The Innocent Rose

Chapter 3: New Friend

Rose’s P.O.V.

   It has been a week since the attack, and I have just been staying home letting my leg heal. For the first couple of days I had a really bad fever, but didn’t want to go to the hospital and risk them sending in hunters to hunt down the wolves. 

I go to my bathroom so I can change my bandage and see that it is almost healed. “That's strange.” I softly run my hand across the wound. I put some neosporin on it and a light bandage. I put on some jeans, a black t-shirt and my tennis shoes, and grab my keys. 

I was just driving around wanting to get out of the house when I came across a park. I stop and grab my camera from my passenger seat deciding on taking some pictures. I walk around taking pictures of the kids playing and the flowers. When someone taps me on the shoulder. I jump and turn around, my heart rate increasing. 

Lily from the diner puts her hands up in surrender. “Whoa, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just never caught your name and saw you, and thought I would say hey.” I put my hand over my heart. “It’s fine I am usually not this jumpy, and my name is Rose.” She puts her hand out. “Well it is nice to meet you Rose.” I take her hand shaking it. “Likewise.” 

“So where have you been? I haven’t seen you for a while. I hope the food was okay?” I chuckle. “The food was fine. I have just been busy and haven’t had time to go to the diner.” “Oh.” She was watching me as if she knew I was lying, but of course she couldn’t know that.

Lily coughs. “What do you do for work?” I hold up my camera. “I am a photographer.” “Wow, that's really cool. I bet you have been to lots of different places then and seen a lot of cool stuff.” “Yeah I have been to a few places.” 

“What kind of pictures do you take?” “I usually take wildlife and landscape pictures.” Lily scratches the back of her head nervously. “Are you okay?” She pushes a strand of hair out of her face. “Yeah of course I am fine.” “Okay it just looks like you want to say something.” 

“I was just wondering if you wanted to come over to my house for dinner. I only ever grew up with boys, and you seem really nice. I was wondering if we could be friends.” I think for a minute looking around. “Yeah I don’t see why not. When?” 

“Today?” “Today! I mean sure yeah.” She smiles. “That's great you can follow me back to my house then.” “Okay.” She walks with me to my jeep. “Wow this is a nice jeep.” “Thank you, my parents gave it to me.”

    I follow Lily to her house. When we pull up to say it was beautiful would be an understatement. It was a two story house in the middle of the woods. It had a garden in the front yard with so many flowers and I could hear the sound of flowing water nearby. 

    I get out of my jeep and walk over to Lily’s car. “Wow this place is beautiful.” “Thank you me and my ma... husband James just finished the last touches to the garden last month.” “But it has been chilly.” She laughs and leads me to the front porch. “We got flowers that can handle the cold and bloom early and most of the year because I really love to look at them especially in the morning.”

    I gaze around at all the different colors and types of flowers. We walked inside and the inside was just as beautiful as the outside. She had plants all around the house. Making it feel like you were almost still outside. 

    “When is your husband supposed to be home?” “He won't be coming home tonight. He is staying late for work.” She heads up stairs, she hollers. “Just make yourself at home.” I holler back. “Okay.” I walk around looking at the pictures on the wall and all the plants till I stop in front of a picture of a wolf with dirty blonde fur. 

   “James took that picture last year.” I jump, putting my hand over my heart. “Wow you really are silent. Ever thought of being a ninja.” She laughs. “So James is a photographer.” “No, he just likes taking pictures of me.” “You mean for you.” “Yeah I meant for me.” Lily heads into the kitchen and I follow behind her. 

    “Your house really has a natural nature feel to it.” “Yeah James and I really love nature and I wanted to always have some with me.” I sit down at the bar and watch as she gets some glasses out. “Sweet tea?” I nod my head. She pours me a glass and hands it to me. I take a sip. “Wow, this is really good sweet tea.” “Thank you.”

    I look around while sipping on my tea. “If you want you can get your camera and walk around outside and take some pictures while I get the food ready. It will take awhile.” “Ah yeah.” I set my glass down and walk outside to my jeep to get my camera. 

    I grab my camera and start walking around the garden taking photos of the flowers. I soon find myself looking at this stunning natural waterfall. I continue taking pictures. I stop and sit down on the bank just watching the waterfall. I look down beside me and notice a paw print in the dirt. It was a wolf’s but it was bigger than normal. 

    I get up and walk back to the house. I walk into the kitchen right as Lily is putting the food into the oven. “You weren’t gone that long. I expected that I would have to come find you.” I sit down and take a drink of my tea. “Well I was over at the waterfall and noticed a wolf print in the dirt. It is bigger than the ones I have seen before.”

    She stops what she was doing and turns and looks at me. “Yeah it would be because the wolves around here are bigger than your normal wolves.” “Why is that?” Lily scratches her head. “I think it has something to do with the wolves that were reintroduced here. They are a mix between the Russian Grey wolf and the Timber wolf, so they naturally just have a bigger build to them.” She rambled out.

    I would say she is lying but I don’t know much about wolves and don’t feel like fact checking her. Plus if she is going to be my friend I shouldn’t start this friendship by accusing her of lying. “That makes sense.” 

    She exhaled a sign of relief. Yup, she is definitely lying about something. “So what are you making? It smells really good.” “It is my mothers homemade recipe for lasagna.” “Wow, that’s crazy lasagna is literally my favorite meal.” She smiles. “Well jeez just put more pressure on it being amazing why don’t you.” 

    We both start laughing. There is a knock at the door. “Are you expecting someone?” Lily starts walking to the door. “Stay here.” I was not going to argue. I stayed right there not moving. After a few minutes she returns with a slight frown. “You okay, you seem upset.” 

    “No, I am fine.” She walks over and checks on the lasagna. “Who was at the door?” “Just my friend, Noah.” “What did he want?” She walks over to me and sits down. “He told me I needed to stop stalling and tell you already.” 

    I look at her confused. “Tell me what?” She looks out the window above the sink. “I know about the accident you had a week ago.” My mouth literally fell open. “But how could you know?” “Noah was there. Well technically after you had passed out.” 

    I look down at the table. “Is he the one that took me home?” She shakes her head no. “Then who did?” She snaps at me. “It doesn’t matter how you got home.” “Then what does matter?” I ask a little nervously, not knowing if I really want the answer.

    I put my hand on hers. “Lily, you can tell me I am a big girl, I can handle myself, and plus you are my friend. Which means we don’t keep secrets.” “You see, the thing is the wolf that attacked you wasn’t normal.” “What do you mean by that?” “He is a werewolf.” 

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I am trying to post pretty frequently. I hope you are all enjoying the book. I know I am enjoying writing it. Don't forget to comment and vote. If you notice any grammar mistakes please let know I am writing and editing it myself. If you have any suggetions please comment them I might even use them. If I do use them I will tag you in the chapter.