Kierra

Ava knows the one I'm talking about, her eyes widen as she thinks about it. I return her looks with a nod. Leaving that little worm in her head, I turn to Bastion with a smile, his plate totally clean.

I raise an eyebrow, asking him if he'd like more. As he nods he belches. His eyes go wide as he covers his mouth, looking mortified. Weird reaction for a little boy, but mine is special.

Lily, the little angel, lets one out as well, just as loud, and falls into a giggling fit. Ava smiles while her head shakes in mock sadness, then looks to Bastion.

"No worries hun, this one does it all the time. I've gotten to the point that I just take it as a compliment. You've seen nothing till you see a little kitten rolling all over the place just because she learned she can do it in her cat form."

I start laughing as I picture it. The whole thing I can see as a Lily thing. Bastion has calmed, joining in the laughter as he pictures it to. Then I have to rewind, confusion crossing my features.

"Kitten? With as big as she is, she's still a kitten?"

Makes sense I guess, as they were born as what they are. This is where I see just how hard being a Were-animal can be. Calling on Asher's explanations and that little bit about Were-beasts rarely conceiving, possible, just really rare, so no kids for me that will randomly turn into a puppy. The idea is strange, but sad at the same time.

Since I'd brought it up, Lily decides she's going to explain by showing me. Sitting right there on the chair one moment, then gone the next. Staring blankly at the back of the chair, Bastion looks down into her seat with wide eyes.

A furry head pops up over the table, untangling itself from a shirt. A wide smile plants itself on my face as I watch Lily pull herself free and jump onto the table. A small yellowish-tan body hops across the table into my arms, her mother yelling at her for being on the table.

She isn't tiny, nowhere near like a regular house cat kitten, but a miniature version of her mother, just different coloring and spot design with eyes the dark blue of a kitten. Wrapping my arms around her as she stands in my lap, she puts her paws high on my chest. Stuffing her face into my hair through my neck, high pitched mews pierce my eardrums.

Wincing, I pull her back. May be a kitten, but she's fully equipped with killer teeth and claws. She isn't exactly light either, at least eighty pounds worth of snow mew kitten tries to rub into my body.

Ava just laughs at me as I seem to have reverted back to treating her daughter as a baby I feel I'm going to drop. Lily headbutts under my chin, she's so fluffy and soft, her long tail waving in Bastion's face. He looks amazed, mouth agape as he catches her tail. Food seems to have been forgotten for the moment as I wrestle a child I've known all her life, but never as a supernatural feline.

"The reason I couldn't have any friends at her birth was because it wasn't in a hospital. Home birth with only my mom and one other woman who's a midwife for our kind. She wasn't a cat when born, but was very hairy. My 'monkey' baby, as humans would say."

She smiles as she pulls up twelve-year-old memories.

"From the time Shifters are born till they're in their twenties, they have trouble holding one form for very long. High emotions will cause it, as will hunger, fear, and extreme happiness. When I had had all those parties? I had smoke and alcohol on purpose so if anyone saw or heard anything, they would blame being drunk or high."

I laugh as that makes sense, so even if someone had snuck into her room to see her and saw something weird, it wouldn't be on her or Ava. Explains all the fluff in the crib, too.

After several tiny punctures and scratches, she finally hops down, bounding to her room and almost running into the wall on the way. Very fluffy paws on slick floors - it's the best. As Bastion and I watch after her, laughing, Ava continues.

"You almost saw her, Kierra, several times. Near caught me a couple of times too. When she'd get angry with me or her dad and would run to you, she would flip from skin to fur constantly. One reason I was always yelling at her and telling her to go to her room. Still do on occasion."

She laughs, looking in the direction her daughter ran off to.

"We both wanted to show you so many times, to really be ourselves around someone we love. If it was just me, I might have been able to get away with it. There are many humans who know about us, but when she came, I couldn't risk her life."

She stops when she sees me shaking my head, a small flare in her brown eyes.

"You did what was right Ava, if you'd told me and I found out I endangered both your lives, I would have been devastated. Never apologize for protecting your child."

The small flare in her eyes had been anger, probably thinking I was going to argue, but now she looks relieved.

"You've always been so protective of us, it was the only way I knew I could protect you in return."

I can feel my face flush as I turn and try to hide it in taking a drink of whatever Bastion's drinking, having forgotten to grab something for myself. His cup is empty. Well, that's fail. He chuckles at me.

"Well, if nothing else comes from becoming a Werewolf, I now have the strength to actually protect you, instead of just an illusion. I'm guessing Shifters have the same heightened abilities?"

Ava nods, a grin creeping up.

"I knew you had a big crush on Ryder, I could smell it, which meant he could as well. You never once let on though. If you had known he could shift back then, I can see you really going nuts."

She starts laughing again, the boy at my side grinning at me so hard his face is gonna split. I squint my eyes and wave my fork at him, which just makes him break out into laughter while my cheeks burn.

Of course I didn't let on, she'd been dating the guy. The thought of them both knowing just from my scent though is majorly embarrassing. If they had let on back then, I would've died.

"Well, that explains Rye's size, he's older too, isn't he?"

Her head inclines slowly, the conspirator's grin she's sharing with Bastion making my face hurt from all the blood flowing into it. Tapping the tip of my fork onto my plate rapidly with my fingertips, I have to force myself to stop so I don't break the plate.

"I need to check my laundry."

I get up and head out, hearing them both burst out laughing as I make the hallway. Can't help but smile at the thought of Bastion coming out from his shell a little more. Getting our clothes, I get them taken out to the jeep.

