I woke up the next day almost half an hour after my alarm barely awake. I scrambled around for my clothes exhausted from my last night's dream again. It was always like this I had always tried to take care of myself in that world for fear of what might happen to me here. I shuttered quickly before getting dressed as I thought of dying in that world and never going back again. But I ran down the stairs having my mom yelling at me while I ran around getting all my stuff together and stuffing some breakfast in my mouth.

I left the house a mess and I knew it was going to be a bad day as soon as Mr. Taine walked up to me in the hallway. You know that creepy teacher that every school has. The teacher that always seems to know where you are or always talks to you or something, well that was Mr. Taine. He was as creepy as it got. Always absent or leaving in the middle of the day, always knowing where I was, and it just felt like he was watching me. But not in a perverted way it just seemed like he was waiting for something to happen and he looked scared that if he wasn't watching he would miss it.

“Hello Zoey,” he said and stopped behind me while I was opening my locker.

I put in the last combination and turned around, “Hi Mr. Taine.”

“I would like to see you during lunch to talk about your grades. Could you leave the cafeteria if I gave you a pass?” He was asking me but it sounded like one of those things where you don't have a choice in the matter.

“Sure,” I shrugged my shoulder and turned back around to my locker not wanting to be late again.

“Ok here is the pass,” he chuckled handing it to me from behind and started to walk away again. I looked from him to the pass and back to him finding him already gone. He already had the pass ready? That creepy little bastard, I thought to myself as I shook my head going back to my books.



I got into homeroom just milliseconds before the bell rang for homeroom earning me a couple glares from the teacher as I sat down in my seat but she kept her mouth shut. I looked at the white washed wall and felt like I was in a penitentiary again, just like yesterday and the day before that. I went through my books, sighing, and pulled out my math homework knowing I should finish it. But my mind was in other places as much as I tried to keep it here. When all of a sudden a voice stuck out Jack, the guy who sat behind me yelling with his friends, his voice just sounded so broken for just a second. But as soon as I heard it he covered it up looking around like he had let a important secret lose.

He might have been smiling and having a good time, but I could tell that he had troubles behind those smiles. For some reason I had never pick this out before. It was one of my many hidden talents picking people a part, I chuckled.

“What you thought that was funny? You should hear some of my other jokes,” someone said from behind me breaking into my thoughts.

My head jerked behind me to find Jack actually setting in his chair as his friends where getting yelled at for being out of theirs. I looked at his smile, short brown hair combed forward, but it was his dark green eyes that I was staring at. I could see in his eyes, where it was harder to hide emotions, the pain I heard in his voice. It was as obvious to me as ink on white paper but beyond that pain I could see he was a nice guy very trustworthy. He kind of reminded me of something but I couldn't put my finger on it yet.

I mentally hit myself for getting so involved in another person's personal life. It was the only curse to this talent of my, “Really,” I tried to sound interested but I was too busy analogizing him and picking him apart.

He didn't answer at first, he just tilted his head to the side, but slowly he let the words come out of his mouth, “Ya, I have been told I have a few good jokes.” He said like he was distracted just as much as I was.

“Do I know you from....” we said in unison cutting each other off. I bunched up my eyebrows while his eyes widen.

“I guess-“Jack was sharply cut off by one of his friends and his attention went straight to him.

I rolled my eyes at his short attention span and turned back around working on my homework while my mind struggle to pull itself out of the woods.

I could still smell it on my clothes, the dirt, wood, blood, it was just barely there but once you smell it you would know it a mile away. It isn’t a smell you forget quickly. This would continue for the rest of the morning, my mind would switch from world to world confused until it finally realized where I was. My adrenaline would go down to normal and in turn my enhanced sense would die down. It was the worst because I felt impaired when I lost it all. Then to top it off I also got a huge crash and most of the time end up falling asleep in my class.
I would have never thought you could get an adrenaline rush in your sleep, I sighed to myself again finished the last proof on my math homework.

*
*
*



The rest of the day went on like route but I didn’t have to cook supper today so I spent more time in the shed with Tiger. I laid down on a pile of dried out hay with a piece in my mouth, not the best tasting thing I had, as I sat there thing about Jack. I still couldn’t remember where I had seen him before but he seems so familiar that I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Those eyes were burned in my skull so much I could probably draw them perfectly.

I jumped as Tiger laid down on my stomach wanting me to pet him. I spit out the hay in my mouth and started petting him as I realized I blow off Mr. Taine and his invite. I sighed; I have been more spacey then usual today.

“What am I going to do, Tiger?” I looked at him and he meowed. “Ya I know Tig. I know,” I said as he fell back asleep and I felt suddenly extremely tired.

My head fell back into the hay and my arms lay lifelessly by my sides same as my legs. My energy just drained very quickly out of me and my body was willing me to sleep to regain it. I fought it, not really knowing why, but I felt like it was a losing battle.

My body refused to stay up any longer despite the fact it was only 6 o’clock. My eyes shut, almost like someone else had made them, making me fall asleep.


I was back in the forest but it wasn’t my forest. It was ghostly quiet, not even the wind was making noise as the leaves moved with it. I stood there looking at the green grass and the leaves falling from the trees also blowing in the silent wind. I held my hands in front of me looking at them and the rest of my body half expecting to not be human. Then turning my attention back to the woods I continued to look at them completely and peacefully calm. It scared me a little to feel calm in a strange place that had the sound muted but I could fight the relaxing sense that fell over me.

Snap. It broke the silence and my senses shifted to behind a tree where a twig had snapped. Something was walking back there and made the only noise in the dead quiet zone. I could feel my muscles tighten not knowing what to expect from this weird dream and my eyes still locked on the tree. The calming sensation still fighting to keep me relaxed but I fought back harder refusing to calm down until I knew there was no danger. A rustle came from the same place as slowly something walk out from behind the tree.

It came forward so slowly it seemed like the world had slowed down and even when it came forward I only saw one thing. I saw it's eyes it was the gray wolf with the lighter underbelly coat and his eye's have been printed on the underside of my eyelids all day. Those dark green eyes that stared back at me where the same as one trustworthy kid, only one thing was different. Those eyes looked free you couldn't see how broken he was, he just looked truly happy.


I shot up out of the hay as Tiger hissed at me for startling him, my clothes where almost socked from the cold sweat I was in and my breath was erotically uneven from my dream. What the hell was happening to me? Was I going crazy? Even if I was did I really want to be sane? I sat there not really looking at anything because my mind was too busy with all of the questions swirling around it.

What should I do about the dream? Ignore it or should I tell him? Even if I do tell him how in the world do I start that conversation? Then how could I ignore it? How could I even tell if I was completely right? It was all give me a humungous migraine. I rubbed my temples now laying back in the hay squeezing my eyes shut.

“What the hell is wrong with me!!!?” I yelled at the empty air after Tiger walked out of the barn and back to the house like he thought I was crazy. I groaned and yelled into the hay, probably not my greatest ideas, hitting my fist on the ground next to me.

I skipped supper and went right up stairs jumping under the covers not even wasting time getting changed. I wanted out of this world and the stress that came with being a human teenager. I also won't mind see him again and confirming what I thought the dream was telling me. I was hoping I was right. To have someone else going through the same thing as me would be an answer to my prayers. Then maybe the rest of them had human forms too. I felt like I actually belonged with someone. I won't be crazy!!!

I couldn't turn my brain off it all just turned over and over in my head like some was making soup up there. I couldn't sleep at all and without that I couldn't see them. I tried to calm down to empty out the thought soup going around and around in my head. It wouldn't shut up as I twisted and turned in my white sheets. No matter how much I tried I could go to sleep.

Tiger was getting mad with me rolling around in the bed and jumped on my stomach walking up to straight in my face. He sat on my chest making it a bit harder to breath and stared at me. He didn't move or anything just stared me in face, his wet noise centimeters from mine. I could smell his cat food breath as he exhaled. It was like he was staring me into boredom and then into sleep.

My eyes got heavier and heavier. It seemed to be working as sleep welcome me with opened arms. My eyes finally closed and Tiger got off my chest. I could hear my breath even out and feel my muscles relax. The only thing wrong with it was I wasn't going to my world. It was like I was blocked. I couldn't feel my forest beneath my paws as I ran. I couldn't feel the sun on my fur and it scared me. It scared me that I couldn't feel free. What if it was gone? What if for some reason finding out about Jack made it all go away? I couldn't live without that world I would rather die.

Soon after worrying I fell unconscious in a dream world without my forest but I have to say it was the best night of sleep I have ever gotten since before I can remember.


