Fighting Faith

"Faith Adler!"

My name sounded like a thunderstorm through the principal's mouth inviting me to go and pick up the fake graduation certificate, everyone knew this was a piece of paper. The original was already available for pick up at the principal's office.

This was it, I was finally out of high school. I was finally going to be 18 and ready to help my grandma full time, age is really getting into her and she needs me to stop being a burden, I need to fend for ourselves; it is time.

I stood up from my seat with the applauses from everyone in the old gym, this is a small part of Indiana we lived in. This was the best for us, quiet, separate from everyone, not much drama going on. I believe grandma chose this place for a reason.

We've been moving here and there every two years for as long as I can remember. I think she didn't like to settle for long which had influenced on my social status, I'm a loner, I don't like to make friends. I learned that the hard way. We moved so much that after the third school and the third group of friends I left behind. I felt numb.

I took my seat back feeling my heartbeats slowing down to their usual pace, I hate being in front of big crowds.

I couldn't ignore the tears rolling off my grandmother's face, she's a bag of feelings. She said I reminded her a lot of my mom, but my attitude and black hair like night was all from my father.

I couldn't avoid feeling a little bit sentimental knowing my time as a child, as a teenager was over and I had to dive into the dark real world that she protected me from all this long.

My parents died when I was a kid, she doesn't tell me much about them but I know they would be proud, at least that's what my grandma repeated all this week with the graduation and my 18th birthday coming along. I told her I didn't have plans to go to college, the only excuse I could give her was that "I don't believe in the educational system, if you have too many titles, you wouldn't be able to get a good work for being over capacitated. So why studying and waste my time when I could work and save money wherever I moved?"

We were due for moving, my grandmother was waiting after my birthday for that, we had everything packed to start a new life. Incredible as it seems. We've never been to New York, that was our next stop and she was eager to go. It was not directly in the big city but it was close enough and she will still have a greenhouse.

Due to all of our moving from town to town, I haven't really had a chance to connect and get a boyfriend. The only time I tried, we moved out as soon as I told her because grams didn't want me to get attached to anyone in my youth. Yes, that meant one thing, I was still a virgin.

Grams gave me the talk after that, she said I needed to wait for someone that I felt connected to. When I asked back for what she meant with that, she just said "You'll know".

Apparently I was never going to know now as my social life ended up here.

I was not even going to prom, didn't have anyone to go with and we were moving before then.

After the graduation ceremony was over and all the speeches concluded, I went to Grams. We were having a dinner at the local restaurant and then headed home, she said she's been preparing for my 18th birthday all this long, she did say it was special and that meant a big change for me.

"Grams!" I yelled walking next to her, I was not used to walking on heels, I've had a little practice these last few days and that was pretty much it.

"Congratulations honey"

She hugged me as soon as I was next to her. I was not that tall but was taller than my grandma and with those heels, my chin was almost at the top of her head.

"I really wished your parents were here to see you, they would be so proud."

I didn't want to cry but my eyes sting with the unshaded tears, even so, a lone tear rolled over my cheek which I removed rapidly to avoid worrying grams. She was the one who could cry today, there was no point for me to cry when I was actually happy this was all over.

"You're all I need Grams" I didn't want her to be worried by being sentimental, I always felt like we were running away from something with all these moving, I know this was not normal. Her excuse, which worked all the time, is her gardening, she got tired of planting the same stuff and moved to another city where she could grow something else. After everything, I just rolled with it, I didn't understand much of gardening anyways.

"Let's go to the restaurant before everyone else, this way we avoid making lines" she had to whisper so no one else heard that idea, there was probably a lot of people going there as well. I laughed internally, she was such a grandma, she was so normal that my suspicions about running away were discarded almost immediately.

I drove her old pick-up truck to the vintage restaurant in silence, both grandma and I were not that chatty. We like peace and quiet, we could go days just babbling about nuances.

The decorations were shiny and gold, almost everyone who was coming here today came directly from the graduation which is why, for the moment, it was quiet.

We ordered virgin drinks as I was still technically under age and my grams should not be drinking alcohol due to her blood pressure.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to college? We can afford it" she asked for the hundredth time.

"Grams, we can't" I said with a smile, I didn't want to worry her so I reassured her "I don't think I'd like to continue the studies. I need to work, you need to rest and focus on the gardening."

We're moving constantly, so what's the point?

"Hey Faith!" I heard someone yelling for me from the other side of the restaurant.

My eyes crossed path with Jake's, he was the hottest of the school, captain of the football team who I recently heard broke up with the captain of the cheerleading squad. I used to have a crush on him when I first started this high school.

"You going to the party tonight? We're lighting a bonfire" he continued yelling even when my grams was looking at him with killer eyes and the restaurant was starting to fill up with people from school.

I moved my head motioning no just knowing my grams won't let me go so we continued eating in silence.

"You should go, this could be the last party from your high school" I know that even when she said that, she would be way too upset I went out during night time, I could only work at the gas station during the night time but never out partying, I don't know where this is coming from.

"Are you sick? Do you have any fever?" I joked with her knowing this was way out of her limits.

I haven't realized that Jake came forward to our table and was standing right in front of us.

"Hi Mrs. Adler, if you'd like we can pick her up. My mom is driving and picking us up, you can talk to her if you'd like. We promise to bring her back before 12" he kept insisting. 11 PM was her curfew, I know she will say no, as a matter of fact I don't think I'll want to go either, I don't know anybody.

