The Wolfs Maine - By Jinni James Page 0,29

was putting his clothes on as he listened to Michael obviously taking it all in and trying to remember what had happened.

"I was in such a rage." John sat back down; I could tell his mind must have been racing.

"John, we don't need to talk about this right now. Let’s talk later." Michael didn't think I noticed but of course I did, his eyes went to me as he was talking to John. What would they need to talk about without me? I could tell John wasn't finished though. He looked like he was struggling to remember something important.

"The last thing I remember was seeing Nicholas attacking Ava and then everything goes blank after that." That woke me up.

"Wait, you what? What were you doing there?" I could tell John realized he just gave something away.

"Were you there when the wolf came in? Is that why you were hurt so badly? Did you try to fight off the wolf?" John and Michael just looked at each other and I was getting aggravated.

"What?" Michael then looked at me and back at John.

"John, my friend, I think it's time to tell her."

What would they possibly need to tell me? I was definitely aggravated and I hated feeling like there were things going on that I didn't know about. John took me by the hand and led me over to the couch where we all sat down.

"Alright Ava dear. I need to talk to you and I need you to one have an open mind and two, Stay calm. Can you do that?" I looked at Michael then John and nodded.

"Open mind, check. Stay calm, I'll try." John took my hand in his and the first thing he did was kiss my cheek.

"Okay, here it goes. I did not fight the wolf, I was the wolf." He gave me a minute to let that register then continued.

"I was worried about you and got a funny feeling after talking to Michael and decided that I would just check on you. If you were okay I would go back home but then I saw Nicholas and you through your window and I saw Nicholas just throw you across the room like you were nothing and I went off. I bust through the window and it was me attacking Nicholas. I was the wolf Ava. Me." I looked at John, at first thought he must be joking but I could tell from his eyes that he most definitely was not.

"You were the wolf." It was half a question and half a statement, I knew the answer.

"Yes my love. I was the wolf." John squeezed my hand as if reassuring me but my mind was racing.

"So was this a one-time thing or can you always turn into a wolf?" He took a breath as if glad I hadn't gone running for the door and began to explain.

"Actually I can turn into anything I wish, whenever I want. I usually choose the wolf because the wolf is my favorite animal. Ava, I am a shape shifter. I can shift into anything. Just like Michael." He looked up at Michael as if in agreement then Michael looked at me.

"Yes, I am a shape shifter as well. My favorite animal varies on the situation. I tend to favor the wolf on most occasions though myself." So John and Michael were shape shifters. I didn't quite know how to process this. You grow up thinking these things are not real and then you find out they are it makes you wonder what else is real and what is fake. Then it hit me.

"Wait a second. You say you were a wolf when you came to check on me tonight at the house right?" John looked right at me.

"Yes dear."

"So was that you that night outside the club when the girls and I went out?" That took John by surprise. He probably didn't think I would put two and two together but the wolf that was at my house fighting Nicholas looked exactly like the wolf I saw that night. John continued to look at me like he had no idea what to say until Michael spoke up.

"John. Snap out of it!" He snapped his fingers right under John’s nose which on a normal day would have been funny but today I was getting annoyed.

"Yes. That was me." He almost looked like a puppy I just swatted with a newspaper but he did save my life that night. I was speechless.

"Oh."

"Ava. I'm