I woke up the next morning a mess. I was completely rested but I still could stop worrying about why I hadn't been with the pack last night. I still had so much going on in my head and I still had a horrible headache. I jumped in the shower hoping that a quick warm shower will at least help the headache and maybe if I was lucky give me a moment of peace.

I let the warm water run over me and let it take all of my stress down the drain with it. The water took most of it away giving me the space I needed to think. I was a mess under pressure and stress. My brain would clog up with nothing but worry and questions not letting me think. Then, in turn, making me do something stupid and take a wrong turn somewhere important. I hated it but no matter how hard I tried I could stop it. It was part of me, an annoying part.

I got out of the shower, got dressed, got something to eat, and brushed my hair while everyone else in the house was still asleep. I enjoyed the last couple minutes of silence as I walked through the living room to the coat rack grabbing mine. With my book bag on my back, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and started off to school. I moved my hand in my left pocket as I realized there was a slip of paper in the pocket. I pulled it out realizing it was the pass Mr. Taine gave me.

Great! If I didn't have enough to worry about I had to be reminded of Mr. Taine right this moment, I thought mentally screaming and kicking. I took a deep breath trying to keep my head clear, but failing miserably. I continued to consecrate on walking not thinking about anything else. I kept tried my head completely empty keeping the headaches at bay for as long as possible. I knew there would be many to come and I didn't need one now.

I planned out my day starting with going to homeroom and talking with Jack. I had no clue what I would say just yet but I knew I had to talk to him. Then I would go through my day and go see Mr. Taine before lunch making up some kind of excuse why I wasn’t there yesterday. I replayed it over and over again in my mind reassuring myself everything was going to okay. But the only bad thing about a plan was that they hardly ever go the way you want them too.

I walked into the school doors and continued walking to my tiny locker. I was thinking the entire way to my locker about so many things I was scared my head would explode. What would happen if I was right? What if my life changed forever? Was leaving my live behind worth what I lived for in my dreams? I finally realized all the questions were piling on top of each other in the back of my mind and I need to stop it before I got cold feet. I sighed and turned the dial on my locker opening it.

I walked into the classroom on time for the first time this year but of course the teacher was absent missing the onetime event. I walked over to my desk throwing my books down, not worrying where they landed, as Jack came through the door.

I felt my stomach jump and twist in ways I couldn't have imagination. I saw the look on his face wasn't the best look I have even seen. He looked sick with worry like something had happened and broken him even farther. He walked up to his seat behind mine slowly putting his book down on his desk barely looking up at me even though I had been staring at him the entire time he had been in the room. I was pretty sure the whole rooms of students were staring at us right about now because I could feel their eyes burning into my back.

His dark green eyes finally looked up at me and I saw the wolf in him. I cursed to myself for not realizing this earlier it was so obvious know that I knew. I looked in his eyes seeing some kind of emotion in them almost a sense of determination. He continued to look at me for another second and then stood up grabbing my hand and pulled me out of the classroom.

Since the substitute wasn't in the classroom yet it was easy to get away but I knew the fact that he had pulled me right out the room would be all over the school by second period. I wasn't really happy about it but I wasn't resisting him, actually he didn't even need to pull me. I would have followed him right out of the school doors with the cops chasing us. My ego did bruise a little, I was the leader and not suppose to be behind my pack, but since he had obviously had a destination in mind I swallowed my pride for a second. He turned to a corner where the camera couldn't see us and looked me in the eyes again.

“I need to know what the hell is going on here Zoey,” he said blocking me with his arms on both my sides. Okay, not exactly the way I expected the conversation to go.

“I wish I knew Jack I am just as confused about this as you,” I said blankly still staring at his eyes not exactly knowing what was going on in his head but trying to find out.

“How come you weren’t there last night?” He leaned closer to me as I saw the anger on his face but not in his eyes. His eyes were still showing that sick worry.

“I didn’t sleep well,” I almost growled at him. My ego was more than bruised now. He was yelling at his leader and it was starting to get to me. I was going to put him in his place whether we were in the forest or out of it.

He back down realizing what he had gotten himself into, “Sorry,” he retreated and fell up against the lockers with me sighing, “My head’s still stuck in the forest,” he let his head fall down.

“Ya,” I snickered to myself, “I know. I wasn't even there last night but my body is still going crazy.”

“The worst part is feeling so blocked from your senses....” he looked down at his hands, “Not being able to smell it all....”

“Or being able to taste every little ingredient,” I finished his sentence, “Then the crash of the adrenaline hits you and all you want to do is sleep.” I paused turning to him, “But it's all worth it, you know.”

“Definitely worth it,” Jack looked back down to the ground happier now as I heard him chuckle. He had his stress released and he was more of that wolf I knew in the forest, happy and trustworthy. His eyes had changed and become more Jack. We were strangers to each other out of our dreams but we almost knew more about each other then ourselves.

“I wonder though who the others are,” I thought aloud to him.

“I wish I knew. I didn't know about you until yesterday. I had always just thought it was me,” Jack said finally pushing off the lockers standing up straight again, “But we had better find them.”

“Yep,” I shoved my hands in my pockets and stood up next to him, “I vote we skip class. After all this I really don't feel like setting in a seat all day.”

He raised an eyebrow at me, “To think my pack leader is that bad girl that skips class,” he mockingly smiled at me.

I glared at him, “You got a problem with that, Pretty Boy?”

“Pretty Boy!?! You know if you weren't Alpha I think I might just have beaten the crap out of you for that one,” he said still smiling.

“Go ahead try. I'm giving you permission,” I growled back in his face. His eyes had gilt to them as I realized he was messing with me and I was ready to rip his throat out. I took a couple steps back and looked the other way feeling a little like an animal at this point.

Then all a sudden the last person on this earth I wanted to see popped out from around the corner of the hall beside us. Mr. Taine stood there looking at us, from me to Jack then back again. I watched his eyes as my muscles tensed up ready to bolt in the other direction. But he just continued to look at us until a smile broke out on his face.

“Just the two people I am looking for,” he said as he turned around and motioned with his hand for us to follow. Great Mr. Creepy returns, I thought to myself as Jack and I looked at each other only to end up following him anyway.


His classroom was no different than all the others. The boring white walls covered up with posters and a projector screen with the projector hanging from the ceiling. The desk aligned in crocked rows from kids rushing out the door not bothering to get out of the seat properly and ending up bragging the desk with them. The floors cakes with a thin layer of dirt and a stray wad of paper laying on the floor. They probably haven't been sweep since Friday of last week by the looks of the corners of the room. I could smell the McDonald coffee setting on his big desk in the corner of the room. I could have told you what this room, and all of the others, looked like with a handkerchief around my eyes. I took a quick glance at the room making sure we were alone as Mr. Taine sat down.

I stood in front of his desk with my arms crossed. From the look on his face I was pretty sure I was glaring at him but I really didn't mean too. I was just really hoping to ditch class because the last thing I needed was some underrate sub trying to yell at me for running out of the classroom. Jack stood there glancing at me then moving his eye towards Mr. Taine but I don't think he was actually looking at him.

“Well you guys look happy to see me,” his voice just oozed sarcasm.

I grunted while Jack shrugged his shoulders slightly enough to pass off as no movement at all actually. I rolled my eyes at Jack. Ya he was a careful guy but for me the line between careful and wimpy was a little fuzzy.

“Fine then let's get down to business. I want you two to join two other students in an extra math course, like a study group,” he put his rough hands together at the tip of his mouth leaning on the desk.

“What?!?” we said our jaws hitting the floor like lead balls, “Why?”

“Because you two and the two other students have yet to finish the required work for the semester. Which has put all four of you in the danger of failing because of it,” he pushed his glasses up back on the bridge of his nose.

My breath left my lungs as his words hit me in the chest with the force of a wrecking ball. Sadly our school had this policy that the work you were given on the syllabus in the beginning of the semester had to be finished by the end of it. It was something that the school had hoped would help us get ready for college. So it turns a syllabus from guidelines into your own personal bible, and you lose that you can pretty much say bye to your grades because you’re failing. Which was exactly what I had done.

“Oh come on!” I complained, “You have got to be joking!!”

“Do we have any other choice in the matter?” Jack asked keeping his face serious but I could tell he didn’t like this anymore then I was.

“Not unless you want to fail math and the year,” Mr. Taine told Jack still holding his finger tips against his mouth and leaning his elbows on his desk.

I heard Jack sigh, “Fine.”

I glared at him as he shrugged, “I guess I really don’t have any other choice now.” I shoved my hands in my pockets angrily.

“Good you’ll meet the other two tomorrow. They have already agreed and will also be here,” he sat back in his seat more relaxed.

“Who are they?” I asked lifting one eyebrow.

“You'll see,” he said ending the conversation and turned around in his chair.

