safer.”
I wanted to ask more, but that subject seemed closed. Instead I asked, “Do you eat animals?”
“What?”
“When you’re a wolf, do you eat live animals?”
“Uh, not usually.” He gave me a weird look. “I suppose if I was in wolf form a long time, I could.”
“Good to know.”
“You planning on feeding me the squirrels in your backyard?” he asked, half grin on his face.
I smiled back, feeling better. “So all kids of shifters are shifters?”
“No. Nick’s big sister, who’s off in college, isn’t one. Guys usually always are. Rarer for girls.” He turned into town. “Jules and Naomi are really unusual.”
“So you knew she was one? When you guys took her in?”
“Not for sure.” He shook his head. “The running away thing sort of tipped us off. Aidan’s mom works with the foster care system, so she keeps an eye out. We can usually smell them, but if someone hasn’t shifted in a long time, it’s harder to tell. Jules is the first one we’ve ever found.” His eyes slid toward me then back to the road. “You seem to be taking this really well.”
“I don’t know about that. Really haven’t had the time to freak out. And I’m about to see my mom who can read me like a book. I’m trying to be completely normal.”
He chuckled.
“What?”
“Nothing. So you sing tonight?”
“Yep. I have a solo. From Into the Woods. I play Little Red Riding Hood.” It clicked. “The Big Bad Wolf. Wolves. Again.” I glanced at him. “You knew that.”
“Yeah, Nick and I had a good laugh over that.” He grinned.
We pulled onto my street. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Ezra parked in our driveway. He glanced up at the house then at me. “Here we go.”
I nodded and reached for the door handle, then remembered I couldn’t. Ezra came over and opened it for me. He helped me out, but let go the moment Nick got out of Ezra’s station wagon.
The front door to my house opened, and my mom hurtled out. “Sophie, what did you do?” She ran over and stopped herself from hugging me.
“I tripped and broke a vase as I fell.” I used Micah’s story immediately. It bugged me that I did it so easily. Lying to my folks twice in two days felt like a terrible beginning.
“Oh, honey. We’ll pay for the vase,” Mom said quickly, looking at the two boys.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ezra didn’t smile. He looked uncomfortable.
I wondered if it was the situation or my mother. Or the fact that we were human and they weren’t. I had to remember that.
“Dr. Reade bandaged her up,” Ezra continued. “He said that you need to change and clean them twice a day. Should be better by Monday. I’ll help you with school, OK?” he said to me. “Share notes or whatever.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. If he’d turned into a wolf right then I wouldn’t have been more surprised.
“That’s so nice. You must be Ezra, right?” Mom said, giving me a conspiratorial look. “Thank you so much for bringing her home.”
“Sorry she hurt herself,” Nick said. “Next time we’ll put warning signs where anything breakable is.” He shot me a grin. “Ready to go?” he asked Ezra.
He nodded. “See ya, Sophie.”
Both of them made intense eye contact with me as they left. It was pretty easy to know what they weren’t saying.
Keep your mouth shut.
They got into Ezra’s station wagon and drove off.
“Did you have a crush on that boy last year?”
And this year and two years ago… “Mom, my hands hurt.”
“Right. How did you manage this anyway?’ She started back toward the house.
* * *
I waited impatiently to go up on the platform to sing. I’d avoided taking any strong painkillers because I didn’t want to fall asleep in the middle of my solo. But my hands hurt so much.
I wore a red cloak for my character, and the strings holding it together slowly became undone. I raised my hands to fix it and remembered once again that I
I wanted to ask more, but that subject seemed closed. Instead I asked, “Do you eat animals?”
“What?”
“When you’re a wolf, do you eat live animals?”
“Uh, not usually.” He gave me a weird look. “I suppose if I was in wolf form a long time, I could.”
“Good to know.”
“You planning on feeding me the squirrels in your backyard?” he asked, half grin on his face.
I smiled back, feeling better. “So all kids of shifters are shifters?”
“No. Nick’s big sister, who’s off in college, isn’t one. Guys usually always are. Rarer for girls.” He turned into town. “Jules and Naomi are really unusual.”
“So you knew she was one? When you guys took her in?”
“Not for sure.” He shook his head. “The running away thing sort of tipped us off. Aidan’s mom works with the foster care system, so she keeps an eye out. We can usually smell them, but if someone hasn’t shifted in a long time, it’s harder to tell. Jules is the first one we’ve ever found.” His eyes slid toward me then back to the road. “You seem to be taking this really well.”
“I don’t know about that. Really haven’t had the time to freak out. And I’m about to see my mom who can read me like a book. I’m trying to be completely normal.”
He chuckled.
“What?”
“Nothing. So you sing tonight?”
“Yep. I have a solo. From Into the Woods. I play Little Red Riding Hood.” It clicked. “The Big Bad Wolf. Wolves. Again.” I glanced at him. “You knew that.”
“Yeah, Nick and I had a good laugh over that.” He grinned.
We pulled onto my street. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Ezra parked in our driveway. He glanced up at the house then at me. “Here we go.”
I nodded and reached for the door handle, then remembered I couldn’t. Ezra came over and opened it for me. He helped me out, but let go the moment Nick got out of Ezra’s station wagon.
The front door to my house opened, and my mom hurtled out. “Sophie, what did you do?” She ran over and stopped herself from hugging me.
“I tripped and broke a vase as I fell.” I used Micah’s story immediately. It bugged me that I did it so easily. Lying to my folks twice in two days felt like a terrible beginning.
“Oh, honey. We’ll pay for the vase,” Mom said quickly, looking at the two boys.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ezra didn’t smile. He looked uncomfortable.
I wondered if it was the situation or my mother. Or the fact that we were human and they weren’t. I had to remember that.
“Dr. Reade bandaged her up,” Ezra continued. “He said that you need to change and clean them twice a day. Should be better by Monday. I’ll help you with school, OK?” he said to me. “Share notes or whatever.”
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. If he’d turned into a wolf right then I wouldn’t have been more surprised.
“That’s so nice. You must be Ezra, right?” Mom said, giving me a conspiratorial look. “Thank you so much for bringing her home.”
“Sorry she hurt herself,” Nick said. “Next time we’ll put warning signs where anything breakable is.” He shot me a grin. “Ready to go?” he asked Ezra.
He nodded. “See ya, Sophie.”
Both of them made intense eye contact with me as they left. It was pretty easy to know what they weren’t saying.
Keep your mouth shut.
They got into Ezra’s station wagon and drove off.
“Did you have a crush on that boy last year?”
And this year and two years ago… “Mom, my hands hurt.”
“Right. How did you manage this anyway?’ She started back toward the house.
* * *
I waited impatiently to go up on the platform to sing. I’d avoided taking any strong painkillers because I didn’t want to fall asleep in the middle of my solo. But my hands hurt so much.
I wore a red cloak for my character, and the strings holding it together slowly became undone. I raised my hands to fix it and remembered once again that I
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