The Valiant

Chapter 15

Everyone sits at the long table, ready to dig into the food sitting there. I sit between Drake and Sammy, Maddie sits next to her. We all pause to give thanks before digging in. I grab some turkey and stuffing, some mashed potatoes and gravy, two rolls, and some jello. Conversations run wild up and down the table, confusing some. But I just talk with the two people beside me.

-

Thanksgiving was nice, especially the pumpkin pie, which was made by me. Everyone just hung around, talked with one another and played the Xbox. I sit next to Drake on the couch, Xbox controller in my hand as we compete against one another.

"Yes!" I yell, standing up and smirking at Drake, who rolls his eyes, a small smile on his lips, as he accepts his defeat. I am then to play Sammy, who is the all time champion. My hands are really sweaty from holding the remote that long, but I ignore the sweat and play the game.

~

"Yes!" I cheer while everyone claps and cheers as well. I beat Sammy, who is not being a sore loser. She stands up and hugs me before returning to Kyle. I hand the controller to someone else and sit in a chair in the back of the room, watching Drake play against someone who I do not know. I look down at the markings on my wrist and study them. Sammy said that the features of my animal compares to mine as well. I go over what is special about me. Well, I am really fast, that's something. I can somehow communicate with cats, that's weird, but something. I go through a list of animals. A horse could work, but they don't communicate with cats. A lion? No, they aren't extremely fast. Tiger, wolf, bear? No, no, and no. I lean back in my chair, still going through the list of big cats. My heart skips a beat when I think of a cat.

"A cheetah," I whisper to my self, glad that there is no one near me. All the sudden, a pain shoots up my arm and I hold in a scream. I look down at the markings to see them glow a light blue color. The pain spreads throughout my body. Soon a fall to the floor. The last thing I see is the glow fading.

~~

I wake up in my room. It was all s dream, right? I look around to see Drake reading a book next to the bed. It takes him a while to see that I am awake, but when he does, he smiles and sets the book down.

"You were reading a book?" I question, a smile on my face, "I have never seen you read a book," he shrugs and sits down on the side of the bed.

"Well, everyone needs an escape from this world every once in a while, right?" He says and I nod.

"I had the most weirdest dream," I say softly, "my markings were glowing and intense pain was going through my body. Then I fainted,"

"Payt, that wasn't a dream," Drake says, "you really did faint. Someone saw you and screamed out that you fainted and I rushed over quickly and took you up here. You really scared me, Payt," I smile and go to sit up, but he pushes me back down.

"Why?.." I start to ask but he cuts my off with a raised hand and smiles.

"You need rest, Payt. The change isn't exactly complete yet," he says slowly.

"What change?" I ask, getting a bit annoyed that I can't get out of bed. Drake smiles.

"You discovered your animal, Payt," he says softly, "you have yet to finish the Change, when someone who just discovered their animal has to go through the process when your body has to develop and get used to the new form which you will be able to shift into," I look down at my markings to see they have faded a little. Not much, but a little. I watch, a smile on my dash, as a flicker of light blue goes across the markings. I am now a shifter.

~~~
A/N:
This is the end of the book! I really enjoyed writing this and I am excited for the next book!

Thanks for reading!
~NZ