I growled slightly under my breath, not liking be told what to do, and walked out the door Jack following behind me. We slide right back into homeroom getting yelled at by the sub and making me completely pissed at him. But we went through first period with more new question swirling in my already bloated head. I didn’t pay attention; neither did Jack. We were too busy. Our minds swirling with all the question without answers and the smell of the woods was just flowing from Jack. The smells bring my head into the dreams so easily making it even harder to concentrate.
I could hear Jack sigh and put his head on the desk bored as an extremely light whimper slipped from his lips. I kicked the leg of his desk and he sat back up smiling. He turned to whisper to his friends acting like nothing had happened and keeping his cover, so to speak. It was nothing more than a normal day after that but today I kind of welcome a little bit of the normal. It gave me a bit of peace to know what was coming next, even if it did get old fast.

After school I walked out of class to find Jack standing there at the door wait for me. I smiled at the fact that his friends all looked at him like he was crazy but Jack stood there smiling looking at me. He took a step closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
I was shocked so much so that I wasn't even going to say anything...I was just going to rip his arm off. I was just about too processed with my punishment if his friends didn't get in the way.
I could feel my cheeks going red as we got looks from some people and whistles from Jack's stupid friends. This was seriously destroying the reputation I had spent years of keeping people away for, not to mention destroying the mask I keep on for this world. I whispered to Jack still waiting for a good reason for all of this, “Jack....” I hissed.
“I promise there is a good reason for this just walk with me please,” Jack smile but I could see he knew I was going to kick his butt.
So I held back my butt kicking for later as we walked down the hall way to my locker, everyone in our grade staring at us. I was an outcast in the arm of one of the more popular guys in school. The only fact that they were missing was I was in charge of that popular guy. But one thing I did notice was that Jack knew his place was behind me, even keeping his arm around me I was still centimeters in front of him. That made me feel a little better but it wasn't going to help his situation none.
We stopped at my locker and he let go of me as I opened it and the stares faded I turned back to Jack. My face was red from many different conflicting emotions, “What the hell was that!?!” I hissed at him, yelling but keeping my voice low.
“I wanted to be able to walk with you from class to class without it being a bit out of sort and now that people think we are going out we can talk without suspicion,” he smiled keeping his face cool but under that I could tell he was worried I was going to rip his face off.
“Oh and you and me going out isn’t ‘out of sort’?” I quoted him, “The entire school was staring.”
He gave me a big smile pinching his eyes shut, “Is there anything wrong with that!”
I glared at him, “Wipe that smile off you face. We have more important things to deal with, Mutt,” I picked on him some more.
The smile was gone as soon as I gave the command and he kind of took the insult to heart a little but I could still see the happiness in his eyes.
Jack walked with me all the way to my house, not leaving until I was at my door, only to turn around in the direction we just came from and head home. That’s how we were though, our instincts where to stick together and protect each other with our lives; it was hard for the pack to split up. That was why we hated waking up so much being away from the pack and the other pieces of ourselves.
I sighed before slowly walking up the staircase into the second floor. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to rest for I knew if I fell asleep I wouldn’t be sleeping. I laid on my bed and closed my eyes just letting my arms fall off the sides. I took a deep breath and tried to relax a little. It didn’t help I was still on the edge of my seat, so to speak.
I didn't fall asleep, I just laid on my bed relaxing and resting. This was how I keep up my energy to live two lives. It let me regain my energy without switching worlds, this and eating. I had to eat a lot of food to keep up my energy. They were really the only things that worked; otherwise I would be passing out through the day.
After about two hours I got up finding Tiger lying down next to me and went back down the stairs with him in my arms while my dad was yelling for me telling me someone was at the door. I already knew who it was, the only person it could possibly be, and the only person who had reason to see me out of school. I jumped off the last stair turning around and seeing Jack standing there in my front room waving like an idiot. I shook my head and sighed.
My dad looked at Jack then to me. I could see the wheels turning in his head jumping to conclusions like the rest of the school. I groaned. I knew this was going to happen, considering I never have anyone over the house, but I really didn't like it at all. I was never going to hear the end of the torment as soon as he left.
I waved my hands for him to follow me while I walked passed him out to the shed not even giving my dad or my mother, who was now in the room, a passing glance. I dragged him by the sleeve of his jacket into the barn after Tiger had a hissy fit that I moved him and jumped out of my arms following us. I closed the door of the barn blocking out the wind and making it semi warmer inside.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him shaking my head annoyingly. I sat down in a pile of hay and waited for a response, while Tiger went hunting for mice or rats of some sort.
“What aren't you happy I'm here?” he asked setting in another pile tilting his head to the side like a confused dog. So much so that I could see a shadow of his wolf form that my imagination created. I shook it off.
“Oh yeah really excited,” I said laced with sarcasm.
“Sorry.... I thought that we could just talk about it, you know. Try to figure some things out,” he said rubbing the back of his neck his eyes looked away from me. This was a different Jack from school but the same wolf from our world. It was almost weird to have the two worlds intertwine.
I sighed, “Fine, but next time give me a little warning my parents are going to torture me when you leave.”
He chuckled, “Sorry. So do you have any clue that the other people are for that study group thing Mr. Taine is doing?”
“Not a clue,” I put my hands behind my head using them as a pillow and went silence just thinking.
“Hey Zoey, do you think that you will be there tonight? I mean you said that you didn't sleep well last night but you did sleep, right?” he asked looking at me from his pile just across from me.
I nodded listening to what he had to say. “Then you should have been there, right?” He kept asking turning back to me for answers.
“I don't know,” I had told him for the second time, “I don't know anymore about this then you do at the moment.”
He frowned the sadness laced his eyes like poison, killing that silly happy Jack that was just there, “What if you don't come back?”
I growled starting to get extremely angry, but not really mad at him more at the point he was bring up. What if he was right? My world slipping through my fingers without the power to grabbing it back up. I couldn’t – won’t- living like that. “I don’t know!” I growled behind my voice finally getting up out of the hay, “I don’t know anything and I feel so trapped by it. I don’t know the rules of that place, I don’t know who the other wolves are, and I don’t even know if I need to be worrying out it anymore because I might not even be going back.” I paced around the shed throwing my arms in the air a couple time walking in a circle once more. I was breaking under the stress again, my worst flaw.
Jack sat there watching my temper tantrum waiting for me to calm down before talking again. He looked up at me, his eyebrows raised, and that smug look on his face. “I’m sorry,” I barked still on the edge.
He shook his head and sighed not saying anything, communicating more through body language then words. I continued pacing back and forth as he laid his head back closing his eyes. I watched him as he went quiet and peaceful. I thought he had just when into a resting state until I heard the most god awful sound come from his mouth.
He snored making me jump and rolling onto his side in the pile of hay. I turned my attention from pacing to him. The jerk left me here to be miserable while he got to run around. Oh he’s going to get it, I thought to myself falling back in the hay. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
The darkness welcomed me as I started too drifted off. My eyes now unable to open. I felt the milliseconds slip by slowly. I waited and waited for it. I waited to see the slight moonlight through my eyelids again, the wind to rustle my fur through the cave, the smile of freedom to fill my nostrils, and the feel of cool hard stone under my belly laying on the cave floor. It felt like forever millisecond after millisecond purposely passing slower and slower.
Then suddenly there it was, the light, the wind, the smile, and the feeling all there for me. I was so relieved feeling some of the stress lift off my shoulders. So much so I almost forgot why I was there, almost. I jerk my eyes open finding Jack setting there with this wolfish grin on his face. His gray fur shining almost silver in the moonlight his dark green eyes following me while I picked myself up stretching out my legs. I bashed one of my white paws against his head hitting him right in the snout. He sneezed shaking his head and pulled his shoulders up to his head. I sat down puffing my chest out and throwing my snout in the air.
I watched the forest snickering to myself while Jack went back into the cave pushing the tan coated wolf with his paw. I tilted my head to the side trying to figure out what he was doing and padded up beside him. The tan wolf groaned slightly and sifted. Jack pushed her with his snout hard and ended up shoving her over on her back. Her head popped up turning left and right looking around. She kicked Jack in the stomach for waking her up and growled at him.
He lifted his head higher in shock giving us the most surprised look you could imagine on a wolf's body. He couldn't believe he was being ganged up on today I laughed mentally. After the tan wolf woke the other male we went about our day together. Jack and the other male had started an all out war, which soon got us involved, over nothing but a stupid bunny.
So we were all just messing around having fun. I was laid out on the cool rock listening to my pack play around me. The wind hit me in the face and I smelled it. It was so familiar but strange to me in this form. I knew what it was but I didn't think it was possible in this world at least. I pricked my ears making sure I was right before raising any alarms. I heard walked step after step of the bushes cracking. I was right. There was a human walking closer.
I stood up looking off to where I heard the noise. I looked back to the pack their eyes looking at me confused. I pushed my head to the spot turning their attention to the bushes. I bared my teeth growling at whoever was there. The pack stood behind me at a stances getting ready to guard our territory. I growled at them loud and heavy the hair on the back on my neck standing up with my tail.
She stepped out of behind the trees in a hoodie with her brown wavy hair peeking out of the right of the hood that was blocking her eyes. I could see the smirk on her face with her hands shoved in her pockets a very smart ass personality. She looked about high 20's low 30's maybe. It was hard to tell with her hood up. She stopped to look at us her eyes finally visible.
“Still so young and inexperienced aren't they?” She said to a silver wolf that walked up from behind her. I couldn't smell the wolf at all, not that it didn't have a scent just that they had the same scent. Usually every living thing would have its own scent, or color if you will, but these two had the same color. The same exacted scent it was impossible but it was right there as plain as white paper.

