Claiming My Wolf
Chapter 15

~~Ava’s PoV~~

My mom sends me a text during last period to tell me that Sadie’s at home and not to worry. That’s a relief. I’ve been feeling bad that I let her run off, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t just blurt out the truth to her in the school hallway when she was already upset about the attack.

Then I get home and I’m shocked when my mom tells me what happened.

“Logan told her?” I repeat, sure that I misheard. What was Logan doing with Sadie?

But my mom nods. “I don’t know exactly what he said, but he told her the biggest part, at least, and then he brought her home.”

I don’t know what to make of that, but it’s not my biggest concern right now. “How is she?”

“Confused,” my mom says sympathetically. “Probably a little scared. Do you want to go talk to her?”

“Of course.”

I don’t know exactly what I’m going to say, but I head up to Sadie’s room anyway. When I knock on the door, a quiet voice tells me to come in, and I open the door to replace her sitting on the floor with a framed picture of her parents. She’s wearing a coat I don’t recognize.

“Hey.” I immediately close the door behind me and go to sit down beside her. “How are you doing?”

She looks up from the picture to look at me. I expect her to look sad or scared, like my mom said, but instead she looks mostly angry.

“Why would they lie to me?” she asks me, her voice full of hurt. “My whole life, they kept this a secret. Why?”

I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t think anyone does, other than her parents themselves, and they’re the two people she can never ask.

“I’m sure they thought they were doing the right thing,” I say instead. “They wouldn’t have done it to hurt you.”

She just shakes her head. “Sometimes when I was little I used to dream that I was secretly a princess, and someday someone would show up to tell me. I never dreamt anyone would tell me that I’m half-wolf though.”

That makes me smile. “Hey, being a werewolf is way better than being a princess. What do you get to do as a princess? Wear pretty dresses and go to balls? Well, we can do that too, plus we get to shift and live in the pack and replace our mates. It’s amazing to be a werewolf, Sadie. You’re going to love it!”

I really mean it. I wouldn’t want to give up being a werewolf for anything.

“Why is everyone so obsessed with mates?” she wonders, looking back down at the photo. Her fingers glide gently across her dad’s face. “I always though my parents loved each other. But now it turns out they just had to be together because some goddess said so?”

I feel like she’s missing the big picture. “Okay, first of all, it’s not just some goddess, it’s the moon goddess who looks after all werewolves like us. And she doesn’t make anyone be with someone they don’t want to be. She looks at what you need and who you are, and she replaces the perfect person for you and then she lets your wolf know so that you can recognize them when you see them. It’s amazing, Sadie! Think about humans, they have to date people for so long and then replace out that they don’t even like each other, and then start all over again? No, thank you. I’ll take whatever mate I’m given any day.”

I’m not sure she’s convinced, but I keep talking anyway.

“And lastly, your parents did love each other. Almost all mates do. You still need to get to know your mate and grow to love them, just like anyone. It’s just you get to skip that whole part of wondering if they’re the right person for you because you already know they are.”

She’s still silent, looking at the photo, so I move on.

“But that’s just part of being a werewolf. We’re like a big family, everyone looks out for each other and protects the pack. The Alpha’s like a father to all of us.”

She finally looks back up at me when I mention the Alpha. “How does this guy get to be in charge of everyone? Is he elected?”

The idea makes me smile. “No. It’s hereditary, like a king. His father was Alpha before him, and his son will be Alpha next. It would have been his daughter, since she was born first, but…”

I trail off, realizing I’m getting off topic. There will be time to talk about the rest of the pack later. For now, we should focus on her.

“What other questions do you have?” I ask her. “Consider me your walking werewolf Wikipedia.”

That almost gets a smile out of her. “Thanks, Ava. I appreciate it, really, but I think I just want to be alone for a while.”

I nod. “Sure. If you change your mind though, you know where to replace me.”

I get up and go to the door, looking back at her one more time. She’s still staring at the picture of her parents and she doesn’t look up as I go out and shut the door behind me.