Under A Latent Moon (A Werewolf Tale)

Chapter 3

            On the morning Will Grey came back, Harley slept in. In fact, it was the shouts of happy people that woke her out of a solid REM sleep.

            "They're home!" Somebody yelled.

            Harley flinched, coming straight from another nightmare of the attack. It was all she ever dreamed about these days and she could feel the sticky sweat that layered her body.

            The front door slammed loudly. Harley groaned and clutched the pillow tighter over her head. Why do people always get up so blasted early?

            The clock read 11:35am. Oops. Maybe not too early.

            It took her almost half an hour to get ready. She pulled a simple t-shirt from her only suitcase and donned on some mascara. After a quick brush of her teeth and hair, she deemed herself minimally presentable.

            She'd stayed up for a decent time last night fighting with the idea of whether Will Grey would remember her or not.

            Finally she came to the conclusion that he wouldn't. Not only because she had long since aged and matured but because Will had always been Mathias' friend. Not hers. He'd most likely long forgotten Mathias' kid sister.

            Downstairs was a flurry of activity. Pack members strolled around greeting and welcoming those who came back. The kitchen had been downright chaotic with the women scrambling to start a welcoming meal. The friendliness and warmth that members passed along made her feel cold and alone. She'd never be welcomed back with the same intensity. There wasn't enough familiarity between her and the pack. And at this rate, there might never be. She would forever be a stranger living in their home.

            "Harley!" Natalie looked up from the pot she stirred on the stove. "Can you go out and help them unload?"

            Guess today she was just going to be the manual labor. And the background decoration. She made her way over to the front door, glancing behind at the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. At least they asked for her help.

            The front door stood wide open and through it she could see the nice cars and trucks parked on the circle drive. Males—and some females—unloaded boxes of supplies and suitcases from cars. As she stepped up to the door, a man stepped through with a large stack of boxes. He didn't see her small frame, so Harley had to scramble out of the way before he stepped all over her.

            Another dirty blonde male carried in a box behind him. Harley almost careened into him. She ducked out of the way at the last moment. "Woah! Sorry."

            The guy coming in glanced over his box at her. A smile flitted onto his face. "Well, hello there." His tone was warm as honey.

            She took a moment to really look at him. The guy was fit and carried himself with an easy grace and confidence. He wore a simple brown button up and jeans. A cap covered his head, though he wore it backwards.

            Harley eyed the large, seemingly heavy box in his hands. "Do you need help?"

            The big guy waved her off. "Nah. I'm good. Thanks."

            She glanced over his shoulder. "Is there a lot left?"

            The guy shrugged. "Not really. There's one more set, but I think Will's got it covered." Harley tensed at the name.