After (Wolves of Mercy Falls Fan Fic)

Chapter 3

Koby

-Age 15-

Lila stayed with us for years. As we grew, she became even more enchanting and intelligent. She was as silent as ever, but our communication wasn't as rocky. It was like we could read each others minds. Watching each other for certain giveaways. And Dad said I wasn't good at reading people. Ha! I think I won that bet.

Anyway, throughout the years I've had to teach Lila how to control the wolf inside her. It hasn't gone too well. Mom said we could call Cole and ask if he could pay us a visit. Dad didn't seem too happy about that so I said we'd talk to him whenever he decided to come down.

Lila's shifts were more violent than any of the other wolves, and it worried me to watch. It seemed so surreal. Like something in a horror movie that was so real it looked fake. Heat didn't help really when it came down to it. We found that out the summer after we found her. She would sometimes shift in the blazing heat or freezing cold. That's why she never came to school with me. She did walk me to school and back on nice days. It was our compromise.

Today was one of those days. Lila usually waited at a street corner for me, but today Lila met me a few streets early. She ran towards me at full speed and jumped into my arms. I almost dropped my backpack. My friend, Erick, had never seen Lila before since he always broke off to go home before me. Now he stared at Lila and I.

"Lila, what's wrong?" I asked. It wasn't weird that she hugged me or ran to me, she did that a LOT, but meeting me early where my friends could see her was strickly forbidden in her book. Did I mention she was in my hoodie, my old converse that she refused to give back and some jean shorts? I probably should have because Erick was staring-I kind of wanted him to go away.

Ignoring Erick and responding to me, Lila held out her arm and pulled up her hoodie sleeve. What looked like track marks were on the inside of her elbow. I held her arm gently and rubbed my fingers over the marks. Cole.

"I take it you've met Cole and he was experimenting." She nodded and hugged me again. "It's okay, he's just trying to help. I'll tell him if you don't want him to do something, okay?" She nodded again.

Erick tapped my shoulder and guestered to Lila. "Care to introduce us?"

I wanted to snap back a no but I realized Lila wouldn't really like that so I said, "Erick, this is Lila. Her parents are family friends so she's living with us until they get back from Europe," I was too good at this, "Lila, this is my friend Erick. He lives nearby."

Lila peeked towards Erick, just enough to see her brilliant, evergreen eye and waved a little. Erick waved back. When he did, Lila must have seen something behind him because she broke away from me and walked past Erick to a bush. She knelt beside it and made a clicking noise with her tongue.

"Are you two dating?"

"What?! No! I told you, she's a family friend."

"Would you mind if I did?"

I don't know why, but I did. "Yeah, actually. I do. Lila, let's get home before Mom gets worried."

Lila looked up from her task of playing with a stray cat. I don't think she heard a word we had said. She patted the cat's head and skipped over to me. I patted her head and started walking again. Lila waved to Erick shyly and walked after me. Erick walked beside Lila, trying to start a conversation. I let him suffer for a while before finally saying,"Oh, by the way, Lila is mute," as he turned down his block.