The wolf sat at her feet nodding once then staring back at us. The woman chuckled before sprinting off with the wolf following right behind her. I gave chase. I didn't like them at all and I wanted them out of my land.
My pack keep close but she ran fast. We gained on her slowly but the underbrush hitting our faces at high speeds. I jumped forward getting right behind her, my paws kicking up stones behind me as I started to snap at her ankles trying to grab her. Jack ran on my left trying to do the same and the other two were dealing with the wolf. She jumped forward putting more distance between us stopping and turning to us. The wolf was beside her and she smirked once more before falling to the ground with the wolf. We stopped shocked still and unmoved waiting for something to happen to the two passed out creatures. I had no clue what was going on but I every fiber of my being wanted them off my land. I walked up to them slowly waiting for them to jump up and come after me.
They both jumped up the woman ran off at a much faster speed while the wolf turned hostile. Teeth bared claws extended the silver wolf jumped at me. I was shocked at what had just happened. They just passed out for two seconds and came right back up with completely different attitudes. The wolf had gone from cool and collected to rage and fury. But I wasn't able to think about it for long. Nothing slowed down, there was no slow motion. It was my life or her life and I didn't have the time to think, just react. The silver wolf landed on me snapping her teeth the front of my face trying to grab hold of my neck but instead biting the side of my face. Jack pulled her down to the ground before she could get at my throat.
He grabbed her snout in his mouth keeping it closed and drawing blood. She growled through his mouth and tried to rip her way out of his teeth. So I stepped on her side feeling a rib snap under my weigh and then snapping at her ear showing I was in charge here. I ripped it tasting her blood in my mouth. She whined from both her rib and her ear but didn't have any sign of defeat in her expression. I growled and grabbed her neck.
I was about to throw her before another wolf entered the slight clear. The wolf walked right passed us knocking me off my paws and throwing Jack against a tree breaking it in half with ease. He picked the silver wolf up on her feet and they ran off. The new reddish wolf had been extremely aggravated at her for something, maybe for starting the fight in the first place, but I could smell his angry towards her. They were long gone out of sight now and I let my legs fall underneath me, panting. That was fine by me the farther the better. If I ever saw those wolves or that woman on my territory again I'm ripping their head off without another thought.

Afterwards we limped back to the cave to take care of ourselves and rest a little before going out hunting. I hadn't the slightest idea what had just happened back there or who any of those wolves were. I didn't even know there were humans in this world. I licked my paw wiping the bite mark on my face from the silver wolf pondering over the question in my head. I looked to Jack who was lying down in the sun resting from being thrown into the tree. When I realized we were still asleep in the shed in the real world.
Damn. I had to go a ruin it but we didn't have much of a choice. I slowly stood up, sort of stiff, I nudged Jack. He looked at me I saw confusion swirling in his green eyes and a hint of defeat both from the fight. I walked into the cave lying down. He whined and huffed in protest not wanting to leave yet. I snapped my teeth giving the order to get his butt over here. He put his head down between his paws wrapping his tail around himself. I growled at him.
He huff one last time shaking his head in distaste while pushing himself up. He limped over lying down next to me with his back to me. I rolled my eyes putting my head on my paws closing them. The hard cool cave floor beneath me relaxing me with familiar feelings and helping my sore muscles. I didn't want to go, hell if I had a choice I'd stay here and never leave, but we couldn't just pick up and leave a piece of ourselves. However much we wanted to deny it we are still human and had another life there that needed to be lived.
I made the switch. I hated myself for it as I lost my senses and that freedom. I could feel myself being pulled down by my responsibility, stress, worry, and drama here already. I took a deep breath trying to get use to it before opening my eyes. I sat up feeling my body yell at me still sore from the fight and my scratches from the bushes sting on my arms and legs. I groaned against it slowly standing up. Jack just sat in the hay moaning and groan from his back.
“Dear God!” Jack twisted in the hay, “What did he do to me? It feels like he popped my back out of place.”
“Cry baby,” I pinched my eye closed against my own pain chuckling. He glared at me not in the mood to be picked on. “I would put it back in place but I've got my own problems to deal with. That god damn she-wolf took a big bite out of my cheek and I have to face my parents.” I held my hand up to my face making sure it had at least stopped bleeding to find it had. He groaned again and I sighed.
“Stand up,” I told him. He did as he was told, “Cross your arms in front of you chest and take a deep breath.” He again did what I told him and I stood in front of him grabbing around just below the shoulders holding him tightly, “Exhale, slowly,” as he exhaled I picked him up bending myself backward.
“GAHH!” He yelled as I heard a series of pops all down his back. I put him down, “What the hell was that?”
“Ha-ha,” I laughed at him, “My dad does that to me all the time. Feels lovely don’t it?” He shook his head like I was crazy. “Hey your back feels better though right?”
“Surprisingly enough yes it does,” he said bunching up his eyebrows, “If I ever get pass that feeling of my bones being pulled apart.”
I laughed at him again take all the fun from it as I could because when I went back inside I knew hell would be waiting. I sighed rubbing my muscles and stretching trying to get rid of the soreness it had been a while since we had gotten into a fight with another wolf and we weren’t exactly ready for it.
“Well thanks but I got to get home before I get grounded again. Forth time I broke curfew this week,” he rubbed the back of his neck annoyed.
I looked outside realizing how late it was. It had to be at least nine. Great another thing to yelled at for, I thought, as if the scratches and bite on my cheek wasn't enough. “Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow in that jail they call a school,” I waved as he walked out of the shed.
A blast of chilled wind hit me like a brick just before he closed the door again. I shiver before finding Tiger in the corner and picking him up walking out the door into the wind. I ran in the door to our house and tried to run right up the stairs to my room. But that would have been why too easy.
“Zoey,” my father called me just before I could put my foot on the first stair. I groaned lazily spinning around and walking back.
“Yes,” I said keeping my back to him as I slowly walked to the couch.
“Who was that today, that boy?” my mother asked from the recliner beside Dad's. I sat down on the couch facing them showing them my cheek.
I hear the intake of breath from my mother as she got up to turned the bite mark on my cheek towards the light. “Did that boy do this to you, Zoey?” She said looking at all the other scratches from the underbrush that scrapped me. She ran upstairs to the bathroom getting the peroxide and probably some kind of bandage.
“No! It's nothing. He's my friend from school,” I said yelling at her so she could hear, “Mom don't get the peroxide. Its fine,” I told her walking to the stairs forgetting about Dad. I could hear her moving thing looking around in the bathroom, not listening to me.
Dad got up and looked at my cheek, “Why do you have a dog bite on your face, Zoey?” The fact that he called us a dog insulted me but I swallowed it. The two bite marks where particular identical to untrained eyes.
“It's nothing for the last time,” I got mad fighting the growl in my throat. God did I feel like a freak right now. I went upstairs and shut my door locking it. Tiger hissed on the other side wanting to be let in but I fell on my bed not wanting to get up.
“Zoey!” I heard my mom bang on the door, “Please at least let me clean it out.”
“No just go away. Its fine,” I mumbled through my blankets. I laid down on my bed arms and legs spread out in all directions confused annoyed and bored. Then to top it off I had to go to school tomorrow with the study group afterwards.
I sighed through the blanket ignoring the pain as they brushed up against my cuts. I dragged myself to my pillow and curled up laying on my blankets with my knees up to my chest. I just listening to my breathing for a while not thinking about anything much at all. I looked at the tattered spine of the current book I was reading, A Wolf's Cry, one of my favorites that I have read and reread.
It was about a wolf that had become of loner when his pack was murdered. He hated being alone and not mattering to anyone. He was scared that if he died it wouldn't matter but he hid it even from himself. He went after the murder for revenge finding new friends on the way and learning that even if he got his revenge it wasn't going to get better. So he remade his pack with his new found friends, the pack was made of loners kicked out of their older packs. I bunch of misfits like us. That was why I like it so much but in the end he gets killed protecting his friends. They cried for him, howling at the moon for him. They made sure he mattered to the world. It was sad but the end was sort of happy.
I grabbed the story opening it to the white lined paper somewhere in the middle of the book and continued to read not quite tired enough to fall asleep. I heard Tiger claw at the door stubbornly and drove me up the wall. I groan getting up opening the door as he jumped into the room. I watched him curl up on the bed and turned back to the door finding Sue against the wall behind the door.
I raised my eyebrow, “I can see you, Sue.”
She exhaled heavily, “Poop.”
“What do you want?” I opened the door farther.
She stepped out from behind the door, “I heard Mommy say that you where hurt. They were saying something about r-rabies shots?” She said trying to pronounce rabies right and staring at my cheek. “Are you Ok?”
Great shots, I thought to myself. “Yeah Sue. I'm fine it's nothing just a scratch,” I smiled weakly still extremely annoyed by my parents. “Go to bed its late and there's school tomorrow,” I pushed her off to her room.
“Okay Zoey. Good night,” she walked off into her room rubbing her eyes.
“Night,” I walked back into my room closing the door again. I had always wondered if Sue would have to deal with this. That maybe it was genetic. I had looked for the signs but I didn't see any so I just figure I was special.
I jumped back in bed disturbing Tiger but I glared at him. So he bit his tongue keeping quiet. He might have been stubborn but he knew when to just shut up. I laid back down picking up the book once again. I stretch getting as comfortable as I could before I started reading. I tried not to move giving my muscles a break while flipping the page reading and relaxing. Soon I accidentally fell asleep drifting off into my world once again.



