Chapter Two

LEAH

I still couldn’t wrap my head around what had just happened. I was back home now lying on my bed with my legs spread apart like an eagle while I gazed at the ceiling. It was an incredible but at the same time traumatic experience. How my sanity was still intact marveled me. There were werewolves in WinstonVille? Werewolves were a thing of reality. My room was silent as I tried to fix the puzzle. The only sound I could hear was the “tic-tock” sound that my clock made. My hands were clapped on my chest as I tried to reason how Werewolves came about. Was it magic? Were they around since the beginning of time? Thinking about this for a long period would make me go insane. But I couldn’t just forget it. It wasn’t something that I could just forget. It was an experience that will be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. The best I could do was savor the memories now that they were still fresh. 

I closed my eyes and tried to recall everything that happened from the beginning. I placed myself in the scene where I first came in contact with Zachary. His big black wolf had found me hurt in the woods with no way to go. I was hurt and I couldn't run. I could still feel the adrenaline that pumped into my veins when he moved closer to me. The fear that had gripped me was still so fresh. It had happened about three hours ago but it was still very fresh in my mind. The aura that had engulfed me had been so welcoming. Another thing that came to my attention was the mysterious pull I had felt when he had come closer to me. Of everything that I had felt, that was the only thing I still couldn’t explain. It felt like I had known him for so long and the fear I had been extinguished. It was both enthralling and confusing at the same time. I recalled as I tried to touch his nose until his friends found us. I wanted to feel his fur and know what it felt like. 

The next scene that came into my head was the one where I had found him splitting firewood. His body looked like a work of art; something that should be sacred and stored in a museum for people to admire and acknowledge. How was he that gorgeous? His hair was short and it stuck to his forehead due to sweat that stuck to his body. His silver eyes looked so cold but they warmed me on the insides. What was this type of feeling? I didn’t know and I wasn’t sure I would want to give up on it that easily. When I told him I wanted to leave, I felt sad already. I didn’t want to leave him so soon. The crazy part of this was that I had stayed at his cabin. Even his name was special and mysterious; Zachary. I wanted to see him again but that was impossible. I felt that was the last time I was going to see him. With a secret as big as that being revealed to an outsider like me, it was doubtful that they would still be there if I ever got back. I doubted I could ever go back. It was in the middle of nowhere, a place I couldn’t find if I searched. 

The place looked so secluded. It was a little village that smelled like nature. I could remember the smell of the fresh wood when I first woke up. The dry and organic smell filled my nose which made me feel one with nature for a split second. How was there a village there and nobody knew? And why did they trust me with their secret? I knew it was a secret because Selena wasn’t that open when I asked if she was one of them. I felt that their secret was sacred and that sharing it with an outsider was against the rules. Then why was Zachary so open to me? Why had he shown me his human form? Maybe he had felt that I had passed out before I saw that? Who knew? They trusted me with something that important and I wasn’t going to let them down. I was going to keep my lips sealed even from Lauren. 

I stood up from the bed and went to the window. It was twilight and I could see the purple clouds send the orange ones away. Darkness was nigh. This meant that I had spent so much time today outside the house. I had been brought home by the orders of Zachary. It seems like he was in charge over there. I got away from the window and I felt my stomach grumble. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten since we arrived. My leg also didn’t hurt anymore. That was so quick even for that ointment. What did Selena use? I gazed at my bruised ankle and twisted it silently. It didn’t hurt anymore. That was great. I was healed before Lauren found out. And speaking of Lauren, I hadn’t seen her at home when I arrived. Maybe she had gone out for a drive. 

I lay on my bed with a sigh and then a knock came on my door. Before I could reply, the door opened slightly and Lauren’s head popped in. 

“You’re back,” she acknowledged. 

I nodded at her. 

“Dinner will be ready shortly. Take a shower and come down,” she said. 

I nodded at her once more and she flashed me a smile before closing the door behind her. I slumped on my bed again with a sigh. My mind was engulfed by the incident in the woods. I had to get out of my mind and focus. The last thing I wanted was for Lauren to notice how lost I am. Today was just my first day in Winstonville and it was more enthralling than it had been in Washington. Maybe moving to this town wasn’t bad after all. I stood up from my bed and headed into the shower.