I help Dad unload the truck. My side is feeling better but hasn't completely closed up yet. It stopped bleeding a few hours after I got hurt. It still hurts but it's nothing I can't handle.
I bring in the last bag. I accidentally bump my backside when I put the bag down and I grimace.
"Ryder!" my mom complains.
"What?" I ask, trying to play cool.
"Are you hurt?" she asks.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"No, you're not freaking fine." Before I know it, she pulls up my shirt and inspects my side. "What happened? You need a doctor! This looks really deep."
"Mom, I'm fine, it'll heal."
"Yeah, with a doctor's help."
"Mom, I can't go to a doctor and I don't need one."
"Excuse me? What do you mean you can't?"
"Here's a good reason, I'm not human? It'd be pretty bad if I went to the doctor and then they did bloodwork and then they would be like oh what is this dude? Maybe we should give him to the government and let them dissect him. Do you want that?"
She frowns. "No."
"So, just calm down, it will be good as new before you know it, no scar or anything. Trust me, this is not the worst injury I've had."
"What? This is not your worst injury?"
Oh no, she's giving me the mom look. I hate that look.
"Mom, I told you werewolf life isn't always that safe. Which is probably why we heal so fast—to keep up with the danger thrown at us. You have to see it this way: I'm alive, I'll heal, and I'm not gonna die. If the injury was something I couldn't handle, you'd know."
"Okay. This is you first time getting hurt since you moved in with us, right?"
"Uh, yeah, of course."
"When did you get hurt?" she demands.
"How did you—?"
"I'm a mom, I know everything! Now you're going to tell me when you last got hurt bad." She wags her finger in my face.
"It was not long after I moved in. I went for a run late at night and got hurt. I lived, I'm fine," I rush the words out.
"Was it worse than this?" she asks, still giving me a look.
"Yes." I gulp.
"You should have asked for help!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to freak my new family out, okay! Can I go lie down?"
She sighs. "Yeah."
I go to my room, locking the door behind me. No sooner than I do so, there's a knock on my door.
"Who is it?"
"Mist and Hunt," Mist says.
Never thought I'd hear that. "Come in." I unlock the door so they can let themselves in.
Mist sits on my bed next to me. "You alright?"
"Yeah, Mom was bugging me about my injury."
"Yeah, Dad told us what happened. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay." I look over at Mist. I notice she and Hunt are holding hands. "Holding hands now, are we?"
Mist blushes and pulls her hand away from Hunt.
"I'm just teasing. I'm glad you two are getting along. But in all seriousness, no tomfoolery happened while I was gone, right?" I glare at Hunt.
Hunt scoffs. "I'd be lucky if she'd ever let me. Let's just say you won't be an uncle."
I laugh. "Oh, I know."
"You better be glad you're cute and have a good personality," Hunt tells Mist.
"You better be glad I didn't sic my brother on you after what you did."
"I said sorry!" he complains.
"I would have torn you a new one too. I would have kicked your ass so hard that even having the option to be a dad would be out of the question. And no, you wouldn't be dead." I grin.
Hunt turns pale.
"As much as I enjoy you putting fear in Hunt's heart, I don't want him to die from a fear-induced heart attack," Mist states.
"Fine. I'll quit bugging him. For now."
"Thank you, I'm actually starting to like this douche."
"I'm not sure I should be happy, offended, or scared," Hunt questions.
"Try all three," Mist suggests.
Hunt frowns.
"Oh, don't be a baby." Mist pats Hunt's back.
Hunt kisses Mist's cheek.
"By the way, I'm very not okay with you two going on a suicide mission."
"We'll be fine," I reassure her.
"He's right. Plus, it's only suicide if we die," Hunt says.
Mist frowns.
"Yeah, that's a great way to make her feel better," I reply sarcastically.
"Sorry?"
Mist leans against me. "I'll kill you both if you guys don't come back."
"That would be hard if we were already dead," Hunt says.
Mist glares at him with a dirty look.
"You really need to know when to shut the hell up." I chuckle.
"You should be glad you're cute." Mist leans against him.
"Who are you kidding? You're the cute one in this relationship," Hunt exclaims.
"You two done?" I ask.
She laughs. "You'll understand pointless stupid talk when you get a girlfriend."
"Haven't you found your soulmate already, Ryder?" Hunt asks.
"No."
"Oh, oops, that's not the first time I've been wrong about something," Hunt says.
"I'm really tired, can you guys let me get some sleep? It's been a long day."
"Yeah, sure." Mist kisses my cheek and drags Hunt out of my room.
I stretch out on my bed. I start to think about next week. How I'll be leaving for a little while. I know it's to save lives, but it doesn't change the fact I don't want to leave my family. I drift off to sleep.
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...
