Chapter 5

"You mean there are more than Carson, Ash, Bray, Sky and you?" I splutter.

Christian nods lazily. "Yeah these still Ember, Vic, Ally and Tori," he says still flicking across the channels.

I hear a door open and a draft of cold air reaches into the lounge room a second after the laugher and voices. Three girls clutter into the hallway, all semi-naked. I look away.

Why was everyone naked all the time?!

Even if you're wearing a bra and underwear doesn't mean you can just walk around like it!

"Oh, and there's Mikki," Christian says totally unfazed by the nakedness of all three women.

"What about me?" Someone asks. I didn't know which, but I wasn't going to cheek. I didn't need to see them naked. Gross.

"Just telling Irana about the pack," Christian says glancing towards them. Either, this was a daily occurrence, or he was gay because he didn't seem interest in their bodies at all.

"Oh..." Miki didn't sound too happy, instead she seemed a little put out and frosty.

"Where's Ember and Vic?" Christian asks flicking through more channels.

"Vic's chasing his tail and I last I saw of Ember she was dead to the world. That girl can really sleep," someone says.

An awkward silence fills the room, the only sound coming from the TV as it flashed from show to show, Carson fumbling around in the kitchen and a shower running upstairs. And If I was right, someone was snoring their head off upstairs.

"I'm going to get dressed." One of the other girls says and I hear her footstep move away. Without missing a beat another pair trotted away. The last pair didn't recede. After long few second the last pair padded away.

A queasy feeling enters my stomach and as if sensing it Christian looks at me briefly. Seconds later he throws a blanket on me. I pull it off my head and look at him. "It will stop you from shifting, for tonight anyway. We can start you shirting tomorrow."

"I don't want to..." I confess. All the bone breaking and snapping I'd heard from Christian may have seemed nothing to him but to me it seemed to haunt me in my bones, a content ach with seemed to linger in my core.

"You'll have to," Christian says unfazed.

"If I don't?"

"You will. Your body will force it upon you. It's like getting a cold, you can't stop it; you just have to wait for it to disappear on its own agenda" Christian pauses. "Look on the bright side, you won't get sick again, expect maybe rabies," he chuckles shaking his head. His black hair shivered in the movement, making the shadows on his face quiver.

"Christian, when can I go home?" I ask softly, my gut twisting. I wasn't sure if that was more to do with wanting to shift, or with already knowing what the question would be.

Christians smile melts away and he pauses on one channel. After a long pause he turns to me. "Irana, so you want to truth or something easier to swallow."

"Easier," I admit. I didn't know if I could handle the truth.

Christian smile, one obviously fake and too bright. "Soon! Every soon! So soon you'll see then tomorrow morning."

I wait a few second, just staring down at the floor. Finally I lift my eyes to Christian's. "And the truth?"

Christian smile vanishes again, like I'd flicked a switch. "The truth is, Irana, you can't go home til you can control your changing. And that could take up to two days, or two months. Possibly even a year. I'm sorry but you'll probably be put on the 'Missing or Kidnapped' list before you are able to go home."

I slouch in the corner of the couch, the blanket pulled up to my neck. Possibly a year? My parents wouldn't even know I was alive. Not that they notice much these days. What would my brother think? He was only 3 years younger than me, a bit on a douche, but he was always a good brother, most of the time.

"Why was I attacked?" I ask brokenly.

Christians quiet for a minute. "I can't answer that one for you, sorry"

"Why?"

"Cause no one knew we were going to....It just....happened."

"Things don't just 'happen' Christian," I shoot back suddenly aggravated.

He shrugs a shoulder, unfazed by my hostility. "Maybe. But I wasn't the one who attacked first, nor was I the one who thought it would be a good idea to drag you into this." Feeling shameful I hunch lower, cursing my stomach for twisting and turning. "Okay bed time" Christian says randomly. "If you go to sleep you won't worry about the shifting. In the morning you probably won't even get breakfast before you shift.

Christian was right. I woke up groggy and disorientated, a dull ache pinching my bones. I rolled over, looking to go back asleep and was surprised when I rolled onto my back and couldn't grip the blankets properly. I looked down, and surprise, surprise, my 'arms' are furry and my hands are paws.

I let out a startled scream which came out as a strangled yelped howl and jump, the movement so odd I go from four feet to sitting on my butt. I feel my ears lay back, my tail tucking between my legs and was shaking.

Suddenly the door flies open and smacks against the wall and at the same time someone screams; "She shifted!"

Startled I jump, turning towards the door to see the person, but all I end up seeing it the walls spinning then the bed disappearing. The next thing I know I'm lying on the floor, my ass in the air, my chin squashed into the ground and the tip of my tail bushing my back. Attractive, I'm sure.

I stand up, shaking myself off. In the doorway stood some girl I didn't know and Ash. Ash appeared to just have gotten out of bed, hair messy, eyes dark and chest bare. His torso had thin pink lines running along it, some strait while other appeared jagged.

He was so incredible sexy I wanted to go over to him and lay at his feet, or if I was human run my fingers over his scars. No way was I going to over to him if he looked like he could, and would kill me if I so much as laid a finger of his smooth but scared chest.

The girl long brown hair with tanned skin. Her eyes were blue cross grey, like they couldn't decide what colour to be. It was nice to see she'd found some clothes to wear since the last time I'd seen her.

"She's so pretty!" the girl gushed.

"She's tiny," Ash snort disapprovingly. I frown in confusion, but I'm sure it looked weird being a wolf. Without my consent one ear lays back against my head, but the other one stays perked upright, swiveled towards Ash and the girl. It must have looked funny because Ash looked amused.

She slaps a hand on his chest and gave him a glare. "Most of the girls are. Just because when you're a wolf it looks like you've eaten a cow whole doesn't mean she's tiny!"

I suddenly like the girl a lot more, mostly for being able to have the courage to slap Ash's chest. I could never do that without tthe fear of loosing an arm.

Bray appears in the door way before Ash can say anything back. "Give her a minute and she'll shift back."

Ash rolls his eyes and closes the door. And I wonder if it's more to do with my privacy, or that he didn't want me running out of the room and making a break for it.