(Izobel’s POV)
Alaric, my Dad, looked surprised when he saw me coming home early. His eyes flickered at the time in the vintage wooden wall clock mom had bought when we lived in Germany years ago, and then he arched his eyebrows to give me a once-over.
‘Everything alright, baby?’ He asked without opening his mouth. He was sitting still in the dark grey leather egg lounge chair with a newspaper in his hands. If he didn’t pretend to breathe, he could pass as a gorgeous ultra-realistic mannequin sitting in our living room.
I shook my head, but my face could tell it all. I plonked my bag and books on the floor as I plopped lazily on the couch. “These Gen Z peeps are making me crazy,” I said aloud.
“Hmm...” He murmured, his eyes squinting. “You never complained in the past before,” He put down the newspaper and studied me like I was a shrink’s patient lying on the sofa. “Your heartbeat is extremely beating faster than usual,” He looked at me worriedly, but he could not hide his excitement that this could be my time.
“You worry too much, darling.” Mom chimed in, bringing some of her special lemon cupcakes. The refreshing scent of the pastry made me hungry, so I got up right away to get two as soon as she placed the tray on the center table. “It’s a full moon tomorrow night, so expect your kids to be bitey,” she winked at me.
“Mom,” I groaned, my eyebrows snapping together, hating the joke. I took a bite of the cupcake, not smiling.
“Aren’t we all waiting for your transmogrification, baby?” She asked, sitting on my father’s lap. Dad wrapped his arms around her waist, making them look like two honeymooners.
My forehead furrowed as I stared at the food in my hand. I don’t know if this is the best time to transform when I have Ethan following me around like a three-week-old puppy.
“Who’s Ethan?” Dad asked, making me cringe from my seat. Even hearing his name annoys me. I rolled my eyes, thinking how could I forget that Dad could hear my thoughts very well.
“Who’s Ethan?” Zena repeated, looking at Alaric, smiling. She raised a brow, staring at Dad and then at me.
“Some guy in school,” I frowned. “He’s so annoying,” I exclaimed, heaving a sigh and blocking Dad from my reading my thoughts.
He chuckled, realizing he couldn’t hear my thoughts anymore. “I can still hear your heart, baby.” He shook his head, turning his face to my mom. “I’d better check on our baby, Honey. Her heart rate is way too high. We don’t want to mess up the dinner later,”
I put the whole cupcake in my mouth and chewed it real quick. I stood up, took my belongings on the floor, and shook my head. “Don’t worry about me, Dad. I’m okay. I just need to rest, and if I’m really to change, I’ll make sure to go home early tomorrow.”
Not wanting to live ordinary, I dashed to my room in a split second but stopped at the doorway to enter my bedroom like a tired and bored teenager.
Before taking off my eyeglasses and changing clothes, I glanced at my neighbor’s room, ensuring it was empty. I knew he had a basketball practice today because his coach reminded him when they met in the hallway. I got into my bed and placed the earphones on my ears. I clicked on the music app and chose Brahms’ classical music. I made sure to turn on the music loud enough to calm my unsteady heartbeat.
I almost kissed Ethan. It was horrifying as my mind filled with lots of ‘what if?’
What if the kiss happened?
What if I liked the kiss too much that I hurt him?
What if I accidentally scratch his face or skin and he found out I was different?
What if...
If tomorrow were my time to transmogrify, then that would mean I would be less worried about hurting Ethan. I could be like Connor or Amber with buddies without worrying about getting hungry while staring at their veins. I closed my eyes tight, hoping I could have some acquaintances, too, because, in the past, I did have friends. But with Ethan around, something seemed to be happening within my body, like exciting me in a really bad way.
Brahms’ lullaby made me yawn. I rolled to my bed, curling my body into a fetal position, and tried to forget him for a while. I let myself drift into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes, it was almost dusk. I got up slowly, taking the earphone away and reaching for the switch near the headboard of my bed. I released a huge yawn and rolled my neck from side to side as soon as the lights turned on. I was startled when I gazed at the window and saw Ethan standing and looking at me from his bedroom. His arms crossed on his chest and squinting his eyes as he tried to watch me from my room.
