Running Wolf

12: story time

Hi guys! I just got back from Wisconsin and I couldn't update over there. Hope you like this.

words: 1400 (srry it's short, it's cut into two parts).

. . . . .

Katya doesn't know when she stopped crying.

She can't remember when she stopped crying after they left. The burning pain in her heart. She felt her skin was slick with sweat. Her skin wanted to crawl. As she scrubbed the blood from her floors, she was crying. Her face was sticky and puffy. After, she went upstairs and she held her gun in hand, paranoid about what will drag itself into the broken window downstairs.

Because her voice was nearly gone, she shoots Mia a text telling her she's is not coming into work today.

Halfway through her third cup of tea and reruns of Courage the Cowardly Dog, there's a knock on the door. She contemplates getting it, pretending she's asleep but her TV is kind of loud. She goes, wiping her nose and opening the door.

Charlie stands there, behind him two boys, one of them being Luke. He gives her a wave but she ignores him, looking at Charlie instead. "What."

"I know your feeling awful but I didn't want you to sleep here with that window like that. Quite cold and frightening. Luke and Jack here offered to fix it. Brought some food." He lifts the box contain Hispanic food. He pauses, not sure what to say next. "You probably haven't ate anything."

Luke mutters that they are going start as Charlie pulls Katya with him upstairs. He already familiar with most of her house. He closes her room, setting his goodies in the middle of the bed.

"Come on. Let's talk."

.. .. ..

"I... I-I just want to be s-safe. That is not safe." Katya sniffles, eating the hot pocket given to her. She let the cheese and chicken burn her tongue a bit. She's easily eaten three tamales and nachos. She's a sad eater. Thinking like that, the sadness rushing back in.

"That is pretty terrifying. And that is really shitty to be running from something just to run into something else." Charlie says, eating his as well.

Katya frowns at his words. "I didn't run-"

Charlie shakes his head. "You're not weak for leaving, Katya. I'm not saying it to hurt or make you feel bad. If it was that bad for you to leave from where you came from then that just means you care about your wellbeing. What ever or whoever it was must have been really terrifying to scare you off. I mean look at you!" He says, patting her leg. For the first time, Katya pulls a smile. Charlie smiles back.

There was a silence besides the music the Charlie says soothes him when he's angry. Katya did feel a bit better, seeing that she and Charlie have the same taste.

"I went through this too." Charlie said after a minute.

Katya looked up wide eyed. "What?"

"Kai is one too. I was in the woods. My dad and I go hunting. We hunt nearly everything except the wolves. We both agree they were to beautiful to kill, you know? Once, two years ago to be exact I was hunting and there he was. In wolf form. He was wounded, his paw broken and bleeding. I have this pail with me, holding my things but I put him it it and carried him home."

I fix him up, letting him go back into the woods but he wasn't having it. He whined, not wanting to leave. So I let him stay. I don't know why he thought it was a good time to show himself but he did. The first thing I did was punch him right in his throat."

Katya slapped a hand over her mouth, giggles pouring from her lips. "You really did that?"

"Of course. It was mainly out of shock but like. What the fuck you know? And before he could say something I took the first aid kit-"

"No you didn't!" Katya said wide eyed.

"Got him right in the face. A bit of blood came from his nose too. Knocked him out cold. Later my mom and Mia came. Obviously there was a reaction to have a buff, sexy, unconscious, naked man in our living room. We waited till our dad got back. When he did, he, and my mom, told us about werewolves being around here. We found about Elijah and his family, the whole pack actually. It was normal for them but not for Mia and I. It took us a while to understand,"

What my dad didn't know was why Kai would show himself to me. Werewolves- actually the correct term is shifters- aren't suppose to show their form to humans. So my dad sat, shotgun in hand and we waited. Finally, he came to and my dad didn't waste any time. This is when we found out he was my-"

"Windows finished!" The two heard from downstairs. They come downstairs, the two boys standing in front of the newly fixed window. It looked better than before.

"Wow, thanks boys. How much?"

Luke shook his head. "It's alright, sugar. It was our pleasure."

Something about how he said that made Katya skin crawl. She remembers being called that by a lot of her ex's friends. She hated those pet names the most.

The boys wave them goodbye and the house is silent. Charlie shook out his hair, smiling at Katya. "Now, I'm not saying that you should forgive any of them. I didn't forgive Kai for a long time. I felt... like it wasn't handle correctly. And in you're case, he didn't do a good job. And I know you're scared. I was scared shitless. But if you want answers, they can give it you." Charlie finishes and it was the longest Katya has ever since him so serious. She knows she can't keep complaining because he's been through it as well.

"Did I ever tell you you're my favorite out of everyone?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him. She knows she shouldn't get attached but Charlie reminded her of someone she used to know a long time ago. He brings out the best in her most of the time. The happiest parts of her.

"You might have mentioned it once or twice." He shrugged, smiling.

.. .. .. ..

She didn't think that the next time she was at Elijah's house, she'd be nervous. Her hands were sweating and she tried to focus on Charlie's reassuring words but Katya could only except the worst. For the coverstation to go south, yelling to happen. The worst? Probably Elijah taking back everything between them.

As we got to the door, Charlie pulled out a key. Her heart was going as fast as ever as he opened the door.

Usually the large house was loud. And it somewhat was but only because of the loud voices, not because of the multiple people. It almost seemed empty of all the other members that lived here.

"I'm not going to ask again, where is she?" A voice unknown to her ears called out. It was low and hoarse, as if they've been crying.

Charlie looked over at her and she shrugged her shoulders in response. They walked in the direction of the yelling, the argument taking place in the living room.

"Who are you to come into my pack unannounced?" Elijah spoke, his stance was tense and tall. His voice a near growl. It made her flinch back. Both Tyler and Kai stood behind him. On the couch was Zara and Oliver, who looked lost and worried about how this would end.

"I'm more to her than any of you will ever be. She shouldn't be here with you. Now, I swear I will raise hell in here." The unknown voice finally came with a face. And as soon as it did, Katya's heart lurched. Her birth mark throb, lungs felt like they were trapped in her throat.

"And just who do-" Tyler stepped and the man hand flew up and Tyler was lifted and flung to the wall with a skinning crack. Oliver was first to rush to his aid as gasps went around the room.

Katya was nearly paralyzed. She stated at him and him only. And finally when she had enough air in her lungs, she as screamed.

"Caleb!"

She was already running towards him by the time he turned to face her. She lunged for him, enclosing on him, shaking as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Katya." He breaths.