*
*
*
“Good Morning America!” I heard a clear voice of the radio man yell from my alarm clock. I jumped up throwing the book that was on my chest across the room. Tiger's head popped up from in front of the bed post at my feet.
“Oh My God,” I groaned falling back down in my bed throwing a pillow over my head, “Go away,” I kicked my clock. But as soon as I did it I regretted it. The soreness shocked up my leg and through my body. I squeaked from the sudden surprise remembering what had happened. I groaned once more before slowly sitting up.
My body protested against me and cracked in ways I didn't even think possible. I stretched biting my tongue against the pain and looked in the mirror at my cheek. I didn't have the patients for school after watching the pack last night and getting my butt kick that afternoon but I didn't have a choice.
Of course the bite was still there but it was scabbed and looked a hell of a lot better. I shrugged it wasn't the worst I had looked. Once I had my arm almost completely shredded from a loner that wouldn't leave and I still went to school the next day.
I pulled out a baggy shirt and old broke-in blue jeans something that said I really don't care right now. I brushed through my hair going down the stairs grabbing a cereal bar putting it in my mouth. I found my dad already typing away at his keyboard and messing with charts going through his small business work. He owned his own small business selling books and things of that sort. He was always doing something with that laptop so much I almost pitied it.
I stretched out on the love seat putting my feet up on the other arm of the seat. I winced slightly before yawning. I kept my eyes closed still gnawing on my cereal bar waiting for him to start talk, or yell. I didn't have to wait long.
“How's your cheek?” he asked not taking his eyes of the bright screen.
“Just like I told you last night, its fine,” I told him trying not to sound like I was rubbing it in his face, but I was.
“Ok but I have a doctor's appointment set up for you tomorrow I want to get that checked out,” he told me still clicking away at that laptop.
I sighed walking towards the door not having the patience for this so early in the morning. I didn't want to stay home and deal with my parents any more then I wanted to go to school to deal with Mr. Taine. It was a never ending cycle of things I didn't want to deal with giving me nothing but a migraine.

I keep trucking to school my body scream in protest, my muscles a step short of just giving up on me and my mind a thought from leaving out my ear. I felt like I was being evaluable and put through a test to see how far you could push a human body.
I stopped for a minute and stretched again hoping it would help in even the slightest way when that same bright pick bug parked alongside me in the dull morning light. I sighed as the driver window rolled down and those strawberry blonde curls pecked out of the car.
The annoyingly awake girl smiled at me, “Hello again! You need a ride I'd be happy to give you one again,” her high pitched voice ran through me with a little less chill then fingernails on a chalkboard.
Did I want a ride? Hell, yes. Did I want to sit in a car for the next ten minutes with her? Hell, no. Decisions, decisions. “Thank you but I think I'll pass. It's not that far,” I said making no effort to hide my lie.
“Really, it’s okay. I don't mind at all,” she said smiling so hard her eyes shut. She obviously didn't get my hint. “Besides you still have to walk through all those woods to get to school. It's barely light enough for you to see clearly.” She looked at my cheek for a second but it only took that second for me to figure out what she was thinking. I could see the shock she hided in her eyes. Her eyes changed from disbelieve to shock to worry in a big cycle. She knew something about my cheek but how much? Could she have been the wolf that put it there? I had to be careful around her. I had to get information without giving any.
I could see just fine and had no probably with going through the woods anytime at all. I sighed, “Ok well I guess you’re right. Thanks,” I didn't have a chose if I was going to get answers anyway. Listening to her go on was worth it. So I changed my attitude and bit my fork tongue back. I figure it would be extremely uncomfortable if I was trying to show my distaste for her while using her for rides. I may have a bit of an attitude but I wasn't heartless.
I walked around the car and got into the passenger seat. She pulled out and continued driving to school. With her eyes still on the road she keep the conversation going, “If you want actually I could give you rides to school and back. You don't live that far from me; so it wouldn't be any problem at all. And who knows we could become good friends,” she giggled. I smirked slightly.
I was really not interested in becoming friends with her especially if I was right, “Oh no I couldn't do that. It'll be okay my car is only in the garage for today at the most,” I lied. The truth was that I wasn't allowed to drive until I could pay for it myself and I never really thought I would need it enough to actually save up the money. I mentally rolled my eyes at the thought.
“Oh then I'll give you a ride home if you would like,” she left the offer hang.
“Thank you for the offer but I already have a ride,” I lied again sort of. I already had plans to walk home with Jack again.
“Oh yeah that right your going out with Jack. You know Alice really didn't like you before you guys were going out and know she hates you to the core,” Lucy updated me on whatever gossip was going around about me.
“Who?” I asked. Her name rang a broken bell in my head but I couldn't put a face to the name exactly.
“Alice Hemming, Jack's ex-girlfriend,” Lucy's mouth didn't miss a beat as it continued; “She and Jack had a horrible break up. Jack moved on quickly but Alice is still thinks he is going to come back to him. I think she's obsessed. But anyway the word is she's out to get you after yesterday's display.”
My hand automatically gripped very tightly on the handle to Lucy's car. I could feel my fingernails digging into the bug's handle about ready to break it. This was exactly was I was trying to keep myself out of but yet for some reason that is a hell of a lot easier said than done. “Great,” I mumbled.
Lucy keep going and I tuned her out once again. Alice Hemming I now had a prefect image of her stuck down deep in my memories from elementary school. She was the ultimate brat. She made Paris Hilton look nerdy. But of course she was as dumb as a brick. There was just no other way to put it, to say she had half the IQ of a string bean would be an insult to the poor beans. She seduced geeks into doing her homework and giving her answers on tests, had the entire school under her wing, and most likely gave blow jobs to most of the male teachers for her grades. She hasn't bothered me since first grade when I threw ice cream on her favorite outfit and she got in trouble for it. But now the war was going to start all over again.
I sighed if I didn't have enough to worry about I had to deal with her too. I let go of Lucy's door looking at it for marks finding none to my surprise.
“You're doing it again you know,” Lucy broke into my thoughts once more, “You know maybe you have ADD or something? No offense but you can't pay attention,” she told me while pulling into her parking space.
“No I just have a lot on my mind almost all the time. It makes it hard to concentrate. Sorry,” I got out, my muscles a little less sore but still complaining when I moved out of the seat.
“Well it's only about to get worse,” Lucy pointed behind me.
I groaned rubbing the bridge of my nose as I turned around to find Alice walking closer to the pink little bug.

