Poisoned Ivy

Chapter 9

Not ten feet from Cameron and I stands a black bear. It gets up on two feet and stares at us.

"Hey Cam." I try to keep my words short and soft. He gives me a slight nod but doesn't move his eyes. "Run." The bear gives a deep grunt-like roar and begins to charge. I swap the lib balm in my hand for Cameron's hand and we flee.

As we're sprinting down the hill, I let go of Cameron's hand and shift mid-stride. Cameron does the same within a few seconds. I look back and see that he is a light cream wolf with whisky eyes. He's about half as large as me. We reach the dirt road and start sprinting up the driveway side-by-side. Cameron pulls ahead by a few paces. In my haste, my paws slip and I tumble down the hill back towards the bear. Cameron slides to a halt to turn back around. I'm an equal distance between Cameron and the bear.  I scramble to my feet, but instead of trying to run uphill, I run off to the my left into the tall grass. The bear chases after me.

I bound and crash my way through the four feet tall wheat fields. I trample my way through abandoned deer nests, running at a slant as I gradually make my way uphill towards the house. I see it in my sights as I come up on the fifty yards of cut grass that encircle the haven.

I don't look back, I can practically feel the bear breathing down my neck. I dash out into the exposed field. As I make it twenty yards away, I see one reddish-brown wolf nearly two and a half times my size and one tan wolf roughly my size fifteen yards to the left of me, right at the treeline where I was perched yesterday. I can see Cameron's white figure thirty yards to my right, standing in the driveway.  Why isn't he moving? Come to think of it why weren't the other guys moving? Was that Benji and Henry? Does Benji not want to help me? No more time to think about it.

I leap up onto the deck of the house and desperately scratch at the door and whimper. It's Garret who answers, "Okay, okay, jeez, I'm coming, calm down." He doesn't even open the door more than an inch before I force my way through the door, run down the hall, and collapse just before the staircase.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Garret raises a brow and looks outside.

"Christ!" I telepathically scream, though I doubt Garret can hear me, "Close the door, there's—" I looked out the window and the path that I blazed is empty, "not a bear."

Cameron runs up to front door and Garret lets him inside. He disappears in the back room and reappears with a towel around his waste and another towel in his hand. "Uncle Garret, you wouldn't believe what just happened!" Cameron tosses the spare towel over me and I shift.

"Bear." I pant. I'm still on all fours with the towel on my back. I cough and try to gasp for words but none come.

"Yeah, it was huge!" Cameron exclaims, "It chased Ivy all the way from the hay field!"

Just when I catch my breath Roman, Wren, and Cole come down the stairs.

"What's all the commotion about?" Cole called. I looked up at him from the floor.

I grasp the ends of towel with one hand and get to my feet. Their stares aren't comforting for me and I'm quick to remove my indecent self from their presence.

"Ivy's got one fast wolf." Cameron responds. Roman and Wren look at Cameron looking for an actual explanation, "She outran a bear."

By that point I started to ascend the staircase. I didn't have much choice to pass by Roman, Wren, and Cole.

I try not to make eye contact with them, nor do I even pay them much mind. I could have died if the bear caught up. What would happen to my memory? Nothing. The only people that would have remembered me are already gone and I've already faded off into nonexistence in the legal system. There wouldn't be flowers or tears, nor would there even be a burial. I'd just be a rotting carcass, decaying on a dirt road with my eyes picked out by vultures. Is that what I've been reduced to?

I didn't realize I was trembling until a steady hand took my free one. His heat was calming, but I shivered from his touch. I stopped on the stairs and looked at him. He mind-boggled me.

"Wren." Roman growled from a few steps above us, "Don't."

Don't what?

Wren snakes his hand to the back of my neck. I got goosebumps from his mere touch. He pulls my hair aside, exposing the back of my neck. It gives me chills. Everyone holds their breath. Roman takes a few steps downstairs and grabs Wren's hand to remove it. By then, Roman's eyes were fixated on the back of my neck. What is the big obsession with my neck?

Benji runs into the house, completely naked. He appears at the bottom of the staircase next to Garret and harshly barks, "Roman! Wren!" Both of their attentions are swept up by Benji. So this is alpha authority?

"Jeez, Dad." Cole comments, "Put some clothes on!" I keep my eyes averted since it seems Benji didn't have time to grab a towel on his way to the scene.

Mortification takes over when Benji addresses me, "Sorry, Ivy. Go get dressed."

"You're one to talk!" Cameron chimes, "At least she's covered herself."

I quickly slip by Roman without a word and disappear into the attic.

I just stand there surrounded by dusty old boxes. What the hell was that all about? Why was Benji in such a rush that he didn't even bother to cover himself? Why did Wren touch me like that? Why did Roman get angry? Why do they stare at me like I'm a lamb lost in the woods?

I moved to look for a mirror to see what the big deal about my neck is. I find some underwear and pants along the way and put them on quickly.

Just as I started fastening my sports bra, Garret called my name from the second floor hallway. "I'm coming up." I try to find a shirt, but Garret is already in the attic before I can find one. He has a water bottle in his had and tosses it to me. "Probably best if you hydrate after a run."

Oh right. I just sprinted for my life for two miles five minutes ago. I almost got killed by a bear before I saw Benji naked and yelling at Roman and Wren because...I don't know? My lips are still dry when I take a sip. Dang, I left the chapstick back in the field. Well, it's probably better than losing my life.

I eye Garret. He doesn't look that related to Benji. He's well-shaven with dark brown hair. His jawline is sharp and his black eyes contrast with his cream skin. "How are you and Benji related?"

"He married my sister, Grace." Garret sits down on an unopened box. Great. Not wanting to open that barrel of monkeys for the second time today, I set the bottle down and turned to continue my search for a mirror and a shirt. "Look Ivy, I don't want to rush you but Benji would like to see you sooner rather than later." What did he think, I was just rifling through boxes with no objective?

Garret gets up and leaves. Already I feel less anxious by just being alone in the attic but it's a momentary relief when Garret reappears minutes later with one of my old tank tops. "I found it in the room with the faded mural. It's your's, right?" I unfold the tank, it's an old grey cotton one with black trees printed across it. I nod to answer yes. Guess I won't be able to find a mirror anytime soon. Garret motioned for me to go ahead, "Ladies first."

As I make it to the end of the hall before the staircase, I look out the window. An SUV is kicking up dust in the driveway. Garret peers over my shoulder to look out the window. Garret growls lowly when the driver gets out of the car. Great another middle aged male shifter. Like I need more in my home. Garret harshly orders, "Ivy, hide."