Rosie's Book

2

Sleep eluded me last night, not even sleeping with Nuka and Nanuq helped. For a good part of the night I found myself drinking black coffee, with a hint of oat milk, while sitting in front of the computer rereading the notes Jeremy had scanned into the system. With Jackson gone Jeremy has been working hard keeping the admin up to date while also helping set up a few remote offices around the country. Jackson is seriously slipping in his role of CEO. Knowing he will be awake I find myself calling him in Italy.If he refuses to answer this video conference I may just have to send our adopted brother Matthew on vacation to Italy and bring Jacky's scrawny ass home, Vampire lover or not.

"The number you have called is not accepting calls, please leave a message, the person you are calling will respond as soon as he can"

Note to self, tell Jeremy to change that damn message not to mention he should use a different accent not that fake English accent. As Jackson didn't answer the call a text message is placed to Matthew with one simple message, "999". Now I have to wait for him to get the kids into school knowing he will reply after. Picking up the pencil my fingers begin tapping out a rhythm while my eyes continue reading the file, scanning through video footage Jeremy was able to find. Not only is this a case for us, I can't seem to find a reason for a human child to be taken, let alone a tourist.

Remembering this little girl was in town because she won a competition. I do a search for this competition and find a list of the winners in each state. Thankfully each winner has a photograph attached so I am able to search the photos and find the child in question. Such a stunning little girl, with long dark hair, blue eyes and a cheeky smile. When she grows up she is going to be a heartbreaker for sure, maybe even trouble with a capital T, if she isn't already.

I discover her name is Jessica, and she has a pet Husky waiting for her at home in Minnesota. The information alongside her name and photograph, also gives a link for us to read detailing the story she wrote to win the competition, along with a list of authors she would be interviewing here in New Orleans. Reading as much as I can about her, including her award winning story, my attention is then focused on her parents. Strangely the parents do not have any social media footprint, all I can find on them is the article in their local paper regarding the kidnapping. This sets alarm bells ringing for me, if Jessica was abducted in her home town I could understand the speed in which the article was published, however they shouldn't have known about it in under twelve hours, should they?

My head is spinning from all the unanswered questions, coffee is only making me more anxious and music is not helping me. The answer is plain as day when I hear Ástríðr waking up wanting to head out for a run, great idea. Smiling internally at her, she can sense my fear in shifting but as always, she is with me. The shifting is not new to me, I have been shifting for close to a year now. However it hurts every bone and muscle in my body because I do not shift as often as regular shifters. Ástríðr is always with me, guiding me through the process and will continue to be there for me until it becomes second nature. During the first shift she explained to me that I should have been taught from the age of six, but due to my upbringing this of course was delayed so she has taken on the role of my teacher, what a teacher she is. While talking to shifters over time, under the guise of various cases, it was explained to me that during transitions the body elongates, bones crack and snap, muscles blow up like a balloon before deflating into hard looking masses. The tendons and ligaments also stretch then snap into place. This process was similar to what I first experienced but then after the second shift it was different again. Due to the uniqueness of my birth, my body does not shift rather it transforms within a blink of an eye, I was standing in front of my floor to ceiling mirror to watch the process, Ástríðr wasn't wrong. My body flashed into a ball of light then the black wolf with piercing blue eyes appeared before the mirror, standing on all four paws with her head held high, just like the alpha she is, and her tail swishing from side to side. Internally I began squealing like a teenager meeting her first crush. Now here I am standing in the back yard with Nanuq and Nuka beside me with a sloppy smile on their faces, they know just where we are going. Trouble and Strife are the names I have for them, since I have discovered their secret they have been nothing but brats towards me.

Taking the back streets through the Garden District, the feel of the concrete on my paws sends pins and needles through the pads of my paws, up my legs and into the muscles of my body. It is not a sensation I am ever going to become accustomed too, but know it is the way of the life I am learning about. Keeping to the shadows and back streets we finally find ourselves on the long winding roads with nothing but grass, trees and bogs. The road to the nearest Bayou is something I still find hard to describe, but the feeling of air brushing across the tips of my fur, the scents on the breeze and the ability to speak to Nanuq and Nuka telepathically brings nothing but joy and freedom to the two souls in this body. My mind is clear, my heart beats stronger than before. If this is how it feels for a biker riding a motorcycle, I have nothing but envy for them to feel this joy every day.

Ástríðr is in control of our body when in wolf form, think of me as a back seat driver. She has said once I am strong enough she will allow me to drive, she will be here to guide me, but for now she is in control. During our road trip she fills me in on my heritage, well as much as she is willing to give. She has reassured me that I will 'find what I seek' when the time is right for me to know the entire story. In the meantime she shows me images of another world and time, shares memories with me but mostly warns me of danger. it is confusing while I am in this state because I do not remember everything once I have full control of the human body. So if you think you are confused reading this, imagine how I feel.

A howl brings me back into the land of the living, the sounds of male and female wolves laughing has my spirit jumping for joy like a little pup. The howl was Nuka telling us we are about to arrive at our destination. The three of us stand looking directly at the tree tops before us, the air is sweet with a hint of dirt and drizzle warning us that rain is on the way. Ástríðr yips into the air then runs ahead of the boys, laughing like a school girl. Even though we have shifted and she is now in control, I find myself leaning forward and wrapping my fingers into her fur. This is something I do when we have shifted so that my soul and mind are able to cope. She lifts her head into the air howling her glee then as if by magic we seem to run faster sending challenges to the boys to come catch us. No sooner do I feel like I am flying do I feel the pain down my neck, one of the boys has jumped and landed on top of us, nipping at the base of our neck in warning. "Don't be a brat you two," the laughter in his voice is something I love to hear. Nuka is always so serious and to see him playing sets my heart beating faster than it should.

Yes I have always had a crush on the wolf okay. For some reason as a child I thought he was the perfect man for me. Nanny would try to explain to me that a human child and a full grown wolf could not marry, it was not only illegal but something that is just not done. It did not stop me from following him around, pulling his tail and climbing all over him. Now I get to play with him just as I saw him play with the rest of Nanny's pack, like a wolf.

We spend the rest of the early morning playing around, running, chasing, exploring. In a way this is simply relaxing and allows all human stresses to leave my mind body and soul. When we hear the sound of the vehicles leaving and entering the Bayou that we know it is time to leave. Begging the wolves to stay in a cabin we have close by is a waste of time, they all agree it is time for me to come back to the human world and close the case of these missing kids, human and paranormal.

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