Howling At The Moon

Surprise?

A/N: Hey all, I know it's been a long wait, and I hope I haven't lost any readers because of that. There has been a lot going on in my life and I love that my writing has helped me get away from it all.

As always – PLEASE REVIEW !

October

"Hey short stuff… you got any Halloween plans?" shouted Embry over the cacophony that was their lunch table, on a Wednesday afternoon in October.

"Yeah, it involves a cake, lots of chocolate, candles and one crazy best friend who is bound to visit," she grinned back at him.

"Wait, what?" asked the puzzled questioner.

"Umm… it's my birthday you dummy… I'm a spook…err… Why are you guys looking at me like that?" she asked as the rest of the table all turned as one to stare at her. The twins looked at each other in disbelief before turning to her and Brady asked, "You're not kidding us, are you? Your birthday's really Halloween?"

"Of course not you idiots, why would I make that up? Have you guys been slipping stuff in your soda when I wasn't watching?" was her now annoyed reply.

"We are truly some kind of cosmic related sibling type stuff," was Collin's unhelpful explanation while Brady just looked from one to the other.

"Rachel is really going to flip when she hears about this," guffawed Paul, "she is already constantly talking about how you 3 must have been separated at birth, and now I get to tell her you even have the same birthday."

As the light finally dawned, Kaia's eyes grew wide before she burst into laughter and asking, "Are you serious?" through her giggles. "Wow" muttered Embry, looking at the three of them, Kaia sitting between the twins, with Seth, Embry, Ryan and Paul across from them. All 3 were now wearing identical expressions that usually meant trouble for anyone who had the misfortune of being their next prank victims. "It's freaky how alike you are. And now you've got the same birthday, it's gone from freaky to the freakin Twilight Zone." Ryan began humming the theme song just as the 3 freaks in question narrowed their eyes at the rest of them. The bantering continued when Lester burst into the cafeteria sounding hysterical, shouting about wolves and how they were haunting the school grounds. Embry and Paul exchanged smirks when Kaia was not looking, and Seth's face took on a very satisfied expression. Kaia looked at the shouting boy with disdain and then asked Ryan, "What's with him?"

That worthy arranged a suitable baffled expression on his face before turning to her, "Not a clue. I don't think even the wolves around this place would touch him with a ten foot pole. He's been wandering around telling people wolves are following him everywhere he goes." "Weirdo," muttered Kaia, as their conversation veered away from the still agitated boy being led to the nurse's office by a classmate. Seth watched him go with a stone faced glare, going over the next step of his plot to get even with the bully.

Later that evening.

"Paul, it's getting a little too cold for walks on the beach every night." Rachel mumbled while cuddling closer to her boyfriend, grateful for his warmth when his arm tightened around her. "Sure baby, I just like the alone time you know, no Jake, no Billy, just us." He smiled down at her. "Even though I know that Embry is just beyond the trees right now, on patrol, I like that, for now, it's just us." Rachel turned her head slightly and inhaled, relishing the smell of pine, and damp earth that she associated solely with her boyfriend. "Mmmmm, me too, but maybe we can just stick inland, or go for a drive or something, the wind coming off this water freezes me right through."

"That's why I'm here, baby" he half-whispered, pulling her to him and bending to kiss her. For a few moments, Rachel forgot all about feeling cold, or her father who was probably waiting up for them, and heard nothing but the pounding of their hearts racing.