She Came From the Forest (James and Tera: book 1)

17

Like Tera said, she was signed out early. When I got to the parking lot her bike was gone. Kai was still spooked by the wolf he had saw the other night and was more quiet than usual, even with Sage and Terry yapping in his ear.

I told him that it was nothing to worry about. There were bear sightings in these parts, and the way he described it, I tried to convince him by the color in the dark that it might've been a bear that had a strange looking muzzle as a face. He didn't disagree, but he didn't accept that as the case either.

I walked the way home, Sage beside me. He was happy and cheerful as always, and I usually respond more, but that walk was silence for me. When sage said something, I either nodded or just didn't respond.

He noticed, and lightly smacked my arm. "What's on your mind? You haven't said a word this entire time."

I shook my head. "It's nothing." I lied.

He laughed. "I've known you for the past 12 years. I know when you're lying, James." He put an arm over my shoulder. "Tell your best friend what's the matter."

I couldn't help but smile, but it quickly left. "Tera's ex boyfriend came looking for her."

"Damn." He turned to look at me. "That sucks."

"Yeah." I agreed, exhaling. I looked over back at him. "I think something is going to happen with him here."

Sage raised an eyebrow. "Want me to kick his ass?"

I laughed, not in humor but in fear. Sage would be foolish enough to actually try something like that. He even threatened to kick Zane's ass if he kept on bullying me the way he did when we were younger. Zane hasn't done much to me since then, but it still wasn't pleasant.

Sage against a werewolf. Sage had some muscle on him. He was lean but had some strength and speed. But he wasn't a match for a werewolf. Tera had m easily overpowered before, and her speed and agility are incredible. I'm assuming the other werewolves have the same capabilities.

I shook my head. "Nothing I can't handle." I told him.

Sage cocked his head. "That's strange. Usually you would avoid a situation like this, but instead you're going head first."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since Tera came around, you've changed."

"In a bad way?" I didn't want to change, not if it was bad.

He shook his head and smiled. "You're being more confident. More eager and perseverant." He looked me in the eyes. "In other words, you're getting more ballsy. You're finally standing on your own two feet."

I thought about that for a minute. I have noticed it lately. My will to go on and deal with things head on. My mind is improving more and more. I'M improving more and more.

Sage looked ahead of us, his arm still over my shoulder. His grip tightened, and a smile was stuck on his face. "I remember the quiet kid you were." He said.

I smiled and looked ahead too. "We were five years old when we met."

"Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday." He shook his head. "I was crying like a little baby."

I chuckled myself. "You were being stupid and fell and skinned your knee."

He protested. "Hey, that frog was mine!"

"Yeah, and so was that fall." I exhaled and remembered it. He was sitting there holding his knee on the playground, tears running down his knee. I saw and walked over to give him a band aid I always had kept with me in case I needed one. "Here, take my band aid." I mimicked in my best five year old voice.