The Shifter

Family Stuff

"Kay- Kay, calm down, you need to." Dylan says.

"What is it? What happened?"

I lift my head and open my mouth to try to speak, which I can't. So I open my eyes instead.

As my girls' gasp, Dylan grown- yells "No, not again.... Dang it!" Grumbling, then it gets louder: "....only asleep for 20 minutes!"

My eyes must be red. Literally, red irises.

I feel Dylan shift, and explain, "It has to do with her family. Like, Ahhh, two years ago, remember when she disappeared? Her brother needed her."

I try to repress that.

"Wah," I croak.

"What?" asks a few voices.

"Wah," I croak again.

"She wants water," says Jacy.

A patter of feet, and some clanking sounds, and returning feet. A few seconds later there is a cup in my hand.

I chug it all, hand it back and I crawl out of her arms. I spread out on the center and everyone else scrambles off the bed.

When I open my eyes, thank goddess, no red haze.

"No-" my voice breaks. I start again, "Nobo'y inta upt me."

Over my bed looks are flying.

"We have- have to go soon, I'll be-e-e bah-better then. The dream is nonnegotiable. My-ny- it hurts. They'll be here in the next few days."

This snaps up Dylan's head. "Are you serious? They found us? After all these years?!" she says in a hard voice.

"That took a while," I try to smirk, but end up groaning. "And we weren't really hiding."

Blaze and Jordan look at me like I'm crazy, as Jacy and Makenzie demand "What?!"

"Her-family-"Dylan spits the word.
"-is coming."

Silence.

"Hey, guys, come on their not all bad. You guys love Kyler, Ky!" I attempt a plea.

Ky is my older brother, whom I adore. My older sister, Kiki, and I didn't get along. And I got along with my parent as much as almoat any teenager would.

Until the betrothing incident.

Victor Hayden. Hayden is very high up in the shaper community. And to secure our influential power, my parents offered the marriage of Kiki. Kiki was denied by the Hayden clan saying that Victor would rather have me. Kiki, who WANTED to marry him, was outraged when my parents accepted.

I was too, for two reasons: one, they didn't ask me and two I didn't want to.

Then comes the Kiki "Accident", as I call it then Ky encourages me to run, resulting in what happened.

"There's that," says Jordan, thoughtful. She has a content look on her face until Jacy smacks her arm.

"No, no, it's cool," I say wiggling my eyebrows. "Jor-dan's got a crush on my bro-ther!!" I sing- song.

Everyone laughs as Jordan goes pink.

Ky visits every once in a while. His last visit was a Friday last month. He slept on the couch saying it was lonely in the extremely quiet guest apartment.

And who'd you think gave then embarrassing stories of me? I've met Jordan's parents; Jacy's and Blaze's foster parents, and even Makenzie's parents, when I went there.
(I disguised myself to be a wolf- yeah I can do that!)

"Okay," I say with a serious face. "We need to take care of problem numero uno."