My head turned to the door when I heard Amber coming. She peeked her head on the door. She grinned at me. “Just checkin’ on you, sis,” She said, taking a quick look at my neighbor’s window. When I followed her eyes, Ethan was no longer standing there. “I brought snacks,” She giggled. “Just kidding, Connor and I brought some new friends, and Mom wants me to tell you it’s dinner time,”
I raised my brows, making her giggle again.
“Dinner, Izobel, as in real dinner food. Mom’s hoping to impress our guests with her Spanish dishes, Paella Valenciana, Gazpacho... name it,”
I heaved a sigh, following her, and we both dashed downstairs. We were already at the last step of the staircase when I saw Ethan sitting comfortably on the sofa.
‘Why is he here?’ I hissed at Amber.
‘Who?’ Four voices asked altogether.
I turned around immediately, hoping to run upstairs, but a voice stopped me. ‘No hiding, baby. Who is here?’
‘Dad, I’ll just get my eyeglasses,’ I begged. “Please...”
“Oh, Zena, you have beautiful daughters,” She must be a neighbor. “Where is she going?”
Mom smiled and glanced at me. “She can’t see well when she’s not wearing her eyeglasses,” She explained and smiled apologetically.
“I think she can see alright. She seemed to want to run away when she saw me,” Ethan cut in, staring at me and waiting for me to say something.
I turned to him, faking a smile. Ignoring him would be best now that I clenched my teeth, heaved a sigh, and continued to walk upstairs. I made sure to keep all of them away from reading and hearing my thoughts as I sat down on the floor, hugging my knees and calming my heart. I don’t want to turn into a monster and mess with my parents’ special dinner party. Connor wouldn’t let this Ethan topic go, and who knew how many decades would it take before he would stop bullying me once he found out about him.
Two minutes... just two minutes were all I needed to calm down, then I took my eyeglasses, pulled my hair in a usual ponytail, and joined them downstairs. We had our dinner in the backyard, and everybody was already starting to enjoy mom’s food.
“This is the best, Zena,” Louisa commented after tasting Mom’s paella. “Our chef would probably feel upset after tasting this. You have to visit our restaurant sometimes,” She said.
No need for more introductions, then. Louisa is Ethan’s mom, and the man beside her, well, he looked as handsome as Ethan, so he was probably his father.
“You didn’t invite new friends, little sister?” Connor asked, his way of calling my attention. This has been my parents’ kind of tradition that we invite our neighbors and new friends to our house for dinner to avoid rumors when they don’t see my father much. This has been our way of telling the world that we’re normal and ordinary like any other family.
“Actually, she’s not friendly. I doubt if she met friends today,” Ethan answered, staring and frowning at me.
I scowled at him, turning my cheeks red, and I wished to scratch his godly face. ‘What is wrong with him?’
‘Calm down, baby,’ Dad reminded, smiling at me. “Was she?” he asked.
“That’s not nice, Ethan,” His mom said, touching his arm.
‘Ethan!’ Dad exclaimed. ‘Hmm...so honey, he’s Ethan!’
“I’m sorry about that, Mr. Rodriguez,” He said.
Mom shook her head. “It’s alright, Ethan. Izobel’s a sweet girl, or... did something happen in school, baby?”
“She tripped on the floor, but Ethan caught him,” My adorable twin sister beamed. ‘Oh, he almost kissed her in the chem class,’
Turn me into a bat now, please!
Connor guffawed at my thoughts. “Sorry,” He apologized when everyone stared at him, possibly thinking he laughed that I tripped in the class.
‘A bat, really?’ He glanced at me, then looked at his friend who asked him something.
‘How else can I change, Connor!’ I said. ‘I’m not like you,’ I was almost on the edge of crying.
‘You don’t know that yet,’ Connor assured me.
“Amber, did you ask your mom?” A girl from our class cut in. I think her name is Julia. Or Mia? All I know is she is one of the cheerleading squads in our school.
Amber just blinked and faked a smile, and then she shook her head.
