The wolf from the last chapter /\
"What the hell happened to you?" Mist yells.
"Keep your voice down, I don't want Mom and Dad to wake up."
She drops to my side. "What happened?" she asks, very worried.
I quickly make up an excuse. "Uh, well, I went for a walk in the woods and, um, I tripped and fell and gashed my side on a jagged rock."
She grabs the stuff I got out and starts to clean my wound.
"Why the hell were you taking a walking in the woods in the middle of the night?"
"I-I just needed some air. Gah! That stings."
"Well, no duh. We have to tell Mom and Dad."
"No!"
"Uh, yes. What are you so afraid of? You need to go to the doctor."
"No, Mist, please don't tell them!"
"Ryder, this is really bad. You need to get it checked out."
"I'll be fine. Please, Mist, don't tell them. Promise me you won't tell them, please?"
"Ryder..."
"Please, I'll do anything, just don't tell."
"This is a bad idea. You really should see a doctor, this could get infected."
"It won't. I'll be fine, okay, don't worry. Plus, why would I need a doctor? You're doing just fine."
She glares at me. She wraps the wound and starts to clean up.
"Thank you."
She looks at me and sighs. "Don't go getting yourself hurt again, okay?"
"No promises."
"I'm serious, Ryder. If it gets infected, you are going to the doctor, got it?"
"Got it."
"Don't go on any more walks in the middle of the night, okay? It's dangerous. Please," Mist asks.
"Okay, I promise." I hate lying to her. I want to tell her the truth, but I don't know what she will think. I don't want her to be afraid of me. I don't want to lose her.
"You need to get some rest." She stands up.
I get up slowly and painfully. Mist gives me a worried look.
"I'm okay, really," I reassure her.
"You don't look okay." She looks like she's going to cry.
"Hey, I'm okay." I hug her.
"How are you going to hide this from Mom and Dad?"
"Very carefully. You should go to bed too."
"Need any help?" she asks.
"No, I'm okay now. Goodnight."
She lets go. "Goodnight. Get better."
"I'll do my best." I turn and slowly walk back into my room. I step into my room, and a sharp pain goes from my side down my leg, and it causes it to give out. Mist catches me and helps me to my bed. "Thanks."
"Get some rest."
"Night." I lie down and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.
***
"Ryder?" Mist whispers. "Ryder?" she says a little louder.
"What?" I moan. I sit up and I wince. I remember my fresh wound from last night. Being a werewolf, I heal fast, but not that fast with a wound as bad as that one. I need at least three days, maybe four, to fully heal. When, on the other hand, a small cut or scratch will heal in minutes.
"How are you feeling?" Mist asks while sitting on my bed next to me.
"A little better. Thanks, Mist, for last night."
"Did you think I was just going to let you sit there and do it yourself? Yeah, right."
I wrap my arm around her. "I'm so grateful for everything you do for me, but you don't have to try so hard. There's no way I'd ever leave you guys. I'm always here for you if you need me." I'm surprised at how fast I've gotten attached to this family. Almost as if I was meant to be here. Even as a ridiculous as that sounds.
She smiles and hugs me gently. "I love you."
"Love you too, sis. You know what?"
"What?" she asks.
"I'm hungry."
She laughs. "You're always hungry."
"That's true."
"I'll go make breakfast, and you, sir, are going to rest and no buts about it."
"Okay fine, but only if you make pancakes."
"I was planning on it, I know you like them."
I shake my head at her and lie back down. I stare at the night sky painted ceiling above me. I can't shake the feeling of guilt that hangs over me. I should tell her the truth... but, what if she hates me? Grrr, why does this have to be so hard? She does know a lot about me—would she know about my secret too? No, she couldn't know. I've never told anyone but Mary, no way she knows.
My bedroom door opens and Mist walks in with a tray of food.
"That was fast." I sit back up.
"Not really, it's been a half an hour."
"Oh, must have drifted off at some point then."
She sets the tray in my lap. "That's good, you need lots of rest. Since Mom and Dad will both be in late tonight, you have plenty of time to rest. I have to go back downstairs to clean up, yell if you need me."
"Okay."
YOU ARE READING
Foster Wolf
Werewolf(Complete) Ryder is a teenaged boy in foster care. his parents died when he was two and was put into the foster system. He has bounced from one home to another. Either he was sent back or ran away, but this time when his social worker, Mary, found h...
