Secrets Of The Woods: Werewolf Story

Chapter 17: House Tour

Matthew Knight's PoV

We walk upstairs with the blankets wrapped around us. That really hurt to change back to being a human. I still have a lot to learn. We walk into Mason's room and I'm surprised how big it is. It has two sets of bunk beds and a desk with a chair. All over the walls are covered with photographs. I think he took most of those pictures. He closes his door and tells me "I'm guessing you're wandering about all the pictures. And why there's bunk beds in my room even though there's only a couple of us that live here."
He locks the door then goes to his closet. He starts digging around for some clothes. He's very disorganized and messy in his closet. He tells me while searching "The pack house was almost filled last year. People slowly started leaving and eventually I ended up with a room to myself. Most of the bedrooms have a bunk bed or two in there. Occasionally we sleep in the same room together. All the pictures aren't mine. Some of them are. The other guys who I shared a room with also loved photography. They left to go after there passion to major in photography. We still talk but not as often as when we shared a room."
"Does Zoe have a room here?"
"Yeah she does. It's not decorated to her style because she doesn't live here full time. Morgan's room is decorated as a girly style. She shared a room with another girl her age that Liam took in. The girl was only with us for a year. She's a wolf that can't control when she changes. She changed into wolf form and never came back. She got stuck way too soon. Crystal shared a room with five others. They have a giant room. It's decorated basic colors and design. It's like a room in an ad rather than an actual room."
"What about Liam?"
He throws me clothes and we turn away from each other. I let the blanket drop to the ground then get dressed. It's awkward putting on his clothes but I can't do anything about it. After pulling the long sleeved shirt on I turn around and look as Mason. He never said anything about Liam's room. He looks at me and tells me "I'll just show you his room."
He unlocks the door and opens it. We walk out into the hallway and continue walking. We pass bedrooms and bathrooms. Eventually we get to a bedroom. The door is closed. Mason opens it and turns the light on. We walk inside and I look around. There's a king sized bed in the middle of the room. There's also a desk and file cabinets on a walk with a tv hanging on the wall. On his dressers he has all kinds of wolf figurines. His walls are covered with pictures of wolves. I can tell some are of the pack, some are wild wolves. One of the walls is covered with pictures of people. They are are laughing and smiling, having a good time together. I walk over to a door and open it. It's a giant walk in closet. It's filled with suits, and casual clothes. I close the door then open the door next to it. It's a giant master bathroom. There's more wolf figurines sitting on the sink counter. Why is he so obsessed with wolf figurines? I look at Mason confused. He sighs and tells me "The wolf figurines obsession is weird. I know. It confused me too when I first saw them. Morgan told me Liam gets a wolf figurine made or buys one every time a wolf is gone for good. He buys it when they never change back into human form. And when they die. All the pictures of wolves covering most of his walls are pictures of his friends throughout the years in there wolf form. There's also some more current ones that have us in them. The one wall covered with people are all the people who have been part of our pack. It includes the people who moved away and the ones stuck in wolf form forever."
I ask him "Why is his bedroom door closed while all the other rooms are open?"
"It's... awkward looking at all his wolf stuff in his room while he's gone so we close the door. Sometimes when we want to get reminded of our past we come and sit in his room and look around. We sit there for a while thinking. He doesn't mind if we go into his room when he is here or when he's gone. He's told us the pictures are a reminder of all his friends."
Morgan walks in and asks "Are you gonna give him a tour? Or only let him see your room and Liam's room?"
Mason laughs and tells her "You can show him and Elizabeth around. I'm gonna go into the kitchen and get some meat ready for the pack."
We walk out of Liam's bedroom and Mason continues walking. Morgan smiles at me and says "Let's go get Elizabeth."
We walk down the hallway and into another bedroom. Zoe and Elizabeth are sitting on the bottom bunk beds and talking. They stop and look at us when we enter. Zoe asks "Are you gonna give them a tour so they won't get lost?"
Morgan smiles and tells her "Yep!"
Zoe tells us "Her tours feel like forever."
Morgan rolls her eyes and tells her "I tell people what they should know!"
Zoe sarcastically replies "Do we need to know who slept in which room?"
Morgan frowns after Zoe says that. Elizabeth tells Morgan "I think that's a great idea telling us about your friends."
Zoe looks annoyed about it. I tell Zoe "She should be allowed to tell us about her friends without you getting annoyed."
Morgan just stands there looking upset. Zoe asks "Why should we care about them? I met some of them before they all left. They are gone! They don't matter anymore! And I've been here longer then you have Matthew!"
Morgan rushes out of the room very upset. I ask Zoe "Why did you do that?"
She shrugs and says "Everyone babies her. She didn't have to go to school after Liam took her in. Because he gave her that choice she didn't go back to school. Liam always babies her when he's around. Probably to make up for the months he's gone. Mason babies her too. There brother sister bond gets annoying. He always acts like her older brother and protector. Babying her won't help her grow up."
