Forsaken, A Werewolf Story (Rewrite)

Chapter 18

I woke up later and slowly realized that everything that had happened the night before hadn't been a dream and was very much real. I was still wearing the sweatpants and tee I'd gotten from Mariam. My head was definitely clear, the fever was gone. My fibro and its persistent ache, however, was still there...

I got out of bed and stumbled upstairs, not bothering to change or anything. Mom was in the kitchen, pacing nervously.

"Juno!" She practically shouted.

"Hey, mom. Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I took the day off for you, let me make you breakfast."

I agreed, I hadn't eaten all day before thanks to the fever and now that I was better I was positively starving. She made me a huge breakfast and I ate it all with brand new appetite.

"Would you mind if I go over to Mariam's house to see her?" I asked once I was finished.

Mom put her arm over my forehead. "Well, you look better but still let me drive you."

We got in the car and drove the five minutes or so to the Lindell house. The only reason it even took so long was that it was through a dirt road in the woods rather than curbed.

When mom pulled over to the Lindell house Ms. Lindell came out. "Juno, I'm so glad to see you." She said with a smile, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as I came out of the car.

I waved goodbye to mom and Ms. Lindell escorted me inside and pretty much everyone in the Lindell clan gathered around, but not close enough to bar our way, the only one missing was Miriam, she was nowhere to be seen.

I could hear them whisper but couldn't catch the content of their chatter, although I knew I was it. Despite now being a werewolf, I didn't seem to have any of the advantages that often came with it in movies; my senses were normal and my body still ached from the fibro...

"Is everyone here a werewolf?" I asked mama Lindell.

"Everyone except Taylor." She answered. "And Gaige and Dixie, but they're a different story which is a conversation for another time, let's get you acclimated first."

"Why not him?"

"Since he's not our biological child he'll need to be given the power through a bite and he's still too young, boys typically get transformed after their thirteenth birthday."

I nodded. She took me to the center garden where we sat down and she shooed everyone away, although I had a feeling they were still eavesdropping.

"Now that you're one of us, you'll have to know and follow our laws."

"Not that I'm planning on breaking them, at least not intentionally, but what happens if I don't?"

"Well, small infractions warrant punishment, but if anyone rejects our authority we banish them."

I gulped. It wasn't like I could just move out, what with my parents and siblings... So I definitely had to play ball.

"I was kind of expecting worse."

"We aren't monsters, Juno."

"What about Miriam?" Miriam had betrayed me, hurt me, lied to me... and yet I couldn't help but worry for her.

"Miriam has broken one of our sacred most laws, she will suffer exclusion until the time is right, and then she may re-enter the pack as the bottom most member."

I nodded.

"I know this is all so sudden, normally when an outsider is adopted we spend years slowly indoctrinating them, teaching them until we know they can be trusted."