Nature's Destiny (5 page)
“What time do you finish?”
“Three.”
“I’ll be here by four.” I nodded, finally accepting that it was actually happening. I wasn’t happy, but I couldn’t deny the truth anymore even if I’d wanted to. That wasn’t smart, and if I’d learnt anything from my past it was better to adapt and move on, no matter the pain. Like evolution, I’d change to accommodate.
“Do you need me to drive you home?” I remembered a little too late that he hadn’t driven here. How else was he going to get home? He smiled at me and walked towards the back door.
“You have a lovely view here. The woods are right on your doorstep,” he said as if he knew something I didn’t. He opened the door and winked. “See you tomorrow!”
He ran through the garden looking every bit the sportsman. He neared the entrance to the woods, and I watched the air as it vibrated around him, morphing with electricity. His body bent and twisted in ways unimaginable, and I realised he was shifting into a wolf.
I stood, gasping, as the magnificent black wolf stared at me, the green of his eyes the only indication that he was still Riley. He was enormous and powerful, and I faltered through the door as I tried to get a closer look at him.
He bowed his head and disappeared, again.
I choked at the obvious realisation that Werewolves existed. There was no denying it now.
“Who is it?” mum’s voice crackled over the intercom.
“Your hungry daughter, please let me in,” I replied while dangling my arm out of the car window to hold onto the speech button.
“I think you have the wrong house.”
“Ha, ha, very funny, mother!” The gates buzzed as they opened. I’d been sat idle in the car while I waited, amused once again that my parents didn’t trust the public.
When mum’s fan base grew, dad insisted on gating the house, which in some respects made sense. It was just weird for a house in Wales to be heavily gated, though growing up in it made me feel safe. The only thing I had missing were bodyguards, thankfully.
I parked the car in the garage and breathed in deeply, readying myself for the questions to come. As awkward as I found lying, I was grateful for this goodbye. I knew it wasn’t for forever, but necessary all the same. It had been a while since I’d been home.
“Sorry about that dear, I had asked your father to leave the gate open for you, and as usual he didn’t listen.” Mum was busy at the oven, and I kissed her cheek before dipping my fingers in the sauce she was making.
“Yummy.”
“Manners, Luna!” she said as she smacked my hand away.
“Is it almost ready?” I asked, hopeful as my mouth began to salivate.
“Just give it five minutes. Why don’t you go set the table? Your father is in his study, give him a nudge too will you?”
“Sure.” I grabbed the cutlery and went into the dining room.
It was a large space with beige walls and patio doors that lead out to the garden area. Growing up we hadn’t spent much time in there, most of our dinners had been eaten in the living room. The exception was when we’d had family gatherings and holidays. We were quite traditional and every Christmas we’d laid the table in a fancy way, even if it was just for the three of us.
The solid oak dining table and chocolate brown leather chairs filled most of the room. It was quite big, but mum often hosted dinner parties for her writing colleagues.
I placed the cutlery down and peered through the patio doors. The house was like a castle, and I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it.
“Hey, munchkin! It’s good to see you!” I turned around and gave dad a big hug as mum walked in with the food steaming on our plates.
“Just in time, Dylan. Your stomach must have known I was serving up!” I chuckled at mum’s attempt at subtlety, she never could get dad in the kitchen to help.
“You know me, Carly. I’m a growing man!” Dad winked at me as he patted his non-existent belly. He was a tall man at six foot and liked his sports to keep him active. As a surgeon, he was determined to be healthy because he saw too many patients lose their battle with life. It spurred him on enough to take care of his.
“Wow! This is good,” I enthused, taking another hearty mouthful.
“Thank you, dear. How did your exam go?”
“Quite well actually. I just hope it’s good enough for a first.” I was desperate to achieve the highest grade, regardless of my unknown future.
“Oh, honey, I’m sure it is. And if per chance it isn’t, that doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough to pursue your writing career. The marking system isn’t the same as readers feedback, don’t forget that.”
“You know, I never thought of that.”
“Trust me darling, we can’t please everyone and if we could writing wouldn’t be much of a challenge then. After all, look at all the hate mail I get for killing a character!”
“I suppose so,” I shrugged. “Doesn’t that scare you though?”
“It did at first, and that’s why your father installed all this security,” mum fanned her arms and pointed to the gates outside. “You were quite young when it first started, we didn’t want any danger.”
“She’s right, Luna. We couldn’t afford to know how true some of the threats were, and we weren’t going to gamble with your life, and ours. But it’s the same as a lot of jobs, there will always be those you can’t please, and then you just have to take those comments with a pinch of salt.”
“So, basically, no matter what my degree classification is, I’ll still write, eat salt as a way to stay sane, and try to stay alive,” I murmured sarcastically. “Sounds like a healthy future.”
“We didn’t mean to literally eat salt, Luna. I don’t spend my days chugging back a spoonful here and there!” mum laughed. “No matter what, we’ll be very proud of you.”
“When’s graduation?” dad asked.
“It isn’t for another month or so yet, and I plan on leaving on my trip tomorrow night. I guess I’ll stay in Europe so that my flight back is quick.”
I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t turn up to my own graduation. Did I still get my degree? I always knew it was going to be a problem when I went travelling, but the only difference I had now was that I wasn’t going to be abroad when I’d need to return. If anything, it had made things easier for me.