But when I raised my eyes to meet his, I couldn't avoid the blush that ran through my cheeks, he was so cute, blond, the perfect body due to all the exercise he had to do, perfect blue eyes, perfect smile. He was what every girl in the school wanted and he was here inviting me to the after party for our graduation, someone who never talked something else besides classes to him.

"What do you say pumpkin?" my grams normally calls me honey, darling, Faith but the moment where I shouldn't embarrassed, she decides to call me with most embarrassing nickname.

My cheeks flushed immediately lowering my gaze from his, there was a grin on his face that made me the most pathetic girl. Suddenly a cellphone was placed in front of my face making me feel like the perfect stranger.

I didn't have a cellphone, only a landline. My grams said smart phones are always watching us and recording everything for the government so she always avoided that conversation every time I wanted one.

"I'll call when I get there" was his explanation, probably only wanted somewhere to text me.

"I... I don't have a..."

"Type it here boy, she'll text you later" my grams interrupted me handing him her old flip phone, no internet, no calls, she just used it to text someone I didn't know and when she received a text she would usually delete it right away. She was actually quite suspicious if one could say that.

He quickly typed his phone number and went back to his table after some pleasantries.

"Don't let him get over your head, he's up to no good" was the only thing she said before we continued eating in silence.

We ordered steak because this was a celebration, even when we couldn't drink alcohol, we still ordered the best from the menu.

My grams had a couple of days nervous as if something bad was about to happen and I didn't know how to bring up the topic. She looked scared and every time we mentioned the 18th birthday celebration she would be even more nervous, it's not even like we'll do something big but she kept on repeating it was an important moment for me, she did say we couldn't go out and needed to stay home.

"About your birthday... I need to tell you something" even though she was the one starting the conversation it still looked forced, like she didn't really want to go over it.

"What is it?" I found myself asking knowing that if it was something big she wouldn't say it here, but she looked nervous.

"You're still taking the shift at the gas station tomorrow?" she suddenly asked changing the topic, I don't understand where all of this is coming from.

I nodded as we already talked about this, she wanted me home to prepare everything together. I still don't know what is the whole preparation for. We've done this before, movie night, popcorn and pizza. Not a big deal.

"We need to talk before you go to the party... eighteen, there's this thing..."

"Do you ladies need anything else to drink?" we were suddenly interrupted by the waitress with a big smile so both of our heads looked at her which made her switch her weight from one leg to the other.

"Another one of this and the check please?" grams asked. She now looked annoyed.

Apparently this was a conversation she didn't want to hold but still needed to mention.

"I wanted some dessert" I whined knowing that we were leaving, she laughed but her laughed sounded nervous and empty.

When we got home I saw a present box on the coffee table in front of the TV, it was small and the size of it looked perfectly fit for a phone.

"I was actually giving you one as a graduation present. Same rules as the computer applies, only the home internet and not weird public networks; it only has a call and text plan, WiFi is..."

"Dangerous, I know" I interrupted her excited for getting a phone, I was soon-to-be 18 but she still had some weird rules.

While opening the box excited like a girl getting her first Barbie doll, I noticed she got me an iPhone, everyone at school use this brand. I've seen it around and I know how to use a phone but still, I am very new to this. This was not the latest model, it still had the little button to unlock the phone which meant it was not new, I'm pretty sure the ones I've seen around my fellow classmates didn't look like this, but a phone nonetheless. This will work.

I added Jake's phone number and texted him a shy 'Hi, this is Faith'.

He didn't answer right away and he didn't answer until I was outside of the shower deciding what to wear. I heard the ping from the phone, that being honest, freaked me out; it sounded piercing and loud.

'Almost heading out with my mom, be there in 20'

I think I spent too much time in the shower, grams said she wants to talk to me about something important but if we have just 20 minutes the time won't be enough.

I guessed he meant 20 minutes, I didn't reply but reacted with a thumbs up emoji.

I decided to wear my black ripped jeans, a white crop top I never wore before and was hidden at the bottom of my closet and a camo jacket which I zipped up afraid of showing too much skin.

I went downstairs with my purse in hand ready to head out but I still needed to wait for Jake.

"No alcohol, you're underage. No letting guys play you and careful with that douchebag that invited you, most likely he'll have dark intentions" she mentioned when I came across her in the kitchen.

She looked at me with those same blue eyes my mom had, I inherited from them but I looked pale and skinny like my dad, even though my grams said he was bulky, the only picture I held from them he looked pretty skinny to me.

"I'm not a kid grams" I said rolling my eyes and she laughed timidly, I was blushing due to the excitement of going out, this was actually my first outing that involved other people outside of my house.

"No, you're not" she said with a smile caressing my cheek with her thumb. "I need to talk to you before you..."

A honk interrupted her midsentence, we both looked towards the door when the bell rang. She walked over to open it, Jake's mom was there and he was inside the car on the front seat, no one else was with them.

"Talk to you later grams" I kissed her forehead heading out.

"Take care, we'll talk later" she said waving goodbye.

"I'll pick them up at 11:30. He thinks because he just got out of school he will be partying all night" I heard her mother say before my grams closed the door saying goodbye.

We headed to the meadow where every now and then, kids hanged out to party wild. Her mom looked at the scenery before we went out the car.

