Chapter 5
Emily
The next day I quickly make my way to the clearing Taylor had said. I got there to see a patiently waiting mountain lion sitting under a lone tree. Taylor shifts so that she can greet me with a hug, "Are you ready for your lesson today?" I nod my head as she continues, "Well that's great. So today we will be learning the basic history behind the shifters." I nod, knowing that in order to understand my shift, I had to know about the shifters.
Taylor began, "It all started just outside of Irwin Pennsylvania around three hundred years ago. The first group of shifters began to make a village when the humans found out of their existence. At first they lived side by side for a good five years. Until one human convinced the others that the shifters were monsters, and drove them away from their homes. The group wandered until they all realized that they could live as humans. But the leader never conformed. He could never trust the humans after they killed his wife and daughter. He wandered around the country until he died of old age and exhaustion. The leadership was then his brothers, and that is really all you need to know about then." I look at her, eyes wide with all the knowledge that I had just taken in, "What did the chief shift into?" Taylor looked at me with wide eyes, "A snow leopard. And he was the only one in his family that could."
I look towards the woods thinking of the statue, "Could it be that either his daughter or wife survived, and carried on their shift?" Taylor followed my gaze, "The body of his daughter was never found. So it is possible, but your family could be Russian also." I get up, fists clenched, "I don't have a family. No parents, aunts or uncles. I have no one but myself." I felt claws slowly grow from my finger tips, feeling the security of my cat begin to envelope me. I became on edge as Taylor placed a hand on my shoulder, "Emily, you have me. Plus if I am reading you correctly, you have someone you care about too." I flinch as she says this, causing her to giggle, "Oh you really care about this one don't you? I think he cares about you as well." I look at her, "What makes you say that?"
"Well how about the fact that there is a mountain lion watching us with ice blue eyes." I look in the brush and see Hunter slowly stalk out of his hiding spot. Wound bandaged and healing nicely. Relieved to see him I run towards him, shifting with every step until we came nose to nose. I brushed my head on the side of his an let out a low purr. He did the same, seeming to want to talk he shifts back. "Emily, what the hell do you think your doing?" I huff at him, flicking my tail in annoyance as he lectures me, "I am supposed to help you. You trusted me, and I thought I could trust you."
I shift back as well, "Look Hunter I am sorry, okay. But those coyotes were after me, and if you stay with me I will just put you in danger. And I don't want anything to happen to you...again." I gesture to his side. He smirks at me, "What this? I got this because I was stupid and got cocky. Not because of you." I watch him carefully, "You are so lying. I even know that I caused them to come. All of them were staring at me with hunger in their eyes, along with fear. What happens to you will be on by my hand if you stay with me. So I think that it is just better if I leave. And you don't follow." I stood perfectly still, tears prickling at the back of my eyes as I broke the news to Hunter, as well as myself. I began to walk away, stopping in front of her to thank her for everything she had done for me. Then continued to walk towards the forest behind her. I shift, feeling comfort in my form as I sprint towards the cover of the forest.
I begin to head what I think is north through the patches of trees across the roads. Eventually making it to the New York boarder. I couldn't understand how I got to this point so fast, but all I know is that I was here and getting ready to head to Canada. I look at the sky and see that it is a wash of pink and red. I look back at the boarder, paws throbbing because of all the running. I carefully take a step over the boarder and begin walking towards my target of Canada. Night falls quickly over the sparse forest as I look for a den of some kind to sleep for the night.
