Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Katella Stegmann
Copyright 2011 by Lindsay Stegmann All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher. LKS Inc Atlanta, GA ISBN-10: 0-9834832-2-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-9834832-2-9 First Edition: December 2011 Follow the series on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AnAmericanWerewolfinIdaho
For James. Thank you for teaching me that sometimes you dont know what you have until its gone. Congratulations on your beautiful life. Nothing but love.
PREFACE 1. ENJOY YOUR YOUTH 2. BIRTHDAYS ARE BLOODY FUN 3. ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES 4. RESPECT YOUR ELDERSEVEN IF THEY ANNOY YOU 5. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS 6. VAMPIRES, PHILOSOPHY, AND VIDEO GAMES 7. BLUE MOON CRAZINESS 8. THE WORLD IS FULL OF FEMALE DOGS 9. WHEN BOYS MANSTRATE 10. HOW TO LET GO OF PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS 11. WHAT LOVE MEANS 12. HOPE AND COPE 13. MY BOYFRIENDS BACK AND THERES GOING TO BE TROUBLE 14. LIE TO ME 15. I CANT FIGHT THIS FEELING ANYMORE 16. HOW HUMOR HELPS HEAL 17. LETTING GO OF ANGER 18. THE PLOT THICKENS 19. LOVE SHOULD COME WITH A WARNING LABEL 20. IM SO OVER THE DRAMA 21. HOW TO SURVIVE IN A SUPERNATURAL SOAP OPERA 22. TROUBLE IS A FRIEND 23. HOW TO PISS OFF YOUR ENEMIES 24. DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS 25. LOVE IS A SNEAKY LITTLE DEVIL 26. THE MORONIC THINGS WE DO FOR OUR LOVED ONES 27. HEART AND SOUL 28. THE MANY FACES OF LOVE EPILOGUE/PREVIEW OF BOOK 4 BIBLIOGRAPHY, POP CULTURE REFERENCES, AND CITATIONS DISCLAIMER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PREFACE
Love is a complex emotion. It makes you capable of seeing a persons flaws, but still have the ability to care about them. It is the base emotion that allows people to forgive others. In essence it can lead you to a lot of stupid decisions.
1
ENJOY YOUR YOUTH Life is full of choices. A single choice can be detrimental. How had my world shifted drastically from the happy medium I had between my life as a wolf and a human into a hot chaotic mess? Maybe it was because of the choices I had made. I felt like I was at a standstill as the days whizzed by. I was laden with responsibilities and if I failed people could lose their lives. Being a werewolf came at a high cost. My sanity was that cost. I drove myself mad trying to do the right thing. I knew that unless I stayed busy I was going to spiral out of control and do something stupid. Everyone is different when it comes to coping mechanisms. Instead of being another overly emotional psycho or hell bent on feeding off of idiotic drama I decided to be constructive, something I learned from my friends Joy and Jasmine. With a team of angry wolves and demons on my tail and a boyfriend who was M.I.A I did what any sensible person would do. I started paying attention in class. My teachers were stunned when I actually participated. Talking about polynomials and Edgar Allen Poe was refreshingly normal. I needed as much normalcy in my life as I could get. Between classes I was usually on my phone talking to Jackson. My boyfriend was constantly on the move. His family was still trying to shake evil-doers Cam and Whit from their trail. Once they ditched the do-dos they could come back to town. The end of the school day couldnt come soon enough. I planned to put Jacksons bracelet on and pay his mind a visit. It was nice to have a way to communicate with him without my pack interfering. When I transformed with the bracelet on it allowed me to connect to his mind. His family could still hear us, but they were much less invasive than mine. I was daydreaming at lunch about how wonderful it would be when Jackson came back to town when my thoughts were abruptly interrupted. What are you doing after school today? Joy questioned. She didnt know all the details of my sordid secret life. I hoped that one day I wouldnt have to lie to my best friend, but for now the less she knew the better. Chores. The fib trickled out smoothly. I hated lying to Joy. She was like my sister. Youre doing chores the day before your birthday? Wow, youre really growing up. She teased me. Was today December ninth? Holy crap, time had flown. I hadnt looked at a calendar in weeks. It hadnt dawned on me that tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday. We all grow up sometime. I smiled. I had done a lot of growing over the past year. Some of the things I had bared witness to would haunt me forever. Oh, come on. This is our senior year. Its the last chance we have to be kids. After graduation we have to be grown citizens with adult responsibilities. Riley ate a bite of his lunch. Riley Park just said the word responsible. Ladies and gentlemen, hell just froze over. Sean chuckled. Im just saying we should enjoy what is left of our youth. He picked up his trash and walked over to the garbage can. His step seemed a little less playful than normal. Whats up with him? I glanced at Sean.