"No alcohol guys, I'll be here before midnight" she reminded us and we nodded our head thanking her.

It was super dark, only the moon and stars were shining upon us, yet in front there was a huge amount of wood which was not ignited yet, people were talking, drinking and hanging out.

"Hey boys, this if Faith. She helped me with my lit essay" he introduced me to the other guys from the team.

"The pigs are going on and off around here" said one of them ignoring the introduction but the other guys at least acknowledged my presence.

It was weird and felt totally out of place while they were talking about college and football. I didn't even know what he meant by pigs, was that a term used to refer to cops?

I looked around where people were hanging, checking I could see a familiar and more friendly face than these guys but this was filled with all the "popular" kids, I didn't know where to move or what to say, I was just there in silence with my hands inside my pocket, I should have said no, but again; who could have said no to the beautiful face Jake held around?

Jake's ex was looking right at us, I felt even more uncomfortable knowing that probable she was mad I was around him and his gang.

She looked mad and jealous and I was a bit jealous too. She was gorgeous and I didn't know what Jake saw in me to invite me here. I was skinny, pale and silent. I had curves but not like her, her body looked like a sculpture and Jake's too, they were meant for each other.

I looked at him and suddenly our eyes crossed, I avoided his look and tried looking somewhere else but soon I felt his hand coming inside my pocket where my hand stood hidden, I looked at him in shock when his fingers intertwined with mine, I was blushed, in shock and inexperience on what to do in these cases, grams was keeping all safe and now I don't know what to do, though his hand made me feel butterflies in my stomach.

I was feeling and acting like a kid, I'm moving so this should not affect me, I was trained to avoid guys like him but why was I looking at him so... in awe.

"A beer, Adler?" I couldn't find my voice so I just nodded taking it from his hands, he also took one. I don't think I could get wasted with just one beer, right?

"What will you do after? We just graduated, do you have a date for prom?" one of the guys I didn't know asked while I looked at him confused, I didn't even notice he was talking to me.

"I'm not going to prom, I'm moving out of the state in three days" I answered timidly, I was actually intimidated by these 4 guys. That was the day after my 18th birthday.

"Can't you postpone it? After prom?" Jake's voice almost sounded as if he was begging me, I looked deep into his blue eyes confused as of why he was getting this close to me.

"I... can't" I said blushing again, how can he be causing this to me? I haven't blushed for a guy in what seems like a lifetime. He just sighed and we continued with the conversation about colleges again, this time I was actually participating and getting excited about the stories told by the guys that they either heard of or someone closed to them told them about.

I wished for a second I could go to college, no issues, no overthinking, just classes and partying.

Who would have thought I'd like parties this much?

Was the alcohol hitting me already? I haven't even drunk half of the bottle.

"Guys, that's my queue" I heard Jake's voice but it was sounding distant, I started to feel dizzy out of the sudden.

"Jake, I... don't feel the floor" he was walking and almost carrying me inside the woods far from the fire and far from the people.

"I will make you feel really good" he said in a mysterious voice.

"The... party... the party is ove... over there" I was feeling my tongue numbing and my thoughts were all over the place, where were we going? Where was he taking me?

I tried to pull away from his hold but he was stronger than me, he was pulling me so strong I couldn't fight back. Did he put something in my drink? Why was so innocent to think that he would be even interested in me?

He pushed me against a tree far away from the igniting fire, I could only feel the warm breeze against my face and hear his laugh, it was like a sick laugh. I tried to fight throwing a kick to where I know it would hurt him the most but he just laughed again.

My vision was starting to get blurry.

"You need to be less... dressed" I could only hear his voice but I didn't know where it was coming from.

I felt his hands against my jacket, pushing it away from my body and his hands getting his way through my skin, his lips were attacking my neck, even when I pushed I couldn't get him away from me, he was just too strong.

Until I heard it.

Steps coming from everywhere, fast steps. It looked like a lot of people were running towards us.

He stopped complaining about the privacy until I heard it something again. I was not hallucinating as he also heard it.

A growl.

A howl.

Jake turned scared, finally letting go of me and tried to run away but his foot got stuck on a tree branch causing him to fall. Out of the sudden my skin was feeling hot but at the same time I had goosebumps all over my skin when I saw what was in front of me...

A wolf.

A giant, big, black wolf right in front of me.

I could be hallucinating. Jake saw it too, didn't he? He even ran away with not even a glance back, or was it for something else and I was really hallucinating?

The wolf was growling and looking at me with those bright red eyes right into my soul, yet for some reason I was not scared. I think it was the drug acting on me or that I didn't entirely believe there was a two feet 'or more' tall wolf in front of me. I don't think it was real.

Time felt slow or stopped completely. I was in a haze thinking I was Alice in Wonderland. Yup, there you go Faith, falling into the rabbit hole.

I extended my hand to try and reach out to it but I heard another howl at the distance. I couldn't tell but I felt it was not far from here.

My heart was beating against my chest like there was no tomorrow. I felt some kind of electricity extending throughout my skin making me feel sick and hot while our eyes crossed, I couldn't avoid feeling my cheeks flushing, what was going on with me? Was I flushing because a wolf wanted to eat me or was it the drugs' fault?

The black wolf in front of me took its tongue out to lick its canines, they were directed towards me. I think it was eager to taste, it looks as it was already tasting me like a four course menu. As soon as the howl stopped, the black wolf sprinted out of my sight just as fast as it came.