Getting into a compartment on the inside back door, I pull out the clear material that can be put up as windows. Till I get the actual ones put in at home, these will have to do. As I'm clipping them all into place, Asher comes from the woods behind the house.

Not wanting to put him in a mood, I wait to tell him what I've learned from Ava about what's going around, instead letting him know that we're gonna get going soon and that I need to run to the store. Asking if he wants dropped off at home before I go or if he'd like to go with, he shakes his head to both. Looking at him in question, he lets me know he wants to run. I nod, warning him to be careful. Blue-green eyes stare at me. Laughing softly, my hand dips forward under his ear, rubbing up.

The midnight wolf noses my arm once before he heads off, even though I have an extra stop, he'll probably make it back home before we do. Going back in, Lily has come back out and is bouncing around. That girl has some crazy energy. Then I remember; kitten. Duh.

Ava had made a lot of food, so we're getting several containers full. Bastion looks positively giddy at it all. I ruffle his hair and let him know that before going home, we're gonna stop at the store so we can pick up some real food. He smiles, turning shy.

We say our goodbyes, and I finally get my hug from my friend. Seeing the horses, I have another question.

"Uh, Ava? You're predators, how're the horses not freaking out?"

"Their original owners were Shifters."

She says that as if it explains everything. It does and doesn't, but I don't push it. Telling Bastion to hop up front, a surprise is there for him. He looks at me in question and heads over, looking even more confused before he recognizes what it is.

Ava had given me one of Lily's old booster seats. Some new law or whatever states that a child under so-an-so height and weight needs one whether in front or back. Load of crap if you ask me, but whatever. The temperature steadily drops as it gets darker, so we head out.

Bastion had freaked out at the thought of us leaving Asher behind, but I'd told him he wanted to run home. Had to explain that it's a wolf thing. I'm gonna have to pull down some of my books at home, since he's living with two at the moment, more knowledge will explain a lot of things for him.

Hopefully.

Gotta love 24/7 stores. The shopping center we go to is damn near empty, which works for us just fine. We go through and pick up several things, I let Bastion pick out a lot of the stuff while I go for meat. Wasn't a big meat eater before, but things seem to change rather quickly when you have a carnivorous animal living within you.

To my delight, Bastion has taken to my hobby of talking about weird people we happen to see, both of us laughing rather loudly a few times and drawing the attention of many night stockers and other late-night shoppers.

Having enhanced and preternatural senses lets me know that a few are not so human. I stay as far from them as I can, not adept enough yet to tell what flavor they are. One though, I have to get closer to, as his scent isn't making any sense to me.

Hint of feline, like Ava, yet different. Cologne over old blood, a dryness, like stale air. I almost trip over him, crouched down at the end of the aisle. Young, tall as he stands, arm lands on mine as he steadies me. I know he catches my scent real quick after that. This one seems either slow or a bit oblivious. Brown hair is cut short, almost a bowl cut, poor thing. Pretty eyes though; a pale lime green.

When his hand tightens on my arm, I try pulling away without being rude, but when he refuses to let go, I start getting mad. My own green eyes flash in warning. Bastion is in the next aisle over, I see him starting to come around. With my free hand, he gets warned away.

Guy opening his mouth gives me a clue as to what he is as he pulls his lip back to reveal fangs. My face closes down as a deep rumble escapes my chest, teeth baring and snapping angrily.

"You need to let me go. Now."

He looks amused. The two of us are at the end of the lane, no one else is around aside from Bastion, who's peeking around the corner. Funny how employees are everywhere till you need one, then it's like they scatter to the four winds.

"Your choice dead man, but I doubt you want attention called to us. I'm up for causing some trouble, how 'bout you?"

My voice is low, the growl heard within it. His hand tightens even more, bruising deep. I keep my face pointed at him, showing no discomfort. My wolf brushes within me, peeking through my eyes as my claws start to extend, thicker muscle wrapping around my limbs.

He looks stunned, so I guess he thought I was bluffing. I can feel my own canines lengthen, both top and bottom. Not the ridiculous movie amount, but enough to be noticeable.

Can tell he's really thinking about things now. Exposure being a big no-no, which means fighting a Werewolf in the middle of a popular store would be very bad. Can see him finally making that connection, then slowly releasing my arm.

"There, see? There's a good undead. You touch me again, and I will tear you apart right here and now."

He had let go, but of course I have to go open my mouth and start calling names. His face hardens as I threaten him, eyes angry. Guy starts to reach for me again till I smile with evil intent, spoiling for a fight. Seeing this, he backs off. Going so far as to take a few steps further into the aisle.

Fangs still bared, his eyes promise another time. I raise an eyebrow, daring him. His teeth-baring turns into a smirk, tongue coming out to lick along his lips.

I throw him a look of disgust, letting him know his Vampire bullshit doesn't work on me. As if seduction right now was really going to help him. Pig.

With that, I let my extras fade away then turn and walk over to Bastion, going back to our shopping as if nothing happened. I can feel the bruising on my upper arm though. If I had still been human, I'm pretty sure my arm bone would be cracked.

We walk around for a few more minutes before checking out. As we leave the store, the space between my shoulder blades tightens. Someone's staring very hard at me. I don't look, but my whole body coils in readiness.

Turns out it's a good thing Asher didn't come; there would have been no room. I get Bastion laughing again as we pile everything in as if we're playing Tetris. He looked at me all confused when I said it, so I explained, but he's still looking at me as if that were the most boring thing in the world.

Kids these days have no culture.