Dont know. Sean shrugged, Ive been trying to read his mind, but all hes been thinking about lately is job applications. I guess were all a little jittery about the future. Joy looked at our downtrodden friend. The bell rang. Ive got to go. Part of my responsibility was to assure that my friends had a future. I couldnt do that if I was unfocused. I was skipping my afternoon classes to meet up with Conner so I could work on my training. See you. Sean waved. Try not to get caught, he whispered. I was stealthy in my escape. I slid past the principal and out a side door. I knew as soon as I made a dash for it I was scott free. I was half way off of school grounds when I heard footsteps behind me. Where do you think youre going? I spun around, ready with an excuse to end all excuses. I dont have any tampons, I spit nervously. What? Conner was staring at me with a confused look on his face. Never mind. Youre not a teacher. No, but I could have been something worse. The basketball coach? I cracked a smile. Youre laughing now, but what would you have done had it been a teacher or an administrator? I thought it was obvious with the whole tampon thing. I was going to go with the excuse of my girlie parts hurting. The female staff understands and the male staff is too uncomfortable to talk about it. I grinned. Excuses only get you so far. You have to be more careful. Because of your carelessness Im adding an extra hour on to your training today. Oh, give me a break. I rolled my eyes. I have plans. They can wait. Nothing is more important than survival. Zach gave me permission to do anything I need to to improve your Lupo skills. That includes time penalties. Thats not fair. You didnt tell me sneaking away from school was part of my training. Training isnt fair. Keep arguing with me and Ill add another hour. Fine, I grumbled. That afternoon Conner tested me on everything, including my patience. We worked on balance, coordination, stealth, and reaction. By the end of the lesson I was ready to kill him. He took my anger as a compliment. When we were finished I ran home to clean myself up. I could hardly wait to put on my bracelet and talk to Jackson. The telephone was nice, but the bracelet offered me a more intimate connection with him. When I transformed with it I could feel him with me. The only drawback is that I got his family with the bracelet. I looked forward to the day the two of us could truly be alone. I found a small cove near my house and changed. I wondered when you were going to grace me with your presence. Jackson immediately welcomed me to his mind. What are you up to today?
We led Cam and Whit out to Toronto. Theyre still tailing us. I cant believe you havent outmaneuvered them yet. I gave him a hard time. Secretly I was hoping that Whit and Cam stuck with them for a while. I knew Jackson would be safe at a distance. He still didnt know about the vampire attack or about the fact that Tobias was still after me. Whit is excellent at tracking Izzie. Spray some of Izzies perfume at the top of Niagara Falls and when he follows the scent shove him over the cliff. After all, turnabout is fair play. I suggested. Thats not a bad idea. Jackson chuckled. We did almost lose them at Lake Ontario, Jasmine had excitement in her tone. She was ready for this run to be over. Patience, Jasmine. Well lose them eventually. Izzie assured her cousin. I miss you guys. I miss you, too. Jackson responded. There was a beat of silence and then he sighed, It kills me that we wont be back for your birthday. Ill have plenty more. I shrugged. I looked at the setting sun. You should see the sunset. The sky looks like its on fire. Dont change the subject. Were going to sing happy birthday to you whether you want us to or not. Jasmine giggled. Yep, theres no escaping Jasmines high pitched squeals. Jackson teased his sister. Izzie, be prepared to sing over her yowling. No problem. Izzie seemed eager to start. Happy birthday to you When she started singing I understood her enthusiasm. She had a beautiful voice. No wonder she wanted to show off. I could hear Jasmine squeaking the lyrics and Jacksons lower tone. Together it sounded really well. you make Jackson drool. Jasmine and Izzie quickly changed the lyrics. Jackson loves you dear, Cassie. Izzie continued. And he likes your butt, too. Jasmine snickered. I was not informed of the rewrites. Jackson was not amused. By the end of their performance I was laughing my tail off. Aw, thank you. That was great! I wheezed through my mental laughter. I heard a howl in the distance and my laughter disappeared. Zach was calling for me. I stirred from my hiding place and took a few steps forward. I was overlooking a plateau from the cover of some trees. There was a very light dust of snow covering the ground. Something wrong? Jackson could sense my tension. Probably not. The call didnt sound distressed...just annoyed. I started racing towards my house. It didnt take me long to get there. Ive got to run. The job of a Lupo is never finished. Im lucky enough to have a better half that understands that. I complimented him. Thank you so much for the song. Happy birthday, Cassie, Jasmine said. Thanks. Ill talk to you guys later. Love you. I love you, too. Those were the perfect words to hear as I was changing back to my human form. I put on my clothes. Hey, Zach. What was that call about? I questioned.
