Howl

Tighten up

“And I honestly thought, you know, the cops were going to get called and we’d have to scatter, or worse, get arrested.” Tegan shoveled more eggs into her mouth, still trying to talk though. I smiled, and watched in fascination as she painted a situation from her teenage years.

 

“-he was massive! I couldn’t get out of the way fast enough, what? Is something on my face?” she quickly put the fork down and wiped around her mouth, she had caught me staring. I smirked as I looked away, not allowing any embarrassment to show on my face.

 

“I was just admiring. How’d the party go?” I started putting more food on her plate, she came over right at seven. Alcohol seemed to be her choice of perfume today. Though it did nothing to calm the fire my thirst ignited. She flashed me a grateful smile and dove right in to telling me that I had missed out. Her friends would have loved me, she had apparently raved about me to them. I was this amazing landlord, who was quiet yet very authoritative.

 

The sparkle in her eyes were hypnotizing to me, capturing my attention right away. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted too. I felt like a lovesick pup when in her presence, I started to hate it. But I also loved it.

 

She cleared her throat, “Um actually, Sara, I was wondering...I guess, I want to know more about you. You know somethings about me.”

 

Nodding, glancing away as if to fetch some facts , “Yes, you are 25 years of age, you were raised by your father, who you now resent a great deal, and you work part-time in a pharmacy.” I slid onto the stool next to her, easily looking into her light brown eyes.

 

“Yeah, see. You know stuff about me.”

 

“Well then, ask away. I’m an open book with fine print.” I took a drink of my tea and picked at my food.

 

“What was your childhood like? Did both of your parents raise you? Do you have siblings? Where were you born?”

 

I laughed with my head thrown back, “Dear lord, Tegan. Slower next time.” I nudged her with my shoulder, it was odd how relaxed her presence made me feel.

 

“My childhood...it was way different from the sound of yours. Both of my parents were in my brother and I’s life. And...I’m a few years older than you.” Nostalgia hit me painfully in the gut at the mention of my brother. I felt physically sick all of a sudden.

 

“You have a brother? What’s his name? Does he live here?” Excitement was evident in her voice, she was getting what she wanted but at the price of my pain.

 

A forced laugh vibrated my throat, “Yes, he was a few years older than me. My parents basically worshipped him. Then I came along and...my brother worshipped me. I was his little sister, he loved me dearly.” I glanced at her, she smiled and nodded for me to continue, “I wasn’t anything like him. From what I can remember. His name was Jeremy and he died after an animal stumbled into our home. He was eleven.” He wasn’t even a century old and he felt he could rule a pack of his own. He had challenged our father, who thought it was just pure fun at the time. And when he gathered a few other males to back it up, my father had no say when the pack turned on them. An alpha can only do so much when the pack thinks for itself.