Apollo's Wolves

Chapter Fifteen -- Amari

Birds chirping stir me from my slumber. I sit up and rub my neck, wincing at the stiffness of sleeping sitting up. "Oh man, I'm stiff."

"Amari?" Delta mumbles sleepily. "Is it morning already?"

"Mhmm!" I groan as I stretch and pop my back. "I don't even remember falling asleep."

"Me, either."

Before I can say anything else, the sound of footsteps and the door opening catches our attention. "Are you girls okay?" Percy asks, bursting in the room.

I squint in the harsh brightness. "So loud!" I mumble. "We just woke up."

"Yeah ... quiet down," Delta murmurs.

"Reyna, can you please unlock their chains? I hate seeing Amari like this," Annabeth murmurs.

"As long as they promise not to go wolf and attack us," Reyna replies, swinging her keys on her finger.

"We promise," I yawn, rubbing my eyes.

"Delta?" Percy asks.

"I promise, just calm down," she responds, cracking her neck.

Reyna makes quick work of unlocking our shackles before stepping back to let us up.

I stand up, groaning as I feel the stiffness of my joints. "I'm hungry!"

"Me, too," Delta agrees, standing up slowly.

"Well, it's breakfast time so let's head to the mess hall," Percy suggests, motioning for us to follow him.

The walk to the mess hall is silent. I can tell that everyone is wary at the calm that exists between Delta and me now. But, they're too afraid to ask because they think that it'll spark something up between us. Oh, man ... they couldn't be more right. If someone were to ask, Delta'd flare up at me for sure. I chuckle and shake my head, earning even more odd looks from everyone.

"What's wrong?" Annabeth asks.

"Don't mind me," I reply as we reach the mess hall, "I'm just thinking." As soon as we step into the mess hall, though, all the talking stops and everyone stares at Delta and me apprehensively. My happy mood immediately vanishes and I deflate as depressing thought set in. Of course they're wary; Delta and I did just turn into monsters ... monsters that they fight and kill. They did just witness us fighting.

"Amari, hold your head high. You're a wolf; be proud of it," Delta murmurs as we sit down.

I smile weakly at her. "Thanks." As soon as a plate of food is set before me, I immediately begin eating, trying to ignore the eyes that are plastered to my back.

"You'd think that they'd lay off the staring," Percy grumbles, glaring behind me.

I smile at him. "Don't worry about it, Percy. Thanks for being concerned though," I say, feeling my depression slowly dissipating.

"We're always here for you, Amari. If anyone gives you trouble, just let us know," Annabeth tells me, smiling warmly.

I nod. "That means a lot." How are they going to react once they hear that I'm not going back to Camp Half-Blood? Will they think the same way? Or will they want nothing to do with me? Suddenly, I get the distinct feeling that someone is staring at me intently. I turn around to try and locate them when my eyes meet with his. I turn slightly pink, but can't look away.

A sharp nudge to my side breaks my concentration and I turn to look at my sister. "Who is that guys, anyway?" She hisses at me.

I turn an even brighter pink and look down at my lap. "We used to date when he still was at Camp Half-Blood," I explain. "When Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood made a treaty, some campers moved from one camp to another. Brindin decided to do the same thing; he came to me and told me that he wanted to break up and left ten minutes later. I, of course, was really hurt and didn't go after him because I didn't want to end up hurting him or something."

A hand lands on my shoulder. "Amari?" Brindin's voice is quiet, but strong.

I gulp and turn to him. "Yes?"

"Umm ... can I talk to you? In private?" He asks, not meeting my gaze.

I nod and stand up. "Sure."

"Follow me." he leads me out of the mess hall and down a path to what looks like a nurses' station. We walk behind that and just stand there silently.

I shift on my feet as the silence grows and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "So ..."

"Did you..."

We both start saying something at the same time and stop.

"You go first," I say, motioning for him to go on.

He looks uncomfortable. "Well..."