Prove To Be

23

Jay's hands shook as she scrubbed at the dirty pots in the sink. The soap suds bubbled around her arms, and no matter how many times she rolled up her sleeves, they seemed to fall back down in defiance. She was soaked, but that's not what was bothering her.

Her mom's face kept flashing in her mind. The fear, the worry; it unsettled Jay to see her mom in such a condition.

Jay hadn't realized she was furiously scrubbing at one of the pots until someone's hands covered her shoulders. She craned her neck to see who it was and was met with forest-green eyes that waved with uncertainty.

"I'll finish these last few dishes up," Brennan said as he softly pushed her from the kitchen. Although Jay was thankful for Brennan's help, Jay's hands itched to keep moving, so she opted to pack up the rest of the food and put it into the fridge.

"Let me help," Raegan came up to stand beside her, taking over what Jay had been doing.

Jay's smile was forced as she backed away from the kitchen, watching the two siblings clean what was left of Christmas dinner. Jay didn't realize Kieran was standing behind her until she bumped into him.

"Let's go for a walk," He whispered in her ear, to which she nodded. She tore her gaze away from the kitchen and followed Kieran into the chilled night air. Her breaths came out in thick gusts of white clouds, quickly floating away from her in a hurry. Her arms unconsciously wrapped around her body, but she didn't do it because she was cold. Even though the sleeves of her shirt started to freeze with the winter air, she was unbothered by the chill coursing through her body. She invited it in, allowing it to soak her bones as the night air nipped at her heated skin.

Sighing with lethargy, Jay scuffled her feet against the gravel, too drained to pick them up correctly. She felt her body crashing, weighted down by the burden of not knowing how her parents were and if her grandpa would survive through the night. She felt the need to go and see her grandpa, even though she may be seen as an unwelcome guest.

Although her body was depleted, her mind worked a million miles a minute.

Unintentionally, Jay felt a growing embarrassment as she thought of her previous actions when first turning into her wolf. The chance of her grandpa ever wanting to see her again would be slim.

She watched Kieran from the corner of her eye as the two walked the tree line of the surrounding forest. She wondered what he must be thinking.

"I'm fine, you know," Jay said in a cloud of white breath.

Kieran remained looking ahead. "I know." Silent, she furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't believe him.

"Then stop walking on eggshells around me." Jay didn't mean for her voice to sound so harsh, but the growl rumbling in Jay's chest was increasingly sharp, almost strident. She was annoyed with the siblings, even though they meant well. The beast was still agitated by the wolves, their scent lingering in the air. Jay needed to teach it how to differentiate its emotions from her own, or one of these days, she was worried the beast would overtake her completely.

"We're just taking a walk," Kieran stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world. But Jay's mind was working overtime as she thought deeper into it.

Fine. Jay breathed in deeply, feeling the cold air prickle at her lungs. Her hands shook at her sides. Bringing them into fists, she secured them under her armpits, wishing for them to remain steady.

She began feeling at ease when she allowed herself to enjoy the cool night air and the stillness emphasized by the looming clouds threatening to cover the moon. Her muscles relaxed beneath her skin, and her mind grew calm. Tiny snowflakes fluttered around the two in a daze, haphazardly resting on the frozen ground, crunched with every step Jay and Kieran made.