Her brown hair with her highlights perfectly curled and bounding with every noisy step she took. Her stiletto heels making a louder noise then any shoe should make and her skin tight pants showing off every, and I mean every, part of her with her see through top. You looked up slut in the dictionary and that was what she looked like.
Then behind her plastic friends tried to copy her perfectly whorish look but failing. Their faces made me laugh the way they held their head just so and their lips just slightly puckered. It was hard to hold back my chuckle so I didn't even try.
“Something funny, thief?” She spat at me bunching up her slim plucked eyebrows.
“Um yeah actually three things are,” I point to each of them like I was counting, “Yep three maybe four, haven't quite decided if that zit on your face should be counted apart from your face or with it.” I heard Lucy giggle in the background.
She tried to scowl but I've seen more intimidating things from a little puppy, “You slut! Stay away from Jack! You got that or I swear...” she left the threat to my imagination.
I leaned on the bug laughing, “You'll do what, Alice, scratch me with your fake nails?”
She grabbed my shirt trying to pull me forward, “Listen you animal Jack lo-”
That was all she had to say to push me over the edge; all she had to do to flick a switch. My throat burned for her neck and I wasn't holding back just like a beast. I grabbed her arm off me and kicked her legs out from under her. I used my experience from my other world to take her down. Fight, weather in this world or the other, was complete instinct. I stepped on her shoulder putting just enough pressure just to keep her there.
“Call me an animal one more time, Alice. I dare you,” I whispered hoping, praying, she would do it. I wasn't in the mood for this I had way too much on my plate for this.
I flinched when Jack grabbed my shoulder. He didn't say a word because he knew I was in forest and in Alpha set of mind. Talking would do nothing to help me. At this moment all I understood body language just like animals. That's what I was an animal and I loved it.
I broke eye contact with Alice lifting my foot off of her. She sat up against the car next to the bug. I calmed down. I looked around for Lucy but she was gone. Great she probably knew what I was now and had gone to tell that woman for last night.
“Good you're back,” Jack smiled and turned back to Alice, “Alice I'll tell you for the last time I don't love you, like you, or even think you’re fairly attractive. So stay away from me because next time I might not be able to stop her,” he threatened still smiling.
He moved a piece of hair out of my face and stood behind me waiting for me to walk toward the doors. I took a deep breath walking in the doors to school coming face to face with the principal. She was just as shock as the rest of the school but I knew she was also relieved. She hated Alice just like I did. So the principal just stepped aside looking at me for answers.
“She had slipped and fallen, Ma'am,” I told her politely, “I tried to help her up and she pushed me away.”
“I saw nothing so I'm going to trust your word, Zoey,” she turned around walking back into the school, her heels echo down the hall back to her office.
Jack smiled, “That was fun.”
“But we have more important things to worry about. I think that Lucy is that wolf from last night, the silver one. She saw my cheek and she was shocked and in disbelief,” I relayed my information.
“Hmm disbelief...” he trailed off thinking as we walked down the hall. He didn't question me while he thought to his self, “Okay we'll keep an eye on her then. But anyway Mr. Taine is absent today so the meeting has been pushed to Monday.”
I stood up a little straighter, “That's right it's Friday, isn't it?”
Jack chuckled at me and nodded walking past his locker to mine. I understood why he was pretending to be my boyfriend but his trailing after me like a little puppy was getting on my last nerve. I mean he didn't have to be my boyfriend to talk to me in between classes. It wasn't completely necessary. Was this his way of asking me out? I mean don't get me wrong in my world I was attracted to him but that was with four legs and a tail. Outside of that life he seemed more like a stranger.
I knew probably better than anyone that the real him was back in that world and that this person was more of a mask we put on for reality. If we ever got away from reality and where able to take off that mask I knew I would fall hard for him. But with this cover we had to put on he was new and strange to me.
I stopped at my locker putting in the combination and turned to look at him, “You know you have a locker right over there with all of your stuff in it. You really don't have to wait around from me.”
He smiled. It was warming and inviting his dark green eyes almost making me warm inside. I will admit that his eyes could send me into shock if he looked at me the right way because that was the only thing that stayed the same from each world. But even then it was hard to catch. You could only tell if they were from that world if you where around them and knew them being able to pick up on the small hints in their emotions that showed in the eyes. That saying that the eyes are the doors to the soul has more truth then I ever thought possible.
“Sorry, I just really like being able to see you a bit more often than just there,” he said still looking at me with those eyes.
I cleared my throat slightly, “Yeah,” I tried to cover up the way I was staring at his eyes but he saw it anyway.
“I know you like them you know. My eyes,” he paused still looking at me blinking slowly hiding them for just a second, “They show you more then I could ever tell you. That's probably why we obsess over them.... because it's the only thing the wolf's need to communicate. They fall in love over them,” he looked into my eyes. This was him without the mask, and I was already falling... hard. “Deep chocolate brown, showing me everything I need to know,” he chuckled walking away.
I tried to remember to breath but the action had escaped my grasp. I tried to grab my locker for support while my head became oxygen deprived and I became dizzy. But my vision was failing me and I grabbed air instead. I held my head. What in the world was this? In no way what so every was this me, right? He pulled so sort of trick, I think. I mean come on I just melted at the feet of my underling. I was stronger than that.
He hadn't even slightly brushed my shoulder, he held no attraction in that body, he barely even seemed like he was trying but he had just completely destroyed my entire logical by looking at me. I forgot most of my books not even having the mental state left to think let only pay attention. I finally took a deep breath realizing I was going to kick him right between the legs for that one.
My mind slowly came back to me. I left my text books in there and grabbed a couple light notebooks not caring about it at the moment. I ran into homeroom taking my seat in front of Jack's. He had put the mask back on and became that smiley guy again. It made it hard to believe that I had fallen so hard for that same person just a few seconds ago. He smiled at me and I felt my face heat up barely enough for me to even notice. His smile widen so I knew he saw it.
I kicked his foot and he chuckled. He turned back around to his friends talking and laughing getting all sorts of trouble. I sat at my desk with my book open and my fingers spread across its pages. I wasn’t reading it just staring at it thinking to myself more than anything. I felt the rough paper under the soft pads of my fingers as I dragged them across it think. To tell you the truth I don’t even know what I was thinking about. My brain was still a foreign object to me at the moment and had not completely returned to me. So I just watched my finger blankly looking deep in thought while my brown hair covered my face.
I listened to the other people in the room and their conversations, eavesdropping to put it simply. I mostly listened to the guys in the back of the room. They were jumping from chair to chair trying to see who would get caught not really talking but laughing instead. So my interest jumped around the room listen to other people waiting for something entertaining to happen. Nobody really paid any attention to my face because it wasn't the worst I've look trust me. So everyone's conversations had other uninteresting topics.
The bell had rung for class to start and I close my book putting it aside when the door to the classroom opened. Mr. Taine walked into the room looking at Jack and me. He turned his attention to our teacher and he smiled asking if he could see us for a moment.
I sighed, not surprised that he had showed up, and got up following him out of the classroom. Jack had walked up behind me and closed the door. We stood there in the empty hallway waiting for him to start his conversation but he kept walking down the hall. I looked at Jack a little confused but I nodded my head for him to follow.
“Mr. Taine,” I tried to get his attention my voice firm and strong, “What do you want?”
He finally stopped at his door and turned to face us. He seemed to be smirking at me but I could have been looking too far into things, “We are going to meet earlier because I have to leave early today,” he opened the door and walked in.
We followed him to find that we were accompanied by two other students and one of them I wasn't very happy to see again. She sat on a desk smiling at me with her blonde curls bounding as she tipped her head to the side. Lucy sat there happy as ever he legs crossed and her pink skirt matching her shirt.
“Zoey!” she yelp, “I never would have expected to see you here!”
The feel was returned, “Yeah I lost my syllabus. I don't have a choice but to be here.” I ended our little conversation and turned my attention to the other person in the room.
I had seen him before, but never anything more than just seeing him in the hallway and classes. I knew he was more of a nerd then anything but a quiet nerd. His dark brown hair was parted off to the side but his bangs, combed forward, covered his eyebrows. He wore just simple jeans and a white button up shirt. He looked slightly lengthy but not extremely skinny just enough to make him look portioned.
“Tony,” Jack's eye opened wider surprised to see him here, “What happened? The geek decided to rebel?” he smiled joking with the boy.
The boy, Tony, keep his mouth shut obviously about as happy as I was to be here. He sat in his desk looking in the other direction. Mr. Taine stood up now and started to chuckle to himself. I hadn't the slightest idea what we had done to amuse him but I didn't really care. He took up his spot in front of us looking us over and smiling.
“Well,” he crossed his arms looking at each of us up and down almost like he was evaluating us. His eyes had stopped for a moment more than normal and moved on, “you all know why your here yes?”
We all nodded knowing we were here for the stupid study group. “Okay then the next three periods will be spent here working on the projects that you didn't finish from the syllabus,” he put his copy of the syllabus on a desk and our grades highlighted on his sheet telling us which projects we haven't done. I turned to the sheets shoving my hand in my pockets looking at it.
My bite mark was now facing Tony as he stared at it and I could feel him looking at me. I sighed looking at him and standing up straight. “What?” I asked simply, “I was bit by a dog.”
His gaze turned to Lucy who had straggled to hide a smiled. I had noticed Mr. Taine had moved to his desk watching us with his fingers laced together in front of his mouth but I didn't turn my eyes to him. I stood there looking from Tony to Lucy studying their expressions.
Tony stepped forward slightly turning my face to the side looking at the bite mark, “Are you sure it was a dog?”
I was officially freaked out. I looked at his eyes trying to figure out if he was my pack or if he was an enemy. His blue eyes staring back at mine probably were doing the same thing. It was silent for a second and then it was broken as quick as it began. Lucy had giggled breaking our concentration like always.
“Seriously Tony,” she giggled some more before finishing, “it is taking you that long to figure out who she is?”
He turned to Lucy, “You already knew?” his voice lower in embarrassment.
“Since this morning when she put Alice in her place,” she smiled turning her attention to me, “Hello Zoey. I am extremely sorry I didn't talk to you as soon as I thought I knew. I had to be completely sure I was correct,” Lucy smiled at me lowering her head in respect.
My jaw fell to the floor. I silently took back everything I had said about her as I realized who she was. She was the red wolf from my world. I took a step back away from Tony finally recognizing where I had saw them, the dark gray wolf from my pack. I was speechless as Tony lowering his head for a second.
I turned to Mr. Taine, “Y-you didn't bring us here to study, did you?” I stuttered at first still trying to straighten things out.
He chuckled, “No, not exactly.”

