Claiming My Wolf

7 - Evening Stroll

~~Sadie's PoV~~

I tried to sleep for a little while, but there are too many thoughts in my head, so eventually I get up and go downstairs to get a glass of water. I hear voices as I get closer to the kitchen and realize it's Aaron and Laurel. I don't want to interrupt them if they're having a date or something, so I stop just outside the door to try to see what they're talking about, but their conversation makes absolutely no sense.

They keep mentioning wolves talking to them. Is that some kind of slang here that I don't know?

Aaron sees me right as I step inside. “Sadie?”

He looks nervous, like he's been caught doing something wrong. Laurel quickly leans back and I realize they must have just been about to kiss. Oops.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to grab some water.”

I head to the sink as Aaron and Laurel exchange glances. They still look a bit nervous for some reason.

“Do you want to join us?” Laurel offers. “We're just finishing up this homework and we could just watch some TV or whatever.”

“Nah, you guys don't need a third wheel around,” I tell them, giving them as good a smile as I can. “I'm just going to head back upstairs.”

I turn to go, but Aaron stops me. “Did you, uh... did you hear what we were just talking about?”

So it was something I wasn't supposed to hear. I wonder what 'wolf' is code for. Some kind of drugs? That doesn't seem likely. Aaron is too squeaky clean for that. I have no idea what else it could be though.

He looks worried, so I lie. “No, I didn't hear anything. Why? You're not planning a surprise for me, are you?”

He lets out a relieved breath. “No, you don't need to worry about that. I'll let you know when Mom's back and supper's ready.”

“Thanks.”

I head back upstairs, still curious. I wonder if I can find a way to ask Ava about it without getting Aaron in trouble.

After supper, Ava asks if I want to go out for a walk. I really just want to go back to bed, but I know she's trying to make me feel better, so I agree. We head out into the town and I think again just how clean and perfect-looking this town is. It's nothing like the city where I lived with my mom and dad. There don't seem to be any homeless people here or any rundown houses.

And everyone is really, really good-looking. Even the older people we pass on the streets who say hi to us politely, they're all good-looking for their age. Maybe there's something in the water.

Ava chats away about school and her upcoming birthday party, not seeming to need much of an answer from me, which is good since I don't feel much like talking. I do take the opportunity to ask her my question though when she stops for a second to take a breath.

“So I overheard someone earlier talking about a wolf. Do you know what means?”

Ava's eyes go wide. “What were they saying?”

I try not to reveal too much, so she doesn't know it's her brother I'm talking about. “Just something about a wolf talking to them. And something about mates?”

Ava clenches her jaw. “That's weird. I don't know what that would mean. Must have been some kind of game they were playing or something.”

She's lying to me, I know she is. But why? What doesn't she want me to know?

Then her face goes even stonier, and I turn to see what she's looking at. I feel my face going hard too when I see who's walking up to us.

“Hey Ava,” Micah says, acting like I'm not even there. “I'm surprised to see you out.”

He doesn't say it, but I know what he means. He's surprised to see her out with me.

“It's a free country, Micah,” Ava snaps back at him. “We can go for a walk.”

“And what're you going to do if there's an attack?” he asks, giving her a smug smirk. “How will you explain that to your little mutt?”

I have no idea what he's talking about, but he's called me a mutt one too many times. “What the hell is your problem?” I explode, taking a step towards him.

He looks at me in surprise, like he wasn't expecting me to say anything, and for a moment I think I see admiration in his eyes. It quickly disappears though, and I'm sure I must have imagined it, so I keep talking.

“You don't know anything about me, so you've got no right to act like you're better than me.”

“I am better than you,” he snarls back at me, only anger on his face now. “So is everyone else here, they're just too polite to say it.”

“Well, I'm not too polite to kick your ass if you don't leave me alone,” I threaten him, but it only makes him laugh.

“I'd like to see you try.” He gives me a derisive look before turning back to Ava. “Better keep her on a leash if you don't want her to get bitten.”

He walks off then and I almost start after him, but Ava holds me back. “Let him go, Sadie. He's not worth it. Sorry he's such a jerk, he's not usually like that. Or at least not quite that bad.”

“I'm just lucky then?” I say sarcastically, and she laughs.

“I guess so. Come on though, Micah's right about one thing. It's time we should head back inside.”