“Um... Mrs. Rodriguez, Mr. Rodriguez, it’s my birthday tomorrow, and I was hoping to invite Amber at home, that’d be after class,” She said, batting her eyelashes at my parents.
“That’s very nice of you. Sure!” Mom said, looking at Dad, who nodded at the same time.
“Oh, I’ll only come if Izobel will come,” Amber said, pouting and fluttering her eyelashes to me.
I gawked at her. ‘Come on, Amber! Tomorrow’s full moon. It might be my time to shine! Hello? A little consideration, please!’
“Of course! Um... Izobel should come, too.” She said, hearing her sigh.
‘What’s with the full moon? You know we could change anytime we want,” Connor asked. ‘Are you gonna turn into a bat tomorrow?’
I breathed slowly and finished my dinner quietly.
“Um... mom, dad, I won’t be able to fetch these two girls tomorrow coz I’ll be working late, and I had some papers due this week,” Our brother made a perfect excuse. My nostril flared, but I chose to press my lips.
“It’s okay. Our Ethan will be coming tomorrow to Julia’s party,” His mom chirped. “He can take the girls home. Right, Ethan?”
He nodded. “Yes, mom,” He smiled at Amber and then gazed at me.
‘Be careful, Izobel. You’re releasing too much pheromones scent, making him crazy over you,’ Connor smirked. ‘You’re becoming a full-pledge vampire,’
‘Shut up, Connor!’ Amber hissed. ‘He could be the one,’
‘Just one bite... Just a taste of human blood,’ Connor chanted in his thoughts.
‘Kids, stop it.’ Dad hissed, glancing at us, then he continued his conversation with Ethan’s dad, Robert.
There they are again, bullying me. I stole a glance at Ethan, and unfortunately, he caught me. I looked down, hiding the tears welling in my eyes. ‘Just one bite... Just a taste of human blood... and I will be complete.
(Izobel’s POV)I was lost in my thoughts when I saw Mrs. Benson write the word werewolf in all capital letters on the board. I winced, looking at our teacher in Sociology. When she entered the classroom a while ago, I found her cute, even in her plump body shape. She has this curly brown hair that matches her round face, and her dimples appear when she smiles. I think she even looked pretty in her red dress, but when she started to talk about something they all considered as a myth or folktales, I now see her an apple talking in front of the room. ‘Why are we talking about a werewolf? Am I in the wrong class?’ I asked Amber sitting across the room. On our second day in school, she was already one of the popular girls, a part of Anastacia’s group. Meanwhile, I enjoyed the popularity of someone who needed to find a vacant chair to sit on in my every class, and at times if I’m lucky, I would be bullied.
(Izobel’s POV)Julia lived in a villa on the hillside, with no houses nearby but trees, so I bet only the animals and the insects would complain of the overpowering music blasting from their home. When we arrived, I was pretty much sure her parents were not home because from the lawn to the pool, and seemingly even inside the house, there were guests as if she had invited half of the population of the students in our school. The wall-sized transparent glass windows and doors proved that almost everyone was having a blast from her party. “Will you be alright here?” Daddy asked, glancing at the people inside as he stopped the car outside the gate of their house.“Of course, Daddy!” Amber answered, her eyes twinkling, and her heartbeat could not hide she was excited about the party. She knew the question was not meant for her, but she wanted to assure him, we would be okay.Dad looked at her. “You t
(Izobel’s POV)Slowly, I made my way to the far corner of the room and watched everyone in horror as they gathered in a circle with an empty bottle in the center. Nolan approached me, and I jerked as he yanked me at my arm, pulling me to follow him and join the others.“Don’t be a killjoy, Izobel,” He said, smirking at me and telling everyone to move to give us space. I heaved a deep sigh as I sat down, hugging my knees and avoiding looking at the others. I stopped aging at eighteen, but Amber and I were supposed to be the responsible adults here in this group, but I would sound like a conservative teenager. I would probably be the center of bullying if I reprimanded them for stopping this.They reeked alcohol, but I was just glad no illegal drugs were involved. My eyes met Amber’s, but I wouldn’t hear it even if she apologized because I had no intention of mind linking with her. I was too mad right now for ma
