Silver Rose

Chapter 8

It had been a full month since she had seen Luca, the days dragged on in an endless blur even as she spent time with Esther and her growing group of friends. The bell had just rang releasing the students from their eternal torture adults called school, and she gathered her things. There was a commotion outside when she reached the front doors. Her eyes darted around for Esther finding her standing near the front of the crowd. Abbi slipped through the hoard of fellow teens coming to stand beside Esther in a matter of minutes. Suddenly she understood the cause of the crowd. A familiar black muscle car was parked beside the sidewalk and a more than familiar man leaned on it scanning the faces of the kids. Abbi forced herself not to run toward him. His eyes locked on hers as he awaited her to approach him. Knowing what he wanted she obliged, feeling the stares of her classmates on her back.

"Master Luca, what are you doing here?" she whispered. Esther walked up beside her suddenly.

"I have important business to discuss with you." he spoke quietly before leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"and I miss you." his lips brushed her cheek in a soft kiss before he glanced at Esther. "you think of an excuse for my presence and give this to Abbi." he handed her a small box.

"meet me when you can," he looked up suddenly as someone broke from the crowd of students and stalked toward them.

"who the hell are you and why are you talking to my cousin?" he crossed his arms. He would have seemed intimidating if Abbi hadn't seen Luca shape shift into a giant wolf. Luca ignored the boy, climbing into the car. Abbi turned to him to try to placate her cousin before he grabbed her by her arm.

"you need to stay away from that guy Abbi!" he shouted before he was suddenly lifted off the ground. He wasn't a short young man but Luca held him in the air by his throat. With a quiet snarl he tossed the teen and returned to his car. He knew he needed to leave before he gave in to his impulses and took Abbi and all the young wolves with him. Esther pulled Abbi away from her cousin and the murmuring crowd that watched. Once in the car she hurried away from the school.

Abbi waved goodbye as Esther pulled out of the driveway later that evening. She made her way to her room feeling the box in her pocket. Esther had given it to her on the ride to her house. Without rushing Abbi walked toward her room refusing dinner. She hadn't had much of an appetite since her last little walk in the woods.

"Abbi I need to talk to you, about your cousin Steven." her dad blocked her path to the stairs. "he said he got into a fight with a man after school over you." he crossed his arms and Abbi steeled herself.

"it was just Esther's cousin, he was passing through on a business trip and he came to see her, I met him once when I spent the night." she lied.

"he said it looked a lot like our neighbor." Robert lifted an eyebrow.

"they do look similar I guess." she shrugged.

"are you feeling alright?" Robert asked her.

"yea, I'm just tired." she answered honestly.

"alright get some rest." he moved out of her way watching her walk past him up to the second floor.

Abbi closed her door quietly turning on a small bedside lamp before she pulled the box out of her pocket. She slowly untied the bow and opened it. Inside was a soft lace necklace with a ribbon skillfully woven through it. Abbi picked up the gift smiling at the rose pendant and the tiny wolves worked into the delicate pattern. She quickly tied the thing around her neck and hid the box before slipping under the covers and turning off the light.