We are gathering at the Sands house for a meeting. What kind of meeting? Youll find out when you get there. Great. He was back to being cryptic again. I jogged to my destination. When I reached their house something felt off to me. I could sense everyone here, but no one was talking, which was very strange for my pack. I could smell food. Maybe they were all stuffing their mouths. I put my hand on the doorknob and knocked lightly. Its open! Something still didnt feel right. When I pushed the door forward I felt a rush of air come at me, but I couldnt see what it was because the lights in the Sands house were dim. My heart skipped a beat and I considered transforming. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. The lights flashed on and a house full of people leaped forward and exclaimed, Surprise! Then there were calls of, Happy birthday! Everyone started laughing at the expression on my face. My entire pack was here. How had they pulled this together without me knowing? So, are you surprised? Finn asked. Hrrmmmbfff... I started speaking gibberish. I smiled, Wow. Youre all here for me? How did you guys plan this? Conner was the decoy. While you were off training we put it together, Sean explained. You only turn eighteen once. Zach handed me a glass of punch. Riley, Joy, and Emma are coming later. We didnt tell them it was a surprise party. We werent sure how you would react. They told me that jumping out and startling a werewolf was probably not the best idea in the world. I told them you werent scared of my boo face anymore. Sean smiled at Rob. Fork it over. Damn, I had money on you transforming. Rob shook his head with a disappointed look and slapped a ten dollar bill into Seans awaiting hand. Easiest ten bucks Ive made today. Sean smirked. Yeah, until Riley gets here, I said. No more bets tonight. Its your birthday. Its all about you. Sean pointed his index finger at me. He guided me over to the chocolate birthday cake. Etched into the butter cream icing was the phrase Happy Birthday, Bambi. Rob, you picked the cake out, didnt you? Kat made it. Rob smiled. I wasnt allowed in the house when she was baking. He wouldnt stop eating the batter. Kat laughed. Thank you, Kat. I hugged her. Another year older. Kat winked. I dont hate birthdays so much since I stopped aging, she added quietly. Youll always be beautiful to me. Rob kissed her on the cheek. Aw, sweetie, thank you. Kat embraced him. But youre still not out of the doghouse for eating the first cake. Worth a shot. Rob shrugged. He walked over to the punch bowl and grabbed a cup. So, Cassie tomorrow, youre turning the big one eight. How does it feel? Sean asked enthusiastically.
