Broken by Ellie Anne (reading well .TXT) 📖

but I’m always here when you need me. Always.

She sighed. Thanks Erin. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me.

I closed our connection, happy that I was able to somewhat cheer her up. I was still worried about what was to come in a few hours: the full moon.


Chapter 16
Full Moon


It was ten-thirty at night. Another hour and a half, and I’d have to be out in the forest somewhere, where no one would find me. I knew it was risky not to tell my parents, but what exactly was I supposed to say. They’d kick me out all over again. I don’t think I’d be able to deal with that, once not so good, twice, oh heck no. And if they did kick me out, What would I say to Nik? Hey, yah I got kicked out again. Not going to work.

As I continued my ‘OMG my world is going to end!’ thoughts, time seemed to pass by faster than usual. It was past eleven before I knew it. Life just didn’t like me lately. I could hear Cole sleeping in the room next to mine, and Dad’s heavy snores on the other side of my wall. My mom still wasn’t asleep yet. What was she doing at eleven-friggin-thirty at night? I was really starting to sound like Nik. I zoned my hearing in one the sound of turning pages. Mom was reading, it was almost midnight, and she was reading?

I felt my inner wolf scratching at the mental cage I’d put it in. My time was almost up.

After a few minutes of thinking, I came up with a plan. Step one; go tell Mom I’m going to bed. Step two; make a body shape thing out of extra pillow or blankets. Step three; open window as silently as possible. Step four; jump from a second story window using wolf strength and hope I land on my feet. Step five; hit the ground running. It wasn’t fool-proof, but it would have to do.

Completing steps one through three, I was about to complete step four when a hand touched my shoulder.

“Don’t you dare think about jumping out that window, son.” I heard my mother’s stern voice behind me.
My wolf was out of its mental cage and already chewing through its mental leash. I had to leave. Now.

“Mom, I’m sorry but I have to.” was all I said as I tried to twist out of her grip.

“Is it that girl?” she asked, suspicion rising in her voice.

“No, Mom, it’s not that.”I replied hastily.

“That thing living in you?” she questioned.

“The wolf? Yah, mom, yah, it is. I really don’t have time for this right now.” I said, hoping she’d had enough.

I was starting to shake. All my mental defenses against my wolf had been thoroughly shredded. My wolf was getting impatient, and it didn’t want to wait a second longer than it had to.

“Sweetie . . .” she started to say as I turned and jumped out the window, landing square on the balls of my feet.

I ran, shifting as I moved. My body changed from that of a lanky teenage boy, to well built, muddy colored wolf. Now, all I had to do was get to far, far away in a mere matter of seconds.

I ran faster, pumping my wolfie legs harder. I reached the forest at last. The deeper into the trees I ran, the more I gave into my wolf. No longer restrained, the wolf inside me was happy, enjoying its time outside of my command. I hated to admit it now, but I was turning into a wild animal now. I blame the moon. Or whoever attacked me in the first place. I’ll worry about that later.

I hadn’t realized it, but I was going to the spot my old pack had designated as mine. Hopefully, I wouldn’t run into anyone I used to know. Trotting up to a tree, I recognized it as the tree John and I had carved together to hold our stuff when we were wolves.

When I was able to, I changed and opened up the little cupboard in the tree trunk, digging out some clothes and a pair of shoes. Fully dressed, I turned ad starting walking home.It seemed forever till the house finally came into view. All I could think about was how utterly furious my mother would be. There was absolutely no getting around this. She would end up calling it ‘my little problem’ and go around the house acting like it was something of the utmost seriousness. All I needed was a little wiggle room, once or twice a month to change. That was so never gonna happen. At least not on my mother’s watch.

I slipped in through the back door, only to run straight into my mom.
“Erin! Where in heaven’s name have you been!?” she whisper shouted.

“It’s a full moon, it’s midnight, I have to change, there’s no getting around it.” I said, trying to play it down.

