Wanted.

Chapter Seven.

"Ow..." Sketch groaned. She blinked rapidly for a few minutes as her enhanced eyes adjusted painfully to the bright sunlight that filtered into her room.

"Morning, sunshine," I rolled over and kissed the top of her head.

Sketch stretched to reach her lips to mine. Tangling her fingers in my hair, she smiled against my lips. "Good morning."

I kissed her again, and she sighed happily. "What are we doing today?" I asked innocently, but the sly smile that slid across my face told her I already knew.

"What are we going to do today?" She repeated giggling. She pranced over to her huge gold-framed mirror and gasped.

"Oh. My. Gosh. My hair!" Sketch screeched in horror. Her red hair was tangled into a mass of fiery curls; ever since she was little she had a horrible case of bedhead.

"I think it works for you," I teased. She mock glared at me.

"You never told me what you're planning," she reminded me. "I have to know what to wear."

I rolled my eyes at my girlfriend. "You always look beautiful." This time she rolled her eyes. "How about a picnic?"I proposed.

"Oh, that would be great! I have the perfect outfit!" She bounced up and down; her ringlets falling in a tangled down her back.

"Shall I make the food while you dress?"

"What about your clothes?" Her face twisted into the cutest look of confusion. "Don't you have to change?"

I flung her gray comforter off of myself and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "I already did." I gestured to my blue jeans and white crewneck t-shirt.

A shadow of hurt flashed over Sketch's freckled face. "You left?"

I walked over to her, wrapping her in a comforting hug; she obviously hadn't forgotten about last night's events. "Don't worry, babe. I had you completely protected, and I was only gone for a few minutes."

"Completely protected?" She echoed.

I held her at arms length and nodded. "Yep, just listen." I watched her eyes go blank as she gave all her attention to every sound.

"Footsteps..." she murmured, dazed. "Who?"

"Just a few Hunter buddies," I explained. "Not a hair on your pretty little head will be harmed under their watch, or mine."

Sketch beamed at me. "You're the best boyfriend ever."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I listened as Rye walked downstairs to the kitchen. Mom and Dad were off to Miami with Jessie's soccer team, so we were good.

Walking over to my ginormous walk in closet, I debated whether or not to straighten my hair. "Well, it couldn't hurt..." I mumbled to myself as I sifted through my closet.

Pulling out my favorite short dark blue jean shorts, I slipped out of my gray sweatpants and into the shorts. "Now for a top..." I said, turning to my rack of short sleeve t-shirts and tank tops.

My father was a contractor for his own business, so we pretty much designed our whole house just the way we wanted it.

"I like that one," said a voice from behind me. I screamed and shifted immediately into my huge red-haired wolf.

"Whoa," said Josh, Rye's best friend and second in command. "Eve?"

I shifted back, blushing. "I'm sorry. You startled me." Just as I said that, Rye appeared in my room.

"Are you okay?" He asked bustling past Josh and into my closet.

I nodded, blushing even a deeper red. "Josh just startled me. I wasn't paying attention and didn't hear him come up."

Rye glared at Josh. "You have to be more careful around my girl!" he all but growled.

"Rye! It's not his fault!" I exclaimed. "I know you're only trying to protect me and I love you for that, but you can't yell at everything that scares me!"

Josh still hadn't said a word since I shifted back. "Um, Josh? Are you alright?"

Josh blinked. "Oh, yeah. Of course," he mumbled awkwardly. "You're a werewolf?"

"Just since recently. I didn't mean to alarm you. You probably think I'm a freak." I choked back tears.

Rye hugged me. "You're not a freak. You're adorable."

"Yeah, I think it's pretty cool," Josh smiled at me.

I wiped my eyes, and bent down to pick up the ivory flowered tank top I had dropped when I shifted. "I like this one too. It's all flowy," I giggled.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Josh apologized.

"I'm sorry I scared you," I chimed. We all laughed.

"Sorry I yelled, I'm just a little on edge with..." Rye trailed off.I looked at my bare feet.

"Well, I should go," Josh said, pointing towards the window. "Niobe wants to see me." He winked and jumped out the window.

"Mind reader?" I asked Rye. He nodded and smiled.

"Niobe is his girlfriend. They met just before the mission. She's a Flash like you," he grinned and pecked me on the nose. "Finish getting dressed, I'm almost done with the food."

"Okie dokie!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sketch walked downstairs just as I came in from putting the food in my truck. "Wow," I breathed."You look good."

She blushed a pretty pink. "Thank you, Rye."

Her hair was straigtened and held back in a low ponytail. She was wearing an ivory flowy tank with rose pink flowers printed all over it over a pair of short jean shorts. On her feet were her vintage pink Converse, specially ordered in her favorite color. Light makeup showed off her natural beauty.

"I know just the spot for us to have our picnic," I smiled at her as I slipped my arm around her tiny waist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~