Parker

I'm not awake yet but I hear two foreign voices bickering.

"We should have moved him already." A voice comes to me through the darkness.

"And what? Risked him bleeding out?" Another voice asks. A low growl is followed by a light sigh, "I am sorry, future Alpha. I mean that moving him would have been risky. If he would have come back with other wolves, we may have had more trouble than we need."

"Right," The other voice says, "because he's a frail human."

"He's a human who handled himself against—"

"Do you feel that?" He asks, "I think he's waking up."

"Did you just say 'feel'?" The other voice asks.

The major headache I'm experiencing tells me that they are, in fact, right. I'm awake now. I try to remember what happened before now. I'm trying not to panic upon hearing two men talking about me while I'm unconscious.

The man turned into a wolf.

Now I'm trying to pretend I didn't see a man turn into a whole wolf after being attacked by another equally large wolf. I'm not amnesiac. It was one of the most frightening and embarrassing moments in my life. Of all the things to stop me, a fucking pole almost killed me.

I hesitate to open my eyes, knowing that opening my eyes could bring a new level of pain. I'm also in the presence of at least two men, one of which originated as wolf. I slowly open my eyes to see the ceiling above me. I turn slightly on the couch and see the Man from before.

You know, the man who magically stopped being a wolf.

I almost avert my eyes as he is standing near the entrance of the kitchen with absolutely no clothes on at all. Beside him is a man that appears to be more curious. The other Man is a bit smaller with darker skin. I can't place his ethnicity. I do know he has an accent of some sort.

The Man has a stylish, gelled hairstyle. His hair is managed in a very suave way. He's not manicured in any way besides his hair. It's very attractive. His dark eyes seem to regard me with suspicion now. He's wearing a ring on his left hand that is ornate. It's large and a bit gaudy. It doesn't go with his leather jacket.

I look around my apartment before swinging my feet over the side of my bright yellow sofa. I feel my naked feet touch the brown carpet and I notice that everything feels real. None of this is a dream.

I should be more disbelieving but I'm practical. This is not to be confused with logical. There is very little logic in any of this. I believe what I know. I know that at least one of these large men is a werewolf, I know we're in my apartment alone and I know how to survive.

I try to lift myself off the couch but only fall back.

"Rest." The Larger Man says. He's more commanding and a bit pretentious for some reason.

I push myself up and quickly catch my balance. The Man glares at me with a raised eyebrow. I move out of the room and head down the hallway and into my bedroom. I enter the closet to find a mirror.

I see a lovely gash across my very shiny skin. I marvel at how much the honey color clashes with the dried blood on my forehead. I don't go outside as often as I should. I can see shades of my parents in me. My Mother's larger nose and my Father's off-kilter hairline. I always figured I'd lose my hair. I think he did. I hope I don't. I can see how dark my eyes are. They usually darken when I'm angry or annoyed.

The gash seems to be closing slightly and is not bleeding anymore.

That's extremely strange.

"You're alright."

I jump at the sound of the Wolf-Man's deep voice. I can see him clearly in the mirror with that annoying smirk. I turn to him, involuntarily squinting.

"Yeah. Not frail after all."

The Man averts his eyes as he looks around the closet. He takes a step outside and I follow. I'm immediately embarrassed by the discarded clothes from trying to dress myself like a real adult this morning. There are shoes everywhere. I just hope he doesn't venture too far and find one of my new best friends. A chuckle escapes his lips and I wonder what he's laughing about. I'm not normally self-conscious but he makes me feel a bit inferior, probably by the comment he made while he thought I was passed out.

"What do you remember?" He asks.

I try not to smirk. He wants to know if I remember him transforming into a wolf. I feel the need to draw it out a bit. I realize that I'm not one for long waits and seeing his surprise will be better the sooner I see it.

"The was a large wolf. Black, I think. It was hard to see him in the darkness. A real nasty piece of work. And then there was another wolf. He was grey. Kind of an ugly color."

A low growl comes from deep in his chest and I find it intriguing. If he's really a werewolf, I should be terrified but why aren't I? I'm not a normal person, that's for sure, but I've never tempted fate.

There's something about him that does not scare me even when it probably should.

"Anything...else?" He asks through gritted teeth.

"Well, the wolf turned into a Man...you, I think. Tell me if I'm wrong."

Like I knew it would, his expression changes from very annoyed to bewildered. The two of us stand in front of each other, neither saying a word. He's trying to find the words. I'm not sure if he realizes that there aren't words for this. What does one say in this situation?

"Oh. Yes. That was—I'm Grey."

"Grey?"

"My Wolf's name is Grey. I call him Grey. You can call him Grey." He stammers.

"Real name?" I ask.

"Kohl." He says simply.

"No last name?"

"You have a lot of questions."

"You're in my apartment, my home."

"My name is Kohl. I am a werewolf. I saved you."

"No, I saved you." I counter, "I'm guessing he was a friend of yours."

"The opposite."

"Yeah...he wasn't a nice wolf."

"Why aren't you more shocked or afraid?" Kohl says with frustration, "You shouldn't believe me. This should be harder."

"I'm not a normal guy."

"Clearly."

"How did you get in my house?" I ask.

"I wanted to break the door down," He says with a shrug, "But Jasar thought we should use your keys."

"Guy in the living room? Kind of cute and almost certainly a bit brighter than you. Is he a wolf too?"

"Yes." Jasar yells from the living room.

I blush a bit. I should have known he'd hear me. Supernatural 101 would tell me that werewolves have extremely precise hearing. Kohl stares at me. It's like he had to swallow a comment. It's striking me as odd. I'm starting to think that maybe Jasar and Kohl are more than friends. I should avoid getting eviscerated by Kohl for as long as possible.

