Chapter 75

Owen

I nodded absently as Abigail sprawled across my bed, legs kicking in the air like she had zero respect for personal space. Which, let’s be honest, she didn’t.

“So,” she said, stretching the word out like she was testing it. “Have you tried transforming again? Since, you know…” She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. Since the doctor. Since Mom freaked out. Since that hospital visit.

It’s not like mom and dad talked about it.

“No,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. “Not really in the mood to send Mom into another spiral. She’s already acting weird recently.”

Abigail propped herself up on her elbows, frowning. “Yeah, she kinda lost it then, huh?”

“Yeah,” I deadpanned. “Just a little. I told you we shouldn’t have snuck out.”

“Still worth. I learned how to transform! I gotta keep up with you!” She hummed, kicking her feet again before perking up. “So what color is your wolf anyway?”

I blinked. “Huh?”

“Your wolf,” she said impatiently. “When you shifted, what color was it?”

I shrugged. “Dunno. It was dark. Didn’t exactly stop to check myself out in a mirror…yours?”

She shrugged. “Well, this is just unacceptable.” Abigail sat up straight, determination lighting her eyes. “We should check. Right now.”

I immediately recoiled. “Yeah, no. Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on,” she whined. “We’re safe! No one’s around! Mom and Dad aren’t even home! And Miles it too busy snacking in the kitchen! It’s not liek your some ran away still. At least alone.” She winked.

“Abigail, we both know it’s not normal to half-transform.” I gave her a pointed look. “You saw how they reacted. We’re kind of… freaks. This isn’t some cool party trick.”

“It totally is,” she argued, undeterred, her dress puffing around her. “And besides, don’t you want to know? What if you have, like, embarrassing patches or something? Like a raccoon!”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Why do I talk to you?”

“Because I make your life interesting.” She grinned, bouncing on the bed like a five-year-old on a sugar high. “Come on, just a little shift! Just ears and tails, that’s all.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“I’ll stop stealing your hoodies.”

“You’re literally wearing one of mine right now.”

She gasped dramatically. “That is a false accusation, sir!”

I pointed at the too-big sleeves drowning her hands. “My name’s embroidered on the cuff, Abigail.”

She hastily tucked the sleeve under her palm. “Irrelevant. Now focus—are we shifting or what?”

I sighed heavily, knowing full well she wouldn’t stop until she got her way. “Fine. But if we get caught, again, I’m blaming you.”

“As you should,” she said, far too cheerfully. “Okay, on three.”

We stood in front of my mirror, side by side, and I took a deep breath. This was a stupid idea. A really, really stupid idea.

“One… two… three!”

A strange sensation rippled through me—like my skin stretching and shifting but not in a painful way. Just weird. My ears twitched, and I felt something new swish behind me.

Abigail gasped. “Oh my God! Look at you!”

I turned my head and immediately stiffened, my tail curled around me. My fur was black. The exact same black as Dad’s. That was… a lot to process.

I barely had time to register that before Abigail grabbed my arm, bouncing with excitement. “And look at mine! It’s fawn-colored! With a white stripe under my tail!” She spun in a circle, tail swishing wildly. “I look amazing!”

I snorted. “You look like a deer.”

“A majestic deer,” she corrected. “And you—wow, Owen, you look so much like Dad.”

I stared at my reflection, jaw tightening. “Yeah.”

She nudged me, sensing the shift in my mood. “Hey. That’s cool, though. Right?”

I hesitated before shrugging. “Guess so.”

Before she could push it further, a voice from the window made us both freeze.

“Well. That’s something you don’t see every day.”

Our heads snapped toward the window so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.

There, perched on the windowsill like it was the most normal thing in the world, was a boy our age. One I’ve never seen before. Not in the pack, and not at school. Red hair. Freckles. Jean overalls, a cap and a grey T-shirt. With a crooked grin that made my stomach drop.

I didn’t think. Instinct took over, and I moved instantly, stepping in front of Abigail. “Who the hell are you?”

The boy raised his calloused hands in mock surrender, clearly amused. “Whoa. Easy, half pup. Just an innocent bystander witnessing some, uh… highly classified werewolf business?”

Abigail, because she had no self-preservation, peeked around me. “How long have you been there?!”

He shrugged. “Long enough.”

I scowled. “Not an answer.”

“Not my problem.”

I clenched my jaw. “You can’t tell anyone about this.”

“Oh?” His smirk deepened. “And what do I get in return?”

I narrowed my eyes. “You get to keep your teeth.”

“Yikes. Tough crowd.” He grinned, clearly not threatened. “Relax. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Why should we believe you?” I snapped. “Who even are you!? How’d you get past the guards?”

“Well, they aren’t that perceptive,” he said, hopping down from the window with way too much ease, his barefeet thumping against the wood. “I think you two just became the most interesting thing in this town. And I’m not about to ruin my entertainment.”

Abigail elbowed me. “I like him.”

I groaned. “Of course you do.” Though… I had snuck past the pack guards before, so I knew it wasn’t impossible. But I wasn’t just anyone. So who was this… kid?

The boy stuck out a hand. “Name’s Theo. And you two are officially my new favorite people.”

I stared at his hand like it might bite me.

Abigail, naturally, pushed past me and shook it immediately. “I’m Abigail, and this grump is my brother Owen.”

Theo smirked. “Figures.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I already regret this.”

“Relax, Alpha boy,” Theo said cheerfully, rocking back on his heels. “This is gonna be fun.”

I stopped, giving him a slow, skeptical once-over. “Hold up, you know my dad?”

Theo let out a laugh, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he took in our room with an impressed whistle. “Of course I do, everyone does.”

“So you're a wolf?” Abigail grinned, bouncing forward like she’d just won a prize. “In our pack?”

Theo stopped in front of a family photo, tilting his head. “Yeah. But unlike you two, I can fully transform.”

“Woah!” Abigail shoved past me to get to his side, ignoring my hiss to stay put. “But you're so young! To already have your wolf is unheard of!”

Theo shot her a cocky grin. “So’s only transforming halfway.”

I folded my arms. “Why are you here?” I asked flatly, cutting through their little moment.

Theo turned to me with an exaggerated expression of offense. “Isn’t it obvious?” His grin widened. “To play!”

I stared. Abigail gasped. And then, as if the very idea had ignited something deep in her chaotic soul, she grabbed my hand and Theo’s and bolted for the door.

“Come on! Before Mom and Dad find out!” she squealed.

“Abigail, no—” I tried to dig my heels in, but she was deceptively strong for someone so small.

Theo just laughed, completely on board. “Come on, Grump Pup! Live a little!”

I tried to pull Abigail back once more but she met my eyes with a determined gaze, one I wasn’t expecting. “Haven’t you ever wanted to meet other kids in the pack? It’s always been just us in the mansion! Come on! Let’s make a friend!”

A friend…

I paused at that. She was right, we hadn’t really been socialized with other pups before. I was always in the hospital as a high profile and I’m sure Abigail was always in hiding…

I wanted to say no, send this kid out the way he came but, maybe just a round of chase wouldn’t be too bad.

And just like that, we were running, racing through the house and out into the yard, half-shifted and howling with laughter, because for once, the rules didn’t matter.