I sighed. I wanted to know if it was real or not by touching it.

Suddenly, I felt a smack on the back of my head and everything went black.

...

When I opened my eyes again I was surprised to see my room's ceiling, I don't think I was conscious just yet. My head hurt like never before, it was like a throbbing pain constantly reminding me that Jake was a dick and I'm never trusting any other guy in my life.

Who hit me? Was I conscious enough to walked back home? What the heck happened?

I drank the whole glass of water in my bedside table. I was so thirsty; it was like flames were burning my insides. I was on my pjs which meant grams put me to bed and that she would be extremely mad at me for drinking and trusting stupid guys, douchebag as she called him before we left.

Lesson learned. College, parties and guys were so out of question for me, I will be forever single and partner in crime with my grams.

I stood up from my bed. It was already half ten, grams is probably cleaning Ms. Roberts' house and she wouldn't be back up until seven. I have a shift today at the gas station at noon up until seven as well, she would pick me up so we could come back home and start our birthday night with popcorns and scary movies, we had a whole itinerary.

Today's my last shift at the Roberts' station, I was just a cashier there but I also had to help Joe filling up the stands, at least there was not a lot of movements on Thursdays.

I went to take a shower while exploring my body making sure nothing besides my head was in pain or red when I saw a bite mark on my neck. It could pass as a mosquito bite because I'm not sure I should tell grams the whole story of what went on yesterday.

The clothes I wore yesterday were already in the laundry basket, but I didn't see my jacket. Where is my jacket? Probably was left back at the forest where I saw the massive black wolf.

Was it real or was I just imagining it all?

I'll just blame it on the alcohol and whatever drug the 'douchebag' aka Jake put on my drink last night. I'm sure he had to drug me so I could be that useless.

I knew personal defense. Grams always made sure we both knew how to fight for ourselves in the event we needed to fight back, yesterday was a perfect example. Though drugged, I don't think I would be able to do much. I don't think I could have done much if Jake didn't stop, was he also on drugs? We couldn't have had the same hallucination right? It didn't make much sense.

After taking a shower, I dressed with my usual blue uniform and headed out, I think I will have breakfast at the Starbucks across from the gas station before arriving. I'm dying with hunger and grams didn't left me any food. Another reason why I knew she was pissed, she normally prepared breakfast for me before leaving.

I sighed arriving at the Starbucks. It was a good fifteen minutes' walk in this summer heat. I could walk back at night but grams wouldn't let me because 'it's dangerous at night' and I was on her way after work from the Roberts' so it was not big trouble.

I asked for my regular bacon, cheddar and egg sandwich along with a frozen cappuccino. It was just too hot to be drinking hot coffee and I definitely needed coffee today. I was still feeling the throbbing on my head and was feeling feverish, I don't know if it was due to the drug or the smack I received.

Was it Jake? Even when he couldn't rape me, he still hit me. Was it the wolf?

No. There was no wolf, that was just the drug in my system.

The Starbucks was extremely empty, besides the two weird guys sitting all the way to the back all dressed with black suits and shades there was no one else. Weird given the fact that is almost 90 degrees outside. It was already late, everyone who was supposed to work should have already eaten their breakfast.

After having my breakfast and feeling satisfied for the next couple of hours. I crossed the street to the gas station. It was a simple job, just tend to the customers and read magazines when there was no one to give service to.

This town was mostly quiet. No accidents, no big news like the big cities, everything felt homey and cozy.

That's what I used to feel every time we moved. I don't think grams likes big cities. This is the first time we're moving to something "big" and we don't know yet where we'll live, it was hotels for the first two weeks and then getting a house, I think she worked to buy houses. She always had the money to purchase them even before selling the previous house, but we always sold them, real state is a good business.

While the hours passed with no customers, I remembered I had a new phone I could download some books into it, but grams didn't want me to get online without being at home, so that was a bummer.

I don't really know much of my parents, grams only said they died in an accident when I was almost 2. That's why she made sure I could have everything possible and within range of security, at least I had a good education. I don't complain and never felt bad about the life grams was able to give me, only when I reached puberty we fought a lot but that was pretty much it.

We all argue for everything when we reach certain age.

Around four, the gas store started crowding with people buying gas, snacks and even lottery tickets, we all wanted to be rich the easy way I guess.

After helping them out and emptying the station again, I felt someone was watching me but there was no one at the store anymore.

I looked outside and noticed it just started raining, weird because it was not even cloudy. I was feeling even worse than I was this morning, the headache wouldn't stop and my skin felt burning even when I set the AC to the lowest temperature, even my limps were aching as if I just ran a marathon.

Was I running yesterday? Was that how I arrived home?

I got a ping on my phone from a text message, grams texted me to see how I was.

'I have a headache, but the biz's going slow. How about you?'

'Jake told me you fell and hit your head. You didn't look out of place when I was changing you, was that what really happened?'

So that was the story he went along with, that means that he really hit my head afterwards just to cover his ass.

Dick.

'Yeah, you know how clumsy I am sometimes. Thanks Jake for that'

I heard the bell at the door chiming. The two guys from before using shades and suits were here this time, were they still around? They didn't look from around here.

"Is there anything I can help you guys with?" I asked politely but I had my hand below the counter in case I needed to sound the alarm and call the police, even if I was going to be dead before they arrived.

These guys looked extremely suspicious, maybe it was with the way they walked but something didn't sit right.

