Who is he? (werewolf)

Chapter 1: Meeting

Emma woke with a start, nothing came closer to killing her than her recent nightmares. Night that had a feeling, like an itch you couldn't scratch or an unwanted touch. She sighed happy to be awake, it was better than being in her dream. Ever since she had moved to Whiterock she had embarrassed herself more times than she could count. One might think it normal for a teen her age to embarrass herself in front of her peers but her stupidity had reached a new level. It had first started when she mixed the girl and boy bathrooms on her first day, slipping into the lunch hall, and wearing her mashed potato over her face and vest. Not the type of fashion she wanted really. This of course was not counting the many awkward conversations, one in which she had forgotten her very name. Thinking about it gave her a headache. Her dreams raged from going to school without her shoes to teeth sinking into again and again. Odd, wired, and unsettling.

She leaned over her coffee table and looked at the number 3:30am glaring back at her in green. Sleep would not come back to her and she knew it, Dragging her blankets with her she stepped into the hall, determined to make herself a tea. At the end of the hall, she walked down her long stairs and took a left into the kitchen. She took her kettle and filled it up planning on making a pot.

Emma was playing with the jug when she heard a sharp snap from the hall. A soft sneering sound licked its way to her ears, the hair of her neck pickling her skin. She turned. Stepping softly towards it, shrugging her blanket, and leaving it safely in the kitchen. The hall was dark and grey, nothing amiss, nothing out of place. And yet the air hung a little too thick, nothing that can be explained when you can't quite understand, and yet she was no longer alone. She stepped into the hall, the stairs were untouched, and she headed towards a smell of sorts. Something thick and static, perhaps too thick, hung in the air. She scanned the doors on either side, feeling her body shake, her eyes pleaded to nothing and raced to see everything.

''Maddy!''

She swung around to see her dad, a grin written across his face.

''I thought you said you were returning tomorrow!''

''Aha, I can smell the fear from here, can't be scared of a little noise!''

''Scard! I was just about to enter my mummy era!''

''I'm afraid dear, those big tombs are a bit expensive to be buried in, what do you think about cremation?''

Emma let out a surprised laugh. She had always been amazed at how her father's wit amused and marginally worried her at times.

''Honey, help me with these bags!'' Mum's voice shouted through the door opening the door. Emma's dad winked at her and bounced out the door to help his wife.

''Well?'' Emma asked.

''Well...'' her father's eyes seemed downcast. ''We are still the Anderson pack!''

''Yas!''

''Ahah, not that being on the list matters but it sure makes travel easier.''

Emma floated through that mourning, nothing seemed better than to have her family back. Her dad and mum still sleeping after the long drive back to Jaywick. Nothing beats driving across the country to a rundown, empty town. It was certainly not the most appealing town or the richest in any way but Emma felt indeared to the town. There was something about its small thick hedges, narrow streets and tall terrace houses that captured the very essence of home. It was thick with a sea breeze which was cold and made it almost impossible to walk around without at least two or three layers of clothes on.

She drew out her jogging clothes, track pants, shirt and orange windbreaker and started down the drive. Her family lived on what seemed to be farmland, a few fields, with a small cluster of trees some might class as a forest. Just big enough to provide privacy.

She donned her jogging shoes, pulled her laces tight and headed out the door. It was dark outside, which she never minded, her night vision kicking in fairly well, not to mention her new path like the of her hand.

She headed down the gravel track that led through some farmer's fields, leading towards the town. Her zoned-out thud was interrupted by a heavy feeling, something thick hung in the air. She shrugged off the feeling but it seemed to stick to her like glue. She breathed pulling in more beath as her pace increased. Suddenly she got the feeling to flee, to run home and curl up, where it was safe, warm and alone. She froze breathing in the cold air, testing to smell any scents. She had lost her smell over many days of no transformation, which in turn masked her own pack scent, leaving her almost human.

A snarl filled the darkness behind her and she swung around. Her heart beat faster and faster like a drum beating her chest. She had nowhere to run, or hide and by the sounds of things this was not a small wolf, its deep growl could only be from a high-ranking pack member. There was only one option, play dumb.

She pulled out her phone and called the police.

''I hard a wolf.'' A half-truth but true enough. She carried in stammering. ''What should I do?'' The man on the line sounded bewirled. 

''Are you sure it's not a dog?''

''Maybe?'' Said whispered, she knew it could hear and it slowly backed away. No need to kill a witness if they didn't witness what they saw. Then it was gone. Darkness taking its place. She let out a sigh of relief. For some reason it had left, she couldn't believe her plan had worked. She gripped her phone finding it to be a comfort and headed for home. 

--- ---

''I can't believe you, you ratted out your own kind to the police!'' Dad said walking away from the police station.

''Well, I knew a wolf wouldn't touch me if I were human and why are you not worried about me!?''

''The scout did not kill you!''

''I think he was a rouge,'' Emma said quietly.

''Why'' Her father asked, eyes growing firm. He always filtered out extra words when worried.

''I can't explain it, but it seemed like an injured growl, one that seemed not quite right. And something more just before you came back I felt the same presence, it was thick, commanding and I don't know.''

Her father watched her, eyes dark and worried, minutes before he spoke again, ''Perhaps I'll drop you off at college today. I'm working nearby so sound the alarm if you feel it again.''

''Alright,'' I said feeling better, ignoring the tightness in my gut. 

She walked into college, taking off to her pre-health chemistry class. she was late, hated being late. The idea of working online was plaguing her but if this rouge decided to make peace with her town, she might have to. No-where was safe if she was right about the wolf. She sat at her desk met by Jena and Grim. Jena took the same class as her, Grim had sunk in again, no doubt to learn something new. He was a photographer by trade, making his own way in the business world. Sucessful, a little too young to be rich yet. She walked to them, happy to be far from her own domestic world and to be truly human for a while. Nothing beats having a simplistic and calm existence, far away from her own world.

''Hey Emma,'' Grim greeted flashing a smile. Jena simply nodded from a deep haze of sleep and exhaustion.

''Watching too much heartland again?'' Emma whispered

''Aha, 3 am,'' Grim laughed which was only half registered by Jena.

''3 am,'' She whispered unaware of the world around her or her repetition.

Emma laughed, feeling the stress of her life drift from her and the normal student existence take hold. The lecture was long, learning about balancing equations, although it was interesting, but interesting didn't quite make sense yet. Halfway through she silently excused herself, making her way to the bathroom.

Walking out she knocked into someone, or better put he crashed into her. His back shoved into her side. She staggered back and the man jumped towards her in anger, eyes yellow and mad. Dizzily she realized he was turning towards her, yellow eyes locking with hers. He was in dirty clothing. His loose grey hoodie hung about him like a muddy mist. His head almost healed itself on an odd angle, like no neck was needed to hold it. His eyes grew more yellow again which made her mind scream. WOLF!  She felt pulled back to the field that morning, that run, that wolf. In dumb awe, she watched as the muscled man made a clear punch at her. Her body tensed, arms coming up. Something changed, something stopped screaming inside her.