“You’re leaving so soon?” mum asked. I braced myself ready for my lies, and nausea claimed my stomach. I calmed my nerves as best I could before my mouth ran away from me.
“Yeah, my last shift at
The Hybrid
is tomorrow, and I’ve spent today packing. No reason for me to delay my travels.” I plastered a smile on my face. I hadn’t lied outright, but I’d definitely bent the truth and that made me feel awful.
“Oh, of course. That does make sense dear, and I assumed you’d go sometime this week. As you say, why wait?” she smiled. “Well, I’m glad I arranged this dinner then. And it does seem wise if you stay in Europe for the time being. Do you have everything sorted for graduation?”
“Not yet mum, I’ve literally just finished Uni! Tickets aren’t on sale yet.” Typical, she was always planning ahead.
“Well, don’t forget darling, your father and I want to see you wave about your papers.” I giggled at the thought of waving my hand about like royalty to the audience. The tension in my body receded as my muscles unclenched. The dreaded talk was over, and I was on safe ground.
My heart fluttered as I thought of Riley. I was another step closer to seeing him again.
Setting my knife and fork on the empty plate, I wiped my mouth with my serviette. I was stuffed. I sat for a few minutes contemplating if wearing jeans had been the right choice. The urge to undo my button and zip grew with every second.
“I’ll just go clean up, and finish off dessert. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“I’ll help,” I offered.
“Don’t be silly. You go relax. I’ll be at least half an hour.”
I got up to carry my plate to the kitchen, and took dad’s with me. I didn’t feel like watching TV, so I set about wandering the house. As I walked into the piano room upstairs, I realised I’d been sub-consciously heading there. It had been a while since I played.
When I was younger, mum had bought a piano as an incentive for her to learn how to play. She never did learn, but I found I really enjoyed it. I was given a few lessons, and then spent a lot of time learning new pieces on my own. I was very proud that I’d managed to teach myself most of what I knew, though it hadn’t been easy.
The walls of the room were a light dusk pink with big windows that let a lot of light in. There was a cream corner sofa which was extremely comfortable for sitting in to read.
An enormous bookshelf rested against one wall that was full of mum’s novels and dad’s medicinal books. It was quite an eclectic range and I used to love spending time rummaging through them, and filling my mind with the technical jargon and know-how.
I sat at the black grand piano that filled the middle of the room and rested my fingers on the keys. I placed my foot on the pedals and began to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.
I couldn’t resist a smile from forming on my face as my fingers slid across the keys. I was just as excited to play the piece as I was when I’d first learnt it. I loved it.
I felt a calm serenity wash over me as I continued to play. It was nice to know that underneath my new Werewolf skin, I was still me.
My mind boggled. I couldn’t believe that I was a Werewolf, and my thoughts reached out to Riley and his pack again. What if they didn’t like me? What if I was some discrimination to their kind?
I didn’t know anything about Werewolves apart from the standard variety in films, and even then they had contradicting attributes. Mostly, they were supposed to be mythical creatures.
Was a bitten Werewolf something that happened often, or were they mostly born that way? I had a lot of questions to ask Riley, and so far I’d barely asked him any. I was too caught up in a whirlwind of affection. My biggest fear was finding out who’d bitten me, and why?
I was finishing the melody as mum called, and I bounded down the stairs with a newfound spring in my step. In my music-endorsed melancholy I’d decided to make the most of my new journey. I wasn’t going to spend any more time worrying.
“You made profiteroles?” I asked, easily pleased as I licked my lips.
“I did. Nothing but the best for my little girl.” I blushed at the endearment, I
loved
profiteroles.
We sat in the living room eating quietly. I was way too busy enjoying the delicious chocolate goodness to carry any kind of conversation. They never lasted as long as I wanted. I washed my bowl and prepared to leave.
“Well, you certainly outdid yourself this time, mum. I can just about manage to waddle to the car,” I laughed.
“It was good to see you, dear. I hope you have a great time away.”
“I’m sure I will,” I answered vaguely.
“Don’t hesitate to ask us if you need money. We don’t want you stranded, and we certainly don’t want you to go without.” She patted my arms with a look of approval etched across her face. “Don’t forget, we’re only a phone call away if something happens.”
“I know mum, I won’t forget, and I’ll keep it in mind. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
I hugged her tightly, saving the moment of our goodbye. “Safe trip, hon.”
I walked towards the garage with my dad by my side. “This is for you. You’ve worked incredibly hard to save up for this trip and I’m completely proud because you achieved it.” He handed me a white envelope.
“Consider this an end-of-your-degree gift. Keep it for an emergency or spend it on a lavish gift, it’s up to you.”
I opened the letter, intrigued as to what was inside. My eyes bulged as I counted two-thousand-pounds in cash. I looked up at him speechless.
“Dad, this is a lot of money. Are you sure?”
“Of course! You know money isn’t an issue for us. Now get going so you can have a good nights’ sleep. You’re going to need it for the trip ahead!”
“I love you, dad!” I hugged him goodbye.
“I love you too, Luna.”
I got into my Evoque, started the engine and exited the garage while waving goodbye. I felt happy and sated, and it had felt good to do something normal for one last time. As my seat warmed up it comforted my body in a delightful warmth. I turned on the music system and blasted Carrie Underwood’s songs.
I sang for the entire journey home.