A New Family (A Ghost Bird Story)

The Meeting

Kota's POV

While I drove home from my mission tonight all I could think about was my bed. I already reported to Mr. Blackbourne before I left our location so I don't have to worry about that.

My mind was drifting over the details of our new mission coming up starting next week when the headlights slid across the girl who had just moved in across the street. She's standing next to a tree at the end of the driveway looking the other way down the road. The strange thing is that she is entirely still, completely soaked from the rain and hardly looked up when I drove up and got out of the car. Something was up. Was she running away? She is carrying a bookbag and is out in the pouring rain at almost one in the morning. For some strange reason I didn't want her going anywhere... of course it wasn't safe to run away. But I liked to see her coming and going and walking in the woods sometimes. I was thinking about being her friend. I could see, looking at her earlier that she needed someone. I could be that person and the Academy could help. They could do amazing things for people who needed their aid.

I followed her with my eyes as she started walking down the road in the opposite direction of my house. I jog gently up through the garage and open the door where Max was patiently waiting. I ruffle his fur and said, "Good boy," then turned and grabbed his leash off of the peg by the door. I don't bother hooking Max to the leash, he is perfectly trained. He stays at my heel as we walk to the end of the drive and down the way the girl went. I catch a glimmer of her wet blond hair in a far street light.

Not stopping to think or debate my reckless decision, I crouch and throw out my arm,

"Get her." Pointing at the girl, "Take her down."

Max took off and I heard the slapping of his paws as he barreled at her and I had a quick pang of doubt, she was so small. Then I heard a heavy thump followed by a high cry of pain!

Oh, my god. What was I thinking?

I ran down the road to the black mass that was Max sitting atop the poor tiny frame of the girl. "Max!" I call out. He shifted slightly to look back at me and whined. "release" He moved off of her immediately but she didn't move or say anything. I kneel beside her,

1,2,3,4,5, okay, strong pulse.

But she is unconscious. She twitches so she is not deeply under. I lift her, bridal style, and start to carry her back to my house. I don't think taking her to her's is a good idea, she was leaving there after midnight for a reason.

Halfway back to my house she started moving. She jerked and tried to pull away however I just curled my arms around her more tightly. I started to mumble "I've noticed the leash was getting thin in the middle for a while. When he heard or smelled you, he took off and it broke" Lies "I'm SO sorry about that" totally the truth. Her eyes opened and focused on my chest. Flat palms rubbed across my pecks and toward my collar and then down my chest toward my stomach. I cleared my throat of the sudden lump as I watched her in fascination. Her eyes flipped up to mine and widened while a blush bloomed through her cheeks. She seemed to study my face with the same scrutiny that I was studying hers when suddenly she squeaked "Where are we going?"

I was distracted by her rose colored lips when she spoke and had to shake myself a little and think back over what she said. Oh yes, I'm kidnapping this beautiful girl I have never met before... "You are hurt, I need to get you patched up." That sounds practical.

"...name?"

"Hmm" Eloquent Kota, could I pretend to be human?

"I don't know your name"