were on the second story of the house. Griffin could make the jump easily enough. I had more strength than a human but I didn’t trust myself not to break or at the very least strain something. I waited for him to go first and Griffin stood outside my window.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” Griffin yell-whispered up to me. I rolled my eyes as I climbed out my window. I was going backwards and I could feel his eyes on my backside. I turned and stuck my tongue out at him.
“Why my prince I didn’t realize you were such a gracious ass.”
“Well when I see one, I see one.”
I turned slightly to see Griffin winking at me. I rolled my eyes and pushed off knowing that he would catch me. The air whistled past my ears. It was a strange sensation. I had done it so many times in our youth. The fear of it was gone, but the detached feeling of freedom was exhilarating. I felt almost like I was floating when I closed my eyes. Then Griffin’s arms snagged me before I could hit the ground.
Griffin’s arms tightened around me and I opened my eyes. He looked down at me but not with the look he used to. Maybe I was oblivious to it then, but I saw the change. The look of acceptance and sadness. I wasn’t his. And he wasn’t mine.
“Thank you,” I whispered wiggling softly from his grip. He set my legs down but his arm remained and he held my eyes. I wanted to look away, but for some reason it felt wrong to turn away from him.
“I always got you.”
I swallowed hard and finally broke eye contact with him. With the most awkward move on my part in my whole life, I punched his shoulder lightly.
“Got you too.”
I felt like an idiot doing it. I couldn’t even believe I had done it in the first place. I wanted to run away and hide until the burning in my face went away.
“Alright that was extremely awkward, are we doing this thing or what?” Liam’s voice broke the silence. I looked at our friend my eyebrows bunched together. My eyes shot to Griffin.
“I didn’t tell him,” Griffin said, putting his hands up in surrender.
“Well hurry up, now, little children. Nick can only keep the real adults busy for so long.” Liam said.
I rolled my eyes and we headed off towards the woods. I looked back at the house that had been my second home for most of my life. It didn’t look different, but it felt different. The beautiful back of it was made of stones. The backyard which was huge was made for entertainment. It had always felt like home. Now though I felt detached from it. It felt like I was really saying goodbye.
Griffin grabbed my hand and I turned to him the familiar warmth of my pack-mate filling me. I gave him a forced smile and headed into the woods with him. Liam had shifted to his grey wolf form and moved onwards. I knew Griffin wanted to shift, but he stayed human with me. We ran through the forest. When we got to the edge of the forest and Nick was already there in his car waiting.
I shook my head. It was seldom these two didn’t join us on an adventure. But this was Griffin and my last exploit together. Nick got out of the car and handed Griffin his keys.
“You break her I will destroy you.”
Nick looked at me.
“You can do whatever you want with Lettie. I don’t really care, but my car, she comes back intact.”
With that he winked at me. I shook my head with a small smile. I slipped into the front seat and waited for Griffin.
Nick transformed into his wolf form. It looked so flawless from where I was sitting. I felt a stir of longing in my gut. I had lived with werewolves for almost my whole life. Even when I was supposedly living with humans, my rouge wolf father was there. I had told myself for years that maybe I would shift one day. It wasn’t unheard of for half-weres, it was just rarer. When I hit puberty I gave up the hope. But it didn’t stop my heart from longing to have what I could never have. Griffin talked to the guys for a bit more and came around.
“They’ll call us if someone notices we’re gone.”
I nodded. I watched as Nick and