Chapter 7: Chapter Welcomed Here

Erica’s POV We get up and I help Brett take care of the remains of the animals we caught last night. Brett walked with me as I went to my house to change before heading to the hospital.

“Why do I smell like lake water?”

“I showed you to the hidden lake that is deeper in the woods it’s private and I doubt anyone knows anything about it except for me.”

“So we swam in the lake.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Well, I guess I will have to take a shower as well maybe I should call and say I will be late.”

“You already are late it is almost noon,” Brett states blankly “What! Noon how do you know that?” I almost yell “Where the sun is in the sky.”

“You learned to tell time by the sun?”

“And the moon perks of basically living outside.”

“Could you teach me?”

“Maybe.” we reach my house and Brett stays at the edge of the woods and watches me walk up to the door I open the door but before I go inside I turn back to face him.

“How about you come inside and get something other than raw animal meat to eat.”

“It’s fine you don’t have to--” I cut him off before he finishes.

“I insist I am guessing you haven’t had much to eat other than meat since you came here it will do you some good.” He slowly walks up to my house and then up the stairs and stops in front of me I move aside to let him in.

“Thank you,” he whispers in my ear sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. He walks into the house and stands awkwardly in the kitchen not really knowing what to do I follow him in making sure the door is locked not that it really matters.

“There is some cereal in the cupboard here.” I open a cupboard revealing the cereal choices. “Bowls are over here and spoons are in this drawer and obviously the milk is in the fridge if you want something else feel free to look through the cupboards. I am going upstairs to shower and call in sick as it is already late.” I walk upstairs and go into my room locking the door and pulling out my phone only to find out that it is dead. I plug it in and grab a change of clothes from my closet and dresser.

When I get everything I go to my phone which is now alive, I go to my contacts and scroll until I find the right number and call it I don’t get an answer so I leave a voicemail. ‘Hey, this is Erica sorry I can’t come in today and didn’t call earlier I am still slightly sick from yesterday rather not risk getting any of the kids sick with whatever I have.’ I click my phone off and place it on my desk to let it continue to charge.

I go to the bathroom and climb into the shower and let the water fall over me as I wonder what all happened last night. I get out a few minutes later and dry off and quickly throw my clean clothes on and head out of my room and down the stairs where Brett is taking care of the dishes he used.

“Have a nice shower?” He says without turning around “Yes quite refreshing actually,” I say rolling my eyes.

“Well thank you for the food but I guess I should get going before your parents get home.”

“You don’t have to you don’t really have anything to do except wander the woods or sit in the den, so you can hang out here today actually anytime you want the back door is always open.”

“You would do that for me?”

“Well yeah you are probably the first person who was ever kind to me and you helped me with what happened last night.”

“To be fair it was my fault that you even went through that.”

“True but you didn’t just leave me to figure things out for myself. And that makes you a great Alpha.”

Brett’s POV She Invited me into her house to eat something other than meat she trusted me while she was in the shower when I was done I was going to leave but she said I could stay because I didn’t have much to do. She said I would always be welcome in her house.

She is doing this because I was nice and helped her with the shift and everything even though I was the reason. What impacted me the most was that she said I was a great Alpha, something everyone told me I would never be, and that had an effect on me the way she said it and I don’t know what that means.

“Thank you, Erica, but really you don’t have to do this I have lived as a wolf a lot I am used to living rough it is how I spent my summer months and school breaks.”

“Yeah but you also had a house to go to when you needed it didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“So now you have that again.”

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome. And quick a sec I noticed something while I was in the shower.” I raise an eyebrow at her confused as to what she could mean. “Nothing weird or perverted but it looks like I lost some weight.” I nod in realization “That happens when you first shift or shift for the first time in awhile you lose any extra weight you don’t need as a wolf.”

“Okay, well half of my clothes aren’t going to fit anymore so I guess I will have to go shopping.”

“Sorry,” I say I know how much clothes can mean to a girl.

“It’s fine I have needed to upgrade my clothes for a while now and this has given me the reason.”

“Okay well then I am not sorry.” she laughs and rolls her eyes at me. “Quick question for you Erica.”

“What is it.”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want but it is Christmas break and your parents aren’t home.”

“And you want to know why?”

“Yeah.”

“Well my dad always works and when they get busy my mom will but they work crazy hours typically from night to the morning and they sleep while I am at school and when I get back they are leaving. So this is a busy time but they have next week off which is the week that matters.”

“Okay, I guess that makes sense.”

“And speaking of that you don’t have a family to celebrate with so I am sure my parents wouldn’t mind if you spent it with us.”

“You are too kind Erica, thank you I would love that.” as I smile at her I get this weird feeling in my chest one that has only been described to me by older wolves and that I had previously thought to be a myth and I was terrified of what that meant.