever you humans call it.”

“You mean ‘you humans’, as in past tense, right?”

He smiled. “Right, of course.”

“So, what happens now?”

He held out a hand. “You come with me.”