I dont know. I mean... I thought about it. ...it doesnt really change anything. You can join the army, vote, buy cigarettes, and can be tried as adult. Im already in an army, most voting is fixed, I dont smoke, and Ive never been caught doing anything illegal. How exactly is my life going to change? Adults cant tell you what to do anymore. Something tells me Im going to be bossed around my entire life. I glanced at Zach. He tipped his head forward with a smile and took a sip of his drink. I heard a car pull up outside and a few seconds later Joy was knocking on the front door. Finn opened the door and she came rushing in with a cone hat that said happy birthday complete with chin strap. Emma and Riley were right behind her. Joy slid the cardboard hat on to my head and snapped a picture with her camera. That look is very...you. Riley chuckled. Happy birthday. Thanks. I reached to pull the hat off of my head. Leave it on. Joy frowned. Or else Ill show people at school that you look like a clown while wearing it. Joy threatened me with my incriminating photo. I did look oddly like a clown with the pointy hat sitting on top of my head. Im not wearing a honking red nose. I pointed out. I can Photoshop it in. She would do it, too. I sighed. How long do I have to wear it? All night. Joy grinned. Everyone gathered around me and sang happy birthday. Their rendition wasnt nearly as crazy as the Tuckers version, but it brought a smile to my face regardless. Not even Joys off-key hollering bothered me. I loved every second of being with my friends. After experiencing everything I had in the past few weeks I appreciated life so much more. I knew the true value of what it meant to live and love. I watched everyone eat cake and then dance around to music. We all laughed when Emma tried to give Sean a dancing lesson. After seeing him attempt to dance I understood why she wanted him to take lessons. Emma and Sean were halfway through their dance lesson when I excused myself to go and get another piece of cake. The butter cream was delicious and I couldnt wait to taste the rich chocolate again. I found Conner in the kitchen getting another piece. Is that your third or fourth piece? I asked. Its not for me. He slid a paper plate with a slice of cake on it to me. I grabbed a fork. Thanks. Im surprised youre here. I thought you didnt like people. I can handle them in small doses. He shrugged. Besides I had to make an appearance so I could give you these. He grabbed a small box and a paper bag from off of the table. This was kind of last minute, so none of us really had a lot of time to get you anything. Zach said something about how our presence was enough for you and not to worry about gifts. You didnt listen. I smiled. Screw him. Its your birthday. He handed me the small brown box. It wasnt wrapped. I lifted the top and saw a black stone with light grey swirls. If you tell me theres a magic ring in here I am destined to protect I will throttle you. I picked the rock up out of the box.
Hey, youre the one into Stoneology. He laughed. Im getting you started on a rock collection. Its a snowflake obsidian. Its supposed to provide balance of the body, mind, and spirit. Its a stress reliever. Cool. I rolled the stone around in my hand. It was smooth, like glass. I put the rock back in its box and looked inside the paper bag. I pulled out a pair of boxing gloves. Boxing gloves? Different kind of stress reliever. Boxing is a good way to get out your pent up anger, he explained. Ive got a punching bag and a speedball at my house if youre ever really pissed off. Sweet. These are perfect. I tried on the gloves. You got her weapons? Rob asked from the doorway. You really think thats a good idea? Dont hate because Im more creative than you. Conner grabbed some chips from a bowl and put them on a plate. I pulled the boxing gloves off and put them back in the bag. Here, Cass. Rob pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. This wont win you any sparring contests, but youll like it any way. I opened the envelope and found a coupon for a free movie at a local theater. You and Kat are awesome. I smiled. Conner and Rob werent the only ones who had brought something for me. Sean and Finn got me a scented candle that smelled like lilies. They had also bought cat toys for Maverick and Remy. Joy gave me a framed photo of the two of us dressed up in Hawaiian gear for one of the school spirit days a year ago. Riley followed it up with his gift, which was also a framed picture. He was in the center with me and Joy on either side of him posing like we were secret agents. Emma surprised me with a small basket of lotions. Zach topped them all when he offered me a week of vacation time when Jackson got back. When the party was over I went home feeling great. I had a smile on my face as I walked through the front door. Ellie was preparing my annual chicken fajita dinner a day early because she and Ken had to work on my birthday. She had spent the day rooting through my closet and had seen how low my clothes supply was getting so she offered to take me into town on the weekend to buy me some new outfits. I would love that, I said as I finished my fajita. Did you have fun at your surprise party? Ellie questioned. It was almost perfect. The only thing that would have made it better was if Jackson was with me. After dinner I took a shower and laid down to relax. I put my earbuds in my ears and turned on some soothing music. I stared at the ceiling and melted into my comfortable bed. I could feel myself drifting into a quiet slumber. Before I closed my eyes I thought about who I had been a year ago and who I was now. What a difference twelve months made. My life was insane, but at the moment I had nothing but good thoughts parading through my mind. I drifted off to sleep.
