The Female Wolf #Wattys2016

Chapter 11: People are suppose to be honest right?

The more you reveal, the more people wonder

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This time I make sure there's no rogues. As I walk down the trail, i keep thinking about the rogues. They worry me. Something can happen to any pack and they'll come running to other packs. If they join ours, Mike has to worry about what to do with them and plan how to keep them safe from not falling in the risk to loose our pack. They must be getting rid of our pack, we're the closest pack to this forest and they must live close.
I don't know if I should inform Mike. If I do, maybe werewolves won't have to marry.
I sigh and walk to the little house where Jake is at. Hopefully nothing happened to him, I walk to the door and knock on the door.
"Jake?" I call. "It's me." There's no answer. I sigh and knock again. Maybe he's getting dressed or something. But then I wait for quite a while. I open the door.
"Jake why don't you-" I stop but no one is there. He didn't escape did he? I look around. "Jake!" I call but there's no answer. No Cassidy locked the door and there's no windows. I looked around and saw something red on the floor. Liquid. The rogues.
"Jake! I scream and run out when hands touch my shoulders scaring me. It's Jake.
"Miranda, are you okay?" Jake asks worry.
I gasp and I'm out of breath. "I, I thought the rogues took you!" I scream and push him away. "Where were you?"
"I went to get some fruits out of the tree or something I just couldn't go out-"
"How did you escape?" I ask. Jake looks at me. "I didn't. I open the door and, and it opened." He blinks at me and I decide to hug him. He hugs me back and takes me on the house.
"So, did you find fruit?" I ask, trying to calm down.
He looks at me confused and then shakes his head. "Nah. There's only bunch of leaves."
"I think there's suppose to be leaves." I tell Jake and laugh a little. Jake shrugs.
"So, I'm glad you came for a visit." Jake admits and I smile. "Yeah." Jake must be really lonely here. Then, I remembered that Jake, too has a family. They must be worried sick about him and he's here trapped. I swallow hard. Jake stares at me.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"Jake, do you ever miss your family?" I blurt out and he then freezes.
"I, haven't thought about that." He admits and sniffs. Great. See what I did?
"Do you, um, want to visit them?" Jake looks up at me and I stare at him ,trying to not get nervous. "Look, I don't want you to be my prisoner or something. I...want to give you some freedom." I explained. Jake just stared at the ground and then nodded.
"Uh ,thanks. I'll, um, think about it." Jake mutters and grins. I then felt something. Tell him. I want to tell him about Gus but I didn't have to, did I? But I want to...
"I've, um, have, also been thinking about some things." I say, playing with my fingers.
"Really? Like what?" Jake smiles curiously and grabs some water. I sigh. Here it goes...
"Rogues." I blurt out. Wait what? I wasn't exactly thinking about that. He looks at me with a confused look on his face.
"They, um, attacked a member of my pack." I explain. "And the leader of my pack is taking extreme measures in protecting ourselves." Jake drinks some water.
"That's a good thing right?" He asks. I shrug.
"Not really..." I clear my throat. Cassidy then comes in, complaining about how weird the food is.
"Oh, you're here." Cassidy stops and then places the food on the table. Jake searches for something in the bag.
"So, are you interested in anyone?" Cassidy asks casually. I stiffen and Jake freezes. He looks up to see what's going on and then looks at me confused.
"What do you mean?" I ask and Cassidy notices how awkward it got.
"You know? For the pack meeting." Cassidy tells me and I sigh relief. But Jake is confused. I hesitate.
"No." I tell her.
"What pack meeting?" Jake pipes up and Cassidy glares at him.
"None of your concern." Cassidy snaps. I purse my lips and play with my fingers.
"Um..." I mutter.
"When are you gonna let this guy go? Cause I do not want to go shopping ever again." Cassidy asks.
"You guys don't buy your food?" Jake asks. "Not exactly. We hunt." I explain and he nods, taking bunch of apples out of the bag.
"And actually, I am considering letting him go with his family for a while." I tell Cassidy. Cassidy glares at me, her face turning pale.
"Miranda, when I asked you if you were gonna let him go, I meant you confessing to the pack about that. He's just trouble-"
I quickly look up. "He has a name." I interrupt and Cassidy looks shocked that I interrupted her. "Jake."
"Okay... Jake is nothing but trouble. And letting him go for one second could cause all of us to go to the science lab." Cassidy looks at me and then at Jake.
"I wouldn't tell anyone." Jake admits to Cassidy. But I turn to face him. "I know I kinda stalked you guys but I don't care about any of that anymore. I wouldn't tell a soul." Jake states at Cassidy and then at me, his eyes sparkling. Cassidy scoffs but I feel like he's telling the truth. He wouldn't betray me. He has changed.
