The Moon Phase Trilogy | Protected | Book One | ORIGINAL

Five

The first day of school passed very quickly and Ericka dreaded going to her home to figure out some things. Shaun had been keeping a close eye on her best friend throughout the day, making sure Ericka was going to be okay. "Ericka, do you want to walk home together?" Shaun asked, observing Ericka's response and reaction.

"No, I have to get my sisters and then run to work. Maybe tomorrow?" Ericka replied, making subtle eye contact as they walked to the elementary school. She clenched her backpack straps nervously and felt the necklace that wasn't hers become warm again. It was getting warmer the closer they got to the grade school. She stopped and looked behind her to see a shaggy, blonde haired boy following them.

The boy gave Ericka a kind smile and whistled to get Shaun's attention, "Hey Shaun! You kind of forgot about me," he spoke. Ericka could hear a mixed accent of German and British and she was shocked at how handsome his accent was, along with his pale, muscular body.

Shaun turned around and ran her hand through her dark hair sheepishly, "Sorry Jayden. I forgot we were gonna do our AP Bio homework together," she said and looked to Ericka who had a look of confusion across her face. "I'm also pretty bad with introductions it seems. Jayden, this is my best friend Ericka or Ricky if you want to call her that. Ricky, this is a new guy in our grade who just so happens to be a foreign exchange student living with my family named Jayden."

"How in the world could you forget to tell me that important item, Shaun? I mean seriously! That's a huge deal!" Ericka exclaimed, moving her hands all over as she spoke. Her moon phase necklace came out from her shirt and Jayden cleared his throat softly, almost no one could hear it. Ericka looked over to him with her eyebrows raised, "Why'd you clear your throat?"

"He never did that Ricky," Shaun said looking at the two of them with her hands on her hips, which was out of the ordinary for her.

Jayden smirk, "Actually Shaun, I did. Ericka, you have a great sense of hearing. But don't you have to get going? You have to get your siblings right, Ericka?" He mentioned.

"I do, but how'd you know that? Pretty sure you were a block down when I said that to Shaun." Ericka looked down at her phone and saw the time and a text from Maxie about Alyx. "Great...I'll text you when I get home, Shaun. I gotta stop a bullying incident with Alyx." Ericka gave a half wave to her best friend and their new 'sibling' as she ran to the grade school.

Ericka got there just in time to see Maxie trying to save her little sister from the bullies picking on her. She stood behind the kids that were making fun of Alyx and pushing her around, clearing her throat really loud. "You four need to leave, or I'll grab the teacher and have her punish you for what you are doing," she said sternly.

The students looked up, saw Ericka and stifled a laugh. She could see the students didn't want to listen so she waved to a teacher she had and gave a smile.

The teacher came over and greeted Ericka with a hug, "How are you? And what seems to be the problem with some of my kids?" She asked looking down to the students she taught with a disappointed expression on her face.

Alyx wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up to the teacher, "Mrs. Grimm, they were being mean to me and calling me names..." she spoke softly through her gasps of air.

Mrs. Grimm crossed her arms and tapped her foot, upset with the children, "You four know better than to bully one another. Say you're sorry and then come with me. I have patents to call," she ordered. The two girls scowled at the thought of apologizing and the two boys lowered their heads in shame.

"We're sorry Alyx..." the boys said, but the girls didn't say a word. They stuck their tongues out and taunted her again. Alyx started to cry again and Maxie grew angry. Ericka watched her siblings and noticed Maxie's change in eye color. Alyx had a subtle eye color change too.

"Dakota! Kimberly! Say you're sorry or you'll be in detention for a month," Mrs. Grimm scolded. The girls rolled their eyes and apologized as they shoved Alyx to the ground. "That's it! Detention, now!"

Maxie was ready to lunge at the girls but Ericka stopped her with a growl and a hand to her sister's head. She felt that rumbling inside of her again and quickly shook her head to make it stop. "Come on, let's get home you two. I have something I need to do before I leave for work," Ericka said, staring at the two in a daze.

"What do you have to do before you leave for work?" Maxie asked curiously as they headed back to the Connerton's home. Ericka wasn't going to tell them what she had planned, they weren't ready for that yet. She wasn't ready to go back yet, but she had to face her fears to get some answers on what was going on with her family and why someone was after her necklace.

"It's nothing important Maxie. Now when we get home, you two need to do your homework before you get ice cream, got it?"

"Got it!" Alyx said with a smile on her face. Her eyes were back to her normal color and so were Maxie's. Ericka looked in her phone camera and hers were still a grey blue for some reason.

What the heck is going on with my family?! She thought and saw that blonde wolf again in the distance. She blinked once and it was gone. Okay...now something is seriously wrong with me...I just know it...