They didn't answer yet they moved around like they owned the place, one of them was quietly looking at me while the other one moved around, were they trying to steal something? They didn't look like robbers or mug people, if so they looked like the mafia and the mafia was not stealing small gas stations in an old town.

I heard a growl from the guy that stood closed to the entrance looking at me while I was looking at the other guy. I looked back at the guy near the entrance, I couldn't see his eyes but something about him was starting to feel familiar.

He had good facial features but what was most surprising is his tall stature, he was almost two feet tall so even when I was behind the register I still needed to raise my head to see him. I couldn't see his eyes though, was he famous?

The bell chimed again breaking the enchantment I had over the customer and the three of us looked at the door at the same time as if we were caught doing something bad. Jake was coming inside the store. He looked sick and nervous, too pale for his tanned skin.

"Hey" he just said as a hello. So this was mutual, we were both sick due to the drug he tried to use against me to commit something awful.

The other two guys got close together while adding stuff to a cart, it looked like they were pretending mostly instead of attempting to purchase anything in particular. Jake, on the other hand, was nervously moving around the medicine area and taking everything in his hands, he didn't take a cart like the other guys.

He looked nervous and wary, like if something could come close at any moment and kill him, did he really see the wolf as well? Were we both under the same drug?

He moved closer to the register and handed me all the medicine he had; flu medicine and stuff for the stomach. I was feverish so we were definitely having different symptoms.

"About yesterday..."

We both heard it, he froze on the spot. There was a growl that neither of us knew where it was coming from, it felt close and thunderous. The other two guys seemed too focused on what they were doing that didn't even notice the sound, so I guess it was just us two.

"Are you... are you seeing and hearing stuff too?" he asked cautious of my answer. He was trembling as if he didn't have any control over his body.

Besides the headache and fever I believe I was okay compared to him. Should I give him a little shake in revenge?

I moved my head no which made him even more pale.

"So that means you... you didn't see the bear... or wolf? Whatever that was" so we did see the same thing.

I noticed while I was scanning the items Jake wanted to buy, the guys from before stopped moving. One of them left the cart into one of the aisle stands and they both walked outside without uttering a word. Even when they seemed to be running away scared, this didn't stop them from looking graceful. They didn't really rob anything because the antitheft alarm didn't make any sound, but they were still strange and uncanny.

Why were they even here?

I motioned no with my head which made Jake shiver. This was my vengeance. I don't think I'll see any other wolves anyways. I was moving away.

After getting his change I took a break from the register to fix the items the guys got in the cart but didn't buy. People should be more conscious about employees; this is more work that I didn't have to do if they were not so strange and left everything behind.

I was starting to feel dizzy all of the sudden, the rain moved from a slow drizzle to a downpour while I was doing this. I just hope Joe will arrive on time, I was eager to cuddle in the couch for the lineup of movies we were watching today.

I took some other pills for the headache and fever. It was not like a regular fever, I felt my whole body aching and burning as if a fire lighted up inside me and I didn't know how to make it better. My skin felt as if it was being torn apart from within.

I think I need a cold shower, probably that will make me feel better.

I sit at the register watching the rain fall, it was quiet and no one was outside and that's how I spent the next couple of hours, no customers, nothing to entertained myself but the old magazines I've read multiple times.

Why is Joe not here?

I looked at the clock on the wall while I ate some Doritos along with a Coke. My grams was almost here and Joe was nowhere to be seen. Under this weather I don't think he'd be too excited to go out.

I tried moving but every step I made was as if I was moving a huge stone on my back, my muscles were sore and my back hurt like if I was hit with a bat. I fell to the ground while trying to stand up.

I used the phone below the register to call Mrs. Roberts, I don't know what was happening to me but I couldn't leave the register alone or the store nonetheless. Was this how drugs felt like in your system?

'Hi Mrs. Roberts, it's Faith.'

'Hi darling, how is all going along?'

'Mrs. Roberts, I'm feeling extremely sick. Is my grams still there? Joe is not here and I really need to go as soon...'

An ear breaking scream came out of my mouth when I felt my back tearing apart. I was sweating and shaking.

What was happening to me?

'Faith? Faith? Are you okay? What's going on? I'll look over the cameras. Is there someone hurting you?'

'No, I... I just have a fever' I couldn't even talk due to the pain I was feeling all over my body. I felt as if my body was breaking into pieces and then coming back together as if I was some kind of puzzle.

'Susan went out before you called me. I'll call Joe and ask him to go to the store right now. You can just lock the door when your grams arrives'

'Ok... okay'

I closed the call without even saying goodbye, I was internally dying. Do I have a cancer? Is this what being ill felt like? I should call 911.

I was twisting on the floor due to the pain I was feeling. I noticed my body contorting into shapes I didn't even know it was possible for the human sake. I tried to move and close the door so no one could see me like this.

I screamed. Screaming seems to alleviate the pain but it never stopped.

I was crying at this point.

I heard the bell chimed and rushed steps closing to me, I didn't want a customer seeing me like this.

But it was grandma, she had a huge blanket to cover me with.

"It is happening sooner than I though. I'm so sorry baby" were her words while she helped me up, she was extremely strong to rise me up and cover me with the huge blanket so no one could see me.

"What... what is happening to me?"

I screamed again while she was closing the door to the shop area. She knew that this was going to happen?