"That's what they all say." Cassidy looks at me, knowing that I obviously believe him and she looks shocked. She touches my shoulder. "Miranda, it's all just crap he's making up so we can let him go."
I look at Cassidy. I hesitate but then just exit and walk in the forest. Cassidy walks after me
"Miranda wait! What's wrong?" She asks. "Cassidy, I just want a walk relax." I tell Cassidy.
"Well you usually don't just leave in the middle of a conversation." Cassidy points out and catches up to me. She stares at me and all I can hear for a second is the leaves I'm standing on.
"I know." I admit and put my face in my hands. I'm not gonna cry. I just need a second alone. "What's wrong with me?"
I can feel Cassidy's eyes on me and she sighs. "I think all this is too much pressure for you."
I sigh. I'm always under pressure though now that I think about it. But I'm a werewolf. I'm suppose to be free and crazy right? But then there's the meeting and telling Jake about it. I can't. And its killing me.
"Why would it kill you to tell him?" Cassidy asks. Of course I would blurt it out. I look up.
"Cassidy I need to get him in my good side." I tell her. She shrugs.
"Or we can eat him or something and hide the body." I glare at her.
"Cassidy!"
"Okay, I was just kidding!" She chuckles. "I think you should just realx. Focus on what's important. I mean you shouldn't worry or make a big deal about Jake or any of that." I groan.
"But it is a big deal!"
"No it's not." Cassidy looks at me. "If you just told the pack maybe they could think of-"
"All they would think about is killing him." I interrupt.
"Okay but we could figure something different out-"
"No. Cassidy all they'll think about is killing. That's the only official way to assure his silence." I blurt out again and Cassidy looks mad.
"We aren't just always thinking about killing." Cassidy hisses.
"That's all werewolves think about." Why am I still talking?
"You know, that's kind of offensive." Cassidy growls. "Being part of a pack means telling everyone everything to help each other out."
"Only to benefit them." I point out. Cassidy stands straight and walks close to me. "I don't think you know what you're saying. And to be honest, I wouldn't see the problem in killing him."
That was the last straw for me. She didn't get it, and that made me sad. But in a way, it also made me mad.
"You see? This is what I'm talking about. All they think about it killing to benefit themselves. And, and I'm sick of it! They don't understand or think!" I start to yell.
"No, you don't think. You try to handle everything by your self and that's your problem." Cassidy telling me this was like hitting me in the face.
"Because everyone treats me like a kid! They honestly think that hunting and running free is gonna benefit everyone! But it doesn't!" I turn around, ready to walk away. I'm not gonna let her talk to me this way.
"May I remind you that you're a werewolf too." Cassidy says and I stop. I never said I wasn't...but I did keep referring my pack as they and insulted them. I got into a fight with my best friend about it, too. What was happening? I turn around and realize she was ready to leave, too.
"Cassidy I'm sorry I didn't-"
"No, Miranda. I'm sorry because I don't know what's gotten into you. That human has changed you. You start ignoring your pack to be with him and you dragged me into this, too. But no, I am part of my pack." Cassidy says firmly. "And I'm done acting like I'm not. I suggest you do the same. Cause I don't even know if you are part of the pack..."
Cassidy runs off before I can say anything. I swallow hard and decide to walk back home. Cassidy thinks this is Jake's fault. It isn't...right? I act like I'm part of the pack...right? I sigh, shaking my head. Why did this have to be complicated?
When I get home, I see my parent sitting at the table, like if they never moved. But this time, Gus is with them. They all stare at me like if I was a stranger.
"Hey." I try to have a calm voice. "What's going on?" Mike and my mom exchange looks and then look down.
"We have been discussing and talked to Gus about you." My mom tells me calmly. My mind is blank for a second and then searches for something. My parents try to read my expression but I can tell they don't know how I am reacting.
"We approve of you and Gus." Mike tells me. "But we want to know if you are okay being with Gus and maybe even marrying him." Mike telling me this makes me feel a little disturbed and my first reaction is to go away from here again. Then my mind finally finds what it was looking for. Cassidy and her angry look.
You're a werewolf too...You start ignoring your pack to be with him and you dragged me into this, too. But no, I am part of my pack....I don't even know if you are part of the pack...
I swallow hard. Then I see Cassidy walking away and me walking home confused.
"So, are you okay with this?" My mom asks. I snap back to reality, but I still see Cassidy staring at me.
"I am." I tell the. "I want to be with Gus."