I walk out of the room and Elizabeth follows me. She asks me "Where should we go?"
"To tell Mason. He should be able to cheer up Morgan."
We head downstairs and to the kitchen. Mason looks up from cutting the raw meat into smaller pieces and asks "what happened to getting a tour?"
Elizabeth tells him "Zoe made her upset and run off."
Mason puts the knife down and asks "What the hell did the demon do now?"
We both look at him surprised. He tells us "That's Zoe's nickname. She always causes trouble. She causes the most trouble when Liam isn't here. Her and Morgan don't get along and I'm not entirely sure why."
Elizabeth asks "Do you know where she ran off to?"
"Probably to her room. What did Zoe say?"
"She was asking if it's necessary for Morgan to tell people about all the other pack members when doing a tour. When she left the room Zoe told us everyone always babies her and that won't help her grow up."
Mason starts getting angry so he takes some deep breaths to calm down. He tells us "We do baby her but not for the reasons Zoe thinks. Morgan's parents were killed and Liam took her in. She's...not the smartest. She was always bullied at school. She seems fine when you talk with her but when you try to teach her math or anything else...she struggles. We home school her at a level she can understand it. Please don't look at her differently because I told you that. Zoe doesn't know the real reason and I don't want her to know. She would constantly pick on Morgan for that."
Elizabeth asks "Why don't they get along?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's a sister feud? But also Morgan's parents weren't the best parents. They took care of her basic needs. She never really got anything she wanted. That's why Liam babies her and gives her anything she wants. Probably not good for her but it's also to make up for the time he's gone."
Mason takes a deep breath then asks "Can you finish cutting the meat? Make it this size. I'll take care of feeding the wolves."
Elizabeth says "We can do that."
Mason thanks us then goes to talk to Morgan. while cutting the meat Elizabeth asks "So...this might be awkward...but..."
"But what?"
"Would you...um...like to go on...a date...with me?"
"I would love to."
She drops the knife and looks at me surprised. She asks "really? Because my dad doesn't want us dating and...your dad..."
I stop her by kissing her. After a moment she kisses me back. I've waited a couple weeks to do that.
We pull back and we are both smiling. Then we go back to cutting the meat. She asks me "What's it like being a wolf?"
"I'm not really sure."
"Why aren't you sure?"
"This morning was my first time turning into a wolf."
"Really?"
"Yeah. That's why I didn't answer you this morning. I was learning what it's like to be a werewolf. That's what we are called. I'm still learning."
"So you can't tell me anything about being a wolf?"
"Not really, I'm still new to it. It's weird walking on four paws instead of feet."
We stop talking when we see Morgan walk over to us. She smiles at us and asks "Are you ready for your tour?"
Elizabeth asks "Where's Mason?"
Morgan looks behind her and we watch him slowly walk over to us. His tail and ears are down. He looks like a sad dog. Morgan explains "He got too angry so he changed. He can't change back until he's calmed down."
I ask her "Should we feed the wolves without him?"
Morgan looks at Mason. She thinks for a moment then tells us "We can feed them. We just have to be careful."
Elizabeth asks "Can you tell what he's thinking?"
Morgan tells us "I can't but I've know him for a couple years. We know how to read each other's expressions as humans and wolves. But reading a wolves face is a lot harder. If we were both in wolf form we can mind link each other. Speaking to each other in our minds."
"Is that what you were doing when you were all looking at each other?"
"Yep. We talked and picked a volunteer for you. You don't seem freaked out about it."
She shrugs her shoulders and says "It doesn't bother me."
We finish cutting the meat then throw it into some bowls. We walk over to the door and move the couch out of the way. Morgan walks over to the thermostat. She tells us "You'll have to be careful. I'm turning the temperature up to wake them up and let them eat. You'll have to open the door and throw the food in. Not the bowls. Throw the food in and quickly close the door unless you want a angry and hungry pack of wolves running all around the house."
I ask "How is Mason going to help?"
"He can scare the pack by growling at them. He will keep them down there. Mason, do you want to growl and show them? So you don't scare them when you start?"
He nods his head at us and perks his ears up. He opens his mouth and starts growling very loudly. We both jump because it sounds like a angry, threatened wolf. He stops and then sticks his tongue out. It looks like he's trying to smile or smirk at us. We all get into position and then Morgan turns the thermostat up. We quickly open the door and the wolves start moving. Mason starts growling to keep them downstairs while we quickly dump the raw meat out into the basement. When we finish we close the door and move the couch in front of it. We hear the pack moving all over the place, very hungry. Zoe comes downstairs while we put the bowls in the sink and wash them. Zoe tells us "I'm heading home now. My parents want me home for dinner. Oh and Morgan?"
Morgan looks at her and asks "what?"
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean it."
"That's alright."
Zoe goes into the garage and we hear the garage door open and close. Morgan asks "Are you ready for your tour now?"
We both nod in agreement. She tells us "I'll show you the first floor since we are already on this floor."

*Picture at the top of the chapter is one of the wolf figurines*