I screamed to the top of my lungs when I was inside the pickup truck. I felt my skin was tearing up from within and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Being in a sited position didn't help, my body felt like breaking so lying on the floor was the best option.

The rain didn't seem to stop either, the thunders were covering my screams which helped feeling less guilty about the noise. It was just too quiet outside if we removed the rain, probably some random people outside noticed my screaming and wouldn't know why this happened.

"I needed to talk to you about this before. The pain will be over in a couple of hours, you will shift completely at midnight and you need to let her run"

My grandma was explaining stuff I didn't even understand, let who run? Who was she talking about?

"We come from a long werewolf line. When we reach 18 is when they come up for the first time, that's what's happening to you. You're turning for the first time"

I loud howl came out of my mouth. I couldn't understand anything she was talking about and I couldn't seem to concentrate, the pain was just too much.

"Please make it stop!" I know it was my voice but I couldn't recognize it, it sounded guttural, animalistic even. But the pain never stopped.

We reached the house but instead of going inside grams took me to the greenhouse. I didn't want to be surrounded by plants, I wanted to be stretching in my own bed. Is this how I'll spend my birthday?

Grams locked the door behind us, we lived in a secluded area which now that I think about it, it was even convenient. No one could hear my screams.

My body kept contorting for the next couple of hours, I felt I couldn't feel my skin and bones anymore. Grams was humming next to me trying to consort me, she was trying to talk to me about wolves but I screamed at her asking her to shut up, I couldn't concentrate on anything due to the amount of pain I was feeling.

I felt like hours went by and on while I screamed and suffered along with my grams, she smiled when everything seems to be over but I still felt weird. When I tried to stand, I felt flat on the floor. My legs were not answering.

What time was it?

'Grams' I tried to speak but it sounded like a whimper.

"I can't understand honey. I'll have to shift too"

Shift? Shift into what?

'I don't understand' I heard myself saying but she laughed again.

I watched her while she removed the clothes she was wearing from her body until she was not wearing anything. She kneeled on the floor and while I blinked she turned into some kind of gigantic gray wolf. I tried to step back scared, I was still on the floor and my legs were not answering.

'Grams?' I found myself asking even when I knew the answer for that.

Her eyes were blue, but it was like a shiny blue and I knew right away she was not hurting me. That was grams.

'Stand up baby' her mouth didn't move but I still heard her talking, it was as if she was talking to my mind.

'Ho... how?' I asked still not believing anything that happened or anything that's happening.

'I have so much to talk to you about'

I tried to stand up again but this time I did it. It was like learning to walk all over again, I was on my four legs and my fur was all black instead of gray. Why?

'How are you feeling?' she asked scared of my answered. I whimpered scared, I was crying inside, I don't know what's going on.

'Grams?'

'Let's get her running, she'll need to be exhausted to give you control again'

She kept talking as if there was someone else inside of me. Was I a werewolf?

She started pacing outside the greenhouse through a big door from the back which was still open. I tried following her and keep her pace.

'Our... your bloodline is from an ancient werewolf line. Your father was the most powerful alpha, when you were born everyone thought you'd be a boy due to how fast and strong you were since the beginning.' She laughed but it sounded empty.

'Your mom was so proud as soon as she knew you were a girl. It didn't really matter; you'd still inherit the pack.'

She continued but I had so many questions that were sounding inside my head, I still think she heard them because she laughed and answered them.

'Yes. We're werewolves, Faith. We don't have superpowers but we're strong, you'll start to develop all your wolf's senses even when you're a human. You could hear stuff that are not close, we can talk to each other without being next to each other, you'll smell everything from afar'

'How come I didn't know any of this before?' I asked still shocked, that means that the wolf I saw was real. 'Are there more like us?'

'Yes, we used to belong to a pack but that... wait, did you see one like us? Where?' she asked in panic, I didn't want to say it because it looked like I just messed it up.

'We need to go now' she yelled inside my head and started running towards the house.

I followed her feeling the passing of the wind behind me, I felt free even when I still didn't understand anything. I could hear the birds chirping at the distance, even the crickets around the trees, I feel like I can hear and smell everything and the rain felt amazing against my skin.

When we were getting home I heard something breaking, the greenhouse was being attacked by a group of man, whilst one was just observing.

"She was here. I can still smell her" I heard people screaming, were they wolves like us?

A group came outside the house breaking everything on their path and one of them had the only picture my grams and I moved around everywhere we moved.

I was pacing while looking how grandma stopped, I can't believe we can't do anything against it.

"Alpha, it is the girl from the store" someone approached the man that was standing there. It looked familiar, was it one of the guys that were at the store and left before Jake? Were they following me?

"Her body temperature was too high; she must be turning 18 today" that was the other one, were they always together? I wanted to scream at them and tell them to go away.

'Faith, your parents... that's the guy who killed them. He's looking for you and we have to run, run as fast as you can' I heard my grams say but I couldn't move.

My eyes crossed into the line of sight of the guy grams just mentioned killed my parents and I felt rooted to the floor, I couldn't move.

Weren't they killed in an accident?

His hair was long, reaching almost his chin if it was loose but it was styled slicked back, even some strands were decorating his face. His broad shoulders and tall stature, he was almost two feet tall and behind all those clothes he still looked muscular and well built up. He was even taller than the guy from the store.