Jack who had finally figured everything out took in a sharp lungful of air. His expiration frozen in shock but he wiped it off soon enough. I turned from Jack to Tony and Lucy who weren't as shock as us but still pretty taking back by the surprise. I then turned to Mr. Taine as questions made themselves present in my mind the one that felt the most pressing was who was he that he knew about us anyway?

I walked up closer to him taking everyone's attention with me, “How?” I keep my question short but he knew what I was talking about.

“The wolf that gave you that,” he touched my cheek, “is a friend of mine, so to speak. That little spat was her way of saying hello. I had told her to behave but she has a way of....jumping the gun,” he finished his sentence choosing his words carefully.

Jack stepped in front of me closer to Mr. Taine, “You! You're the wolf that messed up my freaking back off that tree!” Jack got in his face growling about ready to rip him apart.

“Oh yes,” he smiled, “I am truly sorry about that but I needed you off her. I couldn't have you four killing her. But I assume you're fine now.”

Jack opened his mouth to start yelling at him again but I growled at him lightly. He put his head down and stepped back. I had more questions for Mr. Creepy before Jack got to kill him. “That still doesn't answer my question, how did you know it was us?”

“I have been watching you all for a while now actually. I have been volunteered as you mentor, for lack of a better phrase, so when you all started to connect the dots I decide it was time to step in,” He smiled at us like this was all completely normal.

“Don't do that,” I said rubbing my temples.

He looked at tilting his head slightly like a confused dog. “That smile! Don't!” I glared at him snarling, “Don't acted like this is so freaking normal!” I yelled starting another of my temper tantrums. I heard sighs from behind me and my pack sat down ignoring my aggravation. “You are setting here smiling at me like this is something that you would take care of on a normal day after day thing. We are freaks for crying out loud can someone please start acting like this isn't a freaking normal everyday thing. He I thought I was just having dreams maybe but all of a sudden this has become part of life, real life. Can’t you people understand that or at least at like you get how serious that is. Jesus Christ people!!!!” I spun around finding my new found friends setting in chairs not listening. They understood I was under stress and was releasing it, nothing more. They were strangers but they knew me as well as I knew myself.

The door opened and I saw that same god damn wavy hair. Her hoodie on with a visitors pass to the school and that same bad ass smirk on her face. The way she held herself up proudly and walked like she was the world itself. It sickened me. I hadn’t even looked at her face and I wanted to rip her apart. She chuckled as she looked back at my cheek, “I left a nice shiner, didn't I?”

“You didn't do anything that god damn wolf with you took my cheek,” I snarled. It came out so animal that it almost made me jump.

She shook her head, “Who do you think that wolf is, hmm?” Her eyes turned to Mr. Taine, “I told you once I'll tell you a million times, you should have told them sooner. Their so inexperienced it's insulting.”

“Just let me take care of my own students,” the annoyance in his voice was clear.

We just stood there and watched them argue back and forth. I wanted to strangle them. I wanted to walk behind them bang their head in a desk like they were two students and get my stupid answers. I wanted to torture it out of them like they were doing to me. They’re just standing there with the answer to all my questions and I didn’t even exist to them at the moment. It was beyond aggravating.

“Look I'm a second away from going psycho and ripping you all to pieces. So shut that whole under your nose and listen,” I got up in this woman's face.

She laughed crude and sharp it sent chills up my spine, “I have tasted more blood and broken more necks then you have dreamed of, Missy. I know things about this gift that you couldn't imagine. So if I were you I'd shut up and let the adults talk,” she grabbed my shirt still in my face.

“You don't want to go there,” I ripped her hand off my shirt.

“Pfft,” she spat in my face, “Young Alpha's are so full of themselves. I hate them with a passion,” she pushed me.

My pack suddenly got up behind me and stood defensively ready to fight. I looked back at them, “I warned you,” I covered the distance that she had put between us with the shove in a step and grabbed a fist full of hair pulling her down.

“Hey! Amber stop insulting them. We are in the middle of school,” Mr. Taine said. Amber released her fist back into a hand. It fell to her side and she looked away grumbling with her head tilted slightly as I held her hair.

“You have got to be kidding me!” I said laughing letting go of her, “You're her Alpha!”

The woman exhaled heavily looking in the other direction. Mr. Taine turned towards me and looked at me shaking his head, “You need to learn to control that anger, Zoey, if you don't it will ruin you, as a leader and as a fighter.”

“What?!?” I looked at him backing up, “Hah! You’re talking to me about anger?!? Why don’t you take care of your own pack mates first, and then come talk to me. She’s worse than me.” I walked closer to him staring at him. I didn’t know how to treat these people but until I was told otherwise they were threats to my pack.

“Zoey...” Jack grabbed my arm cutting me off. I had jumped a little forgetting they were still back there.

“We are not here to hurt you Zoey only to help I promise,” he smiled, “I am only here to teach you and guide you. I would never dream of hurting you,” he told me.

The woman got up off the floor a bit more calm as well, “And I'm Amber considered me your student teacher. I'm more of a fighting teacher or a gym teacher,” she said crossing her arms and smirking at us.

I looked at them shaking my head and turning back to my pack, “Well I don't know you guys at all in this state but I trust you all with a hell lot more than just my life,” I paused for a moment thinking, “What do you guys think, we should do? Blow them off or listen for a while?” I asked.

Jack was first to answer, “I with them. We haven't any clue what we're doing and they seem to. I wouldn't mind some pointers.”

Lucy spoke up, “I agree with Jack.”

“Same here,” Tony answered simply, “but if you leave I'm following the leader.”

Jack and Lucy nodded. So as I expected it was up to me. “Fine,” I turned around, “we'll stay, but if Amber here takes a liking to my flesh, Mr. Taine, friend or not she died,” I glared at her warningly.

“Perfect!” he smiled clapping his hands once, “and if we're not in class call me Michael.”

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled a small regretting sound, “God why do I feel like I just sold my soul to the devil.”

*
*
*


After our little spat we talked about our little gifts, to use Micheal’s nickname for the abilities but I question it, and what exactly it was. It turned out that the dreams were actually just the beginning. It was how our bodies adjusted to the gift. Making short trips only at night when we sleep to what I had thought was a different world. But they are actually the same world I was just viewing them from different bodies. Our minds would switch with the mind of a wolf, sort of like a contract with the animal. Our bodies were separate but our soul's were fused together like we were a piece of each other. Once both the body of the wolf and the human were accustom to the switching we would be able to walk side by side and meet. It explains why the wolf and Amber had the same scent.

Michael also explained why she had passed out before the wolf had changed so suddenly, that its self was the switch. They had changed bodies and the wolf had run off to protect Amber's body. The wolf had to protect her body because if even one of our bodies were killed we would both die.

“So wait,” Lucy got Micheal’s attention, “a wild animal was stuck in my room while I am running around in its body?” Lucy tried to straighten things out.

“Yes but the animal has access to your brain so it doesn't quiet act like a wild animal,” Michael explained, “You do the same. You all know how to use your enhanced senses and you know how to hunt just like a wolf. You know how to do these things because you are given access to the wolf's mind. It works the same way for the wolf.”

