~Avery's POV~
Honestly. What the fuck was happening? How did I go from having a family, living in a cute little village with my boyfriend by my side, studying for my dream job and getting excited about movie night every Saturday that I and Lydia had as a tradition? To being cheated on by the guy I was in love with, being told by my supposed parents that I was a mistake, a contract, a payment, only being born to be somebody's wife, being held in a house full of... I couldn't even say it. It sounded crazy.
" Hey, what are you thinking about?" Amber broke me from my thoughts. I looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.
" Right... stupid question. You know, if you have any questions about anything, and I mean anything at all, feel free to ask," she said in a concerned and loving way. I couldn't help but smile. She has been nothing but warm and kind to me ever since we met. Yes, she did lie to me, but she was still sweet, and I could see genuine guilt in her eyes earlier when she was consoling me at the gate.
" This whole wolf thing. What's that about?" I asked, lookin into her eyes. I saw that she was worried but a smile crept up on her face.
" We are werewolves, Avery. Everyone in here is. We're a pack." I shook my head not ready to believe what she was saying.
We were sitting on a bench in the garden. I was looking around at the flowers and the bushes. It was beautiful and huge. Flowers of every color were interspersed between the bushes, which formed different shapes. In the middle of the garden, there was a pond, and benches around that as well with a fountain in the middle. And paths that led through the whole garden, perfect for a picnic. There were lanterns hanging on lamp poles, lighting up all the pathways. On the ground were spotlights that illuminated some of the huge estate. However, except for those, the onlyo ther source of light was the moon. The moon was right above us and looked to be so close. When I looked towards the forest it was hard to make anything out. There was just darkness, so much darkness. It made me a bit squirmy yet at the same time, it felt oddly calming.
" You don't believe me." Amber stated.
" I'm sorry." I replied
" Don't be. It's not everyday someone tells you that something you've only heard about in fairytales and seen in Twilight movies, is real." I chuckled at her remark on Twilight.
" Avery, if you're up for it, I can prove it to you, but you have to promise me that you won't pass out." She dragged the word promise. Show me?
" What do you mean?"
" I can prove to you that what I'm telling you is the truth. I can shift right here, right now. You will see my wolf. She won't harm you. You needn't be scared of her. Can you do that?"
I thought about it for a while. I was going crazy thinking about everything that was going on and if it was all a dream or a joke. This could be the answer to some of the questions I had. It would either put my mind at ease, or get a hell of a lot worse. I was hoping for the first.
I nodded my head at Amber who was now standing in front of me shimmied out of her dress, leaving her only in her underwear. My eyes widened and she quickly spoke when she saw the questioning expression on my face.
" If I shift in my dress it will be ripped to shreds. And it's too damn sexy for that." She said with confidence in her voice and a smirk. I simply gave her a nod and took the dress, folding it and putting it beside me on the bench.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what was to come. Maybe they were all lunatics here, or a cult thinking they were werewolves. Like those people you see on TV that have cat ears and a cat tail and actually think they are cats.
Before my thoughts could spin any further I heard bones cracking. I looked in horror as Amber's arms were bent out of place, her bones cracking and breaking, then her legs. And as she landed on all fours, I saw the fur starting to cover her body.
I realised that I had promised not to freak out, but I was suddenly unsure whether I could keep that promise. In under thirty seconds she had shifted completely and was now standing right in front of me on all fours as a big, beautiful as hell, wolf.
I had to cover my mouth with my hand to stop myself from screaming. Amber's wolf sat down on her butt. Probably to make me feel more comfortable. I slowly removed my hand and instead of shock, I was now looking in awe at the creature before me. Her fur was light grey and her paws were white. Under the moonlight it looked as though her fur was glistening.
I carefully stood up and took a step forward. She moved her head only a little but it was enough for me to stop dead in my tracks. She let out a little whine, before lying down completely on the ground.
I smiled as I walked up to her, kneeling beside her. Her head slowly moved to my arm, nudging my hand I lifted it and started stroking her head. She made a content sound as I scratched her behind her ears. I moved my hand down her back slowly. Trying to grasp everything that was happening before me right now. She rolled over onto her back and I took that as a sign that she wanted her belly rubbed. So I did. I took my hand under her paw and lifted it. Just like when you're comparing the size of your hand to somebody else's, that's what I did, but with a paw, a wolf's paw. No, sorry, let me correct that, a werewolf' paw.
I looked into her eyes. My hands rested on my lap. I nodded my head.
"Okay, I believe you," I said with a smile. She purred once again, and right before my eyes she sifted back into her human form. However, now she was completely naked. I quickly took the dress and handed it to her.
" So, how do you feel?" She asked. Her voice was mixed with worry and excitement.
" You were beautiful," I said, still in awe from I had seen. Amber smiled big and her eyes glistened but just as quickly as they started glistening, they became dim. It looked like something from the Exorcist though I wouldn't tell her that.
"What just happened, with my eyes. That's called mind liking. Every member of the pack can do it. It's a way of communicating with the other pack members, instead of phones and all that. We can mind link either just one person or all of them." She said with a smile. However, the look she got from me in return changed her beaming smile to that of pity. She took my hand in hers.
" I know you've been through a lot, but Avery, thank you, thank you for letting me show you who I am and thank you for not judging me. You could've freaked out and ran but you stayed and you kept an open mind. I know all of this is a lot, but I promise you, everything is going to be okay. And I will be right by your side every step of the way." She said with a reassuring smile. I smiled back, big time. And we shared a big long hug.
"I need to run in for a bit, that was what the mind link was about, there is something that needs tending to. You wanna come?" She asked and gestured for us to walk back in. I shook my head
" No, I'd like to stay out here a little longer if you don't mind."
" Of course. I will be out in a bit," she said and gently squeezed my arm before turning her heel and walking away. However after she had walked for a bit she stopped and turned around
"Oh and Avery, don't go near the woods, okay?" She said in a warning tone. I simply nodded in response. She smiled and continued walking back to the house.
I was definitely not going near those woods. I sat back down on the bench and closed my eyes. It felt nice to be alone. I let the warm breeze fan me as the fresh air filled my nostrils. So much had happened today. I wasn't sure how to react anymore. Should I cry? Should I scream? I felt like I was dry of tears and I didn't have the energy to scream right now. I just wanted to sleep. But knowing I was in a house full of werewolves made the idea of sleeping much less appealing. Perhaps tomorrow I would have a better idea of how to handle everything. For know I just wanted to be in the moment, and shut my mind up, escape my thoughts even if it's just for a little while.
I kept thinking about the conversation I had with that woman in my dream. She told me that things were going to happen today. I guess part of me didn't believe it. She seemed to have answers. I wanted to meet her again.
I continued enjoying the time I had here with myself and the silence surrounding me.
My moment of peace however was cut short when someone placed a hand on my shoulder. My eyes jerked open and my head snapped to the person standing behind me. It was her. The woman from the bar.
" Hello there. My name is Natasha. May I have seat?"