His face is handsome and captivating, with a strong jawline, well-defined cheekbones. The straight nose and inviting full lips add to his attractive features, complemented by sun-kissed skin. It's a face that effortlessly combines strength and dominance. I could even see his eyes from here, for a moment they were clear brown but all of a sudden they were red.

I felt like I couldn't move and even when I was supposed to run away I felt like he was what I wanted all along, that's when I understood what my grams said that I would feel special. He had a smirk on his face, he knew. He felt it too.

I felt in this trance until I heard my grams screaming 'Run!' and that's when hell was unleashed...

I started running like my life depended on it, actually my life depended on it.

I don't know who these people are or what they want but grams just asked me to run and that's what I'm doing. She was falling behind; I don't understand how could I be so fast being new to this but she was just staying behind, I couldn't leave her.

I heard a flow of growls that were sounding in sync. I couldn't hear their mind like I was with grandma, was there a reason behind it?

'Grams' I cried knowing that if they catch her I couldn't continue and they were just too close.

I could hear them barging against the trees and coming closer to us.

'No matter what you hear, never stop. Keep going. If they get to you; everyone is lost' I kept going when I heard them all even closer.

'Who's everyone? I don't want everyone, I can't do this without you' I knew it was getting to the end, I knew something bad was going to happen and it was all because of me. Will grams' death be on my conscience? Could I keep going knowing that she died because of me?

'Go north, the frontier. That's where...'

I heard her cries and then it was all silence.

'Grams?' I called for her crying. There was no answer, it was all empty.

'Grams?' I whined calling for her knowing now I was all alone in this world and that I couldn't continue anymore, there was no point. I was better off dead.

There was a hollow on my chest knowing I lost the only important thing in my life.

I felt the ground crumbling beneath my steps and I didn't know if I was going on a straight line, my life was over.

I was just eighteen, who on earth cursed me with the "everyone" responsibility?

My heartbeat was irregular, not helping me a lot with the running. I don't know if this was important anymore, it is not, I couldn't find any point in running. My emotions were clouding my judgement, I heard a symphony over my head playing as I imagined my grams death, my own death. No one will mourn us, no one will bring flowers to our graves. Will we even have one?

I felt as I was falling into the ocean and couldn't catch a breath and the waves were crashing against me and pulling me deeper into sadness. Each wave was a reminder of the pain inflicted because of her absence.

I felt empty, anaesthetized. My feelings were all over the place, I felt like an overwhelming sorrow was taking me even deeper into the ocean. I wanted to shield myself and cry.

How could she leave me with all of these questions? How could she not tell me before about this? I would've been more careful. I wouldn't even go outside to the world; why would she not talk to me about this before?

Memories of grams teaching me all that I know, all of our fights, all our movie knights, all my birthdays. She was my one, I couldn't do this with anyone else. She was my support, she was there for me every time I cried, every time I laughed, who could be my support?

I couldn't keep going, life meant nothing anymore.

I stopped all of the sudden howling as if I had an open wound I couldn't close, my chest was in pain and I was whimpering. It was all lost.

I'm sorry grams.

I'm sorry mom.

I'm sorry dad.

I'm not that strong, I can't be strong for everyone when I can't even be strong for me.

I need my rock; she was my rock.

I howled trying to get free of the tears clouding my vision, could wolves even cry? I wanted to cuddle and cry my eyes out. This was not happening to me, this was still me being knocked out from Jake's smack, this was not true.

Someone fell on top of me with their fangs almost catching my throat but I pushed, at least I can give one last fight. I fought, at least I thought I did with this body.

I pushed her hard, I could tell this was a shewolf, her body was slender than the other wolves around us, she flew away until I heard a thud against a tree, I even heard some branches breaking, but I couldn't have sent her so far. As she flew away another one took her place, this time it was a man and even when I tried pushing I couldn't. His fur was brown, a dark brown.

I know I wouldn't be able to fight a guy.

I was looking for someone familiar, someone who could end up my suffering or help me get through this, my grams was everything to me; where is she? I need her.

My eyes crossed path with the black wolf with red eyes. He saved me the other night, why would he try to kill me now?

I felt a strong connection, a pull you could say towards that wolf, who was he? Do we know each other? I stopped fighting already feeling the other wolf's fangs touching my throat but I couldn't stop looking at the black wolf, both of our furs were black, is that the connection I feel? Are we related? But my eyes are shining blue, fire and ice together.

'Please help me' I could tell he heard me. He shook his head, I could tell he was confused. I thought this only could happen with my grams.

A howl was released from the back of my throat, I felt broken and I can tell he felt it too. A saw hesitation in his eyes when the muzzle of the wolf on top of me almost got me.

I whimpered.

'Please' I repeated looking at him.

I heard a guttural sound that made everyone stop and lower their heads, the black wolf gained the confidence again and was dominating them all. Why was I not affected by his order?

I could understand it, 'Stop' was his order.

Everyone lowered their heads in submission and the wolf on top of me whimpered staying away from me and getting in line with the other wolves.

'All of you; go back to the house. I'll do it myself' he was letting me live only so he could kill me himself, just as he killed my parents.

They all obeyed and retreated with their tails between their legs.

I went into a fetal position and I don't know how I did it but I was crying, I was crying like I wanted to, without fur.

I was human again but my heart was completely shattered. Grams just died saving me and I gave up, I couldn't continue and now this guy was going to kill me along with all my feelings.

