Turns out I was upset over nothing. Martha was not shocked to see my wolf's eyes, she was just very surprised. She thought I got my wolf out of the blue, right there in the kitchen. As a human, she didn't know there was a process that a shifter shifting for the first time goes through.
"No, I did not just get my wolf," I tell them the truth. Of course, Ethan knew the process doesn't just happen out of the blues but Martha's eyes widened with surprise when she heard what I said
"When did it happen then?" She asks with interest
"I shifted for the first time around 1 am this morning when I was going home from work. I would have told you immediately I arrived but didn't because we're always busy in the morning and today being laundry day, I just figured I should wait. It was what I intended to talk to you about when I said we would talk when we get home..." I pause and she nods in understanding.
"I didn't want to talk in front of Ethan before since I don't know him that well, you understand. I don't know if I could trust him" I say with a bit of shame and guilt mixed into one. The guy saved my life, helped me with my chores, and called me his friend and I still didn't trust him enough to talk freely in his presence. I steal a glance at him, expecting to see hurt and disappointment in his expression but instead, he's smiling in understanding.
I'm glad to see they're cool with me and told them the reason I was reluctant to talk about my wolf with Ethan around, starting with everything that happened to me early that morning. The five shifters that accosted me in the wood intending to rape me. I described my wolf to them and also told them what happened when I was alone with the Gamma chief.
By the time I'm done talking about what I'd been through in the past hours, Martha is crying silently while Ethan looks furious. I tell them they shouldn't worry that I have my plans. I especially pleaded with Ethan who is bent on looking for Kent to go beat the hell out of him for setting me up.
Now I know for a fact that my wolf is strange since neither Ethan nor Martha had ever heard of or seen a half-human, half-wolf that heals much faster than the usual werewolf
"I know a sorcerer..." Martha's voice broke the silence that ensued after the last person had spoken
"A sorcerer?... Are sorcerers supposed to know about werewolf's history?" Ethan ask
"Not werewolf history, strange creatures, and occurrences. Sorcerers are supernatural beings, and they are knowledgeable about a lot of things that most of us ordinary folks and shifters have not heard about in our lives. She's my cousin actually and I trust her so there's no cause for alarm." Martha replies while looking at me.
"I didn't know you had a cousin. I say with surprise. You have never mentioned her in our talk."
"It's complicated. She's a very private person. Not someone I can talk about freely without her permission. Hopefully, one day I'll get to tell you all about her but now, I'll call her to let her know we're coming. We'll go tonight, immediately after work so we can be back in time to prepare breakfast."
"Oh, it's that far? Where's she? How are we going to get there?" I ask
"It's my hometown. A small town called Hill-backside and we will be going by train."
"Okay great... I'll be ready, say by nine?" Ethan ask
"No Ethan, you don't have to come with us. I'm sure you have a lot to do around here." Martha replies
"On the contrary, no. I don't have much to do since I haven't decided if I will be staying or if I'll return to England. So right now I have a lot of time on my hands. I'm not about to allow two ladies to go on their own at night on such a long journey ."
And so it's settled that Ethan will come within us. With his help, we are able to finish all our chores and close the kitchen some minutes before nine.
It's my first time going out of the pack and I'm excited to see what the outside world looks like. Martha drives and we arrive at her house twenty minutes later. She lives outside the pack land in a human town. Her house is a breathtaking, single-story, three-bedroom cottage that looked like it was cut out of a storybook. The building itself seems as if it was built in the center of a flower and vegetable garden that is surrounded by a white picket fence.
Since I've always wished I had a room where I could open the window in the morning to inhale my neighbor's flower garden. Being in Martha's house feels like a dream come true for me. The moment we step inside the small picket-fenced compound I'm engulfed by different sweet floral scents. Martha laugh in amusement when I raise my nose and happily sniff the air.
As soon as we enter the living room, I drop my bag on the floor and run to the center of the room, laughing and swirling round and round like a little girl.
"This is beautiful! You have a very beautiful home here, Martha, I love it!"
"Thank you!" She replies, still grinning. "I'm glad you love it. It's also your home now so feel free to explore the place when we're not in a hurry to go to work anymore."
I am surprised as I look around the living room. I used to think Martha was a poor, helpless old woman, I never knew her home would be this beautiful. It's nowhere near modern and extravagant which is what I love the most about the place. Rather, It's traditional, cozy, calm, bright and oh my god, it has a real fireplace. Except on TV and inside books, I've never seen a fireplace before in my life. It also has a cozy window seat where I already picture myself curling up to read a good novel.
"C'mon, you can explore later. Don't forget the train leaves by 10 pm and Ethan will soon be here to take us to the station." Martha reminds me.
I picked up my bag from where I dropped it before following her as she took me to a room. She pushes the door open.
"This is now your room. Hurry up and shower, then meet me in the living room when you're done." She says and immediately leaves not waiting to hear the thank you speech I already had planned out in my mind.
My room was designed for a girl. Martha didn't have kids so I wonder who it originally belonged to before it became mine. My bed is the four-poster kind with curtains that I've only seen inside picture books. I place my suitcase on the bed and plop down tiredly beside it. I jump off immediately when it feels as if I'm sinking through the soft bedding material to the floor. I've slept on a camping cot all my life and never knew mattresses could be this soft.
I open my suitcase and bring out a change of clothes which I lay on the bed before walking into the bathroom to have my bath. After I'm done bathing and dressing all in a record time, I leave my room for the living room to wait for Martha. The trip is because of me, it won't be cool if I keep the others waiting.
Martha soon comes out of her room and hands me a jacket...
"Hold on to this, you'll surely need it later. The weather here is warm but it will be cold when we arrive at Hill-backside." She says.
She cares for me as if she's my real mother. Even though I don't need the jacket since I now have my wolf's warmth to protect me from the cold. I collect it while looking into her eyes…
"Thank you, Martha, for everything," I say gratefully but instead of her responding in kind, she whacks me a couple of times on the head with the magazine she has in her hand.
"Shut your mouth and let's go, silly!" She snaps playfully
"Ouch! But what was that for!?" I laughingly ask as I walk beside her
"You mean this?" She asks, pushing the magazine into my hand. "It's for the road. In case you're the type that doesn't fall asleep easily."
"I wasn't asking about the magazine. I told you 'thank you" but you whacked me on the head instead. I'd like to know why?"
"Oh, that was just to tell you to stop thanking me like we're strangers to each other..." She suddenly stops walking and looks at me for a while before continuing...
"You know I would have adopted you myself if you were a little girl... But you're not. You're an adult, so you'll be the one to adopt me now and take care of me in my old age."
"Oh, Martha!" My eyes brim with tears and I fiercely hug her...
"Thank you... Thank you so much, Martha, I love you."
"And I love you too honey, now enough! I've always told you about watching your strength whenever you hug me so you don't end up crushing me to death one day!" She says so sharply I burst out in laughter with tears still in my eyes.
"Oh, okay..." I pull away and grab her arm instead, hugging her close to my side. "I'm so lucky to have you," I say and kiss her on the cheek.
"Same here kid... This lonely old woman is the luckiest to have you in her life"