For the first time in a long time my dreams were comforting. Everyone who had significance in my life was sitting around a large table enjoying a meal together. My parents both biological and adoptive were beside me. My friends from school and my pack were spread out throughout the table with the Hollens and the Tuckers. Jackson was standing behind me with his arms wrapped around me. There was a lot of laughter. I leaned into Jackson and shuddered. His touch felt so real. I turned around and pushed my lips against his. Every part of me felt like I was on fire. The passion burning through my body was palpable. A loud buzzing noise startled me and interrupted our kiss. Jackson and my friends and family disappeared. I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes to the darkness. The familiarity of my room comforted me as I came out of my dreams and back to reality. I glanced at the clock. I had to be up for school in five minutes. I had awakened this December tenth to a whole new life. A life of being eighteen. One with continuous growth and a lot of love. A life, though sometimes difficult, worth living. I rolled over with a smile on my face and reached for my cell phone. I had rarely used it before Jackson came into my life. Now I was attached to the wire. I was technologys bitch. There was an unread text message from Jackson. Happy birthday. I love you. Miss you. Be back soon. I traced my fingers across the screen and smiled. Mmm, perfect way to start my eighteenth birthday. There was a light knock at my bedroom door. I could hear Ellie shuffling her feet. Cassie, are you up? Come in, I sat up with a yawn and turned on the lamp beside my bed. The door creaked as it opened. Ken and I are leaving for work, but I wanted to tell you happy birthday before we left. She sat down beside me. Youre officially eighteen. She took my hand and squeezed it. There is so much I want to say to you... She started to get choked up. She always got weird and emotional on my birthday. Are you going to talk to me about the birds and the bees? I asked warily. Do I need to? Shed already had that conversation with me when I was seven. I had overheard some high school kids talking about sex one day and had come home and asked Ken what doing the nasty meant. His face had blanched and he quickly called for Ellie. She had delicately sat me down and explained everything. No. It was traumatic enough the first time we had the conversation. Just be safe, be smart, and dont come home pregnant, she advised, and dont marry every man you sleep with. Duly noted. I exploded into laughter. Ellie always knew how to crack me up. It is so hard to see my little girl all grown up. Youre not a child anymore. If it makes you feel any better I will always be more than a little childish. I hang around with a bunch of goofy kids. Its the goofy kid in all of us that keeps us smiling. A sense of humor can get you through pretty much anything. I agree. A day without laughter is a day wasted.
Your mother used to say that. A smile formed on her face. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my forehead. She did? She was a very wise woman. I see a lot of her in you. She still had not released me from her embrace. Youre a good kid. I love you, Ellie. I love you, too. She loosened her grip and let me go. I pushed myself out of bed and over to my closet to pick an outfit for school. Have a wonderful day at school. Be thinking about where you want to go shopping this weekend. I cant wait. I was beaming from ear to ear. Ken made waffles for breakfast, and there is freshly squeezed orange juice in the refrigerator. She walked towards the door. There is a package on the kitchen table for you. Its from Jackson. When Ellie and Ken found out that Jackson had survived and that I was still dating him they had not been happy at first. Even though he nearly died protecting me, they had a hard time trusting him knowing who his father was. Ellie slowly came around. She knew how much he meant to me. Ken was still skeptical. He still called Jackson that no good half breed boy. Ellie usually shot her husband dirty looks when he talked in a negative way about Jackson. It was surprisingly comical to watch. After I got dressed I gathered my school supplies and walked into the kitchen to get my breakfast. I grabbed a waffle and heated it up. I poured a glass of orange juice and opened the neatly wrapped brown box that was labeled for me. At the bottom of the box underneath all of the bubble wrap and packing peanuts I saw a black electronic device with a small screen and a post-it note that said play me on it. I hit the play button and the machine turned on. The screen flickered and then an image of Jackson appeared. It loaded a video he had recorded. Okay, Jackson. Its recording. I heard Jasmines voice from behind the scenes. Youre sure? The camera panned around and I saw Jasmine in an extreme close up waving at me. My brother doesnt trust me to be his videographer. She smiled. Happy birthday. She turned the camera back to Jackson. Get on with it, lover-boy. Hey, Cassie. He cleared his throat. I know the thing you want the most for your birthday is to have me there with you, but since that is not an option I decided to give you the next best thing. He grabbed a guitar from out of frame and strapped it around his chest. He tuned the guitar and then played a few chords. Feel free to sing along if you want. He started strumming softly. He sang the first two verses of The Beatles Ps. I love you and then mixed the song up by crooning a few slow verses of Ella Fitzgeralds All my life. It was like he was standing in front of me looking directly into my eyes. When he finished singing I was a pile of goo melting into my kitchen chair. Happy birthday to the eighteen year old beauty watching this...and to the old soul in her heart that I connected with. Eighteen is our number, dear. It took you eighteen years to get to this day, and it took me eighteen seconds to fall for you. And I hope to live another eighteen decades with you. He blew me a kiss and then the video cut off. I smiled. Best. Birthday. Ever.