The weird part is that the thought of Kohl and Jasar is jarring for some reason. The thought lingers and leaves a weird taste in my mouth.

"Jasar is my Beta."

I stare at him. Is he reading my mind?

"Okay, time to explain why you just happened to be here the night your un-friend attacked." I say as I cross my arms over my chest, "And for the record, I did not think you two were a thing."

"Oh yeah?" He asks with amusement.

"A little preoccupied with you two being werewolves and how I come into this sordid little tale."

"I have something to show you."

I flinch as he makes movement towards me. His jaw locks but he withdraws a cerulean smart phone from his pocket. He swipes a few times and brings it over to me. I raise an eyebrow at him as he stands in front of me, close enough to show me the screen but not close enough to frighten me, I'm guessing.

I stare at the screen. It's a news broadcast. There's a very perky brunette woman with large, white teeth and a man with bushy blonde eyebrows and dark blue eyes.

"In news today, it appears that a mass murder-suicide has happened overnight. At least twenty bodies were found in a clearing outside of town along with wolf pelts. Residents remember hearing howling as well as the sounds of fighting but at the moment, nothing is clear. Stay turned for more at ten."

I watch as the video cuts off.

"My people are in a war with a neighboring pack. My pack found peace with co-habitating with mortals but this pack seeks to something we're not sure of. Proof of this is the wolf that was here tonight."

It changes everything.

I start to think about what's going on. It's only a few seconds before my family crosses my mind. I remember that my best friend is pregnant. I remember that I'm two hours from home and stuck in a house with werewolves.

I take a step back.

"We're here to help you. You need to come with us."

I grimace at him. The gall of him to order me to do anything is beyond me and the fact that he thinks that's a decision I'm just going to make split-second is unfathomable. Why does he want to help me? What is he going to help me with? And how the Hell did I get a mention in this?

"You're special. You are a threat to them." Kohl informs, "The wolf from before would seek to take you to his pack, our rivals. He would use you."

"Use me? What about you? Why would either of you want me?" I ask.

"We don't have time for questions. If he's come for you, his pack won't be far behind. I didn't bring mine. I didn't think I'd have this much trouble." Kohl says with frustration, "You're more insolent than I thought."

"Insolent? Do you think I'm some kind of kid? Sure I like footie pajamas. And those little fruit packets! But I'm not some kid you can just order around."

"Listen to me, dickhead, we're on the brink of something very dangerous. What you just saw on TV is not even close to what is coming. You're the key to defeating them. To fighting them back."

I think about what he's saying. If he's telling the truth then what makes him different from the other pack? What makes his pack more trustworthy than anyone else? I'd be an idiot to trust him but he did save me. I do trust him. I just know there's something he's not saying. He's being evasive.

"Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"Why would I go with you? I mean, I know you about as well as I know any of them. How do I know you don't want me to make your pack more powerful?"

"The thought's crossed my mind but you clearly would see through that." Kohl snaps, "So, I'll just have to settle for saving your ass."

"Saving me?"

"That was one occurrence. I was busy saving you."

"And then I saved you."

"Off point." He says with a dark, deep growl, "I need you to trust me. We need to move now."

"I need to see my family."

"No! You'll put them in danger."

"They're in danger now!" I bark.

"Then don't hurt them anymore." He counters.

The conversation ends. No, that's not correct. The conversation pauses. If this is the new status quo for the world and someone is coming for me then Kohl is right. If they know where I am, it puts them in danger. I can't just disappear.

"When we get to the pack lands, we can call them. Hell, video message but right now..."

"Fine!" I shout. I hadn't realized that I've been thinking this entire time. I somehow hear him but it's not until I really hear him that I hear him. I stare at him before deciding to go with him. I head deeper into the closet and fish out a duffel bag. I begin filling it with clothes until it's full. I head to the bathroom and stuff prescriptions into the bag before walking back in the room to pick up my phone.

"No phone."

"What?"

"They can track it." Kohl says taking it and smashing it in his hands, "I'm sure Kennedy101 can find another guy in Fishr."

I blush. No one is supposed to know about that. I guess werewolves go through phones while you're sleep. I growl at him before pushing past him. I head into the living room and stand in front of Jasar.

"We'll send for your things. We'll pay the rent for the rest of your lease and send your car back to your Mother's house." Jasar says sheepishly. He has some sort of decency. I nod to him and he sighs, "I am sorry. I know this isn't easy for you."

I look back towards my bedroom and roll my eyes.

"He's just trying to protect you." Jasar says with a smile, "There's a lot at stake here."

"Can we go? I'm pretty tired." I say with a smile, "And thanks."

Jasar nods and his eyes fall on something behind me. I don't bother to look back as I walk forward. I don't stop walking until I'm downstairs. I stop and wait for Kohl who holds his keychain up to a jeep parked in one of the uncovered parking spots. I wait for them to walk over and follow. I see that Kohl goes to the driver's seat but Jasar doesn't immediately go to the passenger seat.

Jasar opens the door behind the passenger seat and is about to climb in. I quickly side-step him and crawl into the back. Kohl seems even more annoyed and turns his head forward. His hands are gripping the steering wheel so tight that they're practically paper white.

Jasar stifles laughter as he shuts the door and moves to the passenger seat. He climbs in just as Kohl starts up the jeep and I stare out the window at my apartment complex. Everything is so quiet tonight. The street seems devoid of cars and there doesn't seem to be anyone on the street.

As we begin driving, I feel a sense of fear. I think the shock is wearing off.

Werewolves are real. I was attacked by a werewolf, almost saved by a werewolf and now I'm headed to some unknown location without much hesitation. I may be an idiot.

I think I just made a mistake.