"Please make it quick. Everything hurts so much" I begged between my cries, I don't know why this is happening to me.

I was suddenly wrapped up into a cloak but I still couldn't open my eyes. He was just standing there and even though I couldn't see him, I could feel him. I felt how his look made me warm and gave me chills at the same time. I haven't felt like this with no one else in my entire life. I thought what I was starting to feel with Andrew was love back when I was fifteen, but this is something I can't understand. It was not love, I was sure of that. Love shouldn't make you sad or broken.

It was pure and agonizing flames, torture even.

"Why did it have to be you?" I heard him ask with frustration "Moon goddess, is this my father's punishment? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

He was complaining but I didn't know to who, was he talking to me? Was I the Moon goddess? Was that why grams said I needed to stay alive for everyone? I was feeling nothing close to a goddess.

I was not looking at him at this moment, I was too focus on trying to avoid breaking even more. My breathing was still irregular, I couldn't seem to control my heartbeats even if I tried with all my focus, it was just too hard to breath. Will I be able to live?

"You're just a child" I heard him say closer.

At this point, even when I felt broken inside I was not crying, I felt empty and exhausted. I was just silently waiting for my end. Waiting for his hands to choke me to death or at least break my neck and make it quick.

"Alpha, I'll stick to your story no matter what" I heard someone else say, I thought we were alone.

I felt a small caress on my head. This caused a bolt of electricity run through me until the caress stopped; that was the only form of consolation I was getting and as quickly as it came it faded away.

"Your loyalty in me will get you killed" I heard the owner of the voice say, the only voice that could make me feel better was the one who also wanted me dead.

"You'll grow weaker without her, you need her to..."

"She's just a child, she has lived her life running away to have it ending here?" he interrupted the other voice angrily.

He kept calling me child, he didn't sound so old. How old was he?

My heart was trying to break my ribcage, his touch and tonight's commotion is taking a toll on me.

"Can you run?" I don't know who this question was directed to, was it me?

"She's broken" was the other guy's comment.

If he was talking about me, I was more than broken. I couldn't feel anything anymore and the rain that stopped a while ago was starting to make an appearance again.

"Can you try to shift again?" were they talking to me?

"She needs to rest, this was her first shift. She doesn't know anything. You can tell by the way she's reacting to you that she didn't notice that you're her ma..."

"She knows. She talked to me through the bond, she acknowledged me as hers" was the explanation from the comforting voice, he now sounded broken and sad.

As if he had to say goodbye to his most precious possession.

'Shift, you'll have to do it to survive' I heard his voice inside my head and a whimper came out of my mouth.

I don't know what happened to me but I felt my fur again, I felt taller, not stronger but it was enough to get me going.

"If I find you again, I will kill you. That's a promise" he said angrily.

My body shook by the way he talked to me, it's as if I felt rejected.

'I can't reject you little wolf, that will break me' I heard him say 'But you can't be found again, you need to go south, cross the border to Mexico and live hidden'

"Avoid the north. As soon as you touch the north you'll be found" the other man said but I couldn't look at him, my eyes were stuck to the only person I could look at, the only one my heart desired but the only one who shattered and crushed the pieces of it without even knowing me.

What was this attraction? Why was I feeling this way?

His face contorted as if he was still reading my mind. Why could he read it and no one else could?

'Please' I could hear the plea in his voice through my mind, he sounded broken 'Never come back'.

'You killed... you killed my parents' I said through the mind link and he laughed motioning his head as no. But it was not actually denying the statement, it was as if he found unbelievable that I even asked for that instead of running away.

'You'll be dead too if I find you here tomorrow' he growled inside my head.

My legs trembled due to his allegation, I will die too.

But grams said I needed to go north, not south.

'Don't even think about it, I'll kill you myself' was his warning again.

'Why... why do you hear everything I'm thinking?' I asked hesitantly.

There was no answer, we stayed a couple of minutes just looking at each other, trying to understand everything but nothing was coming along. He feels it too, I can tell. Why do I feel the urge to be so close of someone who will just harm me?

I could feel his eyes roaming around my wolf's face.

He looked no more than 30, why was he calling me little wolf? Why was he calling me a kid?

"Take advantage of the rain, run" I heard the other guys voice, this time I did look at him. I can't believe that the people who was supposed to kill me are actually saving me.

My eyes wandered again to the "Alpha".

He nodded. It was like his signal letting me go.

I gave a couple of hesitant steps back away from him, what if this was just some kind of play? What if they were lying to me so that they could chase me?

I was starting to hate him. I didn't know who he was, he doesn't know who I am yet still he had caused so much harm to me and my family, he broke everything I had; this was probably the only chance I'd have of killing him.

I growled at him showing my canines, how do I kill someone? Should I just bite him on the neck? Will I be fast enough to get the chance of killing him?

He fell to his knees with a hand over his chest and his face displaying pure suffering, was I doing something to him that I was not aware of? Do I have super powers?

The other guy growled at me in his human form and I retreated, I couldn't think straight but the only thought that crossed my mind was vengeance.

'If I find you again, I will kill you. That's a promise' even though I repeated his same threat, it allowed me to feel powerful, more having him in the position he was at the moment.

He was looking at me but I couldn't hear his voice, there was silence again and knowing that grams couldn't answer if I asked her anything.

And I ran, I ran until there was no tomorrow.

But as I was running, I felt a part of me was staying behind too...

With him.