I hit the number one speed dial on my cell phone. Jackson picked up after one ring. Shall I sing some more? he questioned. Jackson Tucker, you are the sweetest man on the planet. I loved the video. It will have to do until I can sweep you off of your feet when I get home. You know how to sweep? You really are the perfect man. I chuckled. The perfect man for the perfect woman. It makes sense. Keep up the sweet talk. It still makes me blush. I wish I could see the blood boiling in your cheeks. His kind tone was interrupted by a quiet grunt. But its probably going to be a while before that happens. Were still dodging Whit. Just Whit? You dropped Cam? He bailed on Whit a few days ago. Jasmine is trying to find out what he is up to. Rumor has it he is heading towards Texas. We want to find out whats there that has piqued his interest. Hes probably going to Sea World. It would be fun to see a werewolf riding a rollercoaster and swimming with dolphins, but I highly doubt that is Cams prerogative. Who cares why hes gone? The point is he is gone. You wanted to lose them. One down. One to go. One plus one equals two. Very good. I see youve been practicing your math. Smart-ass. I also know that negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four ac divided by two a equals x, and I can graph it on the x/y intercept. Nice. I aced my algebra test. Im proud of you. Thanks, but algebra is torture without you. I am not looking forward to my midterm. I have every confidence that you will do great. Not if Zach keeps running me ragged. I immediately regretted telling him that Zach was still on high alert. That was going to imply that everything in Crossport was still a mess. There hadnt been any more attacks since the night a vampire had burst into my room and tried to kill me. Even though we hadnt run across any more vampires on patrol Zach was convinced we were not safe. He had glared at me when I told him we were never safe. If Jackson found out the truth he would do something stupid, like risk his life for me. This long distance relationship was a blessing in disguise. I didnt want to ruin it. He hasnt lightened up with Devon being gone? Jackson questioned curiously. You know Zach. Hes always assuming the worst. I managed to come up with a believable and truthful response. Youre sure everything is okay there? Hes just overreacting. What was that call you got last night that cut our conversation short? he asked suspiciously. The Lupos planned a surprise birthday party for me. Joy made me wear an embarrassing hat. I assume she took photos? Theyre probably all over the internet by now.