(Izobel’s POV)‘Amber, help!’ I screamed, crying in silence as I was breathing heavily. I had witnessed Connor and Amber when they shapeshifted the first time, and though it has brought excitement to the family, they transformed in the woods, not inside an old wardrobe closet with a handsome guy who had no idea he would die tonight. I remembered my siblings crying, screaming as their bones snapped and stretched until they turned into a wolf completely.My golden yellow eyes radiate, creating the eyes of a hunter, and I could see Ethan as my sight turned into an excellent night vision. I could see him on the other corner of the closet, his head leaning on the wood, eyes closed.‘I’m here, Izobel. Relax... I can’t hear you! Unblock me, Izobel! What’s happening with you?’ Her voice was in a panic, too.Why can’t she hear me?I took a deep breath, mind linking with
(Ethan’s POV)Everyone outside was surprised when I opened the door opened. My eyes narrowed as I searched for Anastacia, but she was already gone. I glared at Julia, surprised when she saw the scratch wound on my arm. I pursed my lips, feeling the tingling pain from it.“Julia, how dare you send someone inside that old cabinet. I was just glad it was me, but what if Izobel was hurt instead of me?”I turned to Izobel, hugging her knees, and I walked back to her. My forehead furrowed, feeling confused with how she reacted when she saw my wound, and I wanted to assure her that it was nothing but a scratch from the protruded nail that was loosened from the wood material of the cabinet. It horrified me that if Izobel had moved to me a little, she would have gotten hurt. I crouched down, facing her.“Hey!” I said, placing my hands on her knees.When she raised her head, I saw how horrified she was that inst
(Izobel’s POV)I rested my head at the backrest of the car as soon as I plopped myself in. Ethan looked at me, and I really didn’t care right now if he was saying something or not. This is all new to me, and perhaps even if I linked with Amber, she has no answer to my million questions.The ride home was quiet, and even Nolan was silent. Either he was drunk or not in the mood to make jokes at this dead wee hours. When Ethan stopped the car, we were already in front of the house. I opened the car and walked straight to the porch without looking at them. I heard Amber thanking Ethan for bringing us home, but she did not talk to Nolan.The door was open, so I assumed our father was still awake. It still amused me that he would still wait for us even if he knew Amber and I were not ordinary eighteen-year-old teens. When I pushed the door, the living room was dark, but I could see my parents well. My eyebrows raised when I saw mom pacing
(Izobel’s POV)This was the first time Connor did not bully me in eighty years. They were all just standing in my bedroom, staring at me and listening to my cry. They could pass a portrait or an ultra-realistic mannequin because they were not moving.‘What happened, Alaric?’ Mom asked worriedly.Dad did not answer.‘Shall we go to school, or should we just stay home?’ Amber asked as she looked at the window, staring at Ethan, who had just gotten up from bed. I turned my eyes in the same direction. I saw Ethan sitting on his bed, massaging his forehead, and turned his gaze on the window, but it was only for a short while. His two hands were on his head now, so I think his head must be aching right now.‘I’m sorry, Izobel. I had to erase his memory last night. He won’t remember a thing, so you have nothing to worry about,’ Dad assured me, making my
(Izobel’s POV)It was the first day of October, and it was unnaturally cold and chilly. The hotel's security guard greeted me, and I smiled back, but I had to run, human pace run, as I was already late for work. Asia sent me a message reminding me of today’s meetings in preparation for Halloween.Thanks to the couple who got lost in the woods six years ago, more tourists came to visit Springville Town, giving birth to another hotel in this small town where I work as an administrative staff in the operations department. I glanced at the time, and it was really my fault for being late this time. Amber and I had to help Mom and Dad pack. We had stayed in this town longer than we expected, and it was time for us to move. We will fly to another country, and Australia seemed an excellent place to live for a while.Ryzen, the front office manager, greeted me. “Running late for work, Izobel?”Asia and Ryzen have been my fr