The Jaguar

Chapter 4

A soft light forced my eyes open. I stretched as I stood. My hands smoothed over my dress before I headed back to the road.

I followed Damian's scent to a large house hidden by some trees. I blew a chunk of hair out of my face before starting towards the door.

I pressed my ear to the door, listening for people. No one was home. I tried the knob, it was open. As quietly as I could, I slipped through the door.

I found the kitchen with ease. The cabinets had all sorts of food. I grabbed a plastic can of beef jerky and began chewing. I hopped up onto the counter and continued to eat. The door had opened. I smelled the air.

"Oh, hey Damian." Damian walked into the kitchen.

"You're in my pack house because?" I smirked and made a gesture with the jerky can.

"I got hungry." Damian laughed and shook his head.

"Why did you leave last night?" He rested his arm on the counter and took a jerky stick.

"Oh, I don't know what made you think I was staying. I thought that there was a mutual understanding that I just needed you to cover for me. Thanks for doing that by the way."

"You're welcome. I thought you needed somewhere to hide during your um, change." That's when I realized something.

"You haven't shifted yet! Ha! Loser. You're older then me and I've already been shifting for, like, a year!" Damian looked down in shame.

"Well you're rude." I rolled my eyes.

"Jaguars are meant to be strong and fearless, not polite. Well, that's what I've been told at least." Damian's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Jaguar? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Technically I'm a jaguar blood, but, jaguar just rolls off the tongue." Damian just stared, slack-jawed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to stare?" I jumped off the counter. "Welp, thanks for the jerky. Later." I strolled out of the pack house, relieved by the fresh air.

"Jaguar girl, wait!" I smirked as I stopped.

"That's not my name."

"Well, I don't know your name. Why don't you come back inside, my pack won't hurt you."

"First of all, my name is Avalon. Second, it's not them hurting me I'm worried about, it's me hurting them. I'm a threat to you and your kind. I don't want to hurt you. That's why I'm leaving." I turned and began to walk away.

"Avalon! Hold up!" Damian came up beside me. "I'm a wolf blood, I don't have to worry about a threat. I can take care of myself." I laughed.

"Sure you can." I shoved Damian to the side of the road.

"Oh hoho. You want to play that game?" He lunged himself at me. I swiftly threw him over my head sideways.

"Like I said, I'm worried about me hurting you." I continued back to the main square.

It's obviously a weekend, lots of younger people hanging around. Most of them saw me, took a double take, then looked away, but a couple groups of girls would point me out to each other, and then there was this one group of bitches.

A group of three girls, all looking completely different from each other, blatantly stared and whispered about me. I hid a smirk as an idea formed in my mind. I made my way over to the boutique I went to yesterday, and the one they were sitting in. They pretended to look away as I entered. I walked behind them.

"You know I can see you staring, right?" I said. I continued to walk past them when they turned.

"She's American," one of them said with an Irish accent. The other two agreed with rude comments about Americans.

"I can hear you," I sang through a shelf of statuettes. One gasped and another huffed, the third got up and said that they were leaving. I peeked my head to the side of the shelf and looked at them heading towards the door. "Aww, leaving so soon? I was just starting to enjoy my warm welcome!" I stated with sarcastic enthusiasm.

The door clicked shut behind them. I chuckled to myself at their disgusted faces. I looked to the table they were at and saw one of their purses. The bell chimed when the dark haired one came back in.

"You know, loathing doesn't look good on you." I tilted my head to the side and sucked in a breath between my teeth. "Ooh, and neither do those pants." She gasped and grabbed her bag before storming out.

"Are you going to be staying here long?" The man that greeted me yesterday asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I'm going to be here for another week at the least." The man tsk-ed.

"Then you shouldn't have messed with those lassies. They're bound to be much harder on a vixen like yourself." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"What the hell is a vixen?" The man smiled.

"A pretty lass." I blushed. "Still, watch yourself, those lassies are a bunch of gits."

"A git is?"

"A horrible person." I nodded.

"I'm going to agree with you, they do seem like gits." The man smiled at me.

"You've gotten on my good side, and not many people can do that. Now how about I get you a fag?" This was one slang word I recognized.

"I don't smoke." The man nodded in understanding.

"Good. Boyos like you shouldn't smoke, or get bolloxed."

"You know what, I'm just going to pretend I understand you and walk away." I turned towards the door.

"Wait," he called after me. I turned to face him. He had walked out from behind his counter. "The names Keelan, Keelan Brannock." He held his hand out for me to shake.

"Avalon." I shook Mr. Brannock's hand.

"You got a last name Avalon?" I smiled.

"Not that I'm proud of Mr. Brannock."

"Ey, that's Keelan to you." I chuckled.

"Of course." I headed towards the door. "See you later, Keelan."

"Slán Avalon." I waved and smiled over my shoulder before stepping back into the square. About ten steps away from the little boutique, I was pulled into an alleyway. I struggled to free myself as I was pinned against a wall.

"Where do you think you're going little girl?"