She gave me a glare. “Erin, you’ve been gone for nearly an hour. Do you realize how worried I’ve been? “ her face softened.

“I’m sorry Mom, but there’s nothing I can do. I really wish there was. It’s the only thing I can’t control as far as my wolf go. I really wish there was something I could do.” I said, enfolding her in a hug.

“Sweetie, that’s okay. If having you back around means a later curfew on full moon nights, I guess it’s okay. I’m so sorry I’ve been giving you the cold shoulder. When you showed up with that girl in your arms, I realized how much I’d really missed you. Erin, baby, I’m so sorry.”

I had absolutely no idea what to say to that. She hadn’t called me baby since I was five. I just squeezed her tighter.

She patted my back. “Why don’t you go to bed Erin, it’s late.” she said, as I let her go.

I trudge up the stairs, wishing I’d gotten home earlier. Ugh, today had been a really long day. I finally made to my room, turning on the lamp, I plopped down on my bed. I started my favorite playlist on my iPod, closing my eyes as the Beatles sang ‘Eleanor Rigby’. The Beatles transitioned into Billy Joel’s ‘Goodnight Saigon’ and Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception’. Sleep still wouldn’t come.

I started thinking about all the people that were close to me. Mom, Dad, little Cole, even Star was important to me, sleeping over in the room next to me, probably curled up next to Cole. But the most important was Onika Fasthand. The girl was amazing; there was no doubt about that. She was amazing, perfect, beautiful, caring, everything I need. She was my angel.


Part Five
Onika


Chapter 17
Talents


I woke up early on Monday, forgetting that it was no school. It was seven in the morning, another three hours and me and Sam would be hitting all the good shops in town, getting things for each other and our friends and family. I had an added person on my ‘List of People to Shop For’ list. Erin. I still had no clue as to what he really wanted. Good thing we had made plans to go window shopping tomorrow.

How I was supposed to stand two days straight of shopping, I had no idea. Oh well, at least I would be with to of the most important people in my life. I sighed, getting up and heading to my bathroom.

I started the shower, letting it heat up before stepping in. I massaged shampoo into my hair, rinsing it out after it was nice and foamy. I squeezed conditioner into my palm, spreading it through my hair. I let it sit for a minute, combing my hair with my fingers. It felt so good to have the water pound my back, erasing any stress of the events that have been happening to me lately. Rinsing out the conditioner, I took a few more minute to stand there and feel the water hit my back.

I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself, drying off. After I was dry, I patted my hair dry with a towel. As I got into my room, I thought about what to wear. Rummaging through my closet, I found my favorite pair of jean, faded black almost grey skinny jeans. I threw them on and continued searching till I found a purple top with silver roses around the collar. Grabbing my make-up bag, I sat down at my vanity stool, brushing on a layer of shimmery silver over my eyelids, making them look almost magical. After applying a thin coating of eyeliner, I dramatized my already long lashes. For my finishing touch, I spread a shiny layer of my favorite peach lipgloss. I was almost out, considering I used the stuff at least twice a day, but Sam always got me more for Christmas. She thought it was important for every girl to have at least one color of lip stuff in their cosmetic bag. I glanced at the clock. It was almost eight-thirty. an hour and a half till Sam would swing by. She was almost sixteen, but her parents let her drive by herself anyway. That led to a very odd thought. Erin drives, by himself, but he’s not sixteen, and therefore doesn’t have his license. What? Oh, I was so-o-o going to ask him about that.

Swept away with my thoughts, I hadn’t realized that it was already a quarter past nine. Making my bed, I started tidying my room, I was one of those people that liked a clean space to think, and my room was my sanctuary, painted a gray blue, with pale green accents. I reminded me a little of a beach, a place I rarely visited, but loved. I checked the clock again, getting antsy about the shopping. Nine-forty-five. Samantha would be here in fifteen minutes, but knowing her, I’d say more like ten.