Excellent. He laughed. I got some pretty cool presents. I walked into the living room and grabbed the box I had put my birthday gifts in and put it on the kitchen table. I started digging through it. Maverick jumped up on the table and shoved his nose into the box. I picked up the toy mouse Sean and Finn had bought me and threw it across the room. Maverick raced after it. He slipped across the kitchen floor into the wall and I let out a loud laugh. I got a lot of cool stuff. Candles, movie tickets, pictures. There were a lot of unique gifts, but yours was by far my favorite. You cant beat a heart-felt song. Im glad I was able to bring a smile to your face. You made me swoon. Perfect. Thats what I was going for. I knew I had to do something big for missing the party. Ill send you some pictures. There were lots of silly antics. Dogs, sugar, and caffeine do not mix well. Sean made me play pin the tail on the werewolf. Dont you mean donkey? No. He went out of his way to find a version of the game that had a wolf instead of a donkey. He is a special kid, Jackson said jokingly. Indeed. There was a pause in our conversation. I heard a muffled noise from Jacksons end of the phone. Is everything okay? Huh? Oh, yeah. Ive just...Ive got to run. Duty calls. His smooth tone didnt hide his nerves. Something was up. But I had played this game with him long enough to know that even if something was wrong he wasnt going to go into details about it, so I offered him a piece of advice. Be careful. I always am. Except for the time you died. Are you ever going to let that go? No. Happy birthday, Cassie. After we said our goodbyes I raced to my room to grab my school supplies. I was walking out of my room when I got sidetracked by a photo of me and my parents. Sometimes celebrating the milestones in my life was bittersweet. I picked up the picture and stared at the family Id once had. I thought about the day I was born. I imagined myself in my mothers arms. I could picture my father singing me a silly lullaby. I could picture them arguing over whether or not my first smile was just gas. They had loved me so much. My parents had given me so much in the four years I had been with them. I couldnt remember if I had ever thanked them for bringing me into the world. Thank you. I smiled weakly. I rustled through my drawers and pulled out the note my mother had left me with Devons ring. I could feel her presence with me as I read through the note. I closed my eyes and could hear her comforting voice,
We love you with all of our hearts. Never forget that. I thought about the duty she had bestowed upon me when she left me Devons ring. As much as I hated having the ring in my possession, I didnt mind the connection it gave me to my mother. Knowing that she and my father had so much faith in me that they would leave the ring in my care gave me the strength I needed to push forward with my sometimes tedious duties as a Lupo. I crawled on to the floor and opened the air vent. I reached into the darkness and pulled out the stone that encased Devons ring. I imagined that my mother had once done the exact same thing. I envisioned her fingers tracing slowly across the stone and then clutching it tightly in her palm. I tightened my grip. The stone was hot to the touch. I checked the air vent with my other hand to see if it was from us running the heater too high during these cold months. Generally we didnt use the heater very often. Ken and I were very hot natured, and over the years Ellie had adjusted to the bitter cold by investing in heated blankets, so the heater stayed on low. The vent was warm, but no where near as hot as Devons ring. This cant be good. Endless possibilities started racking my brain. I had learned anything was possible. What if Devon had found a way to connect to his ring? Or what if the ring was emitting some kind of evil radio waves that would possess me and my loved ones? Zach had warned me that the ring was a magnet for evil psychopaths. But even if there was someone after the ring it was worthlessbecause it was safely sealed in its own personal jewelry box. After I calmed my nerves I decided to find a new hiding place for the ring and see if it cooled down any. If it was still hot after twenty four hours then I would worry. I looked around my room. My eyes drifted over to my jewelry box, but I knew that was one of the most rookie mistakes I could make. That would be the first place someone would look. Maverick looked at me from my bed. He uncurled from the little ball that he was in and stood up to stretch. He yawned, shoved his claws into my bed, circled a few times, and then laid back down. I could always hide it under the lazy cat, I said sarcastically. No one would ever think to look there. Maverick stared at me and then looked down at the bed again. He had inadvertently given me an idea. I walked over to my bed and slid my hand underneath my mattress. There had been a hole in my box spring for years. I had hidden a pair of Kens reading glasses in it when I was seven after Id accidentally stepped on them and broken them in half. I had used the hiding spot again as a holding cell for Ellies keys when I was nine and mad at Ellie because she wouldnt let me drive to the store. I had stashed alcohol there when I was fifteen. Over the years I had concealed many of my misdeeds in my box spring. I felt around underneath my mattress until my hand came across the trusty hiding spot. I dropped the ring into my box spring and smiled in satisfaction. I faced Maverick after I stood up. Guard it with your life. I ordered him. He meowed at me and then closed his eyes.
I looked at the picture of my parents again before I grabbed my school supplies and drove to school. When I pulled into my normal parking spot I shut off the cars engine and took a moment to look at the school building. Eighteen. Today I was eighteen. It was just like any other birthday, except for the nagging feeling that everything in my life was about to change.