Ghost Wolf (Wattys2014)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven: Overrated Normality

One Week Later…

Leaving the stuffy classrooms behind us, Kaiden, Melissa, Jaiden and Jared stepped outside into the partly sunny day. The icy wind blew strong, nipping at my cheeks while throwing my hair behind me. Snow was forecast for tomorrow.

With his arm around my shoulders, Kaiden chuckled at Melissa pressing a kiss to her big brother’s cheek. She then went running down to Hawk’s SUV parked in its usual position. After a hug and kiss from her boyfriend, she disappeared into the vehicle. A small smile flickered over Hawk’s mouth when he glanced towards Kaiden and me before he slipped into the driver’s seat.

My eyes elevated to Kaiden’s face. “So you and Hawk, are friends now?”

“Kinda.” He shrugged. “He’s grateful I cured him. The wolf changed him, but some of the stuff he did with me was planned. And I can’t say I’m happy with my sister still being with him.”

“Oh.”

Jaiden stayed back awaiting his ex’s arrival while leaning back against a wall across from us.  “It’s nice to have some things back to normal.” He grinned, his now lapis blue eyes watched Jared head off with Hawk and Mel. 

Kaiden raised his head to the sky as a screech sounded. Hugo swooped down to Kaiden’s risen hand where the bird landed with ease.

“That it is,” he agreed, stroking Hugo’s black feathers. “You know it was because of Hugo, right?”

Rolling his eyes, Jaiden pushed off the wall when a red convertible pulled up and honked its horn. “Yeah, yeah, magical raven healing powers.” Jaiden’s hand waved in our direction in a shrugging, disbelieving manner. Kaiden’s eyes rolled. 
Jaiden caught the look. “Kaid, right now I’m not thinking with my head. So don’t expect me to be thankful to a bird, unless it has a nice chest and arse and that’s my ride.” He smirked with a proud wink. “Later.” Jaiden waved his arm over his head as he jogged up to the car and disappeared from sight.

“I guess that’s excusable.” Kaiden snorted back a laugh while walking down the path to my vehicle.

“Is he, European?”

“His Father is. Why?”

I raised a brow. “I’ve never heard an American refer to a woman as a bird before.”

Kaiden snickered. “Jaiden’s Father lives in the UK now. He’s visited him over there so that might explain it.”

Hugo crowed and leaped from Kaiden’s side and onto the roof of my car. I sighed and pulled a face.

“Hugo…” Kaiden scowled. “Off before you mark Harper’s car and make her really not like you.”

I scoffed. “I don’t mind him.”

Kaiden eyed me. “Since when and what changed your mind?” The raven jumped onto his wrist while staring at my car He tilted his head from one side to the other.

I shrugged a shoulder. “I guess I just had to get used to him. I didn’t grow up with any animals so I wasn’t much of a fan, and yeah you may have made me like him more.”

Kaiden smiled. “What did I do?”

“It’s like you two are connected, like you understand each other and Hugo, he’d do anything for you.”

“You’re right. He would do anything for me. I know he would.” Kaiden raised his hand and Hugo took off soaring over the school building, the bird disappeared. Our eyes stayed locked on the area where Hugo had disappeared.

“I presume Jaiden hasn’t changed much since he was last human?” I questioned, leaning back on the Honda.

“No, none of really them have.” He smiled. “Like he said, it’s nice to have some normality back, with my friends and Mel, even if I stay this way forever.”

Glancing down at the pavement, I pulled a strand of my hair to the side. With a thought, a smirk flickered over my mouth before disappearing.

But Kaiden caught it. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“No, tell me.”

“What is normal?” I stared at the side of his face. Kaiden’s eyes fell to the pavement. His jaw clenched tightly.

I waited for his answer, but it didn’t come. “Because I used to think: going to school, going out, shopping, stuck in a dead end job… just existing was normal.”

Kaiden’s lower lip was caught under the force of his teeth. His head turned to the side. He held my eyes. A small smile lit my features.

“But now I realise … normal is just over-rated.” I giggled seeing the relief spreading through his relaxing muscles. “If there’s no individuality … what’s the point? There’s no fun—” Kaiden broke off my sentence as his mouth pressed to my lips. The warmth of his hand cupped the side of my face.

“No love, no miracles,” he whispered against my mouth. A smile lit his tone. “You’re right, normal is overrated.” He grinned while holding the kiss. “And here I had thought you were breaking up with me to be, normal.”

“I’d never break up with you to follow a normal flock of sheep.” I stared into his hazel golden flicked eyes as our foreheads pressed together. “I run with the wolves—my wolf, even if he is a loner of his kind.”

Kaiden pressed a smiling kiss to my mouth and breathed, “I love you.”