Taste for Trouble

Chapter 9

My next thought was, "Why the hell am I asleep on someone's porch, butt ass naked?"

I honestly didn't know the answer. But it was a valid question.

It was early morning, the sun had just started to light the sky to a dark blue. And it was cold out. Very cold. My body felt the air like ice pricking my skin; the cold air burning my nostrils. I had to have been out here for a couple hours now.

I was somewhere in the mountains, because, as I pulled myself up, I could see no other houses and just trees surrounding a large 3-4 story house. It was a very pretty house, but I had no idea whose house it was, or what I was doing there.

I pulled myself up and began to turn to go down the porch steps when the door opened.

Dammit. Busted.

The light spilled around my bare feet and a warm breeze wafted out of the door. "Claire. Welcome. I'm glad you found getting here relatively easy." A woman's voice said.

I stopped mid step and turned back around, temporarily forgetting my being nakedness, and wondering how the hell this lady knew my name. She was a kind looking woman, only a few years older than me. She had fair skin and brown hair that was nicely combed and in straight perfection. Her eyes had a weird yellow glow to them, though. And she seemed tall,her head almost scraped the door frame, but she wasn't tall at all. She was perhaps shorter than me and my glorious 5'4.

"Ummm how do you know my name?" I asked.

"Ha-ha, we all know you, Claire. Come on in, I'll show you. Oh, and you should put this on." She said with another giggle that sounded like wind chimes, and then she tossed me a robe. I hastily wrapped up in it, and followed her through the door.

Inside there was a door to my immediate left and then it was open to the living area. Directly on the other side of the room was a fireplace that obviously hadn't been used in probably a century. The house was nicely decorated, save for the sent of dog that engulfed the air.

I walked a couple of steps in so that the rest of the living room came into view at my left. It was a large room, with several sofas and a flat screen TV. A staircase was on the opposing wall not far from the fireplace.

On the sofas were several, and by several, I mean, easily 20+ teenagers.

They all looked at me with open curiosity and some with confusion. I shuffled awkwardly on my feet and made sure my robe was completely closed. I didn't care how they looked at me; but it just made me feel weird getting all of that attention. So I continued to shift awkwardly from one foot to the other and wait for the lady whom had met me out front to move.

I distantly noted that everyone's eyes had that misty yellow glow to their eyes.

"Hey guys, this is our newest pack member, Claire. Many of you have already been aware that she was going to successfully change and would be joining us soon. But, whether you knew or not, does not matter. I would like you all to be kind and supportive as she makes this jump through life." The lady said to the rest of the room, and then she turned to me. "And I'm Madison. Now, I'll give you a couple moments to mingle while I go and inform Max of your arrival." She said to me then bounded off through a doorway.

I felt like the new kid at school who didn't know who was going to steal their lunch money. So I stood there, not meeting anyone's eyes, but mostly looked down at the floor.

Until two girls bounced up to me and one rushed, "Hello, Claire! I'm Grace! I hope you'll like your new home here! There is so much to do! Especially as werewolves, I mean there's so much land up here! And I'll bet your room is upstairs, lucky!-" Grace was dark skinned and very energetic.