Matenapped |✓

|/12\|

|/Regan \|

"Promise me you'll be alright on your own." Gael pouted and I nodded.

"I'll be fine, I'm just going to my parents and explaining to them, and Charity's parents, what is going on. I'll be alright."

Gael looked unsure, but nodded anyways and sighed. She pulled me in a tight hug.

"Don't be gone for too long."

"It'll only be for two days." I laughed.

"Well it won't be the same while you're gone. Plus it doesn't help that you're taking Grayson with you, too." Amara said behind her.

"It isn't my fault he won't let me go alone!" I defended. Grayson cleared his throat by the door, signaling we should get going. I left the girls and walked over to the door.

"Tell my parents I said hi." Charity's voice rang behind me. I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder at her to see her soft, emotional smile. I returned it.

"Of course." I whispered.

•

"Regan, wake up." I groaned and rubbed my eyes, slowly opening them and looking out the front window of the car. My house. It brought a smile to my face, no matter the headache I had from the uncomfortable trip.

I unbuckled quickly, and before I could get out the car Grayson's hand grabbed my arm.

"Don't say anything alarming." He warned and I nodded, eager to see my family.

I hopped put the car once he let my arm free, and ran up the porch steps. I rang the doorbell multiple times, preparing my emotions.

The door opened, revealing a brunette lady with a simple royal blue dress and light makeup. I smiled when she gasped, and she engulfed me in a tight hug. I could hear her happy sobs, which caused a deep voice to ask what was wrong in the house. I could hear his footsteps and then his gasp. He also joined our embrace.

"Thank the Lord, our daughter has been returned!" My dad sobbed. I laughed at my religious parents but pulled out of their arms.

"Regan, what happened to you!?" My mom rushed with a worried expression.

"Please don't be worried, I was and still am completely fine." I assured,earning confused and slightly angry looks from my parents.

"Can we explain inside?" A deep voice asked behind me. My parents gaze shifted to Grayson behind me, confused and slightly alarmed from him. They don't know who he is.

"S-sure." My mom hesitated before going inside, all of us following.

We sat in the living room, me and Grayson to one couch and my parents on another across from us with a coffee table in between.  I watched as they waited anxiously for an explanation, and looking worried about Grayson.

"So, I'm about to tell you things nobody else knows." I paused and my dad nodded while my mom sat forward. "And you aren't allowed to speak of this to anybody, and I mean it."

"Regan, I'm not sure we can promise that-"

"You either promise me you won't say a thing about what really happened or I leave again without further explanation or visits." I said rather harshly, and my dad eventually huffed in defeat.

"Alright, lets start from the beginning..."

•

"WHAT?!" my dad exploded, making my mom jump a little in surprise. I had just finished explaining everything from head to toe, and I was now getting the reactions.

"That's ridiculous, Regan. This isn't another folktale you're pretending to be real life, right?"

I groaned in embarrassment. "Mom, the last time that happened was when I was ten, can we move on?"

"Regan, I'm not believing this. Are you trying to cover up for this young man because he kidnapped you and is forcing you into this?" My dad asked, who was now standing after brief pacing. I shook my head.

"No, you know better that I would do anything to escape." I said, slightly offended. Grayson shifted on the couch next to me.

"Sorry, but werewolves?! Do you think we're gullible?" My dad yelled, and my mom bit her lip.

"I don't know how to make you believe-" I started, but Grayson finally spoke again.

"I'll show you." He told them. My mom's eyes widened and my dad just narrowed his, leery.

"Fine." My dad immediately left the living room to the back door, where we followed. He wrapped an arm around my mom as I stood next to them while Grayson went to the open grass.

"Don't blink." Grayson joked, but it didn't really help with my dad's attitude problem at the moment.

And then it happened. Grayson shifted into Shadow, who on instinct trotted over to me. But as he came nearer and nearer, my mom fainted, and my flabbergasted dad barely caught her.

•

"We won't tell." My dad finally said while we waited for my mom to recover.

"Thank you." I whispered, seemingly loosing energy to speak.

"What about Charity's parents? Shouldn't they know?" He asked.

"I'm going to head over there later and tell them." I said and he nodded while he gazed down at my mom, moving the hair from her forehead.

"What about the police?" I asked a couple minutes later. He shrugged.

"We'll tell them something believable, but don't stress on that. You have other problems."

"Thanks."

"When are you leaving again?"

"Tomorrow." He nodded slowly, but I knew he was disappointed. "I would stay longer but Grayson has Alpha work, and I can't really be separated from him for long-"

"I get it, Regan." My dad looked at me and smiled. "I'm just glad you finally found a way out of the dark." My heart sank, because that wasn't entirely true. I didn't love Grayson. He was just my soulmate, which didn't mean I loved him. I was still in the gutter, but if my parents thought I was fine again, then I'd just leave it that way. They don't need to worry about me anymore.

•••

Sorry that it's short