Wolf Country

Chapter 5- New

After this big shock, I can't do anything but stand there and gaze open-mouthed at them. "I can't be...one of them," I breathe, my hands quivering. "I've never turned before."

"It's because your blood is dormant," Adam explains. "Since your mother can't perform the ritual of giving you a bite to activate the blood at a certain age, you've never turned, although I'm sure that date was probably four of five years ago."

"I wish I could've stayed and let you grow up here," my mom says guiltily. "But it was just too dangerous. Most people were trying to kill us."

"So why are we even here now?" I say, glaring at her. "What makes now so different?"

As if on cue, I hear a car pull up outside and two car doors slamming closed. Footsteps pound up the steps and someone knocks lightly on the door. My mom goes to answer it and comes back with a young guy who looks to be around nineteen or twenty and a middle-aged man with greying brunette hair. I realize they must be Adam's father and brother since they all have the same jawline, nose, mouth, and eyes, and sure enough Adam looks up and smiles sheepishly.

"Hey Dad, hey John," he says as his dad looks at him with a mixture of anger and relief.

"What the hell were you thinking?" his dad sighs, wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug and then pulling back to look at him.

John looks at Adam, laughing a little and shaking his head. "I can't believe you," he says. "Always thinking you can handle everything by yourself."

"Well I did, didn't I?" Adam says, giving him a sharp look. He slides off the table and I take a step forward, concerned, but he seems to be just fine and only has a slight limp.

"Scarlett, this is James," my mom says, turning to me. "He's the alpha here in Jasper."

I reluctantly stick my hand out, but he pulls me into a hug as well. "The last time I saw you, you were only a month old," he says, grinning when he pulls away. "Jessica, she looks just like Matthew."

They keep talking but my body goes numb all of a sudden. Everything hits me at once like a freight train and I have a sudden panic attack, doubling over and gasping for air. My mom's eyes widen and she rushes over to me and guides me up to my room, trying to help me breathe.

She sits me on my newly assembled bed and grabs some dry clothes for me as I start to breathe normally again, but I can't stop my hands from shaking. "I know this is a lot to take in," my mom says quietly as she helps me change. "I knew when you found out that this would be your reaction."

My lips quiver and I start to sob. "Why didn't you tell me?" I choke out. "I don't want this. I wanna be normal."

She rubs my back gently and strokes my hair. "I know..." she whispers. "I know..."

I eventually calm down and we go back downstairs. I steel my nerves and walk into the living room, where the three Norwoods are sitting down on the couch. Adam rubs his leg gently where his injury is, but he seems to be healing at an exponential rate.

"I need explanations," I announce as I walk in. "If I'm...one of you, then I need to know how all of this works." I look pointedly at Adam. "First off, that was no simple knee scrape, so how the hell are you already walking?"

"We heal extremely fast," he explains. "A bone fracture, for example. If a normal person breaks their arm, they're in a cast for weeks. For us, it's only a few days."

"A few...days?" I say, my eyes widening. "Do you know how many people you could save if doctors and scientists studied your...our blood?"