We sat there in our little pow wow circle listening and learning about the basics as Michael called them. Although for basics they were pretty complicated.

“So when exactly well our bodies are comfortable with the change? When can we actually get some normal sleep?” Tony asked balancing on his hand leaning on the desk.

“That's different from person to-,” the bell for the end of third period rang. I had jumped as it broke into my swirling mind.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I looked at Michael, “You really expect us to go to class after all this?”

Michael nodded, “Yes I do. You still have an image to maintain. I can't have a whole study group of students disappear from school. I'll look suspicious and most likely lose my job. I'll get in contact with you all over the weekend.”

I could hear the disappointed whimpers from all around our little circle. We got up sluggishly and walked to the door. “Good bye pip squeaks,” Amber snickered at us before we left.



“You know she is seriously getting on my nerves,” I told them before we split up.

They all chuckled and branched off for class. Tony followed me off to our next class, the only one we had together now that I thought about it. It seems like a good time to try to get to know him a little. Out of the rest of them he was the one I knew the least in these bodies.

“So did you expect you be following orders from me any time soon?” I chuckled asking him.

He snickered slightly, “No offense but you were the last person I expected,” he took up his spot on my left just half a step behind me.

“None taken. If you want the truth, I barely knew you existed,” I held my couple notebooks in one hand walking up to the door and putting my other hand on the door knob, “You ready to not know each other again,” I smiled.

He jerked his head in a small nod smirking as I walking into the door and quietly into my seat in the corner on the room. He had taken up his seat two rows away and one seat in front of me watching the board reading the word already written on it.

History class wasn't exactly my favorite class and the teacher didn't like me anymore than any other teacher I had. We had more of an ignore relationship. I ignored her and she ignored me. We stand out of each other’s way and what happens to my grade was my own choice, as she had put it. This was the way with most of my teachers but I did enough to keep me passing, although I did nothing more than that. Call it what you will, laziness or pride, but it's just boredom.

I laid my head down on my desk with my face in my arms no intention of actually falling asleep just resting. I could feel Tony's eyes on me though, waiting for me to fall asleep and a suddenly wake back up. But I wasn't stupid enough to give a wolf the sheep's clothing. Who knows what she would do if I let her lose on a classroom of kids in my body.

I looked up from over my arms staring at him letting it know it was still me and nodding. He looked at me one last time out of the corner of his eye know that if I did fall asleep I was on my own. He couldn't do anything if I had made him stay. I put my head back down in the darkness of my arms and rested blocking out the teacher. It felt good to take a class to organize things in my head and make them make sense, even if they didn't. I forced them to fit together and calm my head down giving it nothing to fuss about.

By the end of the period I was more open to this whole teaching thing. I was kind of looking forward to it. I would be the best thing to learn more about ourselves but I still thing they were hiding something from us. Almost like they were keeping an important secret from us and for them to be keeping it secret it must have been something that would have turned us away from agreeing. I wanted to know what else they could possible throw at us but a part of me really didn't want to know. A part of me wanted to tuck tail and ran away as far as possible. I knew deep down that whatever they were hiding it wasn't good at all and the last thing I wanted was a deadly surprise for my pack.

I sighed guessing that I would deal with it when it came around the bin and until then I'll suck it up. This is what the pack wanted and they seemed happy learning more. I let all of this flow in my head while walking to math class, a.k.a. Mr. Taine's class.

I silently debated whether or not to call him Michael in front of the class for making us finish the school day. I decided against it for the moment and walked in the door finding Amber in my seat in the last row.

I walked up next to her, “You're in my seat,” I left the distaste in my voice.

“Zoey find another seat for now. My sister will be leaving with me today after this period,” Michael lied in front of the class.

I glared at her as she smirked at me and took the seat next to her. Hell just froze over if she thought I was going to leave her alone this whole period. I heard Michael sigh at the front of the classroom just before starting the new lesson. He knew that this wasn't a good idea and he was right.

I ripped a piece of paper out of my notebook and grabbed the nearest pencil on my desk. I scribbled the words 'What the hell are you still doing here?' on the paper throwing it on her desk. I made no effort to hide it from Michael. I didn't care what he told me to do. He may be my teacher but that doesn't mean he has any control over me. I was going to make that perfectly clear to him.

I glared at her as she stole my pencil and wrote her reply on the paper. I looked back to Michael finding him teaching and staring at us. I made sure every feature on my face showed my dislike of the situation. He turned away to the board writing down an example. I dropped my eyes to the note that was on my desk. I read the words, 'Look just because I took a piece of your pretty little face doesn't mean I'm a bad person.'

She was trying to be nice now! After all she did she picks now to be nice. I wrote a question mark on the paper and gave her the best what the heck face I could. She sighed writing again passing it on my desk and walking off out the door.

Michael was handing out worksheets and was now walking down the rows stopping at my desk. He put my worksheet down and whispered extremely lightly through the other students' chatter, “Where did she go?”

I rolled my eyes looking at the note and reading, 'This is childish. We can talk later I've got to pee.' Talk later? The biggest dictionary in the world didn't have the words to explain how anger I was. I turned back to Michael, “May I go to the bathroom?” I answered his question, “It's an emergency,” I added so he couldn't refuse.

He looked at me, looking for an excuse, and said, “Fine, make it quick,” he stressed the lasts words with a furious tone of voice.

I chuckled not making any promises as I got out of my seat. It was only now that I realized we weren't the only one feeling the tension we had made in the room. The entire class was staring at me as I walked out of the room and the air felt heavy with frustration and angry. I watched the door keeping my eyes off the other students as I walked out of it and to the bathroom. I locked the door to the bathroom as I walked in ensure no one would intrude on our conversation or fight. She stood there raising an eye at me from her reflection in the small mirror above one of the four sinks.

She turned around to face me wiping her hands on a paper towel, “You know we're going to be on the same side for a long time. So if you’re not going to forgive me things could get very messy,” she stood by the sink and throw the paper towel like a basketball into the garage can by the door like some class clown. The only difference was she made it perfectly not really a surprise she had learned all the tricks to this gift. She could do things I couldn't even imagine, yet at least.

She made no intention of hiding her annoyance and I could have told she was lying without it, “Michael made you do it, didn't he?” I flatten my expression not surprised in the slightest.

“Yep,” she said just as flat, “But it's true. We are pretty much stuck with each other for the rest of lives,” she had muttered something afterward that I couldn't make out.

“What was that?” I asked. I wasn't dealing with this crap at all.

“I said however long that may last,” Amber obeyed me answering my question regrettably. Now this shocked me. It was like I just forced her the same way an Alpha would make their pack mate do something they didn't want to. I could see she was biting the inside of her lip.

“What is that expose to mean?” I asked her again.

She bite her lip harder probably bleed by now, “I have been told by higher up that I can't tell you,” I saw the pure panic in her eyes. I knew she was lying I had some kind of control over her and now I knew that.

“Tell me,” I barked the order.

“Damn it,” she growled slightly under her tongue, “Fine but not here. Michael will come looking for us soon and he would have my tail if I told you now. I'll come by your house tomorrow some time during the day and we'll talk.” It was like she had no choice but to disobey Michael and listen to me. She was probably in unimaginable pain, not physical pain but emotional. Disobey the one that you trust to protect your life is like putting yourself lower than the scum of the earth and not having a choice but to do it only makes you feel weak.

Being Alpha isn't about being in charge or having power over others. It's about protecting them being able to give your life for them if you must. Alphas have control so that we could keep them out of danger without them second guessing us. This was something I understood perfectly without being taught. I had to be strong for them and have the responsibility, even burden, of power for them. This was something that was just programmed into our mind from birth like how a spider just knows how to spin a web. Alphas just know how to protect. If you don't you were never meant to be your packs protector but a fighter. Someone who misused the position would destroy their pack and be nothing but a burden to the world.

I stopped watching her eyes become watery begging praying that I wouldn't take her down any farther. I cursed myself for what I had done but I needed to protect my pack. I needed to know what I was getting into. The pride of an outsider meant so much less to me then my pack. “I'm sorry, Amber,” I apologized to her knowing what I had done was wrong but necessary. That was one of the many burdens of power having to do things to protect your pack. It was wrong and it didn't just hurt them but also me. I knew that those wounds took some much longer to heal and the trust she had just lost was so much harder to regain. It killed me to do these things to people but that was my job as Alpha and I took pride in being Alpha. So I had to take everything that came with it.

I knew she was going to lose control over her emotion and cry I turned away leaving. No wolf wants to be seen like that. Sometimes it can't be help but no wolf would be so cruel as to watch. I keep the door locked for her as I saw her fall to her knees just before closing the door. I left her in peace. I had no fight with her anymore, we where now even.